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Guarantee of quality
Guarantee of quality of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español
Since 1990, the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español has been the Association uniting the main Serrano ham producers-exporters in Spain. To independently guarantee product quality is the fundamental guiding principle of this group.
Via continuous inspections and audits, each production plant is strictly assessed in order to verify that they comply with optimum hygiene standards. At the same time, control of the raw materials, the manufacturing process and the most significant part, the finished product, is carried out.
What guarantees a Consorcio Serrano Ham?
The Quality Control Department of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español, via quality control and selection piece by piece, seeks to guarantee a product that not only is of high quality but is also homogeneous, with a unique texture, smell and taste that identifies genuine Spanish cured ham as remaining constant over time.
Ham is a very complex product and it is difficult to guarantee its ultimate quality. Therefore, the final selection of each piece is our secret to ensuring a homogeneous and standardised product in all the Consorcio Serrano Hams. Only a limited amount of Spanish Serrano Hams are worthy of the "Exclusive Signature" or Consorcio Serrano Quality Seal.
This seal is only reserved for those Spanish Serrano Hams that comply with the following quality guidelines:
- Compliance with the quality standard of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español.
- The production process of Serrano ham takes place exclusively in Spain.
- European TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) certification, which protects the "Jamón Serrano" designation.
- Average maturation of 12 months (minimum maturation time: 52 weeks).
- Control of the facilities by periodic inspections and audits of the process and product at every production plant.
- Quality guarantee on each piece of Serrano ham using a numbered control label.
|Serrano ham guarantees
|Country of Origin
|Minimum curing period
|12 months (52 weeks)
|Private certification
|Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español
|European certification
|TSG / Serrano
|Weight of piece (bone-in)
|starting at 6.5 kg
|Texture, colour and flavour
|Firm, red, purple and intense
Therefore, the final selection of each piece is our secret to ensuring a homogeneous and standardised product in all the Consorcio Serrano Hams.
|Fire Seal and the CJSE Control Tag: guaranteed certifications
|Origin of the designation
|Traditional, historic character, with a private quality label.
|Legislation of reference
|EU regulation 509/06. Private quality guidelines (last amendment of 19/02/2018)
|Quality countermark
|Fire seal on the final product (whole piece). Numbered control label. Logo of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español. Generic European TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) distinctive sign.
|Scope of legal protection
|In all of the EU and as a registered trade mark in most countries.
|Origin of raw material (fresh/froze ham)
|Only Spanish.
|Place of Production
|Required minimum maturing period
|52 weeks, verified by periodic inspections (365 days). (Verified average of 56 weeks).
|Minimum required loss (of weight while fresh)
|Fat content (fat thickness at the confluence of the knuckle and the hip)
|Minimum 1 cm. In addition to assessment of the fat content of the piece as a whole at the time of inspection.
|Legislation about preservatives
|The following are valid: E-250; E-252; E-301
|Presentation as the final product
|Whole ham (with foot and without foot). All modalities in boned presentations. Semi-boned. Sliced.
|Control system
|Product certification by accredited organization EN-45011. Periodic auditing of the CORSORCIO SERRANO process at each production plant. Final inspection of product, PIECE BY PIECE.
|Pieces controlled for exportation
|Estimated 750,000 annually.
Why Consorcio Serrano ham?
There is a large variety in the quality of Serrano ham. The Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español is the association of Spanish producers of Serrano ham that has guaranteed quality with their control seal since 1990.
- 100% Serrano ham from Spain, matured for an average of 12 months.
- A thorough quality control in traditional production processes
- Piece by piece ham selection at the prime moment for consumption
Process and quality controls Ham Consorcio Serrano
|Types of Serrano ham
|Serrano ham
|Consorcio Serrano ham
|TGS Guarantee
|Origin of raw material
|No restrictions
|100% Spanish
|Minimum maturing period (weeks)
|Inspection and quality control audit
|TGS audit
|Double audit: TSG + installations and processes
|Final product selection piece by piece
|Not required
|Guaranteed regularity. Prime moment for consumption. Uniformity
|Geographical restriction
|Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG)Ham of "specific character" that distinguishes it from other similar products of the same category and its method of production or transformation is "traditional".


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Matt Cullen eyeing another Stanley Cup ring as retirement looms
NASHVILLE – Matt Cullen was one of only three Pittsburgh Penguins skaters at their heavily optional morning skate on Sunday, hours before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. It could have been the final one of his career.
Whenever the 2017 Stanley Cup champion is crowned, either in Game 6 or in a potential Game 7 Wednesday, it could also spell the end of Cullen's 20-year NHL career.
[Follow Puck Daddy on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]
The retirement talk started in the summer of 2015 before he signed with the Penguins. Having parted ways with the Predators, Cullen heard from general manager Jim Rutherford, his old boss with the Carolina Hurricanes, and a deal was done in early August. After a second Stanley Cup title he took the summer to think about his future and ended up re-signing a month before training camps opened for one more ride.
Now 40 years old, Cullen is on the verge of a third Cup title, a feat that would cap off a career that began in 1997 when he was a rookie with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. As the end has approached, the veteran forward has taken time to savor these special moments.
"I probably would say I started doing that last year going through the whole experience, not knowing if you've ever have another chance at it," said Cullen, who will have over a dozen friends and family in attendance for Game 6. "I appreciate every day that I have here and I enjoy every minute of it and I soak it all in, for sure."
Cullen's focus isn't on the end just yet. Game 6 marks Pittsburgh's first crack at closing out the Predators, something the Penguins couldn't do in Game 5 last year against the San Jose Sharks. They dropped that game but were able to close out the series on the road, a place this franchise finds itself often in Cup-winning situations.
As one of a number of players on the Penguins rosters with at least one Cup ring, Cullen knows how important it is to not give an opponent life when you're attempting to close out a series.
"That's what you have to understand – it's just an opportunity," he said, "You've got to try to take advantage of it. It's not just going to present itself; it's not going to fall in your lap. You've got to go out there and earn it. This is a group that understands that. We're prepared to do that and we're going to give it our best."
– – – – – – –
Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

subset: commoncrawl


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And have you seen character posters for Tim Burton's movie adaptation of the famous classic TV show DARK SHADOWS in
Saturday, March 31, 2012
And have you seen character posters for Tim Burton's movie adaptation of the famous classic TV show DARK SHADOWS in
36 comments:
Hooray!!!! An American comedy and it has Eddie Murphy!! Woo Hoo!!ReplyDelete
You're so awesome, Dez =)Replies
Blogger is finally letting me on to comment. I sent you an email explaining my predicament darling.ReplyDelete
I loved 300, my daughter and I watched that movie over and over and over. I think Gerard will do better in the role. He sits a horse very well and I mean that seriously not sexually. You know who else sits a horse really well? William Shatner rides beautifully, looks like he was born in the saddle (again seriously). I know it's off topic, but I'm going home and we've horses, so I'm thinking about it.
I'm glad to see all these comedies come out as we all need a lift these days. I didn't see Twins and I don't know how I missed it. I love Devito and Arnold actually can be funny. Murphy has his moments and let's hope this is one of them.Replies
yep, I've just sent you an answer on the email :)Delete
You have horses? I had one when I grew up on a farm, but I was scared from her :) She was quite crazy. I preferred my piggies, cats, dogs and sheep :)
You didn't miss much with the TWINS, but you could watch it to remind yourself of the old days :) The 80's were such peaceful years ... Fights between Crystle and Alexis were the only fights we had back then :(
They're my aunts horses and I can't ride anymore since the accident. I still love to see them and to watch a good horseman ride. The only problem with the piggies is the smell. But I'd love a little pot belly pig as a pet. Sheep are lovely, and the sight of them grazing in a field makes me happy. I also love cows. I think they are my favorite livestock animal. When the new calves are born, it's just eh best. The yearlings will be out in the fields grazing. I can't wait.Delete
yep, piggies are stinkers :) But horses aren't bed or roses either :) not to mention sheep who stink like hell :) But we love our stinky animals :)Delete
Cows are the cutest, it's true, such mild and calm creatures and so generous with giving us milk. I'd never understand how can someone butcher a cow or a calf?
Wow that is an interesting idea for a change with Murphy added to the mix. I'm not saying Twins was the greatest thing ever, but those three, if they could somehow capture any little bit of the movies they made back then, could make a decent film for a change.ReplyDeleteReplies
it could end up being a huge hit, or a huge flop if fanboys start trashing it even before it gets made.Delete
But sometimes trashing it gets peoples attention to and they go to see what all the fuss is about. So you never know, I just hope its something more 80's like, miss those type of movies.Delete
fingers crossed, Cat, fingers crossed... or claws :)Delete
And even my paws, so I cross the paws and the claws. Quite crossed I'd say.Delete
cross the tail as well, lest the poop comes out :)Delete
I love Butler. He's one of my favourites. Not sure about the other two movies though.ReplyDelete
Motor city sounds pretty neat reminds me of dexterReplyDelete
Ok, you haven't been following my blog long, but let's just say that Gerard Butler makes me..um..melt. hahahaha LOVE him.ReplyDelete
Now that I got that off of my chest, I can say how excited I am for Dark Shadows. I love the uniqueness that Depp brings to characters. I can't wait to see what he has in store! Have a great weekend!Replies
Butler, or as we call him Gerry Berry, is quite huge here at HOLLYWOOD SPY. Back when he was shooting CORIOLANUS here in Belgrade, I had a huge number of visits since I was reporting daily on his nightlife here :) He seduced a lot of Serbian singers and had a fling with our Playboy bunny :)Delete
I loved the movie Twins; can't say I'm thrilled about Triplets, but I'm not always an Eddie Murphy fan. I can only take him in doses.ReplyDelete
I'd say I was born without a funny bone; but I'm expecting Dark Shadows to be humorous and exciting. I enjoyed the trailer. I hope I get to see it soon.
Man, Tim Burton just can't let go of Johnny Depp eh?ReplyDelete
Eddie Murphy eh? Haven't seen anything with him in it for a while.ReplyDelete
Thanks Dezz for the Dark Shadows character posters. I love Dark Shadows as a kid and used to run from school to watch it, but very different from what Tim Burton is doing in the film. I'm glad he's making a comedy about the 70's rather than trying to do a remake of the original show that many of us still remember ;)ReplyDeleteReplies
glad you're excited, Myri dearest. I just had Penny from Tweeter tell me she doesn't like Burton making it into comedy, but I think it is better as comedy, especially since Depp can't act in anything else :) I wasn't born back then, so I've never seen the show, but I did see ADAMS FAMILY old show once.Delete
nice videoReplyDelete
Eddie, Arnold and Danny...Could be very intriguing. I love me the Dark Shadows trailer. I cannot wait to see this movie, it is going to be deliciously funny.ReplyDelete
Dark Shadows shows a lot of promise, I liked the last line on the trailer.ReplyDelete
Triplets... is that a fact? Sigh. What's next? Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money? No, don't answer that, Dezzmeister.ReplyDelete
But um that Dark Shadows movie will be great, I'm sure. Edward is one of my favorites, as is Batman 1.


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Blue Women's Fitted Vintage "Anti-Racism" Tee
Love our lesbian and gay pride shirts but aren't sure what size you should order? Use this size chart to make sure any anti-racism shirts or feminist shirts you order fit you just right. We want you to be nice and comfortable while rocking your beliefs and standing up for an awesome cause.
Heather Blue Women's Fashion Fit
52% Cotton / 48% Poly


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What's next for Chinese theater?
As a high-achiever in the entertainment industry, Zhong Lifang once said: "No matter what I do, I want to be a front-runner". After successfully producing and investing in a few movie hits, she co-founded China Broadway Entertainment in 2014, which specializes in crafting musicals and stage shows. Her latest jukebox musical The Secret, which is a co-production with a top-notch Broadway team, has wowed audiences after touring in Beijing and Shanghai. What can we expect in China's live theater market with regard to more edgy and refreshing content? How do we crack cultural gap issues in international collaboration? We talk to Ms Zhong today in her Beijing office.


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Darlene Luccio Jordan is the Executive Director of the Gerald R. Jordan Foundation, a nonprofit organization named for her husband that supports education, health and medical research, youth services, and the arts. In 2012, she was awarded the Fordham Founder's Award, honoring her outstanding philanthropic commitment to her Alma Mater, Fordham University. Darlene recently completed a 14 year term on the Fordham Board of Directors where she served as a Member of the Executive Committee and was Chair of the Development and University Relations Committee. She is the Co-Chair of the $175 million Financial Aid Campaign and of the successfully completed $500 million comprehensive campaign.
Darlene served as a National Finance Co-Chair for Mitt Romney for President in 2008 and 2012. In 2014, she was the State Finance Chair for Governor Rick Scott's successful Gubernatorial re-election campaign and raised $101 million and in 2018, she served as the Finance Chair for Rick Scott's successful race for Senate.
In April 2016, she was appointed to the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida where she is the Chair of Academic and Student Affairs and Vice Chair of Academic and Research Excellence. In March 2017 she was appointed to the Constitution Revision Commission of the State of Florida. She received Palm Beach Atlantic University's Women of Distinction Award in March 2017 for her commitment to her community and educational causes and the 2020 Republican Party of Palm Beach County Life Time Achievement Award to be recognized in March 2020. Darlene is a Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and a member of the Harvard Business School Board of Dean's Advisors and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Darlene is a trustee of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and a member of the Board of Directors for Oxbridge Academy, Rosarian Academy, and the Town of Palm Beach United Way.
Darlene is a former Assistant Attorney General for the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, where she served in the Insurance Fraud Division from 1996 to 1999. Previously, she was an Assistant District Attorney in the Norfolk District Attorney's office, from 1991 through 1996. She managed the DA's office in the Stoughton District Court and was responsible for all cases originating from the five surrounding towns. In addition, she helped to implement and manage a new one-tier trial system in the Dedham District Court, supervised student prosecutors, and assisted in the management of the Dedham Juvenile District Court.
Darlene received her Bachelor of Arts in 1989 from Fordham University and her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University School of Law in 1992. She has been a member of the Massachusetts Bar since 1992 and the U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts since 1993. Darlene and her husband Jerry live in Palm Beach, FL with their daughter Charlotte.


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Voice Broadcast
2. Single recipients and groups supported.
3. Text To Speech engine - send text-to-voice message to land line or cell phones.
4. One-click quick Text-to-Speech sending to a recipient or a group.
5. Broadcasting to multiple recipients/groups (sms/voice/fax/email).
6. Scheduling broadcasts up to one week ahead.
7. Support for thousands of recipients and groups.
8. User friendly and robust web based GUI - nothing to install on your PC.
9. Quick Voice delivery - it takes seconds, not minutes.
10. Delivery of thousands of messages within few minutes.
Text To Speech Broadcast
Text to Speech (TTS) option included in every mothly plan, helps to convert text message to high quality voice, and deliver it to land line or cell phones. This option is very useful for all kinds of broadcast or alerts, when you want to push out your message quickly and without thinking what kind of receiver(s) (sms capable cell phone or voice-only capable phone) are you dealing with.
The whole process is totally transparent to the user.


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HSM Requirements
1. Health Institutions, Systems and Policy (HSM Bootcamp) (2 credits)
This four-day intensive course introduces HSM students to the interlocking segments of the health care industry, including physicians, hospitals, HMOs/PPOs, insurers, consultants, pharmaceutical companies and medical device companies. This class includes Daytime and EMBA HSM students. Executive MBA students have the option to attend in residency, by distance, or as a hybrid of residency and distance.
Dates: Health Institutions, Systems and Policies is offered every year in the third or fourth week of July and can be taken in person at Fuqua or in a distance format.
In 2023: July 24-27
2. Fundamentals of Health Sector Management: A Global Perspective (HSM Seminar) (3 credits)
The course addresses key challenges in the value chain by which people and organizations around the world create, deliver, and consume health care goods and services. This course meets primarily by distance, and with one residency session.
Dates: Students meet virtually (via Zoom) on six scheduled Sunday mornings for approximately 2 hours.
In 2023: February-August
The course concludes with a half-day conference that coincides with the start of the elective term.
3. Three HSM Elective Courses (9 credits)
Students take two, or three from Set 1 and zero, or one from Set 2.
Set 1: HSM Industry Context Electives (take two, or three). Students must take at least two of the Industry-Context electives below. If all three electives are offered and students choose to take all three electives. If students choose to take all three electives, then a Breadth Elective is not required.
- HLTHMGMT 711E – Health Care Markets
- HLTHMGMT 714E – Provider Strategy
- HLTHMGMT 718E – Life Science Strategy
Set 2: HSM Breadth Electives (take none, or one) – Students who take two electives from Set 1 will fulfill the remaining HSM elective requirement with one of the courses listed below. Note that only a subset of courses below will be offered in any specific EMBA elective term.
- HLTHMGMT 716 Management of Health Systems and Policy (Week in DC)
- FINANCE 646E Corporate Finance
- MANAGEMT 745E Negotiation
- MARKETNG 796E Market Intelligence
- MARKETNG 807E Marketing Strategy
- MARKETNG 808E Strategy and Tactics of Pricing
- STRATEGY 840E Emerging Markets Strategy
- STRATEGY 838E Entrepreneurial Strategy for Innovation-Based Ventures
Dates: The HSM Breadth Elective classes are offered during the elective term.
4. HSM Project Course (3 credits)
The HSM Project Course is designed for students to extend their mastery in one or more business skills by completing an in-depth analysis of a health care management or policy challenge or opportunity and developing actionable recommendations concerning the identified topic. To accomplish this goal, students will select the topic and organization providing the context for the project, develop a proposal describing the project, work with a project advisor to refine the project focus/scope and work plan, as required, and then carry out the research and other steps required to complete the analyses. Faculty supervision for the project will include online, in-person, and/or phone sessions.
Dates: The Project Course is conducted immediately following successful completion of MBA and HSM coursework.
In 2022: April-July
In 2023: December 2022-April 2023
HSM Courses
Health Institutions, Systems & Policy (HSM Bootcamp)
In this intensive bootcamp, students will become familiar with how health care regulations around the world interact with companies in the health sector, including how governments are involved in the functioning and financing of these different companies. Students will also examine more closely the primary commercial segments of the industry including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology, long-term care facilities, and health IT. This study of the industry will be accompanied by a discussion of the history of the industry, how it has evolved to its current state, and how people can shape the future of health care through the topic of the uninsured, health care reform, and delivery systems. The week will integrate guest lecturers from Duke, as well as the business and policy world. This course provides students with a foundation in the structure and function of health care systems and the framework to build upon their specific goals and interests in the field.
Fundamentals of Health Sector Management (HSM Seminar)
The HSM Seminar course examines the challenges of rising health care costs in both developing and developed countries, with both nationalized and private health insurance. Students will explore the various ways governments and industries around the world are working to control spending. The course will also cover how financing and organization of health care delivery can affect health care costs and provide an understanding of the sector's complex institutional environments. This includes the structure of health care providers, regulators, payors, and product markets. HSM Seminar will provide students an opportunity to engage in issues and readings that address broad contemporary challenges to the health sector. Students are expected to participate in discussion.
Health Care Markets
Health Care Markets uses tools from business and the social sciences to examine challenges faced by managers, patients, and policy makers in the health sector. The course aims for broad coverage of health care, including manufacturers and providers, but pays special attention to payers. Weekly topics will include demand for and supply of health insurance, cost effectiveness of a medical intervention, health information technology, innovation and competition for medical products, and hospital leadership and competition. The class is both for those who have a deep knowledge of the health sector, as well as those who are new and willing to work hard and learn. Lively discussion and a diversity of perspectives are highly encouraged.
Health Care Provider Strategy
Health Care Provider Strategy provides an inside look into the health care provider space. Students will grow their strategic and operational thinking skills and ability to persuasively communicate analyses and recommendations. This course will explore how providers address a rising demand, complexity, and supplier cost, while still balancing providing high quality, profitable services. The class will incorporate guest lecturers from industry, focused case studies, and a team-based analysis of challenges facing today's current provider organizations.
Life Science Strategy
This course examines product strategy in the biotech, device, and pharmaceutical industries. Case studies include entrepreneurial start-ups, large incumbents, and companies in between. Life science product companies face new challenges and opportunities. Emerging markets are growing rapidly. Developed markets have changes in regulatory oversight and reimbursement, including emphasis on evidence-based medicine. Patient populations are shrinking as diagnostics become better able to identify which patients respond best to which medicines. Companies are moving beyond the blockbuster and some are focusing on rare diseases. Many of the tools for business education are useful in the life science product market. To succeed, industry professionals need a deep understanding of corporate strategy, financing options, product development and innovation management, marketing, and customer needs. However, there are also important differences in regulation and reimbursement of health care. For example, in this course, students will use tools from economics and marketing to understand pricing, with the caveat that often insurers are paying the bills.
Health Systems & Policy (Week in DC)
Health Systems and Policy (Week in DC) provides students with an understanding of the business interrelationship between public and private sectors in one of the most dynamic and highly regulated industries. Students learn about current issues in health policy including health care reform, the role of private insurers in the new marketplace, and more. The class culminates in a trip to Washington, DC to hear from speakers who are key stakeholders in the US health care system from all branches of the US government, as well as consulting and advisory groups, business leaders, and lobbying firms. The week spent in DC gives students a real-world perspective as they examine the institutions critical to health policy and health care delivery.
Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum
The Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP). enhances students' business education by developing collaborative consulting engagements with businesses and nonprofit organizations in which students assist their client organizations in addressing existing and emerging challenges. FCCP offers customized consulting assistance to a diverse array of organizations. Clients have varied from small, local business and nonprofit organizations to global corporations to social entrepreneurs in developing markets. Examples of health care projects include recommending a market entry strategy into a Latin American country for a pharmaceutical consulting firm and analyzing and recommending improvements to the patient acquisition process for a physician clinic. Engagements have been structured to include student team travel to locations within the US and internationally. View more past HSM projects here.
HSM Project Course
In this course, students apply their business skills to the analysis of a health care management or policy challenge. The project will include the selection of an organization, the development of a proposal describing the project, and the subsequent research to complete the analysis. To finalize the project, students will write up their analyses, findings and implementation steps. Students will be assisted by a project mentor and course faculty.


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When you purchase a High Descent addon you are guaranteed one month of usage, unless your account is deleted due to inactivity. Anything past one month will be provided if possible, but is not guaranteed.
The exception to the above statement is gold purchases. Gold bought before a seasonal reset will be lost with the reset. It cannot be transferred from one season to another.
When you purchase gold, or any other addon, there are no returns or refunds. Once the transaction is complete and you've been provided with the gold or addon the sale is final.
High Descent is a constantly changing game. When you purchase an addon, there is no guarantee that the game will stay as-is. You purchase addons knowing that if the game changes to your dislike, that there will be no refunds.
If High Descent experiences downtime there will be no refunds.
If High Descent deems it necessary you may be removed from the game permanently with no warning. All addons and gold purchased would be lost.
You may not claim to be a site administrator or authority of any type. You may not have a nobleman name that implies authority.
You may not engage in any malicious activity, including, but not limited to: hacking, stealing, multiple accounts, and flooding.
It is your responsibility to check back to these terms frequently for updates.
Back to Signup
High Descent is a free, browser based persistent game (PBBG) based in medieval times. HD first opened in May of 2001 and has been continually evolving ever since. HD is a online multiplayer game played in the browser, no downloads required! High Descent is a massively multiplayer online game, meaning that you compete against hundreds, or even thousands of other players all over the world.
The goal of High Descent is to ascend the ranks of nobility. To do so, you must assemble an army of mercenaries and bring them successfully into battle. But be sure to equip your mercenaries with the finest armor and weapons, or they will not last long.
The best way to learn about High Descent is to play it. It's totally free, and signing up takes only a minute.


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Showing Collections: 1 - 2 of 2
Office of the Vice President for Administration Records
Identifier: UA 97
Scope and Contents Acc. 2008.052 contains property files related to buildings owned or leased by William and Mary. Acc. 2010.253 contains correspondence, reports, and other office files from the Office of Administration from 1988 to 2006. The bulk of the files deal with various construction projects on campus, including Small Hall, Swem Library, Barrett Hall, and the School of Business. There are also budget files from both state and private funds. Acc. 2014.091 contains construction...
Dates: 1988-2006
Found in: Special Collections Research Center
Vice President for Finance and Administration Records
Identifier: UA 127
Scope and Contents
Office files, beginning in 1928, but mostly 1980's; auxiliary enterprises files; inventory of real property held by the College, the Endowment Association and Board of Visitors; 1987 Master Plan material; correspondence with state agencies; financial reports for William & Mary, VIMS, and the Men's Athletic Association; and Audit Reports.
Dates: 1928-1989
Found in: Special Collections Research Center


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The Qutub complex is situated in Mehrauli, the first city of Delhi. Its construction was commissioned by the first Muslim Sultans of Delhi Qutub-ud-Din Aybak and his son-in-law Iltutmish. Although the complex is home to a number of monuments patronized by the various emperors of the Delhi Sultanate and later the Britishers, its most famous structure is undoubtedly the Qutub Minar that lent the complex its name.
A heritage walk to the Qutub complex will take you through the its important structures; Qutub Minar, the tallest brick and buff minaret in the world with hanging balconies and honeycomb, arabesque decoration; the Alai Minar, a failed attempt at the hands of Alaudin Khalji to replicate the Qutub Minar, the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque made from the remains of Hindu and Jaina shrines; the Alai Darwaza, southern gateway to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque built by none other than Alaudin Khalji; an inscribed iron pillar belonging to the ancient times; tomb of Iltutmish etc.
The recent controversies revolving around the Bollywood movie "Padmavat" is bringing in a lot of visitors to the Qutub Complex who unlike the visitors from the past are more interested in the structures associated with Alaudin Khalji than the Qutub Minar itself. Take a guided walk to the Qutub complex and know more about the first city of Delhi, its rulers and patrons; appreciate the Islamic architecture and the Indo-Islamic elements of the its structures. Join Delhi Walks heritage tour to the Qutub Complex and make the most of it. Feel free to contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or call us +91 9899692790 in order to find out which itinerary suits you best. Delhi Walks is an award winning brand which is operated in conjunction with India City Walks and aims to offer best walking experience ever.


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Finnish Spitz
The Finnish Spitz, also known as the Finnish Barking Birddog, the Finnish Cock-Eared Dog, the Finnish Hunting Dog, the Suomenpystykorva and the "Finkie," is the national dog of Finland. Its origin traces back several thousands of years, when the Finno-Ugrian peoples inhabited central Russia. This is an excellent breed for families, as it plays well with children of all ages and does well with other pets. The Finnish Spitz is an enthusiastic barker. It has been described as the ideal dog for people who like cats given its cat-like characteristics. The Finnish Spitz was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1983 as a member of the Miscellaneous Class, and became eligible to compete in AKC-sanctioned shows as part of the Non-Sporting Group in 1988.
The fox-like Finnish Spitz requires regular brushing to control shedding, but its dense red-gold double coat should never be trimmed. The mature male Finnish Spitz should stand 17½ to 20 inches at the withers, while adult females ideally stand 15½ to 18 inches in height. Adults typically weigh between 20 and 35 pounds.
History & Health
The Finnish Spitz was originally a tribal dog used to hunt all types of game, from squirrels to bear. It became particularly proficient at hunting the Finnish game birds called capercaillie (similar to wild turkeys) and black grouse. As the tribes migrated over time, they bred their dogs according to their familial and geographical needs, and separate lines developed. In the far northern lake-filled reaches of the area now known as Finland, one clan became isolated and developed the pure breed now known as the Finnish Spitz. Over the ensuing centuries, as improved methods of transportation brought diverse populations of people and dogs together, the original Spitz was crossed with other breeds and approached extinction by 1880. In the 1890s, several foresters and hunters from Helsinki saw the pure native dogs during a hunting expedition to the northern forests and returned home with several superior specimens in hopes of salvaging the breed.
One of these early pioneers in the breed, Hugo Roos, took several trips to remote corners of far northern Scandanavia to obtain untainted stock. He bred the Finnish Spitz for more than thirty years, ultimately retiring from breeding to become a conformation show judge. Another early contributor to the breed, Hugo Sandberg, similarly launched an ultimately successful rescue campaign. In 1891, five Finnish Spitz earned ribbons at the first Helsinki dog show. The Finnish Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1892 and developed a standard based on Mr. Sandberg's observations. That standard was revised in 1897, when the breed's official name became the Finnish Spitz.
The first Finnish Spitz reportedly arrived in England in 1927, brought back by a hunter after a trip to Scandinavia. Early Brittish fanciers became instrumental in forming the English Finnish Spitz breed club. By 1935, these dogs were popular enough to warrant registration with The Kennel Club (of England). The Canadian Kennel Club admitted the Finnish Spitz to its studbook in 1974. The first Finnish Spitz imported into the United States is said to have come from the famous Cullabine Kennel in England in 1959. During the 1960s, the breed was further promoted in this country using Finnish imports. The Finnish Spitz Club of America was founded in 1975, and the American breed standard was prepared in 1976 based on the Finnish club standard. In November of 1983, the breed was accepted into the American Kennel Club's Miscellaneous Class. The AKC Stud Book was opened to the Finnish Spitz in August of 1987. The breed became eligible to compete at AKC-licensed events in January of 1988, as a member of the Non-Sporting Group.
While almost exclusively a faithful house companion with an affinity for children, in Finland the Finnish Spitz remains a worker. He has a distinctive escalating yodeling bark and natural pointing stance, both of which are still used in his native country to direct hunters to game once it is flushed from ground and gone to tree. In Finland, no Finnish Spitz can earn a conformation championship title without first proving his worth in the field.
This is a healthy breed with a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years and a low risk for developing hip dysplasia. There is a breed predisposition to Spitz dog thrombopathia, which causes chronic intermittent bleeding.
Temperament & Personality
The Finnish Spitz is the perfect companion for an active family. This breed is happy and easy going and adores playing with children. They can be trusted with strangers, aren't prone to aggression and get along well with other dogs. They adore their families and despite their independent nature, attach themselves deeply to the ones they love and like to be included in outdoor activities. Their hunting roots make them an alert dog that can act as a reliable watchdog. The Finnish Spitz is a great choice for first-time dog owners, as well.
Activity Requirements
The Finnish Spitz is not a lazy house dog. They were developed to be sturdy bird-hunting companions and they have a built-in need to run and keep their minds active. Their medium size may be appealing to condo or apartment dwellers, but the Finnish Spitz needs several hours of vigorous exercise every day in order to stave off boredom and destructiveness. Active families are perfect for this breed, as they are a true family dog who will happily engage in group activities like jogging, hiking or biking. They adore children and will romp in the yard with kids for hours on end. Yards should be fenced in, as this hunter will take off after birds or small animals and aren't likely to obey calls to return home. For this reason, farms are not an ideal locale for the Finnish Spitz.
Their independent streak, coupled with a four-year strong puppyhood can make a Finnish Spitz difficult to train. Calm assertiveness is the best tack to take with this breed, as they don't respond well to discipline. They can become easily bored with repetitive training exercises, so breeders and trainers recommend keeping sessions short and mixing up the routine.
Once leadership is established and basic obedience has been mastered, the Finnish Spitz should be graduated to advanced obedience classes or agility training. They are intelligent dogs and need to be mentally stimulated as much as they need to be physically exercised.
Behavioral Traits
In Finland, this breed is called the "Barking Bird Dog" and they got this nickname for one reason: they bark, and bark often. The Finnish Spitz can bark up to 160 times per minute. This makes them excellent hunting companions, but can drive an entire neighborhood crazy. Early training lessons should include commands to stop barking.
Separation anxiety can develop quite easily in this breed because they get so attached to their family. Their anxiety can be made much worse if they are not given enough opportunity to exercise. Keeping a Finnish Spitz active and giving him interesting things to do while you are away can stave off the destructive behaviors and excessive barking that come with an anxious dog.
Early and frequent socialization is important with the Finnish Spitz. They are reserved with strangers by nature, and if left unchecked can become overly shy and timid. Teaching him to accept new people and new situations is important for healthy mental development.
Breed Standard
General Appearance
The Finnish Spitz presents a fox-like picture. The breed has long been used to hunt small game and birds. The pointed muzzle, erect ears, dense coat and curled tail denotes its northern heritage. The Finnish Spitz whole being shows liveliness, which is especially evident in the eyes, ears and tail. Males are decidedly masculine without coarseness. Bitches are decidedly feminine without over-refinement.
The Finnish Spitz' most important characteristics are its square, well-balanced body that is symmetrical with no exaggerated features, a glorious red-gold coat, his bold carriage and brisk movement.
Any deviation from the ideal described standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Structural faults common to all breeds are as undesirable in the Finnish Spitz as in any other breed, even though such faults may not be mentioned in the standard.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size--Height at the withers in dogs, 17½ to 20 inches; in bitches, 15½ to 18 inches. Proportion--Square: length from forechest to buttocks equal to height from withers to ground. The coat may distort the square appearance. Substance--Substance and bone in proportion to overall dog.
Clean cut and fox-like. Longer from occiput to tip of nose than broad at widest part of skull in a ratio of 7:4. More refined with less coat or ruff in females than in males, but still in the same ratio. A muscular or coarse head, or a long or narrow head with snipy muzzle, is to be penalized.
Expression--Fox-like and lively.
Eyes--Almond-shaped with black rims. Obliquely set with moderate spacing between, neither too far apart nor too close. Outer corners tilted upward. Dark in color with a keen and alert expression. Any deviation, runny, weepy, round or light eyes should be faulted.
Ears--Set on high. When alert, upward standing, open to the front with tips directly above the outer corner of the eyes. Small erect, sharply pointed and very mobile. Ears set too high, too low, or too close together, long or excessive hair inside the ears are faults.
Skull--Flat between ears with some minimal rounding ahead of earset. Forehead a little arched. Skull to muzzle ratio 4:3.
Muzzle--Narrow as seen from the front, above and from the side; of equal width and depth where its insets to the skull, tapering somewhat, equally form all angles.
Nose--Black. Any deviation is to be penalized. Circumference of the nose to be 80% of the circumference of the muzzle at its origin.
Lips--Black; thin and tight.
Bite--Scissors bite. Wry mouth is to be severely faulted.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck--Well set, muscular. Clean, with no excess skin below the muzzle. Appearing shorter in males due to their heavier ruff.
Topline--level and strong from withers to croup.
Body--Muscular, square.
Chest--Deep; brisket reaches to the elbow. Ratio of chest depth to distance from withers to ground is 4:9.
Ribs--Well sprung.
Tuck-up--Slightly drawn up.
Tail--Set on just below level of topline, forming a single curl falling over the loin with tip pointing towards the thigh. Plumed, curving vigorously from its base in an arch forward, downward, and backward, pressing flat against either thigh with tip extending to middle part of thigh. When straightened, the tip of the tailbone reaches the hock joint. Low or high tail-set, too curly a tail, or a short tail is to be faulted.
Shoulders--The layback of the shoulders is thirty degrees to the vertical.
Legs--Viewed from the front, moderately spaced, parallel and straight with elbows close to the body and turned neither out nor in. Bone strong without being heavy, always in proportion to the dog. Fine bone, which limits endurance, or heavy bone, which makes working movement cumbersome, is to be faulted.
Pasterns--Viewed from the side, slope slightly. Weak pasterns are to be penalized.
Dewclaws--May be removed.
Feet--Rounded, compact foot with well-arched toes, tightly bunched or close-cupped, the two center toes being only slightly longer than those on the outside. The toe pads should be deeply cushioned and covered with thick skin. The impression left by such a foot is rounded in contrast to oval.
Angulation in balance with the forequarters.
Hocks--Moderately let down. Straight and parallel.
Feet-As in front.
The coat is double with a short, soft, dense undercoat and long, harsh straight guard hairs measuring approximately one to two inches on the body. Hair on the head and legs is short and close; it is longest and most dense on plume of tail and back of thighs. The outer coat is stiffer and longer on the neck and back, and in males considerably more profuse at the shoulder, giving them a more ruffed appearance. Males carry more coat than females. No trimming of the coat except for feet is allowed. Whiskers shall not be trimmed. Any trimming of coat shall be severely faulted. Silky, wavy, long or short coat is to be faulted.
Varying shades of golden-red ranging from pale honey to deep auburn are allowed, with no preference given to shades at either extreme so long as the color is bright and clear. As the undercoat is a paler color, the effect of this shading is a coat which appears to glow. White markings on the tips of the toes and a quarter-sized spot or narrow white strip, ideally no wider than ½ inch, on the forechest are permitted. Black hairs along lipline and sparse, separate black hairs on tail and back permitted. Puppies may have a good many black hairs which decrease with age, black on tail persisting longer. Muddy or unclear color, any white on the body except as specified, is to be penalized.
The Finnish Spitz is quick and light on his feet, steps out briskly, trots with lively grace, and tends to single-track as the speed increases. When hunting he moves at a gallop. The angulation called for permits him to break into a working gait quickly. Sound movement is essential for stamina and agility.
Active and friendly, lively and eager, faithful; brave, but cautious. Shyness, any tendency toward unprovoked aggression is to be penalized.
Note: Finnish Spitz are to be examined on the ground.
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Sources: American Kennel Club


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Oak Leaf Clusters
enlisted in the Army Air Corps, September 28, 1942 and
took pre-flight cadet training at Knox College, Galesburg,
Illinois. He then attended pilot's school but was released
from the program when it was suspended in late 1943.
was then sent to gunnery school at Fort Myers, Florida,
then to Lowery Field in Denver for B-29 training. He joined
Crew 44 in the fall of 1944 at Salina, Kansas where he
under went further specialized gunnery and armored instruction.
the crew neared the end of its stay at Salina, Max sent
for Jean to visit him, and in March 1945 they exchanged
vows. Their time together though was short. On April 7th
the crew departed for Mather Field on the first leg of
its journey to Pacific.
was stationed at more bases during this military service
(20 or more) than any other member of the crew with the
possible exception of A/C Payne and Charles Smith.
crew found Sampsel to be outgoing, likable, personable
and constantly upbeat. He possessed a great sense of humor,
which would erupt frequently in spontaneous fashion.
was Sampsel who first realized the competency and expectations
of Airplane Commander Payne. He would remind us with regularity,
"Skipper" knows his job 110 percent and is 90 percent
familiar with yours, so you darn well better know your
Payne was always amused during the sometimes-tense situations
that would arise. As the tension mounted, Max's voice
would rise to a higher and higher pitch. One night in
the early morning hours, while at Smoky Hill (Army Air
Field) P-44, encountering a problems with two engines.
Twice when they "revved up" the engines in preparation
to take-off, it was necessary to taxi back to the hanger
for additional power and pressure checks. For couple of
hours the crew sat around drinking coffee as they awaited
completion of the necessary repairs. Finally the problem
was apparently solved and they returned once more to make
their delayed take-off. P-44 had barely gotten airborne
when flames starting shooting out of the two engines.
Payne called Sampsel on the
and asked, "How do things look?"
replied, "My God Skipper, she looks a flaming Christmas
tree back here
flames are shooting out behind our tail."
replied, "My God Skipper, she looks a flaming Christmas
tree back here
flames are shooting out behind our tail."
the A/C prepared the crew for a crash landing inasmuch
as they lacked power to reach sufficient attitude for
bail out. The "May-Day" appeal was given, ground emergency
units were alerted and Payne radioed, "We're coming in!"
A/C made a superb smooth landing, but by this time Geringer
had drained the fire extinguishers and the fire was pretty
well subdued. At the end of the runway, the crew hurriedly
excited the plane as fire-fighting personnel arrived on
the scene.
completed 22 combat missions by war's end and was the
recipient of the Distinguished
Flying Cross and three Air
Medals among other awards. He was discharge at Greensboro,
NC November 1945 holding the rank of Technical Sergeant.
returned to his hometown, Bellefonte, and to his wife
Jean. He took up employment with the Warner Stove Company
and then worked in a store for an automotive chain. During
the following 26 years, he held several other jobs, among
which were Dean Phipps Auto Stores and U.S. Rubber Company.
From 1972 until 1986, he operated a commissary at the
Pennsylvania State Correctional Department. He retired
in January of 1986.
jean retired at the same time as Max after 19 years with
Penn State University.
Sampsels have two sons: Gregory and Kurtis and proud grandparents
of two girls.
and Jean's interests include involvement in the Lutheran
Church, the VFW and American Legion and the Lion's Club.
They have also been active in heart and cancer fund raising
was proud to have been interviewed by Air and Space Magazine.
Obviously, he still retains his interest in aviation.


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DIRECTED BY: Ji-Woon Kim
FEATURING: Kang-ho Song, Byung-hun Lee, Jung Woo-sung
PLOT: Set in 1930's Manchuria (during the Japanese occupation of China) and loosely based
on Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, the film concerns the mad-cap, gunslinging antics of three men in search of a mythical treasure.
WHY IT WON'T MAKE THE LIST: Sure it's got a fun premise and goofy atmosphere, but the weirdest thing about the film is the "Weird" of the title, who's primarily a wacky take on Eli Wallach's "Ugly" character from Leone's film, with spiky hair and the best jokes in the script. It's an excellent, peculiar movie, but never reaches List-worthy levels of bizarre.
COMMENTS: Yoon Tae-goo—AKA "The Weird" (Song Kang-ho)—is a resilient petty thief who chances upon a treasure map while robbing a group of Japanese soldiers. Park Chang-yi—AKA "The Bad" (Lee Byun-hun)—is a malicious assassin sent to reclaim the map, who resigns himself to hunting down Tae-goo. Park Do-won—AKA "The Good" (Jung Woo-sung)—is a taciturn bounty hunter chasing after both men's rewards, who eventually teams up with Tae-goo in the search for the treasure. Sprinkle in some curious Manchurian bandits and a dedicated group of Japanese soldiers, and soon you've got an all-out chase replete with wackiness, gunfights, and thrills!
There's a lot going on in this film, but the sheer enthusiasm that brings it together makes it all completely work. The story is fun and interesting, the action is loud and inventive, the characters are appealing, and the visuals are detailed and colorful. There's a range of costumes, weapons, and gadgets, giving the movie a slightly anachronistic/steampunk feel. The premise is both an homage to and appropriation of Leone's original, but infused with its own imaginative mythos and offbeat sense of humor, distinguishing it from a simple remake. The addition of complex Manchurian history involving a multinational conflict gives the story a unique perspective.
The three leads are superb, but Song Kang-ho really owns the film. As "The Weird" he's hilarious, likable, and unexpectedly capable. Plus, he's got a secret past! The writers did well to make him the central character, devoting the most time to his story and giving him the best lines. Song is adept at wacky comedy but never slides into flat characterization, making him both engaging and intriguing to watch. Lee Byun-hun as "The Bad" spends most of his time being incredibly badass and looking sharp. Jung Woo-sung as "The Good" is a bit bland, and it doesn't help that there isn't much attention paid to his character. He has impressive firearms and his mustache looks silly.
There is very little about this movie to criticize (except perhaps the under-utilization of The Good's character). With its oft-frenetic pace, out-there stunts, and silly, exuberant atmosphere, it had the audience laughing out loud and gasping at crazy moments in equal measure. The final chase scene at the end is guaranteed to have everyone riveted, while the film itself leaves viewers instinctively smiling from ear-to-ear. I believe the technical critical term is "a rip-roarin' good time."
"It's a live-action comic book. More good than bad, and with a liberal sprinkling of weird, it's got a rock 'em, sock 'em energy that knocks the dust off a dying breed of storytelling." –Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post (contemporaneous)
NOTE: This review is published in slightly different form at Film Forager.


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Spectacular spy shots of the 2015 Skoda Superb testing in China, completely naked bar for a few tiny strips of camouflage around the grille, the C-pillar, and the rear. The 2015 Skoda Superb will debut early next year, debut in China is scheduled for the April 2015 Shanghai Auto Show. The new Skoda Superb is based on the MQB platform and is design-wise inspired by the Skoda VisionC concept car.
The VisionC concept. The real thing will lose the sharply edges headlights but otherwise looks very similar.
The 2015 Skoda Superb will be manufactured in the Czech Republic and in China by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture that also makes the current Superb. The Chinese car market is fast becoming the largest worldwide for the Skoda brand and that is why the new Suberb is testing here in this early stage.
The 2015 Superb will be a liftback again. In China the Superb will be available with 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI, and 2.0 TSI four-cylinder petrol engines. The European market will get a bunch of diesels as well.
Camouflage can't camouflage sharp kink in C-style, as seen on the VisionC concept.
New headlights, very prominent hood lines, again like on the VisionC.


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Empire: World War III
The best Space Game
Empire: World War III is an epic MMO space game in which you are required to create your human-colony on Mars. In order to survive within this sci-fi strategy game, you have to create a base, train your armies, build your empire and wage wars against the territories of other players. To create the colonies, you have to build your production facilities in order to extract and mine crucial resources, which in turn assist you in creating their structures, increasing more troops, buying buildings and more.
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When you are landed in the Mars Trade Federation at the beginning of this game, you are introduced with Eva who provides a short tutorial in order to help you commence your mining operations. To clearly understand the vast barren lands, you are required to use radars in order to can your surroundings and environment for the millennium. This is also the first objective you get because only after finding the radars, you are able to scan or prospect the areas around their bases. Once your radars are operational, you can easily run the first scan within the game. Moreover, you are also provided with various quests like creating a solar panel to generate energy for your bases, launching a probe to discover the nodes near your bases or training 200 giants to build a strong army for the empire. After completing all the quests, you are able to receive various rewards like silicates and metals, to create useful stuff for your bases; oxygen, to help you survive in the planet and energy to maintain the health of your troops.
Empire: World War III; Tips and Tricks
Some quick tips for improving the efficiency of your strategy are:
– To be able to train troops, you need to build the building TRAINING GROUNDS in your base. Once your training ground is done, you can train different unit types like miners, tanks, etc.
– You can build several buildings in the inner area and the periphery of your base. To build up, tap on the the empty spot where you want to build your facility. You can choose up to 27 buildings. These buildings include Hospitals, Habitat, Training Grounds, Laboratory, Radar, etc
– To produce resources (coins, oxygen, energy, metal and silicate), construct production buildings in your base. However, there is only a limited number of production building slots available, so it is up to you to decide which resource you need most.
– Το change your location on the map, teleport your base. You need to tap on unoccupied land on the worldmap where you want to teleport yourself and push the button TELEPORT. Be aware, that it is necessary to use an EXPERT TELEPORT item. Teleport items can be found in ITEMS on the main screen – INVENTORY.
– You can join an alliance right from the start. You may be able to join some alliances directly, others may require an invitation from a current member. Just tap on the alliance button in the bottom HUD of the screen.
Empire: World War III; Overall Review
If we talk about in-game experience, then Empire: World War III is an action game that takes you on an amazing journey to the planet Mars, where it is shown that the planet is dominated by many enemies and the only way to survive is to create train and mine to build a powerful empire on the Millennium. In case you feel that your enemies are stronger than you, then you can form new alliances by working with other's players mining corporations and to fight battle with your common enemies. Form a common strategy against your enemies and benefit from their assistance in building faster. When you join an alliance for the first time you may get credits, metals, oxygen, coins and many more.
Important note: don't forget to store your resources in the supply depot, in order to prevent enemies from stealing them.


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We have seen Modbook, a tablet version of the MacBook. Now, Troll Touch releases the Apple iMac with touchscreen. Troll Touch puts its PSRT touchscreen module to Apple's iMac to offers the touchscreen function.
The price of "iMac Touch" starts from 2299.00 with which you can have an Intel iMac with 20-inch touchscreen and 2.0GHz processor. The company also offers touchscreen installation for iMac, 20-inch for $1099 and 24-inch for $1599.
After the jump, you can see a video demo:


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What is Professional learning blog?
Welcome to our informative blog section. Here, we offer advice and information on professional learning and training practices. This blog will give you latest information on the news feed, case studies, infographics and videos. Here, we focus on career prospects, tips and service report to improve your personal as well professional future. So, it will assist you to discover your true potential by offering everything you need to grow as an individual and as a professional.
How do we get the information for this blog?
The reflection towards our existing learning, work practices and feedback that we received had helped us to design our blogs. It gives information that you need to lay the foundation of ways in which you can gain knowledge in the field of professional learning. The more we exchange and communicate learning and ideas with others, the more likely we create new and improved thoughts and ideas.
You can keep watching this space for more on how you can use our blog to your advantage and how you can collaborate with us to prepare yourself for a brighter future.
What do we think?
When we discuss the way the world implements concepts, we are in a perfect atmosphere to create a collaborative platform that invites individuals with the same bent of mind, to debate, network, collaborate and even get or offer guidance.
How to submit your blogs?
If you would like to submit some Professional learning blog articles or any related articles to support our platform, what are you waiting for? click here.
How business management and leadership skills enhance your visibility?
Excellence in your career, opportunities to grow, promotions, appreciations, freedom to explore creative ideas and supportive colleagues – all this
Importance of Business Management and Leadership in the rapidly changing world?
Excellence in your career, opportunities to grow, promotions, appreciations, freedom to explore creative ideas and supportive colleagues – all this
How will professional development certification boost your career?
Firstly, it provides a competitive advantage from other professionals in your field. Certification shows that you have a better
The city of Oxford is called the city of dreaming spires
Oxford is the city of the world-famous university; it is a county town of Oxford shire. In the poem, "Thyrsis", Victorian


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Microsoft debuted its next gen Xbox here at its press conference at E3. Microsoft is calling it Project Scarlett, and it will release in Holiday 2020. No pictures of the system were shown, nor was a price announced.
The next gen console uses AMD's Zen 2 architecture and Navi graphics, which Xbox boss Phil Spencer said it co-engineered with AMD. It also uses GDDR6 memory and an SSD that doubles as virtual RAM.
"It's not just PC, it's not just console, it's not just mobile," one Xbox team member said in a trailer.
The company said it will have ray tracing and frame rates up to 120 fps.
Halo: Infinite will launch alongside the system, and you can read more about that here.
The company hinted that streaming services will be a big part of the console, but didn't specify how. Project xCloud will be coming to existing Xbox Ones, howeer, so it's very possible this will have a similar offering.
Previously, competitor Sony had detailed that its next-gen PlayStiation would be based on AMD's Zen 2 8-core processors and Navi graphics, support ray-tracking, and, in some circumstances, offer 8K graphics. The company also said it will use an SSD out of the box and have a custom audio chip.


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With so many new immunotherapy treatments on the horizon, pharmacists need to understand the ins and outs of immuno-oncology biomarkers to best serve their patients.
The development of new immunology treatments for cancer has transformed the oncology landscape-and, more and more, oncologists are relying on clinical grade biomarkers to guide their selection of these treatments for individual patients.
Matthew Farber, Senior Director of Patient Care and Advocacy at Walgreen Co., said it is critical that pharmacists stay informed about the latest treatments and their associated biomarkers in order to best serve their patient communities.
To do so, he and Lisa Davis, PharmD, from the University of Arizona, co-presented a continuing education session at the 2019 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, entitled, "Immuno-Oncology Biomarkers to Guide Treatment Decision Making: Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacist Perspectives."
Farber said with so many therapies being approved everyday-and so many of them tied to a specific biomarker or genetic profile-it can be hard for pharmacists to keep up. Yet, it is vital they do so.
"With these additional options, patients may experience different side effects and drug interactions that pharmacists need to help manage and track," he said. "And, given the complex biomarker testing landscape and related coverage of these medicines and tests, it behooves pharmacists to be aware of labels and indications so they can better help patients navigate the insurance and coverage landscape."
Farber and Davis discussed how oncologists are currently using such immuno-oncology biomarkers to help make more informed treatment decisions for patients. Farber said it's clear that these agents are providing important information about potential outcomes-and may even offer physicians tools to help improve them. Yet, despite so many recent approvals, it's unclear how, where, when, and why they will be used in clinical practice.
More from the Summit: Understanding Both Sides of the Copay Accumulator Debate
"These biomarkers can help determine if the right course of treatment is being administered at the right time for the right patient," he explained. "However, with insurance companies still determining how they will cover biomarker tests, taking into consider how these tests can improve outcomes and save money is important as it could impact access to certain biomarker tests and related medications."
As pharmacists are a vital part of the cancer care team, they can play a pivotal role in consulting with oncologists-ensuring patients are being tested for immune biomarkers as well as helping them understand the unique side effects that patients may experience. They can also provide important information that can help payer organizations with formulary management.
"With the increase use of these immunotherapy agents, pharmacists will help patients and physicians gain access to these treatments by conducting drug interaction reviews, helping with side effect management and facilitating with financial assistance needs," Farber said. "Insurance companies are still evaluating how they will cover biomarker tests, so taking into consideration things like data that demonstrate their ability to improve value and outcomes is also important."
Farber concluded that pharmacists have a unique role to play in helping patients, providers, and payer organizations understand and navigate this rapidly evolving landscape-and can be a driving force in helping to improve patient outcomes.
"Immuno-oncology is an evolving area of medicine with new biomarker tests and new treatments becoming available on a regular basis," he said. "Pharmacists should familiarize themselves with this area of oncology treatment and be prepared to play a growing role in expanding overall patient access to these treatments."
Kayt Sukel is a science and health writer based outside Houston.


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ComFest 2023, short for Community Festival, brings together the people of Columbus and its visitors. With a street fair, hundreds of live performances, and a full schedule of events, the three-day festival in June is a highlight for many.
For local nonprofits, the festival is a chance to raise funds and get the word out on how they help for the community. For musicians, ComFest is a chance to perform before a large, happy crowd. Gourmands see the festival as a chance to sample locally made food and wine. For countless others, the festival is a chance to have the fun and enjoy the early summer weather. One of the biggest events on the events calendar in Columbus unfolds at the sprawling Goodale Park.
Comfest History and Facts
Ever since the first festival, ComFest has been all about unity and raising funds to help strengthen the community. The first festival unfolded in 1972, showcasing the organizations and nonprofits dedicated to the greater good.
It's come a long way from the early days when a few bands and a small crowds gathered at a tent near The Ohio University campus. As more events were added and more years passed, the festival's warm-hearted spirit has remained.
Tickets to ComFest
Come on down to Goodale Park and enjoy Comfest Columbus Ohio for free. You won't need to worry about paying an entry fee for the party with a purpose. But you'll want to bring along some money for food, shopping, or any donations you want to make for the community organizations at ComFest 2023.
Directions to Comfest Columbus Ohio
Goodale Park is easy to find the heart of north Columbus; it's just minutes off Interstate 670. If you're coming from the south, follow Interstate 71 north from Cincinnati. Exit at Highway 670 west and then turn right once you reach Neil Avenue. From there, take a right at Buttles; the park is on the right, too. From the airport, the route is exactly the same, except you'll take Interstate 70 west to Highway 670.
If you're starting northwest of Columbus, take highway 315 south en route to Comfest Columbus Ohio. At the junction of Neil Avenue, turn left. The first stoplight is Buttles, where you're take a right. Goodale Park is easy to find on the right. You won't be able to miss the crowds gathered for the fun of ComFest 2023.
Lodging near ComFest
Thanks to the park's central location, many Ohio hotels are located within a few miles of Goodale Park. Varsity Inn OSU North, at 3246 Olentangy River Road, is less than four miles from the park and only a mile from the university campus.
The comfortable and friendly guestrooms are well equipped with such perks as in-room coffee, high-speed wireless access, and cozy linens. The hotel also has an outdoor pool and fitness center for guests to enjoy.
Another one of the Columbus hotels close to ComFest, Country Inn and Suites Columbus Airport is centrally located at 2900 Airport Drive. An indoor pool and whirlpool provide a place to relax after a fun day at ComFest. Before the fun begins, you can gear up for the day be enjoying the complementary breakfast served at the Country Inn and Suites.
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Well SPNFamily, the wait is almost over. Hellatus always seems endless and then suddenly it's about to end and I'm not sure I'm ready! There's more anticipation for Season 10 than I've felt in a while, from both the actors and the fans, and it's building to a fever pitch right now. Kudos to the CW for giving us a Supernatural retrospective tomorrow night, which is certain to amp up the anticipation even more. It's a good thing it's fall break at my university for the next few days, because I'm pretty sure my excitement would have precluded any sort of coherent teaching anyway.
We thought we'd share some thoughts and some favorite moments from the last Supernatural convention in Dallas as we wait for the season to officially kick off. Moments that remind us why we're still head over heels in love with this Show and immeasurably grateful for this diverse, passionate, sometimes-argumentative-but-tremendously-supportive fandom.
My favorite thing from DallasCon, hands down, was the celebration of Rob Benedict's birthday. We've talked with most of the cast more than once about how they have all become bonded, as much from the experience of hitting the road and doing conventions together as from working together on Supernatural. Some of the actors never even shared the small screen, but they've become close friends after spending weekends together and singing karaoke together and travelling the world together to meet the fans. That closeness was evident as Jared, Jensen, Misha, Tahmoh and Richard surprised Rob on the day of his actual birthday.
Jensen came out carrying a gigantic cake which looked like it had all 44 of the appropriate candles flaming on it. The boys' entrance onstage is always spectacular, as far as I'm concerned, but this time the description was literal. It wasn't just the cake, though. It was the expression on Jensen's face – he was practically beaming, clearly so happy to have surprised a good friend. I found myself beaming too.
Jared came out holding a bunch of helium balloons. He looked every bit the beaming joyful friend that Jensen did. And Jared is such a physical guy that he expresses that joy with his entire body. You know the saying "jumped for joy"? That was Jared. He was clearly over the moon about being able to give Rob such a celebration — and Rob, who's a physical guy himself — responded with an answering joyous leap.
Misha was whistling his own exuberance, as you can see. He came out with the presents, setting them up as Rob blew out the candles on his cake and accepted the balloons. I sort of felt like I was watching the Supernatural cast version of a shower, with Misha in the role of host, as he carefully arranged the gifts and then they all gathered around to watch Rob open them.
The party 'theme' was that the gifts were for Rob's "stroke kit" — a reference to the fact that Rob had a stroke a year ago at the Toronto Con, and is now fully recovered thanks in part to the quick life-saving action of his fellow cast members now gathered onstage. (Rob has also been an inspiration to others who have suffered strokes – read more in our last interview with him here) They joke about it now that Rob is back to 100%, so the theme made sense. Sort of. As soon as Rob started opening the gifts, we all realized that you needed to say it fast to grasp the actual theme…
Vaseline was the first gift. Oh. OH. Jensen, always the diplomat, noted that it was helpful in getting out of tight spots. Jared added, "Or getting into…" with a mischievous smile. Jensen's reaction was priceless. His head whipped around so fast it looked like he was in danger of whiplash, as he fixed Jared with an incredulous "Did you just say that?" look. Next came tissues, followed by a photo op pic of Matt Cohen straddling a chair sans clothes, which Misha helpfully held up to the camera so we could all share in that rather attractive visual. By this time, Rob was hysterical. Mark Sheppard gave him a Louden Swain CD — signed by Mark Sheppard. Rob's reaction? Priceless.
I could have watched the boys party all day, to be honest. It was touching that they wanted to make Rob's day special, and it was also touching that they wanted to share it, in a way, with all of us. The whole thing seemed to evoke that 'reciprocal relationship' that we've written about in all our books. It felt good, and Rob's heartfelt thanks afterwards felt genuine. "I had thought I might be a little down being away on my birthday," he said, "but this is turning out to be one of the best birthdays ever."
Awwwww. SPN Family, you guys.
Speaking of family, it was also nice to see Gen come out onstage, and to hear the roar of support and encouragement the crowd gave her. The Ackles and Padalecki families seem so close now, literally and figuratively, living and hanging out in Austin on the weekends. So it was nice to see Jensen and Jared welcome Gen onstage — and to hear the fans welcome her too.
Another favorite moment was when Osric Chau crashed Misha's panel dressed as an Elopus in a tribute to GISHWHES, which was a great experience for Osric this year. (You can read more about his GISHWHES team in our interview with Osric from VanCon). What made this a great moment was Misha's reaction to Osric's cosplay. He immediately ducked under the tentacles and wanted to be enveloped in them — and Osric, of course, happily complied. The result was oddly touching, and just another indication of how close this cast is — how much genuine affection and respect they have for each other and how supportive they are of each other's projects.
Osric's tribute to GISHWHES was also powerful for many fans, whose lives were also impacted by the experience. It was yet another moment when that reciprocal relationship was evoked by what was happening onstage.
Since Louden Swain, aka Elastic Waste Band, has been gracing the cons as the house band, amazing musical moments have been happening too. The Saturday night cabaret is a highlight of the cons, with Louden Swain playing some of my all-time favorites and many of the actors taking a turn at the mike.
Osric told us how nervous he was the first time he played guitar and sang in front of a crowd of fans, but he seems to be thoroughly enjoying it now — and so are we! Gil McKinney has a beautiful voice and musical training, and he told us that he's loving having the opportunity to perform, especially with a talented band like Louden Swain (Look for more in our exclusive interview with Gil coming up soon). Richard Speight also was in a band once upon a time, and wowed the crowd with a rendition of "Amy".
I love hearing them sing, and I love how supportive they all are of one another. They encourage, support, sing back-up, or grab an instrument and play along. Mark played tambourine while Richard sang, and took over as drummer for an emotional rendition of Carry On My Wayward Son that had the entire ballroom singing. Jared jumped up and played rhythm as Jensen sang "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" (and did a stint as back-up dancer too, which was awesome). Even Creation's Adam Malin took to the keyboards for a few numbers – he has a band too.
Look at how into it they all are!
And of course there were antics. What would a Supernatural convention be without both the actors and the fans having some moments of just letting go and having fun? That's what it's all about, after all.
Matt, Richard, Misha and Rob posed for an impromptu advertisement for whatever it is they're drinking. I don't even know what it is, but with that group of guys selling it? Hell, sign me up for a case!
I have no idea what Richard and Rob are doing here, but it's not unusual for someone to end up on the ground at a con — or the stage, to be more accurate. Richard sure looks happy about it, whatever it is.
Misha had his turn to hit the stage too. Here he kneels before Jared, who's making a rather spectacular entrance once again. Jim looks far too pleased with the whole thing, doesn't he? Actually Misha looks pretty happy too. Hmmm.
The actors aren't above a little character bleed either. Here Richard shares his "Creation contract" with Mark, rolling it out aka Crowley's endless scrolled agreement with Sam and Dean.
Jared rarely stays still during a Q & A. Here he demonstrates his flexibility, much to Jensen's amusement.
"You wonder how he fits into the car?" Jensen quipped, pointing. Jared just grinned.
Even Creation got into the act, putting up some interesting notices that you have to read aloud to appreciate. Ahem.
Sometimes it's the little things that make me the happiest at cons. There are way more smiles on people's faces at cons than I encounter in my everyday life — for some reason, my students don't spend the entire time I'm lecturing grinning at me. But look around at a convention while someone from the SPN cast is onstage, and you'll see smiling faces everywhere.
I love to watch people walking out of photo ops, after just saying hello to Misha or Jared or Jensen or whoever. Sometimes people are smiling so wide their faces must ache. Sometimes they're sobbing, overwhelmed by the experience. I've seen people pass out, and people shaking so much they couldn't walk. Mostly, though, there are smiles. Con weekends often don't feel much like real life — and that's part of the appeal.
The actors seem to be in as good moods as the fans much of the time, as evidenced by their grins.
And let's be honest — part of going to a con is also to see the actors, up close and personal. One of the things we wrote about in Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls was that sense of internalized shame that we sometimes feel about being fans, especially when it comes to doing something as subversive as not watching for the plot.
Bear with us for a few minutes while we indulge in a little flip-flop of the male gaze…
Thanks for indulging the detour into shallow. But really, that's only a small part of what we love about this Show and this cast. We love the work they do and the amazing Show they bring us. We love their talent and their passion for Supernatural. We love the way they care about the fans and about making the world a better a place. And we love the way they care about each other.
Watching the actors greet each other with exuberant hugs and genuine affection always warms my heart. It would take another post to include all the hug moments (and a much better camera than we have), but here are a few of those from Dallas.
The actors aren't the only ones having a blast at cons, of course. The fans get a chance to hang out and have fun too. Fridays at a con, you'll see fans meeting face to face for the first time, hugging and sometimes crying. Relationships formed online can be powerful, especially within the shared community of fandom.
And it's more than that — the cast and the fans get to have fun together. This is a cast who take the 'reciprocal relationship' seriously, and their interaction with fans runs the gamut from hysterical to heartwarming. Actually most of the time it's both.
The cast indulged a young woman who wanted to ask a guy to a dance. While a friend recorded the invitation, Matt and Rob and Richard put together an impromptu invitation that nobody in their right mind could resist.
Mark repeatedly tried to fix his son up with eligible young fangirls by showing off photos on his phone. (Somewhere Mark's son is cringing…)
And the fan who asked the last question of the Jared and Jensen panel ended up onstage and adorably flustered by Jared, Jensen, Mark, Rob and Richard all gathered around her. Unfortunately it was my least favorite question (What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever done?) — why aren't we as fans asking "what's the most awesome thing a fan has ever done?" Luckily the cast doesn't like answering that question either, so they deflected it in a lovely way and ended the panel on a high note.
That's the way I'm ending this post of photos too, on a feel good note. Tomorrow night at this time I'll be kicking everyone who can't be quiet and attentive out of the living room and getting ready to watch the Supernatural Retrospective, with a big box of tissues at the ready. And Tuesday night, Season 10 will finally be here. I haven't been this excited for a season premiere in a while, which is pretty spectacular for a show in its tenth season.
Check back here for episode reaction (once I regain my composure). For those of you going to Chicago Con, we'll have a booth in the vendor's room – come by and pick up a copy of Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls or Fan Phenomena: Supernatural at a special convention price. Misha and Richard would love to sign the chapters they wrote in Fan Phenomena for you in the autograph line. And of course Jensen, Jared, Misha, Richard, and many more appear in Fangasm, and they'd love to sign that too. If you're not going to ChiCon, you can get your copy of Fangasm or Fan Phenomena by clicking the links at the top of the page.
Here's to S10!


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Don't miss seeing the hot air balloons! Hot air balloons need COOL AIR and CALM WIND in order to be inflated and float. As early as 5 AM, you can watch the pilots and crew prepare and inflate the balloons. And then the balloons will lift off around 6-7 AM, with the chase crew in 4x4s following after them! The next time you can see them is around 6 PM when they fly in. And on the weekends, they will light up for the Night Glow!
Visit https://clarkhotairballoon.blogspot.com/2017/02/21st-clark-hot-air-balloon-fiesta.html for the full schedule.
Please note that this all depends on favorable wind conditions. The schedule may change without prior notice.
Don't have your HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE tickets yet? You can still get them from the Fiesta Info Booth while supplies last! Gates and ticketing booths open by 4AM.


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INDEX: Award 2019 – Design to Improve Life
INDEX: Award 2019 – Design to Improve Life now is over!
INDEX: Award, the biggest design award in the world is currently accepting nominations for its 2019 edition inviting all Designers, private individuals, public and private companies, schools, universities, organizations, associations, students and design enthusiasts from all over the world to participate.
About Competition
The INDEX: Award, the biggest design award in the world — commonly referred to as the "Nobel Prize of design", is currently accepting nominations for its 2019 edition with unique focus on design that improves life for people by addressing global challenges with sustainable solutions.
INDEX: Design to Improve Life is a Danish NPO with global reach that Inspire, Educate and Engage in designing sustainable solutions to global challenges, by showing people how their personal lives and the lives of people around them can be improved by Design to Improve Life. They do this through INDEX: Award, the biggest design award in the world, widely recognized as the most important design award in the world. INDEX: Award showcases the positive outcome and effect of the world's best examples of Design to Improve Life addressing important issues such as clean water, education, energy production, overpopulation, elderly care, etc.
The importance lies in the unique, over-arching theme of Design to Improve Life: a concept enabling design to be used as a tool to address the world's biggest challenges and reach our biggest goals. This concept has established INDEX: Award as a global, inspirational design beacon.
INDEX: Award is split into five categories:
• Body - comprises all designs related to the body, such as clothing, appliances, aids/tools used in treatment and care, etc. The category also comprises systems and services related to health and care as well as strategies regarding vital processes and public health.
• Home - comprises all designs related to the home, such as architecture, interior design, lighting, gadgets, furniture, tools, appliances, utility systems, software and communications hardware etc. Services and processes for the home and strategies for new ways of living as well as new forms of cohabitation are also in this category
• Work - comprises all designs related to work, such as work tools, manufacturing machines, aids and communications, architecture and interior design, control and management systems. The category also comprises services for work environments and strategies for issues related to this, as well as strategies for organizational and managerial development.
• Play & Learning - comprises all designs related to sport, play, education, learning, leisure and culture, such as the design of education programs, education tools, leisure facilities, tools, games and equipment used for sports, cultural activities and more.
• Community - comprises all designs of things that we share communally, such as roads, bike paths, public spaces and parks, cities, infrastructure, means of transport, signage, mass media and communications. The design of strategies, services and concepts for society, networking and communities are also part of this category.
Each category calls for entries from very different design fields using underlying goals as perspective for how we can use design as a tool to solve the issues of global and local societies – thus creating Design to Improve Life. The underlying framework of these categories is the 17 United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's), as we find it essential to be aligned with an agenda agreed upon by the entire world.
What is eligible for INDEX: Award?
• Design that improves life or holds the potential to do so.
• Tangible design (products, digital design, architecture, urban planning) or intangible (concepts, policies, strategies, services, systems) design.
• Genuinely new design. Sheer restyling of known designs is not sufficient unless it creates a genuinely new use or adds new value.
• Design that is at prototype stage (at a minimum).
• Design that dates back no more than five years.
• Design that was not previously selected as a finalist or winner for INDEX: Award.
Nominated designs must be original and may not infringe on the rights of a third party.
The international INDEX: Award Jury identifies winners and finalists for INDEX: Award by assessing how the nominated designs feed into the UN Sustainable Development Goals or the Design to Improve Life Goals.
The INDEX: Award jury evaluates all nominated designs on three separate parameters:
• Form is concerned with the general aesthetics of a design such as the color, materials, user interface, surfaces etc.
• Impact is about the positive effect of a design. How does it improve life and for how many people? How socially, economically and environmentally sustainable is the design?
• Context is about meeting the needs of where the design will be used. How well does it work with the society, culture, religion, climate, geography and ethics?
All winners and finalists selected by the international INDEX: Award Jury according to the three criteria of Form, Impact and Context, representing not only the appearance of the design but also its ability to improve life for its user.
The INDEX: Award 2019 winners will be unveiled in August/September 2019 in Denmark.
There are no entry fees to participate!
Designers, private individuals, public and private companies, schools, universities, organizations, associations, students and design enthusiasts from all over the world can nominate for INDEX: Award.
Entry fees
There is no entry fee to participate!


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Researchers curious about how small birds in the wild manage to survive cold winter nights have used miniature temperature transmitters and data loggers to solve the puzzle.
Prior to the study the researchers, from Curtin University and The University of Western Australia, suspected that like many small mammals the birds entered torpor – a period of lethargy – to lower their body temperatures and conserve energy to both survive the cold and cope with scarce food supplies during winter.
However co-author Dr Christine Cooper, of Curtin's Department of Environment and Agriculture, said that after monitoring a population of White-browed babblers in a Western Australian forest for two consecutive winters, the researchers found that instead, the birds – which weigh on average about 46.5g – kept themselves warm by huddling in groups in tightly insulated nests.
"Insect-eating birds might be expected to use torpor in winter, like many mammals, because they're small and lose heat easily. Their food is less abundant and they are inactive at night when it's cold," Dr Cooper said
"But even though babblers have characteristics that should make them perfect candidates for torpor, our research shows they rely instead on a combination of clever nest construction and communal lifestyles to maintain a body temperature of around 40.3C, even when it is below freezing outside the nest."
The babblers were radio-tracked in the field at Dryandra Woodland south of Perth, and their body temperature measured remotely using temperature-sensitive transmitters.
The researchers also placed temperature loggers in the babblers' nests to determine how cold they got. In the laboratory, they measured the birds' overnight energy expenditure at different temperatures by analysing how much oxygen they used.
"We found they have low resting energy requirements and roost in large social groups in insulated, almost enclosed stick nests," Dr Cooper said.
"This effectively halved their energy losses, allowing them to conserve 35-45 per cent of the energy consumed by individual birds. It played a big role in helping them to balance their daily energy budget and apparently negated any need for torpor.
"We now have a better understanding of the energy requirements of birds and their ability to keep their body temperature constant under different environmental conditions.
"It means we can better predict how temperature can impact on these birds."
The study was led by Curtin University postgraduate student Tegan Douglas and supervised by Dr Cooper and Professor Phil Withers of The University of Western Australia. The resulting paper, Avian torpor or alternate thermoregulatory strategies for overwintering?, was published today in the Journal of Experimental Biology.


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Colombians are happy that peace has come to Colombia. The government signed a deal with the rebel group FARC. It ends 52 years of fighting. Over 220,000 people died and millions lost their home. The deal comes after two years of talks between the two sides. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said the deal was, "the beginning of the end to the suffering, pain and tragedy of war". A spokesman for the government said: "This agreement opens the door to a more inclusive society." Both sides will now work together for justice for the victims of the fighting.
FARC is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. It started during the Cold War to fight for farmers. It will now take part in the political process to shape Colombia's future. In Bogota, the capital city, thousands of people celebrated the peace deal on the streets. One Colombian told the Associated Press news agency: "I can die in peace because finally I'll see my country without violence, with a future for my children." The next step is for the Colombian people to vote on the peace deal on the 2nd of October. President Santos said: "It will be the most important election of our lives."