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The Pakistan military: searching for state and society
31 October 2014 was the beginning of a three-day Young Pakistanis Leadership Conference organized by the Pakistan Student Union at Oxford. This is an event hosted annually since 2011 to bring together Pakistani students from Oxford and other prominent universities in the UK to discuss and debate their country. For me, this year's event showcased the power of the military and its ability to intervene in the process of mental development of the Pakistani youth or anyone else interested in the country.
The Union, which is technically speaking an independent body, was 'forced' not to invite Hamid Mir, a prominent Pakistani journalist who had accused the army of organizing an attack which almost killed him. Instead, it was 'persuaded' to invite two journalists better known for their association with Pakistan's military. In fact, the ticket of at least one journalist was paid by the army attache. The changes were managed through one of the many donor outfits run by Pakistani expatriates with deep links to the Pakistan High Commission in London. Furthermore, some of the sessions were chaired by the army attaché. The event ultimately served as a useful window to understand the current contours of the civil-military balance.
In Pakistan, this is an age of military hegemony where the army is no longer just a political power but also exercises economic clout and intellectual control of the society. The story of civil-military relations, hence, extends beyond the issue of who orders the military or controls it constitutionally. The manner in which the armed forces have expanded their influence (the above incident is indicative of this power) is a truer depiction of the military's continued power.
o many Pakistanis and foreign observers of its politics, civil-military relations in the country in recent times seem to have taken a turn for the better. 2013 was the first time in its history that a civilian government completed its term and was voted rather then booted out. Some of the retired generals turned political commentators stress the fact that an army chief tolerated an incompetent Pakistan People's Party government indicates that the junta is in no mood for direct intervention. This, it is naturally assumed, is in the best interest of the state. A similar argument was advanced during the recent crisis between certain segments of the military and the civilian government of the Pakistan Muslim League. According to a popular Reuters story, the new Army Chief, Raheel Sharif did not listen to the advice of some of his generals asking him to intervene and remove Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.1 The popular myth is that the army chief encouraged the political players to find a solution among themselves.2Such an attitude, it could be safely claimed, denotes a shift from the past when people had grown used to seeing military intervention in Pakistan every alternative decade – all in the name of protecting and securing the country. As a South Asia expert, Stephen Cohen argues: 'There are armies that guard their nation's borders, there are those that are concerned with protecting their own position in society, and there are those that defend a cause or an idea. The Pakistan Army does all three.'
3According to Aqil Shah, an expert on Pakistan's civil-military relations and author of a recent book on the issue, military officers are trained to suspect civilian leadership and control political affairs of the state. It is not merely an issue of defending the country's ideology, but using the cover of such a defence to secure institutional interests which includes protecting its position as a key protagonist in power politics. The Pakistan military may not directly be in power but it will never get out of the habit of maintaining its control, though indirectly. Shah lays the responsibility for the military's bad habit at the door of the founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah for not punishing the insubordination of the army chief during the 1947/48 war.
4 Thus, as Peter D. Feaver has argued, it was the early leadership that could not develop a positive patron-client relationship with the military because it failed to punish military officers and discipline them.5
nfortunately, conditions have only worsened over time. The military formally came into direct power for the first time in 1958 as a result of a civil-military coup. A former civil bureaucrat-turned president, Iskander Mirza used the army to usurp power, only to find within days that the power was totally taken over by the then Army Chief, General Ayub Khan.6 The excuse: to bring stability to the country, something which did come about temporarily on the economic front probably mainly due to financial and military help from the US with whom Pakistan developed military-strategic relations starting from membership in the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) and Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). Both military alignments were mainly focused on fighting Communism. Pakistan's military dictators have proved lucky as every stint at dictatorship came accompanied with a crisis and subsequent aid from Washington. The same pattern of US-Pakistan relations repeated itself during the 1980s and the 2000s. On both occasions the two states came together to fight a war in Afghanistan.
lthough General Yahya Khan imposed the second martial law in 1969, overthrowing the government of former Army Chief, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, I tend to treat Yahya Khan's rule as an extension of the first military government. Even though Ayub Khan had introduced the country's second constitution in 1962, he was still a military man in power whose control of the state only strengthened the military as an institution. The American political scientist, Edward Feit, is of the view that '…Soldiers who act in politics through the force of the army will thus continue to be considered as soldiers, even when to outward appearances at least, they have left the ranks, unless there is overwhelming evidence of a change of view. The use of the army as a vehicle to power is thus a major qualification.'7
yub Khan's performance which had begun to falter with his failing health, was seen as giving a bad name to the armed forces. This made it imperative for Yahya Khan to take over the reigns of power. This, fortunately, was the shortest stint of martial law since Yahya Khan held elections in 1970s and transferred power to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, though only after the debacle in East Pakistan in 1971. Remember that the army had been considerably weakened after being defeated by India in the 1971 war to resist the transfer of power to Bhutto's first popularly elected government. But this did not mean that it had surrendered political control to the civilian government.
TABLE Patterns of Rule in Pakistan |
Type |
Duration |
Period |
Direct military rule |
17 yrs |
1958-1962 1969-1971 1977-1985 1999-2002 |
Elected government under a military president |
15 yrs |
1962-1969 1985-1988 2002-2007 |
Elected government under a civilian president 'rule of troika' |
14+ yrs |
1988-1999 2008 to date |
Supremacy of the non-parliamentary forces under formal parliamentary rule |
11 yrs |
1947-1959 |
Civilian supremacy |
6 yrs |
1971-1977 |
Source : Mahammad Waseem, 'Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan', in Rajshree Jetly (ed.), Pakistan in Regional and Global Politics. Routledge, New Delhi, 2009, p. 185. |
The then Army Chief, Lt. General Gul Hassan Khan, for instance, resisted taking the civilian government into confidence. In any case, being more sympathetic to the military's strategic agenda, Bhutto was more of a military's man. Remember that he had coined the famous slogan of 'a thousand years of war with India.' However, even he was not tolerated beyond a point. According to Bhutto's former minister, Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, the prime minister was removed from power the minute the military regained its confidence and organizational strength.
istorically, Pakistan's military has a pattern of intervening after every decade and remaining in power for almost a decade. This formula, however, was altered during the 1990s when a new method for indirect intervention was found via Article 58(2)(b) to the 1973 Constitution (see Table). This amendment was passed by the Parliament elected in 1985 on a non-party basis and headed by the Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo, in turn nominated by General Zia-ul-Haq.Although handpicked by a dictator, Junejo was no pushover for the army. He accepted the Geneva Accords following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan despite Zia's preference and advice. Later on, he ordered an inquiry into the Ojhri Camp disaster, an ammunition dump in the heart of Rawalpindi that blew up in April 1988, killing hundreds of innocent people. He also threatened to force the generals to only use Pakistani assembled 800 cc cars. After serving for almost three years, Junejo was removed under the President's special power acquired under the aforesaid constitutional amendment that empowered the head of state to sack a government. This provision was used repeatedly during the 1990s to remove three elected government – twice the PPP and once the PML-N. Since the amendment was revoked during Nawaz Sharif's second government, Musharraf had to directly intervene to sack the second PML-N government in October 1999.
As in the past, the fourth military dictator, Pervez Musharraf was removed from power in 2007 as a result of internal manoeuvring from within his own institution in collaboration with key civilian players. At the end of the decade, the senior military management saw Musharraf as strategically hazardous, especially with his 'out of the box' suggestions for solving Kashmir and giving a free hand to the US in fighting the war on terror (WoT). The legal community came in handy to orchestrate a movement which eventually led to Musharraf's removal since the dictator could not be ousted without first sufficiently de-legitimizing him.
verconfident about his own power, Musharraf used force and imposed yet another emergency in November 2007. Other incidents which remain a mystery, such as Benazir Bhutto's killing in December 2007, too created conditions that made it untenable for him to continue. Musharraf resigned as army chief in November 2007 after which he could not continue for long as president of the country. He had to take off even that hat in early 2008 which, some argue, was more forced off his head by the new Army Chief, Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani.According to Hans Kiesling, author of the only book length account of the ISI, General Kiyani had the President temporarily placed under house arrest to force certain decisions out of him.
9 Subsequently, General Kiyani seemingly stood aside as the political process took its own course which included the election of the president in 2008, a position to which the PPP's Asif Ali Zardari got elected. Soon thereafter the PPP also formed the government at the Centre headed by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani. Later on, the elections in 2013 saw the re-election of the PML-N and Mian Nawaz Sharif formed the government, both at the Centre and in the Punjab.
he above shifts in politics may appear as a smooth transition, reflective of a change in how the military now conducts its politics. As mentioned earlier, the current Army Chief General Raheel Shareef has not troubled the government despite the resentment of many of his senior generals against Nawaz Sharif. It is also believed that there is resentment amongst the officer cadre regarding the prime minister's treatment of the former Army Chief Pervez Musharraf, who is currently in Pakistan facing trial in many cases, including the imposition of an emergency in November 2007. Other issues on which the armed forces do not see eye-to-eye with the government pertain to the policy on India and Afghanistan. Apparently, the army did not approve of Sharif sending his own emissary, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, to meet Hamid Karzai and resolve certain bilateral issues.10However, the ostensibly smooth transition may be nothing but a change in tactics of a politically astute and vibrant armed force. Unlike many of the Latin American militaries of the 1970s and the 1980s, the Pakistan Army is a politically potent force that learns from experience and adapts to circumstances. It is very conscious of maintaining its legitimacy, which also means that it will not intervene at every given opportunity. A glimpse at the six years of General Kiyani's stewardship indicates that while not taking over power, he kept the governments on edge. The Memogate scandal, a plan which was probably hatched to force President Asif Zardari to resign (it did force Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani, out of the position), was planned by Kiyani's chief spy, Ahmed Shuja Pasha. Both Haqqani and Zardari were accused of encouraging Washington to put pressure on Pakistan's military and possibly even use force to get its way.
he ISI chief who succeeded Pasha, Lt. General Zaheer-ul-Islam, also came into conflict with the Sharif government and the media group, Geo. The capital city Islamabad and many other urban centres saw banners and posters supporting the ISI chief during his stand-off with the media group. All of this contestation, when seen in the backdrop of the fact that the military did not eventually take over control, does create an impression that the army has changed its mind about taking over the reigns. Such analysis, however, does not tend to talk about the weakening of civilian governments. For instance, such an observation does not take into account the fact that the Sharif government, just like the Zardari government, ceded control over many policies to the army and its institutions, especially those pertaining to national security.11Why would the military take over direct power when it exercises indirect control? For example, Raheel Sharif extended the tenure of a retired general as Director General Military Land and Cantonment Department, which is a civilian body and part of the civil services of the country.
12 The government did not challenge the illegal order. On more strategic concerns too, such as Sharif's India policy, the prime minister and his team have shown little capacity to chart an independent position.
ver the years, Pakistan's military has turned into a parent-guardian type that may not necessarily seek direct intervention but will exercise indirect control through partnering with critical civilian actors and tailoring a legal/constitutional framework that safeguards its role in policymaking.13 The idea of the National Security Council (NSC), first initiated by Pervez Musharraf, has now turned into a reality. The NSC guarantees the service chiefs requisite space in a strategic decision making body along with key civilian actors. Such manoeuvring took place through a manipulation of the national mind-set and developing a propaganda machine that guarantees the military a better image than competing civilian institutions.One common message underlying many national surveys is that ordinary people prefer the military over civilian institutions. These results, however, do not explain the source of such thinking. The opening up of the media under Pervez Musharraf also meant systematically manufacturing opinion that would benefit the military as an institution. All major media groups and television anchors reputedly have links with the military and its several components (the accompanying Figure gives an idea of such control).
General Kiyani, for instance, was in the habit of inviting select journalists and writers for regular sessions. The ISPR, which is the army's key PR agency, has become state of the art in the past few years and has even started investing in the film industry.
14 The objective is to create a good image of itself. The past decade has also seen a proliferation of think tanks that foreground the military's perspective. In fact, there is not a single think tank in Islamabad which might articulate a different approach to issues of significance on national security or those considered as such by the armed forces.
ut going back to the Oxford University conference story, it was amazing to see the level of penetration in what might appear to be an independent body. The Pakistan military may not be different from others, but it has certainly realized the significance of controlling sources of information and knowledge formation. The military and intelligence component in foreign missions, especially in the West, have increasingly begun to play a critical role in recruiting students and manipulating their ability to think independently. The Pakistani expatriate community plays an important role as the military's partners in financing seminars/conferences and debates on Pakistan. Such financial aid and control ensures that the process of image building remains on track. The military has also been proactive in recruiting people in foreign media and academia. Such partnerships were critical especially in the decade of WoT.
his also means that civil-military relations continue to be tilted in the military's favour. So, should we continue to look at the civil-military balance simply from the traditional lens of command and control? The fact that the current army chief has not opted for direct intervention in governance does not mean that his successors will do the same should the need arise to take over power. After all, four generals after Zia-ul-Haq did not take control until Musharraf stepped in. Meanwhile, the Army GHQ and its other critical components like the ISI, ISPR and the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), which is also involved in recruiting and building the intelligentsia, ensure that the military's image remains at the top in people's minds. This strategy of intellectual control does not demand or support a major shift in civil-military relations. In any case, civilian governments continue to suffer from weak capacity; the only institution they can count on to contest the military's power, the Ministry of Defence, has also become more militarized over the years. No government in Pakistan can afford to join the battle without building strong institutional mechanisms, like the MoD, to address the problem of changing mindsets.
1. Mehreen Zahra-Malik, 'Army Chief Holds Off Generals Seeking Pakistan PM's Ouster.' http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/09/05/pakistan-crisis-army-idINKBN0H015K20140905
2. Kamran Yousaf, 'On Army Chief's Advice, Government to Pursue Talks With PTI, PAT Again', The Express Tribune, 28 August 2014.
3. Stephen P. Cohen, The Pakistan Army. Oxford University Press, Karachi, 1984, p. 105.
4. Aqil Shah, The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2014.
5. Peter D. Feaver, Armed Servants: Agency, Oversight and Civil-Military Relations. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2005.
6. Hasan-Askari Rizvi, Military, State and Society in Pakistan. Sang-e-Meel, Lahore, 2003, p. 80.
7. Edward Feit, The Armed Bureaucrats. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1973. p. 6.
8. See, Ayesha Siddiqa, Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy. Pluto Press, London, 2007, p. 42.
9. Discussion with Hand J. Kiesling, Islamabad, 10 February 2013.
10. http://now.com.pk/news/abb-takk/achakzai-meets-karzai-to-discuss-pak-afghan-relations/
11. Ayesha Siddiqa, 'The Musharraf Drama', The Express Tribune, 9 April 2014.
12. Malik Asad, 'Armyman to Retain Control Over 42 Cantonments', Dawn, 6 September 2014.
13. Ayesha Siddiqa, op. cit., 2007, pp. 152-57.
14. Ayesha Siddiqa, 'Psy-Ops, Coming to a Screen Near You', Tehelka 51(9), 13 December 2013.


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Sixers Extend Win Streak With Victory Over Hornets
The Sixers would continue their short road trip on Wednesday night heading to Charlotte for a matchup against LaMelo Ball and the Hornets. After a dominant showing in the first half it looked like the Sixers were going to have an easy night, but things would not turn out that way.
Despite leading by as much as 26 at one point, this game would go down to the closing moments. The Hornets would give a good effort in the second half, but the Sixers would hold on and pick up the win by a final score of 118-111.
With this win the Sixers are now riding a four-game win streak, and have won five of their last six games. This victory also puts the Sixers above .500 on the road as they are now 6-5 on the year outside of the Wells Fargo Center.
Joel Embiid would lock in pretty much from the opening tip and never look back. He continues his dominance this season with another 30+ point performance. Embiid would end the night with 34 points and 11 rebounds. With this performance he has now scored 30+ points and grabbed 10+ rebounds in five of his last six games.
After putting up his season-high in scoring on Sunday against the Pacers, Tobias Harris would keep the momentum rolling against the Charolette. He would end the night as the Sixers' second-leading scorer with 26 points, and have another incredible fourth quarter performance.
Harris would be crucial in the final quarter to help keep the Hornets at arm's length. He would play all 12 minutes and record 13 of the team's 29 points. Coming up big late in games continues to be a common theme for him.
Ben Simmons would have a quietly good night in this matchup. He would finish with 15 points, six rebounds, 9 assists, and shoot an efficient 7-12 from the floor.
Along with what he brought offensively, he would also stand out defensively slowing down Gordon Hayward. After the game Tobias Harris would say that Simmons does not get enough credit for his intensity on defense.
Doc Rivers would speak to the media postgame and was unfazed by the minor collapse in the second half.
Clearly we let our foot up for sure, lost our focus and all that. But we did enough to win on the road, I'll take that.
After going 3-0 on this short road trip, the Sixers will be heading back home. They will be back in action on Thursday night hosting the Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

subset: commoncrawl


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How much does a saltwater aquarium setup cost?
If you're dreaming of all the beautiful marine fish you'd love to own, it's time to get the scoop on the cost of a saltwater aquarium. While saltwater fish are trickier to care for than your average goldfish because of the rigors of setting up and maintaining a saltwater aquarium, with professional help you'll do swimmingly. Saltwater fish are often more eye-catching and have brighter and bolder colors than freshwater fish. The damselfish, the butterfly and the flame angelfish are just a few of the brilliantly colored saltwater fish that can grace your home or office marine aquarium. While these fabulous tanks are typically more work and can cost more to maintain than freshwater tanks, your reward will be the beauty you get to live with each day.
Saltwater tanks need regular care, and the habitats within require expert attention, including providing the right food, supplements, lighting and filtration. The water temperature must be carefully monitored (test kits are available for this) and usually kept between 75 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit to keep your fish alive. Algae levels must be kept in check through proper cleanings, and the water chemistry must be expertly balanced. It is also important to understand how to keep your fish healthy. Some types of fish can be prone to aggression or fighting, while others are susceptible to disease. Fortunately, saltwater aquarium professionals can help set up and/or maintain your tank so that your fish stay healthy, your waters stay clear and you don't have to worry about making fatal (to fish) mistakes.
Whether you want to purchase a smaller saltwater aquarium for your home or lease a large one for your office, an aquarium management service can help you choose the right tank and animals as well as maintain the health of the fish and corals. Getting the advice of a professional in selecting your fish will help you plan for your initial and ongoing saltwater aquarium costs and care needs. Different fish require different water temperatures, conditions and lighting, because not all saltwater fish originally come from the same environments or have the same needs.
If you are ready to invest in a beautiful addition to your home or office, here are the factors that affect the average cost of saltwater aquarium setup and maintenance.
Saltwater aquarium tanks
To start your dream aquarium, the first thing you will need is a fish tank. Aquariums can be purchased new or used, or leased from an aquarium service company. Leasing is a popular option, especially for large tanks. Professional offices often opt to lease aquarium services because it includes maintenance and animal care services, so they need only enjoy the beauty of the aquarium.
Many beginners to the saltwater aquarium world assume that a smaller tank (2.5-15 gallons) will be the easiest to maintain. In fact, midsize aquariums (20-40 gallons) are more forgiving of mistakes; in smaller tanks, slight miscalculations can lead more quickly to fish fatalities. A 90-gallon tank is a common option for an office or for a beautiful addition to a home. Purchasing a 90-gallon tank (including the stand, glass top, etc.) can cost anywhere from $100 for a used model to $1,200 for a new one, on average. A 90-gallon tank measures 48 inches by 18 inches by 24 inches. Additional aquarium equipment like heaters, protein skimmers, filters, test kits, reef tanks, water pumps and return pumps will increase the setup cost another $200 to $2,000 on average.
Another consideration is whether to choose an acrylic tank or glass aquarium. Acrylic tanks are typically more expensive than glass tanks because they are lighter and therefore easier to move or ship. Glass tanks are less expensive and the glass panes are difficult to scratch; however, they typically weigh four to 10 times as much as an acrylic tank. Your choice will depend on where the aquarium is located, what type of fish and materials are inside the tank, whether you prefer the look of a glass or acrylic tank, and how much you want to spend. A saltwater aquarium tank setup professional can help you weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each type of tank for your situation. Finally, you may also need to buy an aquarium stand to hold (and secure) your fish tank, depending on the size of tank you decide to buy.
Tank leasing
If you love the idea of a saltwater aquarium but don't have the time or know-how to set it up or maintain it, you can lease one. Professional aquarium companies provide all the equipment, consult with you on how you want it to look, source the animals, do all the setup and installation, and provide regular maintenance like tank cleanings. If you decide to move or no longer want to have an aquarium, you do not need to dismantle the tank or try to sell your equipment; the company comes to take it all down for you. Leasing requires an installation fee, ranging from $200 to $600 on average, plus a monthly fee averaging $150-$300, depending on the size of the tank.
Some professionals, such as Reef Playground in Los Angeles, suggest leasing tanks for larger installations as well as for people new to caring for saltwater fish. Reef Playground, which provides quotes on request, says an additional benefit of leasing is that it allows them to ensure ethically sourced fish and corals for each tank.
Creating a habitat
Saltwater aquariums are full of drama, bright colors and flair. Half the fun is creating the beautiful new world that your fish will inhabit. Beyond the aesthetic you want, though, when creating the habitat it is important to identify what type of coral, live rock, plant life and other elements your chosen fish need to survive. If you are not sure where to start, professional aquarists, such as John's Corals and Aquariums in Hackensack, New Jersey, Champion Aquariums in Pompano Beach, Florida, and Aquatic Creations in North Brunswick, New Jersey, can set up the habitat inside your tank for you. This ensures your fish will have the perfect environment to thrive in and prevent you from making costly rookie mistakes that can cause your fish to perish. The costs for setting up a habitat vary based on your tank size, the type of fish you want, and the overall appearance of your saltwater aquarium. Not including materials, the setup fee cost can range between $300 and $500 on average. Common materials for a 90-gallon tank include 90 pounds of live rock, which costs on average from $200 used to $800 new; 80 pounds of live marine sand, ranging from $50 to $150 on average; tools for mixing saltwater, ranging from $125 to $850 on average; and aquarium lighting, ranging from $150 to $1,500 on average.
Adding live corals is an optional expense; the most ecologically responsible options are grown in captivity and sold from a farm. Beginner corals cost $40, while packs for more expert tank owners cost an average of $180. Exotic specimens can cost more than $300.
Saltwater fish
Picking out your new saltwater fish is a big part of the fun. From a tessalata eel to a black lionfish, your saltwater tank can showcase a stunning display of nature's exoticism. The total cost for your saltwater fish will vary, depending on how many fish your tank can support and how rare your choices are. As with corals, most professionals prefer to sell ethically farmed fish, so always be sure your livestock source is sustainable and has a good reputation in the field. Basic saltwater fish can range from $6 for a few reef chromis to $15 for a pair of cardinalfish to $40 for a pair of clownfish, on average. Exotic fish start at $100 each and can cost as much as $1,000 or more. If you are building your aquarium without the help of a professional, always make sure you have your tank properly prepared before purchasing and introducing your fish to their new home.
Most pros also recommend including a few cleanup animals, too, such as hermit crabs, which cost just a few dollars at a fish store, or a starfish, which can cost approximately $50 on average.
Good to know
If you are new to the saltwater aquarium life, there are some helpful tips that can save you time and money and prevent you from learning the hard way. First of all, the location you choose to set up your saltwater aquarium is important. Avoid places that will expose your fish to extreme changes in temperature, such as in front of HVAC vents or a radiator. Also, consider the type of sunlight that comes through your window; if you have a window that receives full sun in summer, place your new fish tank away from it. Think about the structural support you will need for your new saltwater aquarium. Water is heavy! Even a modest 20-gallon tank can weigh about 225 pounds once you've stocked and filled it. A 90-gallon tank (generally 4 feet by 1.5 feet by 2 feet) makes a striking addition to your entryway, living room, or office, but, once filled, can weigh over 1,000 pounds. You'll need an aquarium base strong enough to support the weight, as well as a structurally sound floor to prevent any disasters. Make sure the tank is located close to an electrical outlet to avoid snaking unsightly electrical cords throughout the house.
Cost-saving strategies
Although they can be an investment, beautiful saltwater aquariums are truly a passion for many who own them. If you decide to own rather than lease a saltwater aquarium, one way to save is to buy used equipment. Purchasing a used fish tank, used lighting, and even a quality used filtration system can cut your setup costs by 50 percent or more on average. Make sure you are purchasing from a reputable source and that the equipment is in good condition. Another cost-saving strategy is to choose your mix of fish carefully. Many varieties of saltwater fish can be quite expensive. For example, clown triggerfish and adult imperator angelfish retail for approximately $125 each, on average, from a major pet provider. Some fish breeds are aggressive with others; make sure the fish and other animals in your tank are compatible to prevent expensive fish from being eaten or killed by other fish. Do your research to find out which climates and conditions are right for the fish you choose.


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World share markets have been choppy as the Russia-Ukraine war kept oil above $US120 a barrel, while "stagflation" worries rose on renewed talk of aggressive US interest rates hikes and slowing growth.
Europe's main stock indexes barely budged and government bond yields edged up toward multi-year highs hit earlier in the week as March PMI data came in reassuringly robust.
Focus was otherwise on a Thursday special NATO summit in Brussels, which US President Joe Biden will attend, to discuss further responses to Russia's month-old invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation".
Rabobank's head of macro strategy, Elwin de Groot, said markets would be watching what emerges closely, especially how unified NATO members remain and what Biden can offer European countries to help wean themselves off Russian gas.
"The NATO meeting is certainly important," de Groot said. "At the minimum you would expect the members to come up with preparations for a possible further escalation in the Ukraine war."
Wall Street futures were up a solid 0.6 per cent ahead of trading there, but the mood seemed changeable.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan recouped some of its early losses overnight but ended down 0.6 per cent after more falls in China and Hong Kong.
Japan's Nikkei bucked the trend, rising 0.25 per cent to a nine-week high as its exporters cheered the yen falling to its lowest against the dollar since 2015.
At 1000 GMT, the dollar was up 0.4 per cent versus the yen, at 121.65, with expectations that the Bank of Japan will be far behind other top central banks in raising interest rates.
Driving some of the volatility, Federal Reserve policymakers on Wednesday signalled they stood ready to take more aggressive action to bring down decades-high inflation, including a possible half-percentage-point rate hike at the next policy meeting in May.
Those signals pushed all three main US share benchmarks 1 per cent lower overnight.
"The sharp hawkish repricing of Fed rate hike expectations has mainly benefited the US dollar against low yielding currencies whose own domestic central banks are expected to lag well behind the Fed in tightening policy," MUFG currency analyst Lee Hardman wrote in a note to clients.
Oil and gas markets also remained hot amid the geopolitical uncertainty.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow would seek payment in roubles for gas sold to "unfriendly" countries, jolting energy markets, although Italy's President Mario Draghi said it planned to keep paying in euros.
Brent futures were little changed at $121.67 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate futures fell 41 cents, or 0.35 per cent, to $114.5 a barrel
The bond market was starting to shift again with the yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes up at 2.37 per cent and German bunds creeping over 0.52 per cent.
"Inflation is really the big driver," Rabobank's de Groot said, adding that it was also behind falling consumer confidence.
EU leaders are expected to agree at a two-day summit starting on Thursday to jointly buy gas, as they seek to cut reliance on Russian fuels and build a buffer against supply shocks. But the bloc remains unlikely to sanction Russian oil and gas.
Gold was slightly lower at $1,942.9 per ounce.
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Even when Celtic play well, the decisions just don't seem to be falling our way, with a nailed on penalty waved away, and Ben McKenna through on goal only to be told the ball had gone out for a goal kick, when it touched the line, not crossed it.
Celtic started brightly enough, with Jamie Allen a real handful for the home defence, getting into good positions, and forcing a good piece of goalkeeping from Jonathan Hedge, when the youngster was through one-on-one and he lobbed Hedge at the edge of the box, but the keeper got a fingertip on it to force the ball up and caught. Matt Regan got a thumping head on a corner, but directed straight at Hedge.
North Ferriby were also playing well, and though Tom Denton and Adam Boulder had early shots go wayward, before Boulder tried to poke a ball through but debutant keeper Ross Etheridge stopped easily, but there was nothing the young Derby keeper could do when Danny Clarke raced clear, and pulled the ball back for a completely unmarked Denton stood at the edge of the six yard box. Denton trapped the ball, drew Etheridge and slipped the ball past him.
Celtic kept going, and Regan again forced Hedge into a decent stop with a half volley from outside the box, and Michael Potts fired a corner wide of the mark. Tom Denton came very close, his rocket of a shot from just inside the box had Hedge beaten but Louis Bruce threw himself in the path of it to diver it out for a corner. Ben McKenna tricked his way into the box with some good feet but the final shot lacked the power and Hedge scooped up.
When Bentham did get into a good position, right before the interval, Louis Bruce slid straight through the striker and got nothing of the ball, but left Bentham on the floor. With Bruce getting nothing of the ball, the choice was penalty or goal kick. Instead Celtic got a corner, which Harley Wigley headed wide.
The start of the second half saw Celtic continue where they?d left off, though Bentham looked to be feeling the effects of the penalty shout. McKenna was terrorising Bruce, and got clear space for a great shot that had Hedge at full stretch, and the Ferriby keeper had to hold it, with Allen bearing down on him for the rebound. Scott Kerr fired in from thirty yards, but Hedge was well placed, before at the other end, Danny Clarke raced through showing an alarming amount of pace, but Etheridge pulled of a decent stop, turning the ball round for a corner.
From the corner, the ball dropped into a melee of players at the back post. The ball pinged around, it was impossible to see what was happening, but somehow, the ball was forced over the line. Initially, it looked like it might have come off the back of Etheridge, or Harley Wigley; but eventually the goal was credited to Danny Clarke.
Celtic looked like they might get a goal back when McKenna danced down the by-line past Bruce and was about to pull the trigger at the near post, when he was pulled back for a goal kick with the linesman unsighted by the goal and guessing incorrectly. Harley Wigley was dismissed for a second bookable offence leaving Celtic to play out the game with ten men, and yet he last chance of the match fell to Michael Potts with a half cleared corner that he lashed back in wide of the mark, leaving Celtic now having not scored in the last two matches, and having scored two in the last five. The Bradford game on Saturday now takes on as big an importance as the same fixture in the year of the Great Escape.
1 | Hedge, Jonathan | ||
2 | Bruce, Louis | ||
3 | Wilde, Josh | > 67 | |
4 | King, Liam | > 45 | |
5 | Gray, Mark | ||
6 | Hone, Danny | ||
7 | Clarke, Danny | ||
8 | Fry, Russell | ||
9 | Denton, Tom | ||
10 | Bolder, Adam | ||
11 | St Juste, Jason | ||
12 | Kendal, Ryan | ||
14 | Wilson, Matt | ||
15 | Bateson, Curtis | < 45 | |
16 | Topliss, Sam | < 67 | |
17 | Nicholson, Sam |


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Anyone can do it, but it's about determination, it's about how important finishing what you've started is to you even when things get hard. You have to mean it with every fiber of your being when you are reciting your pledge and you say those words — 'I overcome all my fears!' Those words have to rattle through your bones and they can't stop moving through you 'til you're done. Doesn't matter what the fear is, a fear of failing, of falling, of heights, of water, of closed spaces or open ones or crowds."
I wrote these words two years ago, shortly after running my first ever Tough Mudder endurance event. They were part of a longer post about what it takes to run an event like TM, but the gist of it is pretty much summed up in that little snippet.
At the beginning of the race everyone gets together, hundreds of people. You make a pledge to yourself and your team, and at the end of that pledge you speak together, in one loud roar that echoes through the crowd and through your very being:
"I overcome all my fears."
The energy that seems to emanate from those words, especially spoken as one part of a larger whole, was especially powerful to me; whenever I hear them or read them, it touches me deeply.
This is true now more than ever. There is no room for fear in our world anymore, there is already far too much of it.
We must stand together, respecting and playing our parts as tiny sparks in one, much bigger, brighter light. Life can feel like an endurance event. Heck, it is an endurance event! There are obstacles, and it is tempting, in the face of the challenges that come, to hang back and hide our sparkle for fear of it being snuffed out.
We must soldier on, with love in our hearts. We must put pride behind us — jealousy, insecurity, self-sabotage and self-reproach, guilt, anger, resentment, bitterness, all of it. We must forget to beat the old drums stretched with the skins of stories no longer relevant, stories that hold us back and keep fear embedded in our souls, we must reach out with compassion and love, free from ego, reach as hard as we possibly can.
We must be selfless, which requires letting go of the little voice we hold on to that tells us we are unsafe, unworthy, incapable or unable to do the things we most crave to do, to help and to heal and to grow. Holding on to that voice is in itself selfish, protecting ourselves from the possibility of rejection or failure because it is easier to not try at all than to try and to fall.
That's not where we are anymore, and that's not what we are here for. To snuff out the light of just one human being, even if that human being is you, is an act against humanity, because one light shining especially bright is all it takes to change the world.
Even if the light that you dim is your own, you are stealing light from a world that desperately needs it, and you are doing so out of fear of what-ifs and maybes and things that have not yet happened. These times we are in, every life matters; more than that, every light matters.
To shy away and hold back is no longer an option; we need everyone to make the changes our planet needs to see.
Every action we take, wherever possible, must be free of ego and fear. There is an answer to the question you ask, and the answer will be no different if you don't ask the question at all.
It is scary, and that's okay. It is scary to step into your power, it's scary to open your heart and soul for everyone to see. When you follow your passion and try something you haven't dared to try before, that is exactly what you do — you make yourself vulnerable to hurt and pain, and that is allowed to be scary.
It's okay to have fear, but we can't act on it anymore. Fear disables and weakens us when we need strength the most. It spikes through our bodies and paralyzes us, and we make bad decisions because all we can think of in that moment is escaping the awful feeling consuming us.
We say and do things we don't mean.
So it is okay to have fear, but then it must be set aside. Fear will tell you to turn back, to take the easy road, to withhold your truth and the wisdom that creeps up from deep within your soul. It will tell you those parts of you will be crushed if you go on, and it will tell you to harden your heart.
Please, I beg of you for us all, don't.
We need your heart now.
We must use it in the little moments we so often crush when that tiny voice rears its head and tells us to hush, keep walking, or turn back, or look the other way, or say what is easy instead of what is right. In the moment when fear awakens within us and it is so hard to be bigger than the small we have tried to pretend to be for so long, we must use our true voice and be strong, not only for ourselves anymore.
For everyone.
This blog was originally posted on Rebelle Society at -


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An absolute love
Ole Solbjørnson The Loud, a big ol' 11-year old Lab mix stray, found himself at the shelter, very confused and stressed, injured in both knees and suffering from significant arthritis. Ole didn't do well in the loud, active shelter environment and he was anxious. With an uncertain mobility prognosis due to two untreated ACL injuries and knee braces, no one seemed to be willing to take a chance on big, broken ol' Ole. But his Old Dog Haven forever mom-to-be just saw another old Labrador who needed help. Ole's so glad she saw his true, shining self!
Once in his ODH Final Refuge home, Ole's mom discovered that mobility was less of a problem for him than what was likely longtime separation anxiety (SA) and fear issues around other dogs. Ole can't tell us which came first, the injuries or the anxiety, but his mom is happy to report that with consistent, positive distract-and-redirect training (and great vet care), Ole has progressed by leaps and bounds in the time he's been in his forever home! He's getting much better on walks with his fellow ODH senior brother, and his SA has diminished as he realizes he's finally SAFE and he won't ever be abandoned again.
Turns out, Ole is an absolute love of a dog who hasn't met anyone he doesn't like. He's great with kids and cats and squirrels (cats! squirrels!), and is a boisterous, but good friend to his fellow ODH buddy, who is somewhat less interested in spooning than Ole is. Spooning is the best! Ole loves to snuggle and wiggle and stretch out his wake-up routine as long as possible with belly rubs and kisses on the nose, before he finally gets up and plops himself down in the kitchen to act as roadblock/stray food catcher. He knows he's going to get fresh-cooked chicken and veg and medication for his arthritis and joints, so he can then get and about in the neighborhood–which he's learning is a very good place.
And the beach! While his mom is careful to limit the activities that can stress his knees, she's hopeful that his swimming skills will improve as he finds his confidence….after all, there's nothing better than a Labrador in the water. Because of your support of Old Dog Haven, this salty old Viking gets to be the puppy he is in his golden years: very joyful, a bit naughty, and a complete delight to have around.
Update: After a sudden illness, Ole's mom had to say good bye to her very special boy. He was quite a character and his Final Refuge Mom gave him the very best end of life a pup could have. Ole, you will truly be missed and you were larger than life!


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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we're up to by signing up here.
WME-IMG just picked up a major long-term partner to support 17 fashion week events across the world. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced its global fashion week sponsorship today.
This is the first multinational, multi-year airline sponsorship supporting the fashion industry. Etihad Airways will become the official airline of fashion week events in New York, London, Milan, Berlin, Sydney, and Mumbai this year, and by 2017, will sponsor a total of 17 men's and women's fashion events.
To kick things off, Etihad is helping bring Oscar de la Renta to Sydney to show its summer 2016 presentation at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia on May 20th. It will be the brand's debut runway show in Australia. Cynthia Rowley is headed to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, too, according to WWD.
For fashion industry folks, this partnership could have some perks — like comped flights. Etihad Airways and its partner airlines will develop "travel-oriented relationships" with fashion designers, models, stylists, journalists, photographers, suppliers and sponsors.
If you'll remember, Mercedes-Benz dropped out of its title sponsorship of New York Fashion Week in 2015, but still sponsors fashion weeks around the world. Sports and media management company IMG-WME bought NYFW in 2001, and acquired competitor Made Fashion Week in 2015.


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The rising cost of college has left many families looking for creative ways to avoid massive college debt. According to a new report from Consumer Reports, more and more college scholarships are now offered.
"I cried. I cried so hard," Marilu Duque told Consumer Reports after receiving her scholarship. "I was like, this is everything I ever wanted."
Consumer Reports offers some tips to those prospective college students that need help paying for college.
For starters, Consumer Reports says start with the college you'd like to attend. Colleges, according to the report, are among the top providers of grants and scholarships.
Next, take advantage of websites such as Cappex, The College Board, Fastweb, or Scholarship.com which will help you craft your pitch to colleges and other scholarship providers.
And, says Consumer Reports, don't narrow your search too much. Apply to national and state scholarships.
"National scholarships offer more money, but your odds of snagging a local one may be better because you're likely to be competing against fewer students, says Consumer Reports Money Editor Donna Rosato.
Also, don't wait until the last moment, or even until after you graduate. Start early just in case.
"I started in the 8th grade, most people don't start in 8th grade," adds Duque.


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Episode 29: Treating Drivers Like Customers, with Julian Beron
Julian Beron is the recruiting and retention manager for PGT Trucking. Founded in 1981, PGT has just shy of 1000 trucks across the United States and Julian helps make sure those trucks have the drivers they need.
His background in sales and retail play a surprising role in how he views driver recruitment and retention with the goal of treating drivers more like customers. And this isn't lip service, as Julian describes, PGT uses their sales team, CRMs and active listening tools with their drivers the way most organizations do with customers, and the results speak for themselves.
"It's all about the customer experience. In this scenario, the drivers are the customer. Making sure that they have a great experience with us is the first and foremost approach that we take with everything."
– Julian Beron
What you'll learn about in this episode:
- What does being a driver-centric company really mean and methods to be more driver-centric.
- How to make sure feedback doesn't fall on deaf ears and instead show drivers progress based on their feedback.
- Giving your drivers a voice can have a huge impact on your drivers and your retention.
- How to transform your sales team into a tool for driver retention.
- Are you selling your drivers a dream or challenging them to see why they want to be a driver in the first place?
- How you can use predictive indexing to make sure you have drivers on the right runs and with the right fleet manager.
- What sort of recruiting mix to use from referral programs and rehire campaigns to social media and ad spends.
- How to make active listening part of your driver hiring and retention processes.
Contact Us


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Zavattoni, Simone and Gaetano, Antonio and Barbato, Maurizio and Ambrosetti, Gianluca and Good, Philipp and Malnati, F. and Pedretti, Andrea (2014) CFD Analysis of a Receiving Cavity Suitable for a Novel CSP Parabolic Trough Receiver. In: Energy Procedia SolarPACES 2013 International Conference, September 17-20, 2013, Las Vega, USA.
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
The aim of this work was to study, by means of accurate 3D steady-state CFD simulations, the thermo-fluid dynamics behavior of a helically coiled heat exchanger (HCHE) constituting the receiving cavity of the novel CSP receiver based on Airlight Energy technology. In this innovative receiver design, air is used as heat transfer fluid (HTF), which, besides being inexpensive and environmentally friendly, is optimally suited for high temperature operation well beyond the limit of conventional HTFs. According to preliminary information related to the collectors orientation of the first 3.9 MWth Airlight Energy pilot plant, under construction in Ait Baha (Morocco), two reference skew angles of the incoming solar radiation were considered and the receiving cavity performance were evaluated in terms of thermal efficiency and pressure drop. Among all, one of the main requirements was to achieve, at the outlet section of the HCHE, an air temperature of 650 °C; hence the mass flow rate was tuned accordingly. In order to minimize the pumping power requirements, the HCHE was designed to guarantee a laminar flow regime under all the operating conditions. Navier-Stokes, energy and radiation transport equations, the latter accounted for by the Discrete Ordinates (DO) model, were numerically solved, using the finite-volume method approach, with Fluent code from ANSYS. A meticulous experimental proof of concept was then carried out in Biasca (Switzerland) by the Swiss company Airlight Energy Manufacturing SA. The analysis of the experimental results, detailed in this paper, allowed to assess the reliability and effectiveness of this novel CSP receiver design in the solar energy harvesting.
Item Type: | Article in conference proceedings or Presentation at a conference (Paper) |
Subjects: | Engineering |
Department/unit: | Dipartimento tecnologie innovative > Istituto di ingegneria meccanica e tecnologia dei materiali |
Depositing User: | Simone Zavattoni |
Date Deposited: | 11 May 2015 06:08 |
Last Modified: | 11 May 2015 06:08 |
URI: | http://repository.supsi.ch/id/eprint/5823 |
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Is it just me or is social media amplifying our anger and frustration?
Only recently I was looking at a thread on Facebook and the comments on it entirely depressed me. It seems to me that Christians are great at dressing each other down on social media.
So here's the scenario. Someone has taken a photo of a church sign with questionable theology. As I read through comment after comment I started to get a little frustrated — even angry — at the fact that people were slinging so many barbs from their keyboards. It had me thinking, what does this vitriol actually achieve?
I don't know about you, but I read comment after comment on such threads and wonder, how are we being salt and light online? What sets us apart? Is it possible to be different, caring, even empathetic on social media? Isn't this a chance to have dialogue that matters rather than exchanging vitriol and sarcasm?
And even worse, what if someone who wasn't a Christian stumbled on such a thread (and this would be highly likely as on Facebook we have a broad circle of friends)? What would they think of Christians throwing rocks at one another?
This is the downside of social media for me and why I occasionally, for my peace of mind, just need to turn off my phone and not look at Facebook. And read. But not the newspaper, because that just contains endless stories about political agendas, poor treatment of refugees and asylum seekers and climate change denial that seems to be putting large sections of the community at odds with one another.
There is currently so much to be upset and angry about as a citizen of the world and I have to ask myself — If I live in a perpetual state of outrage at the world everyone wins but me.
There's the old saying "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" So I'm wondering if I ignore social media for a while, would that be so bad? It may even be good for me.
I mean, social media won't go away, but taking some time off and not getting cranky every time I see a Trump post or an Australian politician talk about Manus Island or Nauru and the inhuman treatment of refugees is a good thing, right?
Now, I am just as guilty of posting anti-Trump stories and reposting Melissa Macarthy's stingingly accurate satire of Trump-aide Sean Spicer as the next person. But is this as Shakespeare says ultimately "much ado about nothing?".
More action less anger
Ironically, some ways to put social media outrage in its place came from social media itself, where I discovered former creator of Huffington Post and now CEO of Thrive Global Ariana Huffington and her advice about how to put your outrage in the right place. Now I am not sure about Ariana's faith, but the fact that she mentions Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Schweitzer made me read on and I hope you find it useful too.
Thrive Global's mission is to end the stress and burnout epidemic by offering companies and individuals sustainable solutions to enhance both well-being and performance. It is a global hub for the conversation about well-being and performance, with an emphasis on action and featuring original, expert, and community content.*
So here are Ariana's tips for maintaining balance and rather than feeling out of control, angry, powerless and stressed, how to come a point of equilibrium and well being in an age of constant bombardment of information we find makes us angry:
- As they say on airplanes, put your own oxygen mask on first. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.
- Take action. Once you've taken care of step one, find ways of putting how you feel into action.
- Remember that humour has always been a great way to find light in dark times. So seek out ways to laugh.
- Get creative — write, paint or take a course that inspires a passion.
- Find your own Thrive Tribe — reach out to people, seek out encouragement and inspiration from friends and be there for those who need the same, including those most vulnerable to political decisions.
- Don't limit your reading to social media — read the Greats and surround yourself with their wisdom. Here are two of [Ariana Huffington's] favorite quotes: "Our actions may be impeded, but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. The impediment to action advances actions, what stands in the way becomes the way." That's from Marcus Aurelius. The other is from Albert Schweitzer: "One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity."
- Unplug. Calendar time in your day when you choose to separate yourself from your devices, from the news, from social media.
- Breathe. Seriously. It's good for your brain.
- Trust: As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." Remember: truth and justice ultimately always win.
In addition I would also add to this list read the Bible. Often. Re-aline yourself with the teachings and words of the Living God for as it says in 1 John 2:17 "The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (NIV)
True conversation can bring communities together
So now the detox has begun we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Social media and technology aren't going away anytime soon.
Yes, you can detox and take a digital sabbatical when needed, but we need to understand that for a whole generation a digital way of life is the only one they have known. This raises even more questions. What does faith formation mean for a generation of young people who have grown up only knowing social media as a communication tool? Churches have a responsibility to be an active voice of reason in the age of digital natives. Because they are searching for spirituality online instead of in our Churches.
Interestingly, Mark Zuckerberg has been travelling around the US and having conversations with communities of faith and ministers and understanding how it is that communities can be transformed by social media.
Whatever you think of Zuckerberg, he has been discovering that faith and technology have a lot to offer the world and that people feel honoured by conversation that is honourable and safe. Conversation gives people a voice and fosters connection.
What would social media look like if conversation built people up instead of tearing them down?
Jesus was about authentic conversation. He hung out with unpopular people and listened to their problems and in the process invited them to discover things about themselves. Conversation that Jesus had was about real change and transformation.
The apostle Paul understood the power of listening and speaking the culture's language as the first and most important step of connecting to people.
Social media is fleeting, God is eternal.
Let's work together to understand how technology can help us thrive in community together without tearing one another down.
*content from the Thrive Global website
- Categories: Features


text: Having carefully loaded three 'Wayfarers' into a shipping container in the UK, double checked every strap and kept our fingers crossed, we breathed a sigh of relief and can gladly announce that Lotri Bay's fleet has grown in size! Including these new additions, we now have four sailing boats available for hire. See our Activities page for more details.


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New tea farmer Yancy revived this an abandoned yabukita tea field that had been growing wildly for years, and began harvesting from it in 2019 under the direction of a veteran farmer. Processing occurs at his teacher's factory, and he is learning to process tea as well.
- Ingredients: Green Tea
- Harvest: Spring
- Cultivar: Yabukita
- Region: Aruse Village, Tokushima (The field is 200 meters from the border of Kochi where Yancy lives.)
- Processing: Yamashiro Chagyo Kumiai, Yamashiro Village, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
Standard Sencha Premium Sencha Premium Sencha Tea Bags Premium Sencha Powder Light Roasted Hojicha
This sencha has an unique, yet very charming, flavor for a sencha. It is flowery and aromatic in a way more typical to oolong teas. The taste is soft and has notes of vegetal green with no bitterness. For fans of fragrant teas, or people looking to try an unique sencha, this is the perfect choice.
About Yancy Lever, an American in Japan
Yancy Lever is an American farming tea, yuzu citrus, soba (buckwheat) and other vegetables in the beautiful mountains of Otoyo Village, Kochi, and neighboring Aruse Village, Tokushima, Japan. He began tea farming just 2 years ago, after falling in love with and marrying his wife Azusa who is from Otoyo Village.
Otoyo Village is more well known for its goishicha tea, but the same tea fields also produce sencha, so Yancy is starting his journey as a tea farmer with Japan's standard tea.
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Travel Grants for Junior Researchers in Biomedical Research (submission any time)
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds awards Travel Grants to junior researchers who are currently conducting an experimental project in basic biomedical research and wish to pursue a short-term research stay or attend a practical course of up to 3 months.
Applications may be submitted at any time, at least 6 weeks before the planned date of departure.
for further information see www.bifonds.de/fellowships-grants/travel-grants.html


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We've been seeing something of a mixed bag in terms of the media coverage of former congresswoman Katie Hill's abrupt departure from the swamp. As Ed pointed out yesterday, it's true that the claims of a "double standard" in Hill's treatment have been rejected by some reporters at outlets including NPR and the Washington Post. But others have been far more generous.
Yesterday, the Free Beacon noted some examples of this generosity, a few of which (unsurprisingly) cropped up at MSNBC. Charlotte Alter of Time Magazine had written an opinion piece on Hill's departure and was forced to defend her defense of Hill during an interview segment there. She finally agreed that claims of a "double standard" being applied to Hill were "a little bit strained," but not before suggesting that the opposite was true.
Time reporter Charlotte Alter on Friday said former representative Katie Hill's (D., Calif.) claim that a "double standard" forced her out of Congress is "a little bit strained."
"Certainly a male staffer who is having an affair with a female subordinate would not be afforded the same sympathy she's been afforded," Alter said on MSNBC Live.
Alter noted that Hill's sex scandal, which arose after the conservative website RedState published compromising photos of Hill with a female campaign staffer, also differed from previous high-profile sex scandals because no one involved with Hill complained of "abuse" or "harassment" beforehand.
In order to get the full flavor of how Alter was dancing on the head of a pin here, check out this two-minute video from the interview. In particular, take note of the MSNBC chyron as she launches into her explanation of the "nude picture fallout" before admitting that describing it as a double standard was a bridge too far.
The telling chyron entry is the title of Alter's piece, which should tell you a lot. "Katie Hill is the first millennial lawmaker to resign because of nudes. She won't be the last."
Also, Alter was launching into a bit of a double standard herself before the host cut her off, saying "We also have a new and increasingly ruthless code of social ethics and sexual ethics in particular that make it very, very problematic for there to be any kind of sexual relationship between a boss and a subordinate."
I don't think we'd be seeing anyone discussing the backlash to a male supervisor and a female subordinate (to say nothing of a gay male subordinate) in a sexual relationship as a "ruthless code of social ethics." The imbalance of power between the boss and a staff member makes the relationship unacceptable to begin with according to the current rules. And yet Alter was clearly preparing to launch into an attack on Hill's supposed treatment.
And while we're on the subject, let's keep in mind that Hill wasn't "forced" to resign and none of her troubles had anything to do with the nude photos except for the damning evidence they presented, proving that she was fooling around with her female staffer. Not one member of Congress from either party had called for her to step down. That was a decision she made on her own. The ethics investigation wasn't accusing her of having nude pictures circulating. It was focused on whether or not she had a sexual relationship with an aide in violation of House rules. That's the relationship she has continued to deny, but her resignation conveniently brings that investigation to a close.
As a side note, Alter wasn't the only person on MSNBC's airwaves to take Hill's side in all of this. Earlier this week, Chris Hayes said it appeared that the "bad guys" won when Hill stepped down. Margaret Carlson of the Daily Beast called the resignation a "tragedy." And those two were hardly alone.
The fact remains that Hill didn't have to resign. Plenty of people far more famous than her have had intimate photos leak into the public eye and soldiered on with their careers intact. She could have stuck around and let the ethics investigation play out. If she really wasn't having an affair with her male aide after taking office then she would have been cleared. (While generally deemed inappropriate, the affair with the female campaign staffer prior to taking office likely wouldn't have put her afoul of House rules.) In the end, the only reason Katie Hill is no longer in office is that she chose to walk away, just as she chose to engage in the actions that gave birth to this scandal.


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Regenerative medicine plays a crucial role in helping to cure the disease or conditions in some people. It may also help people with chronic diseases to live longer. It is a new branch of science and medicine that helps to create living tissues that can repair or replace damaged or missing tissue and even organs. There is tremendous potential in this field, but it is much a mystery to many people who aren't aware of how regenerative medicine works.
Find out more about regenerative medicine, what it is, and practical aspects, and how marketing can play its role.
Regenerative medicine
It involves replacing, engineering, or regenerating human cells. It includes stem cell transplants or therapies that help to grow tissues to replace the destroyed, damaged, or is missing tissues. It is a biological process so compared to normal. It is believed to be the emerging branch of medicine and science that can change the way doctors treating your medical problems.
Some elements of regenerative medicine
You may have heard or read some of the following terms. These are related to regenerative medicine. Regenerative Medicine Doctor uses these techniques to address your medical problems.
Stem cells: These are master cells. They divide and renew themselves and create more of them. Stem cells work as the body's repair system. It comes from an embryo or an adult human. Stem cells are unspecialized, so they don't perform any specific functions in the body. They can become specialized cells, such as muscle cells, blood cells, and brain cells.
Bone marrow transplant or stem cell transplant: Bone marrow transplant (BMT) is a special therapy for patients with certain cancers or other diseases. The bone marrow transplant involves removing stem cells from a healthy donor and injected into a patient so the new cells can grow and replace the damaged or missing cells. It is also called an autologous transplant.
Cell therapy: It is also called cytotherapy, cellular therapy, or cell transplantation. It involves using specific stem cells injected, grafted, or implanted into a patient to treat the damaged tissues.
Gene therapy: Gene therapy is a technique in which doctors identifies and modifies a person's genes to treat or cure disease defective genes with normal ones,
Regeneration: It is the natural process to replace, regenerate or restore any of the damaged or missing cells, tissues, and organs or even helps to restore a body part.
Umbilical cord blood cell: It is a blood cell that contains stem cells left in the umbilical cord after birth. These cells have an amazing ability to grow into many different kinds of cells, like bone marrow cells, blood cells, or brain cells.
Medical Marketing for Regenerative Medicine Doctor
Are you planning of adding regenerative medicine to your practice? Whether you practice primary care, internal medicine, orthopedics, chiropractic, or any other area of medicine, you are at the right platform. Social Media Solution for Doctors provides the best, most effective medical marketing for these new services.
At a time when many practices were struggling, we have built the fastest-growing medical practices for regenerative medicine for doctors in New Jersey. To do so, our marketing experts find, adapt or invent marketing strategies to attract new patients to your medical practice. It will inspire them to demand care and grow your practice.
One of our specialties has always been the re-education of patients, so we insist doctors guide on their full treatment plans along with the cost for the treatment. This frees the patient from the need to negotiate with insurance companies or accept reduced payments. It makes them more than happy to visit a medical practice again.
Enables You to Help More Patients
Because insurance restraints so often patients get no coverage for the care that improves your patients' lives, escaping the insurance trap benefits both you and your patients.
Regenerative Medicine and Medical Marketing Conference enables you to see these benefits in your practice:
- Concentrate on patient care rather than only on the paperwork
- Eradicate the requirements to prove medical necessity to insurance companies
- Train your staff to effectively market your medical practice and guide your patients
- Gain more free time to enjoy life and grow your business.
Patients often respond to the right marketing messages and are well-educated as soon as they walk into your practice. You and your staff will only have to focus on care and results. Also, it doesn't matter if they have insurance or not, or if the insurance company rejects their claims or makes them visit again and again. But you can make their process easy by focusing on healing their bodies and relieving their pain.
You can get medical clinic marketing ideas. You will get to know about the Medical Marketing system that refocuses everything on patient results while helping you get plenty of time to spend in medical practice. Medical Marketing experts can train doctors or their staff to re-educate patients on the true value of regenerative medicine doctors in New Jersey. It makes patients happy and satisfied so they will also refer their friends to your practice.
We are here to help you
Whether you are planning an entire conversion to regenerative medicine or just want to add some therapies, Social Media Solutions for doctors can help you with it. We will guide you on how to improve your profitability, reduce your stress and get new patients. Contact us now to find out more from our experts or the marketing plans available for Regenerative Medicine Doctor.
We would be happy to guide you!


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As the largest landlocked country in Africa, it's diverse landscapes owes much to its expanse. Running directly through the Sahara Desert to the north, and it's south populated by the Niger and Senegal rivers, the stark contrast of its topography says volumes about its size.
Much of its economy is based around agriculture, particularly cotton, fish and vegetables, of which it exports large quantities each year. For this purpose, the shipping infrastructure in Mali has made delivering packages there simple, and with us at Interparcel you can ship for less.
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Distribution of power
Intermediate level
Main Aims
To provide review of Distribution of power; branches of power in the context of Power; Democracy; Unitary; Federal; Confederation; Constitution
Subsidiary Aims
To provide inference listening practice using a video about How is power divided in US Government
Procedure (41-56 minutes)
I will introduce myself and explain how i'm going to teach the course. Secondly i would ask about expectations the student has. Afterwards we are going to proceed with the lead in task: I will show pictures related to the topic and cards with definition. We will go for connect the dots game.
We will work on blocking vocabulary for the following task; Cards with word and definition in the context of the video
CCQ of Vocabulary student learned throug watchin a video and warmer
Watch a short 4 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuFR5XBYLfU answer several Multiple choice questions
Play a Scattegories board game. You are given categories—like "color" or "things that are cold"—and you have to think of words that fit those categories. Before each round, you roll a die to choose a letter. Then the timer starts and everyone races to be more creative than the others by thinking of words that begin with that letter and fit the categories.
Discuss the question: "Do you think voting is important?"


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Random samplings of new affecting
the estate planning industry
Compiled by Christopher Weems, Associate Editor
Send an e-mail with your news item
Can Small Employers Be Encouraged to Offer Retirement Plans?
WASHINGTON-- Policymakers have spent years trying to expand pension plan sponsorship by small employers, businesses with 100 or fewer employees. A new survey released today provides insights into how this might be accomplished.
The 2001 Small Employer Retirement Survey (SERS), sponsored by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), the American Savings Education Council (ASEC), and Mathew Greenwald & Associates, provides information that could help policymakers respond to the needs of small business owners who need to develop their pensions plans. Conducted annually since 1998, the SERS helps explain the factors behind the so-called "pension gap" among small businesses.
The survey looks at three key areas: 1) why many small employers do not offer plans; 2) how familiar nonsponsors (companies that don't offer a plan) are with the options and incentives available to them; and 3) what might motivate small businesses to offer plans.
Small employers are generally viewed as a key factor to any significant expansion of retirement-plan coverage in the United States, since the vast majority of large firms offer retirement plans to their workers but most small firms do not. According to the most recent data available from the U.S.
Department of Labor, 79 percent of full-time employees in medium- and large- sized firms are covered by an employment-based retirement plan, compared with 46 percent in small firms.
Among the key findings from the fourth annual SERS:
Reasons cited by small employers for not offering a retirement plan -- Employees prefer wages and/or other benefits (19 percent); revenue is too uncertain to commit to sponsoring a retirement plan (18 percent); a large portion of workers are seasonal, part time, or high turnover (15 percent); it costs too much to set up and administer (12 percent); required company contributions are too expensive (10 percent); the business is too new (6 percent); and too many government regulations (4 percent).
* Nonsponsors' lack of familiarity with different retirement plans -- Nonsponsors may be unaware of all the plan options available to them as small businesses. Many report that they have "never heard" of the following plan types: simplified employee pensions (SEPS) (52 percent); traditional pension or defined benefit plans (36 percent); savings incentive match plan for employees (SIMPLE) plans, which were created by Congress specifically for small employers (34 percent); deferred profit-sharing plans (23 percent); and 401(k) plans (2 percent).
* Motivators cited to sponsor a retirement plan -- An increase in the business' profits (44 percent of nonsponsors); a plan with low administrative costs that required no employer contributions (35 percent); business tax credits for starting a plan (23 percent); a plan that could be tailored to the unique needs of their business (23 percent); a plan with reduced administrative requirements (18 percent); availability of easy-to-understand information (19 percent); allowing key executives to accumulate more in retirement plan (16 percent); demand from employees (15 percent); repeal of top-heavy rule (10 percent); a plan that could be set up and administered completely over the Internet (7 percent); and lengthening of vesting requirements (6 percent).
"The 2001 SERS also demonstrates that small companies with retirement plans tend to employ older, more stable or better educated workers, than small companies that do not provide retirement plans," said Mathew Greenwald, president of Mathew Greenwald & Associates. "And even when comparing companies of similar size, sponsors tend to have higher gross annual revenues than nonsponsors."
Concerning employers that do offer retirement plans:
* Retirement plan sponsorship -- Small employers most often offer a defined contribution plan (95 percent offer only defined contribution plans; 5 percent offer both defined contribution and defined benefit plans). Fifty-eight percent of small employers that offer a defined contribution plan say they provide a 401(k) plan. They are less likely to offer a SIMPLE plan (22 percent), a deferred profit-sharing plan (22 percent), or simplified employee pension (SEP) (13 percent).
* Reasons cited for offering a retirement plan -- Most important is the competitive advantage that sponsoring a retirement plan gives the business in employee recruitment and retention (25 percent). Next are the positive effect on employee attitude and performance (19 percent); employer obligation to provide a retirement plan for their employees (16 percent); and tax advantages for their employees (9 percent), key executives (6 percent), or themselves (4 percent).


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Sires → Berkshires → THE BEAST
Party Boy x Shrek
Bred By: Jeff & Brendan Peters
– THE BEAST…is like no other Berkshire boars we have seen in a while…Is he "Trendy Fronted? NO"…Is he designed like a "Sleek Profiling Snake? NO"…WHAT HE IS…HE IS AN ABSOLUTE MONSTER ON TRUE STOUTNESS OF BONE, SKULL AND MORE MASS AND DIMENSION THAN ANYTHING OUT THERE!!!
– When your Berks get frail, narrow and have no power…USE THE BEAST…When your Berks get straight fronted and have no flexibility…USE THE BEAST…When you're tired of trying to get them to the right amount of fill and have somewhat of a natural growth pattern…USE THE BEAST!!!
– We see THE BEAST, being a boar to use not only on Berkshires but Crossbred females as well…He has enough bone, shape and boldness about him to make some really interesting offspring.
– Will see use here at LVS and the Peters Farm!!!


text: This project sets up a waste collection within a village to support up to 20 women full time sustainable and dignified jobs. Women are provided with the education of the impact of waste pollution, the skills to collect and sort waste safely and appropriately and create recycled material for a secondary market. Each village prevents up to 50 tons of waste from entering landfills and water ways.


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Trip Report
Mount Rose
- Tue, Jul 7, 2015
- Mount Rose
- Day Hiking
Sunday, July 5th - very hot day expected so we were at the trailhead at 7:30. Only one person on the trail besides our group that day. The trail is in great shape and well shaded. There are even conveniently located benches to enjoy the view as you go. Very steep but good condition trail. The tree at the summit with the elevation sign has fallen down since I was last up there. Trekking poles recommended for the trip down.


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Newsletter Signup
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NEW Casino City Times newsletter! |
Gaming News
Adelson pumps $475 million into Sands1 October 2008LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson invested $475 million in his casino company Tuesday evening to resolve any issues surrounding the company's debt covenants. The company announced the transaction in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Bill Lerner said Adelson had to make the investment. Doing nothing would have affected the company's credit and ability to fund future development. Lerner said earlier this week that Las Vegas Sands could potentially "trip" its credit facility debt covenant because of weakness in the Las Vegas market. Lerner expected that Adelson, the company's majority shareholder who controls personally and through his family trusts almost 70 percent of Las Vegas Sands, would inject capital into the company. "While the credit markets are experiencing turbulence, our strategy remains alive and well and our business continues to march forward," Adelson said in a statement. "Little of our fundamental business strategy has changed and this investment will strengthen our capitalization and liquidity position as we continue to execute our plans." The private transaction covers the company's convertible senior notes that mature on Oct. 1, 2013, and pay cash interest at 6.5 percent. The notes are convertible into common stock at a price of $49.65. Copyright GamingWire. All rights reserved. |


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In relationships, language and communication are very important. It sends a deep message of intimacy and genuine love.
It should be noted however that women are not the same and respond differently to things. But I have carefully researched some words that any women will respond well to.
It is not a magic word, because it may not always work depending on her mood. That would be doing the right thing at the wrong time.
However, these words have a way of ravishing your woman because they are words she always wants to hear. Here they are.
1. You are amazing
These words have a way of warming the heart. She will instantly feel loved that someone sees her as being amazing.
It will not only warm her heart but will also uplift her sense of value. Always tell your woman how amazing she is now and then. Don't even leave out the smallest of details when describing how amazing she is.
By doing this, you will not only improve your relationship but also create a form of empowerment in your woman.
2. I'm always going to support you
Relationship as we know it is a platform for people who have found each. They use this platform to show a great deal of love and support.
Support can come in many ways. It can either be emotionally, morally, in her career, ambitions, goals and sometimes, financially. Always be there for your woman, offering your unconditional support and guidance.
It is not just by saying it to her, make it a point of duty to support her.
3. You're the one for me
When you are deeply in love with a woman, telling her these words is like a seal that you do not want to be with another woman except her.
These words should not be used anyhow because it represents devotion to your woman. You devote your time, attention, love to her because you want to be with her.
It is most appropriate for someone you consider your soul mate or someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.
4. I love you
Have you ever seen movies where a man tells his woman that he loves her for the very first time? Her emotions begin to quake. It feels like a turning point, it validates her reality with you.
'I love you' is a deep word that transcends beyond what we can understand because we sometimes fail to understand love.
Before you tell her that you love her, you must be certain that you do love her and you would fight for her. Be sure to know that she feels the same about you, to avoid bad situations in future.
If you liked this article, be sure to like this post. Follow me for more informative content and drop your comments about what you think.
if u tell a typical naija lady all of this… ehn ,, you are only setting up yourself to be used AS A DOORMAT


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From: | Adam Parrish <myth@...> |
Date: | Wednesday, July 28, 1999, 19:10 |
On Wed, 28 Jul 1999, Steg Belsky wrote:> If i get my primary class requests (the computer only sets everything up > after everyone registers) i'll be taking an introductory linguistics > class. If i don't, i'll probably be taking Arabic 101 or a class on > Israeli Poetry and Prose. My brother may be taking Middle Egyptian. > > (i'm going to SUNY Binghamton, just had orientation a few weeks ago) >Hmm, that reminds me. I'm going to UC Berkeley (woo!) and I seem to remember some other member of the list saying that he/she was going there too. Anyone remember? (for that matter, are there any other conlangers in that general area?) Later, Adam ----------------------------. firstname.lastname@example.com | http://www.inquo.net/~myth/ | ----------------------------'


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Today's consumers aren't just satisfied with support on a range of channels. They want support that is fast, connected, and personalized. Comm100 omnichannel customer engagement gives you all this and so much more. You'll have never seen such high customer satisfaction.
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"Everybody has their preferred way of communicating. Some people want to reach out via live chat, some social media, and others via email. The beauty of Comm100 is that every channel can be connected into one platform so we can connect with and support more students, more efficiently."
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Thompson Rivers University
Find out if omnichannel customer engagement is the right strategy for your goals, how to implement it, and how to measure and prove its ROI.
Find out how you could increase capacity & lower costs with Comm100 Omnichannel.


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Setting an alarm is one of the most basic and most useful features on the Google Home devices. You can quickly set an alarm without having to pull out your phone, find the clock app, and enter a time. One thing that might annoy people about this feature is the default alarm tone. It's a little annoying, and, in my case, it sets off my dog.
According to the Google support page, a new feature allows you to use music for the alarms. All you have to do is ask Google to "set a music alarm at (time)." Google will then ask what song you'd like to play. It will use your default music app to find the song. The music will start playing at the desired time, but it won't fade in if that's something you need in alarms.


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Chicken Run
4K limited to select SmartTVs. Learn more at store.cineplex.com/4K-FAQ
They are prisoners--trapped behind barbed wire, fearing for their very lives and dreaming only of the outside world. Every escape attempt is thwarted, and the ringleader tossed into solitary to do hard time. But this is no ordinary prison... and these are no ordinary jailbirds. They're the inmates at Tweedy's Egg Farm, where any chicken who doesn't put breakfast on the table can wind up as dinner. But Ginger and her fellow flock are determined to break out before they meet a "fowl" fate. Time is running out as the greedy owner of the farm, Mrs. Tweedy finds a new way to feather her own nest--turning chickens into chicken pies. Now, with the help of Rocky, "The lone free ranger," the chickens hatch their most spectacular plan to fly the coop in "our story of poultry in motion."
Rental Period
You have 30 days from the date of purchase to start watching your rental, and 48 hours to finish it once you've started watching


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19 May 2014-05-19
Out in the UK This Week The Wolf of Wall Street (Universal, cert 18, Blu-ray/DVD) Scorsese's best film since Casino also continues his trend towards flabby films. Twenty minutes can, and let's hope eventually will, be trimmed from a film with a Goodfellas arc – we start with a voiceover of Leo Di Caprio saying, in effect, that for as long as he could rememeber he'd always wanted to be a richfella. And off we go into a roaring rush of the true story of Jordan Belfort, who became a licensed Wall Street broker on the day the market crashed in 1987, then started at the bottom all over again, selling penny stocks to … Read more


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CMR 79 was an evolution of CMR 37 seeking to improve upon the success of 37 and making improvements in transient handling and engine drivability. These goals were accomplished through experimentation with the wheelbase and ackerman and longer primary exhaust runners. Additionally, 8 pounds were shaved from the previous years design further helping performance. This was almost for nought as a problem with the TPS prevented the car from running in either acceleration or skidpad and only a poor showing in autocross. However, 79 refused to die quietly and became only the second car in CMR history to finish endurance, passing many other teams on the way to a 26th place finish.
4 piece carbon fiber body from female molds, male plug machined by Honda
Professional PPG paint job – Carnegie Mellon Red
- Tubular steel space frame
- Strength optimized using Ansys FEA
- Very-low center of gravity
- Jig mounted during construction for build accuracy
- Painted for corrosion resistance
- 4 wheel independent suspension
- Unequal non-parallel suspension links
- Adjustable ride height
- Adjustable shocks
- CNC machined uprights
- Push rods on all 4 corners
- 2004 Honda F4i
- Performance Electronics ECU
- Custom barrel throttle
- Custom CFD optimized carbon intake, conical air filter
- Equal primary length Tri-Y exhaust header
- Custom muffler
- Engine Redline: 13500 rpm
- Max Power: 80hp
- Custom designed floating rotors
- Single rotor rear braking
- Custom CNC machined adjustable pedal assembly
Competition Results
Overall: 53rd of 110
- Acceleration: DNA
- Skidpad:DNA
- Autocross: 75th
- Endurance: 26th
- Design: 61st
- Cost: 50th
- Presentation: 100th


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Page navigation: Pumiworld / EN / Kennel «Szürkebarát»
Pumi kennel «Szürkebarát»We entered into the pumis' world in September 1991,
when we bought our first and certainly not last pumi. Impressed by the love we received from him,
and by the temperament, intellectual and physical qualities so typical of this breed, we fell in love with
this breed and started to get involved with pumis more and more. |
Why A Pumi?It was a coincidence. Our children wanted a puppy. After long pressure form them we finally gave up and we agreed to buy a smaller size Hungarian breed. We did not need to search for a pumi breeder, because one our aquaintances was breeding pumis. We simply put down our name for the waiting-list, and in 6 months' time we brought home our little black furry energy bomb Ebugatta Kristály. This is how everything started… |
Why A «Szürkebarát»?Kristály was growing and when he finally grew up he was grey and he was our friend. A friend, who always kept one of his eyes on his master and who was always at his masters' side, ready to act. He became a real friend a «Grey Friend». This was also one of his many nicknames. So it was obvious for us that every little puppy born in our litters will be a «Grey Friend» to his or her future master. (Szürkebarát = Grey Friend in word-to-word translation, also the name for a famous Hungarian wine type.) |