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Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
Nobody acknowledges more than I do, the diligent work, time, and care that goes into creating a top notch Fire Risk Assessment Report for your business premises.
In the event that you are the dutyholder, i.e. the business, proprietor, or whatever other individual who has control of the important premises; you are required by law to do an evaluation of the work environment or, the applicable premises under area 53 or segment 54 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 separately.Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
The Fire Risk Assessment that is required by law to be completed might be done as such by, an "equipped individual" who can either be somebody inside your organization, or an outside contractual worker known as a Fire Risk Assessor. Choosing the perfect individual for the activity may not be a simple one as the 'skilled individual' requires to have, adequate preparing and experience, learning, or different characteristics as indicated by the Fire Safety Regulations (Scotland) 2006; Regulation 17(1).
Is your 'in-house' Fire Risk Assessor able?
Accidentally, a few businesses have accused their supervisors of the weight of doing this undertaking for their sake, or, asking for that their organization wellbeing and security expert is named as the fire hazard assessor without a minute's thought to their skill. By and large the selected "able people" don't have the right characteristics to complete the fire danger evaluation or to see it through to an effective and attractive conclusion.Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
Insights demonstrate that numerous evaluations completed in Scotland today are deficient or lacking in nature where the assessor has neglected to distinguish the fire risks, appropriately appraise the likelihood of start or to consider the results to life security of the inhabitants, should a fire grab hold in the premises.Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
Without having completely recognized and evaluated, the fire perils, and results to life in the premises, the assessor would be probably not going to arrive at the right finish of the hazard to life inside that building.
To be sure notwithstanding for the prepared "Wellbeing and Health Expert", a fire danger evaluation can be a tedious, overwhelming assignment where the fire security assessor may not have the accessible aptitudes, foundation, or, experience to appropriately recognize the Significant Findings, or to detail, organize or actualize the Action Plan to moderate, or even to keep up the working at its present fire hazard level.Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
Fire Safety Consultants in Scotland.
Contracting out, or, outsourcing the Fire Risk Assessment, or the Fire Risk Assessment Review contract to a "Fire Safety Company", or to a Fire Safety Consultant may likewise have it's entanglements as some of our customers have already discovered to their hazard, for the most part when it is just past the point of no return and the receipt has been paid.Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
Scottish Government direction exhorts
"In the event that you are hoping to utilize a fire wellbeing authority, it can be hard to judge the ability of organizations and people who publicize their administrations as flame hazard assessors. The way that a man or organization is working in the fire area or that somebody has past flame benefit understanding, does not imply that they are a fire wellbeing pro".
I consequently prescribe that before utilizing the administrations of a "Fire Safety Consultant" or "Fire Risk Assessor", inquire as to whether they can give proof of the accompanying;-
• Are they Properly Qualified for the activity, for example, Nebosh Fire Certificate? Fire Brigade fire-warrior courses or general Health and Safety Practitioner courses are not typically observed as adequate.
• Are they recorded on an Approved Register for Fire Risk Assessors, for example, the present ones that are kept up by the Institution of Fire Engineers or the Fire Industry Association? This can be effortlessly kept an eye on their sites.
• Do they have legitimate and Full Professional Indemnity Insurance? Should something turn out badly, e.g. wrongful counsel, at that point this protection is basic as a change. Businesses and Public obligation Insurance isn't adequate for this situation.Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
• in particular. Would they be able to give physical hard confirmation of the greater part of the above? No verification – no agreement.
It flabbergasts me right up 'til today how resigned fire fighters and wellbeing and security professionals are figuring out how to dupe their customers that they are able by just talking about their background's 'down at the station' or 'what they done on their last occupation', without giving a piece of confirmation to their potential client as evidence that they are for sure skilled to complete the errand.Fire Safety Inspections Brentor Devon
On the off chance that the individual you are going to contract does not believe that they should deliver documentation or furnish you with proof of their skill, at that point I would have genuine reservations about employing them.
Keep in mind; – on the off chance that you are the dutyholder portrayed in passage 2 then you are the individual in charge of guaranteeing that a legitimate terminate chance evaluation has been done and eventually in charge of the fitness of your terminate chance assessor or terminate security advisor utilized according to the law in Scotland.


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Encouraging Words for the First 100 Days
(Rate Now)
Format: Trade Paperback
Pub. Date: Apr. 01, 2003
Retailer Locations
Imagine for a moment...
You wake up in the same old bed, only to discover everything around you has completely changed. People speak a foreign language. The rules are different. The familiar has been turned upside down. Confused and disoriented, you're determined to make your way through...
That's the way life feels for a new believer as they begin their walk of faith. Though everything looks the same, they feel like aliens. Confronted with traditions and expectations they don't understand, some give up.
In a simple, relaxed style this devotional guidebook for new believers lays the foundation-piece by piece- for the faith-filled life, answering questions like:
* What is the Bible anyway, and why should I read it?
* What is the Old testament and what does it have to do with today?
* How does Jesus fit into my daily life?
* What's the big deal about morality?
* What's in the church for me, and why can't I just go when I feel like it?
A GUIDEBOOK FOR NEW BELIEVERS is the book that a church should put into the hands of new believers-from day one. It focuses on the key issues every believer must assimilate in order to grow in Christ.By the end of the first hundred days, the reader will understand his or her need to read the Word daily, to pray, and to be in fellowship with other Christians. New believers will gain a strong understanding of the terms and truths of Christianity.
The book is completely self-contained and demands no extra study skills, nor does it necessitate a mentor. A GUIDEBOOK FOR NEW BELIEVERS requires no lengthy study time. Instead, day-y-day, it builds truth into the lives of those recently transported from "the other kingdom" into God's kingdom.
Meet the Authors
BETTE NORDBERG graduated in 1977 from the University of Washington with a degree in Physical Therapy, but her real love is writing. Her fiction projects include, Serenity Bay (the 2001 Angel Award, Excellence in Media), Pacific Hope, and Thin Air (released in fall 2002), all published by Bethany House Publishers.
Her writing has also been included in Prayers for Troubled Times and 101 Stories of Answered Prayer, published by AMG Publishers.
Bette, and her husband Kim, have four children-two in college and two at home in Puyallup, Washington. Bette and Kim have been instrumental in planting a new church in Puyallup-the Lighthouse Christian Church (CMandA).
Customer Reviews
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Charlie Sheen's wife, Brooke Mueller, has entered rehab in North Carolina, two sources have confirmed independently to Access Hollywood. But Brooke's lawyer says, rather, she is at, "a wellness comprehensive mind and body treatment facility."
Access has learned that the location where Brooke is, "offers a variety of opportunities for family members as well as close friends to participate in the recovery effort." The facility provides its guests with a slew of services including support groups, medical evaluations, Pharmacotherapy, stress management, recovery coaching, family therapy and substance use monitoring. The guests can also partake in yoga, Pilates, tai chi, acupuncture and massage therapy.
Details on Brooke's rehab have yet to be revealed, but when Access spoke with her attorney, Yale Galanter, he claimed that while she is physically there, she is not receiving treatment for drug use.
"Brooke is not in rehab. She is in North Carolina with her mom for some R & R pursuant to [doctor's] orders," Galanter told Access Hollywood. "She is still recovering from her recent infection and pneumonia. Report is not true."
Galanter stressed that Mueller was "definitely 100% not in rehab.
"It is a wellness comprehensive mind and body treatment facility," he continued. "They do drug rehab at this facility but that is not why she is there.
"Her Mom is there with her. Her Mom made this decision to go there late yesterday. Her Mom wanted her to get out of LA for a few days, get her away from all this stress, all the media," Galanter told Access. "So they traveled there together on a private plane. She put her in a facility that can treat everything."
Access also spoke to Brooke's step father, Jon Fiore, on Wednesday, who also confirmed she was seeking treatment in North Carolina, but reiterated that she's, "not there for drugs and alcohol. She is there so she could get rest."
Fiore told Access that she had a difficult pregnancy, claiming, "This stress started a year ago… Diabetes developed from her pregnancy with her twins. She thought she had cancer… then the attack on the Christmas day. And then an infection in the tooth… she almost died.
"It's been a tough year for Brooke," he continued. "She is getting some much-needed rest, per doctor's orders
Fiore noted that the Sheen twins are being well taken care of by the family and their nannies.
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Brooke left a hospital in LA on Tuesday after a receiving treatment for a week for an infection following oral surgery.
Charlie Sheen was arrested Christmas Day on suspicion of felony menacing, second-degree assault and criminal mischief. Brooke told police her husband put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. Charlie Sheen denies it. Attorneys for both say they want to reconcile.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Charlie Sheen
PLAY IT NOW: Was Charlie Sheen Ever Violent With Denise Richards?
PLAY IT NOW: Has Charlie Sheen Returned To Work After His Holiday Arrest?
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Charlie Sheen - Christmas - Twins - Media - Brooke Mueller


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It's obvious that Facebook pages are quickly becoming an essential part of most businesses' marketing strategies. But how can you find ways to differentiate yourself from the competition?
In this article, I'll take a look at how brands are standing apart from the crowd on Facebook. And how you can employ some low-cost techniques to grow your fans.
Continue Reading about How to Build Your Facebook Fan Base by Creating Experiences →


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|Amazon.com Announces Kindle App for iPad
SEATTLE, Apr 02, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced its Kindle App for iPad is now available in the App Store. The app lets users select from over 450,000 books from the Kindle Store on iPad and features Amazon Whispersync technology that saves and synchronizes customers' last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, iPad, and more.
"Kindle for iPad includes all the features customers love about Kindle for iPhone, including a massive selection of over 450,000 books, along with a beautiful new user interface tailored to the look and feel of iPad," said Jay Marine, director, Amazon Kindle. "Kindle for iPad is the perfect companion for the millions of customers who already own a Kindle or Kindle DX, and a way for customers around the world to download and enjoy books even if they don't yet have a Kindle."
With the Kindle App for iPad, readers can choose from over 450,000 books available in the Kindle Store, including new releases and New York Times Bestsellers, plus tens of thousands of the most popular classics for free including titles like "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "Pride and Prejudice," and "Treasure Island." Bestsellers such as "Backlash" by Aaron Allston, "Big Girl" by Danielle Steel, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot, and "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown, and hundreds of thousands of other popular books are $9.99 or less in the Kindle Store. The Kindle Store is the only place to find tens of thousands of books added to the Kindle Store by authors and publishers using Kindle's self-service platform. Customers can search for a specific book or browse by genre or author, and can take advantage of all the features that customers enjoy in the Kindle Store, including Amazon.com customer reviews, personalized recommendations and editorial reviews.
Features of the Kindle App for iPad include:
* Automatically Syncs with Kindle and Kindle Compatible Devices: Amazon's Whispersync technology automatically syncs customers' last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across Kindle, Kindle DX, Kindle for iPhone, Kindle for Mac, Kindle for iPad, and more. Customers can read on their Kindle, read some on their iPad or Mac, and always pick up where they left off.
* Beautiful User Interface: The Kindle App user interface is tailored to the large size, look, and feel of iPad. The new user interface with bold colors, animation, and seamless user experience make Kindle on iPad a unique reading experience.
* Customizable Appearance: Customers can choose to dim iPad's screen within the app to make reading easier regardless of the ambient light or time of day. Readers can also choose from three different background colors and alter the font color and size to customize the reading experience and help ease the strain on their eyes.
* Page Turn Animation: Kindle App for iPad offers an interactive experience with page turn animation designed to replicate the look of a page turning in a book. Customers who prefer a simpler, unadorned reading experience can choose the "Basic Reading Mode" option and turn off animation.
The Kindle App for iPad is available for free from the App Store on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore.
For more information please visit: www.amazon.com/kindleforipad.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.
Kindle is sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.
Amazon.com, Inc.


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Angelina Jolie Shows Off Her New Tattoo!
She's even more inked up than before!
Angelina Jolie sure loves her tattoos, and she gave the press a glimpse at her latest acquisition July 1 at a Sony Pictures event in Cancun, Mexico, where she was promoting her new action flick Salt. Though we don't yet know what specific meaning it has for Angie, it's safe to bet it bears some significance, as all of Angie's tattoos thus far have had some sort of personal tie to her life.
Her newest tat rests right next to the Roman numeral 13, which reportedly signifies Angie's disbelief in superstitions.
Whatever it means, one thing's for sure: Angie could teach Jon Gosselin a thing or two about how to ink oneself tastefully!


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But now 90, the prime minister's mother, Yang Zhiyun, not only left poverty behind, she became outright rich, at least on paper, according to corporate and regulatory records. Just one investment in her name, in a large Chinese financial services company, had a value of $120 million five years ago, the records show.
The details of how Ms. Yang, a widow, accumulated such wealth are not known, or even if she was aware of the holdings in her name. But it happened after her son was elevated to China's ruling elite, first in 1998 as vice prime minister and then five years later as prime minister.
Many relatives of Wen Jiabao, including his son, daughter, younger brother and brother-in-law, have become extraordinarily wealthy during his leadership, an investigation by
In many cases, the names of the relatives have been hidden behind layers of partnerships and investment vehicles involving friends, work colleagues and business partners. Untangling their financial holdings provides an unusually detailed look at how politically connected people have profited from being at the intersection of government and business as state influence and private wealth converge in China's fast-growing economy.Continue reading the main story
Unlike most new businesses in China, the family's ventures sometimes received financial backing from state-owned companies, including
The holdings include a villa development project in Beijing; a tire factory in northern China; a company that helped build some of Beijing's Olympic stadiums, including the well-known "
As prime minister in an economy that remains heavily state-driven, Mr. Wen, who is best known for his simple ways and common touch, more importantly has broad authority over the major industries where his relatives have made their fortunes. Chinese companies cannot list their shares on a stock exchange without approval from agencies overseen by Mr. Wen, for example. He also has the power to influence investments in strategic sectors like energy and telecommunications.
Because the Chinese government rarely makes its deliberations public, it is not known what role — if any — Mr. Wen, who is 70, has played in most policy or regulatory decisions. But in some cases, his relatives have sought to profit from opportunities made possible by those decisions.
The prime minister's younger brother, for example, has a company that was awarded more than $30 million in government contracts and subsidies to handle wastewater treatment and medical waste disposal for some of China's biggest cities, according to estimates based on government records. The contracts were announced after Mr. Wen ordered tougher regulations on medical waste disposal in 2003 after the SARS outbreak.
In 2004, after the State Council, a government body Mr. Wen presides over, exempted Ping An Insurance and other companies from rules that limited their scope, Ping An went on to raise $1.8 billion in an initial public offering of stock. Partnerships controlled by Mr. Wen's relatives — along with their friends and colleagues — made a fortune by investing in the company before the public offering.
In 2007, the last year the stock holdings were disclosed in public documents, those partnerships held as much as $2.2 billion worth of Ping An stock, according to an accounting of the investments by The Times that was verified by outside auditors. Ping An's overall market value is now nearly $60 billion.
Ping An said in a statement that the company did "not know the background of the entities behind our shareholders." The statement said, "Ping An has no means to know the intentions behind shareholders when they buy and sell our shares."
Even so, the business dealings of Mr. Wen's relatives have sometimes been hidden in ways that suggest the relatives are eager to avoid public scrutiny, the records filed with Chinese regulatory authorities show. Their ownership stakes are often veiled by an intricate web of holdings as many as five steps removed from the operating companies, according to the review.
In the case of Mr. Wen's mother, The Times calculated her stake in Ping An — valued at $120 million in 2007 — by examining public records and government-issued identity cards, and by following the ownership trail to three Chinese investment entities. The name recorded on his mother's shares was Taihong, a holding company registered in Tianjin, the prime minister's hometown.
The apparent efforts to conceal the wealth reflect the highly charged politics surrounding the country's ruling elite, many of whom are also enormously wealthy but reluctant to draw attention to their riches. When Bloomberg News reported in June that the extended family of Vice President
"In the senior leadership, there's no family that doesn't have these problems," said a former government colleague of Wen Jiabao who has known him for more than 20 years and who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "His enemies are intentionally trying to smear him by letting this leak out."
The Times presented its findings to the Chinese government for comment. The Foreign Ministry declined to respond to questions about the investments, the prime minister or his relatives. Members of Mr. Wen's family also declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.
Duan Weihong, a wealthy businesswoman whose company, Taihong, was the investment vehicle for the Ping An shares held by the prime minister's mother and other relatives, said the investments were actually her own. Ms. Duan, who comes from the prime minister's hometown and is a close friend of his wife, said ownership of the shares was listed in the names of Mr. Wen's relatives in an effort to conceal the size of Ms. Duan's own holdings.
"When I invested in Ping An I didn't want to be written about," Ms. Duan said, "so I had my relatives find some other people to hold these shares for me."
But it was an "accident," she said, that her company chose the relatives of the prime minister as the listed shareholders — a process that required registering their official ID numbers and obtaining their signatures. Until presented with the names of the investors by The Times, she said, she had no idea that they had selected the relatives of Wen Jiabao.
The review of the corporate and regulatory records, which covers 1992 to 2012, found no holdings in Mr. Wen's name. And it was not possible to determine from the documents whether he recused himself from any decisions that might have affected his relatives' holdings, or whether they received preferential treatment on investments.
For much of his tenure, Wen Jiabao has been at the center of rumors and conjecture about efforts by his relatives to profit from his position. Yet until the review by The Times, there has been no detailed accounting of the family's riches.
His wife, Zhang Beili, is one of the country's leading authorities on jewelry and gemstones and is an accomplished businesswoman in her own right. By managing state diamond companies that were later privatized, The Times found, she helped her relatives parlay their minority stakes into a billion-dollar portfolio of
The couple's only son sold a technology company he started to the family of
The prime minister's younger brother, Wen Jiahong, controls $200 million in assets, including wastewater treatment plants and recycling businesses, the records show.
As prime minister, Mr. Wen has staked out a position as a populist and a reformer, someone whom the state-run media has nicknamed "the People's Premier" and "Grandpa Wen" because of his frequent outings to meet ordinary people, especially in moments of crisis like natural disasters.
While it is unclear how much the prime minister knows about his family's wealth, State Department documents released by the
"Wen is disgusted with his family's activities, but is either unable or unwilling to curtail them," a Chinese-born executive working at an American company in
China's 'Diamond Queen'
It is no secret in China's elite circles that the prime minister's wife, Zhang Beili, is rich, and that she has helped control the nation's jewelry and gem trade. But her lucrative diamond businesses became an off-the-charts success only as her husband moved into the country's top leadership ranks, the review of corporate and regulatory records by The Times found.
A geologist with an expertise in gemstones, Ms. Zhang is largely unknown among ordinary Chinese. She rarely travels with the prime minister or appears with him, and there are few official photographs of the couple together. And while people who have worked with her say she has a taste for jade and fine diamonds, they say she usually dresses modestly, does not exude glamour and prefers to wield influence behind the scenes, much like the relatives of other senior leaders.
The State Department documents released by WikiLeaks included a suggestion that Mr. Wen had once considered divorcing Ms. Zhang because she had exploited their relationship in her diamond trades. Taiwanese television reported in 2007 that Ms. Zhang had bought a pair of jade earrings worth about $275,000 at a Beijing trade show, though the source — a Taiwanese trader — later backed off the claim and Chinese government censors moved swiftly to block coverage of the subject in China, according to news reports at the time.
"Her business activities are known to everyone in the leadership," said one banker who worked with relatives of Wen Jiabao. The banker said it was not unusual for her office to call upon businesspeople. "And if you get that call, how can you say no?"
Zhang Beili first gained influence in the 1990s, while working as a regulator at the Ministry of Geology. At the time, China's jewelry market was still in its infancy.
While her husband was serving in China's main leadership compound, known as Zhongnanhai, Ms. Zhang was setting industry standards in the jewelry and gem trade. She helped create the National Gemstone Testing Center in Beijing, and the Shanghai Diamond Exchange, two of the industry's most powerful institutions.
In a country where the state has long dominated the marketplace, jewelry regulators often decided which companies could set up diamond-processing factories, and which would gain entry to the retail jewelry market. State regulators even formulated rules that required diamond sellers to buy certificates of authenticity for any diamond sold in China, from the government-run testing center in Beijing, which Ms. Zhang managed.
As a result, when executives from Cartier or De Beers visited China with hopes of selling diamonds and jewelry here, they often went to visit Ms. Zhang, who became known as China's "diamond queen."
"She's the most important person there," said Gaetano Cavalieri, president of the World Jewelry Confederation in
As early as 1992, people who worked with Ms. Zhang said, she had begun to blur the line between government official and businesswoman. As head of the state-owned China Mineral and Gem Corporation, she began investing the state company's money in start-ups. And by the time her husband was named vice premier, in 1998, she was busy setting up business ventures with friends and relatives.
The state company she ran invested in a group of affiliated diamond companies, according to public records. Many of them were run by Ms. Zhang's relatives — or colleagues who had worked with her at the National Gemstone Testing Center.
In 1993, for instance, the state company Ms. Zhang ran helped found Beijing Diamond, a big jewelry retailer. A year later, one of her younger brothers, Zhang Jianming, and two of her government colleagues personally acquired 80 percent of the company, according to shareholder registers. Beijing Diamond invested in
Among the successful undertakings was Sino-Diamond, a venture financed by the state-owned China Mineral and Gem Corporation, which she headed. The company had business ties with a state-owned company managed by another brother, Zhang Jiankun, who worked as an official in Jiaxing, Ms. Zhang's hometown, in Zhejiang Province.
In the summer of 1999, after securing agreements to import diamonds from
Although she was never listed as a shareholder, former colleagues and business partners say Ms. Zhang's early diamond partnerships were the nucleus of a larger portfolio of companies she would later help her family and colleagues gain a stake in.
The Times found no indication that Wen Jiabao used his political clout to influence the diamond companies his relatives invested in. But former business partners said that the family's success in diamonds, and beyond, was often bolstered with financial backing from wealthy businessmen who sought to curry favor with the prime minister's family.
"After Wen became prime minister, his wife sold off some of her diamond investments and moved into new things," said a Chinese executive who did business with the family. He asked not to be named because of fear of government retaliation. Corporate records show that beginning in the late 1990s, a series of rich businessmen took turns buying up large stakes in the diamond companies, often from relatives of Mr. Wen, and then helped them reinvest in other lucrative ventures, like real estate and finance.
According to corporate records and interviews, the businessmen often supplied accountants and office space to investment partnerships partly controlled by the relatives.
"When they formed companies," said one businessman who set up a company with members of the Wen family, "Ms. Zhang stayed in the background. That's how it worked."
The Only Son
Late one evening early this year, the prime minister's only son, Wen Yunsong, was in the cigar lounge at Xiu, an upscale bar and lounge at the
In China, the children of senior leaders are widely believed to be in a class of their own. Known as "princelings," they often hold
They are also known as people who can get things done in China's heavily regulated marketplace, where the state controls access. And in recent years, few princelings have been as bold as the younger Mr. Wen, who goes by the English name Winston and is about 40 years old.
A Times review of Winston Wen's investments, and interviews with people who have known him for years, show that his deal-making has been extensive and lucrative, even by the standards of his princeling peers.
State-run giants like China Mobile have formed start-ups with him. In recent years, Winston Wen has been in talks with Hollywood studios about a financing deal.
Concerned that China does not have an elite boarding school for Chinese students, he recently hired the headmasters of Choate and Hotchkiss in
Winston Wen and his wife, moreover, have stakes in the technology industry and an electric company, as well as an indirect stake in Union Mobile Pay, the government-backed online payment platform — all while living in the prime minister's residence, in central Beijing, according to corporate records and people familiar with the family's investments.
"He's not shy about using his influence to get things done," said one venture capitalist who regularly meets with Winston Wen.
The younger Mr. Wen declined to comment. But in a telephone interview, his wife, Yang Xiaomeng, said her husband had been unfairly criticized for his business dealings.
"Everything that has been written about him has been wrong," she said. "He's really not doing that much business anymore."
Winston Wen was educated in Beijing and then earned an engineering degree from the Beijing Institute of Technology. He went abroad and earned a master's degree in engineering materials from the University of Windsor, in
When he returned to China in 2000, he helped set up three successful technology companies in five years, according to people familiar with those deals. Two of them were sold to Hong Kong businessmen, one to the family of Li Ka-shing, one of the wealthiest men in Asia.
Winston Wen's earliest venture, an Internet data services provider called Unihub Global, was founded in 2000 with $2 million in start-up capital, according to Hong Kong and Beijing corporate filings. Financing came from a tight-knit group of relatives and his mother's former colleagues from government and the diamond trade, as well as an associate of Cheng Yu-tung, patriarch of Hong Kong's second-wealthiest family. The firm's earliest customers were state-owned brokerage houses and Ping An, in which the Wen family has held a large financial stake.
He made an even bolder move in 2005, by pushing into private equity when he formed New Horizon Capital with a group of Chinese-born classmates from Northwestern. The firm quickly raised $100 million from investors, including SBI Holdings, a division of the Japanese group
Under Mr. Wen, New Horizon established itself as a leading private equity firm, investing in biotech, solar, wind and construction equipment makers. Since it began operations, the firm has returned about $430 million to investors, a fourfold profit, according to SBI Holdings.
"Their first fund was dynamite," said Kathleen Ng, editor of Asia Private Equity Review, an industry publication in Hong Kong. "And that allowed them to raise a lot more money."
Today, New Horizon has more than $2.5 billion under management.
Some of Winston Wen's deal-making, though, has attracted unwanted attention for the prime minister.
In 2010, when New Horizon acquired a 9 percent stake in a company called Sihuan Pharmaceuticals just two months before its public offering, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange said the late-stage investment violated its rules and forced the firm to return the stake. Still, New Horizon made a $46.5 million profit on the sale.
Soon after, New Horizon announced that Winston Wen had handed over day-to-day operations and taken up a position at the China Satellite Communications Corporation, a state-owned company that has ties to the Chinese space program. He has since been named chairman.
The Tycoons
In the late 1990s, Duan Weihong was managing an office building and several other properties in Tianjin, the prime minister's hometown in northern China, through her property company, Taihong. She was in her 20s and had studied at the Nanjing University of Science and Technology.
Around 2002, Ms. Duan went into business with several relatives of Wen Jiabao, transforming her property company into an investment vehicle of the same name. The company helped make Ms. Duan very wealthy.
It is not known whether Ms. Duan, now 43, is related to the prime minister. In a series of interviews, she first said she did not know any members of the Wen family, but later described herself as a friend of the family and particularly close to Zhang Beili, the prime minister's wife. As happened to a handful of other Chinese entrepreneurs, Ms. Duan's fortunes soared as she teamed up with the relatives and their network of friends and colleagues, though she described her relationship with them involving the shares in Ping An as existing on paper only and having no financial component.
Ms. Duan and other wealthy businesspeople — among them, six billionaires from across China — have been instrumental in getting multimillion-dollar ventures off the ground and, at crucial times, helping members of the Wen family set up investment vehicles to profit from them, according to investment bankers who have worked with all parties.
Established in Tianjin, Taihong had spectacular returns. In 2002, the company paid about $65 million to acquire a 3 percent stake in Ping An before its initial public offering, according to corporate records and Ms. Duan's graduate school thesis. Five years later, those shares were worth $3.7 billion
The company's Hong Kong affiliate, Great Ocean, also run by Ms. Duan, later formed a joint venture with the Beijing government and acquired a huge tract of land adjacent to Capital International Airport. Today, the site is home to a sprawling cargo and logistics center. Last year, Great Ocean sold its 53 percent stake in the project to a Singapore company for nearly $400 million.
That deal and several other investments, in luxury hotels, Beijing villa developments and the Hong Kong-listed BBMG, one of China's largest building materials companies, have been instrumental to Ms. Duan's accumulation of riches, according to The Times's review of corporate records.
The review also showed that over the past decade there have been nearly three dozen individual shareholders of Taihong, many of whom are either relatives of Wen Jiabao or former colleagues of his wife.
The other wealthy entrepreneurs who have worked with the prime minister's relatives declined to comment for this article. Ms. Duan strongly denied having financial ties to the prime minister or his relatives and said she was only trying to avoid publicity by listing others as owning Ping An shares. "The money I invested in Ping An was completely my own," said Ms. Duan, who has served as a member of the Ping An board of supervisors. "Everything I did was legal."
Another wealthy partner of the Wen relatives has been Cheng Yu-tung, who controls the Hong Kong conglomerate New World Development and is one of the richest men in Asia, worth about $15 billion, according to Forbes.
In the 1990s, New World was seeking a foothold in mainland China for a sister company that specializes in high-end retail jewelry. The retail chain,
Mr. Cheng and his associates invested in a diamond venture backed by the relatives of Mr. Wen and co-invested with them in an array of corporate entities, including Sino-
Mr. Cheng, 87, could not be reached for comment. Calls to New World Development were not returned.
Fallout for Premier
In the winter of 2007, just before he began his second term as prime minister, Wen Jiabao called for new measures to fight corruption, particularly among high-ranking officials.
"Leaders at all levels of government should take the lead in the antigraft drive," he told a gathering of high-level party members in Beijing. "They should strictly ensure that their family members, friends and close subordinates do not abuse government influence."
The speech was consistent with the prime minister's earlier drive to toughen disclosure rules for public servants, and to require senior officials to reveal their family assets.
Whether Mr. Wen has made such disclosures for his own family is unclear, since the Communist Party does not release such information. Even so, many of the holdings found by The Times would not need to be disclosed under the rules since they are not held in the name of the prime minister's immediate family — his wife, son and daughter.
Eighty percent of the $2.7 billion in assets identified in The Times's investigation and verified by the outside auditors were held by, among others, the prime minister's mother, his younger brother, two brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, daughter-in-law and the parents of his son's wife, none of whom is subject to party disclosure rules. The total value of the relatives' stake in Ping An is based on calculations by The Times that were confirmed by the auditors. The total includes shares held by the relatives that were sold between 2004 and 2006, and the value of the remaining shares in late 2007, the last time the holdings were publicly disclosed.
Legal experts said that determining the precise value of holdings in China could be difficult because there might be undisclosed side agreements about the true beneficiaries.
"Complex corporate structures are not necessarily insidious," said Curtis J. Milhaupt, a
Among the investors in the Wen family ventures are longtime business associates, former colleagues and college classmates, including Yu Jianming, who attended Northwestern with Winston Wen, and Zhang Yuhong, a longtime colleague of Wen Jiahong, the prime minister's younger brother. The associates did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Revelations about the Wen family's wealth could weaken him politically.
Next month, at the 18th Party Congress in Beijing, the Communist Party is expected to announce a new generation of leaders. But the selection process has already been marred by one of the worst political scandals in decades, the downfall of
In Beijing, Wen Jiabao is expected to step down as prime minister in March at the end of his second term. Political analysts say that even after leaving office he could remain a strong backstage political force. But documents showing that his relatives amassed a fortune during his tenure could diminish his standing, the analysts said.
"This will affect whatever residual power Wen has," said Minxin Pei, an expert on Chinese leadership and a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in
The prime minister's supporters say he has not personally benefited from his extended family's business dealings, and may not even be knowledgeable about the extent of them.
Last March, the prime minister hinted that he was at least aware of the persistent rumors about his relatives. During a nationally televised news conference in Beijing, he insisted that he had "never pursued personal gain" in public office.
"I have the courage to face the people and to face history," he said in an emotional session. "There are people who will appreciate what I have done, but there are also people who will criticize me. Ultimately, history will have the final say."Continue reading the main story


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Hyde Park is magical this time of year, though I love it during summertime, I think fall in the park is so beautiful, especially when the weather is as great as it was this weekend. Late wine brunch at The Serpentine watching the sunset could fool anyone believing they are somewhere in the countryside and not in the heart of a metropole, except perhaps for the building constructions in the horizon.
This is exactly how I ended up spending my Saturday late noon and I wore a turtle neck from H&M, pants and sunnies by Phillip Lim, blazer Zara, shoes and bag Celine, watch Tagheuer and bracelet Margiela.


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ITIL® (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is the most advanced and industry accepted approach towards IT service management. ITIL® works on set of frame works revolving around best practices in IT service management industry to fulfill customer needs.
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Well-structured training, strongly recommend the trainer for all Project Management Training
I went through training it was ok, I cannot think of recommending anyone for now but I will spread the word
I felt I paid little extra, never the less training was good. I am giving three stars for $100 extra I paid compare to others in the class.
I passed my ITIL Foundation exam, as promised by the company 100% pass guarantee. For this you guys deserve 5 stars
Trainer was good, he was able to complete the training in 4 days I liked the interactive class and with class size.
PRINCE2 Training was good, I was asked my boss to do this training and I am glad I passed the exam. Looking forward for the benefits of this certification.
Adam was my relationship manager he deserve the hike. Well supported, prompt in responding my emails, very helpful.
Nothing much to improve in overall training, but little snacks in the training would give you 5 stars.
PMP training was good, hopefully I will pass the exam. It was nice to so many people attending the training never expected the class size could be around 14
I passed my exam I am giving the review now Ryan Carson, I hope this makes sense. I have attended 4 days training in New York last October and took the exam in December I am glad I passed the exam it was nice experience.
Six Sigma training I keep hearing this from many people and on the floor, I contacted many training institute but I am glad I choose Sprintzeal for their best price guarantee and commitment on delivering the training as promised.
Trainer was little lazy for that I am giving 3 stars, for the service and acknowledgement what I received for that 5 stars.
Sprintzeal should give more practice tests, I received 5 but I think its not sufficient if not overall training was good.
I am giving this review before the training start, I hope the training will go well. I received an email asking for the service review I haven't taken the training yet but if I have to rate before training start then its 4 but I am still looking forward the training which i hope it will go well, i assume it should based on the prompt responses i get.
Helped to understand the concepts and key processes. Could have more exercises and scenarios to discuss.
The Acknowledgement of PMP is the best I liked. Handouts was really good, I rate 4 out of 5 for Sprintzeal PMP training.
The instructor was very energetic and interactive, but the course was intensive because of the tight schedule.
Knowledge, The facilitator of our class was very knowledgeable. Handouts was good, Content was Excellent, Arrangements was good. Facilitator was Very Good.
Trainer was good, I enjoyed getting trained. My knowledge on training was good but now it's excellent.
Like the most about training is, Interaction and Discussion to improve the project understanding.
Great news. I have cleared my Prince2 Practitioner certificate exam, Please take this mail as a token of appreciation from my end for the wonderful training provided by your institute. ID : 9980082524888231. Thank you very much.
Six Sigma Black Belt training was good. The trainer was very well-versed about the subject.
The group completed the PMP training with Bruce Maidi yesterday. The training was very worthwhile; Bruce is a great trainer with an unusual sense of humor, a refreshing educator. I'd like to start moving towards the next level of the certification process, give more options.
Thanks for the ITIL training. It was good informative training session conducted by Bilkis Naidu.
The training was good and relevant, appreciate all the efforts taken to get me certified.
Online training is good for me, so far learning is going well I hope I pass my exam. But thanks for the extra discount it helped me save few dollars.
I took this training from other training company I dint pass the exam, but I had to rely on some company to pass my PMP exam I am glad I did through you Ryan, thanks for the help I finally passed my exam you deserve hike in your pay checks.
I passed my PMP exam thanks Simon for your support and help. And special thanks for those extra gesture on giving E-Learning access.
Still waiting for the service to receive post training, I sent emails couple of times but noone responds.
Adam Todd thanks for the service, it was nice dealing with you. I will recommend this course to my friends as promised to you. Keep doing the good work.
I am little disappointed on the pricing it could have been better, after completing my training I received an email from another company for lessor price.
TOGAF training was good but expected more people attend the training, I had only 6 in the training room with no refreshments. Any ways thanks I passed my exam that's all it matters now.
Scrum training was good, trainer Blair Collinson is well trained to train. He has good knowledge on subject, very engaging good experience overall.
Looking to set up this training for my team. I am glad I tested before I take this further with my team. Sprintzeal is flexible on dates, I had re schedule more than 3 times they did for free.
Content and the facilitator, highly recommended. My knowledge before the training was fair, but after the workshop its Excellent now.
Knowledge about the trainer and the process was good. I chose 2 days PMP Speed Prep short time but I learnt lots of things.
Digital Marketing online training is good, I can learn at my own time. Nicely made videos very interactive nice way to present the training.
Not that great experience, but I completed my training when its required. Please work on your email grammar.
Big Data training has too much to cover your 8 days will not help me understand the syllabus please extend my e learning It will be appreciated.
Attended Data Analyst training it was nice, very interactive. I am happy I paid less compare to my friends.
PRINCE2 Training was good, I am waiting for results I am sure I will pass the exam. I am not over confidence, but I am happy to see that everything went well. So 5 stars for Sprintzeal.
Ramya is indeed good asset for Sprintzeal, we enrolled as group and she ensured we all get what we want by end of training. Thanks again.
Indeed this training will help me understand my day to day work that I do in my office, I am glad I passed my exam. And special thanks to trainer who helped me on this.
Customer Relationship Executive was rude when I called to inform I will be late to training due to traffic and he just snapped at me saying we cannot hold the training for you alone. No complaints for trainer because he was good but not good behavior of the executive.
Thanks I passed the exam. I don't know what to review I keep getting emails asking for review but I think it will stop now since I am telling you I passed my exam.
Training venue was good, trainer was good, executive was good, I am happy I had to pay less for the training compare to my other colleagues who has taken training with other companies.
There is nothing to review, I just hope my recommendation counts for others. Please choose Sprintzeal they are best in their delivery Cheers…!!
ITIL Foundation exam was easy and I got through in first attempt, strongly recommend Sprintzeal for their courses.
PMP Exam prep training was good, but 5 days would sound better there is too many topics to cover.
Trainer is very good, Sumanta is holding excellent knowledge from PMP world and his industry experience with knowledge adding nice mix for aspirants. Good to have session with him. and also Very Good, Responsive towards the early initiation of training.
CSM training I attended last month, it was nice. Trainer is from America he had good knowledge on the subject.
You are really a very very good person/human.you have lot of patient to deal with us and make us understandable (like i asked lot of stupid questions:) ).
Honestly i have no words for representatives and their dealings it is 11/10. it was a lesson learning for me thanks for that
Feedback about trainer!
Trainer was very much cool and had lot of patient to explain any question asked by students.
More focused about subject and gave real time example and compare to IT industry what made us understand very quickly.
I can give him 10/10.
It was also good , nice arrangement , good staff selection (trainer) and good environment too .
So overall all was good .
Thank you Sprintzeal and specially to Kavya .Hope see you soon with different training
I got this training arranged in house for my team in our premises, everyone enjoyed it. And thanks for the free entry to learn some extra knowledge.
TOGAF training I had taken this from other company but it was waste of money but I am glad I chose Sprintzeal I am happy I passed the exam.
Why do keep getting emails even after completing the training, Please take my name off. I told you I liked the training it was good.
I enrolled for the training and was still doubtful whether I will be able to make it for the training because of my schedule, but Sprintzeal had LVC option which saved my time and efforts. I completed my training while working in office.
Good trainer, I enjoyed thoroughly. Class size was god nothing much to say about anything. Content slides would have been designed little better. I think I can help you guys.
Naa…!!! You guys aren't that great what my colleague told me about so 4 stars for you guys. Improvement, please change the training venue next time its little far from city center and its difficult for people to travel and reach their on time.
Guys be aware sometime you guys will be charged more in other companies. Compare this company with others before buying I did and I am happy I chose Sprintzeal. I had to pay less compare to others. I am giving three stars because I had to reschedule the training once which i am not happy if not company is good, training is good, overall it was good learning.
It was easy and comfortable to discuss and get the necessary information which was required prior to training from sprintzeal.
Trainer: In a single word , excellent. Sumanta is an excellent trainer with very keep knowledge on the subject. He always kept session very interesting and light and quote excellent real life examples to relate with course material.
Training was very good which includes course content , material and venue. I would like to pay bit attention about the venue because on first Sunday class was arranged in Hall 3 which was not an adequate hall to study for 8 hours.
Over all i am very satisfied with course content , material and Trainer abilities.


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Our council-manager form of government combines the civic leadership of elected officials with the managerial experience of an appointed city manager. Beyond all else, we are a service organization, and we are here to serve our community.
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We are a place where businesses small and large find success. Ideally located, Roseville provides first-rate services, competitive costs, solid long-range planning and an educated, growing population.
On September 20, 2017, the Roseville City Council adopted the City's new 2017-2022 Economic Development Strategy.
The Economic Development Strategy is a five year plan that outlines a framework for economic growth.
It establishes goals for capturing and expanding business investment and focuses on partnerships, sharing resources, and building on competitive advantages.
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UnNews:Man shot into space, possibly being tortured
This article is part of UnNews, your source for up-to-the-microsecond misinformation.
28 March 2007
The Not Too Distant Future, Next Sunday A.D. Today a satellite was launched from an undisclosed location known only as Deep 13 by scientific research and fast food center Gizmonics Institute.
As UnNews went to press, it was confirmed that there was a man launched within the bone shaped satellite. His name is Joel Robinson. He has worked with Gizmonics Institute as a janitor for many years without garnering too much attention. A source from inside Deep 13 said, "Joel was just another face in a red jumpsuit. In fact, he wasn't too different from you or me." When asked, the inside source who identified himself only as "Frank", how Robinson's performance on the job was, he replied with a shrug, "He did a good job cleaning up the place."
UnNews contacted the heads of Deep 13, Dr. Clayton Forrester and Dr. Laurence Erhardt for a comment. "We didn't really like him so we shot him into space!" Erhardt said. Dr. Forrester could be heard laughing somewhat maniacally. After a few moments, he regained his composure to tell UnNews that Joel Robinson had become part of an experiment on the human psyche.
"I've shot a man into space and have begun subjecting him to various bad movies," Forrester crowed, "It is our fervent hope that we find a film so bad, so hideous, so soul crushingly awful that it will completely break his will! Once that is done, I will unleash the film onto an unsuspecting populace and then I WILL RULE THE WORLD!"
Gizmonics Institute, has issued no comment.
As of press time it is rumored that Robinson has used special parts to create some robot friends. What their purpose is and if they will suffer through the movies sent to him by Dr. Forrester and Erhardt remains to be seen. It is currently unknown how Robinson eats and breathes, as well as other scientific facts.


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I do love it when Diane Kruger has a movie coming out – not only do I get to see some fab red carpet looks, **check out her Los Angeles premiere look** but finally there is a reason for magazines to put my favourite girl crush on their covers.
For April, Diane has really got around, gracing the cover of not one, but three different magazines, on three different continents – her reach is most certainly global. First up we have Canadian fashion mag, Flare, with Diane looking adorable in a Bottega Veneta dress, then we have a polished flawless looking Diane for Interview Germany, and then sadly we have a bizarre barley recognisable Diane on the cover of Australia magazine, Madison – what have they done to her face and hair?
Shot by Autumn De Wilde, the Flare cover is just so pretty, I am in love with her Bottega Veneta vintage-inspired tea dress from the spring/summer 2013 collection, which has been styled perfectly with those tri-colour Christian Louboutin heels and the insanely cute Louis Vuitton headband, you may recognise it from one of Kerry Washington's fab red carpet looks earlier in the year, and of course Diane is carrying a Chanel handbag to finish her look.
The only thing I really don't like from this cover is the insanely huge cover line 'hello spring' right across her – really is that going to sell the magazine more than if it wasn't there???
The rest of the editorial is just as good, you see Diane wearing Miu Miu, Rochas, Marc Jacobs and more Chanel, as well as posing with a cute kitty.
I love the vintage-inspired Flare cover, but I completely adore the Markus Jans shot Interview cover, Diane does flawless so well and this just beautiful. Striped back and polished, this is one hell of a profile cover, I love everything from her eyes to her barely there make-up, and even the position of her hands – this really does show off her modelling background. I really can't wait to see the rest of the editorial.
However, Australia magazine, Madison didn't quite impress me like the other two titles. From the neck down this cover is divine, I love the pale blue dress, I even love the flirty touch of her hitching up the skirt, but I just can't understand why they made her look a little crazy. That hair, the make-up, the appalling OTT photoshop to her face – it really doesn't look like Diane or even pretty. Why, Madison, why???
Which cover would you go out and buy?


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By Scott Cegielski
Effects involving water are generally regarded as some of the most difficult to achieve. The DreamWorks/Aardman animated feature film Flushed Away (see "Flushed with Success," pg. 22) contains a wide variety of water effects, each of which posed specific challenges. Waterfalls, boat wakes, giant waves, water slides, and splashing are just some examples of water-based effects featured in the film.
Due to the large number of shots that required splashes resulting from a character's interaction with water, Cegielski's team developed a system to handle all the related scenarios.
Some of the most common effects in many of the movie's sequences are the splashes that result from a character's interaction with a body of water. This posed a specific challenge because of the number of shots and the variety of characters that were creating the splashes.
The quantity of shots that required this effect warranted the development of a character splash system that could accommodate all the scenarios quickly and efficiently. The system had to automate the process of generating splashes from a character's interaction with a water surface while still providing a large degree of control for the artists.
Completed, the system contains various tools for generating splash emissions, localizing a fluid simulation, and generating a surface from the resulting particles. It does not include a fluid dynamics simulator, but instead uses a previously developed in-house simulation tool.
In order for an animator to implement this effect efficiently, splashes from a character's water interaction were generated semi-automatically. This was done in several stages. First, the character's surfaces were converted with an evenly spaced distribution of particles using a proprietary tool. The spacing of the particles could be controlled based on how much detail was required from the character's motion. And, each particle contained a local velocity vector of the character's motion at that position.
Next, a closest point calculation was performed between each particle and the water surface with which the character was interacting. Using each particle's closest point distance, velocity, and user-controlled parameters, further calculations were performed. The user-controlled parameters could be animated over time and could also vary over the surface of the character using painted texture maps. The particles were first culled based on user-defined criteria such as a maximum distance from the water surface and a minimum velocity threshold. The positions and velocities of the remaining particles were then modified based on several computed vectors that gave the user a high degree of control over the resulting splash direction and amplitude. The resulting particles were then input into the fluid-simulation program.
Local Fluid Simulation
In some shots, the character was moving at a high rate of speed due to the current in the water. This meant that over the course of a shot, the character might be required to travel quite a long distance. Moreover, the fluid dynamics simulator required a grid covering the area of desired simulation, and these shots would have required a very large box to cover the character's range of motion. Since detail was necessary in the simulation, the grid also would have had to be subdivided into many cells. These two factors could have resulted in very long simulation times.
Therefore, an alternative method was implemented to localize the simulation around the character. This entailed stabilizing the character, a process that involved tracking the center of its bounding box at every frame, and then inverting the tracked data. It resulted in the removal of the large-scale motion of the character but the retention of the local motion, such as limb movement. The character's general position ended up at the origin, where a much smaller fluid grid was placed for the simulation.
In order to retain the sense of the large-scale motion in the fluid simulation, a vector force was included in the simulation. The direction of this force was derived from the frame-to-frame motion of the character and was recorded during the tracking phase. Therefore, if the large-scale motion was along the positive Z axis, then the vector force applied to the simulation was in the opposite direction, along the negative Z axis.
After the simulation, the particles were then transformed so that on each frame they track with the character's pre-stabilized motion.
Surface Generation and Integration
Due to the miniature scale in this film, it was decided that the character splashes should be rendered as surfaces rather than as particles. To create the surfaces, the particles from the fluid simulation were first converted to a density grid with an octree structure, using a previously developed tool. For the conversion from the density grid into a polygon file, a program using the marching cubes algorithm was used. Marching cubes takes a density grid and generates a configuration of polygons for each grid cell based on its density in relation to the density of neighboring cells. The user provides a density threshold value, which helps determine where the surface should be generated in the density grid.
Scott Cegielski, effects lead at DreamWorks Animation, recently completed work on the DreamWorks Animation/Aardman co-production Flushed Away. For this film, he wrote many of the tools used for the film's effects, including the system for computing splashes for characters interacting in CG water. In 2001, he worked on the animated feature film Shark Tale at DreamWorks Animation, developing a system for growing the numerous underwater plant life, and was nominated for an Annie Award for his accomplishments.


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Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects.
The animal on the cover of SpamAssassin is a King vulture. King vultures ( Sarcoramphus papa ) are found in tropical lowland forests from Mexico to Argentina. Vultures serve a useful purpose in disposing of dead and decaying animal remains.
Their extremely thick and strong bills are well adapted for tearing, as are their long, thick claws for holding meat. King vultures have a very heavy beak, a necessary asset for tearing into large, thick- skinned animals. The absence of feathers on a vulture's head helps the bird "clean up" after a messy meal.
King vultures do not build nests . The female simply deposits her single egg in the hollow of a rotten tree trunk or in a crack caused by age or lightning. Both parents take turns incubating the egg. When hatched, King vulture chicks have no feathers, but soon are covered with a white down. They do not acquire their adult plumage until they are 18 months old.
While they have very keen eyesight, King vultures have a poor sense of smell. They often rely on other vulture species to locate food. Much larger and stronger than other vultures, the King vulture is useful to the others because it is capable of tearing open tough skin. When other vultures have found carrion, a King vulture or two often arrive and immediately dominate the carcass-hence the name "King."
King vultures will sometimes glide in wide circles for long periods, spying on their domain below and searching for food. By making perfect use of the air currents, vultures are able to soar for hours at a time, without once flapping their wings.
Darren Kelly was the production editor, Nancy Crumpton was the copyeditor, and Jan Fehler was the proofreader for SpamAssassin . Reg Aubry and Claire Cloutier provided quality control. Nancy Crumpton provided production services and wrote the index.
Ellie Volckhausen designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe's ITC Garamond font.
Melanie Wang designed the interior layout, based on a series design by David Futato. This book was converted by Andrew Savikas to FrameMaker 5.5.6 with a format conversion tool created by Erik Ray, Jason McIntosh, Neil Walls, and Mike Sierra that uses Perl and XML technologies. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand 9 and Adobe Photoshop 6. The tip and warning icons were drawn by Christopher Bing. This colophon was written by Darren Kelly.
The online edition of this book was created by the Safari production group (John Chodacki, Becki Maisch, and Ellie Cutler) using a set of Frame-to-XML conversion and cleanup tools written and maintained by Erik Ray, Benn Salter, John Chodacki, Ellie Cutler, and Jeff Liggett.
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50 Inches Directional light bar with 48W LED is perfect for installation on the windscreen, front and rare bumper that increases the visibility of the vehicle in the city streets as well as in the country. This Strobe light has 48 powerful 1 Watt LEDs that are combined in 8 modules and 11 different strobe patterns. This Strobe light is easy to install and fits all the cars and trucks that work with 12V DC. 48W LED Light Strobe Bar will help to improve the outside appearance of your car and make it more noticeable on the road!
Color : Amber and Amber & White ( Please choose your color at the bottom )
Build in memory function - This light bar will remember your last used strobe pattern
This light bar comes with LED display controller box, you can see what pattern is currently on with it while you are inside of your vehicle.
48W LED Light Strobe Bar;
48 LEDs, 6 LED / 1 Panel, 6W / 1 Panel, Total 8 panels;
Dimension: 50"L x 2"W x 2.75"H;
Working voltage: DC 12V;
11 Flash Patterns;
On/Off button, Pattern change button and buttons for quick access to directional
Cable length: 20 feet
This Light Bar is Great for Tow Truck, Emergency Workers, Construction, and Security vehicle, etc...
Available Options:
Color:All AmberAmber & White
Copyright © 2019 Canada #1 LED Lighting Store | LED Strobe Lights | LED Light Bars | Off Road Lights


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Salazar has a chance to help on Farm Bill
Congress should reward – not reject – farmers, ranchers and forest landowners when they take steps to conserve the natural resources that we all enjoy.
Although conservation incentive programs in the farm bill enjoy the overwhelming support of land owners, conservationists and sportsmen, they are woefully underfunded. In 2004, less than a third of all conservation contracts in Colorado were funded, leaving more than 3,800 landowners who volunteered to improve Colorado's environment in the cold.
The House-passed farm bill includes a 35 percent increase in conservation funding and represents a significant step in the right direction.
In the coming days, the Senate Finance and Agriculture committees must work to ensure that conservation funding is adequately provided for. The $6 billion proposed by the Senate Agriculture chair would mean an estimated $20 million in additional conservation funding for Colorado landowners. Further, any funding that the Finance Committee frees up within the conservation title of the farm bill should stay there, to be reinvested in our soil, air, water and wildlife.
Our own Sen. Ken Salazar, who sits on both the Finance and Agriculture committees, has an opportunity to help craft a better farm bill – for Colorado land owners and for conservation – and should do so.
Brian Hires, Denver


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Southeastern opened the series against #17 Southern Arkansas with a 10-hit performance to win 5-2, but free passes and errors came back to bite them in the nightcap as they fell 5-1 to even the series at one apiece heading into Saturday's rubber-match.
Saturday's game is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch at The Ballpark in Durant.
The Savage Storm moves to 17-12 overall on the season and 10-7 in Great American Conference play.
Despite the 5-2 score, game one was a true pitcher's duel as both hurlers went the distance in the nine-inning contest.
Brandon Marris tossed nine innings and allowed two runs, one of which was earned, on nine hits with seven strikeouts and no walks en route to picking up his second win of the season.
The Storm also had a solid outing at the plate with the two-hole through seven-hole hitters all recording hits, led by a 3-for-3 effort by Troy McCartney as well as a pair of 2-for-4 contests by Evan Ramsey and Travis Caraway.
McCartney, Caraway, Chevis Springer and Nick Grimmett each drove in a run.
A Grimmett sac fly in the second inning put SE on the board first with a 1-0 lead after McCartney crossed the plate.
Southeastern would then put together a two-out rally in the third that started with a Ramsey single.
He was nearly picked off at first, but the throw from the pitcher was off the mark and Ramsey moved on to second.
After a Tucker Alexander walk, McCartney, Caraway and Springer each posted RBI singles to push the Storm advantage to 4-0 after three innings.
SAU would nip at the Storm lead with a run in the fifth thanks to an SE error and another in the sixth on an RBI double that cut the score to 4-2.
Southeastern would add another run on a throwing error in the sixth to push the lead out to 5-2 which would hold to be the final score.
Marris would retire nine-straight Muleriders between the sixth and ninth innings before allowing a pair of ninth inning hits, but he would finish the game with a strikeout to preserve the victory.
The nightcap was a rough follow-up in which the Storm committed two errors and allowed just two hits, but SAU took advantage of those along with seven walks and two hit batsmen to swipe a 5-1 win.
Eddie Cervantes got the start and was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs, just one earned, on two hits with three K's across from four walks in 4.1 innings of work.
Levi Lewis tossed two-thirds of an inning in relief and allowed an unearned run on no hits with three walks.
Storm Griffin would come on to toss the final two innings and allow no runs on no hits with one strikeout.
The bats also chilled for the portion of the lineup that had carried the load in the opener. The two-hole through seven-hole followed up its 10-for-20 opener with a 2-for-16 effort.
Ryan Salter, however, bounced back from a hitless opener to post a 3-for-4 outing with a stolen base.
Caraway, Grimmett and Trevor Bowen each added a hit in the effort.
Aaron Chalk, who came on to replace Springer in the fourth inning recorded the lone RBI.
SAU scored first and took advantage of an error and a pair of walks to take a 3-0 lead following a triple to right-center that got away from Springer in center as he suffered a slight injury while trying to make a play on the ball.
The Muleriders would follow up with a run in the fifth and another in the sixth, with the fifth inning run being the only earned tally of the contest against SE pitching.
SE would pick up a run in the sixth when Chalk beat out a double play ball to allow Alexander to score, but would be unable to bring home any more runs in the 5-1 loss.


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Twenty minutes' drive from Shanghai's glitzy financial district, dozens of migrant workers are preparing to abandon homes in old shipping containers, as one of the more unusual solutions to China's housing shortage faces the wrecking ball.
Cheap, but crowded neighborhoods are being cleared across China as part of a stepped-up "urbanization" campaign by China's new leaders. The country aims to spend an estimated US$6 trillion on infrastructure, including housing, as a projected 400 million people become urban residents over the next decade.
However, in an ironic twist, the clearance of so-called "villages within cities" removes cheap housing stock for the very people targeted to fuel that migration, without providing sufficient replacement units. The land is sold by municipalities to developers who generally erect expensive apartment towers.
That throws into question how the government can achieve its ambitious goal.
"On the one hand, the law doesn't allow former farmers to expand housing for migrant workers, on the other hand local governments don't have the money to build affordable housing either," said Li Ping (李平), a senior attorney for Landesa Rural Development Institute in Beijing.
About 130 million Chinese migrants live in tiny, sub-divided rooms rented out by former farmers whose villages have been swallowed by sprawl, according to government surveys.
Policies to provide government-built housing while razing these shabby "villages within cities" result in a net loss of housing units, according to urban planners and academics, while choking off the private rental market that for decades has enabled China's massive urban migration.
The dilemma poses harsh choices for those who have made lives in the cities on the slimmest of margins, such as the migrants in the converted shipping containers in Shanghai.
"They can't just come and ask me to move. I have so many products here that I sell. So much stuff worth at least tens of thousands of yuan," said Li Yanxin, a migrant from Anhui Province, who runs a small convenience store out of his container.
His profits — and therefore his ability to pay for his teenager's education — depend on the low rent he found in the container village.
Local officials put muscle behind a policy of clearing such sites, often declaring these dwellings illegal by noting non-agricultural land allocated to villagers cannot be used for commercial purposes. Land reclassified as "urban" can be sold at a huge profit.
"Not everyone can live in a high rise. Especially those of us who work in the recycling business," said Zhang Baofa, who rented out the used shipping containers in one of the more creative solutions to Shanghai's shortage of cheap housing.
Local officials, embarrassed by photographs of the container village circulating on the Internet, have vowed to remove the site within days. On Thursday, after four years of operation, they declared Li Yanxin's store to be unregistered.
"This is zoned as village land. I borrowed the land. I bought the containers. I rented it out. I would know if it were illegal," Zhang said.
Chinese cities lack the visible slums of other developing countries, thanks in part to communities such as Xinzhuang in Beijing that collectively house about 3.4 million migrants just within the capital.
A high whitewashed wall and strip of green lawn hide Xinzhuang's 10,000 residents from surrounding luxury apartment blocks. Three black chickens scratch along a filthy gutter of blue-gray water next to the public latrine. Rooms of about 12m2 each house families of three, for an affordable 500 yuan (US$80) a month.


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Research Alexandra Park real estate information, local Alexandra Park real estate statistics, reviews, homes for sale, acreages, luxury homes, land, farms, ranches, condos, maps, townhomes and local REALTORS®. Find today's Alexandra Park housing market statistics, past sales history, dates and prices, Alexandra Park public schools explore community information parks and daily breaking news. Register a free account as the market is changing you need Top rated real estate agents experts ready to answer your questions about attached, detached homes, neighborhoods, schools, crime rates, events and the newest listings for sale Alexandra Park. Compare golf courses, Alexandra Park quadrant maps , wonderful restaurants, shops and of course the people! IF buying or selling, you can expect expert advice, high quality service, straight forward communication plus attention to detail. Information on homes for sale, foreclosures, bank owned, acreages, lake homes, New construction.
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When buying Alexandra Park luxury real estate listing be sure to find a local agent with the market knowledge and availability to statistics, market overview, community news. Even if you think you know sometimes it can be hard to find the perfect home and whether you're looking for a quiet place to settle down, or you want to be close to downtown we've got real estate listings.
Locate Alexandra Park Luxury homes for sale with luxury detached homes, statistics, community news. Find Alexandra Park Attached homes plus new homes listed. Even if you think you know sometimes it can be hard to find the perfect home.
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Real Estate listings Data supplied by CREB®'s MLS® System. CREB® is the owner of the copyright in its MLS® System. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed accurate by CREB®. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.
Listing data updated: December 16th 2019 12:22:12am


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After all the fuss over whether or not Instagram lost users over the holidays, Facebook has decided the best solution is to just ignore the problem altogether.
In fact, it's just pulled user count data out of Instagram's Developer API entirely. The graph above shows monthly active users as measured by Facebook logins: on January 7 it was 45.8 million, and on Janurary 8 that number is zero.
It doesn't mean Instagram isn't performing — its weekly and monthly users are almost certainly still steadily climbing — it just means Facebook doesn't much want to share that data if it can help it. It's not surprising: all Facebook apps have been this way since December 2011, it's just taken it a little while to apply that change to Instagram too. [TechCrunch]