text:
Institutional seats of the European Union
The seven institutions of the European Union (EU) are seated in four different cities, which are Brussels (Belgium), Frankfurt am Main (Germany), Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and Strasbourg (France), rather than being concentrated in a single capital city. All four were chosen, among various reasons, for their location halfway between France and Germany, the countries whose rivalry led to two World Wars and whose reconciliation paved the way for European integration. The EU agencies and other bodies are located all across the union,[1] but usually not fixed in the treaties. The Hague is the only exception, as the fixed seat of the Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). Over the years, Brussels has become the EU's political hub, with the College of the Commissioners – the European Commission's politically accountable executive – and the European Council both meeting at their Brussels-based headquarters, and the European Parliament and Council of the EU holding the majority of their meetings annually within the city. This has led to some referring to it as "the capital of the EU". However, Luxembourg City is the EU capital that can lay claim to having the most of the seven EU institutions based wholly or partly upon its territory, with only the European Council and European Central Bank not having a presence in the city.
The seats have been a matter of political dispute since the states first failed to reach an agreement at the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952. However, a final agreement between member states was reached in 1992, and later attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam.[2]
Despite this, the seat of the European Parliament remains controversial. The work of Parliament is divided between Brussels, Luxembourg City and Strasbourg, which is seen as a problem due to the large number of MEPs, staff, and documents which need to be moved.[3] As the locations of the major seats have been enshrined in the treaties of the European Union, Parliament has no right to decide its own seat.[4]
Locating new bodies is also not without political disputes. The European Central Bank's (ECB) seat had to symbolise its independence from political control, and was located in a city which did not already host a national government or European institution.[5] Some new agencies have also been based in eastern Europe since 2004 to balance the their distribution across the EU.[6]
The treaties of the European Union outline the locations of the following institutions:[1] The European Parliament has its seat in Strasbourg, hosting twelve monthly plenary sessions (including budget session). Brussels hosts additional sessions and committees[1] (including being used in September 2008 for normal sittings when the Strasbourg chamber was damaged[7]). Luxembourg City hosts the Secretariat of the European Parliament. The Council of the European Union has its seat in Brussels, except during April, June, and October, when meetings are held in Luxembourg City.[1]
The European Commission also has its seat in Brussels, although some departments and services are hosted by Luxembourg City. The Court of Justice of the European Union, (along with its component courts, the European Court of Justice and the General Court), the Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank are based in Luxembourg City. The Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions are entirely based in Brussels while the European Central Bank is based in Frankfurt and Europol is the only agency to have its seat fixed by the treaties, in The Hague.[1]
Separately, the Treaty of Nice establishes Brussels as the venue for all formal summits of the European Council after 2004. However some extraordinary sessions are sometimes held outside the city. The European Council's seat is however fixed by a declaration rather than a protocol, meaning it is less binding than the other seats.[8][9]
The 2011 Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) states that the seat of the ESM must be in Luxembourg.[10]
Non-fixed seats[edit]
There are numerous other bodies and agencies that have not had their seats fixed by treaties. Brussels hosts the European Defence Agency (as NATO and formerly the WEU are also in the city). Luxembourg City hosts the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union and the European Investment Bank. Strasbourg and Brussels both host the offices of the European Ombudsman. The other agencies are spread across Europe and since the 2004 enlargement, there has been a drive to locate more agencies in the new member-states to make a more equal distribution.[6]
Commission departments[edit]
Although the commission is mainly based in Brussels, some of its departments are required to be based in Luxembourg City since the 1965 agreement which listed the following for Luxembourg City; ECSC financial departments, the DG for Credit and Investments, the department which collects the ECSC levy and attached accounts departments; the Publications Office with related sales and proofreading services and CORDIS; the EEC Statistical Office and data-processing department; the EEC and ECSC departments for hygiene and industrial safety; DG for Health; DG for Euratom safeguards and any appropriate administrative and technical infrastructure for these.[11]
As departments have changed over the years, some are no longer present as they have been abolished or merged, with most departments present being mainly based in Brussels while retaining a minor presence in Luxembourg City. There are however some departments which are still entirely based in the city per the 1965 agreement.[12]
The treaties or declarations of the EU have not declared any city as the "capital" of the EU in any form. However, informally the term has found usage despite connotations out of step with the normal perceptions surrounding an inter/supranational entity. Brussels is frequently the subject of the label, particularly in publications by local authorities, the Commission and press.[13][14][15][16][17][18] Indeed, the city of Brussels interprets the 1992 agreement on seats (details below) as declaring Brussels as the capital.[13] Likewise, authorities in Strasbourg and organisations based there refer to Strasbourg as the "capital" of Europe[19][20][21] (often wider Europe due to the presence of the Council of Europe there as well) and Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg City are also referred to as the joint capitals of Europe, for example in relation to the "EuroCap-Rail" project: a railway that would link "the three European capitals".[17]
At the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951, the states could not agree which city should host the institutions of the new community. Brussels was widely preferred, but was vetoed by Belgium which insisted on Liège. Because of the impasse, Luxembourg City was chosen as a provisional choice for all but the Assembly (Parliament), which was to be based in Strasbourg. Two further communities were created in 1957 and again a provisional agreement laid out that the Assembly would meet in Strasbourg, the Courts would meet in Luxembourg City, and the Commissions and Councils would be split between Luxembourg City and Brussels. These institutions later started to be concentrated in the latter city.[2]
As various agreements were reached, activities in Luxembourg City gradually shifted to Brussels and the Parliament, although bound to remain in Strasbourg, also started to work in Brussels while the courts remained in Luxembourg City. The final agreement in 1992 set up the present arrangement, including the division of the Parliament's work between the three cities.[2] In 2002, the European Council, having previously rotated between different cities, decided to base itself in Brussels.[8]
The ECSC was founded by the Treaty of Paris in 1951; however, there was no decision on where to base the institutions of the new community. The treaties allowed for the seat(s) to be decided by common accord of governments, and at a conference of the ECSC members on 23 July 1952 no permanent seat was decided.[2]
The seat was contested, with Liège, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Turin all considered. While Saarbrücken had a status as a "European city" (Europeanised presence and control), the ongoing dispute over Saarland made it a problematic choice.[22] Brussels would have been accepted at the time, but divisions within the then-unstable Belgian government ruled that option out.[23]
To break the deadlock, Joseph Bech, then Prime Minister of Luxembourg, proposed that Luxembourg City be made the provisional seat of the institutions (including the Council and High Authority) until a permanent agreement was reached.[22]
In 1958, after the Treaty of Rome came into effect the new members of the community had to again decide on a seat. In early 1958 they could not come to a conclusion, and various cities began to lobby for the position. It was decided that in principle all of the institutions should be located in one city as soon as feasible. Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg, Turin, Milan, Stresa, Paris, Nice, and the French Department of Oise were all considered by the "European Committee of Town-Planning Experts" in a report to the Council of Ministers.[24] However, even after the presentation of the report the countries could not agree, and in June 1959 a three-year moratorium on the decision was set. The delay helped Brussels establish itself as the seat, since it was already functioning as much of the administration was already working there in offices space loaned from the Belgian government. During this time Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the European institutions themselves favoured Brussels; Luxembourg City wanted to maintain the seat of the ECSC (or be generously compensated); France supported Strasbourg, and Italy continued to promote Milan.[25]
However, it was decided that the Common Assembly, which became the Parliament, should instead be based in Strasbourg[2]—the Council of Europe (CoE) was already based there, in the House of Europe. The chamber of the CoE's Parliamentary Assembly could also serve the Common Assembly, and they did so until 1999, when a new complex of buildings was built across the river from the Palace.[26]
Provisional agreement[edit]
The creation in 1957 of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) created new duplicate institutions to the ECSC (except for the Parliamentary Assembly and Court of Justice, which were shared). On 7 January 1958, it was decided that Brussels, Luxembourg City, and Strasbourg would again be provisional venues until a final decision. Strasbourg would retain the Assembly, Luxembourg City the Court and both Brussels and Luxembourg City would host meetings of the Councils and Commissions (or High Authority).[2] The discretion of the exact meeting place of the new Councils was given to the President of the Council. In practice, this was to be in the Château of Val-Duchesse until the autumn of 1958, at which point it would move to 2 Rue Ravensteinstraat in Brussels. Meanwhile, the ECSC Council was still based in Luxembourg City, holding its meetings in the Cercle Municipal on Place d'Armes. Its secretariat moved within the city on numerous occasions, but between 1955 and 1967, it was housed in the Verlorenkost district.[27]
On 21 June 1958, the Parliamentary Assembly recommended to the Council that the Assembly should have its seat in the same place where the other organisations are based, although it accepted that plenary sessions could be held elsewhere. The Assembly also nominated three cities to be the seat of the institutions (Brussels, Strasbourg and Milan), however no permanent agreement was reached.[3]
The provisional arrangement was reiterated on 8 April 1965 with the "Decision on the provisional location of certain institutions and departments of the Communities". This was following the Merger Treaty, which combined the executives of the three Communities into a single institutional structure. However, with the merged executives, the commission and most departments were grouped together in Brussels, rather than Luxembourg City. The commission was first based on Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée/Blijde Inkomstlaan, before moving to the Breydel building on the Schuman roundabout, and then its present location in the Berlaymont building.[2] The ECSC secretariat moved from Luxembourg City to the merged body Council secretariat in the Ravenstein building of Brussels. In 1971 the council and its secretariat moved into the Charlemagne building, next to the commission's Berlaymont. These premises rapidly proved insufficient and the administrative branch of the secretariat moved to a building at 76 Rue Joseph II/Jozef II-straat. During the 1980s the language divisions moved out into the Nerviens, Frère Orban and Guimard buildings.[27]
To compensate Luxembourg City for the loss of the Commission and Council, a number of provisions were laid out. Firstly, the Court of Justice would remain in the city. Some departments of the Commission and the Assembly, including the Secretariat of the Assembly would remain along with European Investment Bank (further, particularly financial, institutions would also be prioritised for Luxembourg City). The council would also have to hold sessions in Luxembourg City during April, June and October. It also confirmed Strasbourg as the seat of the Parliament.[2] With the prioritisation of Luxembourg City for future institutions, in 1977 the Court of Auditors became provisionally located in Luxembourg City.[28]
Edinburgh agreement[edit]
Despite the 1965 agreement, the Parliament's seat remained a source of contention. Wishing to be closer to the activities in Brussels and Luxembourg City, a few plenary sessions were held by the Parliament between 1967 and 1981 in Luxembourg City instead of Strasbourg—against the wishes of France—and in 1981 it returned to holding sessions entirely in Strasbourg. In the previous year it unsuccessfully issued an ultimatum to the national governments, attempting to force them to reach an agreement. Thus, the Parliament moved some of its decision-making bodies to Brussels, along with its committee and political group meetings, and in 1985 it also built a plenary chamber in Brussels for some part-sessions. All the Parliament's attempts in this field were challenged by member states.[2][3]
In response, the European Council adopted on 12 December 1992 in Edinburgh a final agreement on the seats.[2] The Decision on the location of the seats of the institutions and of certain bodies and departments of the European Communities outlined that the Parliament would be based in Strasbourg, where it would be obliged to hold "twelve periods of monthly plenary sessions, including the budget session". However, additional sessions could be held in Brussels, which is where committees also should have met while the secretariat had to remain in Luxembourg City.[29]
It also provided for the Court of First Instance (now known as the General Court) to be based in Luxembourg City with the Court of Justice, which remained there. However, this agreement dropped the provision from the 1965 decision, which gave priority to Luxembourg City for any new judicial and financial bodies. In response, Luxembourg attached a unilateral declaration stating it did not renounce this article. However they did renounce any claim to the seat of the judicial Boards of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market via the Treaty of Nice.[30]
The Parliament challenged this decision splitting their working arrangements, declaring that the division of its activities between three states was against the treaties and the natural prerogatives of a Parliament elected by direct universal suffrage, claiming the right to decide its own workings to its own efficiency. In response, leaders annexed the decision to the Treaty of Amsterdam, including it in the treaties.[2][3]
Central bank[edit]
A Council decision on 29 October 1993 on the location of European agencies established that the European Monetary Institute, later the European Central Bank, would be based in Frankfurt.[31] Frankfurt had to compete with numerous other cities, including London, Paris,[32] Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Lyon, Barcelona and even Basel (in Switzerland, which is outside the European Union).[33]
France even linked the issue of the seat to the ongoing dispute regarding the seat of the European Parliament. Frankfurt was criticised as symbolising German dominance, although the Deutsche Bundesbank had effectively been running the Communities currencies for the previous years, while Luxembourg City has a banking tradition that wasn't so careful. London was discredited because the UK remained outside the eurozone.[33] It was also seen as important to locate the bank in a city not already hosting a national government or EU institution, in order to emphasise its independence.[5] Others, such as the former head of the Bundesbank Karl Otto Pöhl, favoured a small country with a stable currency.[33] The advantages of hosting the Bank were also in dispute by some economists. While there was seen by some as little to gain in terms of attracting other banks and financial institutions,[32] others saw it as affecting which cities would be financial hubs in the years to come.[33]
Recent history[edit]
In 1995, the Council of the European Union moved into the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels. However, with its staff increasing it continued to rent the Frère Orban building to house the Finnish and Swedish language divisions; later it started to rent further buildings in Brussels.[27] In 2002, the European Council also began using the Justus Lipsius building as their Brussels venue, following an advanced implementation of a decision by European leaders during ratification of the Nice Treaty to do so at such a time as the total membership of the European Union surpassed 18 member states.[34] Prior to this, the venue for European Council summits was in the member state that held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.[35] In order to make room for additional meeting space a number of renovations were made, including the conversion of an underground carpark into additional press briefing rooms.[36] However, in 2004 leaders decided the logistical problems created by the outdated facilities warranted the construction of a new purpose built seat able to cope with the nearly 6,000 meetings, working groups, and summits per year. This resulted in the Europa building, which opened its doors in 2017, and is now home to both the Council of the European Union and the European Council. Both institutions continue to use the adjacent Justus Lipsius building, linked by two skyways to the new construction, for low-level meetings and for use by the Council secretariat.[37]
In 2004, following renovations to remove asbestos, the European Commission moved back into its headquarters in the Berlaymont building and the Barroso Commission concentrated its activities there, with the President and meeting room on the thirteenth floor.[22][38] As of 2007, the Commission occupies 865,000m² in 61 buildings across the Brussels EU district, with staff increases owing to the enlargement of the EU prompting speculation of possible new building plans.[39]
The European Parliament seat remained an issue throughout this period, despite the Council writing it into the treaties. During the 1990s, the issue was debated every year and in 1999, 250 MEPs signed a letter condemning the arrangement and the Strasbourg facilities. The following year Parliament voted 401 to 77 for a resolution demanding the right to decide its own working locations. Attempts to include this in the following treaties in 2000 and 2007 both failed.[40] However, in September 2008 Parliament held its first full plenary session in Brussels after the ceiling of the Strasbourg chamber collapsed during recess forcing the temporary move.[41]
The unique architecture of the European Commission's Berlaymont building is utilised in its official emblem.[42] Likewise, the official emblem of the European Council and Council of the European Union features the Europa building's distinctive multi-storey "lantern" shaped structure where meetings for both of these institutions take place.[43]
European Parliament[edit]
The Parliament is bound to spend "twelve periods of monthly plenary sessions, including the budget session" in Strasbourg, while additional sessions and committees are in Brussels. The secretariat is in Luxembourg City.[29] While the split arrangements for other bodies have relatively little impact, the large number of members of the Parliament and its concentration of work load means that these issues are far more contentious than those surrounding the other institutions.[3] A democratic question has also been raised in the European Parliament being one of the few parliaments in the world which cannot decide its own meeting place, and also being the only parliament to have more than one seat.[4]
Critics have described the three-city arrangement as a "travelling circus" with a cost an extra 200 million euro over a single location.[44] Defenders of the Strasbourg seat, like the MEP for Germany Bernd Posselt, however claim that the figure is rather a mere 40 million euro, i.e. an extra cost of 8 cents per EU citizen.[45] When Parliament was forced to meet in Brussels in September 2008, due to a fault in the Strasbourg building, it was estimated that Parliament saved between €3 and 4 million, though the exact figure is hard to calculate. As the commission also meets in Strasbourg when Parliament is out of Brussels, the cost of Commissioners moving amounted to €9.5 million between 2002 and 2007.[46] The Green party has also noted the environmental cost in a study led by Jean Lambert, MEP and Caroline Lucas, MEP; in addition to the extra financial cost, there are over 20,268 tonnes of additional carbon dioxide, undermining any environmental stance of the institution and the Union.[44] Jens-Peter Bonde, former leader of the ID group, stated in 2007 that unless the issue of the seat was tackled, it would be impossible to increase the election's turnout, as the movement of the seat was the issue raised by voters most often. He, along with Green co-leader Monica Frassoni, called for a debate on the issue, which was being blocked by President Hans-Gert Pöttering.[47]
The trips between the cities are seen by the public as "a money-wasting junket hugely enjoyed by journalists, MEPs and researchers" when in fact it is "a money-wasting junket loathed by journalists, MEPs and researchers" according to Gary Titley, MEP (PES), who announced he would not be standing for re-election in 2009 because of the two-seat issue. Titley stated that he could "no longer tolerate the shifting of the Parliament lock, stock and barrel to Strasbourg one week a month...It's a miserable journey and it's always a problem", noting the problems in lost luggage. As well as undermining the EU's climate change objectives, he criticises the Strasbourg sessions as the deals have already been made leading to them becoming formal voting sessions padded out with "debates saying we are against sin." Titley also states that, because the journeys take so much time, the committees in Brussels who do the bulk of the work do not have sufficient time to work.[48] Titley is not the only one to leave over the issue; Eluned Morgan MEP is standing down in 2009 for similar reasons, notably due to the toll the moving has on time with her family, and former MEP Simon Murphy quit as leader of the Socialists in 2002 due to the inconvenience of the arrangement.[49]
Brussels as a single workplace[edit]
This section needs to be updated.(January 2015)
Brussels is already the seat of the two other political institutions, the Commission and Council of Ministers (including the European Council). In addition, the Parliament has already geared three quarters of its activity in the city. Third-party organisations are also based in the city, including NGOs, trade unions, employers' organisations[50] and the highest concentration of journalists in the world—also due to the presence of NATO in the city in addition to the large presence of Union institutions.[51] While Strasbourg campaigners see being based in Strasbourg as an aid to independence of MEPs, Brussels' campaigners state it is merely reducing the institution's influence by "exiling" them away from the other major institutions.[52]
Brussels also has better transport links than Strasbourg, with lower pay for civil servants which reduce costs.[52] Some commentators further underline that night-life in Strasbourg is comparatively lacklustre and that MEPs who would wish to relax after a long and hard working day are not offered many opportunities to do so.[53] The position of Strasbourg suffered a minor blow in 2006, when allegations surfaced over charges by the city of Strasbourg on buildings the Parliament was renting.[54] The controversy died down when the European Parliament decided to officially buy the buildings on 24 October 2006.[55]
In May 2006, an online petition, oneseat.eu, was started by MEP Cecilia Malmström calling for a single seat of Parliament, to be based in Brussels. By September of that year it reached its aim of one million signatures,[56] and according to a provision in the European Constitution a petition signed by a million citizens should be considered by the commission. The overall validity of the petition was called into doubt, however, due to it being on the Internet and using e-mail addresses instead of street addresses. In addition, the majority of signatories were concentrated in northern Europe, notably the Netherlands (40%).[57] Regardless, the petition is seen by pro-Brussels groups as an important symbol.[58] One signatory to the petition was Commission Vice President Margot Wallström; she supported the campaign, stating that "something that was once a very positive symbol of the EU reuniting France and Germany has now become a negative symbol—of wasting money, bureaucracy and the insanity of the Brussels institutions".[59]
In early 2011, the Parliament voted to scrap one of the Strasbourg sessions by holding two within a single week.[60] and the Dutch government joined the calls to scrap the seat altogether.[61] The mayor of Strasbourg officially reacted by stating "we will counter-attack by upturning the adversary's strength to our own profit, as a judoka would do" and announced that his town would press forward for a complete relocation of all parliamentary related services of the EU to Strasbourg.[62]
In August 2012, cracks were found in the beams supporting the ceiling of the Brussels hemicycle, leading to a closure of at least 6 months of the entire A section of the Paul Henri Spaak Building according to an estimate released on 9 October 2012 by the Parliament administration.[63] In early December 2012, it became known that the damage was more serious than previously thought, and that the closure of the hemicycle was expected to last "until November 2013". All "mini plenary" meetings in Brussels until this date were cancelled.[64][65] Since, as of December 2012, the European Parliament is "having trouble" finding a company to carry out the repair work, it is likely that the reopening of the Brussels hemicycle may take place only in 2014.[66]
Strasbourg as a single workplace[edit]
Some campaigners wish to see the concentration of the Parliament's activities back in Strasbourg (one being a campaign called the "Association for European Democracy" launched on 15 March 2007[67]). This is seen to be symbolic of decentralisation of the EU away from Brussels.[68] Emma Nicholson, the only British MEP to support Strasbourg, argues that being next door to the Council of Europe allows MEPs to keep in touch with delegates from the rest of Europe, such as Russia, and that being in Brussels isolates the EU from such influences.[69] Pro-Strasbourg campaigners also argue that Strasbourg offers more independence for Parliament, away from the other institutions and lobby groups in Brussels.[52]
If the Parliament were wholly in Strasbourg, then the news media would also no longer be able to use shortcuts such as "Brussels decided..." rather than discuss the detail of the decision markers. Media would also have to be based in Strasbourg and hence might provide better coverage of the Council of Europe. Strasbourg is also preferred for historical reasons, having changed hands between France and Germany four times between 1870 and 1945.[68] It is also argued that Brussels is no longer a good symbol for European unity given the recent political disputes in Belgium.[52]
This position was supported by President Josep Borrell Fontelles, although he earned some criticism when he stated that the importance of Strasbourg in the context of the Second World War could not be perceived in the same way as France and Germany by "Nordic countries" (a reference to the Swedish MEP who started the one-seat petition).[70] French MEP Brigitte Foure started a pro-Strasbourg petition, one-city.eu, in 2008 (countering the Brussels petition)[69] which has gained just over 7,190 signatures as of October 2012.[71]
Following the announcement (on 21 October 2010) of the setting up of an "informal seat study group" by British MEP Edward McMillan-Scott (Liberal Democrats), which was seen as an attack on Strasbourg by the municipality, Roland Ries and Catherine Trautmann released (on 29 October 2010) an energetic joint declaration of defense.[72] On 9 November 2010, the municipal council of Strasbourg green-lighted a project (envisioned since April of the same year) of the creation of a "Place for Europe" (lieu d′Europe) – a walk-in centre for people curious about the European institutions in Strasbourg – in the former Villa Kaysersguet, an architecturally precious but currently (2010) derelict 18th-century mansion neighbouring with the European Court of Human Rights and the Agora building of the Council of Europe.[73]
Opinion and actions[edit]
A poll of MEP in June 2007 by MEP Alexander Nuno Alvaro, a pro-Brussels campaigner, found that 89% wanted a single seat and that 81% preferred Brussels. However, despite polling all MEPs, only 39% responded to the questions.[74] Alvaro stated that, after consulting polling firms, this was a high turnout for an opinion poll even if not totally representative. A Parliamentary magazine was pressured to drop the publication of this poll initially, reflecting the sensitive nature of the issue.[75] In the same month, another survey by Simon Hix of the University of Manchester and Roger Scully from the University of Aberystwyth found a 68% support for a single seat. In their survey 272 of the 732 people questioned responded.[76] Following each sitting in Strasbourg, hundreds of MEPs sign a petition calling for a reduction of time in Strasbourg, though Pascal Mangin, Strasboug's deputy mayor, does not believe the opinion of the MEPs to be important.[52] Nevertheless, in January 2009 a Parliamentary written declaration calling for one Brussels seat failed to get sufficient support. It gained 286 signatures out of 393 needed for it to be considered. Brussels campaigners cited that it was bad timing, with French and German leaders of Parliament and the main two groups ordering their members not to support the motion. The campaigners vowed to continue the fight while the Mayor of Strasbourg Roland Ries this time welcomed the "wisdom of the parliamentarians" and said it signalled their desire for Strasbourg to host the institution alone.[77]
A survey of citizens' attitudes conducted in May 2006 included two questions on the issue of the Parliament's seat. On average, 32% people from all member states supported the two-location policy while 68 were against. Support for one location was higher among men than women, and among people over 35 than under. Support for both locations was one percentage point lower in the 10 countries which joined in 2004 than in the 15 earlier members; No group have more than 40 percent support to two locations. Of those against two seats, 76% supported Brussels and 24% supported Strasbourg. In this case support for Brussels was 6 percentage points higher in the 10 new members with women and the under 35 year-olds. The group with the highest support for Strasbourg was the over 35-year-olds with 28 percent support.[78] The citizens of Strasbourg are of course strong supporters of the Parliament being based in Strasbourg[52] with each session being worth four million euro to the city's economy.[69] In September 2008, Strasbourg's government passed a motion demanding all of Parliament's activities be relocated to the city.[79]
These polls have not affected the position of France, which can veto any such move, with French President Nicolas Sarkozy stating that its seat is "non-negotiable".[80] Despite that, the government has stated that the issue might be addressed if France were to be offered something of equal value. The Council itself has indicated privately that it would discuss the Strasbourg seat only if Parliament gives them a signal to start a debate, as they would not do on their own initiative. However, few wish to discuss the issue while the current[when?] constitutional issues are still present.[75] Although political parties have no formal position, the Greens, Liberals and Socialists are all outspoken on having Brussels as a permanent seat.[52] In 2020, Irish MEP Clare Daly told The Parliament Magazine that the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the unnecessary nature of travelling to Strasbourg for plenary, and called for the seat's abolition as part of the EU's economic recovery plans[81]
Alternative role for Strasbourg[edit]
In January 2003, Green-EFA co-leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit proposed turning the Strasbourg seat into a "European university".[82] Elaborating on this in 2008, he sees such a university teaching all subjects and funded directly by the EU with between 15,000 and 20,000 students.[83] The same idea has been put forward in January 2006 by Polish minister and former dissident Bronisław Geremek, in an article originally published by Le Monde.[84] In an open letter to Cohn-Bendit, Roland Ries, the mayor of Strasbourg, reminded him that the international attractiveness of the University of Strasbourg was related to the presence of European institutions in Strasbourg and that it would not be enhanced, but undermined, by the replacement of one of the largest of these institutions by just another, and much smaller, university.[85]
The year before, the proposed European Institute of Technology had been touted as the university to take over the building.[86] It has been proposed that the Institute could also be merged with European Research Council and based there. The vice-chancellors of Strasbourg's three universities have suggested merging to create a 'European University'.[52] It has also been suggested that Strasbourg could host the European Council meetings, minor institutions such as the Committee of the Regions,[87] or the institutions of the proposed Mediterranean Union.[88] The Green Party has proposed having Strasbourg as the home of a new "European Senate".[52]
Following the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU, it has been suggested by senior MEPs that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and European Banking Authority (EBA), currently based in London, could relocate to France in exchange for the scrapping of the Strasbourg seat. The EMA would utilise the parliament's former complex of buildings. Other plans mooted, following the election of French President Macron, include converting it into a parliament for use by the Eurozone.[89]
See also[edit]
- Brussels and the European Union
- Court of Justice of the European Union
- European Parliament in Luxembourg
- Eurotower
- Seat of the European Central Bank
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- ^ Gilroy, Harry (2 June 1962). "Big Day for Brussels; Common Market Activities Make City The New Capital of European Politics". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ "Prodi and Verhofstadt present ideas for Brussels as capital of Europe". Euractv. 5 April 2007. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ Demey, Thierry (2007). Brussels, capital of Europe. S. Strange (trans.). Brussels: Badeaux. ISBN 978-2-9600414-2-2.
- ^ a b Laconte, Pierre; Carola Hein (2008). Brussels: Perspectives on a European Capital. Brussels, Belgium: Foundation for the Urban Environment. ISBN 978-2-9600650-0-8.
- ^ Europe in Brussels (in English, French, Dutch, and German). European Commission. 2007.
- ^ "Strasbourg : the European capital". Strasbourg Tourism Office. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ "Alliance Française Strasbourg Europe". Alliance française. Archived from the original on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ "Strasbourg, capitale européenne". Le Pôle européen d'administration publique. 2005. Archived from the original on 12 May 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ a b c "Seat of the European Commission". CVCE. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Demey, Thierry (2007). Brussels, capital of Europe. S. Strange (trans.). Brussels: Badeaux. pp. 176–7. ISBN 978-2-9600414-2-2.
- ^ de Groot, Roel (2010). Brussels in Europe. Brussels: Uitgeverij Lannoo. p. 185.
- ^ de Groot, 191
- ^ "Strasbourg, seat of the European Parliament". Tribune pour l'Europe on CVCE. 1999. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ a b c "Seat of the Council of the European Union". CVCE. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ "Seat of the European Court of Auditors". CVCE. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ a b European Council (12 December 1992). "Decision taken by Common Agreement between the representatives of the governments of member states on the location of the seats of the institutions and of certain bodies and departments of the European Communities" (PDF). European Parliament. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ "Seat of the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance of the European Communities". CVCE. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ "Decision taken, on 29 October 1993, by common agreement between the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting at Head of State and Government level, on the location of the seats of certain bodies and departments of the European Communities and of Europol". CVCE. 18 November 1993. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ a b Ipsen, Eric (18 November 1993). "New EC Bank Won't Be Much of a Draw : Wave of Change in London, Only Ripples in Frankfurt". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 24 January 2008.[dead link]
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- ^ Treaty of Nice.
- ^ "Permanent seat for the European Council could change the EU's nature". EURACTIV.com. 18 September 2002. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
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- ^ "EUROPA : Home of the European Council and the Council of the EU – Consilium". consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ Demey, Thierry (2007). Brussels, capital of Europe. S. Strange (trans.). Brussels: Badeaux. p. 272. ISBN 978-2-9600414-2-2.
- ^ "EU quarter in Brussels set to grow". Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ "About CPR: The Seat Question, Fact sheet on the European Parliament". Campaign for Parliamentary Reform. Archived from the original on 3 September 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- ^ "First ever European Parliament plenary session held in Brussels". Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP. 2 September 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
- ^ "European Commission visual identity". European Commission – European Commission. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ "Visual identity – Consilium". consilium.europa.eu. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ^ a b Lucas, Caroline (25 April 2007). "European Parliament's 'travelling circus' emits more CO2 than some nations, report shows". Green Party of England and Wales. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ Kiefer, Jean-Claude (24 April 2009). "La querelle du siège se cache dans le budget". Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
- ^ Pop, Valentina (17 September 2008). "Parliament saved €3 million by meeting in Brussels". EU Observer. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
- ^ Tayler, Simon (18 January 2007). "Pöttering told to defend MEPs' independence". European Voice. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
- ^ Mardell, Mark (14 December 2007). "Giving up the Strasbourg junket". BBC News. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
- ^ Banks, Martin (16 October 2008). "EU's Strasbourg 'travelling circus' claims another victim". European Voice. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
- ^ Wheatley, Paul (2 October 2006). "The two-seat parliament farce must end". Café Babel. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
- ^ Harding, Gareth (July–August 2007). "Nothing to write home about?". E!Sharp Magazine. Encompass Publications: 28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Sordo, Fernando Navarro (27 February 2008). "A European senate in Strasbourg?". Café Babel. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
- ^ Eckhardt, René (28 September 2008). "Strasbourg: Faut-il réagir face aux attaques contre le siège du Parlement Européen ?" (in French). relatio-europe.eu. Archived from the original on 29 September 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
- ^ Kroeger, Alix (27 April 2006). "EU and Strasbourg in rent row". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
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- ^ Malmström, Cecilia. "OneSeat.eu". One Seat Campaign. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
- ^ "The European Parliament should be located in Brussels". Utrecht University. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
- ^ "OneSeat.eu: 1 million citizens do care". Young European Federalists. 18 September 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2007.[dead link]
- ^ Wallström, Margot (24 May 2006). "My blog: Denmark, Latvia, Strasbourg". European Commission. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
- ^ "MEPs vote to reduce Strasbourg calendar". EurActiv. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ "Dutch government backs calls to scrap Strasbourg seat". the Parliament magazine. 17 March 2011. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ "Le conseil municipal adopte à l'unanimité une motion confortant et élargissant le siège du Parlement européen à Strasbourg". EurActiv. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ Dave Keating (9 October 2012). "Brussels hemicycle to remain closed for at least six months". EuropeanVoice.com. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
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- ^ "EU parliament plenary set to be shut for most of 2013". theparliament.com. 7 December 2012. Archived from the original on 12 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- ^ Ophélie Spanneut (3 December 2012). "No session in Brussels in 2013, uncertainty about 2014". europolitics.info. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
- ^ "Defending Strasbourg in the name of European democracy" (in French). Forum Carolus. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
- ^ a b Vallens, Emmanuel (20 June 2006). "Strasbourg, natural home of the European Parliament". The New Federalist. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
- ^ a b c Mardell, Mark (23 September 2008). "Save our Strasbourg". BBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2008.
- ^ Tayler, Simon (12 November 2006). "Parliament's disappointing presidents". European Voice. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
- ^ "Strasbourg : one parliament for Europe". One City. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ Press Release by R. Ries and C. Trautmann , 29 October 2010
- ^ Un " lieu d'Europe " à la localisation contestée, Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, 10 November 2010
- ^ "Euro MPs want to scrap Strasbourg base: poll". EU Business. 13 June 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
- ^ a b "'Censorship' claimed at the European Parliament". EUX.TV, on YouTube. 13 June 2007. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2007.
- ^ "Professor Farrell: "The EP is now one of the most powerful legislatures in the world"". European Parliament. 18 June 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ banks, Martin (19 January 2009). "MEPs insist EU parliament one-seat campaign 'goes on'". theParliament.com. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
- ^ "Survey of EU Citizens" (PDF). Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. 30 May 2006. Retrieved 5 July 2007.[dead link]
- ^ Koch, Gérard (22 September 2008). "Réunion du Conseil Municipal du 22 septembre 2008 à 15 heures en la salle des Conseils du Centre Administratif. Compte rendu sommaire" (PDF) (in French). Urban Community of Strasbourg. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Banks, Martin (24 May 2007). "Sarkozy slated over Strasbourg seat". EU Politix: The Parliament. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
- ^ Banks, Martin (14 October 2020). "Pandemic should be 'wake-up call' on Parliament's split site arrangement, says MEP". The Parliament Magazine. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ Cohn-Bendit, Daniel (17 January 2003). "Convaincu que deux lieux pour le Parlement européen sont inutiles, veut " faire de Strasbourg une université européenne "" (PDF) (in French). SciencesPo. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- ^ "Alsace Ungersheim : Cohn-Bendit relance le débat du siège du Parlement européen" (in French). Alsace.fr. 29 September 2008. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2008.
- ^ Gessant, Pauline (27 June 2006). "For a European University in Strasbourg" (in French). Taurillon. Archived from the original on 22 October 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2007.
- ^ "Lettre ouverte de Roland Ries à Daniel Cohn-Bendit" (in French). relatio-europe.eu. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2008.
- ^ "France to build a European Institute of Technology in Paris". Euractiv. 11 October 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
- ^ Watt, Nicholas (1 November 2006). "The end of the road for roving parliament?". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
- ^ Peter Sain ley Berry (1 November 2007). "Travelling circuses are not worth the carbon". EU Observer. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- ^ "Strasbourg swap plan: Take EU drug agency, lose Parliament". POLITICO. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- Pohl, Dennis (2018). "Eurocode 7". In Traumnovelle (ed.). Eurotopie. Brussels: Cellule. pp. 5–36. ISBN 9782930705378.
External links[edit]
- 1992 European Council decision on seats, European Parliament website
- One City petition, pro-Strasbourg petition
- Le siège du PE: Strasbourg, sereine et déterminée, pro-Strasbourg video (in French)
- Le Parlement européen s'effondre StrasTv.com on YouTube, video report on 2008 damage to Parliament
- One Seat petition, pro-Brussels petition
- European Parliament – One Seat Campaign on YouTube, pro-Brussels video
- No need for two seats on YouTube, Video of a 2007 demonstration by German liberals against the two seats
- OneSeat – Cake and Hard Hats on YouTube, Video of a 2008 demonstration by liberal MEPs against the two seats following temporary relocation


text:
Aruba: Day 3
Today we woke up with no alarms. I'd had the foresight to cold brew some coffee yesterday, so I poured it through the drip machine and we had iced coffee. Then, I made us bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. We ate and cleaned up, and got ourselves ready to head out. Our camera strap had broken the previous day so we set out to find a new one. We biked downtown and stopped along the way at The Coffee Table. There's always room for more coffee. I got a regular iced coffee and I got a vanilla latte. They were both really good. We sat a while in the café, just relaxing with not much to do. Eventually, we cashed out and continued downtown towards the cruise ports. There was a ship docked today. We're always in awe at the sheer size of those behemoths.
We wandered through the outdoor shopping mall until we found a couple electronics stores. We found three different strap options. The first one neither of us really liked and we already have it back at home, so we passed. The second one was just like the one we broke, and we prefer this style. But it was way too expensive at $70. Also the piece that we broke is still stuck in the camera, so we would need to remove that first but we don't have pliers. Thanks TSA. The third one was only $10 but we weren't convinced that it would be sturdy enough for our camera. So we decided to purchase nothing and just carry the camera by hand or in our bag. We also decided we should head back to our room and apply more sunblock. It was just in time too. The downtown area was quickly becoming overrun with cruisers.
Once back at the AirBnB we slathered on sunscreen, packed a small bag and hopped on the bikes and pedaled over to the beach. We met with our people and hung out in the water for a while.
Since all of the cool kids seemed to be doing it, I opted to go for a ride with 5 other people on a tube thing, towed behind a boat around the beach area. It was more like a couch than a tube. It was pretty fun, but easy to stay on, so I dragged my feet in the water for kicks. We hit a wave, and my leg plunged a lot deeper into the water. The sudden increase in drag sucked me off the tube and I had to get picked up. I got hassled a little bit. When I did it again, everyone else was annoyed, so I behaved after that. After, we all hung out in the water a while longer until we were feeling inclined towards dinner.
We showered off the salt and redressed ourselves. We regrouped at the hotel shortly thereafter, and shared a cab toward California Lighthouse. We'd heard there were good sunset photo opportunities here, as it's situated on the western point of the island. Unfortunately, even though we had arrived before sunset, the sun had already disappeared behind some distant clouds, so what we got wasn't as good as we had hoped. Oh well, we had dinner reservations at Faro Blanco anyway, so it wasn't a total waste! We were seated outside and we enjoyed the lovely live music. I ordered tortellinis with chicken in a wine sauce. The name was wicked Italian, I forget what it was actually called. I got the fusilli. The pasta wasn't quite up to the new standards we set when we went to Italy, but it was good, and the rest was great. After dinner, we caught a cab back home, and we pretty much crashed immediately. We were exhausted, probably from being in the sun all day.
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"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
- Bilbo Baggins
We're just an adventure-loving couple with a puppy looking to share our stories with the world.
March 2021

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
HYTEST FootRests 2.0 22470 XERGY, Men's Black, Nano Toe, EH, WP Hiker
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Full grain waterproof leather upper. Moisture wicking mesh lining with waterproof membrane. FootRests tri-density anti-fatigue footbed. XERGY anti-fatigue foam midsole absorbs and returns energy. Oil and slip resistant wide track TPU outsole. Waterproof. Nano toe. EH. ASTM F2413-18 M/ I/ C EH compliant. Podiatric seal of approval.
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Compared to their steel toe counterparts the composite toes are manufactured using lightweight materials to make the shoe weigh less while meeting ASTM standards. These shoes meet ASTM F2413-18 I/C standards.
The soles of EH shoes provide a barrier to protect employees from open electrical currents up to 600 volts. EH shoes are often needed in maintenance, welding and engineering positions. All styles marked with the "EH" icon in this catalog meet the ASTM F2413-18 EH standards.
Waterproof boots and shoes are constructed to keep the feet dry and comfortable in wet conditions. Waterproof construction requires continuous maintenance and is not guaranteed to remain for the life of the shoe.
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text:
The pyramids of Egypt are some of the most fascinating and enigmatic structures on the planet; to date the secret of their unique construction has yet to be determined.
The pyramids were built using massive blocks of stone, and one of the most unfathomable mysteries is how the early Egyptians managed to transport the blocks across the desert and lift them into place.
New theories are constantly being mooted by experts around the world, ranging from the complex to the fantastic, but a recent study conducted by the University of Amsterdam claims to have discovered a very simple and rather mundane method whereby the ancient people were able to achieve this amazing feat.
The researchers suggest that the Egyptians dragged the enormous chunks of granite across the Valley of the Kings on a sledge pulled by hundreds of men, facilitating their passage by pouring water in front of the sledge. Recreating the process, scientists reported that the damp sand reduced friction and enabled the heavy objects to be moved with less force.
According to study lead author Daniel Bonn, a physics professor at the University of Amsterdam,the hypothesis was inspired and substantiated by wall paintings discovered in the tomb of Djehutihotep, which appear to illustrate that 172 men are hauling a large statue using ropes attached to a sledge, with another figure shown standing on the front of the sledge pouring liquid over the sand.
Bonn's team carried out a laboratory experiment in which a smaller version of the Egyptian sledge transported weights ranging between 100 grams to a few kilograms in a tray of sand.
"When the sand was dry, a heap of sand formed in front of the sled, hindering its movement; a relatively high force was needed for the sled to reach a steady state," stats the study. "Adding water made the sand more rigid, and the heaps decreased in size until no heap formed in front of the moving sled and therefore a lower applied force was needed to reach a steady state."
The wetting of the sand had previously been associated with some form of ritual procedure, but Bonn claims that the results of the study discredit this explanation, and that the type of jar used in the painting suggests that the liquid being poured is definitely water and not oil or any other type of fluid.
The findings of the study, entitled "Sliding Friction on Wet and Dry Sand," were published in the journal Physical Review Letters, but its "wet sand" theory seems overly simplistic and fails to address other unanswered questions, including the most obvious: once transported across the desert, how were the huge blocks lifted into place?
For millennia, historians, philosophers and researchers have attempted to answer this question, but the most widely accepted theory is that ramps were used to haul the stones up the outside of the 146m high structures, either straight or in a spiralling fashion.
However, these theories are even doubted by the experts themselves:
Egyptologist Bob Brier once said to the media, "I've been teaching them myself for 20 years but deep down I know they're wrong."
It is very doubtful that this latest study has provided any new answers; in fact, as a theory it is not even a fresh example. Chris Dunn, a retired engineer, researcher and author of the "The Giza Power Plant: Technologies of Ancient Egypt" and "Lost Technologies of Ancient Egypt: Advanced Engineering in the Temples of the Pharaohs," said he was surprised at the buzz the allegedly novel theory was receiving:
"This is not a new theory and the graphic of the statue being pulled on a sled with a presumed liquid poured from a jug has been referenced many times by Egyptologists and other more conventional orthodox scholars and researchers," he told Unknown Country.
"What we see in this experiment is a tray of sand with water poured onto it. That is a failed experiment in my opinion.
"The tray would contain both the sand and the water. The open desert would allow the water to soak deeper into the sand or spread out. Under the desert sun it would evaporate quickly also. Moreover, to argue that a 500 ton obelisk or a 600 or 1000 ton statue could be moved this way based on what this lab experiment has revealed is laughable."
Sometimes the simplest answer is the most effective, but to suggest that the mystery that has baffled experts for thousands of years is now solved by such an apparently banal theory tested merely with weights in a tray of sand is beyond reasonable belief. Perhaps if the researchers had managed to recreate the transport of a mega-ton block of stone then, to pardon the pun, the theory might carry more weight, but the riddle of the pyramids would still not be fully solved.
"As with any theory, new or old, demonstration of its efficacy goes a long way to support the theory," explains Mr. Dunn. "But even if a proper demonstration is made and is proven to work, it still ends up as just a theory. "
The issue is that there is no surviving historic evidence to support any modern-day presumptions, and for this reason, the mystery of the pyramids will endure.
"For it to be accepted as a fact, eye witness testimony from the time the pyramids were built would need to be questioned," commented Mr. Dunn." Of course, that isn't going to happen and those who prefer to maintain the status quo with respect to the level of technology available to the pyramid builders will happily accept this study.
"Myself, from a scientific perspective, it doesn't even address the central problem. That is moving multi-ton blocks of limestone and granite across the desert."
Pyramids have not only been constructed in Egypt, but are to be found all across the globe in a variety of different locations including Rome, Greece, Mexico, and Mauritius, and not always in desert locations; the "wet sand" method does not explain how pyramids could be constructed in grassland or rocky locations, for example. A newly discovered pyramid has recently been found in an underwater site between the islands of São Miguel and Terceira in the Azores of Portugal. The structure is said to be perfectly squared and oriented by the cardinal points, and current estimates obtained using GPS digital technology put its height at 60 meters with a base of 8000 square meters. It cannot be a coincidence that so many of these distinctly-shaped structures are found across the globe, constructed at different times by different cultures.
So, does the latest study reveal the mysteries of the pyramids' construction?
Doubtful. The true mysteries of the pyramids lie not only in their construction, but also in their still unfathomable purpose. When one considers the astounding legacies of these ancient cultures that still remain in the form of amazing monuments, , it seems to be an affront to their incredible achievements to assume that their methods were primitive just because they took place thousands of years ago. In fact, some of the buildings appear to be such incredible feats of engineering, whose construction would still pose a challenge to the most advanced modern-day engineers, that some suggest that these societies were assisted in their endeavors by off-earth civilisations. Whether or not alien help was received, it seems certain that highly advanced technologies have come and gone many times on this planet, their secrets lost along with the long-dead societies who used them.
The Egyptians were arguably the most advanced engineers to have ever lived, whether they had extra-terrestrial help or not, and we should respect their incredible accomplishments, not belittle them in order to remain within the confines of our limited understanding.
"I have often said that when faced with the riddle of the pyramids, we are like children playing in the sandbox," sums up Chris Dunn." Nobody knows the exact truth, but some of us give the ancient Egyptians more respect and acknowledgment for their genius."
As always, your own personal theories are always welcomed here at Unknown Country; subscribers can share their views on this fascinating subject, and listen to our astounding library of special interviews with some of the world's most knowledgeable and celebrated researchers
Subscribers, to watch the subscriber version of the video, first log in then click on Dreamland Subscriber-Only Video Podcast link.


text:
Travel guide
Lake Ashi
Lake Ashi (Japanese: Ashinoko) was formed in the caldera of Mount Hakone after the volcano's last eruption 3000 years ago.
Today, the lake with Mount Fuji in the background is the symbol of Hakone.
Note however, that clouds and poor visibility often block the view of Mount Fuji, and you have to consider yourself lucky if you get a clear view of the mountain.
Visibility tends to be better during the colder seasons of the year than in summer, and in the early morning and late evening hours.
Two companies, Hakone Sightseeing Boats and Izuhakone Sightseeing Boats, operate boats between Moto-Hakone and Hakone-machi at the lake's southern shores and Togendai and Kojiri at the lake's northern end. A boat cruise from one end of the lake to the other takes roughly 30 minutes and costs 970 yen.
The Hakone Free Pass is valid on the pirate ship shaped Hakone Sightseeing Boats but not on boats operated by Izuhakone.
- >> Back to travel guide


text: Nowadays, marketing has changed significantly and it is therefore increasingly difficult to stand out, especially if you are not dynamic. The formula we use and propose is made of three pillars: strategy, advertising and content. Whether it is to support you in the development of a marketing strategy and its implementation or to manage it completely, Esquad Media is here for you!


text:
Not safe for most workplaces. Age 18+. All characters chronologically over 18. Scarleteen is great for under 18.
When you pick up a book, are you looking to escape your daily existence?
My answer to that question is no because as a multiply marginalized person I don't see enough of people like me and my daily living to find comfort in escapism. I want to see people with more similarities to myself than I see in mainstream media.
Meet Joon and Adam
'm sorry to say that I can't give you a release date yet for "Summer Heat," the anthology in which my story "Between the Pages" will be published. For now, I'm going to let you meet Joon and Adam just a bit.
Joon dragged his hand through his bushy salt-and-pepper hair. Still more pepper. Thank goodness that Koreans look young longer. "It's a good afternoon to be at the library."
"Yes it is. Can we please go to the teen section first? I want to finish the teen science series before finding an adult book about those topics," Adam said.
"Sure." Joon started toward the elevator with Adam walking alongside. "Thanks for not hurrying ahead, nae salang."
"You're so fast on your wheels that I gotta hurry to keep up."
Once inside the elevator, Joon pushed the third floor button.
September 2022


text:
Robotic ghost pirates
Robot pirate ghosts first appeared in the year 3040 (because of a time machine invented by George Lucas) after the dreaded pirate, Captain Blackstar, died after being shot by Dick Cheney. Since Blackstar was an 80% robotic being, his ghost had retained all the robotic components his living body had, thus resulting in him returning as a robot pirate ghost (because he was 80% robotic, was a pirate, and was a ghost!) Robot ghost pirates currently roam the Earth and can often be sighted near Detroit and areas near the South Pole.
Range and Weakness[edit]
Robot pirate ghosts come in many forms and many of them (including Captain Blackstar) have the ability to shape-shift to strike fear into their enemies, rivals, or anyone they plan on looting. Most robotic pirate ghosts also have a tendency to self destruct if they are in a car. This can give the enemy an advantage if surrounded or trapped by robot pirate ghosts to get rid of them. This will only work though if the victim of such a scenario knows of this fatal weakness.
When robot ghost pirates encounter a human, they will usually not be interested in interaction and will howl a hardy pirate-ghost howl at the human, in hopes to scare it away. In rare cases, the creatures have attacked and captured humans, taking them to their lairs spread across the sea bottom. No one is aware of what the ghost-pirates do to their captives beyond that point. Some robot ghost pirates can have rabies and will go on a rampage that can only be stopped by the elder robot ghost pirates.
See Also[edit]
|The Conclave of Doom: Fred Phelps, Ed Gein, Enron, Evil Jesus, Wikia, The United States of Arabia, Iran,
|Space Committee: Marshall Applewhite, L. Ron Hubbard, Robotic ghost pirates
|Music/Theatre Committee: Abu Hamza, Ke$ha, The Jonas Brothers, Frank Sinatra
|Politics Committee: Dick Cheney, Glenn Beck, Chairman Mao, Kim Jong-il, Osama bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, Bill O'Reilly, "Ileana" Ross Lehtinen, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Richard M. Nixon, Xi Jinping, Benjamin Franklin, David "Delinquent" Cameron, Vladimir Putin, Nigel Farage, The Casagrandes
|See also: Baby Seals, Axis of Evil Hot Dog Eating Competition


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5 facts about CarryMatic power conveyor tugger cart system
The CarryMatic autonomous transfer cart system works as a series of components that includes carts, stations, and a supervisor software to complete material transfers. Here are five facts about Jtec's CarryMatic autonomous transfer cart system:
1. Integrates with your AGV
Compatible with almost any AGV in the market by way of a hitch control mounted in the back and integrated with AGV.
2. Integrates with your existing lineside equipment
Customizable to work with your existing conveyors, stretch wrappers, and stations.
3. Customizable for your capacity needs
We can accommodate various footprints with loads up to 10,000lb.
4. Complete autonomous system
Not just a powered roller cart, this is a system with powered roller carts, line side stations, integration with existing equipment, on-site support and service for a complete autonomous material transfer solution.
5. Designated installation team
Jtec has a dedicated installation team that partners with your key team members to assist getting the system running.
Final Word
Let us help you take your plant logistics to the next level. Let the gained efficiencies and improved practices start showing up on your bottom line by creating a safer and more streamlined approach to part delivery. Improve your working conditions by reducing or eliminating ForkLift traffic on your plant or warehouse floors safely and more efficiently than ever. Work smarter……. not harder. Contact Jtec Industries for more information about how you too can begin realizing the many benefits of CarryMatic.


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This may be one of the most difficult leader columns that I've sat down to write since becoming editor of PCR. The process of putting this magazine together throughout the past month has been somewhat disrupted. Our business has been functioning pretty much as usual, and thankfully, all those involved …Read More »
Watch the highlights of the PCR Awards 2020!
On 4th March we celebrated the very best of the IT and tech channel at the PCR Awards 2020. You've seen the winners, and you've had a chance to tag yourself in all the snaps from the night. Now, you can watch the highlights video fo this year's PCR Awards. …Read More »
PCR Awards 2020 in pictures
Last week we celebrated the very best of the IT and tech channel at the PCR Awards 2020. Taking place at The Brewery in London, this year's awards were hosted by Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman, where she – with the help of some big names from the industry …Read More »
PCR Awards 2020: Here are all the winners!
Last night (4th March) the channel gathered at The Brewery in London to celebrate the biggest and brightest companies working in the UK tech and IT industry. And what a great night we had! The PCR Awards 2020 were hosted by Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman, where – with …Read More »
PCR Awards 2020: Are you ready to celebrate with the UK tech and IT channel?
We're just one day away from the most exciting night in the UK tech and IT channel – the PCR Awards 2020! Taking place at The Brewery, London on Wednesday 4th March, the awards will see the channel coming together under one roof for an annual celebration of the past …Read More »
One week to go until the PCR Awards 2020! Do you have your tickets?
We are just one week away from the premier networking event celebrating the past year's achievements of the PC and tech industry. With finalists from almost 70 companies, together with many others invited as guests on the night, the PCR Awards 2020 is an unmissable opportunity for you to touch …Read More »
PCR Awards 2020: QBS Distribution named Dining Room Partner
QBS Distribution is the latest company to be announced as a sponsor for the PCR Awards 2020, supporting the annual show as the Dining Room Partner to showcase their consumer software division. QBS has been trading over 33 years with six offices across Europe and 75 employees specialising in software. Publishers …Read More »
Zaboura backs PCR Awards 2020 as Event Partner
Technology PR agency Zaboura has become the latest company to support the PCR Awards 2020, coming on board as an Event Partner. The London-based communications agency is comprised of strategic thinkers from all backgrounds. Over the last 12 years, it has helped some of the technology industry's biggest brands get …Read More »
PCR Awards 2020: Smithie UK signs on as Flower Wall Partner
Specialist distributor Smithie UK has become the latest company to back the 2020 PCR Awards, supporting the event as Flower Wall Partner. Throughout the evening, attendees will be able to take selfies in front of our first ever Flower Wall, which will provide a glamorous backdrop for your snaps. Established …Read More »
PCR Awards 2020: Here's who made it into the shortlist…
We are very pleased to announce the shortlist for the PCR Awards 2020! Congratulations to everyone listed below, and thank you to everyone who took the time to enter this year's PCR Awards. The finalists for the PCR Awards 2020 are: RETAILER CATEGORY System Builder AWD-IT CCL Chillblast Cyberpower UK …Read More »


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Free US shipping on all orders over $150.
Super cute tie back top with front embroidery and ruffle sleeves.
100% Rayon
Hand wash only. Do not machine wash. No chlorine. Do not dry clean or spin dry.
Aprox. measurements in inches: bust is seam to seam.
S:Length-24 |Bust-20
M:Length-25 |Bust-21
L:Length-25.5 |Bust-23
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#ThatScrubTho Apricot Face Scrub
Got rough skin or blackheads on the face that needs a little exfoliation every once in a while? This Apricot scented sugar based exfoliant reveals new baby soft skin, making skin look fresher. Eco friendly jojoba beads gently polish the skin working all the gunk out of pores. Coconut oil leaves the skin moisturized after treatment. And the best part about exfoliating the face? It allows serums and creams to actually penetrate the layers of the skin and also allows makeup application to go on smoother. It is perfect for the at home spa like pampering to feel good in your skin.
Ingredients: Lots of Love, Sugar, Organic Coconut Oil, Jojoba Beads, Plant Based Apricot and Honey Oil
How to Use: Gently massage on wet cleansed skin in circular motions until the sugar has dissolved. Rinse and pat dry. Use 1-2/week on face, or as needed, to reveal smoother skin. Avoid eye area.
Satisfaction Guarantee: If you're not happy with your purchase, neither am I. Please contact MRock if you have any concerns so that they can be addressed.
Customer Reviews
I was so excited to try this scrub. It is heavenly on the face, leaves my skin feeling so smooth and soft. I can't help but like my lips a little.l
The husband and I both use this product and our skin has never looked better.
Hi Pamela! Thanks for the review. Glad to know you and your husband are both enjoying how your skin is looking after using the scrub!
Omg ! I'm so happy that Mali introduce me to the....ThatScrubTho Apricot Sugar & Body Scrub. It's so refreshing and it makes my skin feel like a new teenager. 😃 It's also fabulous because it's handcraft with lots of love.💗 Woo Hoo !!🤣🙋🏽♀Jackie
Hi Jackie! We're stoked that #thatscrubtho Apricot makes your skin feel so soft. It definitely is handcrafted with lots of love. Enjoy :-)


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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
I'm so excited for today's guest post, which is the first in a series of health-related topics. After all, it's the height of New Year's Resolution "season," so what better time to focus on these efforts?
As you know, I gave birth to my third child in mid-November. Just like any mom, I have struggled with finding the time (and energy) to get back to a regular exercise and eating routine. I grew up in athletics and I know just how important regular activity is for both my mental and physical health. That said, it can be incredibly overwhelming to try to squeeze yet another "thing" into an already jam-packed day.
Since I know that I'm not alone in this struggle, I decided that it would be fun to put together a series of posts that would give moms like me some simple advice and support so that we can focus on taking care of ourselves.
And when I wanted some expert advice on this particular topic, I knew just who to turn to! Once again, my friends pull through! Kendra and I went to the same elementary, middle, and high schools, and we both played sports throughout our childhoods. Kendra is a mom to adorable Sofia, and she was the owner of a Stroller Strides franchise in Northern Virginia before she moved to Florida last year. I knew that a fellow busy mom, with experience in teaching exercise classes to moms and babies, would have some great advice to share with all of us.
When I asked Kendra to contribute to the blog, she immediately responded with what I would consider the perfect solution: "The Living Room Workout." These exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home while your little one naps – no special equipment necessary. And if your children are grown and out of the house, or if you're a young, single gal that just doesn't want to drive to the gym, this workout is for you, too!
Give it a shot and let me and Kendra know what you think! And if you like this post, stay tuned…because on Wednesday Kendra will share her advice for eating well and will give us a peek at her meal plan to lose that baby belly!
I have been the new mom, trying to figure out how to work out with a newborn…I joined Stroller Strides.
I have been the mom going back to work and stressing about when to add in my workouts (without having to put the baby I spent all day away from in the gym nursery)…I started to run and walk after before or after work.
I have also most recently had a chance to be the stay at home mommy (thinking I had more time to devote to working out-silly me!)…I joined a boot camp and worked out at 5:30am.
It's hard to find the balance, but there is ALWAYS opportunity.
The below workout was passed along to me and I in return passed along to a few of my mommy friends, both stay at home and working…A few of them use it a few times a week! It is out Naptime secret 😉
Not sure how to do a "squat jump" or a "burpee"? Click on the links below for a quick demonstration!
And if you have any questions, just leave a comment and let us know. Kendra and I love to hear from you and we're happy to help. Good luck, busy moms! Here's to a year of fitness and healthy eating!
Enjoy this post? Join me on Facebook and on Pinterest to keep up with our adventures!


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Girls Volleyball Preview
Volleyball season opens Friday with one team chasing history and others looking to build on a promising past season.
Blue Ridge
The Lady Raiders enter the season as the defending Class A District II champions after claiming their fifth straight title a year ago.
Coach Lori Zick's team also has eyes on dethroning Dunmore for the Lackawanna League title.
Blue Ridge will be led by seniors Alison Marshman, Mackenzie Cook, and Alyssa Sherwood, and junior Hunter Heeman.
Marshman and Cook were recognized as League All-Stars a year ago, Marshman as a second-team setter and Cook as an honorable mention outside hitter, while Sherwood was steady all season long.
Heeman an All Region selection emerged in the District Playoffs as intimidating hitting force and registered 165 Kills during her sophomore campaign.
The four will be joined on the varsity roster by senior Ashley Torres, juniors Breanna Post, Kaylyn Lewis, Peyton Gelinger, Cassidy Howe, Lydia Andusko, Ashley Barton, and Jenna McCarthy.
The Lady Meteors come into the season strong in numbers with over 20 girls competing between its varsity and junior varsity squads.
Second year head coach Amy Stedman attributes the increase in numbers to the growing interest in the sport at a district level since being reintroduced several seasons ago.
"I think we're getting kids in the district excited about volleyball," said Stedman. "The people before me instilled that enjoyment of the game for the kids and we're just trying to continue to grow from that."
Stedman likes where the program is going and sees the effort being put forth as the team went through two sessions per day the first weeks of practice.
"They're working hard, extremely hard, and they have a lot of fight," noted Stedman. "We've got a ways to go, but we're getting there."
Stedman says the team is focusing on attacking the ball and developing consistency with their serves.
"We need to get our hitting so we're hitting down more and attacking," said Maisie Porter.
Court communication is an area Montrose players feel is getting better and shows the experience of the returning players.
"We talk pretty well," said senior Jessica Frassier. "It can still be better but we're being more vocal."
Mountain View
The Lady Eagles are coming off a vastly improved season that saw the team grow and provided Blue Ridge a scare in the district playoffs when they took a 2-1 lead in the semifinal match.
Coach David Breese's squad will be led by returning senior starters Kelsey Rumola and Tashsa Shay and sophomore Rachel Gerfin.
The lanky Gerfin emerged as threat on the frontline a year ago.
The Lady Sabers were hit hard by graduation and Coach Jeff Baldwin takes a young team into the season.
Information on Elk Lake was not available at press time.


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I'm Quitting My Job And Moving Into My MIL's Basement To Be A SAHM
I'm quitting my job.
I have always assumed I wouldn't want to be a stay-at-home-mom. A friend says to me at some point, "I LOVE my kids, but I don't want to hang out with them all freaking day."
This seems totally right to me, totally reasonable. I've heard stories about people who go weeks without having an adult conversation, grown-ass women describing their 1-year-olds as "my best friend." Seriously? I like work. I like productivity. I will love my baby, but surely I will want to keep the rest of my life the same as before, right? Mm hmm.
I work for the federal government, so I am allotted three months of FMLA after the baby. They have to let me take the time, but they don't have to pay me for it. I can use up all my leave, and my unit gives me an additional two weeks off, paid. This seems, to a person who has always worked, like an eternity. NEVER have I not worked for three months, not even right out of college. This should be plenty of time to get the hang of breastfeeding and not sleeping and being responsible for a helpless human life. Hooray!
I take on some side gigs to save up for the time when I won't be getting paid. We don't make a lot of money by DC standards, so we take some steps to prepare for a one-salary life. We have local family — we're extremely lucky that way– so we cobble together a post-maternity leave childcare plan. My mother-in-law will take him Mondays, her day off. My husband will work from home on Tuesdays. I will work from home Wednesdays and Thursdays, and my mother will take him Fridays, her day off. Complicated, but free. We know we'll eventually need to get a nanny/sitter/helper to be here during the work-from-home times, but in the beginning, at least, he'll sleep most of the day, so we'll be fine.
During those first hormonal weeks, I am a weepy mess, swearing that I will never remove him from my arms, let alone leave his side for even one second, ever. A little later, postpartum depressed, I can't stand to be away from him but I don't feel qualified to care for him myself. From now on, I will watch my mother watching the baby. She'll just have to quit HER job. After proper chemical calibration I think, sure, I can go back to work in three weeks. I can totally go back to work in two weeks. Work in a week? Um…yeah! Work tomorrow? OH. HELL. NO.
I extend my leave twice. I am generously allowed to change the arrangement so that I go back half days at first. This is the benefit of working in a woman-dominated business; they've mostly all been there. They all understand. I am lucky (for the U.S. anyway. I'm totally moving to Sweden before my next baby), and for a while it's going OK. Eventually, though, he starts to get more active and require more interaction. I really do try to find childcare. I research nanny shares and daycare centers and print out checklists of what to look for in a care provider.
And I can't do it.
Much to my surprise, even medicated and back to my old self, I cannot bear the thought of leaving him. I can't get my sleep-deprived brain together to cook macaroni out of a pouch, let alone schedule and conduct interviews with people who may or may not be serial baby-poisoners. And oh, sweet suffering Jesus, the expense. Extrapolating $20 an hour for X hours X days a week on our small-for-DC salaries is just prohibitive. In the end, I get a friend who works nights to come in a few hours on the days I'm home. And once again, it works for a while.
But then he gets fun. Like, WAY fun. They should really make you go to work right after you give birth, when the baby is basically a good-looking meatloaf, and let you take maternity leave from like eight to 11 months when the party starts. I get to a point where I'm missing him all day, and I can't believe I'm leaving those eyelashes and giggles and first words to come deal with the daily drama unfolding at my workplace.
I talk to my husband. I ask him if there's any way to make it work. Many discussions later, with each other and with our families, we decide. There is one way to make it work: we will sell our condo and move into my mother-in-law's basement apartment. I know –believe me, this is not an arrangement I'd recommend for everyone. Truly though, she's fantastic, and she doesn't seem to have many opinions about how we live our lives. I feel like a deadbeat sometimes — a full-grown adult living in a two-room basement with my husband and a toddler.
My childless friends look at me like I'm batshit insane. Most of my friends with babies, however, are quick to tell me that they would do the same thing in a hot minute if they could.
Do I wish my child had decided to be spectacularly adorable in a less dismal economy? Yes, of course. Part of me feels completely absurd, leaving a steady government job with benefits and matching and annual cost-of-living adjustments when we're on the brink of fiscal cliff-diving. I know there will be times when we all think it was a terrible idea. There will be days when I long for the internet, a door to close, and sweet, sweet silence. But last week, I quit my job.
Because who knew? Who knew I'd feel so strongly about being with this little person as much as I can,while he's still delightful and not yet a douchebag teenager? Who knew that watching a baby thread plastic rings onto a stick would be every bit as fascinating as a fancy job? Who knew that even on a bad day, when there's whining and bitching and food-throwing, seeing the person who has, it seems, become my best friend point to a squirrel and finally, finally say "SKOOR!" would make it all worth it?
I sure didn't.
(photo: FuzzBones / Shutterstock)


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Iranian state television on Wednesday showed British sailors talking to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the country's presidential palace apparently as they were being released.
The footage showed Ahmadinejad shaking hands with the sailors and smiling and chatting. A caption to the footage said the conversation was taking place as part of the "process of release" of the British sailors.
The channel said that the British sailors would leave Iran on a plane on Thursday.
Possible breakthrough in Iran-UK dispute
At the meeting, the sailors were wearing suits and spoke to the president through a translator.
"We appreciate it. Your people have been really kind to us, and we appreciate it very much," one of the seized sailors could be heard on the footage saying in English to Ahmadinejad.
One the sailors also was heard saying in English: "We are grateful for your forgiveness." Ahmadinejad responded in Farsi "You are welcome."
Earlier Wednesday the Iranian president had announced in a press conference that he had pardoned the 15 British sailors and marines that Iran seized in the Gulf last month and would release them immediately.
"I announce the freedom and return [of the sailors] to the people of Britain. I request the government of Mr. Blair not to question these people or put them on trial for speaking the truth, and I request Mr. Blair that rather than increase international controversy and the occupation of other lands, [he should] take steps towards peace, truthfulness and justice," Ahmadinejad said.
"On the occasion of the birthday of the great prophet (Muhammad) ... and for the occasion of the passing of Christ, I say the Islamic Republic government and the Iranian people - with all powers and legal right to put the soldiers on trial - forgave those 15," he continued, referring to the Muslim prophet's birthday last Saturday and Easter, next Sunday.
"This pardon is a gift to the British people," he said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office says it "welcomes" the release of the sailors but are still studying the implications of such a gesture and shall release an official reaction only after they have properly assessed the news.
The Iranian president announced the pardon minutes after he gave medals of honor to the Iranian coast guards who intercepted the sailors and marines, saying Iran will never accept trespassing of its territorial waters.
"On behalf of the great Iranian people, I want to thank the Iranian Coast Guard who courageously defended and captured those who violated their territorial waters, the president told a press conference.
He then interrupted his speech and pinned medals on the chests of three Coast Guard officers involved in capturing the British sailors and marines in the northern Gulf on March 23.
"We are sorry that British troops remain in Iraq and their sailors are being arrested in Iran," Ahmadinejad said.
He criticized Britain for deploying Leading Seaman Faye Turney, one of the 15 detainees, in the Gulf, pointing out that she is a woman with a child. "How can you justify seeing a mother away from her home, her children? Why don't they respect family values in the West?" he asked of the British government.
The announcement came 45 minutes after the beginning of his speech about the grievances Iran has suffered from the hands of the West over history.


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runway odyssey
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Role: Creative Director
In Sept 2020, for one month, Tiktok became a major destination for fashion content. The month was capped with a virtual fashion show streamed on the platform -- the Tiktok Runway Odyssey.
The goal of our show and fashion month? -- Democratize the fashion week experience, bringing fashion to everyday users on a global scale.
The experience transported guests to new environments that felt entirely different from the monotony brought on by the pandemic. Our viewers were guided through galactic lands, named Land & Sea and Ascending City -- which set the stage for fashion brands Alice + Olivia and Puma to showcase their spring designs. Garments were modeled by 10 TikTok creators.
After the fashion shows -- Viewers were guided to a live interstellar afterparty. Surrounded by an environment of space and stars, Jaden Smith, Avenue Beat and Chloe X Halle put on an incredible show as viewers partied from their homes.
Accumulating in an ultimate mixed reality digital fashion showcase that broke the rules and format of how consumers typically experience Fashion Week and proved that exclusivity is a thing of the past.


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This guide, put together by Tactical Tech – an organization that works to advance the skills, tools and techniques of rights advocates, empowering them to utilize information and communications to help marginalized communities understand and affect progressive social, environmental and political change.
The guide offers ways to use social networking and web 2.0 tools to improve advocacy campaigns and aims to expose advocates to online services that are quick to use and easy to understand. It also provides descriptions of online services including social networking sites, image and video hosting services, and services that enhance an organizations web presence. Case studies, security concerns as well as the advantages and disadvantages of various web services are discussed, with the aim of improving advocates ability to conduct online advocacy campaigns. http://onlineadvocacy.tacticaltech.org/


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The "Great Pass", a narrow col connecting two of the highest mountains in England, Scafell and Scafell Pike. The direct route up to Scafell requires the ascent of a small rock step called Broad Stand. It's just of two metres high. In climbing grades it's a mere Difficult. Not particularly hard but too risky for me. Today there was some attempts at the Bob Graham Round taking place and the crag had been roped to provide an easy climb to the summit. The Bob Graham Round is a challenge requiring the climbing of 42 Lakeland fells within 24 hours. I did the Round in 1979 along with my old KIMM partner, Peter. We opted to do it unsupported carrying our day sacks and with no pacers and navigators so naturally we didn't have Broad Stand roped. Instead we had to lose some height left before climbing back up via Foxes Tarn, the route I repeated today. A route much rockier than I remember and Foxes Tarn is just a puddle. Traditionally there was an alternative route off right dropping down to Lords Rake but this is now deemed impassable due to a rockfall.
There an interesting account of a descent of Broad Stand by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the Lakeland romantic poet in 1802. He wrote in a letter to his one time love Sara Hutchinson (he later married Sara's sister):
I began to suspect that I ought not to go on, but then unfortunately tho' I could with ease drop down a smooth Rock 7 feet high, I could not climb it, so go on I must and on I went. The next 3 drops were not half a Foot, at least not a foot more than my own height, but every Drop increased the Palsy of my Limbs — I shook all over, Heaven knows without the least influence of Fear, and now I had only two more to drop down, to return was impossible — but of these two the first was tremendous, it was twice my own height, and the Ledge at the bottom was so exceedingly narrow, that if I dropt down upon it I must of necessity have fallen backwards and of course killed myself. My Limbs were all in a tremble — I lay upon my Back to rest myself, and was beginning according to my Custom to laugh at myself for a Madman, when the sight of the Crags above me on each side, and the impetuous Clouds just over them, posting so luridly and so rapidly northward, overawed me. I lay in a state of almost prophetic Trance and Delight — and blessed God aloud, for the powers of Reason and the Will, which remaining no Danger can overpower us!