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10 Kindle Oasis Features Amazon Hopes Will Make You Buy This e-Reader
10 Kindle Oasis Features Amazon Hopes Will Make You Buy This e-Reader
With its Kindle Oasis e-reader, Amazon is hoping to attract more people to its other services, such as Kindle ebooks, Amazon Prime and e-commerce.
The Oasis Has a New Design Concept
Amazon has gone with a completely new design in the Kindle Oasis. Rather than centering the screen in the device, Amazon has opted for an off-center design that still allows for a big screen but makes for a large right-sided bezel. Amazon argues it delivers a better reading experience and made clear that it didn't sacrifice much width to deliver it: The device is 4.8 inches wide, compared with 4.5-inch width of the Kindle Voyage.
The Light Design Is a Selling Point
There's little debating that the Kindle Oasis is light and highly mobile. In fact, the device weighs up to just 4.7 ounces and measures 0.13 inches at its thinnest point. Amazon says it built the Kindle Oasis to be a device people could carry with them wherever they go. Based on its size and weight, it appears to have achieved that goal.
Amazon Improved Screen Brightness
The Kindle Oasis comes with a 6-inch screen with 300 pixels per inch, nearly doubling the 167 pixels per inch in the standard Kindle model. In addition, the screen supports full multitouch and has 60 percent more LEDs than any other Kindle, improving screen brightness and the ability to read in heavily lit environments. It will also work well in low-light environments.
It's All About One-Handed Reading
So, why did Amazon go with an unconventional design in the Kindle Oasis? The company clearly believes e-reader owners want to read content with one hand. The right-sided bezel is wide to accommodate page up and down buttons, so users can hold the device with one hand and still flip pages. In addition, the Oasis' right side is thicker, making it easier to hold and less likely to slip out of a person's hand.
It's a Portal to Amazon's World
As noted, Amazon's central goal with hardware is to capture more customers for its other services. Users will be able to access the company's Kindle ebook store from the device. In addition, Amazon offers access to a service called Kindle Unlimited, which allows users to read as many books as they want for a monthly fee of $9.99, rather than forcing them to buy individual books. Add that to the parental controls built into the $2.99-per-month Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, and Amazon is decidedly trying to get Oasis customers caught up in its sphere.
Connectivity Options Are Decent
The Kindle Oasis gives customers the option of solely connecting to the Internet via WiFi or adding in 3G connectivity. Amazon's WiFi-only model will connect to any wireless network or WiFi hotspot. Customers who buy a 3G model won't have to pay for a plan and can connect to wireless networks at no additional charge. But the 3G model is $70 more expensive than the WiFi-only version.
It Provides a Measure of Cross-Platform Support
Amazon isn't forcing customers to read ebooks from the Oasis. If customers end up buying an ebook on the Oasis, they can pick up where they left off in apps on iOS, Android and other platforms. Amazon's Kindle e-reader apps are quite popular, and they've become nice alternatives to traditional e-reader hardware. It's nice to see Amazon offering synchronized data access across its software and hardware.
It'll Hold Your Entire Book Collection
Amazon is somewhat coy about the storage capacity built into the Kindle Oasis, but that doesn't mean users should worry too much about storage. According to the company, the Kindle Oasis will be capable of holding "thousands of books," though Amazon doesn't say exactly how many. As long as the owner isn't an obsessive book collector, the Kindle Oasis should accommodate most collections.
Amazon Is Bundling the Cover
In what may prove to be upsetting to startups that build Kindle covers, Amazon says that its Oasis will come with a leather charging cover. The case will have two jobs: protect the Oasis and provide juice to read ebooks. The Oasis will use the juice in the case first and then rely on the battery built into the e-reader to allow users to keep reading. When plugged in, both the case and the Oasis batteries are charged. Together, the "dual-battery charging system" will offer "months of battery life," Amazon says.
This Is a Relatively Expensive Kindle
The Kindle Oasis comes with a confusing price tag. The device starts at $290, making it notably more expensive than earlier Kindles. And that price is for the WiFi-only version with Amazon's "special offers"—ads that the company displays on the device's lock screen. If users don't want those special offers, they'll need to pay an additional $20. Plus, customers looking for the WiFi-plus-3G model will be charged $70 more. So, it's possible certain customers could spend nearly $400 for the Kindle Oasis when all is said and done.


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Projectile avian alert! The first trailer for The Angry Birds Movie is being launched in your direction! The voice cast includes led Jason Sudeikis (Horrible Bosses, We're The Millers) as Red, a truly bird, Josh Gad (Frozen) as the speedy Chuck, Danny McBride (This Is The End, Eastbound & Down) as the volatile Bomb, Bill Hader (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs) as a pig, Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids) as Matilda and Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones) as the Mighty Eagle (unless he's replaced by Nolan North).
Directed by Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis, The Angry Birds Movie is set for release in the UK on 13 May 2016.

subset: commoncrawl


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Random thoughts of Terry Hamblin about leukaemia, literature, poetry, politics, religion, cricket and music.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Gary Speed
Very sad today to read of the apparent suicide of Gary Speed, the team manager of the Wales soccer team. I remember his playing days at Leeds and Everton. With the selection of younger players he had managed to raise Wales in the FIFA rankings. He seemed to have everything to live for. I don't really want to know what underlies this.
2 comments:
- DarKScoRpioN said...
The demise of Gary Speed is a big blow to many football fans. Speed will be missed dearly for sure. Read more about Gary Speed Death here.
- 28 November, 2011 03:35
A very sad time for his family and all who knew himm. Wales has lost a champion and leader with an incredable head for the game. What happened?
- 28 November, 2011 20:35
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Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!
Tubby & Gracie
Hope you are having a fun Valentine's Day. I you would like to go to a dance head over to the Tabby Cat Club, Dezi is hosting a Sadie Hawkins Dance there. Everyone is welcome.
Here is a kiss for all of my friends.


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Help! I have a Headache
If you're like millions of Americans, you too will someday suffer the wrath of a headache. Some get them more than others, and in many instances headaches can recur. At the Yinova Center, headaches are a common complaint and there's plenty of research that shows that acupuncture is a great treatment for both chronic and acute […]Read


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OK, now the second prototype of a lunch bag.
– Red body, natural grey bottom and natural light grey handles.
– Fastened by a zipper to be the best of wool's heat retaining property.
– Big circle for the pulling part of the zipper.
– Bag-in-bag is attached by snap fasteners.
– Bag-in-bag can be used as an eco-bag when unfolded.
– 2 inner pockets can hold an iPhone or other smart phone, and a card case.
– A lunch box and a bottle (500ml) can be fit in.
– I'm contacting with fabric design companies in Finland and Japan for the bag-in-bag!
To be continued for the third prototype!
The second prototype of a lunch bag
OK, now the second prototype of a lunch bag.


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COMPANIES ACT 1963 - SECT 29 Copies of memorandum and articles to be given to members.
29.—(1) A company shall, on being so required by any member, send to him a copy of the memorandum and of the articles, if any, and a copy of any Act of the Oireachtas which alters the memorandum, subject to payment in the case of a copy of the memorandum and of the articles, of 5/- or such less sum as the company may prescribe, and, in the case of a copy of such Act, of such sum not exceeding the published price thereof as the company may require.
(2) If a company makes default in complying with this section, the company and every officer of the company who is in default shall be liable for each offence to a fine not exceeding £5.
Ireland - Company Formations & Company Documents
How Can We Help?
+44 1372 750800Contact Us
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That is why I immediately fell in love with this little scrubbie. Check it out on this blog.
|my old crazy cloth and new scrubbie
One of its many appeals is also the use of something totally unlogic to knit with : a ball of twine cord.
I don't really like the cheap sponges, no flashy colours in my kitchen.
|don't like those colours
And those little iron sponges ruin my nails.
|very bad effect on my nails
So now it is really nice to be able to use my new scrubbie. I'm going to make plenty. Happy dishwashing indeed !
|I think they might even be a nice gift...
|even teddy likes them.


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It's not the economy or terrorism: Americans most alarmed by their own government, Gallup says By Jennifer Harper
Leave a Comment
How concerned is the public about their own government and politics in general? The news itself is alarming: "Poor government leadership" on the part of the White House, Congress and combative politicians was deemed the "top problem in 2014" – more than the economy, terrorism, racism, the federal debt, unemployment, healthcare, immigration and a host of other troubling issues.
No, really. This is research from a Gallup poll released Friday and it is also the first time government leadership has been No. 1 on the list since the pollster began tabulating such sentiments 14 years ago. Interesting too that concerns over the nation's "moral decline" is ranked in the top-10 as well. See all the numbers in the Poll du Jour at column's end.


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Welsh Water Ripoff
Water is life and by natural right it belongs to the country it's found in – but not in Wales. Since 1989 our water has been 'privatised'.
Crooks, claiming ownership with pieces of paper with numbers and fancy words backed by Banksters, English Law, the police and if need be, the British Army, took exclusive ownership and control of our water resources.
Predictably, things have gone downhill since then. This essential and valuable resource became the plaything of transnational corporate power games. The Welsh nation bowed to this new usurper by paying tribute in the form of sky-high water bills.
By the turn of the century Welsh water's 'owner', Hyder, mismanaged itself into bankruptcy. A hasty Assembly-lead 'Welsh-solution' rescue package was cobbled together.
But the facts tell a different story …
Hyder, means 'confidence' in Welsh – the name being little short of a confident trick. Hyder was not a Welsh company at all. Not even remotely. (Reports say that Hyder's bosses insisted employees mispronounce its name as 'hider'.) After staggering mismanagement Hyder was flogged off to Western Power Distribution, an American-controlled conglomerate that picked up our water resources as part of its global public utilities portfolio.
Then the Bansters (NatWest) stepped in to purchase our Water resources using a newly fabricated organisation (which the dummies down in the Assembly were keen to take credit for), It was labeled a "not-for-profit Welsh solution" calling itself Glas Cymru, literally, Blue Wales.
But Glas Cymru's Welsh credentials are at best window dressing. With regards to its 'not-for-profit' spin, the reality is that just about everyone involved makes a tidy profit – except the Welsh.
Glas Cymru's claimed not-for-profit status is deceitful. Basically, all it means is that the money to bail out Hyder's inherited debts was borrowed rather than financed through selling shares. This deal now results (2011) in £174 million (or approx. £135 of each and every household water bill) in interest payments every year – essentially a private Bankster's tax.
In other words, this 'Welsh solution' to managing our water now results in a yearly transfer of £174 million from us in Wales to the wealthy banking elites centered in London. And for this privilege all they did was to type a few numbers into a electronic accounts (As we are all coming to realise, borrowed money is fraudelent money created by banks out of nothing at no cost to them.)
This 'Welsh water solution' is a scam of mega proportions – but under English law and slavish Assembly mentality, it's considered legal and sensible.
The 'Welsh' dimension to Glas Cymru is in its selection of members. It was first headed by Lord Burns, a favourite of the Thatcher era (formerly Treasury Permanent Secretary) who as the non-executive chairman (i.e no responsibilities) gets payed £140,000 a year. That was way back in 2002, probably a lot more now. Bob Ayling, below, took over from Lord Burns in 2010.
In addition to the Chairman there are 9 other appointed mainly non-executive directors which is essentially patronage appointments with no responsibility. It's hard to get a precise figure on how much we are paying them for doing nothing but "Directors' emoluments" is listed as costing us £1,200,000 in 2011. Divide that by 10 and you get £120,000 each. To see a list of the latest Glas Cymru "good welshmen" click here.
At Glas Cymru's inception, "Welsh" Labour was predictably pleased with itself -"I particularly welcome the prospect of Welsh Water being owned once again based, managed and controlled from Wales, based on a principle originated in Wales", said our then Prif Weinidog Rhodri Morgan.
Although Glas Cymru claims to own and control Welsh water resources, it doesn't actually run the industry. The real work is contracted out to very-much-for-profit companies.
Although they still use the Dwr Cymru Welsh Water tag, the fact is that the companies squeezing us for profit by supplying us with our own water are not Welsh at all. The business of maintaining the water supply is contracted out to United Utilities, a profit-making English company. Customer service is contracted out to profit-making Thames Water, an English subsidiary of a German-owend conglomerate RWE. Other companies such as Wessex Water also have their fingers in the our water pie.
Unravel the "Welsh not-for-profit" spin and we discover exactly the opposite.
So where was Plaid Cymru "The Party of Wales" when this was all coming about? Should they not have been screaming "bloody murder" from the rooftops and exposing this farce called a 'Welsh solution'? Yes, you'd think so … but no, not a murmur. Incredibly, Plaid's policy on Water was written by a member of Glas Cymru (who also doubled as a member of Plaid). Accordingly, it stated, without any qualification,
"We need to recognise that re-nationalisation [of the water industry] is neither feasible or necessarily in the interests of Wales and its various stakeholders."
What it neglected to point out was that Welsh water resources had never been nationalised in the genuine sense – owned by Wales for the Welsh. 'Nationalisation' has always meant controlled by the British State thoroughly dominated by majority English interests. Plaid's policy also failed to explain who the "various stakeholders" were but we can assume they include the bodies, including members of Glas Cymru, who are pocketing tidy sums of money for their stamp of approval.
With regard to the prospect of Welsh companies managing our own water resources, the paper takes a familiar ploy in talking us down and virtually dismissing Wales' ability to undertake such operations. "The obstacle", it stated, "will be in developing a management, technical and systems infrastructure comparable with those developed by incumbent operators."
No, us Welshies could never manage our own resources as good as the English and Germans do it for us. What demeaning neo-colonialist bunk! – and straight out of a Plaid policy paper!
The policy paper was warmly endorsed by Arweinydd y Blaid Ieuan Wyn Jones who wrote in the forward that the policy paper is "a significant event in the evolution of party policy". Significant indeed. Who is left to champion natural justice for Wales if not our illustrious 'Party of Wales'?
The only saving grace in this policy paper was a meek suggestion that perhaps we should be seeking some return for the water transported to England. Approximately half of all Welsh water resources is exported to England for the grand sum of £0 – dim byd. They get our water, we don't even get a 'thank you' in return.
It's the British version of free trade – Wales gives, England takes – for free.
Not only that, average domestic water bills in England are substantially lower than in Wales – around £50 less on average. The official excuse for this discrepancy is that it is cheaper to transport Welsh water to England for English consumption than to keep it in Wales for Welsh consumers. Go figure that one out!
If Wales began to charge a fair price of its exported water resources well over £100 million in extra revenue could be generated (or around £100 could be deducted off our annual domestic water charges for every household).
Also, if we cut the Banksters out of their ill-gotten annual take for their fraudulent money creation (i.e. counterfeiting) on a massive scale, our domestic water bills should be close to zero – possibly even get paid a dividend each year.
They call it 'market rationalisation'. We should call it for what it is – state sanctioned theft on a grand scale.
Even if we continued to pay the Bankster's private tax called interest, a nationalised Welsh Water Industry publicly financed and contracted to Welsh operators, including a fair recompense for our exports, would ensure our domestic water bills could be halved in cost – as well as ensuring a secure economic opportunities for people in our rural communities.
For the sake of our children, if nothing else, it's time we stared demanding just that.


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I've been a fan of her eclectic, free-flowing style for a long time, and I can't wait to see what our players do with the inspiration :)
How gorgeous is Julia's card above! I'm drawn to it partly because if the beautifully executed resist technique, and although I went for a less artsy look and used a good ole' cardstock instead of canvas, it's still there on my inspired card. The rest is pretty much closely followed as well. Just because I {heart} that card a lot :)
I used the light pink cardstock for the base of my design, clear embossed the Glitz Design frame on it, sponged over with two shades of distress inks and distressed the edges.
I stamped the clock from TCM Vintage Clocks (brand new stamp set!), and the bit of the sentiment ("all the time") at the bottom. The rest of the sentiment forms the stamp from Inspired By Audrey (also from TCM), stamped in the die cut banner.
The cluster of embellishments consist of two feathers, die cut with Jewel Fantasies Shapeabilities, some mulberry flowers, coloured twine and Kaisercraft pearls.
I happened to follow the colour palette of cQc#157... :)
Please visit the the Design Team girls as well, for more challenge inspiration! Click on the links below to be taken to their blogs.
Julia Stainton - October Muse
Amy Wanford
Andrea Ewen
Christina MacLaren
Clare Buswell
Debby Hughes
Jean Martin
Maureen Plut
Teneale Williams
Jeanne Jachna - October Guest Designer
Should you wish to join us, you will find the challenge details at CASE Study! Thanks for stopping by,


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The Philippines, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebs Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. It is a beautiful country with the world class beaches and tropical climate. Its capital city is Manila. The country has a breathtaking beauty of nature and has mixture of different cultures and communities from western as well as neighboring eastern countries as in the earlier times Philippines was ruled by Spain And America. This affinity is seen in Filipinos' love of fast food, film, and music. Fast food outlets are found on many street corners. American global fast food chain stalwarts have entered the market.
The country with a rich mix of culture and breathtaking beauty attracts tourists from all over but attracts students also from 65 countries for the following significant factors-
Philippines holds the highest literacy rate in Asia
Philippines country is holding 93.8% literacy rate! That means the majority of people in Philippines are educated class. That makes the country commendable and safe to go for studying medicine
Philippines is the world's third largest English speaking Country
English is an international language which is used by majority countries in the world as either the first or the second language. In our country also it is used as a second language matching international norms after out native language Hindi. Philippines is also not behind as it is the world's third largest English speaking country. in the study of medicine there English is the mode of instruction in all levels of education.
Philippines is very safe for female students
Philippines is a female dominated country where you find females dominating in all the work places comprising more than 60% population. As compared to India which is male dominated society, Philippines is a safe place for women students
Center for medical education
Philippines is known worldwide for its medicine study. Since privatization took place very early in Philippines most of medicine universities were privatized. Thus you will find in Philippines well established private medicine colleges and universities. Philippines has a US based system of medical education. Since the medicine course is based on US pattern it is easier to get through in USMLE as compared to other countries. The quality medical education is recognized by World Health Organization (WHO), MED of ECPMG and similar other bodies.
DUAL Degree program
The medicine study program in philippines facilitates a dual degree program. While doing BS-MD program, one gets a degree of Graduation in science (BS) before getting the degree of MD ( Doctor of medicine). Duration of BS ranges from one year to one and a half years depending on the universities norms.
Provides Opportunities for growth
Studying abroad has always better opportunities and a wider chance for employment Philippines has become a hub of medical education with many top universities. Students studying here would be having a wider vision. After graduation students who study medicine here in Philippines have a better chance of employment in other countries as well. This is an opportunity where you can study in a good university, travel and also learn about a new country at the same time, chances to travel round the world also exist.
Tropical Weather
Philippines has a constant temperature which lies between 28 to 32 throughout the year. For the students of India it is very easy to adopt to the weather there.
Philippines is a very affordable place The prices of the course here are very economical than in India. No donation system exists in Philipinnes
Easy transport
Philippines is well connected with outside world, there are three international air ports at Manila, Cebu and Devao connecting to all the major cities of the world. Manila has all kinds of public transport like buses, taxi, metros etc. which gives students easy access to travel.
Exposure to a new country
Studying in Philippines also has an extra advantage of exposure to a new place known for its hospitality. Philippines is a mix of different cultures which makes this country friendly country, giving the students an extra edge to be not treated as outside people or foreigners. The students who study here feel relaxed with friendly environment of the country and focus better on studies
Christian dominated country
Philippines is a Christian dominated country. More than 90% population is christian.
Philippines is the largest English – Speaking country in Asia and third largest English-speaking country in the World. English is used as a medium of instruction in education and that's why Filipinos are considered as one of the most competent English speakers.
No Donation
Philippines colleges don't take donations.


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The Battle of Long Tan : Australia's Four Hours of Hell in Vietnam
The Battle of Long Tan : Australia's Four Hours of Hell in Vietnam
Author: Cameron, David W
On the afternoon of 18 August 1966, in a rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, Australian troops fought one of their bloodiest, most significant battles of the Vietnam War. The Australians had arrived at Nui Dat four months earlier to open up the province. While out on patrol, Delta Company of 6RAR, originally numbering just 105 Australians and three New Zealanders, collided with Viet Cong forces numbering around 2500 troops, ahead of a Vietnamese ambush that was being planned to take place over the next couple of day. Under heavy fire and short on ammunition, the Australians could only guess at the enemys strength and number. Morning light revealed a shattered woodland, trees bleeding latex and hundreds of dead enemy soldiers who had fallen in the numerous assaults against the small Anzac force. What was first thought by the Australians to be a significant defeat quickly turned out to be a major victory.
Book details
Penguin Random House Australia, 2016. Trade paperback, 392pp, b&w and colour plates. New book.
Just click on the PURCHASE button below, then the SEARCH button on the next screen, and follow the prompts for secure ordering.
Please note: our search engine requires cookies so please ensure that your browser settings allow for this. (IPads and IPhones must be set to 'Allow Cookies' in Safari settings.)


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Based on the acclaimed Great Course by professor Jennifer Paxton, this panorama of English history stretches over a thousand years, from the 400s to the 1400s AD. It embraces both fact and legend, and is replete with heart-stopping accounts of invasions by those from north and south who saw this rich, temperate land as the ultimate prize. Weekly discussions complement the video lectures.
There are no scheduled sessions at this time. Sign up to be notified when this course is available.


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Ashiqui 2 Movie Guitar Tabs / Lead – All Songs of Ashiqui 2
We have listed all the songs of the bollywood hindi movie Ashiqui 2. Arijit Singh became very popular via this beautiful movie and all songs of the movie were brilliant. List does not give the rank of songs but this will give you all the songs of this movie in one place, so you can bookmark the link for frequent access to this masterpiece collection. Movie was hit love story, hence all the songs are very romantic. Enjoy thanks!
Tum hi ho (Ashiqui 2) Guitar Tabs
Aashiqui 2 love theme Guitar Tabs / Lead
Hum Mar Jayenge (Aashiqui 2) Guitar Tabs
Chahun Main Ya Na (Aashiqui 2) Guitar Tabs
Sun Raha Hai na tu (Aashiqui 2) Guitar Tabs


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Sunday, November 25, 2012
Elena Victorovna
Elena Victorovna, Russia, Primary, Secondary
I`m a teacher of English in a Russian school. I`ve been teaching for 9 years. I work with students from 8 up to 18 years of age.
English Club - currently offline
My blog is for those who like studying and teaching English. I like to collect interesting Internet English teaching resourses links and share them with others.
Theme: english, english learning, english teaching, education, english as a foreign language


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Deep Wars is a 28mm alternative Fantasy/Steampunk game from Antimatter Games based around underwater combat. I picked up the rulebook at NOVA, and scored two starter boxes at rock bottom prices at Fall-In. Today we're going to take a look at the rulebook.
The rulebook clocks in at 159 pages, softcover, full color. The paper is fairly thin and cheap, almost like a soft newspaper style. It retails for $30.
It's pretty much all rules. There are only about 18 pages of fluff. Roughly 30 pages of army lists and units.
As for the rules of the game, they are based on the Song of Blades and Heroes ruleset. One of the highlights of Song of Blades and Heroes, if you're not familiar with the rules, is a risk management system for activations. You choose between one and three dice to roll to activate a model, and make skill test. Depending on the ratio of successes to failures you get, the model could activate multiple times, or not activate at all and end the turn!
They also add in lots of rules to help fit the underwater theme. Line of sight, visibility, and even sanity are affected by how deep you are in the water and how much light there is. If you have a model with no light source (such as a dive lantern) attempting to activate in the deep abyss, it might not even know which direction to go!
|Who doesn't want a pimp diving suit like this?
(A cunning player might make use of light tactics offensively, too!)
The book includes both standard missions, such as submarine boarding actions, and a multiple game campaign system in the style of Necromunda, where you can keep track of experience and level your guys up.
Here's a few shots from the army list section. Armies look to consist of only a handful of figures - smaller than Warmachine army scale.
Deep Wars also includes one of my favorite mechanics - the ability to create your own armies and units! And this is a very fleshed out points matrix system spanning several pages, allowing you to make whatever kind of army you want out of whatever figures you can find.
I've yet to get a game in of Deep Wars, but just recently started working on my figures. Expect to see some batreps once they're done, and we might even try a game or two inside a fish tank!


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Contract signature authority information
The Board of Trustees has specifically delegated contract signature authority through the University Rules. Set out below is a chart that provides the specific rule and grant of authority to employees of The University of Akron by the Board of Trustees. The delegations are limited to specific contract types and dollar amounts. Please refer to the University Rules if you have any questions about the appropriate administrator to approve and sign a contract. If you do not have contract signature authority designated to you under University Rule, an employee may also have signature authority through a letter from the President designating signature authority. Without either a grant of authority by University Rule or letter desingating authority, you may not enter ino contractual relationships on the University's behalf. Failure to follow University policies on contracts may result in the employee's loss of insurance coverage and personal liability. The Office of General Counsel maintains copies of all letters from the President delegating specific signature authority.
Even where an employee has signature authority, contracts for the purchase of goods and services should be referred to the Department of Purchasing. Contracts related to a grant or sponsored project must be administered through Research Services and Sponsored Programs.
Before the university may enter into a contract, it may be necessary to go through a competitive bidding process. Examples of some contracts that are subject to competitive bidding are as follows. Any purchase of construction contracts in excess of $50,000, purchase of goods in excess of $25,000, and the purchase of services in excess of $50,000 all must be by competitive bid. Purchases of goods and services for amounts between $25,000 and $500,000 must be reported to the Board of Trustees. Purchases of goods or services that exceed $500,000, with limited exceptions, must receive prior approval of the Board of Trustees. For more information about competitive bidding and contracts subject to competitive bidding, please contact the Department of Purchasing and review University Rule 3359-3-01.
If you still have questions about contract signature authority after referring to the relevant policy, please contact the Office of General Counsel.
|Rules Granting or Referencing Signature Authority
|Types of Contracts That May Be Signed
|Senior Vice President and Provost - Chief Operating Officer (COO)
|Vice President for Finance and Administration - Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
|Vice Provost for Research
|All contracts related to the use of university research and service centers for economic development
|Vice Provost for Research
|All research contracts consistent with the rules of the university, including but not limited to the requirements and restrictions in rule 3359-2-05
|Vice President and General Counsel
All contracts and legal documents including without limitation:
|Director of Purchasing
|All contracts involving the expenditure of money within limits set by board rule (such as competitive bidding and the necessity of prior approval)
|Vice President for Talent Development and Human Resources
|All contracts related to personnel actions
|Dean of university libraries
|All contracts for the purchase of library books and periodicals within the library's budget
|Law Librarian
|All contracts for the purchase of library books and periodicals within the law library's budget
|Athletic Director
|All contracts with other colleges and universities for intercollegiate athletic events
|Director of E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall
|All contracts for the purchase of the services of performing artists


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Thanks for the 'heads up' on the documentary:
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
'The Tank war' - Mark Urban
I've just finished reading this remarkable book.
Urban has written two similar histories - 'Fusilier' (or 'how the British Army lost North America and learned how to fight'), and 'Rifles' (the story of the 95th Rifles ... think Richard Sharpe .. in the Napoleonic Wars). Urban writes the most delightful history, gathering together what is most often never before accessed archival material to offer a very personal view of war from the point of view of the individual men who fought (think private soldiers, not generals).
In this case it is the story of the 5th Royal Tank Regiment through World war 2. He chose the regiment not because he thought it was something special (although it was a part of 7th Armoured Division, the famous 'Desert Rats') but because if offered the richest source of surviving archival material.
Urban pulls no punches. There re tories of men abandoning tanks out of fear, buy so too there are stories of citizen soldiers who learn how to fight. He offers the second robust rebuttal of the old fable that British Armoured units were inferior in both hardware and 'software', without glossing over the failings of the unit in combat in the desert and Europe.
This review does the book justice - highly recommended if you have an interest in WW2, or in historiography (or BOTH!!).
Thanks for the 'heads up' on the documentary:
Thanks for the 'heads up' on the documentary:
Posted by Robin Sutton at 9:49 PM
Labels: history, world war 2
8 comments:
..that's going on my list - an excellent writer.author - didn't know he'd written thatReplyDeleteReplies
Published 2014.. I 'stumbled' on it while spending a day doing the 'shops' in Brisbane after a conferenceDelete
If you're interested, there's a matching TV doco presented by Urban, not sure if this came before or after the book. Suffers a bit from the usual ills of modern dumbed-down doco-making, but still worth a look. Book is better though!ReplyDeleteReplies
Nice find Robin. To Amazon!ReplyDeleteReplies
Definitely.. a MUST READ IMO thoroughly readable and enjoyable. I love this guy's work.Delete
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NZ #15: Queenstown, and Haka
I was struck with awe—in fact, terror—when I pulled up at 6 PM to Queenstown, tourist haven of the South Island, to be greeted by a young man impersonating a moose in front of a moving bus.
It wasn't Janet Frame's awe at the big smoke's granite and bustle. It's an altogether more dysfunctional awe, at a town full of people younger than me, noisier than me, and drunker than me.
And that other business that twenty-year olds tend to get up to on holiday more than me; but this pretends to be a family-oriented blog. It doesn't particularly succeed at it, but I might spare you the psychosexual drama for this post anyway.
The rains took care of the élan vital of the twenty-year olds, I daresay. The party crowds were in merry mood out and about last night; but Queenstown woke up soggy enough this morning for people to keep their party indoors.
Queenstown is impossibly beautiful, even more postcard-bespoke than Akaroa: a comity of mountains and lake and trees right out of a Swiss chalet. There was gold here in the 19th century; but the area now lives on the tourist's dime alone, as the local taxi drivers assure me.
And the tourists still come, both the lowly and the high. That makes it a less Slow News Day here than you'd expect for a place this size. The current headline in the local paper: Muammar Gaddafi's son was in town New Year's Eve, and wanted to party.
The beat reporters were hot on the story, and somehow I suspect this isn't the biggest story they've had to track. They talked to the hoteliers who had to bump another booking for Gaddafi fils and his people. They talked to two of the dozen blondes sourced locally by Gaddafi fils' men to join in their festivities. ("No fat ones", the order specified.) The blondes reported that the visitors were gentlemen, their identities unknown, and they left the vistors after a couple of hours to rejoin their friends, who had not been invited to the party.
I'm not speculating about their friends' weight or hair colour.
The beat reporters got paparazzo shots of the man himself, watching performers doing a haka for him on the tarmac of Queenstown airport. A last minute whim, apparently: Gaddafi fils couldn't leave town without partaking of the local culture. Though not partaking *too* closely: as the bemused Kiwi Haka troupe told the beat reporter, they issued the traditional Pōwhiri challenge to the visitors, but did not drop the fern for the visiting headman to pick up, and prove his good intentions. The headman's security detail wasn't letting anyone get that close.
All very odd. That wasn't the deal when Abel Tasman failed to acknowledge the local tribe's challenge. And there's the whiff of something unsavoury about Maori ritual performed on demand for visiting headmen.
But New Zealand has a long tradition of that, whether the visiting headmen are from Libya or England, or tourists from Across The Ditch. No, of course it's not the same—the Treaty of Waitangi does mean something, after all. But it's convenient romanticism to say the troupes should stay virtuous and poor. The same happens Across The Ditch, when every culturally sensitive conference feels entitled to demand an Aboriginal Welcome To Country—and then are surprised the elders demand remuneration.
But of course they should: it's not like the elders had invited the conference as their guests in the first place (or the 18 million other non-indigenous inhabitants). If the visitors are willing to buy what they're offering, who's to begrudge them asking a fair price?
I don't have a wide standard of comparison for Maori cultural performers: I've only watched half an hour's worth on Maori TV, and the last three hotels I've been in don't carry Maori TV. But I went and saw Kiwi Haka perform tonight, and I was very impressed. The women's singing was excellent. (The men's doesn't have to be, because the men do more chanting and punctuating shouts.) The weapons display was instructive: if the Maori haven't already branched out into martial arts, they should.
The banter was well worked through as well. I was startled at the matter-of-fact acknowledgement of after-battle cannibalism:
"This blow separated the crown of the skull, allowing the warrior to feast on the brains. Mmm! ... But today, like everyone else, Maori prefer McDonalds and KFC."In a roundabout way, though, it speaks to the resurgence of Maori identity. The mihinare, the missionaries, successfully made the Maori abandon that kind of warfare, and (less successfully) sought to make them abandon the rituals and weapons to go with it. Noone would joke about cannibalism fifty years ago. The Maori now don't do what they did; but neither are they ashamed of their forebears that did. And if it unsettles the tourist, so much the better.
But it was the Pōwhiri, the welcoming ritual, that transfixes. It was explained to us, but it still was alien and confounding: all in te Reo, threatening and solemn and aloof, the peace token of a fern thrown down and jabbed at for the visitor to pick up. The karanga, the call and response of women, from the two sides, only went on for a few seconds; but it too sounded like it was from another realm. Vaguely like Bulgarian polyphony.
All of it is drastically abbreviated of course: no spears were thrown past the visitors, and we did not chase the spearmen or kneel on one knee grasping our muskets, as happened of old. The singers of the karanga were not past childrearing age, as used to happen back then—because an encounter between tribes could still go awry, and old women were deemed more expendable. We didn't exchange oratory or touch noses or feast together, as actually happens to this day in the marae. It wasn't a "real" pōwhiri—of course, we'd hardly earned one.
And it's not authentic, in a narrow sense; but as I keep learning, that's not the kind of authenticity that matters. I'm not sure I got it right, but I gather the poi was traditionally the men's domain, and has become a women's dance for this kind of cultural exhibition. But if all Maoris growing up see women doing the poi, then that's what's real.
Just as they've all been told Aotearoa is the Maori name of New Zealand, and not originally a less common name for just the North Island: it's the name of the whole country now, and that's the new authenticity. The old authenticity was that the very notion of the North and the South Island being the same country was a Pakeha notion, and got a Pakeha name, Niu Tireni. But that's an historical footnote, overtaken by new circumstances, and new constructions of nationhood.
Kiwi Haka did also perform a haka—they hardly couldn't. Though not *that* haka (Ka mate, the one you all know from rugby); that haka is not welcome on the South Island, because of the devastations its composer Te Rauparaha brought to the South Island in the Musket Wars. The haka has even more layers of authenticity wrapped around it, being the most emblematic feature of Maori culture, and appropriated by the Pakeha in ways of their own.
The role of women in the haka is under contention, for example, and the historical evidence for or against is being conscripted to the debate. Tradition (in at least one construal) limited women in the haka to pūkana, dilating the eyes: glowering. But if the haka is a living tradition and not a museum piece, then it will reflect how Maori women fit into their culture now. And from what pūkana I've already seen, I don't see Maori women taking a back seat anyway.
The souvenir shop had a book that went into several of these debates on authenticities of the haka, with good humour and encyclopaedic coverage. (Wira Gardiner. 2007. Haka: A Living Tradition. 2nd ed. Auckland: Hodder Moa.) Not everyone is as sanguine about reinventions of the haka: the All Blacks are notoriously touchy about their opponents not standing at reverent attention while the team gestures they'll slit their throats.
There's a haka Gardiner missed in his survey, which Wikipedia mentions, and I'd love to see the return of: a 1903 challenge to my countrymen, from Across The Ditch.
Tena koe, Kangaroo How do you do, Kangaroo! Tupoto koe, Kangaroo! You look out, Kangaroo! Niu Tireni tenei haere nei New Zealand is invading you Au Au Aue a! Woe woe woe to you!
As you'll notice, in 1903, it wasn't yet Aotearoa. But Australia has indeed been successfully invaded by New Zealanders. Including enough Maori to establish the Nga Kapa Taumata Teitei, with a competition to judge performances nationally.
They should give serious thought to that 1903 haka, I reckon.


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Detroit Lions (2-1) at New York Jets (1-2)
|Date & Time
|Sunday September 28, 2014, 1:00 PM (EDT)
|The Line
The Line: New York Jets 0 -- Over/Under:
|TV Channel
The Detroit Lions and New York Jets play Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The Detroit Lions mostly get credit for their explosive offense, but it's been their defense that has gotten the job done the first few weeks. The Lions are first in the league, allowing just 244.3 yards per game and have forced three turnovers and eight sacks. However, the Lions defense will be without Stephen Tulloch for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL. DeAndre Levy leads the Lions with 27 tackles and five tackles for loss, while George Johnson has 2.5 sacks. Offensively, Matthew Stafford still makes poor decisions with the ball, as he has three interceptions and three touchdowns, but the Lions have 11 passing plays that have produced 20 or more yards. Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate have combined for more than 500 receiving yards and two touchdowns. However, the Detroit Lions running game needs to improve as it's averaging just three yards per carry. Reggie Bush needs to be involved in this offense a lot more.
See All Of Our Free Picks and Predictions For this Week's NFL Games
The New York Jets have lost two straight but have been competitive against some of the NFC's best. That Rex Ryan defense is second in the league with an average of 268.3 yards per game allowed, and it has also forced two turnovers and 10 sacks. Keep in mind the Jets defense is playing this well even without cornerback Dee Milliner, who is questionable for this matchup. Demario Davis leads the Jets with 21 tackles and 2.5 sacks, while Dawan Landry is second on the team with 20 tackles. Offensively, Geno Smith is still making poor decisions, as he has four interceptions and three touchdown passes. However, Geno has been able to rely on a solid Jets backfield that's averaging a solid 4.9 yards per carry. Eric Decker is again questionable for this game with a hamstring injury.
The Lions are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Jets are 3-1-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in Week 4.
This game will feature the top two defenses in the NFL according to the stats. The under may be worth a look here. However, in a pick em game I have to go with the team that has the better quarterback. The Lions are much more consistent on the offensive side of the ball, while the Jets struggle in the red zone and call questionable plays throughout the game. Give me the more balanced team on the road.


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Toily Kurbanov: Opening Speech at the UNDP Microfinance Project's Agreement Signing & Project Closing CeremonyJun 4, 2014
Toily Kurbanov, UNDP Country Director in Myanmar
Opening Speech at the UNDP Microfinance Project's Agreement Signing & Project Closing Ceremony
Your Excellency, U Kyaw Hsan, distinguished colleagues, friends, guests, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a privilege to represent UNDP Myanmar as we mark the end of one of the longest projects that UNDP has ever supported and we do so on a successful and future-oriented note. The first 17 year chapter of the history of microfinance in Myanmar is over and it has made a significant contribution to poverty alleviation in Myanmar and the development of the country's microfinance sector.
In 1997, international microfinance industry was still in a relatively early stage, but there was already sufficient evidence of significant impact it could have, what led UNDP to decide to include a microfinance project as part of our Human Development Initiative (HDI) in Myanmar. From humble beginnings, the project grew from strength to strength to a point where by the end of 2013 it served some 630,000 clients in over 6000 villages with a total disbursement of USD 150 million. It formed one of the largest providers of microfinance in Myanmar.
This is indeed a remarkable achievement of the Government, UNDP and implementing partners. Grameen from Bangladesh, Gret from France, EDA Rural Systems from India, Save the Children from UK and of course Pact, which has been the sole implementing partner since 2006 and the principal engine driving the project's success. For this I would like to extend special thanks to all hard-working staff of Pact.
Above all, the project's success is a remarkable achievement of the hundreds of thousands individuals, mostly women of Myanmar who through their hard work used the funds they borrowed to generate necessary income to improve the lives of their families and to almost all loans they received with interest. Some of their stories are on display here today.
All this has been made possible with funding not only from UNDP, and since 2009 also from other donors: Lift, USAID, DFID and DANIDA. We are grateful for the support they have provided over years and through them, ordinary tax payers in their countries.
Apart from its contribution on the human level, our primary work on microfinance differentiates at the sectoral and national level. The project essentially served not only to introduce microfinance in Myanmar, but also to show that it can operate on a sustainable basis, generating sufficient revenues to grow and expand. This has provided an important demonstration effect for the microfinance institutions that have subsequently entered the market and, by contributing to the level of financial inclusion in Myanmar and laid a strong foundation for the development of the sector across the country.
But there is even more work ahead, as we were reminded at a conference here in Nay Pyi Taw last month which presented the results of a wide-ranging study of Financial Inclusion in Myanmar known as MAP. The study was carried out by UNDP's sister agency UNCDF and provided the most current and comprehensive data on financial demand and supply, and regulatory conditions in the country.
The reality today is that around 70% of working-age adults in Myanmar (and an estimated 2.5 billion adults globally) still have no access to formal financial services and rely on unregulated providers, such as money-lenders, at substantially higher cost than regulated providers.
Ladies and gentlemen, the significance of greater Financial Inclusion in Myanmar has been acknowledged by His Excellency President U Thein Sein, who recognized the development of micro savings and credit enterprise as two national development priorities aimed at reducing poverty. In fact, President U Thein Sein endorsed the development of the microfinance sector as early as May 2011. Dramatic increase in the development of the microfinance sector was further sparked with the passing of the microfinance law later that year.
Through contribution to financial inclusion in Myanmar, UNDP and partners have supported the Government's objectives of poverty reduction and rural development in the country as its services targeted primarily at poor households in rural areas.
The agreements to be signed today put Pact/PGMF on a solid financial foundation and provided the basis to continue sustainable expansion to new areas and to an increasing number of clients. It also brings the project operations under the umbrella of a licensed MFI, regulated under the microfinance law, which will provide greater security to clients.
As part of our continuing responsibility, UNDP will follow the implementation of the agreement jointly with its partners to ensure that the former project funds continue to be used in the best interests of the target population in rural areas.
The signing of the Project-End Memorandum of Understanding with the government and the Asset Transfer Agreement with Pact also mark the achievement of a key objective in the UNDP CPAP - to exit from the provision of retail microfinance. UNDP, mainly through UNCDF, will continue its engagement in the financial sector in Myanmar, providing policy support for a Financial Inclusion Agenda and promoting the development of the sector and the institutional strengthening of service providers.
As an illustration of this support, I would like to mention here the first of a proposed series of knowledge products to be released by UNDP, which is appropriately focused on microfinance. I am pleased to announce the publication of this issue brief by Ko Heinz Willems of UNDP and Ko Paul Luchtenburg of UNCDF and hope it will make a useful contribution to the discussions around the future evolution of the sector.
On behalf of UNDP, I look forward to the evolution of the financial sector in alignment with national priorities.
Thank you.


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Watch live or catch the replay of Q&A on Campus Channel with the MSc director
Class of 2011-12
"The MSc Financial Markets & Investments provides students with a high quality of lectures especially thanks to experienced professionals who share their experience.
The course content gives students great practice based on the study of real-world situations.
The emphasis on programming languages is also a must.
I highly recommend this master to anybody who wishes to broaden their knowledge in financial markets. It's a very good way of learning theory and at the same time to practice it in the Bloomberg Room.
I've already reached my objective: I've got a job in the Front Office; I'm starting work for Société Générale in London within the credit derivatives structuring team."
Class of 2012-13
"We learned how markets act and react to whatever was covered in class and constant access to Bloomberg terminals and daily issues of the FT ensured that we could observe it through real-time practical examples.
We became accustomed to how the different asset classes, markets and information releases interacted with each other, but more importantly, we learned how to act on this information.
The wide variety of experienced professionals that came to present the classes also presented a unique insight in what it is like inside the markets at the moment.
Coming to Skema has also provided me with a diverse new network of great friends across the globe. Due the various backgrounds of the students we were able to learn from and through each other, and that for me was greatly rewarding.
Less than a month after handing in my thesis I received an offer to join the J.P.Morgan graduate programme in Johannesburg on their equity trading desk, an opportunity I previously could only dream about."
"SKEMA's MSc in Financial Markets & Investments has helped me better my understanding of financial markets. It has been particularly good for mastering the practical side of things. This is essential for a career in this field.
The selection of classes and material taught makes this master unique and extremely beneficial. Professors are experts and expect a lot from you, pushing you through a multitude of practical projects.
This training has given me confidence and I can definitely see the MSc's added-value now that I'm starting my career.
I now work in New York as a senior analyst for Chappuis Halder & Co, a consulting firm specialised in financial services."
Class of 2010-11
"I am really happy I chose to do the MSc Financial Markets & Investments at SKEMA!
It's been an intense year but I now feel confident about working in the financial world.
Not only did I gain solid knowledge about various financial products, such as bonds, options, futures, forwards, structured products, etc., but I now know I can work in a trading room.
As we had access to the Bloomberg room, I got familiar with the software.
But the MSc was not all about theoretical knowledge. Through different assignments, study cases and simulations I enhanced my critical, analytical and practical skills as well as my presentation skills.
The majority of the teachers had worked in the field before and the way they shared their experiences with us made it even more interesting. Another strong point was their availability to students and the fact that they were easy to talk to.
It's been an amazing year during which I learned a lot and built great friendships with students from all over the world. I recommend this master to anyone interested in studying market finance."
Class of 2013-14
"Specialising with the MSc Financial Markets & Investments is a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of financial markets, whatever job you want to do afterwards (sales, trading, structuring, asset management, risk analyst…).
It's a complete programme taught by experienced and attentive professionals. They focus courses on global economic and financial news which really helps us to fit into working life.
The unlimited access to the Bloomberg Room is also a real advantage for both technical practice and personal knowledge.
Finally, the small class sizes (about 40 students each year) contribute to creating a good atmosphere and increasing group cohesion.
I've found this year very intensive but valuable too.
I've learned a lot and this specialisation has allowed me to join the Advisory Services' Investment Solution team of UBS Monaco Wealth Management as an investment analyst."
"I decided to do the MSc taught by Tarek Amyuni after a gap year where I worked in treasuries at Cofidis and then in a trading room at UBS. My main concerns were to do a well-ranked MSc that has a wide-ranging programme allowing me to work not only in trading rooms, but also in corporate finance.
All the courses were taught in English and many exercises made us use the Bloomberg room. The workload is quite intense which makes the second term challenging, especially when we're looking for jobs at the same time.
Concerning the job, I've secured a post at UBS Luxembourg thanks to this MSc. I was recruited before the end of my studies.
To sum up, I have found the Financial Markets & Investments programme to be an extremely valuable MSc, which is much appreciated within banks and finance."
Class of 2014-15
"Passionate practitioners working at top tier banks train us during modules and focus on real-time practical examples. Those modules give you the opportunity to better understand their daily business, create a network and develop skills needed for front office jobs.
Furthermore you have unlimited access to Bloomberg terminals and must use them for many projects during both semesters. That gives you proficiency with those terminals and is real added value for your future career.
I've gained a solid understanding of different asset classes ranging from equities to commodities. I was able to advance my knowledge during the second semester by selecting exciting electives that suited my area of interest.
Overall it has been intense but definitely worth the investment. It helped me to develop my technical skills and to receive an offer at Addax and Oryx Group in their Oil Trading department one month before the end of the programme."
"First and foremost, we received training by practitioners passionate about their subject and about teaching it. These seminars alone were worth investing one year in the programme.
Secondly, the rhythm was very intense and good preparation for taking my next step in the fast-paced environment of the financial markets.
Thirdly, I received two offers for an internship a few days after the end of the programme: one from Société Générale and one from one of our teachers who is a former trader at Société Générale and now runs a fund on his own.
Also, the Bloomberg terminals gave me deep exposure to Bloomberg, widely used in the industry and not offered by many other schools.
The combination of all these made it a real turning point for my career."
"I used to study finance for my bachelor's degree in Vietnam but I could never remember all the formulae because I didn't really know what they were for; it was all just theory. After this MSc, I now understand everything much better.
With Bloomberg software, we access up-to-minute market data and apply directly what we've learnt in class to current moving market situations.
On the MSc programme, we were taught by current managers from banks or financial firms, like BNP, and we did reports as real analysts do, so now I am equipped with all the skills for my future career.
Moreover, with interesting simulations, I gained knowledge about how the market moves and is traded, but also had fun with my classmates from all over the world.
Now I am going to go back to Vietnam to work as a market risk analyst in a commercial bank.
With the MSc Financial Markets & Investments, I now know that even without any prior work experience or training, I can start my job immediately and handle it competently."
"This MSc is a great way to learn everything that one needs to start a career on a trading floor.
Courses cover all the asset classes from commodities to equities, including credit derivatives, structured products, etc.
Most classes are practice-oriented and taught by accessible and talented professionals. Additional classes, sometimes optional, such as Technical Analysis or Banking Regulation, are great too.
I had a great time studying financial markets at SKEMA, and it was the perfect preparation to get me going at the Structured Products desk at Société Générale and then to the Structured Products Sales & Trading team at Kepler Capital Markets, the leading independent brokerage firm in continental Europe."
"I chose this MSc as it's one of the top masters in finance worldwide. In the end, I discovered that it was much more than this.
This programme gave me all the required knowledge for a career in finance.
The second semester programme splits in two different tracks according to students' interests. Most of the courses in the tracks are taught by actual professionals, giving an insider's point of view. While the class composition itself consisted of people from a wide range of cultural and educational backgrounds.
Every month, we had conferences on hot topics presented by professionals that work in top tier banks and financial institutions.
In addition we had the chance to do many trading simulations on our Bloomberg terminals and work on real-life cases studies.
Before even finishing my second semester, I had already signed my contract with Société Générale for an internship in their Equity Research department. This degree helped me get that position."
"This MSc has provided me with a unique learning experience that's enabled me to hit the ground running in my professional life upon graduation. The strong academic foundation, coupled with a highly practical teaching style, has given me not only an understanding of financial markets, but more importantly how to manoeuvre through them.
At SKEMA they don't teach financial concepts, they teach you how to apply them.
I have already obtained a position as a stock broker for Pareto Securities in Oslo, a renowned investment bank in Norway."
"The MSc in Financial Markets & Investments is an opportunity to gain real, in-depth knowledge and practice for working in financial markets.
The workload is fairly intense, providing us with all the necessary skills the job market demands.
Specialised, up-to-date courses have prepared us to work in the financial world.
The extensive use of the Bloomberg terminals as well as the Excel-based courses and the VBA seminar have been essential in equipping us with the right finance characteristics to make it in this field.
I've already found work as a treasury FX risk analyst at E.ON Energy Trading SE in Düsseldorf."
Class of 2011-12
"Among all my studies, this year was by far the best and the most exciting one.
I had an engineering background and had worked for a year in IT in the banking industry before the MSc. I really wanted to learn about finance so I started to look for a challenging MSc which would be a springboard for starting a career in Front Office. That is exactly what I found with the MSc Financial Markets & Investments at SKEMA.
I learned from talented professionals who were accessible to us out of class too. Tarek Amyuni was a great MSc director, he gave dedicated follow-up to each of us and was at the same time a very capable teacher of very important concepts.
I studied a complete range of courses about financial markets, which helped me to get ready for job interviews.
With the Bloomberg Room, we were able to jump easily from theory to practice, always focusing on learning to get ready for the floor!
At the end of the programme, I moved to Amsterdam to work as a junior trader at Optiver, a leading proprietary trading firm."
Masters of science
Executive MBA
Master in management
Specialised Masters
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Colin works for Mint Credit cards, sponsors of Big Brother?
* in good humour
Well you never said what your new job was........
yeah HE'S A CORPORATE WHORE
think of your indie roots man!
I say selling out is the new artistic credibility and I fully intend to 'follow suit' (typo)
Archives of Pain
It could have been such a good song with a promising title like that.
People forget China and your war on cancer.
This is YEsterday
In the beginning. When we were winning.
Repeat after me - fuck queen and country.
ok Richey.


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Cyberpark Accelerator Program (CAP) is a joint collabration program for the companies whose target market is USA.
This program had conducted with Innosphere (RMI) in Fort Collins, Colorado for 2 years.
This year for the second time CAP will be launched with Plug And Play in Sunnyvale, California USA. Plug and Play is a global innovation platform, connecting startups to corporations, and invest in over 100 companies every year.12 week intensive business accelerator Program is designed to increase the export capacity and growth of Turkish SME's in the USA. Main aim is to boost global selling opportunities by eliminating 'barriers to entry' while leveraging an established pool of available resources.


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Shifang has concentrated on organic waste water , solid waste and biogas utilization for 20 years.Shifang takes anaerobic-microorganism and biogas utilization as its core technology, provides project investment and operation service. Until now, mainly business include biogas harmless treatment utilization, kitchen waste harmless treatment utilization and organic waste water treatment.
Centre on core technology,Shifang has more than 30 patents and undertaken several national key scientific and technological projects, such as the 863 projects of the Nation's "9th five-year plan", "10th five-year plan", "11th five-year plan", "12th five-year plan" etc.. Shifang has a long-term cooperation with Tsinghua University and has established the "Tsinghua University-Shifang R&D Center of Environment and Bio-Energy Engineering". Shifang has been designed and constructed nearly 300 wastewater treatment projects, invested and operated Jinan Zhengzhou Taiyuan Guiyang Xiamen etc. more than 10 larger urban biogas utilization projects and Jinan Qingdao etc. more than 4 larger urban kitchen waste treatment utilization projects. Shifang takes large-scale market in environmental pollution treatment and bio-energy.


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Is there a big dinner coming up? Want to impress your friends and company? Then I have the perfect recipe. Now, no one said it would be easy…. but it will be worth it! This Chicken Marsala Recipe is the perfect main dish! This includes perfectly basted and grilled chicken breasts, fresh mushrooms and prosciutto accompanied by a rich Marsala sauce. I have found that garlic mashed potatoes and green beans with romano crumbs are the perfect companions to this dish. For this Chicken recipe the trick is using fresh ingredients, follow the recipe precisely and create both the grill baste and Grill seasoning! Of course you can enjoy this dish with a delish app like salami and mozzarella or tomato basil mozzarella, and a nice bottle of wine.
Prepare ahead of time:
Grill Baste:
In bowl mix: 1/2 olive oil,1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 2 Tbs lemon juice, 1Tbs Dijon Mustard, 1 1/2 Tbs Sugar and fresh Parsley.
On stove cook: 2 Tbs Butter, 1 finely chopped yellow onion, 4 minced garlic cloves- Cook until onion is translucent.
Add: 2 Tbs flour then whisk in wet ingredients from bowl. Cook until thickened. Refrigerate or leave at room temp until time to use. Brush on grill and Chicken before Grilling
Grill Seasoning:
1/4C salt, 2Tbs black pepper,1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1 1/2 tsp granulated onion, 1 1/2 tsp oregano,1/4 tsp crushed red pepper. Mix. Keep is cool dry place and use on any grilled meats.
Carrabba's Italian Grill Recipe. Copyright 2008, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.


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Start-ups getting up and running focus on developing a great product, delivering superior customer experience and raising funds. They also want to be seen as innovative, and ensure their entrance in the marketplace is heard loud and far.
However, some things can easily be overlooked in the rush to market and to scale. Uber may be known for slick customer experience, but it has also gained a reputation for poor governance and overly aggressive behaviour. Amidst Apple-like secrecy followed by massive hype, Theranos promised a revolutionary product but came undone as journalists and medical professionals questioned the veracity of its claims.
In today's transparent and connected world, investors, the media and competitors are on the lookout for overstated abilities and unrealistic projections, for chinks in the product armour and for poor employee behaviour – especially when companies have made a loud noise about themselves. Employees quickly leave if they feel they are over-worked, underpaid and that there is no real vision.
In this far-reaching and insightful presentation, Charlie Pownall draws on his experiences on multiple sides of the start-up coin to set out seven key things every start-up needs to consider seriously – and act upon – before it emerges from the shadows into the public spotlight.
Contact Charlie Pownall for further information.
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One item I've had on my plate is to describe why the open content model is something we should try to take advantage of as much as possible with the WDSL revision. To begin with, when I say open content model, I mostly mean allowing extra element and attributes from other namespaces within a schema. This is typically done with the <any/> and <anyAttribute/> schema tags. These elements also allow you to specify which namespace (including ##other, which means any namespace but the one in the schema), as well as the default processing of these elements. An example of this can be found with the <binding> element in WSDL today. This element allows child elements of the type: <any namespace="##other" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded" /> Working with SOAP and WSDL over the past few years has shown me the value in allowing this open content model. It is very useful especially for extending a specification in new ways. As authors of specs, we may cover many use cases and requirements in a first class way, but we need to provide for those other requirements that come to us that we don't anticipate. The open content model allows us to handle many of these. I would also recommend that we keep WSDLs mustUnderstand feature for extensions, the wsdl:required attribute. As a matter of technique, I feel that we should be overly open as opposed to overly closed. This would lead to putting this open content model on all elements, and then finding reasons why it shouldn't be on one. Cheers, KeithReceived on Monday, 22 April 2002 22:07:27 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 21:54:37 UTC


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Resolutions for 2008
I'd forgotten that I'd written a post listing my New Year's resolutions for 2007 until I came across it while browsing through my archives last week. Like most people, I made a list of general resolutions without measurable results, and while I kept it in the back of my mind for a while, by March I'm sure I'd mostly forgotten what I'd written. It was fascinating to look back on what I'd resolved a year ago, to see which resolutions I'd successfully accomplished and which fell by the wayside.
It was a really good exercise to look at the list and think about my progress in accomplishing my goals. Aside from the last few weeks, I've kept a healthy lifestyle all year, and I do think I definitely improved in being more generous and open-minded (though I still have a way to go). And since I do have a job I'm really excited about lined up for after I graduate (so exciting!), I can cross that resolution off the list. But I have to admit that I failed in improving my patience, which has always been a struggle for me. Trying to be more patient and understanding is definitely going on this year's list as well.
2008 is going to be a very exciting and challenging year for me, full of major life changes. I'm graduating from college in May and will be starting work in July. I'm going to be a financially independent adult with a real job and real responsibilities, in a new city I'm unfamiliar with. I'm going to have to learn how to manage a long distance relationship with my boyfriend (Boston to New York, not so bad), make new friends and find a semblance of balance between my professional and personal life. It's all a little overwhelming and slightly scary, but also incredibly exciting at the same time.
Posting my New Year's resolutions somehow makes them feel more concrete, and since many of my friends and family members read this blog, makes me more accountable. If you're serious about making changes in the new year, I highly recommend writing them down and sharing them with the people you love, remembering to keep them in a place you'll remember to check, just so you'll be reminded of them throughout the year. Keep your resolutions realistic, and think about small steps you can take to accomplish them. It can be harder with more general goals, like my resolution to be more patient, but I'm writing a personal list that includes all the situations where I know I'm too impatient, and how I could act better during those times. I've found that identifying the problem areas and then making a list of steps to take to improve makes meeting my goals far easier.
Here are my resolutions for 2008:
1. Improve my financial literacy. I'm not nearly as bad as many other college students I know, since I've read some books and blogs on personal finance and have taken non-credit classes in the subject, but I want to make sure I totally understand every financial decision I have to make in the next year, so that I can make the best choices. For someone who's as math-phobic as I am, it can be a little intimidating at first, but I know that I can get it all down before I graduate if I really focus on learning these important skills.
2. Make the most of my final semester of college. I have absolutely loved my college experience thus far, and I want to make sure that I leave in May with no regrets. After graduation, my friends will be relocating to jobs and schools all over the world, and I want to spend as much time with them as possible. I also want to get more involved in all the activities that are unique college experiences (especially those that are unique to Smith). I know I'll be ready to leave when May rolls around, but it would be so great to leave feeling like I've accomplished and experienced all that I wanted to.
3. Become a more patient person. I can give myself credit for becoming more patient in 2007 in at least one area of my life, my driving, but that's mostly because I was a bit shaken up after getting into a 5-car accident in May (I wasn't at fault and luckily no one was injured). I still find myself getting frustrated every time I have to wait for something, and this unnecessary negative emotion isn't benefiting me in the slightest. Hopefully 2009 will find me to be a more mature, patient person.
4. Being nicer in general. Because I'm very hard on myself and a bit (okay, more than a bit) of a perfectionist, I can often be too hard on others. I want to be more understanding and show more kindness in my interactions with others, and not always hold everyone to such a high (and often impossible) level.
5. Keep a balanced life. I pride myself on having a very balanced life, of staying on top of my work, engaging in extracurricular activities, making time for my friends, family and boyfriend, and for making time for myself and respecting my own needs. But I know it's going to be a lot more challenging once I enter the real world, where I have much less control over my environment and it will be harder to plan my days and weeks (I hear that bosses don't give out syllabi, shocking, I know). I'll need to improve my flexibility and keep my stress levels under control, while not letting one area of my life overwhelm the others.
These are my five main resolutions, though there are a number of tinier, more specific resolutions pertaining to different people and situations. Unlike last year, I do plan on printing off this list and posting it near my computer, just so I'm regularly reminded of the (very public) announcement I made to keep these resolutions. I'm so excited about starting 2008 and I wish you all a happy new year!


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A lot has been written already about Randy Schekman column in the Guardian. The first paragraph criticizes the flawed incentives structure of the research professional world.
I am a scientist. Mine is a professional world that achieves great things for humanity. But it is disfigured by inappropriate incentives. The prevailing structures of personal reputation and career advancement mean the biggest rewards often follow the flashiest work, not the best. Those of us who follow these incentives are being entirely rational – I have followed them myself – but we do not always best serve our profession's interests, let alone those of humanity and society. […]
The importance as well as the (many) shortcomings of his piece and the potential conflict of interest have been noted. One feature of the response on Twitter is that some of the critique ends up proving his point, i.e. that the pressure to publish in such journals is enormous and has a direct (and disproportionate) effect on careers, e.g.:
@guardianscience if I did the same (boycott vanity pubs) my group would feel their careers at risk & ambitious researchers would not come.
— Prof. Lee Cronin (@leecronin) December 9, 2013
Great news, Schekman postdocs! Search committees have announced that the journals in which you publish won't matter to them anymore! #lie
— Christopher J Cramer (@ChemProfCramer) December 11, 2013
At least, that is something everybody – critics or supporters of Scheman's move – seem to agree upon…


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Celebrity Profiles - S
Garry Shandling
Born: 29-Nov-1949
Place of Birth: Chicago, IL
Gender: M
Father: Irving Shandling
Mother: Muriel
Career: Comic/Actor
Family Tree
Do you have information about this family tree? You may report errors and omissions on this page to the Famous Roots staff, who will review them for possible inclusion in future updates.
No printed materials referenced.
(last revision to this profile: 20-Feb-2007)
Copyright © 2004-2010 by Genealogy Today LLC


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??? Victoria's Secret Beauty Just $2 SHIPPED for (Two)
Score! Stack this awesome new Victoria's Secret deal with in APP coupon savings for one stellar deal. Follow breakdown below:
First you will need to download the Dote App (iphone users only.) You have to use this link here to get the $5 credit. After you are on the app find the Victoria's Secret store and once there filter the prices low to high. Find 2 of the $6 beauty items and add them to your cart. If you used the link above in check out the $5 should come off automatically ($5 off $10 + free shipping.) So right now your total should be $7 for both items.
Now back out of the app and don't checkout. Many followers are reporting that they shortly received a code for ANOTHER $5 off to complete their order. Use your code and pay just $2 shipped for both items!


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A kind of Electronic Go-Go rythm and an all time Hip Hop classic's tune !
Funk Box Party part 2
Rare grooves Disco, all schools Hip Hop, Funk, Afro,... I've about 10 000 vinyl records, if you really love Music, buy it too !!! If you're a booker and you want a dope DJ : firstname.lastname@example.com. I can rock a party everywhere. The Mix Show section completes the equation : Skill and Knowledge.
mercredi 31 octobre 2007
MASTERDON COMMITTEE "Funk box party"
Publié par monsieurwilly 7 commentaires:
Libellés : Old school Hip Hop
D.D. SOUND "Burning love"
Originaly released on the Italian label : Baby Records, this is a mid-tempo Disco by Disco Delivery Sound, a classic produced by mister La Bionda.
LOVE DE-LUXE with HAWKSHAW'S DISCOPHONIA "Here comes that sound again"
Edited version because it's about 16 mn on the LP. Alan Hawks started with Cerrone and Alec R. Constandinos. This song was a big hit at time.
CAROL WILLIAMS "No one can do it (like you)"
Publié par monsieurwilly 3 commentaires:
vendredi 26 octobre 2007
JENNIFER "I don't need your love" part 2
jeudi 25 octobre 2007
GIORGIO MORODER "I wanna rock you"
JOYCE SIMS "All and all" U.K. remix
Produced by the legendary Mantronik in 1986, this is one of the top of UK electro.
Check the "Mix Show" section, there is a 80's mix where it appears.
Check the "Mix Show" section, there is a 80's mix where it appears.
Libellés : Electro/Freestyle
CAROL WILLIAMS "No one can do it (like you)"
She was, before, under the direction of Vincent Montana on Salsoul. Here she's under the direction of Darryl Payne who have produced many good tunes too. Original 12" version.
Publié par monsieurwilly 5 commentaires:
mardi 23 octobre 2007
BIZ MARKIE "Game"
Hard to find promo copy (released at few ex.) of this very very good tune on the German label Groove Attack who also worked with Phife Dawg's LP.
Libellés : Rap 12"
BILL SUMMERS "Straight to the bank"
DOUG WILLIS "Get your own"
TERRI WELLS "I'm giving all my love"
Superb mid-tempo dance floor tune sampled by the MAW & Black Masses for their cover of "wonderful person" song.
lundi 22 octobre 2007
The Lost Tracks EP
DJ Shaheer Williams has compiled some forget or obscur House tunes. Here there are The Foremost Poets "Beside myself" and Monireh Crews "Classic vibe" produced by Backroom productions.
THE MUTHAFUNKAZ "The best I can"
THE RETURN "New day"
CERRONE "Cycle's woman"
Libellés : Afro/Caribbean/Latino
lundi 15 octobre 2007
THE SUNBURST BAND "Garden of love"
TRIBUTE "The session"
Produced by Ron Trent, this an instrumental version deep as hell with some part of Roy Ayers 's classic track "Runnin away".
JEROME SYDENHAM, KERRY CHANDLER & DENNIS FERRER "Koko" "Candela"
From the E.P. "Saturday" of Jerome Sidenham & Kerry Chandler, those 2 instrumentals tunes are very tight. Koko is produced by Jerome and Dennis with guitar gimmick, Candela by Jerome and Kerry with piano solo.
Have good time with it !
Have good time with it !
LIL' MO' YIN YANG "Reach"
Wonderful and great club track from 1995 where the meets between "Little" Louis Vega and Eric "More" Morillo done this.
vendredi 12 octobre 2007
MACHINE "There but the grace of god go I"
MICHAEL JACKSON "Rock with you"
Wonderful Def Mix production remix of this classic tune from M.J.
Frankie Knuckles in full effects !
Frankie Knuckles in full effects !
Publié par monsieurwilly 3 commentaires:
SUN PALACE "Rude movements"
MELBA MOORE "It's a peach melba"
Libellés : Disco 12", Willy's edit
Inscription à : Articles (Atom)


text:
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From industrial welding to fabrication, at Topside Services, we've got you and your needs covered. You see, we've been in the business for a number of years and would love to have you as a loyal customer.
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text: Evening guys! What a lovely evening, well, maybe for you guys I hope!? I've been bed bound again, damn you illness! However, I finally decided to get up, get a shower & wash my hair &.... Straighten it! Like, whatttt!? When do I ever wear my hair straight? Exactly, never. But sometimes change is always good right? :) Also, before my holiday at the beginning of September, I had LVL done to my eyelashes. Have you guys heard of it? I hadn't until my friend had it done & her lashes looked beautiful! LVL stands for 'length, volume & lift', so you don't have to wear those falsies anymore! (I've never been a fan of them anyway really..) & wow, how I loved the result! No need for my eyelash curlers anymore unless I want them super curly but I like the result of them just from LVL. In the pictures above I'm fresh out of the shower, no eyelash curlers, no mascara, no nothing & I'm pretty impressed with my lashes still after all these weeks! Be sure to check it out if applying & removing mascara ruins your life everyday like it does mine! (okay, slight exaggeration haha!) Also, let me apologise for my makeup less pictures showing my blotchy red/freckly face - ain't no body got time for thatttt! Haha! PS. If any of you are from the Manchester area & want to get your lashes done from the same lady as me, she is called Nat Rosenfield & works at Bella Beauty in the Fairways Lodge Leisure Club in Prestwich - she's fabulous!!! :DFollow me on Twitter' | Follow me on Instagram'


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Contraception Matters: How It Keeps
Us from Love and Life
is an excerpt of a talk titled "Why
Contraception Matters: How It Keeps
Us from Love and Life," given by
Steve Patton, director of the Diocesan
Center for Family Life in St. Augustine.
The talk is being distributed by One
More Soul.
used to be, before the contraceptive
revolution, that there was a pretty
clear and firm connection between sex
and marriage. Married people had sex,
unmarried people didn't, or if
they did, they more or less knew that
they weren't supposed to. Most
everybody knew this.
over the course of the 20th century,
as contraception became more socially
accepted, more available, and more effective,
all that began to change. By the time
the sixties rolled around it was becoming
clear, to married and unmarried people
alike, that you didn't have to
be married to have sex. Contraceptive
practice had made sex into a recreational
activity that everyone has a right to.
did this mean for the unmarried? Well,
you probably heard the old saying, "Why
buy the cow when you can get the milk
for free?" Widespread acceptance
and availability of contraception has
led to widespread fornication. Pre-marital
sex is now not only socially acceptable,
but socially respectable. It's
no different among Catholics. About
90% of engaged couples in the U.S. who
come to the Catholic Church for marriage
are already sexually active -- 90%.
Yes, people do still get married, but
in fewer numbers. Why? Well, one of
the reasons a man and woman used to
get married was to start having sex,
and contraception basically removed
that as a reason.
did the contraceptive revolution do
to married people? There are three ways
that it led to an increase in divorce
it's the flip side of what I just
mentioned: If sex is no longer a reason
to get married, then it's also
no longer a reason to stay married.
Anyone can have it. It's pretty
much a commodity. But once sex is removed
from the portrait of all those things
that make marriage unique and valuable,
then a married couple at risk will have
one less reason to try to make it work.
widespread contraceptive practice in
many cases removed another reason that
has traditionally held together married
couples, namely, children. There is
something to be said for a couple trying
to make their marriage work for the
sake of the children. But what happens
when there are no children? More contraception
has led to fewer children, and in many
cases to no children at all. Divorces
naturally followed.
widespread use of contraception by married
couples also led to an increase of adultery.
Once you take away one of the greatest
fears of extra-marital sex -- which
is pregnancy -- you're going to
see an increase of that activity. And
when there is an increase in adultery
there's also going to be an increase
in divorce.
net effect, our culture of sterilized
sex has made marriage on the whole a
less attractive institution to enter
into, and an easier institution to get
out of. It's contributed to the
demise of millions of marriages, both
those that actually took place and those
that should have taken place, but never
to life
does widespread contraception lead to
declining birth rates? Well if the life-giving
potential of sex is pervasively removed
from the picture, a cultural mindset
is gradually fostered in which children
themselves are pervasively removed from
the picture. They tend to be viewed
not as gifts but as liabilities, spoilers
of a pleasurable lifestyle. We might
have one or two, if that would be pleasurable
to us, but after that the norm is to
reject them.
does widespread contraception lead to
widespread abortion? I credit Dr. Jennifer
Roback Morse with summing up the motto
of our culture of sexual liberation
this way, and keep in mind that our
culture of sexual liberation was made
possible only by our culture of contraception:
She says ours is a culture in which,
"all adults are entitled to unlimited
sexual activity without a live baby
resulting." I'll say that
again, "all adults are entitled
to unlimited sexual activity without
a live baby resulting."
Dr. Morse touches upon is our culture's
prevailing disconnection between sex
and babies. Before contraception was
king, the prevailing assumption was
that a baby was a natural consequence
of sex. If you chose to engage in sex,
you knew it could result in a baby.
You might not have wanted that to happen,
but you assumed that it could happen.
If a baby did result, it was because
of your freely chosen action, and so
you were likely, not necessarily, but
likely, to feel a certain kind of responsibility
toward that child.
contraceptive revolution changed all
that. It led to the prevailing assumption
that babies really shouldn't have
anything to do with sex. That is, not
unless you wanted a baby to have something
to do with sex, not unless you allowed
that. Or as Dr. Morse said, not unless
you're into that kind of thing.
couples who think this way do know that
keeping a baby out of the picture doesn't
just happen by itself; you have to do
your part. You have to do something
to the sexual act to make sure that
a baby won't be conceived. That's
what, quote unquote, taking responsibility
for your actions now means with respects
to sexual activity.
if a couple has this kind of attitude,
then when the contraception fails, as
it often does, and there's a pregnancy,
they're not going to tend to think
the baby's there because of their
actions. They're going to tend
to think the baby's there in spite
of their actions. In other words, their
mindset is not so much that this is
their child that they conceived. Rather,
they're going to tend to think
it's an invader that they failed
to repel. This kind of thinking is likely
to foster quite a different sense of
what's the responsible thing to
do next.
I realize, we're not talking about
abortion, yet. Not everyone who smokes
gets lung cancer, and not everyone who
uses contraception goes on to have an
abortion when it fails. What I'm
saying, though, is that contraception,
by its very nature, and as a broad social
phenomenon, tends to incline the heart
of a nation toward abortion. As John
Paul II put it in "Evangelium Vitae,"
Latin for the "Gospel of Life,"
the contraceptive mentality strengthens
the temptation to abort. Contraception
and abortion are not the same thing,
but as John Paul put it, they are as
closely connected as "fruits of
the same tree."


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I've been away. Four days in Vienna and now four days in Budapest. From where I write this. Tomorrow at this time I will be in.........Kilsyth. The day after that, back at my work.
Time passes quickly.
But it still needs to pass.
I've now seen a lot of General Elections. Enough to appreciate their importance.
Less than a month ago there was such an event. And my team lost.
For all the hysteria of Jeremy at Glastonbury, and the "close" vote on the Queen's speech, and now today's anti austerity march, when the dust settles, the Tories will still have won the election. 56 seats more than us. Even piling (improbably) Ian Blackford's Nats (35), the Libs (12) Plaid (4) and the Green (1) into the "progressive" column. still 4 seats more than us all put together. Only with the DUP also on board (10) do "we" take the lead. And of course no reasonable person would ever do a deal with the DUP. At least I think that's right.
But the point is, that's it. For five years on the main stage and probably even four in the Scottish side tent.
Elections get (some) people very excited about politics. So much so that they are reluctant to let go. I have been there myself. In 1979 as a mere boy and, in a different context, 1992. When I should have been old enough to know better.
But eventually you come down to earth. The demonstrations get smaller and the realisation, and resignation, larger. It is over until the next time.
And the next time is now a relatively long time away.
For there is not now going to be a nationwide election (or indeed anything except the occasional by-election) in Scotland until at least 2020. Almost three years away. By which time children not yet even conceived will be potty trained. Spotty kids without a Standard Grade to their name will be at university. Some people will be married to others they haven't yet even met, while others will be divorced from those from whom today they regard themselves as inseparable.
I personally will have made and banked money from the latter. And from those prosecuted for crimes not yet committed together with the victims of accidents not yet to have happened.
And indeed, if the election hiatus stretches to 2021, I might not even be here myself. Having carried through my (theoretical at least) plan to retire in September 2020 and thereafter to retire to Italy.
And last, but by no means least, some of you reading this will almost certainly have shuffled off your mortal coil and joined the choir eternal. Sorry. Well sorry unless you are a Catholic. Or a Prebyterian for whom the spinning coin of predestination has landed the right side up.
I'll probably keep blogging from time to time. About what Nicola will tell the 2018 SNP October Conference. About when the volunteer will go, who will replace her, and how long she'll then allow before rejoinining the SNP. About whether Ruth will ever raise her standard for a march on London and if so who might then rally to it.
But big politics, real politics, is about elections. Who the armies will then comprise, and who their generals then might be, is not unimportant. But it is not the stuff of which a weekly blog is made.
So, I'll see you soon. But perhaps not too soon.


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A major photography project featuring Contact the Elderly guests is on tour throughout the UK.
The exhibition, named If Not Now, was created by photographer Michael Whelan who was inspired by the work the charity does in local communities all over the UK to help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation among older people.
The touching portraits of the older guests make them the stars of the exhibition and each one is paired with a quote sharing their reflections on life, loneliness and how Contact the Elderly has helped them.
This is something which is very much the ethos of Contact the Elderly, making isolated older people feel part of a community again and encouraging people to share their stories and experiences.
Whelan worked with Contact the Elderly groups for six months while creating the project which shows his commitment and passion for the work the charity does.
The project is one of the ways Contact the Elderly is celebrating its Golden Jubilee in 2015. Since its inception in 1965, Contact the Elderly has taken thousands of isolated older people out to tea and established over a million friendship links in communities across England, Scotland and Wales. The portraits capture precious moments from the tea parties that Contact the Elderly have been organising for the past 50 years.
The If Not Now portraits were displayed in The House of Commons in December 2014 and have since been exhibited in galleries in London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Brighton. The exhibition is currently on display in Blackburn.
One of the final destinations for the exhibition will be at St Paul's Cathedral, where a selection of the portraits will be displayed. On 29 October at 7pm Contact the Elderly will hold their Golden Jubilee concert which will be a sumptuous evening of orchestral and choral music and readings from special guests to celebrate 50 years of their work.
Tickets are available through the Barbican Box Office and those who are eager to see the exhibition before it closes can buy to enjoy the concert and see a selection of the portraits.
Find out more about If Not Now and learn more about the Golden Jubilee Concert programme plus special guests.