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21 May 2013
Rainy Walk
The warmer it gets outside, the more I feel the need to get out of the house and just be outside - walking, gardening or just exploring the surroundings. This time I decided to go for a walk right after a proper rainfall, just to have a look if there were any snails around. And - mission successful!!! The snails were out in great numbers, crawling everywhere - in the gardens, on the pavements, walls, fences and trees. I walked a few kilometers and wandered to places where I never went before. It was exciting.
Pictures were taken, mind refreshed, body exercised and soul happy. The only part of me that really suffered were my hiking boots : )
4 comments:
Ahhh... Muddy boots are happy boots! :)ReplyDeleteReplies
And they are still muddy right now, just dried. I might knock it off during my next walk :D :DDelete
Aaaaw I love roman snails ... =3ReplyDelete
I love their shapes, their colors and the soft bympy texture of their skins... Their are part of my favorite snails :}
Great pictures !!! :}
Yes, their skin texture is great, I love how it moves as they move and their muscles contract :) The bumps get closer together and then further away, it is really nice to watch. And also relaxing.ReplyDelete
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The benefits of mindfulness
'Mindfulness' is probably something most people have heard about, but not necessarily tried. It has become a popular topic in recent years and is increasingly being taught to pupils in schools and collages in the UK as a method to deal with exam stress.
Practicing mindfulness or another form of meditation can be hard when we are surrounded by other people and distraction can be a barrier to the effectiveness of these methods. found I got distracted. The development of interactive tools such as an app called 'Headspace' which takes users through a routine of relaxation and being aware of our bodies, the space around us, and our thoughts and emotions makes practicing mindfulness much easier. The app is easy to use and includes different techniques that users can tailor to their needs. You get 10 free sessions with this app, but you can replay them as many times as you like.
People approach, teach and learn about meditation in many different ways. For example, some like to imagine their 'happy place', whereas others like to prefer to focus on the space around them. Mindfulness and this 'app' and others of it's kind can kelp young people cope with pressures of exam periods and other stresses.
Getting plenty of sleep in a regular pattern is also recommended along with exercise as practices that can help reduce stress, at the end of the day it all comes down to balance! Whilst revision and homework are important, so is having some 'me time' so get some time to have a long bath, chill with friends and sleep and why not try some mindfulness techniques!
Sophie Giltinan
Published: Fri, 23/10/2015 - 17:29
Info for young people in the western balkans

subset: commoncrawl


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The Last Goodbye
Tanya Sana Rajkumari *
It was Christmas Eve and everyone in the hostel were in good mood. My room-mate and I were humming songs and doing maths. She was as usual sitting prostrate on her bed and doing. Holding the pencil near my cheek I was trying hard to concentrate on the second equation sir had given us to solve.
We could not go home for the vacation as our tenth board exams were to be held soon and we were not prepared yet. But being Christmas Eve we were going to enjoy no matter what. Suddenly our warden, Ms. G came in.
She hurriedly ushered me to her house. A phone rang after waiting for five minutes.
My mom said " Abok (great grandmother) passed away today ,Tan". Automatically tears poured out; my mom tried to calm me down. I heard the sadness in her voice, and I could sense papa sobbing quietly beside her. Just after keeping the phone Ms. G hugged me and for the first time I realized how much a hug meant.
I could not stop my tears for almost two hours bringing back all those memories she had imprinted in my life.
She was an astute old lady, even without any education she was always accurate with counting days according to the lunar calendar . No one doubted when she pointed out any auspicious or inauspicious dates. Till her deathbed her memory never left her.
I remember growing up on her lap. My mom teased me for a long time because I had apparently bitten abok's arm once when I was an infant. She always came to pick me up from the school bus- stop. Sometimes she had to bear my tantrums when I was not allowed to eat the locally made fruit stuffs.
Cutting my favourite fruits grown from our fruit orchard was what she did to make up for not allowing to eat street food. It was always her cutting fruits as we ate. Her reaction was always the same, smiling, eating only the smallest piece. If we insisted her to eat a little more she would say " My stomach is full looking at you relish".
As I grew up I realized how tasty her simple meals were that she sometimes cooked for us before going to school or just after coming back. For bed time stories it was never folk tales. It was always stories of the war time( World War II) when she was a young girl, having just married.
Through her tales I got to know for the first time that Imphal was a battlefield long before I read it in books. It was with her that I watched the Mahabharata and Ramayan on television every Sunday.
She knew the stories well even without understanding Hindi and she would explain the significance of the characters and the roles they played. I have never been very religious but I had so much respect for her that I could not say no to any of the things she wanted me to do.
We would always obediently mutter "Jai Shree Radha Govinda" as the neighbourhood temple bell rang just as evening set in. Seeing us pray our pet dogs would howl and seemed like they too obeyed her just the same. She is the only reason why I still appreciate Hinduism.
I remember the last time I saw her; she was sitting on the courtyard looking at us with misty eyes. We were leaving Imphal , my dad had got transferred to Delhi. She looked at us and said "I don't know when I would see you all again". "This may be the last time I would be able to see you all". It was a tearful departure and we prayed her words would not come true. Yet it did and she left us after a brief illness on December 24th 2004.
I still cannot believe that she left us such a long time ago yet missing her is something that I cannot help with her smiling face appearing in my mind every now and then. I was supposed to have gone for the Puja break home that year. But blockade on the highway made sure I stayed behind.
The thought of not having met her for one last time and saying "abok I am home" like I used to whenever she came out to receive me made me mourn all the more.
* Tanya Sana Rajkumari contributed this short story to e-pao.net
The writer can be contacted at tanyasara(at)gmail(dot)com
This article was posted on October 18, 2012.
* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.


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"In marriage, always remember the 3 important RINGS.. engagement ring, wedding ring & suffering."
While I was reading the group chat conversation with my friends, I was smiling while they were chattering about these 3 important rings.
One said, "I didn't receive engagement ring, and I threw my wedding ring and now I just received all the sufferings."
Another said, "I have all the rings, especially the suffering."
I know it is a common problem in marriage, but they are trying to handle it with humor and optimism, maybe because they used to it, couldn't do anything to change it or, they fully understand that there are better things to do than to be depressed about something that you can't even control.
Life is good, only when you realize your worth.


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This year during the Christmas season my services and preaching will be looking beyond the hype to focus towards the cross. My son said I was confused talking about Easter at Christmas time! Yet there is a danger if we don't give our services a bit of body then they become nothing more than a Starbucks coffee that doesn't go beyond the initial froth! To that end I was reminded of this image I shot whilst walking the path of the pilgrims in Northern Spain. It isn't the best quality shot I will ever take, but the subject matter struck me on my journey to Santiago. Mary holds baby Jesus whilst both hang on a cross, leaving the onlooker with a disturbed impression. No donkey, shepherd or Magi in this image but it eloquently portrays the reality of God incarnate.
How easy it is to skirt over certain parts of the Christmas story to make it palatable to our ears. The contrast can be found in the poem, "Innocent's Song" by Charles Causley which shares the reality that some suffered greatly at the birth of Jesus through the jealous hands of Herod. I will be using this challenging poem in my carol services this year.
Perhaps the poem and the "Cross of Mary" will help me balance Christmas better and offer a message that lasts longer than a Starbucks coffee!


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Episode 2 – "Not Impressed"
Chrenny has impregnated the beast known as iTunes with their podcasty seed.
Episode 1 – "I Am So Full Of Hate"
Welcome to Chrenny's Garden of Delights. We are recording our first podcast tonight. This excites us. We hope to share it with you soon.


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The Spanish national anthem has no words, as I noted in a previous post last June.
Fearful that winning athletes would have nothing to sing as their anthem was played, the Spanish Olympic Committee created a contest to find a suitable text. The committee received thousands of entries, and a team of experts made their choice yesterday. The winner was to be revealed at the Committee's annual dinner on January 21, when it would be sung by tenor Plácido Domingo.But the verses were leaked to the press yesterday. Few people have liked them. One politician called the words "antiquated," and others complained about excessive nationalism, musty generalities, and a failure to mention the Crown. The morning news was led off by recordings people on the street giggling and singing.
To get these words approved, petitions with 500,000 signatures must be presented to the Spanish Congress, which must then vote on the measure.
Here's the words and my translation, which will most certainly not be the official one.
¡Viva España!Cantemos todos juntoscon distinta vozy un solo corazón
Hooray for Spain!Let's all sing togetherwith different voicesand only one heart
¡Viva España!desde los verdes vallesal inmenso mar,un himno de hermandad
Hooray for Spain!From the green valleysto the immense sea,an anthem of brotherhood
Ama a la Patriapues sabe abrazar,bajo su cielo azul,pueblos en libertad
Love the Homelandsince it knows how to embrace,under its blue sky,people in freedom
Gloria a los hijosque a la Historia danjusticia y grandezademocracia y paz
Glory to its sons and daughterswho give to Historyjustice and grandeur,democracy and peace


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A La Cañada resident of 37 years, Dr. John Tyler Phillips passed away in the early morning hours of Monday, Feb. 7, at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena.
With him were his wife Patricia, six of his seven children, the spouses of his children and several of his eight grandchildren.
Dr. Phillips, known to many as JT, was born on Dec. 22, 1920 in Paducah, Kentucky. After growing up in Washington, D.C. and attending the prestigious Dunbar High School established for the benefit of gifted African American children, he entered Dartmouth College at the age of 16. In his interview at admission, the admissions counselor noted for the file "While only 16, with 17th birthday in December, the boy is well poised and there is nothing youthful in his reactions."


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Quinsigamond Village (GNIS FID: 610679) is a populated place LOCATED WITHIN the City of Worcester. In turn, the City of Worcester is located within Worcester County.
Quinsigamond Village is located at latitude 42.229 and longitude -71.797. The elevation of Quinsigamond Village is 502 feet above mean sea level.
Since Quinsigamond Village is located within the City of Worcester, all of the census and demographic data for residents of Quinsigamond Village are included as part of the information reported for City of Worcester in the "Profile" tab above.
Worcester County: Subdivisions (MCDs) | Cities & Towns | ZIP Codes | Features (airports, churches, hospitals, etc.)
BIG Map |
Driving Directions |
Data Source - USGS GNIS FID: 610679
BOUNDARY MAPS: City of Worcester | Worcester County
Worcester, MA
(2.4 miles N)
Oxford, MA (8.5 miles SSW)
Westborough, MA (9.7 miles ENE)
Spencer, MA (10.1 miles W)
Northborough, MA (10.1 miles NE)
Whitinsville, MA
(10.6 miles SE)
Upton, MA (10.7 miles ESE)
East Douglas, MA (11.7 miles SSE)
Rutland, MA (12.4 miles NW)
East Brookfield, MA (12.8 miles W)
Oakland Heights, MA
(< 0.1 mile)
Pakachoag, MA (< 0.1 mile)
College Hill, MA (< 0.1 mile)
South Worcester, MA (1.4 miles NW)
Sunderland, MA (1.4 miles NE)
Whispering Pines Estates Mobile Home Park, MA
(1.4 miles S)
Windbrook Acres Mobile Home Park, MA (1.4 miles SSW)
Vernon Hill, MA (1.4 miles N)
Rice Square, MA (1.4 miles NNE)
Island, MA (1.4 miles NNW)


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Electronics Designers Hub
Welcome to your online community. Please subscribe to post and read and keep up to date with everything you need to know about PIE. If you have a specific question, please post in the forum and Ask the Experts, the most appropriate of whom will reply to you.
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Adria Mitchell, Sales Account Manager, ILSI America - MMD - Ecliptek, answers your questions about Passive Components (Frequency Control Crystals & Oscillators)
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Peter Leary, Sales Applications Engineer, International Manufacturing Services (IMS) Inc. answers your questions about Passive Components Resistors (Wraparound Thick, Thin & Metal Foil Resistors)
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Why is it that when you sit down either for dinner or to watch a movie that is when the phone will ring or when people will come to the door needing asking for help with a room for the night, gas for their car, and/or money for food?
I can sit and watch mindless TV all night and never have a single interruption. But schedule a family movie night and guaranteed the phone will ring.
Last night Rev and I had planned to watch a movie. Hence our house all of a sudden became Grand Central Station. I have to admit that the Rev always handles it really well. One of the people needed a room and then asked if we happened to have a hairbrush too. She was in luck. I had bought the kid a hairbrush that wasn't the "right" kind so we proceeded to provide her with that as well.
The interruptions did provide me with an opportunity to put dishes in the dishwasher (we ate during the movie) and also with a needed bathroom break so I guess all is not lost.
**As a side note, I went home for lunch today and the hairbrush that we had given out was propped up on the doorknob. Guess we didn't make ourselves clear that she could keep it.
Friday, July 18, 2008
unexpected interruptions
Posted by The Lovely Wife at 8:50 AM
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The Adventurer's Guild
Lorraine Weller
Madame of the Jenny's Guild
Madame of the Jenny's Guild and holder of a current Chair in the Vendel League. A patron of the Rose & Cross. Formerly a prostitute and then madam in Carleon, rising to the head of the Avalon Guild. Thought to be the daughter of country gentry.
Lorraine is 34 years old now and still quite attractive, though she never considered herself beautiful. She has recently discovered gray hair, and covers it with expensive dyes from Montaigne and Vodacce. She has a placid, perpetually calm facade, which surrounds her with an air of personal mystery. She has few close friends (though her two childhood companions came to Vendel with her: they are on her staff), but she entertains regularly and well. Her political skills can match anyone on the Council, and she has finally achieved the status she so dearly desired. The cost to her soul has yet to fully sink in.
Lorraine was born and raised the third daughter of Avalon country gentry. Her father was mayor of her hometown, and she and her sisters were widely known and well-liked. Lorraine grew into a pretty young woman, and thought of little more than the next party her father would host, and which boys would be in attendance.
On the eve of her fifteenth birthday, while taking a shortcut home, she and a group of other youths stopped to help a group of traveling peddlers whose cart had lost a wheel. The young men set about helping the old merchant, as the young ladies looked on. Suddenly, the old man revealed his true nature. He was the leader of a group of outlaws, most of whom had hidden themselves when they heard the young group approach. The thieves fell on the group of unsuspecting teens savagely, beating boy and girl alike, and stealing necklaces, rings, handkerchiefs, and anything else of value. One of the boys fought back, and managed to stab a cutthroat in the belly. At this, the remaining members of the outlaw band grew enraged. They killed the boys, and left the young ladies wishing they had been killed as well.
The girls made their way back into town and a posse was organized. The locals caught and hanged the thieves, but the girls would never be the same. Lorraine, and the others who were there that day, were disgraced. No longer did the boys flirt with them. No longer were they asked to dance. No longer were they considered marriageable. A year after the "incident," one of Lorraine's friends stole her father's pistol and shot herself rather than live with the shame. The town's general opinion following the suicide proved even more devastating. No one seemed to care, and indeed, some even showed signs of happiness that such a disgraced girl would no longer be around to sully the town's good name.
Lorraine gathered the other two girls who had shared her fate that ghastly day. The three agreed that no one cared about them anymore, and swore eternal loyalty to one another. They ran away together to Carleon, and none of the three was surprised when no one pursued them.
In Carleon, their complete lack of vocational skill quickly led them to the world's oldest profession. Lorraine was disgusted; she hated being seen as a mindless object, and vowed to herself that she would someday be rich and powerful, able to control the actions of others without having to satisfy their intimate desires first. She applied herself, and quickly mastered not just the functional applications, but also the trade and its attendant logistic skills. In time, she became the head of Avalon's Jenny's Guild, the youngest ever at 25.
While in her position as head madam, she received a private visit from Kaatje Fanse, the sitting Council Chair of the Vendel Jenny's Guild. Madame Fanse was looking for a personal assistant, and had heard of Lorraine's organizational ability and personal drive. Lorraine leapt at the chance to expand her power, and readily accepted a position on Madame Fanse's staff.
Lorraine never expected to hold a chair on Vendel's ruling Council. She was a foreigner, after all. She was just as surprised as everyone else when Madame Fanse retired, and named Madame Weller as her successor. Lorraine has not held her seat long — less than five years, in fact. Still, in that time she has forged the Jennys, once considered members of the council solely for their entertainment ability, into a cohesive voice for gender equality and workplace safety.


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Jan Leopold (970) 389-3714
A Valentine's Thank You
The saying goes "Home is where your heart is." This being true, then our heart's desire is to find our clients their perfect home. Thank you to all our past clients and our future clients for allowing us to help you find your heart's home. All of us at Slifer Smith and Frampton in Breckenridge make your desires in a Summit County home our foremost priority. We have relationships with local real estate companies and can set appointment for visits to your potential future home quickly. We continually scan the Breckenridge properties for sale to find our clients the home their heart is looking for. Because of our attention to our client's desires and our attention to detail, our clients refer their friends and family to us. Thank you to the many who have already referred someone, and thank you to the many future clients who will put their trust in us to help them walk through Breckenridge homes for sale to find their perfect Colorado mountain property. You are the heart of our business, and we pride ourselves on helping you find the right place to call home.
May this valentine's weekend be filled with joy, love and laughter as you celebrate with those you hold closest to your heart. May your home in Summit County be your heart's home. And if you're out there looking for the right place to call home, we would be honored to be your partner in the finding of your perfect place. We look forward to chatting with you whether you are looking for a Breckenridge townhome, condo, ranch, or luxury property. Find out what it's like to be able to call your realtor a friend. Happy Valentines Day to all, we look forward to chatting soon.


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Designed with space saving and ease-of-use in mind. A large zipped front compartment opens the front of the Rucksack to make access and managing gear simple and a zipped 'lid' gives you access when stood upright. Six large, deep external pockets feature mesh stash pockets. Three Neoprene carry handles make transporting the rucksack easy when fully loaded. Plus, a built-in PVC cover protects the Rucksack's fully adjustable padded Neoprene chest and waist harness when used flat as a 'barrow bag'.
More information
Chapmans Angling
Customer Support
© 2019 Chapmans Angling
Find out more about Chapmans Angling finance
To purchase this product on finance choose "V12 Finance" as your payment option during checkout.


text: The Australian and New Zealand Olive Industry Directory is an invaluable industry resource that includes comprehensive listings, updated annually, of olive growers and producers, contract processors, suppliers and organisations. There's also a Buyers' Guide (your one-stop supply shop), calendar of events, statistics and an annual overview of the industry in both Australia and New Zealand. This is distributed nationally and internationally as part of the Olivegrower & Processor subscription package and also via individual purchases.


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This blog contains an assortment of stories, pictures, and information about the lives and ancestry Richard Eric Smith and his siblings, Joan Ramme Smith Whiting, Robert Archer Smith, Margery Mae Smith Leach and Madelon Smith. Use the pedigree chart below to find the names of ancestors. (You can "right click" and print the chart, too.) Click on a name under "See Posts of Specific Ancestors" to quickly learn more about an individual. Keep checking back for more information to be added.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Richard Eric Smith - High School Graduation Photo
Richard Eric Smith graduated from Eastern High School. If you look closely you can see "Archie" written in the lower right hand corner of the photo. Richard was seldom called by his first name. Most knew him as "Smitty" and "Archie".
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Welcome to LakeQuest!
Many of you are already familiar with Lake Lignanore's
annual LakeQuest, but for those who are
not, it is a wonderful way for you and your family
to get to know our beautiful neighborhoods and
scenic trails.
2018 brings new boxes to find and coordinates to follow starting May 1 (available at lakelinganore.com/quests).
2018 LakeQuest
New 2018 Quests are available May 1 until October 31 in the form of Letterboxes and Geocaches. Learn more and start questing at: www.lakelinganore.org/quests/.
2018 LakeQuest Prize Packages
1. "Out on the Water" (Trailblazer 100 NXT Kayak)
2. "Throw Down" (KanJam Disc Game)
3. "Catching Shade" (10FT x 10FT Instant Up Canopy)
How to be entered
•Each registered find is one entry
•The first 5 people to find a letterbox or geocache and register their find (lakelinganore.org/quests for registering instructions), will receive a LakeQuest bag and an extra entry into a prize package. There will be a specific stamp (letterbox) and phrase on the log (geocache) members will have to record when registering
to be entered.
•Anyone who submits a letterbox or geocache that is approved and placed will receive a LakeQuest bag (until bags run out) and two entries to the 2018 prize package. Learn how to submit at lakelinganore.org/quests.
•The first ten people to locate and register the 2018 original eight (total) letterboxes and geocaches will receive two additional entries to the 2018 prize packages.
What is LakeQuest?
LakeQuest is a unique opportunity for Lake Linganore residents to get outside and take advantage of all the wonderful amenities our community has to offer. Quests encourage you (or your team) to explore self-guided challenges called "Quests" at Lake Linganore's trails, lakes, and other natural amenities. 2018's LakeQuest begins May 1 and can be found here: QUESTS
Who can participate?
LakeQuest is intended to get folks out to explore and enjoy the trails, lakes, and natural amenities in our community. Quests are for all ages: each household within the Lake Linganore community can participate in LakeQuest.
What are Quests?
Quests are mini-adventures that will encourage exploring Linganore's trails, lakes, and other natural amenities and require teams to complete a challenge. Over the years, these challenges typically incorporate fun puzzles about history, ecology, wildlife, conservation, amenities, outdoor skills, and principles, or other similar topics into physical outdoor activities on our trails and waterways (such as hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, or exploring a stream or other natural amenity). You can find Quest instructions on the side bar (either past Logbook Quests or current Letterboxes and Geocaches).
2018 Quests are in the form of Letterboxes and Geocaches (learn more below).
What are Letterboxing and Geocaching?
Letterboxing are is a treasure hunt, of sorts, that takes place in parks, forests, and cities around the world. Questers use clues to find Letterboxes carefully hidden in out of the way places, and sometimes not so out of the way places. Inside every box is your prize, which is often a stamp that has been hand carved by the creator of the box. Once you have found what you seek, you stamp your prize into your logbook and leave a stamp of your own and a note for the creator to let them know how much you appreciated the fun adventure they took you on.
Geocaches is a not unlike letterboxing, except instead of using clues to find your treasure, players use GPS coordinates and GPS-enabled devices, such as smart phones. Once you have entered the coordinates into your device it will assist you in finding your cache; caches range in size, so you have to have a keen eye and thoroughly search the area for your prize. Some boxes can be so small that they only have room for a small roll of paper, and some boxes are big enough to hold a logbook and various items or trinkets that players can exchange. Just like Letterboxing, once you have entered your find into both logbooks (yours and the box) you have to be sure to place them back exactly as you found them to ensure that the next player that comes along has the same great experience that you had!
We hope this quick guide has piqued your interest and invite you to check out the following websites for more information on these exciting hobbies: www.atlasquest.com and www.geocaching.com.
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|21 Jan 2011
W7 problem with missing icons on desktop....
I am running a laptop with W7, which I got about 9 months ago. Originally when I booted/rebooted a number of icons/shortcuts appeared across the top part of the desktop. These included icons for Internet Explorer, Movies, Games etc . Mysteriously they no longer appear.
Does anyone know what this toolbar is called? I use the word Toolbar loosely, as Im not sure if this is what it is known as and I dont want people to think I mean something different as its nothing to do with the system tray or the taskbar. I would like to search Goggle myself for a solution to this mystery, but I cant find the correct name to investigate it.
Has anyone had a similar experience or know of a solution to make these icons reappear for me?
|My System Specs
|21 Jan 2011
You might have had what is called the "Dell Dock" take a look here and see if it looks like what you're trying to explain: The Dell Dock, by Stardock : Powered by ObjectDock
|My System Specs
|21 Jan 2011
Windows 10 Education 64 bit
Right click on your desktop and got to "View" and see if "Show desktop icons" is checked. Also right click on your desktop and select Personalize. Then click "Change desktop icons" in the upper left. Now look to see if the icons in question are checked.
|My System Specs
|23 Jan 2011
Sorry for the delay in getting back and thank you for both replies.
It was, in fact, the Stardock mentioned by "ie9" that I was referring to, something I'd never heard of before. I haven't a clue how I made it disappear, but I've re-downloaded now from the link provided and I'm back to normal again.
So thank you again for the solution.....absolute fanastic Board, as usual!!
|My System Specs
|23 Jan 2011
Glad to hear you've got everything sorted out Toppers :)
|My System Specs
|Thread Tools
|Similar help and support threads
problem with icons on taskbar (wrong icons or missing icons)
Hi all (I'm italian, excuse me for my bad english). I have a pc with windows 7 home premium 64 bit. I have a problem with some icons on taskbar: sometimes some applications are displaying the wrong icons, sometimes, as you can see (screenshot), I don't see some icons: sometimes a few are missing...
|Performance & Maintenance
Missing Desktop Icons
Wasn't this way when I turned my computer off earlier. Anyone know why this might happen? http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3055511/7%20forums%20stuff/Start%20Menu%20Icon.png
missing desktop icons ??
Realized three or four desktop icons are just gone. I have looked at the desktop/view & "show icons" is checked. I have looked at C;/Users/..../desktop & they are not there. No big deal as I can recreate them as needed but why? thanks, fmg
|General Discussion
Desktop Icons Missing
When I save a file to the desktop it doesn't show up. I open windows explorer and it is indeed there, but the icon does not show when I go to the desktop. Only after I re-boot will it show. Can anyone help? Thanks.
|General Discussion
desktop icons missing
after upgrading from vista to windows 7 a lot of my desktop icons are missing (about half?). any ideas on how i might get them back?
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Novozymes as a responsible supply chain partner
Today, there is an increasing pressure on our customers to act responsibly beyond company borders, throughout the supply chain. In Novozymes, sustainability is integrated in the core of our business and we can therefore be considered a responsible supply chain partner.
Being a responsible supply chain partner
In Novozymes, sustainability is integrated into our everyday business practices. Therefore, our customers can trust in us as a responsible supply chain partner. We have ambitious targets for our performance in 2015 on water, energy and CO2 efficiency.
You can see in our annual report how we progress on our targets: [link to targets in AR2011]
Moreover we have a strong organizational setup in place to assure integration of sustainability into all business functions. Our cross-functional Sustainability Development Board consisting of Vice president level representatives assure the trickle down of sustainability initiatives into their respective parts of the organization. Learn more about sustainable practices in Novozymes here [link to "3. How to integrate sustainability]
Our products create sustainability for our customers
Novozymes biotechnological solutions contribute to a responsible supply chain by substituting toxic chemicals and reducing raw materials and energy in our customers' production. This has a twofold benefit: first of all, our solutions can support our customers' green claims of having a responsible supply chain management system. Learn more here: [link to 2.2 green claims]
Secondly, our solutions can help our customers save costs on e.g. energy usage and raw materials. Learn more here: [link to 2.1: Cost savings]
We take responsible sourcing seriously
Our customers can think of us as a responsible supply chain partner because we look for risk and opportunities in both our in-house activities and in the activities of our suppliers.
Novozymes works with a comprehensive supplier program with integrated evaluation of sustainability, quality, and commercial performance. The system covers all aspects of management from approval of new suppliers to performance evaluation.
The objectives of the program are:
• To systematically assess opportunities to improve performance and mitigate risk in our supply chain
• To mitigate risks in order of importance and opportunity
We assess new and existing suppliers in our supplier evaluation system covering commercial, quality and sustainability performance, with target coverage of at least 90% of total spend at all times. Significant suppliers have been screened on different sustainability measures such as human rights issues.
As we move along, the ambition is that this program will grow into a supplier development and collaboration program. Read more on our responsible supply chain management program here: [link to "responsible purchasing" and link to "supplier management" at sourcing site].
© 2019 nzcomtestside


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Aerospace suppliers haggle over price of a takeover expected to surpass $20 billion
This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (August 8, 2017).
Continue Reading Below
United Technologies Corp. has made an approach to acquire Rockwell Collins Inc., but the two aerospace suppliers are still wrangling over the price of a takeover that would exceed $20 billion, said people familiar with the matter.
United Technologies recently made an initial offer of less than $140 a share, according to a person familiar with the matter. The two sides are still in discussions and it is unclear whether the talks will result in an agreement, the people said.
The timing of the discussions is unusual as they come just a few months after Rockwell Collins closed on its $6.4 billion purchase of B/E Aerospace. United Tech executives have said recently that they are looking for potential acquisitions, but suggested they would focus on smaller deals.
Rockwell Collins had a $19.4 billion market value as of Friday's close. The company's share price rose 6.8% to $127.07 on Monday, after earlier reports of the discussions. Shares of United Technologies fell 2.4% to $118.52.
A deal would increase United Technologies' role as a significant supplier to Boeing Co. and Airbus SE as the aerospace industry boosts production for a new generation of jets. The company already owns one of the world's biggest jet-engine makers, Pratt & Whitney, and an aerospace division that makes parts such as wheels and landing gears.
Rockwell specializes in cockpit displays and communications systems for passenger jets and military programs. In April, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, company closed its acquisition of B/E Aerospace, a maker of plane seats and interiors. The deal added almost $3 billion in annual sales to a company with $5.3 billion in revenue.
In June, United Technologies Chief Executive Greg Hayes told analysts the company, which had about $7 billion in cash, was looking to spend roughly $1 billion on acquisitions this year.
"As far as bigger M&A, it's something we always look at, but I am reluctant to go out and pay some of the prices that we see today," Mr. Hayes said at the Paris Air Show.
The Farmington, Conn., company also manufactures Otis elevators and Carrier air conditioners, but more than half of its $15.28 billion in second-quarter revenue came from its jet-engine and aerospace divisions. United Technologies sold its Sikorsky helicopter business to Lockheed Martin Corp. in 2015.
Analysts at William Blair said a takeover of Rockwell Collins would make "tremendous strategic sense" as it would expand United Technologies' most profitable business with little overlap. But the firm thinks a deal is unlikely because United Technologies management has said it is interested in smaller transactions.
Several analysts said they wouldn't expect significant antitrust issues with a merger, but airplane makers might voice concerns about any consolidation among their suppliers. Both companies are also major Pentagon suppliers.
Nigel Coe, analyst with Morgan Stanley, said the combination has little overlap in the airplane parts the companies make. Rockwell's portfolio includes displays, seating and communications, while United Technology provides electrical systems, wheels and engine controls.
The deal comes as the aerospace sector is looking at increased competition from its own customers. Engine makers -- like United Technologies' Pratt & Whitney division -- typically sell the huge machines with little or no profit but then make up the money by selling decades of servicing and parts. But Boeing and Airbus have been nudging their way into that aftermarket business to capture some of that profit -- a strategy that puts them on a collision course with suppliers.
"Further consolidation among aerospace suppliers would be a natural reaction to the airframers' efforts to shift industry profitability towards them," Credit Suisse analyst Julian Mitchell said.
Boeing recently created a new unit to develop and build aircraft avionics systems, focusing on equipment for future products but moving deeper into the territory of Rockwell Collins and Honeywell International Inc.
Meanwhile, Honeywell is reviewing whether to break off its own aerospace division by autumn, after activist Third Point LLC made a public push for a spinoff. The division, Honeywell's largest, also supplies parts for Airbus and Boeing jets along with engines for aircraft made by Bombardier Inc. and Textron Inc.
Thomas Gryta
contributed to this article.
Write to Dana Mattioli at email@example.com and Joann S. Lublin at firstname.lastname@example.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 08, 2017 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)


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Further to my recent post comparing the performance of a WebAssembly module written in Rust to plain JavaScript and WebGL shaders for rendering the Mandelbrot set, I have added an additional example comparing the performance of WebAssembly and plain JavaScript… click to read more
I have recently been learning The Rust programming language and I absolutely love it! Rust is a systems-level language (like C and C++) which provides compile-time guarantees about memory safety and safe concurrent behaviour. Readers of my Cybersecurity and technology blogs will know… click to read more
It has been quite a while since I created the Shared Canvas, so I decided it was a good time for an upgrade...
So here is Shared Canvas, mark 2! Well almost; it's still an early alpha and there's a lot still left to do. But feel… click to read more
As you may or may not know, I am currently working on a game called Mendel's Farm with the rest of the team at Static Games. Over the last couple of days I have been thinking about various ways of adding AI-controlled actors to the game and how best… click to read more
For a recent university assignment, I needed to create many different textures for both 3D models and surfaces. I wanted to create normal maps for each of these but I didn't know how to do it.
I decided therefore to experiment with different approaches including photographing a… click to read more


text: REAL ESTATE Quarterly 1 - April 2017 Dear Reader, We produce a quarterly newsletter to keep you updated on legal developments and important trends in the real estate sector. In this issue, we address the following topics: - Real Estate Investment and Taxation - Hotel City Tax in Brussels - Transfer taxes in case of cancellation of a sale agreement – Status in the three Regions - Real Estate Management - Overview 2016 case-law on leases - Proposal for a reform of the co-ownership rules - Registration of the property administrator (syndicus / syndic) mandatory as of 1 April 2017 - Real Estate Development - Integrated environmental permit in the Flemish Region - New town planning rules in Wallonia: the CoDT bis We hope this will be useful to you. Christophe Laurent 2 Hotel City Tax in Brussels Antoine Béchaimont In our last Real Estate Quarterly, we mentioned the transfer of the current "City Tax" from the Municipalities to the Region for harmonisation purposes. The Ordinance entered into force on 1 January 2017 and the tax is due as from 1 February 2017. Taxpayer and amount of the tax The tax amounts to 0.0892 EUR per night and per room occupied by a tourist. The rate decreases to 0.0669 EUR in case of home-based accommodation (maximum 5 rooms). The VAT is charged at a rate of 6% when the tax is recharged to the tourist. The tax is due on a monthly basis by the operator of the tourist accommodation, but the owner of the accommodation can be jointly liable for the tax if (i) the operator is insolvent (in case of consistent evidences leading to a suspicion of collusion between the owner and the operator), or (ii) the operator remains unknown. The Ordinance is unclear about the taxation of operator(s) located in Brussels but managing tourist accommodation(s) in the Flemish or the Walloon Region. However, based on the principle of territoriality, Brussels should not be allowed to tax tourist accommodations that are not located on its territory. Intermediaries as Booking.com and AirBnB shall be invited to provide the Regional tax administration with available information about the operators, subject to penalties. A "choice" for the Municipalities At choice, the Municipalities can replace their current City Tax with an additional taxation on the new Regional tax (opcentiemen / centimes additionnels). As the case may be, Brussels shall take care of the collection of the tax on behalf of the Municipalities, for free. Parliamentary documents explain however that Brussels already agreed on the transfer of the City Tax with all Municipalities for budgetary reasons. If the City Tax as such is a Regional tax nondeductible expense for corporate income tax purposes in the hands of the taxpayer, the additional taxation to be redistributed to the Municipalities remains deductible for tax purposes. * * * Transfer taxes in case of cancellation of a sale agreement – Status in the three Regions Antoine Béchaimont Brussels Following the Flemish and Walloon Regions, Brussels finally introduced the possibility to cancel an agreement related to the transfer of a real estate asset without adverse tax consequences. Before this possibility, the transfer taxes of 12.50% were due at the signature of the (private) sale agreement, and the reimbursement as such could only occur pursuant to a proper judgment pronouncing the cancellation of the agreement. Moreover, the cancellation without this judgment Real Estate Investment and Taxation 3 could also lead to the collection of transfer taxes for a second transfer (assumption of sale-back to the initial seller). - Specific fixed duty of 10 EUR In case of agreement acting the transfer of (i) the full ownership of a real estate asset, (ii) a right to build, or (iii) an usufruct, parties have one year to submit a mutual cancellation of the agreement to the relevant tax administration. As the case may be, the mutual cancellation agreement shall be subject to a specific fixed duty of 10 EUR, and the transfer taxes of 12.50% (i) shall not be payable anymore, or (ii) shall be refunded in case they have already been paid to the tax administration. This new regime is also applicable in case of cancellation by operation of a condition subsequent within one year from the execution of the initial transfer agreement, subject to an authentic deed being submitted to the tax administration. - Entry into force This possibility applies to any (private) sale agreement concluded since 29 December 2016. Legal sharing, donation and swap of real estate assets are also aimed by the law. Flanders and Wallonia Similar mechanisms already exist since 2007 in the Flemish Region and since 2009 in the Walloon Region: a fixed duty of 10 EUR shall be paid for the (private) sale agreement and for the cancellation agreement. If transfer taxes have already been paid, they can be refunded provided the fulfilment of certain conditions. The scope of the Walloon regime is slightly broader and the implementation conditions of both mechanisms are not exactly similar but both enable, for some time already and in an easy way, the cancellation of a private (sale) agreement almost for free and without legal proceedings being required. 4 Overview 2016 case law on leases Lien Bellinck Judgement dated 8 January 2016 / Breach of safety, health and housing quality requirements – In its judgement dated 8 January 2016, the tribunal of first instance of East-Flanders (section Ghent) confirmed that in case someone rents out a house which does not comply with the safety, health and housing quality requirements mentioned in article 5, par. 1 of the Flemish Housing Code and article 2, par. 1 of the Residential Lease Act of 22 February 1991, the object of the residential lease agreement is unlawful as contrary to public policy. In such case, the residential lease agreement is incurably void (absoluut nietig / de nullité absolue) and the lease payments must be repaid to the tenant. The tenant must however pay an occupancy fee (bezettingsvergoeding / indemnité d'occupation) for the period during which he/she used the house. Arrest dated 1 February 2016 / Renewal of commercial lease - Pursuant to article 14 of the Commercial Lease Act, tenants have the right to request the landlord to renew their commercial lease agreements by sending a registered letter or bailiff's writ as from 18 to 15 months prior to the end of the lease. The request must contain the conditions of the new lease and mention that the landlord will be deemed to agree to the renewal and conditions if he does not respond within a period of 3 months. In the case at hand, the tenant requested the landlord to renew the commercial lease agreement by two registered letters sent in the course of the 18th month prior to the end of the lease. The registered letters were returned unopen, stating "absent" and "not present". The tenant however waited to inform the landlord about his request for renewal until the end of the 15th month prior to the end of the lease, so that the presumption in article 14 would apply. Given the fact that the parties had a commercial relationship and kept in touch almost every week, the Court of Cassation ruled in its arrest dated 1 February 2016 that the tenant's conduct constitutes an abuse of right. Judgement dated 4 February 2016 / AirBnB - On 4 February 2016, the Justice of the Peace of Bruges pronounced the first judgement in Belgium regarding the lease of premises through AirBnB. It was decided that the putting at disposal of leased premises through AirBnB by a tenant to a third party qualifies as a sublease. Such sublease is not permitted if the law (in the case at hand: article 4, par. 2 of the Residential Lease Act) and/or the principal lease agreement prohibits sublease or the sublease happens without having obtained the prior consent of the landlord. Arrest dated 29 February 2016 / Precarious occupation – In its arrest dated 29 February 2016, the Court of Cassation confirmed that a landlord can conclude a precarious occupation agreement with his tenant at the end of a commercial lease agreement in order to give the tenant the possibility to sell his stocks and to find another business location. Such precarious occupation agreement does not circumvent the mandatory provisions of the Commercial Lease Act. Judgement dated 1 March 2016 / Termination of lease – In the case at hand, a couple concluded a lease agreement stipulating that both of them shall be jointly and severally liable for the obligations resulting from the lease agreement. In his judgement dated 1 March 2016, the Justice of the Peace of Aalst (1st subdistrict) confirmed that in case one of the tenants terminates the lease agreement, he or she remains jointly and severally liable for breaches of the lease agreement. Real Estate Management 5 Arrest dated 3 March 2016 / Liability for loss due to fire – Pursuant to article 1733 of the Civil Code, tenants are liable for damages caused by fire, except if they can prove that the fire is caused without any fault on their part. In its arrest dated 3 March 2016, the Court of Appeal of Liège confirmed that such proof can be "positive" (i.e. proof of the external cause (vreemde oorzaak / cause étrangère)) or "negative" (i.e. proof that the fire could only be caused by an external cause). In the case at hand, the fire was caused by a defect of the internal electrical supply system of the dishwasher in the leased premises. The Court of Appeal ruled that such defect qualifies as a "hidden defect" for which the landlord is responsible (article 1721 of the Civil Code) so that the tenant cannot be held liable. Arrest dated 29 April 2016 / Renewal of commercial lease – As mentioned above, article 14 of the Commercial Lease Act provides that tenants have the right to request their landlords to renew their commercial lease agreements by sending a registered letter or bailiff's writ as from 18 to 15 months prior to the end of the lease. The request must contain the conditions of the new lease and mention that the landlord will be deemed to agree to the renewal and conditions if he does not respond within a period of 3 months. In its arrest dated 29 April 2016, the Court of Cassation ruled that the rent proposed by the tenant must be "serious", that is to say that the rent must be likely to be taken into consideration by the landlord. Moreover, the Court confirmed that, in case renewal occurs due to the absence of any response of the landlord, the conditions of the new lease must comply with the law. Since article 1709 of the Civil Code provides that a lease agreement is "a contractual agreement between a landlord and a tenant under which the tenant obtains the right to use and enjoy (an) asset(s) in return for a regular rent", it follows that the request for renewal proposing a ridiculously low rent (onbeduidende huurprijs / rent dérisoire) does not comply with the conditions set out in article 14. Judgement dated 8 June 2016 / Dissolution of commercial lease agreement – In his judgement dated 8 June 2016, the Justice of the Peace of Westerlo ruled that the dissolution of a commercial lease agreement is not only permitted in case the tenant almost never pays the rent on time, unilaterally changes the destination of the leased premises and does not pay the rental guarantee, but also – and mainly – if the tenant applies for judicial reorganisation under the Act of 31 January 2009 on the continuity of enterprises (Wet betreffende de continuïteit van de ondernemingen / Loi relative à la continuité des enterprises) less than one month after the signing (and even before the entry into force) of the commercial lease agreement. In the case at hand, the tenant did not mention anything about his intention to request judicial reorganisation, nor did he inform the landlord about his distressed financial situation. Arrest dated 10 June 2016 / Renewal of commercial lease – As mentioned above, article 14 of the Commercial Lease Act provides that tenants have the right to request their landlords to renew their commercial lease agreements by sending a registered letter or bailiff's writ as from 18 to 15 months prior to the end of the lease. The request must contain the conditions of the new lease and mention that the landlord will be deemed to agree to the renewal and conditions if he does not respond within a period of 3 months. Pursuant to article 16, I, 4° of the Commercial Lease Act, the landlord can refuse the renewal in the event of serious defaults by the tenant during the lease. If the tenant does not agree with the landlord's refusal, he must bring the case before the Justice of the Peace within a period of 30 days. In the case at hand, the landlord made a claim to dissolve the commercial lease agreement based on the tenant's failure to fulfil his contractual obligations. The claim was introduced as reply to the tenant's request for renewal and was filed within the period of 3 months as mentioned in article 14. In its arrest dated 10 June 2016, the Court of Cassation ruled that the landlord's claim to dissolve the commercial lease agreement must be considered as a valid refusal of the tenant's request for renewal. * * * 6 Proposal for a reform of the coownership rules Lien Bellinck On 7 March 2017, a special working group, appointed in 2016 and consisting of professors, members of the Federal Public Service for Justice and representatives of interested parties (e.g. the Royal Federation of the Belgian Notaryship, the Institute for Real Estate Agents, the Confederation for the Real Estate Professions Flanders), presented numerous policy recommendations on the reform of the co-ownership rules laid down in article 577-3 and following of the Belgian Civil Code to the Minister of Justice. The working group aims to improve and modernise the functioning of the co-ownership rules and to meet some difficulties encountered in practice. In general, the policy recommendations are based on the following principles: 1. flexibilisation of the functioning of the association of co-owners in order to prevent deadlock situations in the decisionmaking process; 2. increase the efficiency within the association of co-owners; 3. rebalancing of the relationships within the co-ownership itself; 4. clear and consistent rules. At this stage, it is not clear when the new act amending the current co-ownership rules must be expected. * * * Registration of the property administrator (syndicus / syndic) mandatory as of 1 April 2017 Lien Bellinck Pursuant to a Royal Decree dated 24 March 2017, every association of co-owners will be obliged to register (the name and other identity data of) its property administrator (syndicus / syndic) in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises as of 1 April 2017. As a result, every interested party will be able to check who is the property administrator of a certain property in co-ownership. In addition, it will be easier to trace property administrators who do not exercise their profession in a legal way and to collect statistic data about property administrators in general. 7 Integrated environmental permit in the Flemish Region Jasper Verberckmoes On 23 February 2017, the Flemish Decree of 25 April 2014 on the integrated environmental permit (the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree) and its implementing order of 23 February 2016 finally entered into force. The Integrated Environmental Permit Decree simplifies the existing permit system in the Flemish Region as it incorporates and replaces the previously applicable procedures to obtain building permits (stedenbouwkundige vergunning), allotment permits (verkavelingsvergunning) and environmental permits (milieuvergunning). By the incorporation of said three permits, the integration process has only just begun… Soon, as from 1 January 2018, the integrated environmental permit will cover the retail activity aspects of the project as well. Moreover, it is expected that in the future similar integration will take place for other permits such as the nature permit (natuurvergunning) and the authorisation for chopping (kapmachtiging). As a consequence, the performance of works or the operation of classified and/or retail activities, shall no longer require to file applications separately following the appropriate procedure. In accordance with the integrated environmental permit procedure, it is sufficient to file only one application in order to obtain one permit covering the entire project. Such an application will trigger one single public enquiry (openbaar onderzoek) and will result in the joint evaluation and, as the case may be, the autorisation of all requested urban planning, environmental, allotment and/or retail activity aspects of the project. To ensure qualitative decision making, the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree provides for two special advisory bodies, i.e. a regional integrated permit commission (GOVC - gewestelijke omgevingsvergunningscommissie) and a provincial integrated permit commission (one per province) (POVC – provinciale omgevingsvergunningscommisie), that are competent for advising in certain cases (most complex and large projects) as determined by the Flemish Government. To avoid any misunderstanding, it should be underlined that the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree includes new legal framework as to procedural aspects exclusively. The substantive criteria for an application (is a permit required for the project in question?) and the evaluation of the application (will the competent authority grant the permit and if so, under which modalities?) remain reflected in the specific sectoral rules 1 . The utmost important changes/innovations resulting from the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree are set out below. Which authority is competent to decide on your firm's project? The authority which is competent to receive an integrated environmental permit application and to decide on such an application, is determined by the nature and size of the project. Under the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree three authorities could be competent: the Flemish Government, the provincial council and the Municipality through the Bench of mayor and aldermen. - The Flemish Government is competent for an exhaustive list of strategic projects, such as for 1 The Flemish Urban Planning Code (Title V – Permits), for town-planning matters and the Flemish decree of 5 April 1995 containing general provisions on environmental policy (Title V – Operation of establishments and activities and recognitions) Real Estate Development 8 example permit applications for office buildings with a useful floor surface of at least 50,000 m² located elsewhere than in Ghent or Antwerp (the Flemish Projects) as well as for those works or activities taking place on the territory of two or more provinces. - The provincial council is competent for an exhaustive list of provincial projects such as for example permit applications for buildings with a useful floor surface, for commercial purposes, of at least 15,000 m² located outside the central cities2 (the Provincial Projects), for works or activities taking place on the territory of two or more municipalities as well as for Class 1 establishments or activities which are not considered to be Flemish or Municipal projects, nor a part thereof. - The Municipality has residual competence meaning that it shall be competent for most of the permit applications and more in particular for those projects not falling under the competence of the Flemish Government or the provincial council (the Municipal Projects). What procedure should be followed? What is the time to permit? - Permit procedures The Integrated Environmental Permit Decree provides for two possible first instance procedures being (i) an ordinary procedure (with public enquiry) and (ii) a simplified procedure (without public enquiry). The simplified procedure will only apply in a limited number of cases e.g. for limited changes to an already permitted project, for a project that only includes certain temporary activities or facilities, for acts performed in accordance with town-planning regulations embedded in a spatial execution plan (ruimtelijk uitvoeringsplan), a particular construction 2 Aalst, Antwerp, Bruges, Genk, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortijk, Leuven, Mechelen, Ostend, Roeselare, Sint-Niklaas and Turnhout plan (bijzonder plan van aanleg) or a non-lapsed allotment (niet vervallen verkaveling), enacted by the Municipality or the province, and for nearly all projects on residential houses. In addition to this, the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree provides for two possible appeal procedures being (i) an administrative appeal and (ii) a jurisdictional appeal. For decisions taken in first instance by the Bench of mayor and aldermen, an administrative appeal is open with the provincial council. For decisions taken in first instance by the provincial council, an administrative appeal is open with the Flemish Government. For decisions taken in first instance by the Flemish Government, there is no administrative appeal open. For all decisions taken in final instance, the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree provides that a jurisdictional appeal is open with the Counsel for Permit Disputes (Raad voor Vergunningsbetwistingen), which will be competent not only to decide on town-planning but (as an innovation) also for environmental aspects. - Time to permit The Integrated Environmental Permit Decree provides for short decision periods. The table below summarises the time frame for the first instance procedures as well as for the procedure of administrative appeal. 9 If no decision has been taken within due time by the competent authority in first instance, the application for an integrated environmental permit shall be deemed to be refused. This principle applies to both the ordinary and the simplified procedure. If no decision has been taken within due time by the competent authority in final administrative instance, the appeal(s) is (are) deemed to be rejected and the disputed decision shall be considered as final. Important note: The 'Codextrein' 3 (not in force yet) provides for a system pursuant to which authorities that exceed the foreseen decision period risk to be sanctioned. In this system distinction is made between: 1. the expiry of a decision period in a permit procedure where administrative appeal is open (first instance procedures); and 2. the expiry of a decision period in a permit procedure where jurisdictional appeal is open with the Council for Permit Disputes exclusively (procedures in final administrative appeal, first instance procedures with the Flemish Government and notification procedures). 3 Voorontwerp van decreet houdende wijziging van diverse bepalingen inzake ruimtelijke ordening, milieu en omgeving; VR 2016 2511 DOC.1281/3BIS ("Codextrein"); De Codextrein werd voor de tweede keer principieel goedgekeurd door de Vlaamse Regering op 25 november 2016 en ligt nu voor advies bij de Raad van State. Ordinary permit procedure Simplified permit procedure Administrative appeal procedure No advice from POVC/GOVC: 105 days Advice from POVC/GOVC: 120 days Extension of period: 60 days - By operation of law: • second public survey • administrative loop • roadworks - at the request of the applicant 60 days Appeal against decision ordinary permit procedure: 120 days Appeal against decision simplified permit procedure: 60 days Extension of period: 60 days - By operation of law: • second public survey • administrative loop • roadworks - at the request of the applicant 10 1. Permit procedure with administrative appeal open 2. Permit procedure with jurisdictional appeal open Lump-sum fee of: • EUR 2,500 (simplified procedure) • EUR 5,000 (ordinary procedure) Penalty of: • EUR 500/day (5,000 after 10 days if request is submitted by one single person) • EUR 100/day (notifications) Both lump sum fee and penalty are to be requested within ninety (90) days following the expiration date. If duly requested, amounts will be due until the competent authorities have taken their decision. With regards to the second category of permit procedures, if no request has been filled within due time, the applicant/appellant will be deemed to have definitively renounced its appeal/permit application as well as its rights on penalty payment. The decision taken in first instance will become enforceable as from the 100th day following the expiration of the initial decision period, as the case may be. What if your project includes building and environmental aspects, but the ultimate destination is not known yet? Regardless of the type of permit procedure (ordinary or simplified permit procedure), the permit application must include town-planning and environmental aspects in case the contemplated project contains both the performance of works and/ or the operation of classified activities and provided that these aspects are inextricably linked to each other (e.g. hotel, swimming pool). However, in case the project relates to a multifunctional building of which the final destination is not known at the moment of application, the applicant is allowed to file an application, in first instance, for the building and, subsequently (as soon as the final destination is known) for the environmental matters. What if, during the integrated permit procedure, an irregularity is made that can lead to the annulment of the permit decision? The Integrated Environmental Permit Decree introduces the concept of 'administrative loop' (administratieve lus). This administrative loop allows the competent authority to rectify certain irregularities that could lead to the annulment of the permit decision. In that case, the competent authority can decide to organise a second public enquiry and it can request the advice of the integrated permit commission or the advisory bodies for a second time. For what term will the integrated environmental permit apply? In contrast to the previously applicable environmental permit for classified activities which was granted for a maximum period of twenty (20) years, the integrated environmental permit will be granted, in principle, for an indefinite term. This innovation must ensure more legal certainty (business investment shall no longer require the permit holder to take into account the future expiry of its permit) and economic advantages (costs resulting from application for renewal or new permit can be saved) for the permit holders. However, the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree contains a short, exhaustive list of cases where the integrated environmental permit may be granted, wholly or partially, for a fixed term, such as, for example, (i) at the request of the applicant, (ii) for exclusively temporary facilities or activities or (iii) to take into account the area specific development perspectives embedded in a spatial structure plan (ruimtelijk structuurplan) definitively established before the moment of filing the application. Note that, in this latter case, the integrated environmental permit will be deemed granted for an indefinite term if, upon the expiry of the definite term, the area specific development perspectives are not embedded in a definitively established spatial execution plan (ruimtelijk uitvoeringsplan). 11 Does the permanent character of the integrated environmental permit (as a matter of principle) mean a safe-conduct for permit holders? Absolutely not. In order to guarantee that the protection of man and the environment shall not be prejudiced, the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree goes along with flanking measures in the form of (i) evaluations of permitted activities established by the Flemish government and (ii) consultation opportunities for the public and advisory bodies at the end of each twenty-year period. What about existing permits? Are they still valid? Yes. As a matter of principle, existing permits, decisions on notifications and recognitions, granted under previously applicable legislation, remain valid. The Integrated Environmental Permit Decree furthermore provides that the environmental permits granted since 10 September 2002 for a period of twenty (20) years can be considered as being granted for an indefinite term if cumulative conditions are met: - the permit holder or the operator of activities must submit a conversion request with the competent authorities between the 48th month and the 36th month prior to the permit's expiration date. For this conversion request a standard form shall be used. - no objection was made by the public nor by any advisory body during the public survey or during the period of thirty (30) days following the first day after submitting the conversion request. - the town-planning related matters which are necessary for the operation of the relevant classified activities or establishments are principally authorised (hoofdzakelijk vergund) at the moment of the conversion request. - the conversion request does not require an environmental impact assessment (milieueffectrapport) nor an appropriate assessment (passende beoordeling). Application in time Thursday 23 February 2017 remains the crucial date for the entry into force of the large majority of provisions of the Integrated Environmental Permit Decree. However, at present there are four exceptions to this principle. While three exceptions are rather "academic4 ", the fourth exception is important as it relates to the fact that municipalities under certain conditions have the possibility to (partially) postpone the implementation of the Environmental Permit Decree up to a date between 24 February 2017 and 1 June 2017. Out of the 308 Flemish municipalities, only 6 will effectively implement the Decree as of 23 February 2017 and 302 decided to postpone the implementation date with a few months5 . * * * 4 These three exceptions relate in essence to the entry into force of the Decree's provisions on (i) definitions, (ii) the appointment of "integrated permit civil servants", and (iii) the periodical evaluations of facilities covered by an integrated permit regarding certain operational aspects. 5 See www.omgevingsloket.be (status per 20 February 2017): only the communes Dilsen-Stokkem, Herstappe, Langemark-Poelkapelle and Staden will implement the Decree as of 23 February 2017. Beersel and Diest will implement the Decree as of 18 April 2017 and 2 May 2017 respectively. All other 302 communes will implement the Decree as of 1 June 2017. 12 New town planning rules in Wallonia: the CoDT bis Martin Manzanera Introduction On 1 June 2017, the new territorial development code (Code du développement territorial, hereafter CoDT) shall enter into force after one-year waiting period. The works to update the CWATUP started in 2009 and did not go smoothly, since a first text was adopted in 2014 but never left the parliament. The new CoDT (known as CoDT bis) takes as much as possible into account the great expectations of citizens, municipalities and investors with, at the end, more efficiency, simplification, predictability and legal security. New plans and schemes The biggest issue dealt with by the CoDT bis was to propose some innovations regarding territorial plans and schemes. It is useful to remind that plans have classically a mandatory value, while schemes are indicatives. However, schemes are one of the most important tools available for municipalities to take planning decisions. The more decentralised is the relevant authority, the more local and precise is the adopted plan. The new territorial strategy will now rely on four new schemes (with an indicative value), which will replace and complete the existing ones: - the SDT (schéma de développement territorial); - the SDP (schéma de développement pluricommunal); - the SDC (schéma de développement communal); and - the SOL (schéma d'orientation local). The SDT covers the regional level and, as the other schemes, is aimed to define a contextual strategy in short and long-term. The SDP and SDC respectively concern a pluri-municipal level and a municipal level, but cannot overlay each other. The SOL only deals with local issues and will replace the current RUE (Rapport Urbanistique et Environnemental) that had an indicative value, but also the current PCA (plan communal d'affectation) that had a mandatory value. In this context, it can be noted that as from the entry into force of the CoDT bis, the owners of a plot of land bigger than 2 hectares will be empowered to request the adoption of a SOL. Besides these schemes, the Plan de Secteur remains unchanged, except for two new zones: the ZER (zone d'enjeu régional) and ZEC (zone d'enjeu communal). They are designed to allow the government and the municipalities to lead actions of prior interest in economic, social, environmental, cultural, athletic, recreational and tourism development. In a spirit of flexibility, the new tools created by the CoDT bis have an indicative value. However, this indicative value is more complex than it seems at first sight. Indeed, to depart from an indicative scheme, two specific conditions must be respected: - not compromise the achievement of the town planning objectives; and - contribute to the protection, management or planning of the built or natural landscape. To derogate from a plan (with mandatory value), the three conditions set out in the CoDT bis are similar to the conditions of the CWATUP: - justify the specific nature of the project; - respect the general economy of the Plan de Secteur; and - contribute to the protection, management or planning of the built or natural landscape. Finally, under the CoDT bis, the exceptional nature of the derogation has been abrogated. Permits deadlines and procedure The CoDT bis also tries to resolve the persistent problem of deadlines for permits. Various surveys revealed that lots of urbanisation and building permits are not delivered in due time. The CoDT bis sets strict deadlines: 13 - From 30 days to 115 days when the municipality is competent to take the decision; and - From 60 to 130 days when the delegated official is competent. These periods of time start to run after confirmation of the reception of the permit application by the relevant authority, or after 20 days if the reception of the permit application has not been confirmed. It is important to note that if an application has been twice qualified as incomplete, it shall be inadmissible. Unlike the provisions contained in the first version of the text, the CoDT bis does not provide for tacit refusal if no decision has been rendered after expiration of the decision period. The new procedure has been organised in a way that there will necessarily be a decision: - When the advice from the delegated officer is required, and if the municipality does not decide in due time, the advice will constitute the decision. Furthermore, if the delegated officer has failed to deliver its advice, the case is transferred to the Walloon Government. - When the advice from the delegated officer is not required, and if the municipality fails to decide, the delegated officer becomes competent to take the decision. If he fails as well, the case is transferred to the Walloon Government. Town planning infringement The town planning infringement regime has been drastically simplified: - a list of non-fundamental infringements has been set up, for which the statute of limitation is limited to 10 years; - the owner of the irregular constructions has the possibility to make the necessary repairs before receiving the official notice of infringement; - a regularisation permit may be asked and delivered at the same time of the payment of the administrative fine; and - a conciliation meeting can be organised between the infringer and the authorities in order to appreciate the seriousness of the situation. Miscellaneous Some simplifications with regards to permit applications are warmly welcomed, i.e. the extension of the list of works exempt from building permit or from the necessity to consult an architect. However, these exemptions are not applicable for the buildings listed in the safeguarding list. On the contrary, the CoDT bis introduces new operative events e.g. the modification of the repartition of the sale surfaces in a building. The municipalities are also empowered to create new operative events by reference to their town planning guide. Finally, the possibility to organise project meetings with the relevant authorities is extended to the building permit, the urbanisation permit, the environmental permit and the socio-economic permit. These project meetings are even made mandatory in certain circumstances. 14 Contact Christophe Laurent Partner T +32 2 743 43 05 firstname.lastname@example.com Ariane Brohez Partner T +32 2 743 43 21 firstname.lastname@example.com Sophie Van Berkel Professional Support Lawyer T +32 2 773 23 41 email@example.com Contributors to this issue Lien Bellinck Associate T +32 2 773 23 36 firstname.lastname@example.com Martin Manzanera Associate T +32 2 743 43 02 firstname.lastname@example.com Antoine Béchaimont Associate T +32 2 700 10 39 email@example.com Jasper Verberckmoes Associate T +32 2 700 10 26 email@example.com Disclaimer Although this publication has been compiled with great care, Loyens & Loeff CVBA/SCRL and all other entities, partnerships, persons and practices trading under the name "Loyens & Loeff", cannot accept any liability for the consequences of making use of this issue without their cooperation. The information provided is intended as general information and cannot be regarded as advice. As a leading firm, Loyens & Loeff is the logical choice as a legal and tax partner if you do business in or from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg or Switzerland, our home markets. You can count on personal advice from any of our 900 advisers based in one of our offices in the Benelux and Switzerland or in key financial centres around the world. Thanks to our full-service practice, specific sector experience and thorough understanding of the market, our advisers comprehend exactly what you need. Amsterdam, Arnhem, Brussels, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, New York, Paris, Rotterdam, Singapore, Tokyo, Zurich LOYENSLOEFF.COM


text:
Under the Pale Moon is a campaign world ravaged by demons. People take safety from these demonic hordes within walled cities, the most famous of which is Ashura. Other major cities include Atlas City, Pandlehaven, Silver Lake and the elven city of crystal.
Long ago a mage known only as "The White Crow" preformed a ritual that changed the world of Karnantha by plunging it into darkness. The night his spell was completed, the moon froze in place directly over head permanently lingering at midnight, never setting. At the same time the dragon race, a race of elder lizards known as the strongest beings on Karnantha vanished from the lands. With their absence demonic hordes crept up from shadow and ravaged the lands. Without the dragons to oppose them the hordes quickly grew in numbers an took over the towns, villages and farms, forcing the people to seek refuge in large cities.
As these cities grew in size and built walls to keep people safe they also isolated the people from their lands losing temples, shrines, manors, and even great castles to time and legend. With such haste to escape with their lives the people left wealth, magic and their treasurers behind in these places now filled with danger, demons and death. These forgotten places bring excitement to would be scavengers, mercenaries and adventurers looking to uncover riches and power. They are not so easily however reached or even known of, making them all the more desirable to find.
Over the years there have been many major events, however the most recent events were:
The young princess of Silver Lake rising to power after her father was found dead of poison. Over a period of 10 years Silver Lake a once great boom city of mining wealth turned into a terrible war machine with soldiers, slave labor and tyrannical rule at the hands of the now of age Lady Gabrielle. The city rose to incredible power with the most deadly army known as the Red Knights. With an army at her back Lady Gabrielle proclaimed herself a goddess and waged war with neighboring countries, defeating them and adding them to her empire. Ashura kept on high alert over these years as the great country neighbored Silver Lake as well. Eventually Silver Lake embarked on a campaign to uncover a magical item of such great power that the deities themselves got involved. Yet Lady Gabrielle was defeated at the Krython Vaults and fled into exile after being unable to obtain what she sought. Silver Lake still stands as a city of war and slavery despite it's leader being missing from the pubic eye for years now.
Dragon Fern the great city of guilds. On a tropical climate island far to the west of Ashura this island beckoned adventures from all over. People came to join the guilds, quest and advance their rank to try to reach the top teirs of their great guild houses. Each class was well represented and great tests of strength like trying to defeat a hydra were given to prove who was the most capable. Eventually a great tropical storm destroyed most of Dragon Fern and its glory day's were over.
Continued on earlier blog article . . . http://underthepalemoonrpg.blogspot.ca/2014/05/a-long-forgotten-story.html
It is currently 570cy. The city of Ashura has gone through two more major events in the last 10 years
Ten years ago portals opened in the city releasing demonic legions into the streets of Ashura. With the leadership of The Paladin Queen and her army they were able to drive back the dark legions. The city is once again changed as an object known as The Dark Spear is thrust into the middle of Ashura. A colossal blackened spire of dark rock stretches endlessly up from Ashura's center.
The Paladin Queen continues her crusade to drive back the demon hordes and develop towns watched by garrisons in her lands. This has brought a great need for many more soldiers and calls for the young to join her army. Apprenticeship and the like suffer as youth become soldiers seeking glory and wealth for their families. The army still keeps order in the city and a senate still rules in her place, however she is much older and is being pushed to return to her city after 10 years of crusading.
Exactly 5 years ago strange portals opened at the base of The Dark Spear opening doorways to new worlds. No threats came through, but rather demi-humans who brought new trade and opened planar trade. In this time merchants increased in wealth and Ashura received a great boom to it's economy. Even though this brought wealth and such, demi-humans received a negative response from many of the races of Karnantha. Many were sold into slavery to places like Silver Lake while others over ran districts of Ashura and were looked upon as lower beings leeching off the cities prosperity.
As you enter the city of Ashura this year it is later summer, fall is soon approaching with it's many festivals to look forward to. For reasons of your own you've come here, it's been a good five years since your apprenticeship has ended you now seek to use the skills you've learned to forge your way in the world. You have declined life as a soldier, seeking something more for yourself.
One way or another you have come across this posting: "I am a pathfinder chronicler, I have been given funding from a interested investor to uncover and document places in and around the countryside of Ashura. As the dangerous nature of the lands now a days I am hiring skilled adventurers to aid me in my missions. I need only one of each skill set to accompany me. As I stated the trip is fully funded. Bonuses will be given to those who excel at aiding our party and helping me to accomplish my tasks. Interested persons seek me at the local pathfinder guild house in the residential quarter, guild district.
Sincerely, G
12 year's in the making
7 years, one campaign
7 years, one campaign
A dream awakens you as a vision of the infamous wizard The Black Crow appear in your mind.
"Visions of a screaming bearded man who's eyes blaze with rage, sorrow and swimming stars. The visions shift into scenes of pillars cracking and tumbling, ceilings collapsing in caverns and dark rooms, and surging explosions of blue-white sparks. You fall to your knees gasping yet unharmed by the overwhelmed sensation of great magical forces crashing through you. Repeatedly the screaming faces returns, with feelings of strong despair, of something left unfinished - and swept away in great loss and ruin."
"Those who experienced the visions can't stop thinking of Undermountain, or walking through it's chambers, of finding brightly glowing treasures. That night, wizards, sorcerers, a scattering of adventurers, and others across the land dream of Undermountain and a screaming White Crow. They all feel a yearning to enter the legendary dungeon and do something."
The PC's after a very very long dungeon crawl finally exited Undermountain with riches, fame and glory! They set up in the city of Ashura with a guild house and there new found wealth. Sometime later on an adventure south they found themselves crossing into another plane where a familiar face had some very bad news for them . . .
A dragon king from the world of "DARK SUN" had failed. Opening a portal top his mighty zuggernaught to lead his troops into the material plane with a colossal 2 headed dragon which stomped the city like a modern day "GODZILLA". The city beneath the ever pale lingering moon fought with all it's might, ships from the bay, fields of archers on the lands, and airships above. The battle was massive and at the end when the dragon lay across 2 districts of the shattered city they still praised the heroic deeds of the PC's for they aid in stopping the invasion.
A trip to the elemental plane of air, find's the PC's returning THE BOOK OF EXHALED DEEDS to Ashura's temple. Despite attempts by demons to steal it, gnomes with air ships leading the PC's through pirate occupied sky's, genies and cloud castles as well as many floating battle towers the PC's manage to return this relic to the goddess's priestesses and receive the biggest rewards of their lives!
A trip to the elemental plane of air, find's the PC's returning THE BOOK OF EXHALED DEEDS to Ashura's temple. Despite attempts by demons to steal it, gnomes with air ships leading the PC's through pirate occupied sky's, genies and cloud castles as well as many floating battle towers the PC's manage to return this relic to the goddess's priestesses and receive the biggest rewards of their lives!
A lich dies . . . high above the city of Ashura in a mysterious floating fortress. Which appeared in the sky a year later when the city was finally back to normal after witnessing a massive invasion from another plane. A long dead king came back to claim the city as his own, sending ghoulish ambassadors down to give his terms. Being heroes the PC's went up to stop him unaware that their adventure would displace them from the world they knew for 16 years. Upon returning they found that their following's had long since dispersed, their fame fleeted and even their property had fell into disarray. . .
A journey south begins with a new start for the PC's is to explore the future world in which they now live. Here they find that the princess has grown up and is now the queen, more than that, she is now a righteous crusader with a war against the hordes of deamons in her lands, the army now run's the city under a senate that rules in the Paladin Queen's place.
Among the adventures the PC's meet a young assassin girl named Asp who follows a trail of misinformation about a group of suspicious merchants that hail from the far far south. Solving clues on getting south and unlocking magical barriers allow the PC's to get to the fabled island and help a young bar maiden seek an item of importance. . .
2014 and beyond
A time has come where new party member's have joined us, yet again and like so many times before. This recap while over 12 years still doesn't touch on the adventures the PC's had previous on the isle of guilds and even before that! But now to see new PC's with zero to little story appear to "Wrap up" this leg of the campaign and the feeling that we have to rush to get on to a new game instead of continuing our saga, just don't feel right.
I did this little history lesson up to remind us of where we came from and how it was. While the years worth of details are left out you can remember all the great moment's yourself. The current campaign will end, that is going to happen as all campaign's must, but it don't have to be the end for our heroes. I wish to continue our great saga with those who wish to stay, even if it is only one weekend here and there.