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*** Apologies for multiple copies ***
C a l l F o r P a p e r s
13th International Conference on Critical Information Infrastructures
Security CRITIS 2018
Kaunas, Lithuania, September 24-26, 2018
Full-text paper submission due: April 30, 2018
CRITIS 2018 continues the tradition of presenting innovative research
and exploring new challenges in the field of critical (information)
infrastructures protection (C(I)IP), resilience and fostering the
dialogue with stakeholders.
CRITIS 2018 aims at bringing together researchers, professionals from
academia, critical (information) infrastructure operators, industry,
defence sector and governmental organisations working in the field of
the security of critical (information) infrastructure systems.
Moreover, CRITIS aims to encourage and inspire early stage and
open-minded researchers in this demanding multi-disciplinary field of
research. Outstanding research performance demonstrated by young
researchers may compete for the Young CRITIS Award (YCA).
The Projects' Dissemination Session will be an opportunity of
dissemination for ongoing European, multinational, and national
projects, to share the experiences among scientist and experts working
on different projects in the C(I)IP domain.
CRITIS 2018 conference has a special focus on current and future energy
infrastructures within a special session Energy infrastructure operators
and stakeholders: key challenges and solution directions, chaired by
Marcelo Masera (EC Joint Research Centre in Petten, The Netherlands).
Invited speakers will be mainly from European electricity and/or gas
Transmission System Operators (TSO), some representatives from European
electricity and gas Distributed System Operators (DSO), NATO and
European policy-makers.
CRITIS 2018 topics (but not limited to):
Special sessions will be organized by CRITIS 2018 Supporting Chairs:
- "Energy CIP": Marcelo Masera, European Commission, Joint Research
Centre, the Netherlands
- "CI Resilience": Marianthi Theocharidou, European Commission,
Joint Research Centre, Italy
- "Human Factor and CIP": Grigore Havarneanu, UIC, France
- "SCADA Security": Simin Nadjm-Tehrani, Linköping University,
- "Modelling and Simulation in CIP": Erich Rome (President 2E!SAC),
Fraunhofer IAIS, Germany
- "Interconnected Infrastructures and Systems of Systems": Enrico
Zio, Politecnico di Milano, Italy and Ecole Centrale Paris, France
- "IoT Security": Sokratis K. Katsikas, NTNU, Norway and University
of Piraeus, Greece
Call for Papers (PDF to download):
Accepted papers are to be included to post-proceedings, published by
Springer-Verlag in their Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS)
30 April 2018 -- Full-text submission
18 June 2018 -- Notification of acceptance
9 September 2018 -- Camera-ready papers
Programme Chair
- Eric Luiijf, TNO (retired) and Luiijf Consultancy, the Netherlands
Steering Committee Chairs
- Bernhard M. Hämmerli, Technical University Lucerne and ACRIS GmbH,
- Javier Lopez, University of Malaga, Spain
- Stephen D. Wolthusen, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK and
NTNU, Norway
Local Co-Chairs
- Inga Žutautaitė, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Lithuania
- Ričardas Krikštolaitis, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
Publicity Chairs
- Cristina Alcaraz, University of Malaga, Spain
- Rolandas Urbonas, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Lithuania
CRITIS 2018 Secretary Office
Lithuanian Energy Institute
Breslaujos g. 3, Kaunas, Lithuania
Tel. +370 37 401948
+370 37 401938
E-mail: email@example.com
Conference website: www.lei.lt/critis2018
* Contributions to be spread via DMANET are submitted to
* email@example.com
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Monthly Archives: January 2017
Posted: January 20, 2017|Categories: Interviews , Gardening Projects , Grow Your Own , Gardening Guides|
Featured image: Darren Ema and Nicky planting some purple sprouting broccoli in the greenhouse
We caught up with Ken over at People and Gardens to find out more about their work and some of the projects they are involved with, how gardening can provide substantial health benefits, and who they work with within the community for their projects and wider aims. Take a look at our interview below.
Our interview with People and Gardens
1. People and Gardens was set up to help people with learning disabilities and mental health issues to develop work and social skills. How does your work benefit them?
The work enables them to achieve participation, presence, competence, choice and respect, which leads to the participants taking control over their own lives, and to feeling that they are valued members of society.
Posted: January 19, 2017|Categories: Interviews , Gardening Guides|
Recently, we caught up with Mandy Barber from Incredible Vegetables to find out all about how she started growing vegetables, how she has become one of the main growers of ulluco in the UK, and to get some beginners tips to help us all become expert vegetable growers.
Take a look at our interview below.
Our Interview with Incredible Vegetables
1. You and your partner set up Incredible Vegetables as an experimental vegetable growing project and now sell perennial vegetable plants and seeds in your online shop. When you started, did you ever expect to sell so much?
It all started back in 2010, when we were lucky enough to buy a share in a piece of land which gave us a lot of space – not just to grow our own food and be self-s
This problem is easily corrected with a little know-how!
- Firstly, use one nail at each end of the decking to to secure it to the end joists.
- If the deck board bows towards the last board laid and fastened, carefully force a chisel between the two boards and pry the bowed board outwards to the correct position, then nail or screw into place.
- If the bow curves outwards, away from the last board, you will need to drive the chisel into the joist on the outside of the curve until it is in the correct position and then nail or screw into place.
Before laying decking boards, it is important to get the decking sub-frame exactly right to ensure that you will have a firm and easy-to-maintain deck.
Here are a few simple steps to take, in order to make sure that your garden decking is structurally sound and will last for years.
Things to Consider When Building a Sub-Frame
The first step is to creat
Posted: January 18, 2017|Categories: Garden Design|
Whilst it is always great to have the inside of your home just how you want it, there will come a time when you will also want to start to make the most of the outdoor space that you have. One great way to do this is to have some decking installed so that you can relax in the sun, have friends over for parties and barbeques or simply just revel in the envy that your friends show when they have seen it.
Having decking installed will not only allow you to make the most of your outdoor space but it will also add to the value of your home when you one day decide to move on to pastures new.
However, once you have made the decision to get your hands dirty and install some great looking decking, you will realise that it is not as simple as just picking a colour and deciding where to put it. You will first have to decide on what sort of decking material you are going to use.
This decision should be based on where you want to put it, what your budget is, how much use
Before you lay the decking, we would recommend that any remaining work to the sub-structure, such as applying protective finish, is completed before starting to lay the deck boards. Take a look at our guide on building the sub-frame.
The deck boards we supply are 28mm x 120mm in size which are the most desirable type of decking as they are less prone to sagging, warping, twisting or cupping.
The exact size of the deck boards is dictated by the area that you are looking to cover with decking, the joist span and the layout / pattern that you choose for garden decking project.
Before fastening any boards, lay out all but the last few boards on the joists, this way you will be able to see the final effect and make changes where necessary for the best appearance.
Position the deck boards ''bark side'' up to minimize the splitting / warping of the wood that can occur. The way to tell th
In time wood that is left untreated becomes that familiar silvery-grey colour with a rough, bark-like surface, as the grain gradually opens and lets in moisture. But be warned, wait this long and it may be almost impossible to reverse!
Instead, when timber is around one-year-old, sand off any old, flaking stain or dirt from the dry surface and apply an annual coat of good quality wood preservative. This will enrich and revitalise the surface of the wood just like a skin moisturiser. They also contain anti-fungicides that will help prevent rot, mould and lichens.
There is a wide choice of timber care products, some combining treatment with a coloured wood stain for extra impact.
Deck maintenance
To keep your timber decking ship-shape, you will ideally need to treat it regularly using a specialist deck treatment. We recommend that you carry this out once a year for the first two to three years after you first install the deck, and then just once every
Posted: January 18, 2017|Categories: Garden Design|
Many homeowners dream of having a water feature in their garden; this can be a fountain, pond, waterfall, or even a stream. No matter the type of feature, water is a beautiful and striking addition to any garden. There are a number of DIY water feature kits on the market to choose from, as well as any number of other DIY water feature ideas to create from scratch.
The DIY water feature can range from a very simple project to a very elaborate scheme. No matter their simplicity or their extravagance, DIY water features can be quite soothing and eye-catching, especially when they have some form of running water. DIY water features can be relatively inexpensive and require just a bit of elbow grease or they can be quite expensive and require a lot more sweat equity. Below are two examples of DIY water features that are both practical and intermediate in difficulty. They do take a bit of elbow grease but will produce a water feature that will be the envy of the neighbours.
All decks involve some basic construction techniques to ensure that the finished project will provide many years of service.
Constructing decking
Weather resistant screws and galvanised nails and bolts should be used for your decking project; these will prevent rust from discolouring your deck.
Drill pilot holes
It is a good idea to drill pilot holes for your fasteners especially when nailing near the edge or end of a board.
Space deck boards evenly
Spacing deck boards 3-5mm apart will allow for and natural movement of the timber as it takes on, or loses moisture.
Use an end coat preservative
On all saw cuts and drill holes.
Apply weather resistant finish
Our pressure treated timber is guaranteed against rot for 15 years, but adding a weather resistant finish will increase the longevity of colour and finish of your deck.
Any deck can benefit from railings. The boundaries and the visual lines that the balustrades create adds a sense of enclosure, privacy and safety.
Most building regulations require that any decks that are built 30'' or higher have railings that are 36'' to 42'' high and that all stairs that are greater than 4 treads have a railing on each open side.
Installing balustrades and rails
- First, measure the distance between the posts at the base rail and cut the handrails and base rails accordingly to the length required.
- Position and fix the bottom rail, then using your baluster length as a guide, position and then fix the top handrail.
- Attach all the balusters to the deck rails at intervals not exceeding 100mm (4").

subset: commoncrawl


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Building Bridges team to hand in report early September
What you need to know:
- A collective dialogue report by Tana River County leaders was handed over to the BBI team.
- The leaders said the problems the country faces after every election are due to lack of inclusivity.
- Tana River leaders proposed for a collective government system with a rotational presidency.
The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) will finalise and hand in their report to President Uhuru Kenyatta early September, the task-force's chairman Yusuf Haji has said.
The team, comprising vice-chairman Adams Oloo, Busia Senator Amos Wako, Said Mwaguni, Ole Ronkei and Agnes Muthama, Monday wound up their final tour in Tana River County where leaders and residents gave their proposals.
Speaking to journalists, Mr Haji said that having received all submissions, the team will embark on an audit starting Monday, where they will pick what citizens in the 47 counties have agreed on for a final draft.
"We still are asking for the top leadership comprising of the chief justice, Senate and the National Assembly to also give their proposals to the BBI so that when we write our report on Monday, we draw it from their memorandums and even Hansard as well," he said.
He said the proposals received will form the basis of possible constitutional changes and future solutions to matters that have been ailing the nation after every election.
A collective dialogue report by Tana River County leaders was handed over to the BBI team.
The dialogues saw Tana River leaders propose a collective government system with a rotational presidency. In this, the president will be ruling for one term of seven years and there will be eight premiers drawn from eight regions of the country.
The leaders said the problems the country faces after every election have nothing to do with positions at the bottom but rather lack of inclusivity.
"The problem we face after every election in this country is as a result of power gambling at the helm of government and discrimination in terms of development where certain regions are left out of the cake," said Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana.
Mr Godhana said the current system of leadership is not fit for the future of the country and neither would a three tier system of governance as many regions are still not developed, hence the animosity and ethnic strife.
The governor added that it will be proper if all regions have an individual at the bargaining table as a prime minister, where eventually he or she will be considered by the community for future presidential positions through an election.
"In future, if we can have a situation where each region gets an opportunity to lead at the presidency, then we will come out of these shackles of struggle for power since every region will wait for their [turn]hence eliminating the [argument] of minority and majority groups," he said.
The governor, who backed Punguza Mizigo initiative, described the idea as an absolute key to reducing unnecessary burden, hence saving the country from the huge wage bill.
But he noted that reducing the number of counties, constituencies and wards will be unwise as it will contradict the spirit of devolution as initially intended.
"The key purpose for devolution is to bring the services closer to the citizens at the village level. If we are going to reduce wards, counties and constituencies, we will be fighting that spirit," Governor Godhana said.
He said counties need more revenue allocation which will equally trickle to ward levels and hence reaching the common citizen at the grassroots.
His sentiments were backed by Tana River Woman Rep Rehema Hassan, who said the county needs more wards and constituencies.
Ms Rehema said the some counties are vast, with some wards in Tana River the same size as some constituencies in another regions.
"We are not for the idea of merging counties and constituencies but rather to champion for a stronger devolution," she said.
Galole MP Said Hiribae faulted the procedure used to draw boundaries, saying that the needs of the people in a particular area and not numbers, should be used to determine constituencies.
Locals put the BBI team to task when they sought to know why it had no gender and regional balance despite vouching for matters of national interest


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- Details
- Wheels, steel shafts and pedals are all one unit for operational sturdiness
- Designed with no sharp edges or areas to prevent the pinching of children's feet
- Encourages kids to develop balance and coordination skills
- Ideal for ages 5 - 12
- Handles are available, so young children can use the roller with greater ease
- Color: Red, Black
- Color Family: Multi
- Product Length: 14 in.
- Quantity: 1
- Teach balance and coordination on this easy running roller
- The wheels, the steel shafts and the pedals form a unified unit for increased sturdiness and strength
- No sharp edges or areas that could pinch children's feet
- Approximately 14" long - for ages 5-12
Kids can practice their balancing skills while pedaling around with the GoGo Roller. Designed to promote coordination in young children, this fun piece of equipment lets them move across a gymnasium or other play area with confidence. The wheels, steel shafts and pedals are all part of the same unit, ensuring a sturdy and strong running roller. Ideal for children, this piece of equipment is great for use during P.E. classes and recreational facility activities.
- Additional Information
Material 1137378 SKU GRP40042 Product Id (PID) 58700 Brand N/A Ship Method Ships FedEx Manufacturer Part Number No
- Warranty
Warranty : 1 Year
installed and maintained properly. We agree to repair or replace without charge, at our choice, any product judged defective for either of these reasons and to return the item (or its replacement) freight prepaid. Products that do not have a special guarantee carry up to a one-year guarantee which is honored only when the product is inspected and found to have experienced normal use.
- Reviews
Write Your Own Review
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Fernando Torres Tax Consultant
- Business transformation
- Restructuring and turnaround
- Integration
- Growth strategy
- M&A transaction support
- MBA, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
- BS, engineering, Technical University of Denmark
- MBA, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
With over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, management, business planning, financial analysis, software engineering, operations, and decision analysis, Brandon has the breadth and depth of experience needed to quickly understand entrepreneurs' businesses and craft the most suitable solutions.
Consulting WP comes up with results that are actually implementable. That is their strength compared to other consulting companies.
Before founding Consulting WP in early 2001, Brandon started two Internet companies in Silicon Valley. Previously, Brandon held various management positions in New York at Simon Brothers, most recently as Vice President in Goldhill Group, focusing on new business development and risk management. He has also worked as a senior financial risk management consultant to the financial services industry; software engineer; advertising sales manager for the popular Caribbean travel guide series; general manager of an advertising and graphic design agency; and engineering intern at the Best Health Coach.
4 Steps To Consider Before You Start
User generated content in real-time will have multiple touchpoints for offshoring.April 2, 2020
8 Tips for Building a Bankable Business
Capitalize on low hanging fruit to identify a ballpark value added activity to beta test.April 2, 2020
Retail banks wake up to digital lending this year
The effort vastly improved the company's planning and execution functions, created and implemented a new stock policy that accounted for specific SKUs and key variables, streamlined the order preparation process and reduced distribution transport times.January 22, 2020
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Hey folks !
Well, I've been away from this blog for such a long time that I thought it was time to pop back in for a moment and show you something pretty.!!
How is summer treating you ? Hope it is going well. So today I am here with something which is spreading love … Yes..
Well, the colour RED !!
The colours we choose to surround ourselves affect us more than we think. As a society, we associate colours with so many different things – they have meanings beyond simple visual stimulation. Some studies even suggest that we feel colours more than we see them.
Want to get someone's attention? Red is your colour! The colour red empowers and draws attention toward the wearer.
It's also strongly associated with romance and passion, making it a perfect date-night colour. But be careful – it's also been said that red stimulates the appetite and makes us hungry for junk food, so wear with caution if you're trying to eat healthier.
Well, let me tell you I have been obsessed with this colour since couple of months.Wherever I go, whatever I bought, at the end of the day comes out to be RED !!In this era who does not love this colour ?? After all it is consider as symbol of love <3
Coming up to my look, Wearing this amazing Red Hot Gown from Instagram page @nittnaaya and pairing it up with some accessories from www.juvalia.com
I am totally in love with nittnaaya's collection.. This gown is super elegant and made up of Lycra inside with a little stretch fit and all covered up with beautiful net material from outside. Its gives so hot yet super elegant look.
As the wedding season is inn, this beautiful red gown is perfect for the occasion also you can wear this up on a evening date or party .
Follow their page for more collection on Instagram and enjoy this summer!!
Stay tuned and don't forget to hit a like or comment below…
Outfit Details :-
Dress – @nittnaaya (Instagram )
Accesoriess- www.juvalia.com
Heels – www.Jabong.com ( Nell )
Until next time,
Love, Siddhi


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Publication Date
October 2005
[Excerpt] The Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement (CSTDA) provides the national framework for the provision of government services for people with a disability. To date, there have been three Agreements, and under each of these, the Australian Government has been responsible for specialist disability employment services. State and territory governments are responsible for accommodation support, community support, community access, and respite services. Responsibility for advocacy, information, and print disability services is shared between jurisdictions.
Suggested Citation
Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services. (2005). Australian government disability services census: 2004. Canberra, Australia: Author.


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Continuing Education – CPNRE Prep Course
View the Fact Sheet For this Program
Columbia College will be using a variety of methods in order to assist you to be well prepared for your upcoming Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination including content specific multiple choice exams.
$150 Columbia College Graduate, $ 200 External Graduate (no GST).
Please contact: Sharron Burns for registration at 403-235-9322.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Click Here to see a list of Faculty Members for this course.
Course Features
- Lectures 0
- Quizzes 0
- Duration 50 hours
- Skill level All levels
- Language English
- Students 0
- Certificate No
- Assessments Yes


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About this Author:
Tracy Theemes is a certified financial planner and licensed financial advisor with a previous 12-year career as a practicing counselor. As co-founder of Sophia Financial Group, she specializes in educating women in money matters and empowering them to take control of their financial lives. Theemes is also the founder of Sophia Wealth Academy, an annual fundraiser and financial seminar for women, the proceeds from which are donated to Dress for Success. She also runs regular workshops on women and money. Theemes is an engaging and highly sought-after keynote speaker.


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Va Loans Refinance
Current Refinance Rates- Assistive Guidepost For Va Refinance Loans
By vikg : A how to tutorial about A current refinance rates current refinance rates, Finance with step by step guide from vikg.
So here is chance to get your free tips on current refinance rates and in addition to that get basic information on saving money visit refinance home mortgage interest rates
With current industrial depressions and there aren't any signals of picking up the housing market straight away, more home owners are considering a choice of refinancing a mortgage that they own against their residential property. When folk think about this option, they probably wish to rein in their monthly home loan payment by lowering the once a year interest rates in which they are locked originally.
If you're attempting to find information about current refinance rates, you'll find the below similar article actually beneficial. It gives a refreshing viewpoint that is much related to current refinance rates and in some demeanour related to interest rates refinance, fha loan refinance or manufactured home loan finder, refinance a mortgage.
Pros and expert in this field recommend that this should only be used for important emergency cases like doctor's bills, home improvement as well as education. It's not a smart idea to use your home to get the cash that you need for your daily expenses.
Finalize the class of the property for which you want to be sponsored by the bank. This is important as there are banks who finances ready-properties only while there are others who would lend for properties which are being built also. It is , therefore, vital that you complete the class of property you want to buy before selecting your loan supplier.Your payment history is fairly self explanatory, but suffice it to assert that any delinquent payments will have a harmful effect on your overall score. Latest of more than Sixty days are the most major, but even 30 day overdue payments will have a major negative result.
INTERLUDE-- Are you finding this piece related to current refinance rates so far helpful? I am hoping so because that is the goal of this article - to get you better educated on current refinance rates and other related loan mortgage rate refinance, kelly blue book, lowest refinance rates, house refinance and info.
The house owners gross monthly revenue, monthly costs, cash in the bank and current mortgage terms are all considered. If the loan can be modified using the standard waterfall method of modification and the new target payment can be reached then that borrower has an even chance of approval.
There are plenty of options for searching for a hardship letter template on the web. It is probably worth looking for a few templates or samples in order that you can find a good example that matches your circumstances the very best.Homeowners who would like to participate in Keep Your house California will have to prepare a loan alteration application and prove that they are eligible for approval. A detailed financial statement will be necessary, and this includes an accounting of the household monthly earnings, monthly costs and bank balances. A monetary hardship reason letter will also be needed to be supplied by the house owner.
For your info, we revealed that a lot of people that were looking for current refinance rates also searched online for refinance mortgage interest rates, refinancing mortgage rate, and even current mortgage refinance rates, refinance auto loan rates.
In a time where many families are losing their homes, some are being pro-active and doing what it takes to keep that from going down. Your family does not have to end up like those who lost their houses. It takes a bit of time to work thru the method and all of the forms, nevertheless it is definitely worth it to keep your family in their home.
Original article published on PubArticles.com
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****Due to a prediction of rain we may postpone the ride. If it is raining Sunday morning we will not ride. We still have a reservation at the restaurant and I plan to go but if it's wet, we will drive****
Join Flying Pigeon Los Angeles for our monthly Get Sum Dim Sum ride this coming Sunday, January 17th as we ride in search of great dim sum and good foods. This month we are traveling back to Monterey Park to visit Elite Seafood on Atlantic just south of Garvey. After an amazing brunch, we'll coast down a few blocks to check out a delightful and new French bakery before riding into East LA for a train ride back to the Flying Pigeon shop on the newly extended Gold Line.
Elite has been recognized as one of the absolute best dim sum restuarants in the area and we've been eager to head over for a sample to see if they can change our minds that King Hua in Alhambra is the best. I've reserved a table for 20 at 11:30 so we'll need to mosey over pretty quickly in the morning and make up for speed by enjoying a great brunch! Chowhound reviews tell the tale here:
Last month we tried this route as we visited NBC Seafood with about 26 riders and enjoyed a great ride that is mostly downhill. Among the many sights we saw were the Gold Line, South Pasadena's fine homes, A freeway overpass above the 10 freeway, and a great ride down Monterey Pass road and into East Los Angeles. This time we'll make sure to see the small lake at the East Los Angeles Civic Center.
The ride will be about 10 total miles of mostly downhill riding and a single speed bicycle will be sufficient.
Meet the Flying Pigeon LA crew in front of the shop at 3404 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90065 at 10 a.m. on the 3rd Sunday of each month for a fun, slow-paced, group ride to a dim sum restaurant in the L.A. area. Meet at the shop at 10 a.m., we leave at 10:30 a.m. Bring about $20 per person to pay for the food and (possible) train fare. Bring your own bike, or borrow one of our shop bikes by making a reservation with us by calling 213-909-8986 or through our contact page: https://flyingpigeon-la.com/contact
Quick notes:
*Dim sum is heavy on meat-only dishes.
*We ride slooowwwly – it is easier to socialize that way!
Our rental bikes are all spoken for this week but if you have your own ride, please do come along. No need to RSVP.
Helmets are strongly suggested for all riders and required for anyone under 18.


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1. INTRO (a/k/a - Prelude to an analogy)
US Treasury bills have, historically, served as a proxy for riskless investment. (Risk, in this context, means chance of loss.) The yield on these bonds, therefore, has historically served as a proxy for "riskless rate of return."
In other words, the yield on Treasuries has represented the return on an investment for which there is no chance of loss. Because of the correlation between risk and return, the riskless rate of return is (a) low, and (b) the benchmark against which returns on other investments are calculated and measured.
* * *
As the chance of loss (or perceived chance of loss) rises, so does the return required to entice investors to part with their money.
We did say that this section would be "very brief..."
* * *
3. ICE CREAM (The Analogy Section!)
Now, to the analogy...
For our purposes, make the following assumptions: First, you love chocolate ice cream. Second, you are on a diet. Third, despite your diet, you must eat a bowl of chocolate ice cream. Fourth, you must choose from three bowls filled with an identical amount of ice cream. Fifth, except for two things, the ice cream in each of the three bowls is identical in all respects, including taste, texture and flavor. In sum, all 3 are equally delicious. And, finally, sixth, bowls one and two have twice the fat and twice the calories of bowl 3.
Got it?
Since you are on a diet and must choose from among three bowls of ice cream that taste exactly the same, will you select bowl one, two, or three?
Stupid question, right?
Because bowl 3 has the same taste, but half the fat and calories of the others, the answer should be a no-brainer (hint- You're choice is bowl 3)
Ok. Let's keep our little scenario going. The facts about the three ice creams are the same. But now there are millions of chocolate ice cream lovers on diets and, so our analogy works, each of these dieting dairy eaters must buy enough ice cream to eat at least one bowl of chocolate ice cream each week for one year.
If you have stayed with us so far (we assume we lost some readers to a snack break), you can see that there is going to be immense demand for brand 3. By forcing our "facts" on you, we rigged the market.
This is precisely what happened with mortgage bonds (CDOs et. al) during the housing bubble.
Remember those riskless US Treasuries? Well, they have AAA credit ratings. So do a handful of really safe bonds. AAA means (or, before the financial crisis, used to mean) super super safe.
Wall Street banks rigged the market for AAA investments the same way we rigged the chocolate ice cream market. They marketing and sold AAA rated investments that, for quite a while, paid a higher yield than Treasuries and other AAA rated bonds.
Pretend you are a pension fund manager and that most of your holdings must be rated AAA. Since (a) AAA means virtually no risk of loss, (b) there are a handful of AAA rated bonds you can buy, and (c) you will make more money for your fund if you buy AAA mortgage bonds than any other kind of AAA rated investment on the face of the earth, is there really any choice at all? Same risk? More yield?
It's a no brainer. Just like the chocolate ice cream. Of course demand for CDOs and related investments was insatiable. The market was rigged.
4. THE BIG FINISH (conclusion)
Time to complete the analogy. Turns out that we, the nice people at WSLB, knew that bowl 3 brand chocolate ice cream really has twice the fat and calories of brands one and two. No wonder all those dieters packed on the pounds. Sorry 'bout that. We didn't mean any harm. We really didn't think all of those dieters would gain so many pounds. Really. It was kind of unforeseeable.
Similarly, it turns out that Wall Street's big banks - from Bear Stearns to Merrill Lynch and a whole bunch of others - knew that their AAA rated mortgage bonds were nowhere near as safe as investors believed. In fact, there is no doubt that they knowingly packed these investments with, well, worthless crap (the term 'toxic waste' is kind of played out).
Now all of you widget-makers out there know how to engage in market manipulation to create demand for your products. Please note, however, that (a) it is illegal to manipulate markets, and (b) Wall Street Law Blog does not condone unlawful business practices.
*Yes, we ripped off the fat free frozen yogurt episode of Seinfeld for our analogy, but we did it to make the world a better place.
By Brett Sherman


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Vijay Sathe was a professor at the Harvard Business School for 10 years prior to joining the faculty at Drucker-Ito School of Management. He has taught in numerous executive education programs around the world and has published five books and numerous articles in academic and professional journals. He has also served as a consultant to corporations worldwide, and he has advised government agencies and not-for-profit organizations.
Sathe's two latest books are Corporate Entrepreneurship: Top Managers and New Business Creation, published by Cambridge University Press in 2003, and Manage Your Career: 10 Keys to Survival and Success When Interviewing and On the Job, published by Business Expert Press in 2008.
Richard Smith, Roberto Pedace and Vijay Sathe, "VC Fund Financial Performance: The Relative Importance of IPO and M&A Exits and Exercise of Abandonment Options," Financial Management.
Sathe, Vijay, "The World's Most Ambitious ID Project: India's Project Aadhaar," Innovations, MIT Press, Vol. 6, No. 2, Summer 2011, pp.39–66.
Sathe, Vijay, "Two Engines of Corporate Entrepreneurship," Effective Executive, September 2010, pp. 76–79.
Sathe, Vijay and Hatim Tyabji, "Venture Capital Firms in America: Their Caste System and Other Secrets," Ivey Business Journal, July/August 2010.
Sathe, Vijay, and Michael Crooke, "Sustainable Industry Creation: A Case Study of the Birth of the Organic Cotton Industry and its Implications for Theory," Special Issue on "Manage by Design" in Journal of Corporate Citizenship, May 2010, Issue No. 37, pp. 69–88.
Sathe, Vijay, "Strategy for What Purpose?," Chapter 7 (pp. 103–118) in The Drucker Difference, edited by Craig Pearce, Joseph A. Maciariello and Hideki Yamawaki (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010).


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seattle cannabis kitchens Review by NW Leaf – "The White Widow infused olive oil is an extremely versatile addition to any patient's kitchen. It's also potent, with 1.5 grams medication per ounce of oil. I picked up this bottle at the Joint, and immediately went home to do some cooking. The first item I medicated was a fettuccini entrée, which turned out great.
The oil mixed well with the pasta, and left zero after taste-something lesser oils do a lot.
The effects, however, were pronounced and made for a great meal. I also made a medicated German chocolate cake, which calls for quite a bit of oil. The cake batter mixed well, and the oil didn't affect the baking process. You do have to be careful to try recipes out more than once. Just because a certain amount did not work the first time doesn't mean it won't the next. Once done, this cake tasted great and only had a light olive oil cannabis taste. It was in short, delicious.
Overall, this oil is a great value for patients who want to regulate their dosage and have a variety of meals to medicate. It's about time you tried a different way of medicating, now you can make your medibles! Drop by the Joint(down in the U-district in Seattle) for a look!"Review written by Wes Abney. Article reprinted courtesy Wes Abney of Northwest Leaf. Visit NW Leaf on Facebook


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HTML5 App Development Services
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The consulting approach followed by us helps you to develop an e-commerce application which will run well across both desktops and smartphones delivering the best UI/UX experience.
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The HTML developers carefully understand your requirements and strive hard to take care of them during the development process of the component customization.
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Prior to the launch, our committed team of HTML5 developers test the app thoroughly and fix all the bugs, making it market-ready.
HTML5 Support & Maintenance
Providing technical support and maintenance services of the applications, our HTML5 development team aims as development, implementation, testing and migration.


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We connect you directly to a network of experienced, skilled and vetted staff through our technology. The Rota web app allows you to post shifts in seconds for us to fill in minutes, and as every Member of our staff has been rated by your peers you can be assured of their quality.
Our algorithm works around the clock to match your requirements with staff who have the skillset and experience to suit your business' needs. They will then be instantly notified, with the chance to fill a shift in seconds. All our Members are handpicked through a three-part selection process, which ensures we only have high quality vetted Members. They are then rated by your peers, so we know we only have the best.
The app provides all the information required for our Members to turn up well-dressed and on time. You can then check them in and out using the app, ensuring you only pay for the hours worked, saving you on all paperwork later on.
Our rating system guarantees we only have the best people working with us. You can request your favourites back and create your own network of preferred workers from our wider pool, making finding quality staff simple. If you find someone you really like you can also add them to your permanent team using Rota Recruit.
Finding work is now as easy as ordering a ride or getting your dinner delivered. The work finds you from the comfort of, well wherever you like. You'll love our features where you can filter the jobs to exactly what you want. Whether that's being close to your current location or a minimum earning per shift, enter it in and the jobs you want will appear in front of you. Then, it's just the click of a button and you could be on your way to work. The beauty of going tech is there's no pesky paperwork, once you've passed your registration your details are sorted for each role. Check in and out of shifts on the app and your hours are logged. Other fun perks pop up and you'll get notified when you've been requested, as well as being able to rate venues so you're in control of crafting your very own ideal working life.


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S.M. Parker's 'The Rattled Bones' Cover Is Here!
Stephen King fans take note: Shannon M. Parker's sophomore YA novel The Rattled Bones takes the horror icon's Bag of Bones and twists it into a feminist ghost story you're going to love (and be scared of). And while it won't be available until August 22, 2017, don't panic: Bustle exclusively can reveal the cover, and Simon Pulse is revealing the opening pages of The Rattled Bones for you to read now.
In the place of 40-something novelist Mike Noonan grieving the loss of his wife is the badass 17-year-old Rilla Brae, a Maine lobster boat captain mourning her father's death.
"I love when female protagonists challenge traditional gender roles so I'm excited for readers to meet Rilla Brae. She's a teen lobster boat captain working in the male-dominated fisheries and she's fierce. Strong as the sea," Shannon M. Parker, aka S.M. Parker tells Bustle.
(Let's just say this is only the first The Girl Who Fell's Parker's shifts from the original we can really get behind.)
After Rilla's dad's unexpected death, the veil between the living and the dead starts to blur and dissolve, and Rilla begins seeing a girl haunting the shores of an abandoned island. The girl floats a song over the waves, sounding familiar and yet distant, and it lures Rilla to the island. Is she really seeing what she thinks she is, or is Rilla just overcome with grief?
Everything changes for the independent Rilla again when she meets college archaeology student Sam, who is tasked with excavating the island where the ghost girl appeared, looking for the cultural remains of former island inhabitants who were forcibly evicted from their home nearly 100 years ago. As Rilla starts to work with Sam, her ghostly visions only enhance, and the two discover an old tragedy that directly effects our lobster boat captain.
The Rattled Bones, Parker tells Bustle, isn't just a ghost story (though it is a fantastic one at that), it also explores gender dynamics in male-dominated fishing industries, grief, forced institutionalization, college access, eugenics, and the idea that buried secrets will never stay buried.
"The Rattled Bones is an exploration of how stories always rise to the surface, even after generations," Parker tells Bustle. "This book is about seeing the ways in which we are all connected, through love and grief and time and everything in between."
And while The Rattled Bones is fiction, it is rooted in a real place with real tragedies.
"Rilla's personal journey sheds light on Maine's Malaga Island where a racially-motivated tragedy occurred nearly a hundred years ago," Parker says to Bustle. "Few people talk about what happened on the island, even today. I hope this novel helps to introduce readers to a piece of our collective history that should have never been silenced."
And you guys, the cover is hauntingly beautiful, aka perfect for the story.
And though the story has so much to say outside of the haunting plot, Parker ensures readers that we're going to be straight-up terrified, which is probably the most fun way to read:
"At its heart, The Rattled Bones is a mystery, a ghost story. There are lots of creepy bits that will make your skin crawl."
The Rattled Bones by S.M. Parker, $10.99, Amazon
Images: Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
<img alt="" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" class="article-body-image"/>


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Oh lookie here. A new "research study" (full copy embedded below) has just been released by the extreme environmental anti-drilling group EARTHWORKS that says residents in Pennsylvania who live near Marcellus Shale drilling have a "pattern of health symptoms associated with oil and gas development."
Let's use the same standard they use to judge such studies, shall we? If any of the study's authors have, at any point in time since birth, ever had anything to do with an anti-drilling organization, the study is instantly discredited. That's the standard used for studies and research that are favorable to shale gas drilling—if the author of such a study has had any experience in the drilling industry, that study is tainted and must be expunged from the public discourse (see this MDN story about the University at Buffalo study and this MDN story about the University of Texas study).
The three authors of this so-called study either work for, or are related to, the enviro-left. So why wouldn't we apply the same standard here?


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The Vietnam Fine Art Association and the Ministry of Labour-War Invalids and Social Affairs will co-organize an exhibition themed on war invalids and martyrs in celebration of the upcoming 55th anniversary of the Day of War Invalids and Martyrs. The works will focus on:
- reflecting the examples of brave war invalids and martyrs
- praising war invalids and martyrs and their families who are good at doing business
- portraying Vietnamese heroic mothers
Awards will be given to excellent entrants and a book about the works on display and their authors will be published.
Opens: 16.00 on 26 July 2002 at the Museum of Army, 28A Dien Bien Phu Street, Hanoi
Be the first to leave a comment here!


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Forgotten Hope 2 is an award-winning World War II modification for Battlefield 2TM and is based on the original Forgotten Hope, a modification for Battlefield 1942TM, one of the most popular multiplayer games ever. Battlefield 1942TM featured land, sea and air combat in a way never before seen. It was the goal of the development team to maximize the game experience by adding both a realistic and enjoyable gameplay to FH and now to FH2.
|FH2 Euro weekly game night survey
|Thread Options
|Jun 19 2013 Anchor
There is a survey to organize weekly public game night(s) in Europe on the servers with official stats (non-762) just like there is WaW Thursdays in Americas. Check the thread on official FH2 forum.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Yekêtiy Nîştimaniy Kurdistan
یەکێتیی نیشتمانیی کوردستان
|Kurdish name
Yekîtiya Nîştimanî ya Kurdistanê
یهکیتیا نیشتمانی یا کوردستانێ
|Jalal Talabani
|Jalal Talabani
|June 1, 1975
|Split from
|Kurdistan Democratic Party
|Silemani, Iraqi Kurdistan
Kurdish nationalism
Social democracy
Democratic socialism
Civic nationalism
|Political position
|International affiliation
Socialist International,
Progressive Alliance
|Medium sea green
|Council of Representatives of Iraq
21 / 328
|Kurdistan Parliament[2]
18 / 111
|Party flag
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK; Central Kurdish: یەکێتیی نیشتمانیی کوردستان, translit. Yekêtiy Niştîmaniy Kurdistan; Kurmanji: یهکیتیا نیشتمانی یا کوردستانێ, or: Yekîtiya Nîştimanî ya Kurdistanê; is a social democratic Kurdish political party in Iraqi Kurdistan.[3]
The PUK was founded on May 22, 1975, by coordination between Jalal Talabani, Nawshirwan Mustafa, Ali Askari, Fuad Masum, Adel Murad, and Abdul Razaq Faily. Talabani, a former student leader, lawyer, journalist and resistance leader, has been the Secretary General of the PUK since its founding in 1975. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan describes its goals as self-determination, human rights, and democracy and peace for the Kurdish people of Kurdistan and Iraq. The current Deputy Secretary Generals are Kosrat Rasul Ali and Barham Salih. Fuad Masum, co-founder of the PUK, is the current President of Iraq.
Discontent within the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
The PUK traces its political heritage to Sulaymaniyah native Ibrahim Ahmad. After the collapse of the Soviet-backed Kurdish Mahabad Republic in Iran in early 1947, Ibrahim Ahmad, previously the Sulaymaniyah representative of the Iranian KDP (KDP-I), joined the newly formed Iraqi KDP. Ahmad was a highly influential leftist intellectual, who by 1951 had succeeded in rallying most of the Iraqi Kurdish leftist-nationalists to the new Iraqi KDP, which in turn, took the opportunity to convene a second Party Congress and duly elect Ahmad as secretary-general (effectively acting Chairman).[4]
However, from the very beginning in Iran, Ibrahim Ahmad's leftist politics, "intellectualism", and support for Qazi Muhammad put him at odds with the faction of the KDP loyal to Mustafa Barzani and his traditionalist-conservative tribal support base. It was "well-known in nationalist circles that the relations between the two men Mustafa and Qazi were not easy".[5] Ibrahim Ahmad was soon joined by up-and-coming intellectual and socialist Jalal Talabani. Barzani and Ahmad were known to dislike each other. But while each wanted to reduce the others' influence in the KDP, each also knew that the other was indispensable in securing the loyalty of their respective support-bases.[6]
When the first Ba'ath Party government was deposed in a coup led by Abdul Salam Arif, Mustafa developed a close relationship with Arif. Mulla Mustafa signed an agreement with Arif in his personal capacity, rather than as president of the KDP. This infuriated Ahmad and Jalal Talabani as the agreement omitted any mention of self-administration, let alone autonomy - the whole point for which the Kurds had been fighting a long-term guerrilla war. Arif threatened force against any Kurdish opponent of Mustafa, while Mustafa declared that any resistance to Baghdad would constitute a declaration of war against himself and the Barzanis.[7]
Ibrahim Ahmad and Jalal Talabani decried this complicity, and as they saw it, submission, to Baghdad. Mulla Mustafa rallied the conservatives and tribal leaders to his side. Furious debates and campaigning followed, but Ahmad's and Talabani's arguments could not dislodge Mulla Mustafa's position as the popular figurehead of the Kurdish people. Mulla Mustafa would accept not dissent, and, fearing for their lives, Ahmad and his followers slipped away at night from a heated discussion with Mulla Mustafa, and retreated back to their stronghold in Mawat, Iraq.[8]
At the 6th Party Congress of the KDP in July 1964, representatives from the Ahmad-Talabani faction were promptly arrested upon arrival. A few days later Mulla Mustafa sent his son, Idris Barzani with a large force to drive Ahmad, Talabani, and their 4,000 or so followers into exile in Iran. With that, Mulla Mustafa had finally achieved undisputed control of the KDP.[8]
Founding of the Party
After the defeat of the Kurds in the 1974–1975 Revolt, on May 22, 1975, Talabani met in a coffee shop called Gligla, in Aum Rmana, Damascus, with Fuad Mausm, Adel Murad, and Abdul Razaq Faily. On 22, May 1975 the PUK announced its formation via Syrian and Lebanese Media. The day after, Talabani visited West Germany Berlin and met three other co-founders Nawshirwan Mustafa, Omar Shekhmus, and Kamal Fwad, and some other activist. On June 1, 1975 the PUK was announced again in Berlin, and thus it was decided that June, 1 is the anniversary date of the founding of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The PUK was a coalition of at least five separate political entities, the most significant of which were Talabani and his closest followers, Nawshirwan Mustafa's clandestine Marxist-Leninist group Komala, and the Kurdistan Socialist Movement (KSM), led by Ali Askari. The PUK served as an umbrella organization unifying various trends within the Kurdish political movement in Iraq.
In 1992, the constituent groups within the PUK merged into a unified political movement that affirmed its social-democratic identity and affiliation. Their communique ascribed the collapse of the revolt to "the inability of the feudalist, tribalist, bourgeois rightist and capitulationist Kurdish leadership".
The PUK received grass roots support from the urban intellectual classes of Iraqi Kurdistan upon its establishment, partly due to 5 of its 7 founding members being PhD holders and academics. In the early 1980s the PUK evolved and broadened its appeal to all sections of Kurdish society especially the rural classes. The regional Kurdish assembly elections showed that the PUK's support lies predominantly in the southern area of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Since the first Gulf War, the PUK has jointly administered Iraqi Kurdistan with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). However, in 1994 the parties engaged in a three-year conflict, known as the Kurdish Iraqi Civil War. The conflict ended with US mediation, and reconciliation was eventually achieved.
In Sep 2001, the Islamist group Jund al-Islam (the Army of Islam) massacred 43 PUK members.[9]
In 2006 the PUK, became a member of the Socialist International and Talabani is a vice president of the organisation. The last party congress was held in June 2010, where a new politburo and leadership council was elected.
The Leadership Council elects the Secretary General and the 11 member Political Bureau. The PUK has 36 branches throughout Iraqi Kurdistan and draws membership from a broad cross-section of Kurdish society. The membership of the PUK, based on statistics compiled in September 1998, stands at 800,280 members and associates. The PUK contested the 1992 elections for the Kurdistan National Assembly, and the party list acquired 423,682 votes of the total of 957,469 valid votes cast - giving the PUK commanding majority in three of Iraqi Kurdistan four provinces.
Organizational structure
The PUK's structure consist of 8 bureaus:
- Bureau for Organization: Manages PUK's organizations throughout the region, as well as producing and disseminating educational and informational materials for distribution to the membership. The bureau also supervises the electoral process within the organization and ensures that the party adheres to its bylaws.
- Bureau for Information: Supervises and manages PUK media operations. Currently, the PUK operates several outlets:
- The People of Kurdistan TV (Gali Kurdistan) (based in Sulaymaniyah), the main television station, and other smaller TV stations in the towns and districts of the region;
- The Voice of the People of Kurdistan, a radio station that broadcasts in Kurdish and Arabic. The transmission is received throughout the Middle East and Europe.
- Kurdistan-i-Nwe, a daily Kurdish newspaper, the Al-Itihad weekly in Arabic, and The Monitor, a daily bulletin in Kurdish and Arabic, which monitors international broadcasts on matters relating to Kurdish and Iraqi affairs;
- Bureau for Culture and Democratic Organization: Acts as a liaison with professional and cultural organizations such as the Students' Union of Kurdistan, Women's' League of Kurdistan, and the Writer's Association.
- Bureau of Finance and Management: Manages the financial affairs and administrative staff of the organization. The Leadership Council, through an independent Auditing Commission, supervises the activities of this bureau.
- Bureau for Human Rights: The bureau was instituted to monitor the human rights situation in Iraqi Kurdistan - with primary emphasis on the conduct of PUK members and leadership. The bureau acts as a liaison with local human rights organizations and engages in a wide range of educational campaigns with regard to human rights principles, the rule of law, and democracy and to ensure PUK's adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bureau reports directly to the PUK Secretary General.
- Bureau for Social Affairs: In conjunction with the regional authorities, the bureau facilitates settlement of social disputes, particularly with regard to land and tribal matters.
- Bureau for Martyr's and Veteran Affairs: The bureau is tasked with assisting the families and dependents of victims of the war in Kurdistan and the veteran community.
- Bureau for International Relations: The bureau of international relations coordinates the activities of PUK representatives abroad and reports to PUK's political leadership on relations with foreign government and institutions. Today, PUK has permanent offices in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Rome, Stockholm and Brussels, the seat of the European Parliament. In the Middle East, the PUK has offices in Tehran, Ankara, Syria and Egypt.
Iraqi Kurdistan legislative election, 2009
The PUK lost its stronghold city, Sulaymaniyah in the Iraqi Kurdistan legislative election of 2009. The main reason is believed by observers to be because of the accusation of alleged widespread corruption and centralization of decision making inside the structure of PUK. The formation of a new list, the Change List, that was formed by Nawshirwan Mustafa, a former PUK member, won the majority of the votes in Sulaymaniyah by 51%.
Notable members
- Fuad Masum, former Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and current President of Iraq.
- Jalal Talabani, former President of Iraq.
- Kosrat Rasul Ali, Vice President of Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Najmaldin Karim, Governor of Kirkuk Province.
- Mala Bakhtiar, Chief of Executive Body of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Political Bureau
- Ali Askari, founding member of the PUK and prominent politician that was later killed in action.
- Nawshirwan Mustafa, founding member that resigned and founded the Change List.
- Latif Rashid, former spokesperson in the United Kingdom.
- Barham Salih, former prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and former Deputy prime minister of Iraq.
- Najmadin Shukr Rauf, prominent member of the Peshmerga that was killed in action.
- Adel Murad, General Secretary of PUKCC.
- Ibrahim Ahmad, influential Kurdish novelist.
- Omer Fattah Hussain, former deputy prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
- Shahab Sheikh Nuri, influential Kurdish politician.
- Sabah Sabir, former representative in the UK.
- ↑ Includes six seats from the KDP-led Kurdistan Alliance in the Nineveh Governorate
- ↑ Part of the Kurdistan List
- ↑ Patriotic Union of Kurdistan - Official Website
- ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 297
- ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 242
- ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007
- ↑ McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 316
- 1 2 McDowall, David. A Modern History of the Kurds. London: I.B. Tauris, 2007 ed. p. 317
- ↑ Rubin, Michael (May 2002). "The Afghan Aftermath in the Middle East". Retrieved 21 Apr 2014.


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Website title: Oil Patterns
URL: http://www.bowling-wm.de/index.php?id=2634
Auther: Bowling Weltmeisterschaft 2010 in München
Last update: 22.10.2020
World Bowling has selected the bank of patterns which will be used for World Senior Championships 2017.
It will be Bank 2 (formerly Medium).
Link to Pattern Banks: http://www.worldbowling.org/about/rules/lane-patterns/
The pattern for World Senior Championships 2017 has been published at Team Managers' Meeting.
Oil Pattern - Montreal
Lane Map Guide


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Greetings BusiChic,
The festive season is well upon us so to get you into the mood, I'm going extreme today with Anastasia Driver, fashion buyer at high-end fashion boutique, Le Louvre. I photographed Anastasia at the launch of The Olsen Pool Club sporting this vibrantly coloured Polished ensemble that is a stunning reminder to seriously consider wearing clashing colours to the office party!
Anastasia wears Stella McCartney' Joan silk crepe-de-chine and silk dress and wool and silk blazer, Celine Trapeze bag and Pierre Hardy pumps.
The Polished BusiChic
I loved Polished BusiChics like Anastasia because I think that they look FABULOUS and are among the most fun to photograph! That said, I categorise this look as "Polished" because I recognise that this style can actually too dressy for the office; it is so sharply tailored, vibrantly hued and textured that it's too much for the conservative tut-tutters – sad but I've seen it happen 🙁 Such a shame really as I believe it's nicer to be overdressed rather than underdressed – what do you think?
The revealing lace detail on the bottom of Anastasia's Stella McCartney dress is what it make it a little too risque for a corporate environment. If you love the colour but need a "less-forward" look, the Stella McCartney Duke dress or Veronika Maine's Wrap Effect Pencil skirt might be your answer.
How are you going with planning your outfits for your work Christmas parties? or do you need idea on what to gift your KK or SS? Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions for me (my email is in the side-bar!), otherwise stay tuned to our gift guide and giveaway that I'll be publishing later this week! What do you want for Christmas?


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This make drive a special protected Pen Drive, where one partition can be accessed only through a password, the other partition will appear as a normal Pen Drive for generic use.
Om Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company in India. Copyright
© 2008, Om Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.
All trademarks and logo are property of their respective owners. Product image
may vary from actual product. Image for reference only.


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Lance Armstrong and three of his former U.S. Postal teammates will be reunited next month as they team up for a 24 hour endurance race.
Armstrong will ride as part of a four-man team with George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, and Dylan Casey in the 24 Hours of Old Pueblo mountain bike race in Arizona in February.
>> Subscribe to Cycling Weekly this Autumn and save 35%. Enjoy the luxury of home delivery and never miss an issue <<
Despite currently serving a lifetime ban for doping, Armstrong is allowed to ride in the event as it is not run under USA Cycling regulations.
>>> Lance Armstrong's Strava stats show he's still in great form as he trains with Cannondale pro
The event will see the riders try to cover as many laps of a 16 mile course in the Arizona desert as possible over a 24 hour period.
The former U.S. Postal riders will be competing in the team event, which means that only one of them will be riding at any one time, with the other riders able to rest and sleep.
However, despite their racing pedigree and his own competitive instinct, Armstrong says that the team is looking to enjoy the race rather than win it.
>>> 'Worse than Lance Armstrong': former Wada chief blasts Russian doping
"We are certainly not going to be contending for any victories, but we're looking forward to it, looking forward to having a good time, meeting the other racers," Armstrong told Velonews.
That sentiment was echoed by Hincapie who described the team as "just bunch of old dudes trying to have fun time in the desert."


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In Brazil, the Zika Virus Torments Olympic Planners
As the 2016 Summer Olympics approach in August, Zika cases are up in Brazil and ticket sales for the games are down.
Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo recently reported that so far in 2016, Brazil has investigated more than 91,000 probable cases of the Zika virus and a new rise in chikungunya and dengue, which also are spread by mosquito.
The numbers were released April 26 by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, which has said it will provide 146 ambulances during the Aug. 5-21 games. The ministry also will provide a free smartphone app for tracking symptoms. The app, which will be available for Andriod and iOS, will let users input their symptoms, and if necessary, direct them to the nearest health-care provider via GPS. Information also will be provided in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese and Russian for users to protect themselves against Zika.
According to the American-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Zika is spread primarily through mosquito bites and sexual contact. It is especially dangerous to pregnant women or women considering getting pregnant, because the disease can lead to serious birth defects, including microcephaly (small heads) and other brain defects. In healthy adults, though, the disease usually is not serious enough for hospitalization, and people rarely die from its flulike symptoms. There is no vaccine, but the CDC offers preventative steps people can take.
The CDC has issued a Zika Alert Level 2: Practice Enhanced Precautions for people traveling to Brazil and reports that the mosquitoes that spread Zika typically do not live above 6,500 feet in altitude. Rio de Janiero, where most of the games will be held, is below 6,500 feet, however.
Although August is prime mosquito weather in most of the United States, it will be winter in the southern hemisphere, and there will be fewer mosquitoes. Brazil's health minister, Marcelo Castro, has been quoted in several publications as saying that "the risk of infection will be considerably reduced" during the Olympics, but that the situation remains "very worrying."
Earlier in the year, the conditions in Brazil were raising concerns among the U.S. Olympic Committee, which told athletes they did not have to attend if they were concerned for their health.
"No one should go to Brazil if they don't feel comfortable going," Donald Anthony, the president and chairman of USA Fencing, said at the time. The committee will let athletes and staff members decide whether they participate in the games.
CNN Money reported in early April that only about half the tickets to the games had been sold and that the Brazilian government was considering purchasing tickets to give to public schools. This stems from Zika concerns in addition to the country's worst recession in 25 years and political upheaval, including the late-March resignation of Brazil's sports minister.
A Forbes SportsMoney column calling it "irresponsible" to continue with Olympic plans despite the public health emergency is just one of many calls for officials to call off or postpone the games.
Eskild Petersen, the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, said, however, that controlling Zika is a problem of mosquito control, and once authorities get that under control, the risk will be reduced.
Rio de Janiero has been fumigating Olympic sites and host cities since January in an effort to kill mosquitoes.
Bazil seems to remain optimistic about the Olympics, though. Current sports minister Ricardo Leyser recently told British newspaper the Guardian: "I think the games are one of the few good things that will happen this year. It can reanimate the country and generate jobs. In this hard moment, the games help us to reactivate the economy and bring in tourists."


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Proceso, a Mexican newspaper, reported that César Duarte Jáquez's announcement takes effect immediately.
Duarte's announcement comes ahead of an expected ruling from the Mexican Supreme Court that Proceso said will order Chihuahuan lawmakers to decide the issue of marriage rights for gays and lesbians. The newspaper reported the decision will also require local authorities to compensate the 31 same-sex couples who had sought legal resource, known as an "amparo" in the Mexican judicial system, after they had been denied their request to marry.
Alex Alí Méndez Díaz, a lawyer who has spearheaded efforts in support of marriage rights for same-sex couples in Mexico over the last several years, on Thursday applauded Chihuahuan advocacy groups that challenged "their own state and its institutions" over the issue.
"The economic argument made more of a difference than the democratic argument of the state's obligation not to violate human rights," wrote Méndez on his blog after Duarte made his announcement. "This is a big step forward considering that only two years earlier the requirement of access to marriage in conditions of equality was a rather impossible demand."
Chihuahua joins the states of Coahuila and Quintana Roo and Mexico City in which same-sex couples can legally marry.
Gays and lesbians in the states of Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Baja California Norte and Tamaulipas have exchanged vows.
The Mexican Supreme Court last month ruled in the case of a lesbian couple from Nuevo León — in which the city of Monterrey is located — that the state's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional. Gays and lesbians in a number of other Mexican states have petitioned for marriage rights in their respective jurisdictions.
Geraldina González de la Vega, a Mexican Supreme Court clerk, wrote on her blog earlier this month the tribunal ruled that laws defining marriage as between a man and a woman are unconstitutional. Buzzfeed reported the court issued its decision in a case from the state of Colima.
A gay couple seeking marriage rights in Mexico filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in May 2014.
Before all you enlightened progressives start on your predictable rants, one Mexico state legalizing gay marriage DOES NOT negate all the gay rights and gay culture that has freely developed inside the United States over the past 40 years. Thank you!
What on earth are you talking about? Despite having gay rights for the past 40 years, the US isn't the most "advanced" or "progressive" country when it comes to LGBT rights. The fact that your country is still debating on gay marriage proves it. This debate has been settled here in Canada for over a decade. Nobody talks about it anymore. Gay marriage has been settled a long time ago and the Conservatives in parliament voted to no longer debate or talk about it. Unlike Republicans, who still have it on their agenda.
You must be a journalist, because you misquoted me. I didn't say the "most advanced" country in terms of gay rights–yet it certainly is in the top 1%. I said more advanced than Mexico. Enjoy your Ft. Lauderdale or Palm Springs vacation.
That's fine, but there is not just one state in Mexico where gay marriage is legal. This story is only about the latest state. The US has a higher percentage of states that allow gay marriage, that is a fact. The question here is does the federal government put their entire weight behind those marriages in the USA, the answer is simply no. In Mexico, like the USA, gay marriage has been left to the states (which will change this month). In the USA if you get married (gay) in California and then move to Florida for work, your marriage is dissolved. That is not marriage or equality because straight people can take their marriage status to all states and be recognized, so there is no real victory, just pacification. In Mexico the federal government says all states must recognize any same-sex marriage performed in another state. When a country that identifies as nearly 80% Catholic is willing to put the weight of the federal government behind same-sex marriage, that is nothing to sneeze at, and it says a lot about how far behind the USA is with social issues today.
BTW. I am gay and live in Mexico. I have a Mexican BF, I am an American, and we would like to have a chance to be married in the USA with my family and friends. Obama said after the Supreme Court ruling a couple of years ago that the federal government would start treating gays the same as heterosexuals with marriage and fiance visas. Not a single gay couple has yet to be approved, including my 3 applications. We are both educated business and home owners without a single criminal record, not even a traffic violation. He is an English professor so language isn't an excuse. Just because the government says we have rights as LGBT does not make it so.
Your sociological assessment does not add up. What the state says and what people believe are not necessarily the one and the same, especially in a country like Mexico which has experienced some of the most brutal tyranny in North American history.
Don't get your red white and blue panties in a bunch just because "inferior" "third world" Mexico's Supreme Court is more enlightened and not handcuffed my protestant puritanism than your own country's is. Just bow, take off your hat, and give a big thank you to Mexico for giving the USA a lesson in secular jurisprudence. Can ya do that???
Sorry my patriotism offends your sense of elitist contempt for the entire US, which you view in your perpetual blind spot as "handcuffed my [sic] protestant puritanism." SCOTUS operates under a checks and balances system, and although justices often make decisions based on social concern rather than Constitutionality, those decisions usually benefit the more "progressive" agenda rather than "puritanism." Keep those panties on tight, you don't want to lose them while gyrating in the upcoming gay pride parade–that horrible American party idea.
Citizen's United benefited the "progressive" agenda, how?
Hobby Lobby benefited the "progressive" agenda, how?
And I would wager that you are in total belief that there is a 'gay agenda'. Correct?
In my more than 40 years of being out, I have yet to see that 'gay agenda', nor have any of the many thousands of people I've talked to seen it, either. So why don't you do us all a favor and quote from it, or just shut up.
What's your point in being here, Somerset? Recently, I have discovered that people that troll LGBT new sites have found it easier to pick up their next sex date. There would be no other reason, except to attempt to bully and intimidate. It speaks so much to YOUR character, or more precisely, lack thereof.
Little by little, Mexico is advancing toward Marriage Equality as the intelligent ones do not want to be left behind. The Mexico Supreme Court must have relatives in the Alabama Supreme Court. :>)


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What can you do, as a consumer, about palm oil destruction?
As consumers, we can decide the type of world we want to live in simply by choosing what we buy. Palm oil is present in over 50% of products on store shelves. From shampoos to high end facial creams to chocolates. It will take some diligence on your part to find out exactly what brands use palm oil in their products.
Visit our page of Responsible Brands
Find out more about products you can trust to be palm free
Check out these handy links!
Helpful Tools and Organizations
Relevant Articles
Read about our Change.org Petition
Read about the slaughter of orangutans by palm oil plantations owned by the Makin Group
Read about Herakles Farms in Cameroon, Africa
Read about land demarcation by Herakles Farms in Cameroon


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Lunch place: Mexican CafeFriday, March 04, 2016
I love this place, every time. Its fun decor, its taco salad bowls, its salsa night where you're likely to have an awesome night and even meet someone unlikely.
My relationship with Mexican Cafe has been irregular but constant in all the years that I've been in Auckland, on and off. While Auckland is changing so much, Mexican Cafe has reassuringly stayed its ground. It's one of those few places that have been in Auckland for ages, and I hope will stay in place for many more years to come.
Mexican Cafe
67 Victoria Street West
Auckland CBD


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The UK has always been a likely country for business and investment. Those who invest in the economy of this the United Kingdom or develop their own businesses here have more chances to obtain citizenship. If you want to open a branch of your firm in the UK, there is a special visa program, which acts since 1971. It is the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa. All the conditions and features of this program are described in detail here: https://imperiallegal.com/sole-representative-visa/ .
Who can use this program?
This category of visa is intended for directors of a company. The firm must be established outside the UK. To get such a visa is necessary to comply with certain conditions. For the company:
- proven stable income
- valid for at least 12 years
- availability of a business plan for development
- There are also special requirements for a visa applicant:
- experience and qualifications in administration
- confirmed knowledge of English (not lower than B1)
- financial viability
- lack of a criminal record
- good health (this applies substantially to the absence of tuberculosis)
Main condition: This visa is not intended for immigration. Therefore, it is necessary to prove that neither the applicant nor the head office of the company is going to move to the United Kingdom. Moreover, it is desirable that there are good reasons for opening a branch, for example, long-term contracts or prospects. On the other hand, subject to the conditions, the applicant will be able, over time, to pretend for British citizenship.


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How Brands Are Using AI to Improve Personalization
Getting ever-closer to 1:1 marketing at scale
For marketers who have been honing their analytics skills and building an AI strategy, the coming months promise to be transformative because AI is finally getting us closer to the holy grail of 1:1 marketing at scale. Varying levels of marketing personalization and segmentation have been around for years, but a variety of roadblocks—namely too much data and too few ways to take action on it—have prevented pure personalization from becoming a reality.
There should be a strong push to scale personalization, too, as 98 percent of marketers agree personalization advances customer relationships. However, only 12 percent of marketers are satisfied in their level of marketing personalization, which should concern them because 75 percent of consumers believe personalization is an important or very important characteristic of their interactions with a brand.
With Amazon's growth pushing the personalization narrative forward, brand marketing teams know that the time is now to up their personalization games. As a result, CMOs need to invest in more tech talent, specifically data scientists, attribution specialists and digital transformation experts. CMOs also need to spend more on AI-powered software systems that can learn about who customers are and what they want.
Just as importantly, marketers are realizing that personalization is about both capturing data and using it well. I estimate between 40 percent and 50 percent of brands are now equipped with the tech, data, talent and mindset that will seriously improve their team's performance this year. Back in 2015, I would have put that number at only 15 percent.
Realizing the promise of 1:1 marketing
While personalization is not currently achieving true 1:1 marketing at scale, we are getting closer thanks to a recent (and continuing) wave of AI-powered marketing tools. Campaigns are becoming more probabilistic and less based on broad rules. Marketers are evolving from regular old segmentation like "females who buy shoes regularly" to much more granular and specific personalization through segmentation that looks more like "Warriors fans who like to hike, drink whiskey, buy high heels and prefer SMS as a communications channel."
The increased accessibility of data and the ability to take action on it are what will make 1:1 marketing possible. While marketers have long had ecommerce data to use, that's not the only point of contact they have with customers. Getting visibility into offline interactions like in-store and phone conversation data is vital to create a holistic view of the customer experience. Technologies are more advanced for capturing conversation data than in-store data, which nobody has quite nailed down yet. Google has given it a shot, but the sneaky way that it went about using credit card data to track purchases rattled consumer privacy advocates and still only amounted to a workaround. To create new 360-degree personalized shopping experiences, it will likely take combining many sources of data, from call analytics to credit card data to online tracking. You must then weave together all the data in a meaningful way.
AI can accomplish all of those tasks—and thank goodness. For too long, digital interactions between brands and consumers was all about marketers either making a sale or gathering data. Now, their focus is rightfully on the customer experience.
Transforming roles
The rising importance of data and analytics to power experiences and personalized marketing means that brands are restructuring roles. Traditional roles and sub-departments must shift, and cross-team coordination around analytics must be operationalized.
Going forward, we can expect even more marketing roles that center around using data. Thanks to AI handling more of the work, marketers will be able to focus more on creativity and innovation.
What's more, new roles will emerge to take advantage of the opportunities for better data for targeted ads, cross-channel marketing and customer service. AI will make some job functions redundant, but it will not necessarily replace the need for humans. Instead, we'll see more value placed on actionable ideas, out-of-the-box innovation and testing use cases and less value hinging on territorial roles or seniority.
Evolving with AI
AI is the linchpin for a fuller data picture and scaling 1:1 marketing. And improving personalization in this way requires a bigger investment across the board in talent, time, data and software. It also means ongoing change as roles, job titles and workflows adapt to new technologies.
Get the investment you need by picking a personalization use case for AI that fixes a disconnect in your brand's customer experience. Run tests with better data, show stakeholders the improved results and keep iterating. You'll need to make this change sooner or later. Why not make today the day your brand starts mastering personalization in this AI-powered data era?
Don't miss Adweek NexTech, live this week, to explore privacy, data, attribution and the benchmarks that matter. Register for free and tune in.