text:
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GTX 900 MHz
Radio Information,
Notes, and Tips
-Common Section-
By Robert W. Meister WA1MIK
With the growing interest in FM and repeaters on the 900 MHz amateur frequencies, Motorola GTX radios are becoming the hot item due to their size, cost, ease of operation, and simple conversion process (you don't even need to open the case of the radio). Here's a collection of useful items about these beauties.
This was originally one very big article. It has been split into three pieces to better address the needs of the viewers. Information pertinent to all radios will be found here. There is a slight duplication across the three articles, which was necessary for clarity.
Channels and Frequency ranges:
The GTX mobile radios, and the GTX handhelds with the display and keypad, provide 10 conventional channels, plus 10 trunking channels and 8 talk groups; only the conventional channels are usable by amateurs. The handhelds without keypads provide 4 conventional channels, plus 4 trunking channels with 3 talk groups each. The programming software controls these values and it can be altered.
There must always be at least one trunking channel programmed into all GTX radios; the RSS will let you delete all but one; it's just one of the facts of life - live with it. You can't make any trunking channels inactive on PrivacyPlus models, however on LTR radios, you can disable the trunking channel and it won't bother you again.
When you acquire any radio, remember to make a copy of the original code plug and archive it. It's always nice to be able to fall back to something that you know works if you mess things up.
It's interesting that the GTX radios that have an LCD display should be capable of handling channel numbers above 10, but for some reason, they don't. I programmed my PrivacyPlus and a friend's LTR mobile radios with 15 conventional channels to see how they display. I've tried to represent the segments below. I'm sure that if you had even more channels in the radio it would come up with other strange displays. Other models may show different segments, and it could depend on the information in the code plug. Here is a graphical representation of the display for channels 11 through 15:
|PrivacyPlus mobile radio
|LTR mobile radio
900 MHz GTX radios normally transmit on 896-902 MHz (repeater inputs) and 935-941 MHz (called "talk-around" by Motorola and the commercial two-way world, or "simplex" or "direct" by amateurs). The radios will transmit throughout the 896-941 MHz range but RF output power is inconsistent from frequency to frequency. Values in RSS determine valid frequency ranges.
900 MHz GTX radios normally receive 935-941 MHz. The radios will receive well, and within spec, down to around 918 MHz but will be totally deaf by 912 MHz, so a stock GTX mobile will not make a good repeater receiver at 902 MHz, and in fact won't work down there at all (besides, a modified 800 MHz talk-around MaxTrac is much cheaper). The receiver's front-end filters are only so wide, and they will reject 902 MHz signals quite nicely. Most of this sensitivity loss is due to the 6 MHz wide ceramic front end filters tuned to 939 MHz. The receive VCO similarly has limited range and will cease to function if you go down that low. Rick NU7Z has come up with a mod that allows them to work well as repeater receivers. Contact him to find out what he currently charges to convert a radio (nu7z [ at ] aol [ dot ] com). There is no official COR signal available to the user, however the Audio PA Enable signal can be used instead. Unfortunately this line goes active any time the radio makes a beep sound, as when a button is pressed or the radio is turned on, but that's better than nothing. The PL/DPL is decoded internally by the microprocessor, which makes the decision whether to un-squelch the receiver or not. The graph below shows the input signal level required for a consistent Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) voltage (think of the RSSI numbers as an analog S-meter voltage). Click on it for a larger image.
Modifications Required for Amateur Use:
All GTX 900 MHz radios can transmit on the 902-903 MHz repeater input frequencies and receive the 927-928 MHz repeater output frequencies with no hardware modifications at all. The RSS limits what frequencies can be programmed into the radio, so the only "mod" required is a software patch that changes the band edge limits in the RSS (see below).
These radios, as-is, aren't suited for working 12 MHz split repeaters or systems running 5 kHz deviation. They have narrow-band filters in the receiver, which makes the distortion quite noticeable above 2.5 kHz input deviation. The receiver will make it down to 920 MHz, but the transmitter may not make it up to 908 MHz.
The programming software limits the radios to the number of channels described above. However, through hex-editing, these numbers can be altered. People commonly increase the number of conventional channels to 15. If you end up with a radio that has more than 10 conventional channels, you will need to similarly modify your copy of the software to match, just to allow you to read the radio. Otherwise you will get error messages from RSS.
900 MHz Manuals and RSS Products:
These items cover the GTX LTR, GTX Privacy Plus, and GTX LCS2000 series of radios on 900 MHz unless otherwise stated. Some of these manuals are available as PDF files; see the main GTX Info page. Some are No Longer Available (NLA) from Motorola.
There is nothing adjustable inside the radios. All alignment and settings are done with RSS: output power, deviation, low frequency compensation, frequency warp, and squelch. Power and deviation are aligned at eight frequencies in each of the 895.5 to 902.5 MHz, and 935.5 to 941.5 MHz bands.
One program handles the 800 MHz and 900 MHz GTX mobiles and handhelds, all variations. It does seem to be Windows-friendly, however I have not programmed a radio by running it in anything other than pure MS-DOS. The software permits programming of all conventional and some trunking features, viewing of all trunking controlled parameters, and contains some helpful service aids for troubleshooting purposes. The Motorola GTX Radio Service Software (RSS) Privacy Plus (PP) / LTR currently supports the following model radios:
'Standard' full-featured models. Handhelds have keypad and display.
Model Number Description Band & Power
M11UGD6CB1_N GTX/PP Mobile
800 MHz, 15 watt
M11WGD4CB1_N GTX/PP Mobile
900 MHz, 12 watt
H11UCD6CB1_N GTX/PP Handheld
800 MHz, 3 watt
H11WCD4CB1_N GTX/PP Handheld
900 MHz, 3 watt
M11UGD6CU1_N GTX/LTR Mobile
800 MHz, 15 watt
M11WGD4CU1_N GTX/LTR Mobile
900 MHz, 12 watt
H11UCD6CU1_N GTX/LTR Handheld
800 MHz, 3 watt
H11WCD4CU1_N GTX/LTR Handheld
900 MHz, 3 watt
'Standard' full-featured 'High-Power' mobiles.
Model Number Description Band & Power
M11URD6CB1_N GTX/PP Mobile
800 MHz, 35 watt
M11WRD4CB1_N GTX/PP Mobile
900 MHz, 30 watt
M11URD6CU1_N GTX/LTR Mobile
800 MHz, 35 watt
M11WRD4CU1_N GTX/LTR Mobile
900 MHz, 30 watt
'Basic' model handhelds have no keypad or display.
Model Number Description Band & Power
H11UCC6DB1_N GTX/PP Handheld
800 MHz, 3 watt
H11WCC4DB1_N GTX/PP Handheld
900 MHz, 3 watt
H11UCC6DU1_N GTX/LTR Handheld
800 MHz, 3 watt
H11WCC4DU1_N GTX/LTR Handheld
900 MHz, 3 watt
There are several versions of programming software "out there". As with many other Motorola radios, once you use a newer version of software (such as R04) to program the radio, you can't use an older version (such as R01) to read or write the code plug.
An early version of lab software is also "floating around". This can be used to blank a GTX radio. Any version of RSS can initialize a blank radio, but the process requires that you load an existing, known good, code plug that will be written to the radio. This means that the code plug you use to initialize the radio must have been saved with the same version of software you're now about to use. You can't go downwards in versions. If you wrote to the radio with R04 software, you can only read and write it subsequently with R04 software. If you have a code plug you saved with R01 software, then you can write that back to the radio if you initialize it with R01 software. There is more information about the version incompatibility issue in the RSS article elsewhere on this web site.
You may encounter error E06 if something goes wrong during programming. You should first try writing the code plug again. If that doesn't fix things up, make sure you've saved the code plug to disk, then go into the Service Menu (F2), select Alignment, and choose either Transmit Power or Warp Frequency. Adjust the setting up or down by one value and write it back to the radio with F8. Exit the Service Menu, read the saved code plug from disk, and try writing it to the radio again. If this doesn't fix it, you probably will hae to blank and initialize the radio, a procedure that requires lab software.
Hear-Clear is a noise reduction system based on audio compression and expansion developed by Motorola that is only provided on their 900 MHz systems and equipment. It's probably similar to other manufacturer's techniques. Spectra radios call the circuit a compander. The system looks at the received signal strength and the high frequency noise at the receiver and adjusts the audio response to eliminate most of the flutter, pops, and clicks that are prevalent with motion. The transmitter audio is filtered and compressed to bring low levels up. The receiver applies similar expansion to return the audio to normal levels. This also tends to reduce the high frequency components and a lot of the noise along with it. The audio filtering tends to make the audio sound thin, but most of the energy is now in the normal communications-quality frequency range of about 400 to 2500 Hz. PL and DPL signals are unaffected.
In an all-Motorola repeater environment, Hear-Clear would be enabled on all user radios as well as the repeater. The repeater's receiver will adjust its action based on the signals it hears. The user's radio will adjust its action based on the signal put out by the repeater. Unfortunately, Hear-Clear is only available on 900 MHz products. In MaxTracs, the Hear-Clear component (one hybrid epoxy module) is mounted on the microphone jack circuit board and the 900 MHz logic board enables or disables the circuit on a channel-by-channel basis (configured through RSS). Hear-Clear is either enabled or disabled, and it always affects both receive and transmit audio. The connections to the Hear-Clear module are very simple: Power and ground, RX audio in and out, TX audio in and out, and an enable pin that switches the Hear-Clear function on and off. The hybrid modules are treated as "black boxes" in all the manuals; no documentation of the actual circuitry is shown anywhere.
A repeater without Hear-Clear can still be used. The repeater must pass clean audio and the user radios can have Hear-Clear enabled. Unfortunately, the part of the system that utilizes signal strength will be fooled by the constant strong signal coming from the repeater's transmitter, but the user radios will still benefit from the compression and expansion of the audio signal. Pops and clicks will be noticeably removed. Radios without Hear-Clear can also use the repeater, but the audio will sound strange if a mix of radios is used.
Several 900 MHz repeaters in my local area experimented with it. We ended up using de-emphasized audio from an 800 MHz MaxTrac modified to receive at 902 MHz that feeds a repeater controller that feeds a 927 MHz MaxTrac transmitter's pre-emphasized mike input. The result is relatively flat response. All users have Hear-Clear enabled on their radios for the repeater channels. Audio generated from within the controller (i.e. the IDer, synthesized speech messages, or the autopatch) sounds strange (mushy is the best way to describe it) because it hasn't gone through the same processing that incoming signals (with Hear-Clear) have. If you are going to be controlling a repeater with a DTMF-equipped GTX you may want to program one channel with HC and another identically but without HC, and use the second one to command the repeater. The next generation of repeater controllers will need a Hear Clear pre-processor for the internal audio source(s), and a Hear Clear "front end" for the DTMF decoder.
Modifying the GTX RSS for 900 MHz Amateur Radio Frequencies:
The GTX radios use a Radio Service Software program (RSS) for all programming. The GTX version R04.00.01a release is the latest one as of this writing (December 2007). One of the files included with the package is GTX.MDF, the Model Definition File. This file is 2024 bytes long. You will need a hex (or binary) editor to make changes to this file. I use, and recommend, a program called Hex Workshop by BreakPoint Software Inc.
NOTE: As mentioned above, before you start, make a copy of the original file, perhaps named GTXMDF.OLD, in case you make a mistake when editing it or your changes don't work. In particular, if the checksum is incorrect, the program will not let you do anything to your radio. In that case you can delete your non-working file, make a fresh copy from the backup, and start over. It's better to have a reserve copy that you don't need than to need one you don't have.
The first thing to do when you open GTX.MDF with Hex Workshop is to obtain the checksum of the entire file. You will need to maintain this value after you've made changes to the file. The data in the GTX.MDF file is authenticated by this value. To obtain the checksum, just click on the "Tools" menu and choose the "Generate Checksum" item. Pick the "Checksum (16 Bit)" option, make sure it operates on the entire file, and click "Generate". I get a value of 73F0, but it could be different if your version is not the same as the one I used. Write this number down somewhere.
The GTX.MDF file contains several frequency range entries. The one we're interested in starts at hex address 0290 and contains the following hex data:
Each entry consists of several 16-bit numbers in Intel format. This means the byte order is reversed from what seems to make sense. When you see a value like 0A00, you need to flip the bytes in your mind to come up with the more normal value 000A, which is 10 decimal.
The first pair of values represents the frequency range that the RSS displays when working on 900 MHz GTX radios. The second pair of values controls the transmit frequency limits. The third pair of values controls the receive frequency limits. Hex Workshop will automatically display the decimal values of these 16-bit numbers. The decimal values of the data shown above is:
8960 9410 8960 9020 9350 9410 0010
In plain English, this means the radio can operate from 896.0 to 941.0 MHz, the transmitter's range is 896.0 to 902.0 MHz, and the receiver's range is 935.0 to 941.0 MHz. (The last value, 0010, is actually an index number for these entries. Other data in the file will choose band limits by using this reference number.) We can change a few bytes to change the ranges to allow the radio to operate in the amateur part of the band. The transmitter's upper limit will be changed and the receiver's lower limit will be changed. I'm going to make them both cover 896.0 to 941.0 MHz. This will let the radio be programmed to frequencies in the commercial and amateur bands. The necessary changes are shown underlined and in red below, along with the results:
Original Data: 0023 C224 0023 3C23 8624 C224 0A00
Modified Data: 0023 C224 0023 C224 0023 C224 0A00
This changes all the values to (decimal) 8960, 9410, 8960, 9410, 8960, 9410. We only had to change two of the six values. Now save the file. You shouldn't need to create a backup, since you did that step before you started editing the file.
Note that the file address of 0290 (hex) is appropriate for release 4 of the GTX RSS; if you have an older version, the location might be slightly different, but you should be able to find the byte string shown in the "Original Data" above somewhere close to hex address 0290.
After making these two changes, I generated the checksum again. It came out 73F0, just as it was before I edited the file. The checksum after editing MUST BE the same as it was on the unaltered file. It's purely coincidental that it worked out this way. You may now throw away that slip of paper on which you wrote the original checksum value.
The GTX MDF File Structure:
The MDF file has a specific layout, which is known by the RSS program. The beginning of the file is an index area. Once you understand the layout of the index, you can find the other areas with ease. This should allow you to hex-edit other versions of the programming software. Note that other RSS packages have similar file structures but may have more or less areas defined by the index.
This binary file contains six areas. The first area holds index information for the rest of the file and lets the program locate the five other areas following it.
Each index entry consists of three pieces of information:
All of these values are in Intel format. Here's what they are for the R04.00.01a version. All values are hexadecimal except those in parentheses, which are their decimal equivalents:
Address of
area in MDF
Length of
each entry
Number of
What the data in
this area consists of
0000 2800 0000
Radio Series
0010 0402 0000
Frequency Ranges
1000 (16) 1300 (19)
Unknown Data
3200 (50) 1400 (20)
Model Parameters
Each 16-bit value has its bytes in what seems to be reversed order, so when you look at this data, you need to switch the bytes in your head; you still need to enter them in reversed order when using Hex Workshop. For example, at address 0010, you see 0402 0000. You can drop the 0000 part, but the 0402 is really interpreted as 0204. This means the frequency range list starts at address 0204 in the MDF file. Each entry is 000E bytes (or 14 decimal) and there are exactly 000E (or 14 decimal) entries in this table. If you notice, the first hex address in the index is 0028, and that's where the Options table starts, immediately after the index area.
The frequency range table consists of seven individual 16-bit (two byte) values, for a total of 14 (000E) bytes long. Each entry consists of the following fields:
Here's the full table as it exists in the MDF file. All values are hexadecimal. Remember that the individual values have their bytes reversed, so the first RSS Low value of E405 should be read by you as 05E4. If you convert this to decimal you'll find that it comes out as 1508; you'll see this in the table of decimal values following this one. Also, the frequency limit values have an implied decimal point between the 3rd and 4th digits, so the 1508 really means 150.8 MHz. If you wanted to change this to 123.4 MHz, you would convert 1234 from decimal to hex (04D2), then enter it in reverse order (D204) into the table with Hex Workshop.
in MDF
0220 5005 5406
5005 5406 5005
8813 0600
5014 0700
0274 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000
0000 0800
Here's the same table. The Address column is the actual hex address. The limit values are shown as decimal numbers. The Index Number is also a hex value:
in MDF
0204 1508 1620
1508 1620 1508
1626 0000
0212 4500 4700
4500 4700 4500
4700 0001
0220 1360 1620
1360 1620 1360
1626 0002
1460 1740 1460
1740 0003
4030 4300 4030
4300 0004
4380 4700 4380
4700 0005
0258 4700 5000
4700 5000 4700
5000 0006
0266 4940 5200
4940 5200 4940
5200 0007
0274 0000 0000
0000 0000 0000
0000 0008
0282 8060 8660
8060 8210 8510
8660 0009
0290 8960 9410
8960 9020 9350
3300 3700 3300
3360 3680 3360
3680 3950 3680
If you look carefully, you'll see the entry at 0290 is the one described in the previous section. As you move the cursor across the hex values in the table, you'll see the decimal values displayed in the lower left section of the screen, if you've got Hex Workshop set up the way I have mine.
The index number is used in the Model Parameters section of the MDF file. You'll find the various radio model numbers in this section, and as this RSS package is for the 800 and 900 MHz radios, all of the entries will specify frequency index 09 or 0A.
See the companion article in this section of the web site for more detailed information.
Acknowledgements and Credits:
Some of the information about hex-editing this file was obtained from Bruce KC7GR and other sources on the web.
MaxTrac, GTX, PL, DPL, Radius, GM300, RSS, "Radio Service Software" and Hear-Clear (and a bunch of other things) are registered trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
Schematics, specifications, and other scanned data sheets came from Motorola manuals and documents. Copyright on these items is retained by Motorola.
Contact Information:
The author can be contacted at: his-callsign [ at ] comcast [ dot ] net.
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This page originally posted 03-Dec-07.
Article text, photographs, and hand-coded HTML © Copyright 2007 By Robert W. Meister WA1MIK.
This web page, this web site, the information presented in and on its pages and in these modifications and conversions is © Copyrighted 1995 and (date of last update) by Kevin Custer W3KKC and multiple originating authors. All Rights Reserved, including that of paper and web publication elsewhere.


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Stellaria pubera
Pink family (Caryophyllaceae)
Description: This perennial wildflower is about 6-12" tall and unbranched, or sparingly so. Both fertile and infertile shoots are produced; the latter develop later in the year and don't produce flowers. The central stem is light green to pale purplish green and glabrous to moderately pubescent. The opposite leaves are up to 3" long and 1¼" across; they are ovate, lanceolate, oblanceolate, elliptic, or broadly oblong. The upper surface of these leaves is medium to dark green and finely pubescent (sometimes sparsely); their margins are smooth (entire) and ciliate. The leaf bases are sessile or nearly sessile, while their tips are either acute or blunt; lower leaves are more likely to have short petioles and blunt tips than upper leaves.
The central stem of each fertile shoot produces a terminal cyme of flowers; occasional individual flowers may develop from the axils of the upper leaves. Each flower is about ½" across, consisting of 5 green sepals, 5 white petals (looking like 10 petals, because each petal is deeply bifurcated), a white ovary with 3 styles at its apex, and 10 stamens with reddish brown anthers. The petals are about the same length or a little longer than the sepals. Each sepal is lanceolate to ovate and pubescent. The pedicel of each flower is up to 1" long and pubescent. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about a month. Each flower is replaced by an ovoid capsule that is open at its apex; it has 6 curved teeth around its upper rim. Each capsule contains many small seeds that are globoid, somewhat flattened, and minutely warty. Each seed is often slightly notched on one side. The root system consists of a taproot with slender fibrous roots. Small colonies of plants are occasionally formed.
Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight to light shade during the spring, followed by light to medium shade. The soil should be well-drained but consistently moist, with an abundance of organic matter and a layer of decaying leaves. It should also be somewhat acidic. Shallow rocky ground and slopes help to reduce competition from taller plants.
Range & Habitat: The native Star Chickweed is a rare plant in Illinois, where it is state-listed as 'endangered.' It has been found in Pope County of southern Illinois, and a few counties in NE Illinois (see Distribution Map). Illinois lies at the NW corner of the range for this species. It is more common in the southern half of Indiana and other states. Habitats include edges of rocky meadows, rocky wooded slopes, wooded bluffs, and the upper slopes of sandstone ravines. Outside of Illinois, another typical habitat is rich mesic woodlands. This conservative species is found in high quality woodlands, especially where sandstone is close to the ground surface.
Faunal Associations: The flowers of Star Chickweed attract cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees (Augochlorella spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), the Giant Bee Fly (Bombylius major), Syrphid flies, and other miscellaneous flies. Butterflies and skippers are rare visitors of the flowers. These insects are attracted primarily to the nectar of the flowers, although some of the bees collect pollen for their larvae and some of the flies feed on pollen as adults. Insects that feed on Stellaria spp., including possibly this chickweed, are the aphid Abstrusomyzus phloxae, the Pale Tortoise Beetle (Cassida flaveola), and caterpillars of a moth, Lobocleta ossularia (Drab Brown Wave). Information about this chickweed's ecological relationships with vertebrate animals is currently unavailable.
Photographic Location: The edge of a rocky meadow and the wooded upper slope of a sandstone ravine at Shades State Park in west-central Indiana.
Comments: Of all the chickweeds (whether native or introduced), Star Chickweed is arguably the most attractive. It's a pity that this species isn't more common in Illinois. The only other chickweed in Illinois that resembles it is Myosoton aquaticum (Water Chickweed), which is native to Eurasia. This latter species can become larger in size than Star Chickweed, and its leaves are usually more broad toward their bases. Even more importantly, the flowers of Water Chickweed have 5 styles and its seed capsules have 5 teeth. In contrast, Star Chickweed has flowers with 3 styles and seed capsules with 6 teeth. Water Chickweed, as its common name suggests, also prefers damp water-logged habitats, such as roadside ditches and low areas along rivers. Other common names of Stellaria pubera are Giant Chickweed and Great Chickweed; these names sometimes refer to Myosoton aquaticum as well.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Carrie Fisher's Daughter Shoots Down A Longstanding Force Awakens Rumor
Take a closer look at Batman v. Superman's Batwing. Charlize Theron could star in a comic-book movie, Eddie Redmayne is up for J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts, and Luc Besson's Valerian gets two leads. Agent Carter season two will have new romances and new locales. Spoilers, Assemble!


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ROSWELL, Ga. – Members of the World Harvest Church in Roswell celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday in the way they've always done it – by giving back to their community.
Dozens of volunteers turned out the day before Thanksgiving to pack boxes with everything a family would need for a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal – frozen turkey, stuffing mix, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. There was even a Hispanic-oriented package for the Latino community.
For 12 years now, the church has gathered the community around them on the holiday for a community feast, said Dorsella Reynolds, one of the founders of the "No Home Alone" Thanksgiving outreach effort.
"We had lots of people come to us and asking how they can spend Thanksgiving," Reynolds said. "There were lots with no food, low income and some very lonely people."
So Reynolds and other members of the church began thinking of having a large feast at the church open for the community. And this worked for the first few years, she said.
"Demand began to outstrip our supply and seats," said fellow volunteer Cindy Goodsell.
Too many people began coming to the banquet for the volunteers to keep up, so the delivery of the food changed – from plates to boxes.
"We felt we could reach more people in a family with boxes," Reynolds said.
The program that began by offering about 100 boxes of food now gives over 250 boxes. Each box is expected to feed eight people.
Reynolds said the economic problems of the past few years have led to the increase in demand, but also has led to the spreading of the program. As more people heard about it, more people wanted to take part. However, along with the increased need came increased numbers of volunteers.
"People in the community want to be involved, they just need an avenue," said Pastor Mirek Hufton.
"Once you get momentum building and get people into it, the stream becomes a small river and people become addicted to it."
About 75 members of the 1,400-member congregation volunteered in one way or another to help with the boxes this year.
For Reynolds, the program that has taken 12 years of her life to build and operate every year still brings her joy.
"It's like bringing the world into my living room," Reynolds said.
For more on the World Harvest Church and its outreach programs, visit them online at www.worldharvestchurch.org.


text:
The crisis in Japan is sending a shudder through the technology sector as companies and investors try to determine the impact of supply disruptions and possible shortages of key components.
A broad wave of selling Wednesday hit the stocks of Japanese tech firms as well as U.S. stalwarts such as Apple Inc. and IBM Corp. , as analysts downgraded firms and reduced expectations.
The Asian country is the world's biggest supplier of several critical technology ingredients, including the silicon used to make computer chips and a resin used to make printed circuit boards.
"The Japan earthquake and tsunami could result in significant shortages of certain electronic components, potentially causing pricing for these devices to increase dramatically," says Jonathan Cassell, editorial director at IHS iSuppli, a research firm in El Segundo, Calif., specializing in technology supply chains.
Sony Corp. , Texas Instruments Inc. and Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd. are among the major suppliers that said they have closed down some operations in Japan as a result of last Friday's earthquake.
Shares of Sony have fallen about 14 per cent since the disaster. The Tokyo-based company has suspended manufacturing at eight sites and ceased operations at a ninth.
Analysts say one of the effects of the disruptions at Sony and Hitachi will be a shortage of lithium-ion batteries, used extensively in computer devices.
Shares of Texas Instruments have fallen 5 per cent since Friday. The Dallas-based chip maker said its plant in Miho, about 70 kilometres northeast of Tokyo, suffered "substantial damage" during the earthquake and will not be at full capacity again until September at the earliest.
Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc. suspended operations at a damaged plant, one of the world's biggest suppliers of materials for printing boards. "At present, it is impossible to estimate the losses that have been and/or might be caused by the earthquake and rolling blackout program," the company said.
Shares of both Apple and IBM declined 4 per cent Wednesday after analysts notched down their ratings. JMP Securities cut Apple to "market perform" from "market outperform," citing "notable deceleration" in sales of its primary manufacturing partner, Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Ltd. of Taiwan. Analyst Alex Gauna noted that the slowdown began prior to the earthquake, possibly due to increased competition from Google's Android software.
Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., meanwhile, trimmed its rating on IBM to "market perform" from "outperform," citing the stock's recent price gains.


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Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) takes to the House floor today to speak his mind. As Dan Henning, lefty radio host Bill Press's assistant, so eloquently puts it on Twitter, "Charles Rangel Has Balls."
Indeed, he does.
"I have been losing a lot of sleep," Rangel said in his speech in which he went into great detail about the deals he has been offered. …When the President said that he wanted me to end my career in dignity, he didn't put a time limit on it."
The House Ethics Committee has charged Rangel with 13 counts of ethics violations. "The Ethics Committee won't even tell me when I'm going to have a hearing," he said. …"I don't want to die before the hearing."
Here's the speech from C-SPAN:


text:
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You Do This More Than Sleeping And Working tagged "Broadband"
People spend more than half of their day consuming media. Making a statement like that should make you look at this Blog post with your head titled sideways and your eyebrows raised - the way a dog looks when you... Read more
August 27, 2009 6:31 AM
The Wonderful World of Woz tagged "Broadband"
Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Are The New Rock Stars. It's hard to believe that 1983 was 26 years ago. I was just becoming a teenager (not to age myself) and the testosterone was raging. I found myself much more interested in... Read more
April 4, 2009 1:37 PM
Online Social Networking Is Good, Clean Fun tagged "Broadband"
Online social networking is not just good in terms of connecting and growing your personal network and business. It's also becoming a great form of entertainment. There was more great news out of Marketing Charts yesterday with the news item,... Read more
September 17, 2008 8:57 PM
Interesting Stats About Your Brand And Online Opinions tagged "Broadband"
The Internet really is changing everything we know about brands and building loyalty online. There were many stats, graphs and quotes tossed around over the course of the past two days at the Shop.org Annual Summit 08 in Las Vegas.... Read more


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All quotes tagged Shave
(82 quotes found)
"I take my hat off to the ladies. The amount of grooming--plucking and shaving and all the other things men never have to do. I went down and spent time with transvestites in London in the clubs and all that. Got an insight to that world, and it's a mad world, but they are very warm and very open people. It was a great experience."
"If I had to take off all the make-up and shave my head and wear only a jockstrap; I'd still be playing the same music."
"I'm a big Texas [football] fan, and after they won [the national championship] I shaved my head into a Mohawk with a Longhorns logo on each side. All of us like to go all out."
"My turn came in the San Francisco airport. I wore the wig and put shaving cream on my face and sang like crazy."
"The neatest thing I heard him say was that he couldn't wait to shave it off. I was relieved to hear that. I think his grandmother told him she was going to cut it off while he was sleeping."


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For Sale: 6'2", 19.8, 2 3/8 JC Sting Ray thruster with custom airbrush by an artist who painted 5 of these boards differently for a local shop.
I am the second owner, it used to be my sister's boyfriends and he didn't use it too much or surf in general often. I touched up the nose which was dinged a bit but not too bad and its sealed up well now. Also, the stomp is lifting a little bit in a couple spots but it can be re-adhered with some glue or 3m double sided tape. This board is fun and has been ridden by me in stomach high waves as well as head high or overhead.
Looking for $250 OBO. Located in the southeast Massachusetts. call or text 508 728 6557 if interested. Thanks - Tom
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Thread: 6'2" JC Sting Ray custom
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Jan 21, 2012, 07:20 PM #1Senior Member
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6'2" JC Sting Ray custom
Jan 24, 2012, 07:20 PM #2Senior Member
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Price Drop to $200.
Also, the picture is stretched and sideways lol looks kind of like a big wave gun in the photo, but it actually has some descent width for those looking for something easy to get up on. I put on weight and want a 6'3 with less width as a true step up board and is why I want to sell. Thanks - Tom
Dec 7, 2014, 06:31 PM #3Junior Member
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Judge Refuses To Dismiss Bad Faith Claim As Insured Alleged Sufficient Facts
(Memorandum available. Document #69-151030-011Z.)
On Jan., 4, 2014, a pipe burst inside Joan Yatsonsky's home causing extensive damage. Yatsonsky alleged that her homeowners insurer, State Farm Fire and Casualty Co.,...
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|low graphics version | feedback | help
|You are in: World: Africa
Tuesday, 20 June, 2000, 10:20 GMT 11:20 UK
Zimbabweans feel 'let down'
With elections just days away, Zimbabwe's Government has acknowledged that people in towns and cities feel disenchanted with it.
The campaign manager of the ruling Zanu-PF party, Jonathon Moyo, told the BBC he expected the opposition to win 18% of the vote - though he said this would only translate into three seats in parliament.
His estimate contrasts with an independent opinion poll last week, which forecast the opposition winning about 70 of the 120 seats being contested.
The government dismissed that poll as unscientific.
Dr Moyo said the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change was only campaigning in about a fifth of the constituencies.
Correspondents say the campaign of intimidation against the opposition, orchestrated by the ruling party, appears to be backfiring, angering many potential Zanu-PF supporters.
Restraint urged
Meanwhile, the head of the Commonwealth Electoral Observer Team, Nigeria's former president Abdulsalami Abubakar, has urged restraint ahead of the weekend.
He condemned political violence sweeping Zimbabwe.
"Zimbabweans should vote peacefully and according to their will. There is no need for violence, otherwise you are doing a disservice to the same people you aspire to lead," Mr Abubakar said.
He said he was concerned at the horrifying tales of violence and intimidation his observer team had heard.
"People have been beaten and I have been able to speak to some of those who have been beaten. This is coming from all the (political) parties concerned," he said.
At least 29 people, mostly opposition supporters, have died in violence linked to the election and the invasions of hundreds of white-owned farms by government supporters.
According to the Commercial Farmers Union, 430 people have received hospital treatment and 2,400 assault cases have been reported since February, mostly against black farm workers.
There were 1,490 death threats, 70% of them against the workers, the union said.
On Tuesday opposition leader Margaret Dongo told journalists in Harare that about 70 militants of the Zanu-PF party attacked her house wielding sticks and something like a bottle of petrol.
They thoroughly wrecked her house and car and five people were seriously injured, she said.
Disgraceful Africans
Meanwhile, the 17 Kenyan and Nigerian observers who have been barred from monitoring polls have been called "disgraceful Africans" by the state-owned Herald newspaper.
It said they were "willing to be used as tools by the British in return for a few pieces of silver".
"We do not expect our brothers and sisters to be aiding Western powers in their destructive ways," the newspaper said.
The European Union team has denied the observers had any connection with the UK - which has been highly critical of President Robert Mugabe.
See also:
13 Jun 00 | Africa
Zimbabwe hampers EU observers
18 Jun 00 | Africa
In pictures: Zimbabwe's rival rallies
16 Jun 00 | Africa
Opposition boost in Zimbabwe
17 Jun 00 | Africa
Turnout blow for Mugabe
14 Apr 00 | Africa
Profile: Morgan Tsvangirai
18 Jun 00 | Africa
Harare rally boosts opposition
16 Jun 00 | Africa
What role for poll observers?
Internet links:
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Links to more Africa stories are at the foot of the page.
Links to more Africa stories
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|IslamiCity Forum - Islamic Discussion Forum : Religion - Islam : Interfaith Dialogue
|Topic: A Complete Islamic Site in Bangla
Male Islam
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| Topic: A Complete Islamic Site in Bangla
Posted: 11 May 2009 at 10:55am
A complete Islamic site in Bangla:
· Islamic book bangle-Download
· Hamd Naat Bangla-Download
· Quran with bangla translation
· Hadis in Bangla
· Zakir naik lecture in bangle
· Islamic Wazz mahfil
· Muslim Baby name
· Lots of Islamic stuff in Bangla
There are lots sites with the name of Islam in internet, but all of them might not guide you to the right direction. And many of them are created just to mislead Muslims. So its very important to identify authenticate Islamic Sites and to let other Muslim brothers & sisters to know. Alhamdulillah, from this context, we have tried to refer some useful and reliable Islamic Sites, so that our Muslim brothers & Sisters can utilize it to enhance their Islamic Knowledge to the right path. Moreover, if any of you [Muslim brothers & sisters] have any more suggestions/observations about the listed sites or have any other references of more Islamic sites which are useful & Reliable, then please send us
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Pot Legalization Question Going on the Ballot in York
POrTland legalized it. Now York?
The Marijuana Policy Project was busy collecting signatures outside of polling locations during the primary elections June, 10th. They are seeking to legalize marijuana for recreational use in York, Lewiston and South Portland.
Petitioners collected an estimated 200 signatures in York. That's double the amount needed to send the petition to the selectmen for their consideration for the November ballot.
As for the effort in Lewiston, an estimated 350 of the 859 signatures needed have been collected. 200 of the 950 signers needed in South Portland have been collected so far.


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wikiHow to Feel Loved
Three Parts:Loving YourselfEvaluating LoveFinding LoveCommunity Q&A
Feeling unloved? It can be a raw, hollow feeling to think that nobody loves you in life. However, you may not know how much you are actually loved because of miscommunication or misunderstanding. A lot of the time, we feel unloved because we've shut ourselves away from the ability to feel loved. You can open yourself up to those feelings again and encourage the people you love to open up their hearts; just get started with Step 1 below!
Part 1
Loving Yourself
1Build your self esteem. A lot of the time, people can love us with all their hearts and we will still feel unloved. Usually, this is because we have a hard time believing that someone else could love us because we can't love ourselves. If you feel unloved by others, the best place to start is to learn to love yourself first. Build your opinion of yourself by celebrating your positives and embracing your negatives. Stop holding yourself to an ideal of perfection and realize that you are fine just the way you are.
2Build your self confidence. Self confidence is an extremely attractive quality in a person. When people see that you think you can take on the world and win, they begin to believe it too (and they love it!). Build your self confidence by taking on challenges in your life, speaking up for yourself, and doing things that make you proud of who you are.
3Get help if you need it. Sometimes, our brains get sick. They don't work quite right and they need a little help feeling better again. If you think that maybe your problems are too big for you to handle, please get help. Like taking medicine for a cold, it's important to take care of your body by getting the professional help of a doctor. We here at wikiHow love each and every one of you and we want you to be happy. You do what you have to do to make that happen!
Part 2
Evaluating Love
1Understand what love looks like. Make sure you know what love really looks like. Sometimes, really horrible people in our lives will convince us that love looks different than it actually does. Don't let them get you confused: love should never hurt, love shouldn't feel one-sided, and love shouldn't feel conditional.
2Look at how they act. Look at how the person or people that you love act. Do they say mean things to you? Do they physically hurt you? Do they blow you off when you really need them? Do they ignore you when you tell them how you feel? These are bad signs. If, however, they maybe don't say it but they do show it by being there for you, trying to avid hurting you, and never giving you reason to think they think less of you, they probably love you but are just bad at showing it.
3Look at how you act. Are you carrying all the weight in a friendship or relationship? Do you do way more for them than they do for you? Do you shower them in kindness and you're just met with empty thank yous and no reciprocation? These are bad signs. If, however, you feel like you get out as much as you put in, things are probably okay.
4Leave dead weights behind. If someone hurts you (physically or emotionally), or even if they're just more work than they're worth, don't keep them in your life. You don't need that. Leave them behind and get back out there. Find the friends and relationships that are fulfilling for you because you deserve it!
Part 3
Finding Love
1Be open about your feelings. This is hard, but this is the best way to stop the feeling of being unloved. Tell the people in your life that you love how you feel. Tell them that you're having problems. And when they say that they love you, take them at their word. Give them the opportunity to show it. Stop shutting them down or second-guessing their feelings. They probably do really love you.
2Opening yourself to new love. You might not feel loved if you have a very specific idea of what love looks like or where it comes from. Take a look at how you define love and think about maybe redefining it. Love doesn't have to come from a romantic relationship, and it doesn't have to include expensive gifts, cards on birthdays, or meeting some list of required qualities.
3Volunteer. A great way to help yourself feel loved is to give back to your community. Volunteering in your local area, anywhere from hospices to soup kitchens, can help you and your community a lot. People will appreciate all you do to help them and you'll find the love you're looking for while making an incredibly positive impact.
- There are also organizations like Big Brothers, Big Sisters, if you want to help a child who also needs to feel loved.
4Get a pet. A dog or cat is a great way to feel loved. Our pets love us and rely on us a lot. You can have a wonderful impact on an animal by taking in a rescue animal or even volunteering at a foster home. Especially if your area is low on no-kill shelters, this can be a really wonderful thing to do.
5Find people like you. Finding a community of people that are just like you can be a wonderful way to feel loved. The internet has made that much easier than it used to be. Fan communities are an easy way to start making friends online. You can also make some new friends in real life too. Try taking a class in a subject that interests you from your local community center.
6Join a church. Another option to help yourself feel loved is to join or get more involved in a church or other local religious group. Find one that shares your values and start attending regularly. You can even join a study group to help develop even closer relationships with your fellow parishioners.
7Date someone new. If you really think a romantic relationship is what's best for you, you can try dating someone new if you're ready (emotionally) to be with another person. Just remember: you should never enter a relationship expecting that the other person will make all of your problems go away or think that you can't be happy unless you're in a relationship. These are not healthy ideas. If, however, you're ready for the hurdles of being with someone else, you can get a boyfriend or get a girlfriend.
Community Q&A
- Remember the birthdays of all the people you care deeply about, and send them a gift or at least an e-card on their birthdays.
- Always express appreciation when someone has done something nice for you.
- When you complain about something related to a loved one, make sure the person knows you are not blaming him/her.
- Smile and show discreet, welcoming body language.
- Get help if you find yourself feeling seriously depressed.
Article Info
Featured Article
Categories: Featured Articles | Love and Romance
In other languages:
Русский: почувствовать себя любимым, Deutsch: Sich geliebt fühlen, Italiano: Sentirsi Amati, Español: sentirse querido, Français: vous sentir aimé(e), Português: Se Sentir Amado, 中文: 有被爱的感觉, Bahasa Indonesia: Merasa Dicintai
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 183,955 times.


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Davids Tea in Ottawa, ON
You haven't written a review for this place yet. Write One
Shannon hasn't written a review for this place yet.
DavidsTea in Ottawa, ON
LOVE David's Tea! The staff are always so patient and helpful while you browse and smell the different teas. Very friendly service and great teas! The only reason i give them 4/5 stars is because it IS slightly more expensive than some of the other loose leaf teas in Ottawa.


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Radio.com Staff
Lady Gaga covered Chic's 1978 classic "I Want Your Love" as a soundtrack for fashion designer Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2016 Collection promotional video.
The video features a cast of runway models including Gaga herself who goes through various wardrobe changes and struts for the camera starting about half way through the video. With clip ends with her wearing next to nothing.
Related: Lady Gaga Working on New Album with RedOne
"Instead of having a traditional show this season," explains Tom Ford in a post to his website, I wanted to think about to present a collection in a cinematic way that was designed from its inception to be presented online. I have always loved "Sound Train" which used to be on TV in the 70's; as it was as much about the clothes as the music. I asked Nile Rodgers to collaborate on a new version of his great hits from that time, "I Want Your Love," and worked with Gaga to record the vocals. I then staged a full show in Los Angeles and filmed it with Gaga on the runway, Nick Knight directing and Benoit Delhomme as our director of photography."
Listen to the original version of Rodger's classic below.


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The relationship between bid-ask spreads and holding periods: The case of Chinese A and B shares
No abstract is available for this item.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.
Volume (Year): 15 (2005)
Issue (Month): 3 (February)
Pages: 239-249
|Contact details of provider:
| Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620162
References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Brennan, Michael J. & Subrahmanyam, Avanidhar, 1996. "Market microstructure and asset pricing: On the compensation for illiquidity in stock returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 441-464, July.
- Domowitz, Ian & Glen, Jack & Madhavan, Ananth, 1997. " Market Segmentation and Stock Prices: Evidence from an Emerging Market," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(3), pages 1059-1085, July.
- Atkins, Allen B & Dyl, Edward A, 1997. " Transactions Costs and Holding Periods for Common Stocks," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 52(1), pages 309-325, March.
- White, Halbert, 1980. "A Heteroskedasticity-Consistent Covariance Matrix Estimator and a Direct Test for Heteroskedasticity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 817-838, May.
- French, Kenneth R. & Roll, Richard, 1986. "Stock return variances : The arrival of information and the reaction of traders," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 5-26, September.
- Zuobao Wei & Oscar Varela & Juliet D'Souza & M. Kabir Hassan, 2003. "The Financial and Operating Performance of China's Newly Privatized Firms," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 32(2), Summer.
- Su, Dongwei, 1999. "Ownership Restrictions and Stock Prices: Evidence from Chinese Markets," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 34(2), pages 37-56, May.
- Ma, Xianghai, 1996. "Capital controls, market segmentation and stock prices: Evidence from the Chinese stock market," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 4(2-3), pages 219-239, July.
- Eleswarapu, Venkat R. & Reinganum, Marc R., 1993. "The seasonal behavior of the liquidity premium in asset pricing," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 373-386, December.
- Bailey, Warren, 1994. "Risk and return on China's new stock markets: Some preliminary evidence," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 2(2-3), pages 243-260, May.
- Bailey, Warren & Jagtiani, Julapa, 1994. "Foreign ownership restrictions and stock prices in the Thai capital market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 57-87, August.
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© 2002-2017
Encyclopaedia Metallum
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Originally posted on my reviews blog at heavymetalspotlight.blogspot.com
"Dalla Nebbia", I believe, comes from the Italian for "By Fog". The two-member atmospheric black-metal project from the USA ardently, and rightly, claim to be "...a far-cry from the corpse paint and spiked gauntlets of the Scandinavian orthodoxy...". The band seem quite correct in this assertion, which makes for an interesting EP to listen to.
From looking at the cover art, to the first few seconds of music, it's almost immediately apparent that Dalla Nebbia's EP is going to be something a bit different, perhaps also, a bit unconventional. It is. Only three tracks, maybe, but three long tracks, which are filled to the brim with variety and generally forward-thinking musicianship. Much like the mist, the band have a wispy thin, ethereal atmosphere, very suiting of their name, with a typically high pitch and floating, disembodied feel. The music occasionally does dip into a more rumbling and riff-driven path, for example in the final track "Shade of Memory", there occurs the occasional deeper, heavier guitar sound, interestingly utilised in a bouncy, but somehow still very black-metal sounding riff. It's fairly clear that this isn't, however, the mainstay of the band's sound - The EP is certainly a ride in a hot-air-balloon, and not a wild chase through the woods. The band blend many of the styles of atmosphere which black metal can have - being at times epic, psychedelic, upbeat and yet simultaneously mournful. It's interesting too, that the atmosphere definitely becomes more palpable and enjoyable with a couple of listens, and where before the lack of lower-end could be a little deterring, and make the music feel like it lacks substance, in the second listen, I began to get the feeling that the high-pitch is mostly just another facet of the atmosphere.
The well-deployed synth really compliments and uplifts the guitar parts, and there are some really great moments throughout the EP in which the two elements come together nigh-on-perfectly. There are some places too, in which it sounds a little bizarre - There's a short, prog-esque section of keyboard in "The Apex of Human Sorrow" which whizzed past my ears to the sound of my inner monologue going "hang on... what was that? It's quite a fun, out-of-the-blue little hook, and certainly made me pay even more attention to the music, in case such little devices were used again. It's certainly an aspect of the band which I enjoyed, that is, the sheer variety of influences within the music - more than I could name, and more than I know the names of. It really does a good job of keeping the EP exciting and engaging, and definitely gifts the band's sound with a level of uniqueness which adds to it.
I must say, this is an EP which really impressed me. More so than I was expecting to, and consequently, I have to say I recommend it to anyone who likes atmospheric black metal. There are some really tasty soundscapes in this EP, and it's a free download on Bandcamp, to boot.
Despite the current emergence and apparent popularity of "post" black metal bands having a keen fixation on all things to do with Mother Earth, I approach any release by a band with a marked amount of hesitation, personally I don't quite grasp the correlation between 'nature's so pretty' and one of the harshest forms of music in existence (perhaps this is just my close minded foolishness, alas) + the fact I don't see what can be done to top the works of early Ulver, Borknagar and Enslaved; this being said, this release was better than what I envisaged, particularly so for a cover that has a sketch of a bird on the front...
Hailing from South Caroline, U.S, this duo have constructed a fine E.P that clocks in at just under half an hour, the music is undulating, diverse in inspiration and surprisingly refreshing to listen to (perhaps it's just the recent assault of NoEvDia releases I've been re-visiting). Whilst there is nothing new here and it is not carving new territory it is a competent debut that flows (relatively) well over the relatively long track times; this I feel is the albums strongest point, a decent amount of ideas are placed into each song, from beautiful open acoustic parts, to soaring tremolo riffs, blast beats, thrash-y riffs and at times some surprising programmed pieces, although some ideas may leave you questioning the turns the songs take.
In honesty I feel it somewhat pointless to dissect the songs as I think doing so would be to remove from their parts as a whole. Each song seems to work well within its own entity and although the songs can appear to divert and stray off course from their initial outset they seem to come back towards their initial influence in the end.
Weak points of the album in my opinion are initially with the drums; they're programmed, I have no problem with this normally as long at it serves the music, the main issue in this case is that the beats used are incredibly simplistic with little variation. My biggest criticism is at times I struggle with is 'What does this band want to play?', there is an eclectic range of influences here, and it seems to be as much a blessing as much as it is a curse, occasionally the songs seem to take a turn for the realms of thrash, prog and industrial, and whilst with the right hand these elements could be crafted into a great form, a lot of parts leave me bored.
The lyrics are pretty plain in my opinion, nature worship, fantasies about destroying dogmas, current societal constructs and lamenting about your own demise as you watch the leaves fall from a tree, etc. etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum; these kind of lyrics leave me cold and do nothing for me
I find it unlikely that this would ever find its way into my usual playlist as it does little to engage, confront and/or entertain. Whilst it is a commendable effort for their first effort, this machine still needs polishing and greater work needs to be made to present a coherent release. I look forward to their next release, if they can pull their ideas together into something more consistent and maintain stronger themes in the music, whilst still progressing with their more 'Avant-Garde/progressive' ideas they could be one of the stronger acts to come out of the U.S in some time.
Considering that they've only been around for about two years, I must say that South Carolina's Dalla Nebbia ('From the Fog') has one of the most refined senses of melody in their songwriting that I've ever experienced from black metal in the US. The band's tremolo streams glisten like the tears of clip-winged angels forever severed from their heavenly host, and they usher in enough dynamic range in the three songs of this EP that they can easily comport themselves through 8-9 minute track lengths without dragging the listener under the usual haze of thoughtless repetition and pretentious bloat. Thy Pale Form... is made even more impressive by the fact that it's the work of only two musicians, vocalist Zduhać and multi-instrumentalist Yixja.
The three tracks presented here do well to showcase the band's emotional poles, from the charging and near gladiatorial onslaught of lower pitched chords that inaugurate "The Apex of Human Sorrow" to the lush clean guitars and keys that simulate sorrow through closer "Shade of Memory". All of them, however, possess the duo's aesthetically consistent, exotic rivers of harmony that instantly sweeten the ear like sugar on a tongue, in particular the opener "Thanatopsis" which is through and through the catchiest of the three, from its eerily hypnotic blasted sequences, to the mellow breakdown with cleaner narrative vocals (quoted from an early 19th century poem), to the eruption of blazing, melodic doom in its depths. It would be hard to pin down the sound precisely: certainly there are roots in Swedish black and death metal like Dissection and Katatonia, conjured up through the longing subtext of the guitar melodies; the first Fall of the Leafe album came to mind, perhaps even a touch of the earliest Opeth (Orchid) in the sheer breadth of the songs and their contrast of floods and calms, but these are mere building blocks in the group's DNA, they do not emulate anyone directly.
The rasp throughout Thy Pale Form... is brazen, roaring and creates a carnal counterpoint to the thinner, higher pitch guitar tone it's often set against. On the whole, I felt like the mix of the EP was a bit skewed towards the higher end, so it has this ability to pierce straight into your skull, which works well enough for the melodies but perhaps not so well when the band strikes a more brooding pose. Also, the drums here have been programmed, which is nothing novel for a black metal project like this, but while they're synced up well with the varied riffing patterns, I do feel that an actual live drummer would benefit this music if only for the natural inflection of the bass, snare and cymbals, not to mention the fills. My only other complaint would also be cosmetic: the cover art is probably just something thrown together to create a rustic mood, and the music and introspective, solemn lyrics certainly conjure such a space, but Thy Pale Form... deserves better.
Otherwise, Dalla Nebbia is quite a surprise, from an area one doesn't normally associate with the style, and the pieces are in place here for a promising career, balancing beauty and harrowing aggression. The guitar architecture feels fresh and imperative, not jaded in the least, and fans of other newer US acts in this field like Autolatry, Sylvan Realm and Obsequiae should not hesitate to check this out.


text:
Personalised 'Clap-On' Alarm Clock - Job
Engrave it with the name of a sleepy companion
Product Description
One of the main fears that fills young professionals as they come to the end of their time at university isn't the stresses and strains of trying to get that perfect job, it's the thought of having to get up every morning in the ever-so-early hours to get into the office on time!
Long gone are the dozy student days where the only alarm you ever heard was your housemate burning their late night munchies... This is the real world and it's time you got an alarm clock!
Such a necessity need not be an eyesore, much like this hip and trendy wooden 'clap on' design. The dark rustic wood has 'You'll Need This When You Get A Job' engraved on one side, and you can personalise it with your lazy sleepy recipient's name to appear across the top. The cube-shaped alarm has a digital screen which appears upon simply hearing a clap. Displaying it for about 8 seconds, before turning off to save energy.
The perfect graduation gift, it'll be sure to help them to see the funny side of early mornings.
What Can I Put On My Alarm Clock?
Personalise it with a name in up to 12 characters.
Use our innovative preview button to see how your gift will look when personalised. Simply type in your chosen words and press the Preview button.
Dimensions (approx.): 6cm square
Material: Dark wood veneer
Requires 2 x AAA batteries (not included)
Customer Reviews
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PI Scooplet: Lobbying firm helps W. Va. pol dig deep - Muppets, 2; Super PACs, 0 - BP PAC has biggest month since gulf oil disaster - DSCC's 'triple match' mystery
With Tarini Parti
PI SCOOPLET … LOBBYING FIRM HELPS WEST VIRGINIA POL DIG DEEP: Lobbyist Patrick Robertson, a partner at government affairs firm C2 Group, is hosting a big-dollar fundraiser in D.C. Friday benefiting West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) — and Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin will be on hand to help. The minimum donation is $250, with political action committees asked to pay $1,000.
Story Continued Below
Robertson is a former deputy chief of staff for Rockefeller. His lobbying clients this year, according to federal records, include America's Health Insurance Plans, the Association of Global Automakers, Berkshire Hathaway, the National Rifle Association, JCPenney, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, PepsiCo, Porsche and YUM! Brands, which operates restaurants such as Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell. See the invitation here: http://bit.ly/RiSlGU
MUPPETS, 2; SUPER PACS, 0: Big Bird got another mention Tuesday in the second of three presidential debates. But for the second debate in a row, neither President Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney made material mention of the Citizens United decision, outside spending groups, lobbyists or campaign finance policy in general during what's easily the most expensive and political advertising-dominated election in U.S. history.
Perhaps that's not surprising, given the array of issues — jobs, economics, health care, immigration — playing starring roles in the presidential election. Like gay marriage and global warming, however, campaign money (and the candidates' relentless pursuit of it) appears to be an issue Romney and Obama aren't itching to press during their time sharing the same stage. And with their third debate focused on foreign policy, it's more than feasible that four-and-a-half hours of debating will pass without the candidates ever addressing the matter.
BP PAC HAS BIGGEST MONTH SINCE GULF OIL DISASTER: In September, the PAC for BP North America spent more money than in any month since the Deepwater Horizon explosion in April 2010, new federal filings show.
The PAC spread $103,250 among 46 congressional candidates ( http://bit.ly/Wnrj75), including House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), who represents an oil-rich state with high business importance to BP. The BP PAC also made donations in September to dozens of state-level candidates, primarily in Indiana and Oregon ( http://bit.ly/QrOLcd), and ended September with more than $273,000 cash on hand.
DSCC'S 'TRIPLE MATCH' MYSTERY: It's a curious political sales pitch: Donate money to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and it will "triple match" any donation you make by the end of today. "Can you give $5 before the final deadline in 24 hours? It will be matched 3-to-1," DSCC official Anna Chu wrote to supporters last night: http://ow.ly/i/122tT
What goes unsaid: Who's doing the matching? Neither the solicitation nor the online donation form offers detail. It seems rather unlikely that the DSCC would match donations to itself with its own cash — pretty much defeats the purpose of collecting contributions in the first place. Meanwhile, federal law restricts national party committees to accepting a maximum of $30,800 per year from individuals, meaning it'd be illegal for a private individual to triple match large contributions.
National party committees may transfer unlimited amounts of money to other national party committees, but there's no indication that the Democratic National Committee or others are engaged in any such arrangement. The DSCC did not return several phone messages and emails seeking explanation.
A steady Wednesday to you, PI Nation. Most anyone living on the Left Coast will remember that 23 years ago today, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked San Francisco and the greater Bay Area, killing 63 people, injuring thousands of others and causing billions of dollars worth of damage. Earthquakes were certainly on the minds of politicians yesterday, too, when a small temblor shook southern Maine and eastern Massachusetts. It prompted former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer to tweet: "I think the odds that Romney wins a debate twice in a row are as likely as an earthquake hitting Boston tonight."
Rattle your brain and scour your inbox then send along your best tip, hint or suggestion to firstname.lastname@example.com and email@example.com. Please follow us on Twitter, too, at @apalmerdc and @davelevinthal. Tarini is at email@example.com and @tparti.
Thanks very much for reading, and now, back to the day's top influence industry news …
** A message from the Alliance for Home Health Quality & Innovation: Ensuring patients receive care in the most clinically appropriate and cost-effective setting can significantly reduce Medicare spending and extend the solvency of the Medicare program. Find out more at www.ahhqi.org. **
WELD TO ML STRATEGIES: Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld has left McDermott Will & Emery to join Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo and ML Strategies in Boston.
PATTERN ENERGY REGISTERS TO LOBBY: Wind energy developer Pattern Energy is registering an in-house lobbying team for the first time. Jaime Steve, director of government relations, will lobby on wind and renewable energy issues, according to a recent Senate filing. Capitol Tax Partners and Chadbourne & Parke most recently lobbied for the company.
POWERS MOVES UP IN COSMETIC AND PERSONAL CARE GROUP: The Personal Care Products Council today announced it has promoted Lisa Powers from vice president to senior vice president in charge of the organization's public affairs and communications division. Powers previously worked at the Mercury Group.
ALLEN WEST PLAGUED BY SCAM PACS: There's a new kind of super PAC popping up in this year's campaign: SCAM PACs. And they're driving Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), for one, crazy. Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns with the story: http://politi.co/S33P3L
EMBATTLED RICHARDSON OUT OF MONEY: Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) raised almost no campaign cash during the year's third quarter as ethics scandals continue to dog her. Jessica Meyers reports: http://politi.co/RCVFQe
O'DONNELL'S PAC MAKING BANK ON SUPPORTERS' PERSONAL INFO: The political action committee of former Senate candidate and tea party favorite Christine O'Donnell is brewing big bucks by renting supporters' personal information to political fundraising and advertising companies. While renting supporter lists isn't uncommon, it's rare when a committee relies on the practice for the vast majority of its income. Dave has the details: http://politi.co/SZqoTj
PANDIT CATCHES D.C. BY SURPRISE: Ben White and Anna have the scoop on how Citigroup's CEO Vikram Pandit operated in more of an ambassadorial role and how new CEO Michael Corbat is an unknown commodity inside the Beltway. Click here for the full story: http://politi.co/PBSLw2
AUDIO … PI ON THE AIRWAVES: Dave joined the Jim Bohannon Show last night to analyze the second presidential debate. Start the clip at the 40:30 mark: http://bit.ly/R9CRpQ
-- The Huffington Post's Paul Blumenthal found that the majority of the $180 million spent earlier this month by independent groups was by groups that would not have existed or been allowed to spend money on direct electoral efforts before the Citizens United decision. http://huff.to/Rzm5PB
-- The "Adelson phenomenon" is spreading among donors as they cut large checks to super PACs, reports Nicholas Confessore of The New York Times. http://nyti.ms/XkicSG
-- Leaders of pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future met with donors after a campaign strategy event, reports Maeve Reston and Matea Gold of The Los Angeles Times. http://lat.ms/QUUqJy
-- Challengers are outraising vulnerable House incumbents, reports Joshua Miller of Roll Call. http://bit.ly/XnCKd1
-- Donald Trump, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Jets owner Woody Johnson and others attended a fundraising phone-banking session for Romney in New York, reports Julie Bykowicz of Bloomberg. http://bloom.bg/R91Nh4
Libertas Institute of Denver — Treasurer: Jawaid Bazyar (super PAC)
Madison PAC of Arlington, Va. — Treasurer: Elizabeth R. McIntosh (super PAC)
Conservative Action Network of Reno, Nev. — Treasurer: Aaron Windeknect (super PAC)
Jobs for America's Future Political Action Committee — Treasurer: Todd Buskirk (super PAC)
NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS (Firm: Client) :
Bates Capitol Group Inc.: Altria Client Services Inc.
Biersack Government Relations Team LLC: Concierge Holdings Inc.
Biersack Government Relations Team LLC: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock: CARFAX Inc.
Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock: Cisco Systems Inc.
Jenkins Hill Consulting LLC: STG Aerospace Inc.
Kadesh & Associates LLC: Chuckwalla Farm Land LLC
O'Neill and Associates: KV Pharmaceutical Company
Pattern Energy: Pattern Energy
Ron Kendall & Associates: Cafferty Commercial Services
** A message from the Alliance for Home Health Quality & Innovation:
According to estimates, the Medicare Trust Fund will become insolvent by 2024. New landmark research from the Clinically Appropriate and Cost-Effective Placement (CACEP) Project demonstrates that innovative models for Medicare post-acute care delivery could potentially reduce spending by as much as $100 billion and extend the Medicare Trust Fund by two and a half years.
Reforms to ensure that Medicare patients discharged from the hospital are served in the most clinically appropriate, cost-effective settings can improve quality and efficiency, streamline care transitions and strengthen care coordination across care settings.
The CACEP final report also points out opportunities for Medicare savings through better care management to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and readmissions.
Visit www.ahhqi.org to access the study and learn more about opportunities for strengthening the Medicare program for America's seniors, fostering the delivery of quality care and reducing Medicare costs. **


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Saturday, 10 December 2011
When all your hopes and dreams change
16 comments:
Just thought I would comment! What a journey you have been on! Glad he is doing well! xReplyDelete
hi, i found you through the Love all Blogs Special Needs Showcase - it's lovely to meet you! Thomas is a gorgeous boy but I'm sure that he is a challenge at times. I look forward to reading more. Take careReplyDeleteReplies
He sure is a challenge, but I love a good challenge :)Delete
Glad you joined up with Love all Blogs and good to find you, great that your son is doing well xReplyDelete
Hi, I've found you through Love All Blogs. Glad to hear your son is going well but I recognise some of what you have been through. My son has ASD and when he was a toddler my concerns about his development were often fobbed off by the visitor due to him being a boy. It took me years of fighting the system to finally get a diagnosis but I'm glad we did because it has helped us to get targeted support for him. anyway nice to have met you via LAB. DebReplyDeleteReplies
It was the same for me, I was constantly fobbed off by health visitors. I think if he wouldn't of stopped breathing it would of been a while before getting a diagnoses.Delete
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDeleteReplies
hi it is difficult but worth it.Delete
read it in the round up. Such difficult decisions we have to make for our children.ReplyDeleteReplies
it is but we have to do it so they have a better quality of life.Delete
You have written about our family, the only difference is My little man is wild :( when he goes, there is no stopping him, maybe with age he will become more tolerant, well i hope so anyway, nice to 'meet' you xxxReplyDeleteReplies
How old is he? and is he medicated? I think have really strict boundaries help with Thomas, when my mum has him he knows he can get away with more things so will push it to the limit.Delete
your life sounds just as hectic as mine atm hun,i had the whole he will get there hes a lazy boy,boys are always slower rubbish too drove me mad!ReplyDeleteReplies
Life is hectic, it is always hard when you get told that isn't it, people still now don't even realise he is disabled because he looks like any other child just smaller for his age.Delete


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Written on: 30/04/2014 by Leader1 (0 reviews written)
As a seasoned journalist reviewer, I bought this device with some scepticism. I was interested in the most power I could get in a slim pocketable device that would even fit in a jeans pocket and still have access to the lead ports.
Initially after charging the device the first time, I was struck by the short run time which I estimated to be no better than the run time of a New Trent 10000mAh device. I did however like the twin ports and was immediately impressed by the speed of charging my devices (mainly iPhone but others also) including topping up the iPad which takes a lot of juice.
My reason for giving this device a five star rating is due to the fact that as I recharged the battery it got better each time until after several times I was extremely impressed with the run time, if not the time taken to charge it. In this respect I think it must be noted that charging 14000mAH is going to take at least 40% longer than charging 10000mAh device. Furthermore, internally the device is equipped with high quality Samsung Li-Po batteries - not a lump of lithium polymer dough of unknown quantity.
My recommendation: BUY IT
If you want a very powerful battery in a neat slim package with a beautiful glossy finish enabling it to slide in and out of a pocket easily, this ought to be your first choice. There is however something else important and that is the service from the supplier. I contacted them about the poor initial performance and they were brilliant. Not only did they explain why that happens with a brand new lithium polymer battery, but they also said if it does not improve they would replace it no questions asked. This is a supplier worth dealing with because their attitude and customer service ethos were excellent. I am sure you can find WMicro.co.uk on ebay.
I am known as Leader 1 here, but you may also see items signed off by Leader 2, who is my colleague. We test and write for Intelligent Reviews in the UK.
" CHOETECH Wireless Charger with Lighting Sensor " Read More
" STEER CLEAR! " Read More
Written by Cameus
" Great backup battery pack " Read More
" A must buy for any iPhone user! MaxiCharger.co.uk " Read More
" Floureon 14000mAH portable battery backup from WMicro.co.uk " Read More
Written by Leader1


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The company's top executives had gone to the Camacari plant located in Brazil to display the concept model of its five-passenger hatchback Ka. The Blue Oval plans to launch this model in Brazil next year and targets to introduce this car in other emerging nations as well. The car shall compete with Volkswagen's (VLKAY) Polo, Chevy Onix, and Fiat Uno.
China is one of the top emerging nations in Ford's target list. The mainland has become a hotspot for global auto giants given the rising disposable income and the rising middle class population of the economy.
Focusing the long neglected emerging marketFord's Ka is the smallest and cheapest model the carmaker has ever presented for global exposure in the sub-B segment. The Detroit automaker entered the emerging nations pretty late compared to fellow players. The company hasn't made much progress in the emerging markets, but now it realizes the potential that economies such as Brazil, China and India offer for the auto industry. For instance, archrival General Motors (NYSE:GM) is one of the largest foreign automakers in China, enjoying as the economy's appetite for cars is increasing. Similarly Volkswagen is also making hay while the economy shines.
In fact foreign automakers including Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford made good progress in the current year. One of the prime reasons is that the Chinese population shun Japan-made cars from Toyota (NYSE:TM), Honda (NYSE:HMC) and Nissan (NSANY) after the political clash over a group of island. Ford's growth has been tremendous in China in current times and the automaker targets to increase its market share to 5%. The carmaker has huge plans of investing in China to expand its production capacity to cater to the growing demand.
Vehicles such as the Ka compact are important for Ford to penetrate in emerging markets where competition is intensifying. Joe Hinrichs, the Head of Ford's operations in North and South America said that such "entry-level family car" would help the company "to move into areas of the business where we have historically not had good share, not made money".
So what is the strategy?
Ford's Ka is an output of the company's "On Ford" plan which aims to make global standardized cars which would be sold across the globe with very little customization to fit the local taste. Such strategy would help lower production cost, increase efficiency, and widen profitability margins.
So what is the expected price of Ka? Ford has not revealed the price tag of Ka, but the company said that the current model of Ka is sold between $10,000-12,000 in Brazil. The car might be a late entrant in the emerging market, but it is ready to race with other models. Ka is aimed to attract entry level buyers of emerging markets belonging to the middle class section of the population. India's Tata Motors (NYSE:TTM) also targeted this section of the population with the Nano, which costs as less as $2,000. But it failed to attract masses as the company positioned the car "as a step up from a motorcycle" which immediately snatches away the feeling of owning a four wheeler. Hinrichs said the Ford made sure not to repeat such a folly. It is therefore giving a touch of chrome in the car, which gives it a premium, and broad look to differentiate it from other low budget cars.
Rarely companies have made profit out of low cost cars. It would be exciting to see how the Ka is received by the buyers and what review it earns from industry trackers.


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- 02:31 PM, Nov 20
uneven but ultimately affecting, "Amigo" looks at the Philippine-American War, an often brutal adventure in imperialism at the turn of the last century, through the story of an occupied villageby Sheri Linden [LA Times ]
this is not the kind of movie, and Mr. Sayles is not the type of director, to linger in the picturesque past, savoring antique details and restaging bygone conflictsby A.O. Scott [NY Times ]
is combustible filmmaking, something that stays with you long after the final credits. In an entertainment universe of escapism and short attention spans, Amigo is a rousing antidote and a cause for celebrationby Peter Travers [Rolling Stone ]
is beautiful, and Torres' performance as a good man in bad times is excellentby James Rocchi [MSN Movies ]
a heavy-handed attack on U.S. imperialism with little to compensate in the way of character interest and genuine dramaby Walter Addiego [San Francisco Chronicle ]


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Corruption in India (TI's Global Corruption Barometer survey-2010)
1. About 54% Indians paid a bribe in the past year. Extent of corruption in India is at levels comparable with Cambodia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Senegal, Uganda and Liberia.
2. India is the ninth most corrupt country in the world, in a ranking of 86 countries, with 54% of people reporting having paid a bribe. War-torn Iraq (56%) and Afghanistan (61%) suffer worse levels than India, as do nations such as Liberia (89%), Uganda (86%), Nigeria (63%), Sierra Leone (71%), Senegal (56%) and Cambodia (84%).
3. The world average is 25%, while the Asia Pacific average is 11%. The European Union enjoys an average of 5%, as does North America (Canada is marginally less corrupt than the United States), while Latin America and North Africa reported an average of 36%. Sub Saharan Africa has an average of 56%, compared with India's 54%.
4. ndians perceived political parties to be the most corrupt, ranking them 4.2 on a scale of one to five. Political parties are followed by Police (4.1), Parliament/legislature (4) and civil servants (3.5). Private sector, NGOs and judiciary are all seen to be similarly corrupt (3.1), with the media enjoying a marginally better rating at 3. Military (2.8) and religious bodies (2.9) enjoy better public confidence.
5. Seventy-four percent Indians believed that levels of corruption has increased during the last three years, compared with a world average of 56% and Asia-Pacific average of 47%.
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/7073774.cms
Report: http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/gcb/2010
Corruption in India (TI 2010 report)
1. India this year is ranked at 87 among 178 countries, down three spots from 84 in 2009.
2. Marginal decline in India's integrity score to 3.3 in 2010 from 3.5 in 2007 and 3.4 in 2008 and 2009 on a scale from zero (perceived to be the highly corrupt) to 10 (low levels of corruption).
3. Somalia is considered the world's most corrupt country with a score of 1.1 followed by Myanmar and Afghanistan, while Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore are perceived to be the least corrupt with scores of 9.3.
4. China is at the 78th position, indicating it is less corrupt than India. While Pakistan is shown as just a notch worse off than India, the US ranks fairly high at 22nd and is perceived to have relatively low levels of corruption. In Asia, Bhutan is perceived to be the least corrupt country.
5. India's ranking has consistently dipped since 2006 when it was ranked 70 among 163 countries.
Report: http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/res...
Corruption in India (TI 2009 report)
1) Global Corruption Perception Index: India has been ranked 84th in the list of 180 countries in terms of public-sector corruption, which is perceived to be highly corrupt.
2)India's integrity score this year is 3.4, same as for the year 2008.With the exception of Bhutan, which has a score of 5.0, India with 3.4 is still at the top of all the South Asian countries. Nearly half out of 180 countries have scored three or even lower points; a clear indication that corruption is perceived to be rampant. Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar and Somalia have recorded the lowest score of less than 1.5.
Source: http://www.transparencyindia.org/CPI_2009_Press_Release_India.pdf
Most corrupt in India (TI-2009 report):
1.Political Parties
2.Public officials/Civil Servants
3.Parliament/ Legislature
4.Business/Private Sector
Source: http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2009/20...
1. Bribe paid by BPL families in Jharkhand in 2008 was around Rs 16 crore.
2. The finding shows that corruption was highest in basic services which are free for BPL families like health, school education and water supply.
3. Corruption is also rampant in police department and schemes under NREGA, land record and banking.
Sourse: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Jharkhand-BPL-families-pa...
Respected Madam / Sir
Subject : Tenders for Construction of Underground Water Supply Tunnel From Gundawali to Bhandup Complex.
The Municipal Commissioner ,Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai , Mahapalika Marg, Fort, Mumbai – 400001
I take reference to afore subject tenders invited by MCGM. I have come to know there has been no competition involved in this tender due to the typically monopolistic qualification norms put in Gundavali Tunnel
1. The Gundavali to Bhandup Tunnel is a part of Prestigious "Middle
Vaitarna" Project to bring 455 MLD water into the Mumbai city.
2. The Tunnel starts from outskirts of Thane City and ends at Bhandup Complex (in Mumbai). (Outside City Limits)
3. The Diameter of the Tunnel is 6.25 mtr and is to be drilled around 120 mtr below ground level using specialized Tunnel Boring Machines.
4. This is a highly specialized work involving extreme engineering. In India only limited companies such as Patel Engr, HCC, Gammon, Dwvidag, Soma etc have experience of these kind of projects involving Shaft and Tunnel Boring Machines.
5. The Total Length of this Tunnel is around 15 Kms. MCGM had floated this tender in two packages of 8.8 Kms & 6.5 Kms each for a estimated cost of Rs 750 Cr & Rs 670 Cr. Respectively.
6. The combined estimated cost of this project is around 1200 Cr.
7. MCGM in the past has already successful executed similar tunneling projects which involved companies like HCC, Patel Gammon, Pratibha.
8. All the earlier tenders were floated on "International Competitive Bidding (ICB)" concept in which a platform was created for number of International players to either associate with Indian Companies or Bid directly.
9. Since such large diameter have never been bored in India(max dia bored in India is 4 Mtr), hence the consultants (M/s Motts) had earlier proposed
a "Tri-partite JV" which involved the bidder to bring atleast one International Tunneling company who had experience of carrying out similar diameter work. Reasons being….
a. The Cost of the TBM is very high (close to 100 Cr). Hence it was preferred that the company should have the machine in procession. Such machines are available with European and Japanese companies.
b. Volume of Escavation, Concreting etc is very high, hence
infrastructural built up required is huge.
10. Currently, certain vested interest have once again interfered with the standards norms set by MCGM.
11. The new set of proposed qualification in the tender allowed only Indian companies to form JV and bid. In this JV, the lead partner is expected to be once again fulfill all qualifying criteria and is expected to be a tunneling company while the role of support partner is not defined at all. The support partner can be any "Indian Construction Company".
12. This JV can form a MOU with a International Company who has done similar projects but in URBAN Environment. It is clarified that a project which is being executed 100 Mtr below ground has no relevance of Urban or any other condition.
13. In short, the qualification are formulated to trade off the projects to subcontractors. Current Status post receipt of Bids
Inspite of repeated requests from the bidders (approx 18 Tenders were sold), the department refused to re-consider the stringent criteria. Repeated plea from the bidders that why was the department stressing on the condition of the work having been done in urban environment when the work of Tunneling was to carried out about 100 mtr below ground and that to almost outside city limits.
This resulted in only receipt of Two bids in favor of a. M/s Unity-IVRCL JV and M/s Soma. Both these companies have no previous experience in TBM based tunneling and have intended to qualify based on qualifications of the associated specialized agency (Common party viz – Shanghai Tunneling Corporation has been proposed by both)
These bids received are almost 65% above the department estimate
Sr. noPackage NoEstimated CostQuote received (Lowest Bidder)
1Package 1750 Cr1078 Cr
2Package 2680 Cr950 Cr
1430 Cr2028 Cr
(Excess – 600 Cr over and above dept estimate)
As per the tender condition, each bidder shall receive only a maximum of one package. As a result, both these bidders are assured of one package each.
There were only two bidders in this tender who are inexperienced to carry out tunneling with TBM have been qualified with a backup support from the same Chinese company who was meeting the technical criteria for tunnel boring activities and joined hands together to drain the Corporation revenue by quoting nearly double the estimated cost. This is a clear case of misuse of powers by certain officials of MCGM in framing the qualification criteria with malafide intentions with vested interests.
Besides, MCGM is risking its own people and the labors at large to any malfunction in the performance of such high-tech underground project at the hands of such inexperienced contractors.
I request your immediate intervention in the matter and ensure that any further process on this tender is cancelled and the bids are re-invited with competitive qualification criteria so that experienced construction companies can actively participate.