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Charles-de-Gaulle-Straße 20
53113 Bonn, de
Silje Skogstad
+49 (228) 182-9944
Deutsche Post World Net meets 2008 operating targets - focus 2009 on cost and business performance
- 2008 underlying EBIT on target at 2.41 billion euros
- Reported EBIT loss at 567 million euros primarily amid U.S. restructuring costs; full-year revenue rises to 54.47 billion euros
- Group expects economic environment to remain challenging in 2009
- Company to propose 2008 dividend of 60 euro cent per share
Deutsche Post World Net, the world's leading provider of logistics services, reported full-year underlying EBIT, or earnings before interest and tax excluding non-recurring effects, of 2.41 billion euros, fully meeting its latest target. Including onetime writedowns and charges, the Group posted a full-year 2008 EBIT loss of 567 million euros compared with an EBIT of 2.1 billion euros in 2007. "2009 will be a year of hardship for the entire logistics industry," said Chief Executive Officer Frank Appel. "Just as we successfully tackled the main legacy issues last year, our focus now will be on costs and cash generation to help us through the difficult times ahead."
Given the unprecedented decline in volumes and the unpredictable economic outlook, the Group will refrain from giving a firm outlook for the year, Appel said. The sharp reductions in demand experienced in the fourth quarter deepened so far in the first quarter of 2009, impacting all regions and most industry sectors. "We expect that this level of volume decline will continue throughout the first half of the year if not longer," Appel said. Against this background, the company will propose to the Annual Shareholders' Meeting a 2008 dividend payout of 60 euro cents per share.
The Group reported a net loss after minorities of 1.69 billion euros for 2008 compared with a profit of 1.38 billion euros a year earlier. Charges for restructuring the U.S. Express division, non-cash writedowns in SUPPLY CHAIN/CIS and losses at the Postbank unit burdened the result, while the repayment from the German government in connection with EU state aid proceedings had a positive effect. Earnings per share amounted to minus 1.40 euros compared with 1.15 euros a year earlier. Full-year revenue gained 0.8 percent to 54.47 billion euros. The Group's revenue and EBIT figures are reported without Postbank, which is accounted for as discontinued operations.
Cost reductions and cash flow
In the fourth quarter of 2008, the net loss after minorities amounted to 3.16 billion euros compared with a profit of 253 million in 2007. Fourth-quarter earnings per share came in at minus 2.62 euros from 21 cents in the fourth quarter of 2007. Revenue declined by 3.3 percent in the quarter to 14 billion euros. Operating cash flow after working capital changes was at 1.4 billion euros in the fourth quarter of 2008 from 1.5 billion euros a year earlier, and free cash flow totaled 796 million euros, down from 1.1 billion euros. Cash flow performance is likely to remain strong in 2009, with further room for working capital improvements. The Group plans to cut capital expenditure by 20 percent to less than 1.4 billion euros this year.
Deutsche Post World Net in November announced a plan to save at least 1 billion euros by the end of 2010 by cutting non-operating costs, improving structures and processes, and removing unnecessary bureaucracy at corporate center and the Divisions.
MAIL Corporate Division
Helped by its high-quality offerings and flexible prices, Deutsche Post was able to slightly raise its market share in the first year with a fully liberalized German mail market, despite shrinking overall volumes. The Group now holds 87.7 percent of its home mail market compared with 87.2 percent a year earlier. With 14.39 billion euros, revenue at the MAIL Corporate Division almost matched the high year-earlier level of 14.57 billion euros. MAIL EBIT rose to 2.25 billion euros from 1.98 billion euros. Excluding the 572 million euro nonrecurring gain from the repayment of the German government, EBIT at the division declined 14.9 percent due to higher transportation and labor costs, a provision for VAT and, to a lesser extent, the overall market decline.
EXPRESS Corporate Division
Revenue in the EXPRESS Corporate Division declined 1.7 percent to 13.6 billion euros last year, held back by currency effects. Measured in local currencies, organic revenue rose 2.4 percent. Outside the U.S., Express revenue gained 3.9 percent helped by higher fuel surcharges. In Europe, revenue remained stable at 6.6 billion euros, with the new EU countries, France and Scandinavia contributing with a strong organic development. Volumes at its Time Definite International product group dropped 3.2 percent due to the weakening economic development. In the Americas region, revenue declined 14.5 percent to 3.6 billion euros. While organic revenue in Latin America showed double-digit percentage growth, revenue in the U.S. was burdened by the economic crisis as well as DHL's decision to exit the domestic express market. As a result, organic revenue in the U.S. declined 13.4 percent. Revenues in the Asia Pacific and EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa) regions kept growing, with 6.6 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively.
Reported EBIT stood at minus 2.1 billion euros, burdened by non-recurring costs of 2.36 billion euros, mainly for the restructuring of the DHL U.S. Express business. Outside the U.S., operating profit was satisfactory, with the overall economic slowdown mainly having an effect on fourth-quarter earnings. The restructuring of the DHL U.S. Express business is well on track with all domestic offerings ceased by the end of January. Cost reductions could be accelerated as domestic revenues declined faster than originally anticipated.
GLOBAL FORWARDING / FREIGHT Corporate Division
Revenue at the GLOBAL FORWARDING / FREIGHT Corporate Division gained 9.4 percent to 14.2 billion euros last year. Global Forwarding revenues gained 12.5 percent to 10.6 billion euros, reflecting the division's focus on large-scale industrial projects. Airfreight revenue also rose 12 percent as higher fuel surcharges in the middle of the year outweighed declining volumes at the end of the year. Full-year oceanfreight revenue increased 13.4 percent, helped by higher freight rates.
Reported EBIT amounted to 389 million euros in 2008 compared with 409 million euros a year earlier. The result includes 41 million euros set aside for restructuring as well as 19 million euros in negative currency effects as well as acquisitions. Without those, EBIT gained 6 percent.
SUPPLY CHAIN / CIS Corporate Division
Revenue at the SUPPLY CHAIN / CIS Corporate Division declined 4.2 percent to 13.7 billion euros. Adjusted for negative currency and inorganic effects, revenue for the division grew 2.8 percent, while Supply Chain revenue gained 1.9 percent to 12.5 billion euros.
The Group generated new Supply Chain business worth an annualized 1.1 billion euros in 2008, with more than 90 percent of the existing contracts being renewed. The CIS business, which offers customers tailor-made digital and print solutions, kept its revenue on the year-earlier level of 1.2 billion euros, despite volume declines in marketing solutions and document management.
The division posted a loss of 675 million euros before interest and taxes compared with a profit of 577 million euros the year earlier. The loss is mainly the result of restructuring costs of 124 million euros, charges of 382 million euros to write down the Exel brand as well as impairment charges totaling 610 million euros. Organic EBIT at the Corporate Division SUPPLY CHAIN / CIS declined 5.5 percent, with EBIT at Supply Chain growing 5.7 percent.
Discontinued operations
Deutsche Post World Net in September agreed to sell a minority holding in Deutsche Postbank to Deutsche Bank AG. As a result, Postbank has been accounted for as discontinued operations starting in the third quarter 2008. The other element of the former FINANCIAL SERVICES Corporate Division, the pension service, has been moved to the MAIL Corporate Division. Postbank reported annual earnings on Feb. 19.
Detailed Outlook
The sharp volume declines experienced in the fourth quarter of 2008 have continued and even steepened so far into the first quarter of the year in most of the Group's businesses. The MAIL Corporate Division is currently experiencing reductions in demand particularly for direct marketing products as customers reduce their advertising budgets. In addition, earnings are burdened by the full effect of last year's wage agreement, which given the high proportion of labor cost has an adverse effect on profitability. In EXPRESS, volume declines continued in all regions, with time-definite products more exposed than lowerprice products. In GLOBAL FORWARDING / FREIGHT volume declines also increased so far in the first quarter, however more so in Airfreight than in Oceanfreight. The weakness in volumes is, as expected, being partially offset by slightly improved gross margins and substantial cost measures. In the Corporate Division SUPPLY CHAIN / CIS, performance is sound in most sectors with the exception of automotive and technology.
Given the unprecedented decline in volumes and the unpredictable economic outlook, the Group doesn't believe it is possible to provide a firm outlook for the year. Based on early indications, the management board now expects some decline in 2009 underlying earnings compared with 2008, however with a significant improvement in reported earnings.
All information is provided without guarantee and subject to change without prior notice. This document contains forward-looking statements that relate to the business, financial performance and results of operations of Deutsche Post AG. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and may be identified by words such as "believes", "expects", "predicts", "intends", "projects", "plans", "estimates", "aims", "foresees", "anticipates", "targets", and similar expressions. As these statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from the future development, performance or results expressly or implicitly assumed in the forwardlooking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this presentation. Deutsche Post AG does not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.
Die Nutzung von hier veröffentlichten Informationen zur Eigeninformation und redaktionellen Weiterverarbeitung ist in der Regel kostenfrei. Bitte klären Sie vor einer Weiterverwendung urheberrechtliche Fragen mit dem angegebenen Herausgeber. Bei Veröffentlichung senden Sie bitte ein Belegexemplar an email@example.com.


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Happy New Year, furious readers! It feels like ages since I last checked in and it is due mainly to the whirlwind I call end of semester responsibilities, the holidays, and trying to add a few more entries to my reading journal before year's end.
One of my favorite "reads" on the first of the year is my Facebook newsfeed. Normally, I try to stay as far away as possible from newsfeed nonsense, but I grant myself this one exception on January 1st. Everyone is filled with hope for the new year and is looking forward to the possibilities of adventure, change, and resolution. When I read them, it is very easy to become inspired about my own resolutions and my own hopes for 2015.
Of course, most of my resolutions lean toward making me a better reader and I encourage you to think of your own "furious reader" mission statement. What new reading opportunities do you wish to take on? What new authors, genres, or characters do you wish to meet in this new year? What do you want to get out of your reading experience for 2015?
We all know that there is nothing better in these cold months than to curl up with a book, a hot cup of *something,* and a blanket (complete with your sleeping pet or pets to keep you warm). However, like the fitness goals we hope to keep from January to December, we need to make sure that our reading nutrition and reading exercises are beneficial to us as well (eyes are muscles too!). There are so many books, stories, authors, and characters at our disposal, how do we know if we are choosing the right ones? My love for reading has stemmed from childhood, but, as an adult, I struggle to find material that inspires me the way it did within the quiet noise of my personal Bildungsroman.
So how do I, a fellow furious reader, keep my reading up-to-date, inspirational, and helpful to my personal development? I'm not sure I have a perfect plan, but here are my resolutions for the 2015:
1. Expand into other genres. Luckily, my job and education have taught me to look beyond my love of one particular genre, but I have yet to explore the mystery genre. This year, I would like to add a few well-written mysteries to my reading list.
2. Use more resources more carefully. I am fortunate that I have an independent bookseller, two retail booksellers, a wonderful county library network, and three different university libraries at my disposal. However, I find myself on book binges where I take too many books out of library (and not being able to read all of them in time), buy too many books at one particular bookseller (where I should be supporting my independent bookseller the most), or not using one of these resources at all. This year, I strive for balance in covering my bookish bases.
3. Update my reading list. I have hundreds of titles written down in notebooks that I know I may never get to in my lifetime. However, just having them in these notebooks and knowing that they exist, provides me with a reader's confidence to venture outside my comfort zone and to explore the authors and genres I already enjoy. My struggle is relying too much on one source for these potential titles. This year, I hope to use other newsletters, websites, friends, family, colleagues, etc to better build my hypothetical reading pile.
4. Get to my reading pile!! I have so many books to read and yet I allow myself to get distracted by newer titles. It is fine to take a reading detour, but you may miss out on a potential new favorite that has been sitting on your shelf for a year (or longer). This year, I will get through my actual reading pile.
5. Reread some old favorites. I love rereading books that I read ten or fifteen years ago to see if I still hold the same feelings. Last November I turned 30, so this may be a wonderful exercise as I begin my next decade. This year, I will travel back through old reading lists to visit some old friends.
There you have it, furious readers. I wish you health, happiness, and good reading in this coming year. Don't be afraid to take reading risks, but don't forget to spend time with your favorite authors and/or characters. Whether your reading resolution is to read more, to start a reading group, to get a library card, or to reach 100 books by December 31st, please remember that every book in your reading journey matters. We are fortunate to have so many different stories available to us, in many forms, and I encourage you not to waste these fantastic reading avenues and opportunities.
As always, I am your humble reading blogger and I ask you all to:
Read Well, Read Often, and Read Furiously.
Happy New Year!!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Have Yourself...a New Year of Reading
Posted by Persephone at 11:13 AM
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out. These error codes are generated by the Spectrum channel (app) itself, so we don't have any additional insights as to what these codes may mean. I'd recommend taking a look at Spectrum's support site here for more help: https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/troubleshooting-error-codes-spectrum-tv-app-spectrumtvcom/
If you still aren't able to clear up the issue, you'll need to contact Spectrum support directly for more help with their channel on the Roku platform.
Thanks so much, Tanner!
I'll contact Spectrum, That code doesn't appear in their list of coides...


text:
In our ongoing series of guest columns, we've asked a bunch of metal's heaviest hitters to provide us with a list of five crucial albums they think will change you — either for the better or the worse. Today, we hear from Jonathan McCanless, guitarist for Eugenic Death; you can pre-order the band's new album here.
Judas Priest — Screaming for Vengeance
I was brought up in a Pentecostal Christian family, and I was prohibited from listening to any secular music. So naturally, I wanted to experience it. I would scan radio stations to try to achieve this end, but most of the rubbish on the radio held no appeal for me. One day, when I was about 11, I stumbled upon the tail end of "You've Got Another Thing Coming." At the time, I had no idea who it was or the name of the song, but I was exhilarated by Rob Halford's voice. It took me about six months to discover that it was Judas Priest, and when I did, I went up to the store and bought it on cassette. It served as my initiation into metal.
Iron Maiden — Killers
I couldn't have been older than 13 when I first heard Killers. This was the first album I was exposed to that had the lyrical style that characterizes the music I like today. The whole album is permeated with this rawness that you only get from the '80s metal pioneers. I have sought to listen to and create music with that same sort of feeling ever since.
Metallica — Master of Puppets
When I was 13, a friend of mine gave me a self-recorded cassette copy of Ride the Lightning. Before this point, I had only ever heard Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and I don't think I was ready for that level of aggression, and I put Ride the Lightning to the side. But, the radio station I listened to had "Mandatory Metallica Hour," and I began to tune in and develop my taste for the softer Metallica tunes. My next trip to the record store resulted in my purchase of Master of Puppets, and it is that album which served to bridge the gap in my mind from power metal to thrash.
Megadeth — Rust in Peace
When I first heard "Take No Prisoners," it blew my mind away. I was 15 when I found Rust in Peace at a local record shop in Greensboro. It was fast, angry, aggressive, technical, and loud — everything thrash is supposed to be. The combination of Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman resulted in such high musical integrity that Megadeth is still my favorite band. It far surpassed anything I had heard by Metallica, or any other band for that matter, and it was this album that made me realize I needed to hear as much thrash metal as possible.
Morbid Saint — Spectrum of Death
After discovering Megadeth, I began to consume thrash metal in high volume, buying dozens of thrash albums, always searching for something heavier, faster, and more aggressive. It wasn't until I was 23 that I finally came across Spectrum of Death. It was an insanely raw album, with some of the most searing, technical guitar work I had ever encountered. I remember hearing the vocalist and visualizing this demonic creature that had escaped the depths of hell. It made all the preceding metal albums I had heard sound like cheesy glam metal bands from the '80s. I hate to say it, but it's the truth. You can't get much more aggressive than Morbid Saint.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.


text:
Huge just wasn't big enough for ABC Family.
Huge, which centered on eight kids sent to weight-loss camp, has been canceled, network reps confirm.
Huge, starring Nikki Blonsky and Hayley Hasselhoff, averaged 1.9 million viewers through its first 10-episode run this summer. ABC Family declined to order the remaining 10 episodes of Season 1.
The series was based on the young-adult novel of the same name by Sasha Paley.
Will you miss the series?


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Tina led the women's class today discussing how we can overcome temptation by using the Word of God and following His plan for escape. The women broke up into small groups and then shared to the whole group when finished. This is a new format for them and they loved it. We also discussed the truth about Malaria and how it is transmitted vs. Common beliefs. Brenda shared with the ladies how to prevent gum disease and tooth decay, and a hands on demonstration of proper tooth brushing and why it's necessary to keep our teeth for a life time. They seemed to enjoy receiving a new toothbrush and the instruction and were surprised that they shouldn't be brushing with salt.
Our new friends in Zambia are having a wonderful time laughing and enjoing our teaching them new exercises and line dancing after our Bible study time. Denise has found her calling as a fitness instructor as well as mason, and the children's favorite playmate. It is so much fun to laugh together and talk about issues women worldwide face. Even though our cultures are very different, God created us all in His image and at the core we are the same. We all enjoy fellowshipping together discussing our children and the hardships we may face as we raise them. Discussing marriage and how it can be hard at times. We even share the same concern about how hard it is to keep ourselves at a healthy weight…….Imagine that! We ended today with a group photo which they love. Tomorrow have something very special planned for them so we are looking forward to seeing them on our last day.
The wall continues to rise and is awesome to watch all that are coming together to help build it. Bryce is armored up with his welding helmet, gloves, and jacket in the blazing sun, welding the new gate, Jay is his faithful assistant. Gary has taken the responsibility of putting the smooth finish on the mortar, in between hauling cinder blocks to the wall. It's beyond words to describe the commotion going on all around as 100+ children are going in and out of the school, local women coming to draw water out of the new clean water well that the Lord provided, men hauling mortar in wheel barrows, Bryce welding a large gate, women cooking and toddlers roaming all around in the space of approximately ¼ acre!
Dinner and a nice shower is on the evening agenda and much anticpated for sure.


text:
The saying goes 'you live and learn', and it seems that this logic may apply beyond humans.
A new study has revealed for the first time that plants can learn about their environment and make links between events in the same way we do.
The researchers hope that their findings will open up bigger ecological questions of how changes to our environment will shape future plant communities.
Previously it had been thought the ability to learn was exclusive to animals.
But researchers from the University of Western Australia set out to prove that plants too were capable of associative learning.
The study, published in the online journal Scientific Reports, was inspired by Pavlov's experiments with dogs, one of the most revealing studies in the history of behavioural research, which demonstrated that behaviour could be changed using conditioning.
Through a range of behavioural experiments, the team was able to provide convincing evidence that plants were capable of learning a particular association between the occurrence of one event and the anticipation of another.
Professor Gagliano, who led the study, experimented with pea seedlings, placing them in a Y-shaped maze to see how they responded after initially being exposed to light from a particular direction.
Using a fan and a light the team were able to 'teach' the seedlings where the best light would be by getting them to associate light being in a certain place in relation to the fan.
With a Y-shaped tube and a seedling at the bottom, the researchers showed that if they placed a light at one end of the Y, the seedling would again try and head to that end of the Y shape because it associated it with the light, even if the light had been removed.
The results showed the seedlings were able to learn and choose the best growth direction for survival by correctly predicting the occurrence of light once it was removed.


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My wife and I wish to extend our deepest sympathy for the loss of Your Hero.
Rest in Peace, you will not be forgotten.
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Sarasota, Florida – 07-18-18
Staging Time: 10:00 a.m.
Sarasota, Florida 34241
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Please accept my condolences on your loss. May my prayers help to ease your pain during these trying times. Rest In Peace and Honor Brother. Lest We Forget!
U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Veteran
Standing in Memory of,
My Father, Harold A. Silvernail U.S. Army
My Step-Father, Edwin D. Alexander U.S. Army
My Uncle, Raymond Alexander U.S. Army
My Uncle, John H. Alexander U.S. Army
My Uncle, David J. Alexander U.S. Navy
Standing in Honor of,
My Brother, David J. Alexander U.S. Air Force
My Daughter, Jillian A. Silvernail U.S. Air Force
My Daughter, Kirsten M. Silvernail Kennedy U.S. Air Force
My Son-In-Law, Jayson E. Kennedy U.S. Army
My Uncle, Stewart F. Silvernail U.S. Army
Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Donald Xenos. May the peaceful moments and cherished memories bring you renewed strength in the days to come. Your faith will keep you strong during this time of sorrow. Hero, you may stand down. We have the watch.
Jim & Diana Robers
US Navy 1961-1981
US Merchant Marine 1985-2007
Standing in memory of
Howard Robers, Father, US Army WWII
Elmer Robers, Uncle, US Army WWII
Harry Fleming, Uncle, US Army WWII


text: Want to make effects that look like a broken analog TV? Download the Glitch Text widget and use it as many times as you want. This beautiful text effect will make your design look attractive. The settings are very easy. Follow the quick video guide to see how to use this amazing widget.The result is awesome! Share, like and comment if you like.


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General Info
Primal News
Contact Us
Site Map
Give us a call!
(907) 357-5588
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After School Program
Open to School Age Children 5-12
Hours of Operation
The Primal Martial Arts After School Program operates from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm Monday-Friday. Students enrolled in the After School Program are welcome to stay through the 6:00-7:00 pm evening class Monday-Thursday. On In-Service Days and Snow days, the school will be open from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm. We are closed on School Holidays.
About the Program
Primal Martial Arts is not a Day-Care. We offer a structured and constructive After School Program in place of tradtional child-care. Your child will receive instruction in Taekwondo and self-defense basics and have fun doing it. Our program is not only designed to help build strong bodies but also strong minds by improving self-esteem, confidence, focus, respect and discipline. Students enrolled in the After School Program generally excell faster than traditional martial arts students because they receive daily reinforcement in a positive atmosphere.
We will eliminate some of the worry from your workday. You will no longer have to worry about the school calling you at work to ask why your child had not been picked up. We transport the students from their school safely to our facility for an afternoon of fun, learning, and martial arts. We are currently serving Shaw, Larson, Goose-Bay, Our Lady of the Valley and Iditarod Elementries.
Current Special: Sign-up before August 31st, 2010 and receive 50% Off your fist 4 weeks Tuition. That is like 2 weeks of After School Program FREE!
After School Weekly Rates
$99 per week, one child
$189 per week, 2 children
$269 per week, 3 children
In-Service & Snow Days
No Extra Charge Over Regular Rate.
School Holidays
Spring & Winter Break Weekly Rates
$149 per week, one child
$279 per week, 2 children
$399 per week, 3 children
Note From Master McConarty
As a working mom, the design of the After School Program was very important to me. The program needed to be designed in such a way that it allowed for the time to be constructive but yet not daunting. I wanted the students engaged becoming stronger and more self-reliant while having fun. Our method is to focus on a positive reinforcement system that allows us to praise the students openly for their accomplishments, no matter how minor and by having clearly defined rules and boundries so that the student always knows what is expected of them. Combine this with martial arts training and a lot of fun and you have the kind of program that I am proud to have my own children in. We look forward to welcoming your child into the program.
Class Hours:
3:00-6:00 pm
3:00-6:00 pm
3:00-6:00 pm
3:00-6:00 pm
3:00-6:00 pm


text:
Ujabb kornyezetvedelmi vilagkonferencia elott allunk.
Mit kellene vallalnunk CO2 kibocsatasunk csokkenteseben,
mit kepviseljunk ami jo hazanknak es a kornyezetnek.
Mivel a levego a vilagon tobbe-kevesbe igaszsagosan lett elosztva:),
egyutt ovjuk azt.
Elso javaslat : a CO2 kibocsatasi kvotak szemelyekre
lakossagra szoljanak, es mindenutt egyenloek legyenek
(mondjuk 115 kg/fo/ev).
Gondoljatok meg, a nagy CO2 kibocsatoknak lesz penzuk
csokkentesre, a kicsiknek az eletszinvonalat nem korlatozzuk.
Nincsenek igaszsagtalansagok mint ma.
Nem vallalunk hiabavalo kotelezettsegeket mig masok dozsolnek,
es kibocsatasukkal minket is sulytanak.
Kovetkezo pont : a biomassza egetesekor keletkezo CO2 kibocsatast
ne vegyek figyelembe, amennyiben a biomasszat folyamatosan
("fenntarthatoan"- magyarul tartamosan) hasznalja egy orszag,
hisz az energia celu ultetvenyeivel (amennyivel az elozo evekhez
kepest tobb a biomassza foldjein) tobblet CO2-t kot le.
Vegul (es ezt ki kell mondani a konferencian), amennyiben az USA
az egyezmenyt nem irja ala Magyarorszag sem (meg gondolom
ezek utan Kina, Oroszorszag sem).
Gondolkozzatok el javaslataimon, barmilyen biralatot elfogadok.
Amennyiben kompetens szemely valaszolna javaslataimra,
(Baja ur vagy Szili urholgy) nagyon boldog lennek.
Ha a fenti felvetesek Kyotoban elhangzananak, talan
a vilag jelenlegi kornyezetpolitikaja, de meg gazdasagpolitikaja
is megvaltozhat.
Udv az erdobol Robi
10 Nov 97 11:11, Laszlo Meszaros wrote to Kornyesz:
LM> Az illegalis C varians es az illegalis szerzodesbontas (a birosag
LM> ertekelese szerint mindketto jogi szempontbol illegalis) kozott pont
LM> kornyezetvedelmi es termeszetvedelmi szempontbol van nagy kulobseg.
Es Te ki vagy, hogy a Hagai birosagot felul biralod ?
LM> az eredeti elovilag visszaallitasahoz
LM> szukseges mennyisegu vizrol mondjanak le -- amig nem kotelezik oket
Eszrevehetned magad (-tokat) mar. Az eredeti allapotot nem lehet !!!
visszaallitani, ez nem targyalasi alap. A birosagi dontes, meg a jozan paraszti
esz szerint se lehet kotelezni a szlovakokat az eromu lebontasara.
LM> Erdekes Liptak Bela azon felvetese, hogy a Duna vizienergiaja kozos,
Viznek mozgasi energiaja van, ami (altalanos iskola) 0.5*m*v^2, ebbol mit
"lopnak el" a szlovakok ? Megisszak a vizet Bosnel :) ?
Nagymarosnal ugyanannyi viz es ugyan akkora sebesseggel folyik, mint regen !
Kell a Duna energiaja ? Epitsuk meg a Nagymarosi eromuvet .
Üdvözlettel: -=Nlaca Laca=-
There were plenty of bad reasons why Congress turned down President Clinton's
"fast track" trade bill -- the normal "do anything to humiliate Clinton" stuff,
payoffs from protectionists and labor, isolationists who fear trade because
they fear the world.
But there were good reasons, too, strengthened by the fact that NAFTA, the free
trade agreement with Mexico, has failed to fulfill the grandiose promises made
for it on either side of the border. Since NAFTA Americans are beginning to
hear the pro-trade drumbeat -- globalization is inevitable, we'll be left in
the competitive dust, trade grows the economy, trade creates jobs -- as so much
To start with, trade just doesn't look like a problem to the average American.
We already get apples from Chile and cars from Japan. We send corn to Africa,
jets to the Middle East. Our computers and sneakers travel to Asia before they
reach us. Our music and movies play all over the globe. What more do we need?
If there's any trade problem we've heard about, it's the Nike story, the Asian
workers paid a pittance for long hours of stifling work putting together shoes
that inexplicably cost us $100 a pair. And we know about the maquiladoras, the
shiny new factories on the Mexican side of the border, built by Sony, Black &
Decker, GM, Ford, which pay not $5 an hour, but $5 a DAY, and which pour out
toxic brews that would never be permitted if the pipes and smokestacks were
just a few miles north.
Those factories are becoming the symbol of free trade. People whose minds are
not trapped in business logic take one look at them and sense something wrong.
Those who look more closely -- including the labor and environment advocates
who bombarded Congress to defeat "fast track" -- see them as evidence of a
systemic perversity, which they call "race to the bottom." Far from being an
economic boon, they argue, "free trade" as currently structured will bring
economic ruin, especially to the nations that currently enjoy high social and
environmental standards.
Economists, trained at an early age to chant "trade is always, always, always
good," can't seem to see this perversity, but anyone else can. If a company
finds a place where it is not taxed to support schools or sewage treatment,
where it can dump any kind of gunk without penalty, where desperate people will
work for peanuts, it will go there. If it doesn't, its competitors will.
That's the market's inevitable tendency to reward those who put costs off onto
someone else -- in this case onto workers, families, communities, and the
A nation can put those costs back where they belong by requiring business to
pay decent wages, keep workplaces safe, support local infrastructure, and clean
up its messes. That helps not only the society, but the market itself, by
forcing prices to include very real costs. But the nation can't then allow
imports of cheap products, undermining the companies that comply with the
rules. It has to ban those products or put tariffs on them. The "free trade"
the world is hurtling toward, the kind that Bill Clinton is promoting,
undercuts our ability to do exactly that.
Under the new trade regime, Venezuela and Brazil have challenged part of the
U.S. Clean Air Act that forbids the import of more-polluting gasoline mixtures
from their refineries. The U.S. is contesting Europe's ban on beef fed
artificial hormones. Numerous countries object to the U.S. requirement that
shrimp be caught in nets that do not destroy endangered sea turtles.
Meanwhile, in any kind of business that can move, American workers are losing
jobs and communities losing companies.
That's just the start of the race to the bottom.
So far Bill Clinton has addressed this major problem with minor gestures. To
get NAFTA passed he created a North American Development Bank to clean up the
border. At the moment it has $450 million, with a promise of maybe $3 billion
someday. That sounds like a lot unless you know that a sewage treatment plant
for just one Mexican town (Naco, Sonora, just across the border from Naco,
Arizona) will cost $830 million. The region needs at least $8 billion for
drinking water, sewage treatment, and garbage pickup for all its residents.
Providing it through the NADB or any other public handout means that U.S. and
Mexican taxpayers must cover what ought to come from property taxes on
It's no wonder that taxpayers, workers, and environmentalists are beginning to
equate fast track with pulling a fast one. The knee-jerk response of
economists, politicians and companies is to call such people protectionists.
They are, but not in the sense that they are trying to protect special
privileges (though that happens in the debate as well). The abiding critics of
fast track are trying to protect the society, the environment, and therefore
the economy, which cannot function without clean air, clean water, public
infrastructure, operational communities, secure families, and educated
There are plenty of protectionist barriers that ought to be weeded out of the
global trade regime. But not at the cost of a race to the bottom. Trade is
not always, always, always good. There are ways of enhancing its good while
preserving the public welfare and the ability of market prices to tell the
whole truth. The mindless abolition of any regulation that any industry in any
country finds annoying is not one of them.
If Bill Clinton learns anything from his present humiliation, let's hope he
learns that.
(Donella H. Meadows is an adjunct professor of environmental studies at
Dartmouth College.)


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Gübelin Academy offers its Coloured Gem Professional Level 2 also in Chinese
Gübelin Academy now offers its Coloured Gem Professional Level 2 also in Chinese. For the first time, Gübelin Academy's Coloured Gem Professional Level 2 class will be taught in Cantonese and Mandarin. Gübelin Academy is expanding its offers to share its knowledge of gemmology and its passion for gems in Asia.
Hong Kong – Level 2 in Cantonese
From 16 to 20 October 2017 the Level 2 class of the Coloured Gem Professional will be held in Cantonese. The course takes place in the home of the Academy in Hong Kong at the Gloucester Tower, The Landmark. It is the very first time that the Level 2 class is offered in another language than English.
Shanghai – Level 2 in Mandarin
Within less than a year, six Level 1 classes were taught in Mandarin in Shanghai. Following this success, the Gübelin Academy now provides also the Level 2 course in Mandarin. From 14 to 18 November 2017 the Level 2 class takes place in the Bund area.
Coloured Gem Professional
The Coloured Gem Professional is created as a series of modular programmes with increasing levels from 1 to 3. The three level of courses culminate in a Gübelin Coloured Gem Professional certificate. Through knowledgeable, passionate and inspiring teaching, Gübelin Academy offers a unique fast-track training into the wonderful world of coloured gems, focusing on the practical and emotional aspects of emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
Level 2
The Level 2 class is part of the Coloured Gem Professional programme. Continuing in the modular fast-track format, the class deals with the details of the physical, chemical and optical properties of the "Big Three" in five days. With a combination of detailed course material and practical sessions, students understand emeralds, rubies and sapphires from a deeper perspective. They explore their origins and treatments; the mystery of light and certain optical effects; formation, mining, production and sales. Also students learn to look with a loupe like a professional, examining the interior of these gems together with trained gemmologist instructors. They also awarded a certificate of attendance upon completion of the Level 2. Successful completion of Level 1 is required to attend Level 2.


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Watch Our Video
Contemporary, Exquisite & Unique
AX The Palace hotel in Sliema is one of the top 5 star hotels in Malta. It is highly rated for its high-quality services, exquisite cuisine and impeccable organisation and surroundings. Classified as a city hotel, you can experience luxury and quality at its best on your holiday in Malta. If your stay is for business or leisure, this accommodation in Sliema is able to adapt to both.
Sliema, Malta is a dominant touristic attraction on the island. Why not book your accommodation whereabouts everything happens? AX The Palace is an eco-leading efficient high-class hotel in Malta. It adopts a modern façade that attracts travellers and locals alike. As soon as you enter one of the top Sliema hotels, you are greeted by a world of luxury, exquisite accommodation and excellence in service.
Our hotel rooms in Sliema are extensive, and some even, one-of-a-kind. There's a wide selection that will meet the needs and tastes of the most demanding travellers. There are rooms ranging from comfort rooms to executive suites. This makes AX The Palace fit for all. The six designer suites are all distinctive in their own way.
For a perfect holiday in Malta, our hotel offers a wide selection of high-class facilities such as relaxing spa facilities, a fitness centre, an outdoor, as well as, indoor pool, sauna, steam baths, and more.
On the 9th floor, you can find one of the top restaurants in Sliema, TemptAsian. Enjoy scenic views of the Mediterranean harbour and the historical bastions of Valletta from this rooftop restaurant. All this while experiencing an Asian fusion cuisine. You can also appreciate dining in Sliema at The Tabloid or Talk of Town Café and Lounge 360 during the summer months.
AX The Palace is one of the only hotels in Malta that is ideal for conference and wedding venues. Take a look at our Royal Hall, the State Hall & Alexandra Gardens and the Executive Lounge. The Tabloid and TemptAsian Rooftop Restaurant can be transformed into the wedding of your dreams. All the venues at AX The Palace are customised to your needs, be it for a wedding, business travel in Malta, or themed coffee breaks for functions.
When you enter the hotel, look forward to a lovely greeting at the reception desk, smooth and efficient hotel check-in and complimentary Wi-Fi that is available throughout the hotel. All the venues, rooms and facilities are wheelchair accessible.
AX The Palace scent has been created exclusively for the hotel. The accord between patchouli, rose and the slight hint of chocolate make this a rich but warm fragrance that gives you that cooling sensation. Its classic element smells of another era allowing you to time travel while its oriental touch kicks up a heady, sensual aura for a vision of cultural diversity. This captivating fragrance offers the perfect sense of calm and serenity, an opulent combination suited for those signature moments and special occasions.
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Tell No Lies
Hanging Out: Petaluma teens Alison Anderson, 16, Adam Lovato, 15, and Fred Gray, 15.
Photo by Janet Orsi
Has the press misled the public about Petaluma youth invading Helen Putnam Plaza?
By Paula Harris
A MINIATURE PARK in downtown Petaluma--set with cozy benches, grassy plots, a small fountain, and designed for the enjoyment of everyone--is making no one happy these days. A recent flurry of articles in local newspapers has depicted Helen Putnam Plaza on Petaluma Boulevard North as a combat zone, where merchants and a horde of supposedly arrogant youths are duking it out amid petty crime and proposals to install video surveillance cameras and blaring classical music as deterrents.
But now, some factions involved in the fracas are downplaying the reported conflicts, saying the mainstream press has both overblown and inflamed the situation.
"I thought World War III was going on here, but that's not the case," says Jim Matto-Shepherd, a local psychologist brought in by the Petaluma Downtown Association last week to mediate the various factions. "I guess the press focuses on what sounds more dramatic."
Merchants, police, and city officials, according to published reports, were bent on using "Orwellian" electronic monitoring of activities and tracking of individuals to quell crimes by youths congregating in the park.
Youth crimes cited in the reports range from such petty offenses as swearing, spitting, panhandling, playing bongo drums, skateboarding, and blocking doorways to vandalism and drug abuse.
Jill Scatchard, owner of the Boosha gift shop on the plaza, says the reports are "inaccurate" and that the press is "overplaying" the circumstances. "They're trying to create a negative 'us and them' feel to it," she says. "The merchants in the plaza know the majority of people by name. There's a wide variety agewise, but the majority are perfectly well-behaved."
In addition, Linda Buffo, executive director of the 175-member Petaluma Downtown Association, claims articles in the Petaluma Argus Courier misstated that she labeled youths in the park "social deviates."
"This was inaccurate and only incensed the situation," she maintains. "We intend to seek a retraction."
However, even without assigning individuals that specific label, Buffo states that the conduct of some of the youths in the downtown park is not socially acceptable. "We're addressing behaviors," she observes. "These aren't just policing issues. We're putting together a collective of people that want to change behaviors. We need to go back to being respectful of others, understand about old-fashioned respect for each other."
A Feb. 27 merchants' forum sought to outline solutions and organize a general meeting with community members, including the youths who congregate in the park. "We're searching for a way to have a dialogue and we're seeking advice from Petaluma People Services Center, Parks and Recreation, the City Council, the school district, the chamber of commerce, and other agencies to help put together a dialogue," explains Buffo. "We don't want confrontation and negative energy--we want only positive energy."
She says a steering committee is being formed and there are plans to redesign areas of the park, which merchants say impede customers from walking into businesses. Buffo says changes--some suggested by Petaluma High School drafting class students--will be in keeping with the general scheme of the park. "There will be no gates, no thorny bushes. We'll still have grassy areas and a new stagelike area for performances and presenting awards during parades," she says.
MEANWHILE, youths who have gathered in the centrally located park--which was dedicated in 1987 by the city of Petaluma and its citizens in memory of former mayor and county supervisor Helen Putnam, long before recent merchants, including Starbucks, moved in--are dismayed the turn of events.
It's unfortunate people frown on us because we have a place to hang out," says Petaluma High School student Alison Anderson, 16, gesturing towards the green lawn with an arm jangling with thin silver bangles. "As for putting in music, that's very amusing--we love classical," she adds. "If they were playing Beethoven, I'd think it was cool. They think culture is going to push us away."
She ways that Buffo's goal to change behavior patterns won't work. "You can't change individuals unless you know them personally," she observes. "Granted, some of the actions of some of the people can be quite disrespectful, but anywhere in life, some of the people are going to break the rules.
"It's too bad these few are giving us a collective bad name."
The teens say they congregate in Putnam Plaza because it's in a central part of town (many live just blocks away); because it's close to the Phoenix Theatre, where there's a well-defined counterculture social scene; and because in Petaluma "there's not much to do that doesn't take a lot of money."
"My parents like me to hang out here--it's central and if there's an emergency and my mom needs to find me, she knows I'm within a three-block radius," says Valley Oaks student Adam Lovato, 15. "But the cops want us out of here."
Fred Gray, a 15-year-old Petaluma High School student with spiked, dyed blond hair agrees. "If we needed a baby sitter, our parents would have got one for us," he comments. "This is a social hangout--a public place to hang out after school with friends."
Petaluma Police Capt. Pat Parks says the corridor between Putnam Plaza and the Keller Street parking garage has the "greatest concentration of [police] calls" in the downtown area. His says recent crimes have varied from drug and alcohol violations and auto burglary to unruly behavior and acts of vandalism. "The activity there does have an impact on the businesses. There have been complaints from merchants and patrons; the element of fear certainly is accurate," says Parks, adding that police will continue to patrol the park "pretty vigorously."
Last Friday, Parks says he sat in the plaza in plain clothes for one and a half hours and monitored activities there. "There was some intimidating behavior, but a lot of the individuals used it in the manner intended--they chatted and did the kinds of things we'd expect," he reports.
However, he says, plans are in the works for broadcasting amplified classical music, a tactic that has had little success in deterring youth from congregating in Santa Rosa's Courthouse Square and elsewhere in the Bay Area. "Speakers have been purchased and the city has issued a permit," Parks says.
The question of installing video cameras outside the public rest rooms adjacent to the plaza, which merchants say have sustained some $3,000 damage in recent months, remains undecided. Pam Allen, manager of the Starbucks building, where the rest rooms are located, says owners have "no plans for putting in cameras."
But merchants say they will continue to clamp down on crime in the plaza. "We're calling for a line that nobody crosses," says Buffo. "We'll never have a Disneyland, but our goal is to have as little illegal activity as possible."
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From the March 6-12, 1997 issue of the Sonoma County Independent
This page was designed and created by the Boulevards team.
© 1997 Metrosa, Inc.


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Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Investment Analyst, Value Creation & Analytics
Department: Infrastructure & Natural Resources
Division: Investments
The opportunity
The growing Value Creation & Analytics (VCA) team within our Infrastructure & Natural Resources (INR) group is looking to build out its team of talented professionals. We are looking for a private asset valuations specialist who can help us build analytical insights across our global portfolio and provide enhanced decision-making tools and capabilities to deliver on our strategy. Still curious?
As an Analyst, you will drive efficiencies and improvements across INR's business, particularly in asset valuations, portfolio construction and performance reporting. You will also ensure high quality information sharing between INR and internal partners and coordinate our participation in Fund-wide initiatives.
Who you'll work with
The INR group is a highly-specialized private equity team that invests directly in global infrastructure and natural resources companies to deliver growing, inflation-linked cash flows over the long-term. Our team consists of over 45 investment professionals, with offices in Toronto, Canada and London, United Kingdom and an additional presence in Santiago, Chile. We manage a geographically diverse C$25 billion global investment portfolio with a mandate to grow.
Reporting to the Senior Principal, you will work with Investment Associates to drive INR's portfolio management activities. You will also closely collaborate with other departments in OTPP including Strategy & Risk, Investment Finance and asset classes such as Private Capital.
What you'll do:
- Assist with valuations of the INR portfolio which comprises privately held airports; seaports; gas distribution networks; water utilities; power generation and distribution companies and oil and gas, timberland, agriculture, aquaculture and mining assets
- Help improve the technical consistency of INR's valuations
- Ensure a consistent, high quality and smooth valuation process by working with the Investment Finance group to plan, schedule and deliver semi-annual asset valuations
- Contribute to building Investment Finance's knowledge of the sectors and regions in which we invest
Portfolio Construction
- Drive the production of portfolio construction-focused analytics
- Work with INR Investment Associates to analyze the performance of existing and potential assets
- Understand key assumptions, limitations or impediments to portfolio-level scenario analysis using asset-level forecasted cash flow models
- Collaborate with the Strategy & Risk group to analyze risk models and gather key insights on the risk attributes of our portfolio for use in portfolio construction analyses
- Conduct investment performance analysis for INR Senior Management to help inform decisions on target portfolio weights by sector, geography, return type, etc.
Performance Reporting and Collaboration
- Collaborate with internal partners to ensure that INR's reporting addresses their needs
- Plan, refine and improve performance reporting to help ensure timely and optimal decisions at Investment Committee meetings
- Prepare and deliver timely and high quality reports to the CIO-led Committees and the OTPP Board
- Design, build and execute processes to ensure compliance with OTPP policies and guidelines
- Prepare analysis and agendas to support quarterly meetings between the VCA and its counterparts in Private Capital to share optimal operational practices
- Work cohesively with Private Capital, Public Equities and others to plan and deliver Leadership Conferences
What you'll need
- Minimum 1 to 5 years of experience, preferably in infrastructure or private asset valuations, principal investing, investment banking or corporate development within an operating business
- Bachelor's degree required, with the pursuit of a CFA or CBV designation considered a plus
- Excellent communication skills and a strong ability to collaborate and influence others in order to drive collective action across departments and achieve common goals
- Excellent quantitative, analytical and organizational skills and the ability to perform complex, in-depth financial analysis
- Ability to balance multiple priorities in timely manner while remaining detail oriented
- Advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint
What we're offering
We operate in a pay-for-performance environment that offers a competitive salary and numerous opportunities for professional growth and development.
At Ontario Teachers', diversity is one of our core strengths. We are a globally minded organization and take pride in ensuring that the people we hire and the culture we build reflect and celebrate a diversity of thought, background and experience.
Accommodations are available upon request for those with a disability taking part in the recruitment process and once hired.
How to apply
Are you ready to pursue new challenges and take your career to the next level? Why wait? Submit your resume online today. www.otpp.com/careers
We thank you for applying, however, only those selected for a personal interview will be contacted. Note that a legal entitlement to work at this location is required.


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- For strategy on the Throne of the Four Winds encounter, see Al'Akir (tactics).
- At first you see only a whirling cyclone, with flickers of lightning dancing it. Then you realize this is more than just a rapidly approaching windstorm. Looking more closely, you see the silhouette of a winged serpent within the swirling winds, its eyes regarding you through flashing bolts of electricity.
Al'Akir the Windlord is absolute ruler over the skies, air and storms.[1] He is the weakest of the four Elemental Lords of the Old Gods. His domain is the sky over the Elemental Plane, which touches all of the other elements. Consequently, it "...interacts with them more than any other, and yet he is the most capricious and aloof of all the Lords. He is as likely to stir up trouble one day as he is to casually ignore incursions the next." His mood can quickly change, much like the weather.[2] He is revered by all air elementals and creatures that fly. It is said that he is aware of all air spells that are cast anywhere throughout the multiverse - although this might be true, he rarely becomes personally involved in their resolution unless they affect him directly.[1]
The Old Gods' armies were led by the most powerful elemental lieutenants: Ragnaros the Firelord, Therazane the Stonemother, Al'Akir the Windlord, and Neptulon the Tidehunter. Their chaotic forces raged across the face of the world and clashed with the colossal Titans. Though the elementals were powerful beyond mortal comprehension, their combined forces could not stop the mighty Titans. One by one, the elemental lords fell, and their forces dispersed.
The Pantheon shattered the Old Gods' citadels and chained the four elemental gods far beneath the surface of the world. Without the Old Gods' power to keep their raging spirits bound to the physical world, the elementals were banished to an abyssal world known as the Elemental Plane where they would contend with one another for all eternity. With the elementals' departure, nature calmed, and the world settled into a peaceful harmony.
Thunderaan, Prince of Air, is one of Al'Akir's children.[citation needed]
Skills and abilities
Al'Akir uses his great speed to his advantage in battle. He strikes first at those foes who fly and thus present the greatest challenge to his mastery of the air. Climbing into the sky to attack him can be a dangerous proposition. Once all flying foes have been dealt with, he generally employs his whirlwind ability to sweep up creatures on the ground, holding them as long as possible before dropping them in whatever manner deals the most punishment to those who would challenge his might.
Although he is the weakest of the Elemental Lords, the others are hard pressed to attack him on his own turf. He rarely attacks them directly, choosing instead to wreak whatever havoc he can before retreating in the face of determined opposition.[2]
The thunderhead
Al'Akir has the power to transform himself into a tireless and raging thunderstorm when outdoors. This transformation completes within a relatively short time, "during which he swiftly shifts into a massive, roiling black" 250-foot by 250-foot by 1,000-foot "cloud bank with lightning dancing within." It can last up to one full hour, while also standing a few hundred feet off the ground. While within this form, he has greater power to manipulate the air, such as being able to loose multiple and powerful lightning bolts, each at a different target within approximately 500 feet in any direction he wishes. He also has the ability to slam creatures beneath him or within one hundred feet of the thunderstorm. Furthermore, he can create a single whirlwind underneath his cloud shape that must remain directly below his cloud body. If any other air elementals are in the vicinity, they also can form whirlwinds (at their own power level) that can last for as long as the thunderstorm. There are limits to these abilities; Al'Akir cannot use them with conjunction of the whirlwind, or with other whirlwinds caused by the wind elementals under his command.[3]
His whirlwind
Al'Akir can transform himself into a whirlwind every 10 minutes, and remain in this form for a fairly long duration. Gargantuan or smaller creatures may be injured when caught in the whirlwind, and/or lifted into the air. A creature that can fly has a higher chance than others to escape the whirlwind. It too, will very likely be injured. He can eject any creatures whenever he wishes, depositing them wherever the whirlwind happens to be. He prefers doing this over the sides of cliffs, or from very high altitudes.
If the base touches the ground, it creates a swirling cloud of debris, known to most as a tornado. This cloud is centered on the elemental, and it will obscure all vision. It is difficult to cast a spell from near or within the tornado.[1]
Name inspiration
"Al Akhir الأخير", or romanized "Al Akir", means literally "The Last" in Arabic. This is possibly a reference to Avatar: The Last Airbender, as Al'Akir bends the air around him. More likely, however, this name may be an homage to the works of the late fantasy writer, Robert Jordan: Al'Akir Mandragoran was the last crowned king of Malkier in the Wheel of Time universe.
Al'Akhir is also one of the 99 names of God by which Muslims regard God[1].
10-man Normal
World of Warcraft
One of the European realms in World of Warcraft is named Al'Akir.This section concerns content exclusive to Cataclysm.
He will make an appearance as the last boss of the Skywall raid. He is one of two Elemental Lords allied with Deathwing, the other is Ragnaros.
- ^ a b c Shadows & Light, 101
- ^ a b Shadows & Light, 100
- ^ Shadows & Light, 101-102


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KARACHI -- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a meeting with his British counterpart David Cameron and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, reaffirmed his commitment to ensure that Pakistan soil is not being used for promoting terrorism.
The three leaders met on the sidelines of the Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris.
According to the Dawn, Sharif apprised both the leaders of the successes achieved during the course of the past year and half in the military operation Zarb-i-Azb which was launched against militants and terrorists without any discrimination.
Talking to President Ghani, Sharif added that Pakistan is committed to work with Afghanistan as an equal and sovereign state while asserting that peace and stability in Afghanistan is the key goal and Pakistan is committed to build a long term partnership with its neighbours.
Ghani in a positive note said that Afghanistan also wants to develop peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations with Pakistan as both the leaders agreed to increase economic and trade cooperation, between the countries.
Contact HuffPost India
Also see on HuffPost:


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The Calabash Bowl will bring a sense of Africa into any home with this functional piece of African history. Used in Africa as a tambourine; a water drum; and to hold food or flowers. Many of these African gourds are decorated with burnt designs. Some are... more
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text: ginger beard 4,510 Report post Posted July 18, 2019 My friend has got a 6 month old lurcher pup thats as good as gold until he's told to get in the car or to go out for a piss,things like that.then growls and has started to snap. Any suggestions of how to sort it. @Casso or anybody sensible. Quote Share this post Link to post


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In 2018, the average income of male Vietnam-era veterans and nonveterans the same ages was roughly comparable: For veterans 63 to 78 years old, it was $63,300; for nonveterans, it was $65,000. The veterans' average includes the disability compensation that some receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs. With that disability income excluded, veterans' average income was $59,000, 9 percent less than nonveterans' average income. Veterans age 72 or older had more income, on average, than nonveterans. Overall, veterans received more money from Social Security and retirement plans; nonveterans had more earnings from work and more investment income. The differences probably arose from the types of jobs veterans and nonveterans held.
MAJOR RECURRING REPORTSView All
Legislation Enacted in the First Session of the 116th Congress That Affects Mandatory Spending or Revenues
CBO's Projections of Federal Receipts and Expenditures in the National Income and Product Accounts: 2019 to 2029
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Jill Mansion
This complete Walkthrough guides you through every step and location of Resident Evil HD Remaster. This guide is for the Jill track. You can also play as Chris.
No Damage walkthrough - Jill Mansion Part 1; Best Ending and all files included.This walkthrough also shows you the best route for each area.
Dining Room
When you gain control of Jill, head west to meet up with Barry. After the cutscene, turn around and use the nearby door.
Piano Room Hallway
Head west down the hallway. After the cutscene, turn around, head east down the hallway and use the first door on your right.
Dining Room
After the cutscene, head east and use the double doors at the end.
Main Hall
After the cutscene, head up the stairs, then turn around and head back down again. After the cutscene, head west and use the double doors.
Golden Arrow
Head into the hall and you'll find Kenneth's corpse. Search it and collect the video tape. Move past it and through the door. You'll find yourself in a hall. The table with the bird cage has Handgun ammo. Also collect the two herbs.
Head upstairs and through the door. You'll see a corpse immediately in front of you. Ignore it for now. Instead, head toward the mirror and stand right next to it, facing the camera. See the zombie in the mirror? He's waiting to ambush you just off the frame. Raise your gun and shoot until he drops once. Then rush past and up the hall. Grab the Golden Arrow and the Handgun magazine. Be wary of a second zombie hiding just off frame to your left.
If you're careful, you can lure him into a lunge then rush past his shoulder, dodging his second grab. This technique is a great ammo-saving method, and is recommended throughout your adventure.
Once past him, head to the right-hand door. You'll be on a balcony. There's a zombie at the far end of the balcony. You can safely evade him, but don't forget he hangs around up here. Grab the dagger nearby. On the far end of the balcony is a statue holding a Blue Gem. Push it to the open rail and then off the balcony's edge so it breaks on the floor below you. Don't worry about heading back down for it just yet.
Head through the double doors to the main lobby. Headup the short flight of stairs and when the camera angle changes, head through the door infront of you to access the graveyard. Dodge the zombie here and head toward the tomb with the archer statue. Examine your Golden Arrow and it will become an Arrowhead. Use the Arrowhead and you'll gain access to the Crypt. Head into the Crypt and follow the camera to the back and take the Book of Curses off the stand. Flip it over and examine it and you'll get the Sword/Mansion Key.
Chemical, Shotgun, and Grenades
Return to the Main Hall, on the east side of this room (opposite door from the dining room) there are double doors, proceed through them.
WARNING: Do not exit this room back to the main hall as this will cause Barry to hand you Acid Rounds, making the shotgun inaccessible later on in this guide.
You will notice that there is a flashing item in the statue, it isis the 1st floor map. To get the map, you will have to climb over the dresser on the opposite side to push it forward once so you can move it to the statue. Be careful not to go too far into the room on the left as there is a zombie awaiting to ambush you. If you manage to get the dresser stuck, do not exit back to the hall but instead open the door on the right and head back to reset its location.
After you obtained the map, proceed through the right-hand side door. Head into the hall and push the first dresser to find a Dagger. Don't be alarmed by the ambient jump scare.
Proceed down the hall and push the last dresser as soon as the camera angle changes to reveal Hangun magazine. Take note that the dresser in this hallway is pushed in the opposite direction from the last one.
Continue on through the door.
Warning: Entering the previous hall from the opposite direction will result in a dog ambush. If at all possible, do not go back through the door you just entered.
Once you step into this hall take the metal door you see on the left. Outside, grab the Chemical and as many herbs as you can carry, but make sure to leave one space open so you can obtain the shotgun shortly. Also remember you can always eat or combine herbs to free up inventory if you need to. Return back to the hall you just came from.
Head into the next door you can open, which leads into a bathroom. Drain the tub, and there will be a cut-scene where Jill disposes of a zombie. Grab the Dagger from bath and leave the room.
Pass through the next door ahead you can enter. You'll find yourself in a very small room with another exit. Head through the other door and you'll be in a room with a typewriter ribbon, a Dagger, and the Shotgun. If you have enough free space, grab them; your main focus is getting that shotgun. Taking the Shotgun will trigger an obvious trap, there's no risk of death even if this guide hasn't been followed completely so go ahead and exit this room.
As you step back through the only exit into the tiny room, the ceiling will begin to drop. Now, very quickly check the exit back into the hall. It will be locked. Immediately check the door back to the Shotgun room. It will also be locked.
As long as you did not go back to the main hall and trigger the cutscene to where Barry gives you acid rounds, you are able to obtain the shotgun. Otherwise, only one of the doors will be locked and you will have to place the shotgun back on the stand and obtain the shotgun later in the game.
No Damage walkthrough - Jill Mansion Part 2; Best Ending and all files included.
Save Room, Lighter, Dog Whistle
Continue down the hall to the double doors. Once through these, you'll see another door on the left side of the screen. Head through it. You'll appear near the bottom of a staircase. Before proceeding up the staircase, there will be a very annoying zombie beside a door. If you can manage it, dodge him and rush through the door. Gun him down since we will be accessing this room a few times later in the game.
Head into the door, this is the first Save Room. Save, then Item Box your Ribbons, Knife, spare healing items, and Chemical. Since we do not have the lighter yet, go ahead and keep the flask deposited.
Head back out with at least 3 empty item slots, head up the stairs and try to avoid as much zombies as possible and then head east or towards the right into backwards C shaped hallway.
You will notice that there is a table with a wooden mount on it, get the Wooden Mount on the lamp shelf and head right, dodging the zombie in the hall, and head through the door just past him.
You'll find yourself in a small study. Search the room and find the Dog Whistle, a Magazine, and the Lighter.
If you killed any zombies in the stairway hall, you may want to burn them now to keep them from coming back as Crimsons. Use the canteen to burn them. If you do, make sure to top off your kerosene in the save room downstairs. It's important to burn the zombie you killed infront of the Save Room when you exit as well. Head back upstairs and go to the door at the back of the hall (there is likely another zombie around the corner). Light the fireplace with the lighter and then place the Wooden Mount above the fireplace to get a 2nd Floor Map.
Backtrack to the dim hall where you just dodged the zombie. Dodge him again, then continue off camera. Another zombie waits past the curve of the hall, so be very careful. Run past him to the end of this dim hall and unlock the door. Make sure you have at least one open item slot before opening this door.
When you step back into the main hall, a cut scene plays. Barry will give you 6 Acid Rounds. You don't have a Grenade Launcher yet, but you will soon enough, so these will be very handy shortly.
Armor Key
Cross the balcony to the double doors on the second floor west side. You'll find yourself back on the balcony above the Dining Room. Head to the door at the far end of the balcony.
You'll be in a narrow hall. Ignore the metal door for a second and instead head into the hall. Kill the two zombies you'll find in this area, and burn them both to prevent their return as Crimsons.
Head downstairs. The nearest door to the bottom of the stairs is the Medical Supply room. There's an item box and typewriter in there.
Step past this room for a second. Head down the hall and enter the leftmost of the two doors you'll see. Inside is a Battery Pack and a Ribbon. There's also a now semi-useless Broken Shotgun (grab it only if you're going for 100% items)... If you didn't follow the guide and obtain the Shotgun earlier, you can replace the Broken shotgun with the working Shotgun in the room in the East Wing. More importantly, there's a kerosene tank. Top off your Flask. If at all possible, you want to keep the hall around the Medical Room clear of Crimsons. Use this fuel to help do so.
Shotgun in hand, head back upstairs to the metal door in the hall above. Head outside. Back up to the far corner hugging the wall near the door, face right, and blow the Dog Whistle. You may discard it after use. Immediately switch back to direct control, count to three, and then hit your auto-aim. Your gun should come up just as the first of two dogs appear. Blast away.
You're after a Collar, which is the key to retrieving a valuable item. If you're lucky, you'll kill the first quickly enough to grab his Collar and run back out the door without wasting bullets on the second. There are herbs here if you need them (or if you're going for 100% items).
Examine the Collar and a button will appear. Examine the button and a fake Armor Key will be added to your inventory. You'll use this fake key later to get the real Armor Key.
Backtrack to the balcony above the Dining Room, then out to the second hall and downstairs. Enter the first floor dining room and head back through the side door past Kenneth's body. Head through the next door and up the stairs near the ravens. Run past the dead body straight ahead of you and through the far door. You'll be standing in a hall next to a suit of armor.
There are no enemies in here, so don't get tense. Just a simple death trap. Keep walking until you find the Armor Key on the floor. Take and replace it with the fake Armor Key, and now head back to the mansion's main room balcony.
Backtrack to the Main Hall. Go up the staircase to the second floor and head out the door on the south east end of the map, which leads to the outside balcony. Pick up the hangun magazine from the table, depending on the difficulty setting of the game. Continue through the outdoor area until you see a body. Before walking to the body, check the bench on the left for a hidden dagger. Proceed to the body for a cutscene, then take the Grenade Launcher.
If you are not trying to obtain 100% items, do not walk any further past the body than is necessary to get the launcher or somebody will wake up to the smell of your delicious flesh. If you decided to proceed forward anyway, post-combat you'll find two Green Herbs at the end of the trail. Once you have the artillery, double back to the main hall and into the north east door on the map on the second floor.
Continue forward in this hall and enter the first door to Jill's right. Once you're inside, there will be a cut-scene.
The serum you need is in the medical supplies save room. Go as fast as you can, open your map and navigate to the north west exit on the second floor from the main hall. Then, enter the west exit from this room to the dining room, run up north to proceed in the north west door that leads to the staircase and medical supplies room. Grab the serum from the shelf in this save room and make sure to grab the ligther from your item box.
Return back to Richard. After you give him the serum, go through the next room.
There'll be a zombie in the corridor where you have to turn.
After putting him down, enter the room inside the dark hall. You'll be in a small room. You need to light the candles on the table. Check around the room for some ammo.
After you've lit the room, push the shelf down on the right side, toward the camera rather than away. Not the one where you found ammo. After you push it, go into it, or it could be safer to back up into it, because there will be a zombie when the angle changes. Run out and around the table and shoot the zombie until it's dead. Go back into the little opening and grab the Musical Score.
Now leave this room, and go back through the room with Richard. Go back into the corridor before Richard's room, and go down until you see the green double doors: enter them. In this room, push the knight statue in this order: upper right, lower left, lower right.
Once all are pushed back, push the button on the table, and grab the jewelry box that has been revealed. Check the jewelry box. Just press the action button on the halved-heart sides for first Death Mask. Run back to the save room where you got the fuel canteen and you will see that Barry left you some items. Pick up the stuff and deposit whatever you don't need. Before leaving this room, make sure you have the armor key with you.
Wind Crest and Shield Key
Exit the save room, then head up the stairs. Follow the camera upward, then unlock the first door to the right.
You'll find yourself in a room with a deer head mounted on the wall. Go to Jill's left and enter the door.
Right now, there will be two bug cases next to the door. First, grab the fishhook from the case that is in the back of the room. Now, get the Lure of a Bee from right bug case (left from the door's perspective). Combine the Bee Lure with the fishhook. Now go to the other case and grab the Bee Specimen. Place the Lure of a Bee in the fishook collection to the left of the door, then go back to the small bug collection and place the Bee Specimen in it. Press the switch, don't be scared of the bee that attacks you. Once the curscene is finished, grab the wind crest and exit the room. Go ahead and take the herbs here and deposit them in the nearby saveroom downstairs, then make your return to the medical supplies room where the serum was obtained for Richard.
Put away the lighter and any Death Masks you have, bring the Shotgun, any keys, and the chemical. Enter the door past where you found the Broken Shotgun. There is a battery pack on the table. Pick it up. Now run straight, past the windows, until you see a door in the end. Open it and go inside. Put the chemical in the water pump and turn the handle to red.
The water will kill up the plant. Also, there are 5 green herbs. Grab them if you need any and combine them, but make sure you have space for second Death Mask. The mask is in the back, past the herbs. Now run back out, and 2 zombies will crash through the window. Run away, because you won't be back in this room for a while. Head towards the bottom part of the "F" shaped of the room. There are two doors--one on the wall and the other door at the end. If you're feeling dangerous you can enter the room on the right, grab some hangun bullets on the bed and read the file. A zombie will come from the closet, you can attempt to dodge him or kill him and you may grab the battery from the closet. Otherwise, you can simply run away and exit this room if you do not care about a battery.
Go ahead and proceed through the other door now and you'll be in the hall where Kenneth was killed around the corner. Now go into the dining room and grab the wooden emblem from above the fireplace. Go back to the hall. Unlock the door at the bottom of the stairs with the Sword Key and discard it, but don't go through the door since there is nothing valuable down there and you'll have to fight another zombie. Go back up and go through the first door on your left.
Inside that room is a piano. Go around the piano and push the shelf so that you find the Moonlight Sonata Cover.
Combine it with Musical Score you found by the attic and play it on the piano. The wall will move, and you have to go in the secret passage.
Grab the gold emblem (there's also part of Trevor's Diary), replace it with the wooden emblem, run back to the dining room, put the gold emblem above the fireplace.
Now go to the grandfather clock, and move the large hand twice in either direction, so it will read six o'clock. You'll get the Shield Key.
Remember the room past Richard (get the green herbs if you haven't)? Go there, and watch out for a Crimson. Walk up the steps and unlock the door and discard the key. Walk a little toward the back and the big snake, Yawn, tries to eat ya.
Now just keep avoiding the snake, because Richard will come to the rescue and shoot at Yawn. There's a Death Mask on the other side of the room, and there's some Shotgun ammo here as well (Easy mode), but all you really need is the third Death Mask.
After not too long, Yawn will go down, but it's not dead. It gets Richard, so just pick up his Assault Shotgun that he dropped and get outta there.
Check out a detailed strategy for the Yawn boss fight.
If you were poisoned, you have to return to the save room with the serum for Jill. If you weren't, head back to the first floor. Now you need to head through the double doors. In the bathroom hallway, 4 zombies will come out through the windows so watch out. Go through the double doors, across from the Shotgun room. Now you're back in an "L" shaped hallway. After coming through the double doors, keep on going down towards the camera. There should be a zombie around the corner (also zombies from the previous room may try to break in). Kill him, and go into the door to the left that you can unlock.
No Damage walkthrough - Jill Mansion Part 3; Best Ending and all files included.
Last Death Mask
You will be in a "U" shaped hallway with pictures. There are crows in here, but don't shoot at them because they weren't hurt you as long as you do the puzzle right. Change the light on the first painting so it turns orange. Now, run to the other side of the "U". Flick the lights on the first two paintings. One should turn purple and the other green. Now, go all the way to the end and there will be a woman (Lisa Trevor) wearing 3 things, colored orange, purple, and green. Hit the switch.
After you hit the switch under the woman, the wall will raise. Go outside, grab the last Death Mask, and unlock the gate. Now, if you don't have them, go to the save room outside of the crow room and get to the item box. You need a Shotgun (I recommend the Assault Shotgun from now on), and all 4 of the Death Masks. And maybe a couple of health items, or just save it. Now go back and through the wall the picture opened up to. I think you'll know where this is. Anyway, head down to grave type place where you first saw the coffin. Fastest way is through the gate next to the last Death Mask you just picked up. If you forgot to grab the other Death Masks before coming here, you should at least unlock the gate before re-entering the mansion. You'll appreciate the shortcut later.
Once you're down the stairs, put all the Masks on the wall (you have to match them up), and watch the cut-scene. Shoot the dude with your Shotgun. It should only take about 5 rounds. After he's dead, go and grab the Stone and Metal Object and some Shotgun shells. You may put away the Shotgun, you won't be needing it for a little while. Keep the Stone and Metal Object handy, as well as the Wind Crest. Now head back to the hall outside the Crow Gallery. This time, keep going straight after you come out the door and open the metal to the outside.
Go all the way down and place the Stone and Metal Object in the rightful place. A dog will jump out and chase after ya, but it's easy to avoid. When you have done that, go into the door.
Forest and Graveyard
You're going to be in a tool shed. There are two doors here, and you need to go through the one down the small steps. By the steps, there's a shelf that carries an F.A. Spray, and a battery pack.
Watch the movie sequence, then head down the path. Make the red weather vane point West. And the blue one further down should be pointing North. Then you can go through the gate. Once you're through, avoid killing the crows, and also try to avoid them getting you. The area with the birds has two graves. When you're at the graveyard with the crows, put the wind crest on the right grave. Three more crests shall appear. Take all of them and examine all 3. Turn so you see their backs. Once all three other crests have their backs inspected properly, they can be inserted into the gravestone. Now put them all on the left grave, and you get the Magnum! There are no items in this area. So after grabbing the Magnum, go through the gate opposite of the one you entered. It'll take a minute, but keep going in the path until you reach the cabin.
Trevor's Shack to Residence
Once you're in Trevor's Shack, there should be a typewriter and a box, and a Square Crank (explore the house to find these). You'll also find a map of the Courtyard at the top of the stairs just before the room with the bed and typewriter. Be sure you get the Square Crank (last item in the shack), which is off a little ledge by the item box. Keep it. Dump your extra stuff (Magnum) except your weapon, and the Square Crank. After you get knocked out by this Lisa, Jill comes to. As soon as you have control of Jill, take off out of the cabin. Lisa will be blocking your exit. Don't bother trying to kill her because she's invincible. Just run past and try to avoid her. Once you're outside Trevor's Shack, and grab the green herb(s) next to the step (Easy mode) and go back all the way to the tool shed, though there's a zombie you'll need to avoid along the way. He's not hard to miss, and will stand still next to a tree in the walkway until fired at.
Now go through that other door in the shed. Proceed forward for a quick cutscene. There are 3 dogs out here so kill them all. There's a blue and green herb here, so use it if you're wounded. Go up the small stairs and go through the gate. Use the Square Crank to lower the water and go down the ladder, run across, and go up the other ladder. Keep going and take the elevator down. Once you go down the elevator, you'll be in another part of the garden with some crows. Just run from them, but grab the Green Herb along the way (Very Easy). Go to the other side of the waterfall and through the gate. There will be a red herb near. Watch out for the snakes. You should be able to run right past them, but if they bite you, you could get poisoned. Immediately go through the door at the end of the path.
Congratulations! You've completed Jill Mansion.
Proceed onward to the Jill Residence section of the walkthrough to continue.


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ISO Travel Solutions at ITB Asia 2016 in Singapore
27 Sep 2016 – ISO Travel Solutions, the IT expert for tourism solutions, will present its latest developments for the tour operator business during ITB Asia – the leading travel trade show and convention for the Asian Travel Market – from 19 to 21 October.
ITB Asia is the premier meeting place for the travel trade industry as well as a forum for establishing high-quality customer contacts and conducting businesses. From 19 to 21 October, ISO will show the newest versions of its successful solutions Pacific, Internet Booking Engine, and Emerald as well as its mobile solutions:
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Besides Pacific, ISO will also show its Internet Booking Engine (IBE) in several variants for Dynamic Packaging, airlines, cruise businesses and others.
The mobile solutions by ISO offer an integral way of maintaining and intensifying customer relationships. In live demonstrations, ISO will show how its apps help tourism companies stay in touch with their clients for the entire customer journey.
To maintain the relationship even after the end of the trip and to turn first-time customers into repeat booker, ISO offers Emerald, a CRM specifically for tourism needs. With Emerald, tour operators can provide their customers with precise information and customized offers along the entire customer lifecycle.


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Technology is a wonderful tool. I heard someone say this week that the internet is a gift from God – indeed it is and we love using it to stay in touch with our family.
We use Google Hangout to connect with family. It works well and can connect us at one time across the country.
In a recent talk with Rachel (age 2) she pulled up a picture of her Uncle Phil, Aunt Amanda and cousin Carlyle which she refers to as "baby". She wanted to show us the picture on the camera and even at age 2 seems to understand that she can hold it up to the camera and we can see it.
Technology is a wonderful tool to be connected when you're a long distance grandparent.