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This is going to be a pile of digressions on digressions, but I hope it'll make for a good read. So, in a recent post on Newapps, Catarina Dutilh Novaes draws our attention to a painting by Roy Lichtenstein called 'Philosopher in Landscape'
(I've posted a large copy, so that you can see the philosopher.)
I really love this painting. First of all, it never occurred to me that Lichtenstein could do something so interesting with his pop art techniques. I like this much better than the comic strip stuff he's famous for.
But this got me thinking about other representations of philosophy (or philosophers) in art. And it occurred to me that this might make for an entertaining series of occasional posts on the blog. Call it "the Art of Philosophy."
When I was thinking about where I should begin, one painting immediately sprang to mind. I suspect it did for some of you as well: Raphael's School of Athens (aka the banner art for 7 out of 10 philosophy department webpages). Here it is in all its glory!
This is surely the most famous philosophical painting of all time. It hangs in the Vatican museum, just moments away from the Sistine Chapel, where I plan to see it for a second time this summer. Raphael did a series of frescoes for the library of Pope Julius II, who was kind of a jerk, but a fine patron of the arts nonetheless.
One curious feature of the painting is the architectural background. We get the expected Renaissance-y features: grand barrel vaults, classical orders, and lots of symmetry. But the structure is oddly open to the sky, looking more like some sort of public plaza than a building. There are aesthetic reasons for this: it allows Raphael to deepen the pictorial space, but I think there's more going on here. The work was painted sometime around 1510, while the new basilica of St. Peter's was being constructed. (The construction would end up taking over a century, due to political instability and architectural disagreements.) One of the prominent issues was how to build a dome of such unprecedented size without relying on huge (and ugly) external walls to contain the outward thrust of the vaults. The initial architect, Bramante, just started building the enormous piers (connected by barrel vaults) that would support the dome. But he really hadn't figured out how to build the dome itself, and he conveniently died before he got to this stage, leaving this problem to his successors. (Raphael himself would later take on the role of lead architect, until his untimely death, but it was Michelangelo who finally solved the problem years later, in the 1540s.) Anyway, as of 1510, the central crossing of the church looked like this:
It seems likely that Raphael, busy painting next door, was referencing the then stalled state of construction. (By the way, the tiny church-within-a-church in the drawing is what's left of old St. Peter's, the original 4th Century basilica. It was being demolished in stages as the nave of the new building was constructed over it. This should give you some indication of how truly enormous St. Peter's is!)
OK, back to the School of Athens. One of the things I find especially striking about the work is that it's at once intensely specific and maddeningly obscure. Many of the figures are depicted in precise, presumably-definitive, activities. It generates an urge in the viewer to play the game of who's who. And we've been playing this game for centuries now.
As you'll soon see, one of my opinions is that a lot of the views expressed on this issue are nonsense. I was deeply impressed by a piece I read last year by the Cambridge Classicist, Mary Beard, a review of several recent books on Alexander the Great. She argues that these passionately defended accounts of Alexander's life have little basis in fact. The sources are highly partisan, inconsistent with one another, and written long after Alexander was dead. There's actually very little we reliably know about the man. And yet the books keep rolling out. It's a terrific review. You should read the whole thing; it's a real tour de force! (Oh, and she also has a terrific blog.) Ever since I read this review, I've been viewing much of the history I encounter through this lens. I find myself asking: how much of it is just layers of encrusted opinion, solidified over the decades and centuries into something that now looks like certainty?
So, let's apply this skeptical attitude to our painting. Raphael doesn't give us a lot to work with, really. There are no names. He didn't know what the ancient philosophers looked like, and neither do we. It's actually an interesting dilemma for an artist. How does one successfully represent these figures in the absence of clearly identifiable visual criteria? (Assuming, of course, that this is what he was actually trying to do.)
This is a general problem for the visual arts. Take Botticelli's Primavera, for example:
The painting is clearly an allegory of the spring, but it's still hard to figure everyone out. For example, it's commonly held that the guy on the left is Mercury. But that's far from obvious. And a small minority of scholars seems equally convinced that he's Mars. But, really, there's no solid basis for either attribution. Some guy in the 17th Century offers an opinion, and centuries later we're repeating it as fact. As you're beginning to see, this is the theme for my post.
But back to Raphael (again). In a way, the problem facing him in this project was worse, for there was little in the way of standard iconography for philosophers. This is still true, but the situation was even worse in 1510. Remember, much of the classical canon had only recently been recovered, and many sources we take for granted remained hidden at the time (at least in Western Europe). By way of contrast, it was easy to indicate which saint you were depicting: add a lion, and everyone knows it's St. Jerome, who tamed the beast by healing its paw. A young man pierced with multiple arrows? Obviously that's St. Sebastian.
A whole system of symbols and meanings had been settled on, making communication easy. Here, however, Raphael was working from scratch. He gives us a bunch of philosophers, but determining who's who is far from easy.
And yet … Everyone seems convinced that they have the solution to this puzzle. If you go to the Wikipedia page for this painting, you can even find a handy numbered list.
"1: Zeno of Citium 2: Epicurus Possibly, the image of two philosophers, who were typically shown in pairs during the Renaissance: Heraclitus, the "weeping" philosopher, and Democritus, the "laughing" philosopher. 3: unknown (believed to be Raphael)4: Boethius or Anaximander or Empedocles? 5: Averroes 6: Pythagoras 7: Alcibiades or Alexander the Great? 8: Antisthenes or Xenophon or Timon? 9: Raphael, Fornarina as a personification of Love or Francesco Maria della Rovere? 10: Aeschines or Xenophon? 11: Parmenides? (Leonardo da Vinci) 12: Socrates 13: Heraclitus (Michelangelo) 14: Plato (Leonardo da Vinci)(Archimedes) (thought to be an amalgamation of the three) 15: Aristotle (Giuliano da Sangallo) 16: Diogenes of Sinope 17: Plotinus (Donatello?) 18: Euclid or Archimedes with students (Bramante?) 19: Zoroaster (Baldassare Castiglione) 20: Ptolemy? R: Apelles (Raphael) 21: Protogenes (Il Sodoma, Perugino, or Timoteo Viti)"
True, the footnotes acknowledge some dispute about these identifications. But they don't capture just the tenuous nature of much of the scholarship around this painting. It's easy to find widely varying lists, presented with no reservations, all over the place–in books, articles and websites. Once again, we have layers of opinion solidified into certainty. For a scholarly example of this sort of speculative and, in my opinion, unsubstantiated work, see: Glenn W. Most, "Reading Raphael: 'The School of Athens' and Its Pre-Text," Critical Inquiry, 23(1), 1996: 145-182. The author believes that the key to the text is the description of a house scene in Plato's Protagoras (314e-316a). In my view, the lack of evidence speaks for itself. (I leave it as an exercise for the reader to see why.)
All that said, there are two people we can unquestionably identify: Plato and Aristotle.
The old master accompanied by his finest student. We can recognize them because they're conveniently holding their representative works: the Timaeus and the Ethics.
(They're holding them anachronistically, of course, as books didn't yet exist! Strictly speaking, they should be holding bundles of scrolls, but that would just look funny. On the plus, side, however, at least they're wearing togas, and not doublets and hose.)
Now, why these two works? The Ethics (presumably the Nicomachean variety) makes sense, but the Timaeus will strike many of us as an odd pick. It's certainly interesting, with it's bizarre cosmology, but the Republic is the superior work, and one that better captures the breadth of Plato's thought. But, for Raphael and his age, the Timaeus was the obvious choice. It was the only work of Plato's to survive the end of antiquity in the west–in a partial Latin translation. It thus played an important role in the development of philosophy and science in the middle ages. It was at the heart of the western canon, whereas the Republic was simply one of many new Platonic texts recovered in the past century.
It's often claimed that Raphael used an elderly Da Vinci as his model for Plato. They did cross paths at around this time, and Leonardo was then in his late 50s. A self-portrait from around this time looks sort of similar:
I can certainly see the resemblance, in the nose and eyes as well as the hair, but I wouldn't say it's decisive. More intriguing–to me at least–is Plato's vigorous gesture, pointing up with his right arm and index finger. It reminds me of Leonardo's last known painting–completed right around this time–of St. John the Baptist:
Coincidence? Quite likely. One should constantly be on guard against these tempting linkages. Still, like I said, it's intriguing.
Of course, the gesture also has philosophical significance. As has been widely noted, the pairing of Plato and Aristotle is meant to represent the great division within ancient thought. Plato points up to the heavens, the starry skies above us, reminding us that we should seek knowledge in the eternal forms, not in the earthly world of sense. Aristotle gestures downward (well, more forward than downward, strictly speaking, but definitely not upward). It certainly gives the impression that he's rebuking his teacher, saying that we should seek knowledge in the empirical world. Well, sort of. Except that Aristotle was kind of into the eternal heavens too. Even wrote a book about it. Or three. And it's not like there was an active empiricist tradition in the Renaissance. Remember, Francis Bacon is still 50 years away from being born!
All of this makes me wonder if the rationalist-empiricist reading of these gestures would have been natural to Raphael's contemporaries as it now is to us. After all, the philosophical distinction really only came into vogue with Kant, who makes much of it in presenting himself as the bridge between these two traditions. (Back in the day, when I was a course assistant for Dan Garber, the great scholar of Early Modern philosophy, he liked to emphasize how anachronistic this distinction is.) Still, even granting all that, there's something to the idea that Aristotle lacks Plato's open hostility toward the evidence of the senses. Perhaps that's what Raphael has in mind.
After Plato and Aristotle, identifying the figures gets a lot more difficult. Plenty of them are nondescript, perhaps meant to represent disciples and followers of the key philosophers. (The Glaucons and Adeimantuses of Athens, if you will.) But let's start with the guy lying on the stairs.
According to pretty much everyone, this is Diogenes the Cynic. The giveaway is the cup by his right leg. According to Lives of the Philosophers (written by the much later Diogenes Laertius), Diogenes threw away his cup (as an unnecessary luxury) when he saw a child drinking water with his hands. Of course, here the cup is still present, but perhaps it simply serves as a symbol. Diogenes lived on the streets, without any home, which may be why he's shown here reclining on the stairs. (He's generally depicted in paintings as sitting or lying on the ground.) I find this attribution reasonably convincing.
Moving to the bottom right, we have this interesting group:
The geometer at the bottom is usually identified as Euclid or Archimedes, but that's just because they're the most famous Greek mathematicians. It could be anyone really, or even just a generic character. Standing beside him are two figures holding globes. The one with his back to us is almost certainly Ptolemy. The terrestrial globe refers to his Geographia, the most influential study of the Earth's geography in the ancient period. (Plus, in the middle ages Ptolemy the scientist was often confused with the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt in the Hellenistic period, and so it became somewhat common to depict him wearing a crown.) Facing Ptolemy is a man holding a celestial globe, presumably an astronomer. He's often identified as Zoroaster (i.e., Nietzsche's Zarathustra), but I don't see why. Zoroaster was certainly known as an astrologer, but lots of people studied the stars back then (including Ptolemy himself). Apparently, Zoroastrian priests wear white as a symbol of purity, but that's hardly decisive. (Plus, I checked, and the hat ought to be white as well.) So I don't buy it. By the way, the guy to the right of both philosophers, staring out at us, is our artist Raphael himself. (How do we know? It matches other portraits of him, and inserting the artist as a side figure, breaking the fourth wall, was common in Renaissance art.)
Moving on, we have another interesting group on the bottom left:
Lots going on here. The guy sitting on the right is a late addition. (He doesn't show up in Raphael's preparatory cartoons for this work.) He's often identified as Heraclitus, based on absolutely nothing, frankly. More interesting is who he looks like: Michelangelo. Remember, Michelangelo was busy next door, painting the Sistine Chapel, at the same time that Raphael was working on this painting. The thought is that Raphael added his colleague as a kind of tribute, perhaps in awe of his work on the ceiling. (This is a little odd, given that the two were known as fierce rivals, rather than friends, but perhaps Raphael just knew talent when he saw it.)
Next to Buonarroti is a guy pointing at his open book. He's tentatively identified as Parmenides. I don't see it, unless there's something symbolic about his standing with one foot on a block. Anyone know? Beside him is a man sitting as he writes in his book. (I've checked high-res detail images of the book, and you can't read the writing.) He's said to be Pythagoras, and, although I started off skeptical, I'm now convinced. This is because of the slate being held before him by the cherubic figure, which is legible:
The Greek is a little tricky to make out, but the ratio at the bottom is clear: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10. This is the tetractys, which has long been associated with Pythagorean number mysticism. (I don't quite get it, but the perfect triangularity of the ratio, and the arrival at 10–as in 10 fingers–somehow blew their minds.)
Behind Pythagoras are two more scholars. The guy with the turban is thought to be Averroes. That makes sense, just because he's the most famous of the Arabic philosophers. Below him is another philosopher, apparently copying from the notes of Pythagoras. He's been linked to many philosophers. Wikipedia mentions "Boethius or Anaximander or Empedocles?" I think the question mark says it all: it could be pretty much anyone.
At this point, we start to get diminishing returns. Here's one final group, just to show you what I mean:
I could be convinced that the guy on the right is Socrates, as is often claimed, just because of the snub nose that Plato mentions in several of his dialogues. But the other three, though very distinctive, are pretty much impossible to pin down. According to Wikipedia, they may be (from left to right) "Alcibiades or Alexander the Great? Antisthenes or Xenophon or Timon? Aeschines or Xenophon?" As far as I can tell, there's no basis for any of these identifications. We've lost the key, if there ever was one.
Again, the moral of the story is, be wary of what you read. Wikipedia's page on the School of Athens is quite unreliable, but the professional scholarship is often just as speculative. However, I did learn one useful fact from wikipedia. Notice the two guys along the back, middle right?
Now dig out your old Guns 'n Roses albums, and check out the cover of Use Your Illusion:
Wow, who would've guessed?! So, we've gone from a pop artist to Renaissance art and ancient philosophy, back to pop artists. Probably as a good a place as any to stop.


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About Us
Making BC forestry communities stronger.
Wood Source BC was created in 2011 to provide anyone who works in forestry, processes wood, and those that create wooden products, an opportunity to network with each other. The idea is that the more we talk with each other, the more opportunities we have to increase our sales and accomplish what we set out to do. The current listings found on Wood Source BC are the first step in helping you make the connections you need for your business.
Whether you are selling timber, buying lumber, building log and timber homes, have a sawmill for hire, are creating fine furniture, or are a forestry consultant, supplier, or investor, this website offers you the chance to make new business relationships closer to home and in others parts of the world.
By linking fibre suppliers, manufacturers and investors with each other, we can help improve the flow of fibre from harvesters and other producers to the highest-value processors. The ultimate goal is to provide information to people so they can make the necessary connections to source the wood they require.
In 2012, the BC Community Forest Association and the Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resource Operations merged the Fibre Connections BC website into the WoodSourceBC.com website. This decision was made to ensure a long-term commitment to developing and sustaining an international wood marketplace for local and foreign buyers and sellers of BC wood products.
The Fibre Officers aligned with Fibre Connections BC are still available to you. Inquiries or proposals received anywhere by government will be directed to one of the Fibre Officers based in communities across the province. The officers will help align requests with specific informational resources.
How It Works
Four Easy Steps
How It Started
WoodSourceBC.com is the outcome of the Bridges Project, an initiative supported by a consortium of partners working to create an interactive website that will connect buyers and sellers of BC forest products. In 2009, members of the BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) identified the need for small tenure owners such as community forests, private land, first nations tenures and woodlots to connect log sales with local saw millers. The BCCFA prepared and initiated this project with the support of the following project partners:
- British Columbia Community Forest Association
- Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition
- Community Futures Development Corp. of Cariboo-Chilcotin
- Federation of BC Woodlot Associations
- Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT)
- Omineca Beetle Action Coalition
- Pine Beetle Epidemic Response Branch, Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development
- Rural Economic Diversification Initiative of B.C.
- Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition
- Western Economic Diversification, Government of Canada

subset: commoncrawl


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Kampala, Uganda | The Budget for Fiscal Year 2018/19 that will be read out Thursday June14 by Uganda's Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija retains the theme "Industrialization for Job Creation and Shared Prosperity".
It is the 4th in a series of five national budgets for delivering the second National Development Plan (2015/16 to 2019/20); and the 3rd for implementing the National Resistance Movement Government manifesto (2016 to 2021).
The sh32.7 trillion budget will reveal findings that shade new light on Uganda's development performance over the recent past that have emerged since the last Budget approval in May 2017, according to the "BACKGROUND TO THE BUDGET Fiscal Year 2018/19" report released this month by the Ministry of Finance. (read full report CLICK)
These findings are contained in the latest round of survey data from Uganda Bureau of Statistics, and include among others the 2016/17 Uganda National Household Survey and the 2016/17 Manpower Survey. They provide conclusive evidence on Uganda's development performance over the NDP I period (2010/11 to 2014/15) and the first two implementation years of the NDP II (2015/16 to 2016/17).
All 23 Presidential Guidelines and Directives for the period 2016 to 2021 have been integrated in the relevant sector strategies and annual work programmes that Minister Matia Kasaija will outline today. ( READ all sector targets for 2018/19)
The budget will also put into consideration measures that mirror the fact that at the East African Community (EAC) level, the 5th EAC Development Strategy for the period 2016/17 – 2020/21 was launched. The strategy provides the broad strategic development objectives that the EAC will pursue over the next five years.
Over the next five years, EAC will focus on seven (7) key priority areas namely: consolidation of the Single Customs Territory (SCT); development of regional infrastructure; enhancement of free movement of all factors of production as envisaged under the Common Market and Monetary Union Protocols; enhancement of regional industrial development; improvement of agricultural productivity; promotion of regional peace, security and good governance; and institutional transformation at the regional and Partner State levels.
Revenue Performance Outlook for FY 2018/19
Government's current revenue target is to achieve revenue to GDP ratio of 16 percent by the FY 2019/20 as envisaged in the National Development Plan II (NDPII). The overall net revenue target for FY 2018/19 is Ushs 16,211 billion, which translates into a growth of 7.6 percent compared to the target of Ushs. 14,404 for FY 2017/18 and this translates to 14.7 percent as a share of GDP
The main drivers for revenue in F/Y 2018/19 are based on the following assumptions;
a) GDP growth of 6 percent ,
b) Stable inflation at 4.3,
c) A stable exchange rate and
d) Enhanced tax compliance
In order to enhance revenue collection, there are proposed adjustments in some tax rates aimed at widening the tax base and enhancing compliance. Government has proposed technical amendments to bring more clarity to the laws in order to minimize unnecessary disputes between taxpayers and URA, as well as dealing with issues of tax avoidance.
Also, there are proposals for additional taxincentives to promote industrialization and investment in strategic areas. The proposed policy measures for FY2018/19 are expected to raise Ushs 643.5bn, while Ushs 272bn is expected to be raised from administrative efficiency.
The aim is to achieve the policy target of 0.5 percent which in line with National Development Plan II. Government will undertake a number of policy and administrative measures to enhance revenue mobilization in FY 2018/19
|Kasaija makes a point at a URA breakfast meeting to digest the budget
Resource Envelope Projections for 2018/19
Resources available to Government for expenditure in FY 2018/19 will be obtained from domestic tax and non-tax revenue, donor grants, concessional and non-concessional external borrowing as well as domestic borrowing. Government of Uganda's resource envelope net of arrears, Appropriation in Aid (AIA) and debt repayments is projected to amount to Ushs. 17,358.7 billion in FY2018/19 and increase to Ushs. 27,238.5 billion by FY 2022/23. Table 7.2 shows the medium term resource projections.
***Estimated revenue
Domestic revenue is projected at Ushs 16,358.8 billion in FY2018/19, equivalent to 14.6 percent of GDP. Tax revenue is projected at Ushs 15,938.8 billion (an increase of 0.4 percentage points of GDP), supported by new tax policy measures, enhanced revenue administration measures, as well as reforms to widen the tax base and enhance compliance.
External Financing
A total of Ushs 8,023.5 billion of external resources is projected to support the budget in FY2018/19. Of this, Ushs 7,734.5 billion (96.4 percent) is in the form of project support, while the remaining Ushs. 289 billion (3.6 percent) is budget support. Budget support is projected to amount to Ushs.287.7 billion in FY 2019/20 and will remain broadly at the same level in FY2020/21. Project support is expected to increase to Ushs 8,315.7 billion in FY2019/20 and decline over the medium term.
The decline in project support over the medium term reflects the planned completion of some of the big infrastructure projects.
External Debt Repayments
Amortization of external debt is projected at Shs. 894 billion in FY2018/19, and will decline to Shs 783.5 billion in FY2019/20, and pick up thereafter to a peak of Shs 1,275.6 billion in FY 2022/23.
Higher amortization over the medium term is due to repayment of debt acquired to scale up public investments.
Domestic Financing -Domestic Borrowing
Borrowing from the domestic market through issuance of securities is projected to amount to Shs 1,783.4 billion. It will subsequently decline over the medium term to Shs 989.0 billion by FY2022/23-in line with Government's strategy of maintaining domestic borrowing within one percent of GDP to support private sector development.
Petroleum Fund Withdrawal
A draw down equivalent to Shs 200 billion from the petroleum fund is projected in FY2018/19 to finance oil related infrastructure. This reflects an increase of Shs 74.2 billion from Shs 125.28 billion in FY2017/18.
Medium Term Fiscal Framework
Government expenditure (excluding Appropriation in Aid (AIA) and debt repayments) is projected to amount to Ushs 25,474 billion in FY 2018/19, equivalent to 22.7 percent of GDP . The bulk of the increase in spending will largely be driven by external development expenditure, as Government continues to invest in infrastructure projects as well as an increase in wages and salaries in line with Government's salary enhancement policy for some categories of public servants.
Development related spending is projected at 10.7 percent of GDP in FY 2018/19, and is expected to average 8.7 percent of GDP over the medium term owing to completion of some of the large infrastructure projects like Karuma and Isimba Hydro Power plants. As a percentage of GDP, overall spending will average about 20.3 percent over the medium term.
|The Uganda supreme court.
Justice, Law and Order
In FY 2018/19, the Sector will undertake the following;
- Continue to effectively implement the Case Backlog Reduction Strategy with a view to reducing case backlog to a single digit percentage within the next two years.
- Draft forty Bills; publish fifteen Bills, ten Acts, sixty Statutory Instruments, five Ordinances; and issue five Legal Notices under the auspices of the First Parliamentary Council (FPC). FPC will further draft bills for reform of the Public Health Act; Weights and Measurements Act; and Landlord and Tenant Relationship.
- Conclude anti-corruption and money laundering cases within an average of 132 days; conclude Professional Land Indicators in land crimes cases within an average time of 110 workdays; peruse case files for a decision to prosecute or not within average time of 44 workdays; sanction case files within an average time of 132 workdays and recover 10 per cent of proceeds of crime out of orders issued.
- Continue the implementation of the ICT Strategy which will include completion of the design and development of the Court Case Administration System including E-Filing, and the installation of a Video Conferencing System between the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court & the Luzira Maximum Prison Facility - Female Wing.
- In order to reduce the cost of doing business, the sector will continue to strengthen the land and commercial courts to reduce lead times in disposing of the cases and improving the administration of land cases through enhancing of the judicial officers in their areas of operation.
- The sector will focus to provide fast and effective dispute resolution in specialised areas and in the area of Alternative Dispute Resolution. This will include roll out initiatives such as mediation and small claims courts. Also rules and procedures that cause delays will be reviewed.
- In order to improve justice for children in the Karamoja region, a remand home in Moroto will be constructed.
To enhance operations and staff welfare, Uganda Police Force plans to undertake the following in FY 2018/19:
- Complete 420 staff houses under Naguru Accommodation Project
- Construct Bukedea Police Station
- Complete vehicle maintenance centre at Namanve,
- Construct the Main Armoury at Nagalama Police Station,
- Effect payment of contractual obligation on fixed wing aircraft, operational vehicles & specialized equipment, and
- Develop operations and maintenance (O&M) facilities for helicopters and purchase a new VIP Helicopter (Four-year plan)
During FY 2018/19, UHRC plans to undertake the following;
- Conduct investigations of 2,000 cases both backlog and new ones
- Inspect 1,500 places of detentions in the country and monitor the refugee situation in the country especially in West Nile, Northern and Western Uganda
- Set up a tribunal to conclude 500 cases and mediate 400 cases.
- Continue with massive awareness campaigns, through community outreaches, media programs, students and the various stakeholders.
- In FY 2018/19, DCIC plans to scale up identification services through continued registration of citizens in Uganda, registration of citizens in the diaspora, alien registration and issuance of National and Alien ID cards.
- Furthermore, plans are underway to re-engineer business processes by enabling service delivery through ICT during the 4th Phase of the e-immigration system.
- The Automated Border Control (ABC) System will also be deployed at major borders entries of Katuna, Busia, Malaba, Cyanika, Mutukula, Elegu, Mpondwe, Mirama Hills, Vurra, Bunagana, Goli, Afogi, Lwakhakha, Ntoroko and Oraba DCIC will further facilitate entry, stay and exit of citizens and aliens in order to facilitate trade, investment and employment in the country, with a projection to process and issue at least 11,000 work permits to foreign workers.
In FY 2018/19, the sector plans to:
- Acquire, refurbish and maintain defence and security equipment to support the Land Forces, Air Forces and Special Forces in pursuit of the mandates of providing and projecting Land Forces power in preservation and defense of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uganda;
- Continue participating, through UPDF, in combat and non-combat operations including the provision of Aid to Civil Authority;
- Continue to provide accessible and quality healthcare to UPDF through delivery of promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare (Maternal and child health; malaria prevention, HIV/AIDS, TB; vaccination services before deployment; non-communicable diseases; mental health)
In FY 2018/19, the security sector plans to:
- Promote regional and international peace and security especially in the Great Lakes Region and the horn of Africa including in Burundi, DRC, Somalia, Central African Republic and South Sudan.
- Strengthen bilateral relations with neighbouring countries through deepening regional integration and border demarcations with Kenya (marine border/Migingo), DRC (Rukwanzi Island/Vurra), Rwanda, Tanzania (Land and Marine borders) and South Sudan within the AU border demarcation programme among others. This will resolve trans-border conflicts, combat crimes like terrorism, human trafficking, small arms smuggling /proliferation and money laundering.
- Submit reports on Uganda's compliance with UN Security Council resolutions.
- Support Uganda's Disarmament Policy by effectively participating in Disarmament Conferences and the Non-Proliferation Treaty Negotiations.
|Tourists at Murchison falls National park. INDEPENDENT/JIMMY SIYA
Tourism and Hospitality
To further boost tourism travels to and within the country, Government plans to undertake the following in FY 2018/19:
- Finalize revival of the National airline;
- Upgrade five tourism aerodromes (Soroti, Kidepo, Pakuba, Jinja and Mbarara);
- Develop a modern water transport system forming a tourism circuit on Lake Victoria; and
- Capacity enhancement of KCCA to manage traffic flow within the city.
- Support, promote and ensure best practices in tourist facilities like hotels, restaurants and tour and travel companies through staff trainings; and
- Classify over 100 hotels and lodges for easy selection for tourists and train over 4 hotel staff.
- Train 400 hotel, 300 tour guides and 20 hotel assessors through a strategic intervention of capacity building, accommodation and hospitality registration and coordination;
- Conduct sensitization for 60,000 enterprises and 1,000,000 people to maintain internationally accepted standards in hotels; and
- Rate and classify 100 hotels and lodges.
In FY2018/19, Government will undertake the following:
- Reach 5 million Potential Domestic Tourists by hiring and deploying marketing and Public Relations firms, undertaking Media Campaigns, producing and distributing promotional materials;
- Expose 100 Uganda Tour Operators to Uganda's products through Familiarisation (FAM) Trips for Tour Operators, media & other stakeholders;
- Reach 50 million potential international tourists, conduct awareness on Uganda's products to 100 outbound tour operators, organize FAM trips (40 international media, 20 local media and 45 stakeholders) for leading media houses, journalists, social media influencers and tour operators from source markets;
- Sponsor sports personalities to promote Uganda; and
- Finalize the process of establishing a China-Uganda Friendship Tourism Chapter to market tourism in both countries. It will enable both local and Chinese investors to establish in tourism areas.
In FY 2018/19, the sector plans to carry out the following activities:
- Fast-track the construction of the new chamber and acquire furniture and fixtures for the offices of the 453 Members as well as improve the ICT infrastructure.
- Carry out 150 oversight field visits to assess the performance of various government programmes being implemented by various sectors and the level of service delivery.
- Implement an effective monitoring and evaluation system for tracking institutional performance and outcomes in line with the good governance and democracy principles outlined in the NRM Manifesto. However, to achieve this, the sector plans to carry out over 150 sight visits to assess the performance of various government programmes being implemented by various sectors such as the youth, elderly, PWDs, children and women.
In FY 2018/19, the sector plans to:
- Produce, discuss and disseminate the GAPR for FY 2017/19 and to conduct Barazas in 50 districts.
- Monitor compliance to service delivery standards in 11 LGs and 6 MDAs
- Provide technical support to 4 Sectors (Social Development, Works and Transport, Agriculture andWater and Environment) on development of service delivery standards
- Provide technical support to 11 LGs and 15 MDAs on streamlining and set up of RIM Systems;
- Audit Records Management Systems in 12 MDAs and 24 LGs, and
- Finalise electronic records management policy and regulatory framework
In FY 2018/19, the sector undertakes to: Coordinate Summit directives of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects including Free Movement of Labour; Regional Commodities Exchange; Investment and Tourism Promotion; Single Customs Territory; Standard Gauge Railway (SGR); Oil Refinery; Oil Pipeline; Power Generation, Distribution and Interconnectivity; Land acquisition for Infrastructure Corridor; Information Communication, Mutual Defence /Peace and Security strategies and Foreign Policy Framework implemented
Development Planning
During the FY 2018/19, the sector plans to;
- Finalise the 10-year National Development Plan;
- Commence drafting of the 3rd NDP including the macroeconomic strategy;
- Prepare NDP III sector and LG issue papers;
- Finalise the 10-year Human Resource/Manpower Plan (HRP);
- Continue alignment of sector plans and projects to the NDP II and Vision 2040 and support the development of Industrial Master Plan;
- Finalise an Iron and Steel Industry feasibility study report and produce guidelines for development of Regional and Strategic Cities
In FY 2018/19, the Electoral Commission will continue with implementation of its functions. It also aims to undertake demarcation of constituencies and electoral areas in the newly created districts of Nabilatuk, Bugweri, Kasanda, Kwania, Kapelebyong and Kikuube.
Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Management
In FY 2018/19, 2,000 MTs of relief food and 5,000 assorted NFIs will be procured and distributed, 100,000 new refugees will be settled in conformity to international laws, 20,000 plots will be demarcated for new arrivals and 2 blocks of staff accommodation repaired in Kyaka II Refugee settlements. A national risk atlas and contingency plan will also be developed
Infrastructural Development
TransportTraffic Flow and Signalization
Over the last five years, Government has directed efforts towards improving traffic flow in Kampala. In FY 2017/18, Government, through Kampala City Council (KCCA), installed traffic signals in six (6) major junctions in addition to widening some of the roads leading to the junctions. Government will in FY 2018/19 direct further efforts towards improving traffic flow in and around the city through expanding the roads, improving drainange systems and installing traffic lights among others.
Standard Gauge Railway (SGR)
In FY 2018/19 and in the medium term, Government will fast track implementation of the SGR project to ensure its completion so as to take advantage of socioeconomic and other benefits. Table 6.8 provides a cumulative summary of the SGR implementation progress in Uganda.
In FY 2018/19, Government will procure a total of 570 hectares of land on the eastern route to facilitate the SGR right of way.
Air Transport
The revival of the National Airline is a core project in NDPII and is one of the 21 directives of the National Resistance Movement Government for 2016-2021
Innovative ICT Opportunities
Government plans and priorities for FY 2018/19 include:
- Finalisation of the Digital Uganda Vision (DVU) which aims at building a digitally empowered society to foster innovation and create a positive social and economic impact through technologybased empowerment.
- Drafting a strategy to facilitate the implementation of E-commerce to reduce rural-urban divide in access to goods and services, promote online consumer protection will be developed;
- Implementation of the National ICT Innovation program (NIISP) to benefit Ugandans, targeting mainly women and youth; and
- Institutionalisation of IT and Communication functions across Government;
- Finalization of the Sector Strategic Investment Plan to provide guidance and the general framework of implementation of Sector interventions;
- Profiling of research and innovations so as to take stock of all Research and Innovations country wide in order to design appropriate strategies;
- Finalization of the Review of the STI Policy;
- Implementation of the STI policy as per the defined framework;
- Dissemination/popularizing the Innovation Fund Modalities. This will provide knowledge of application and access to the fund;
- Developing Guidelines for Mainstreaming of STI across Government (MDAs and LGs); and
- Developing Scientific Research and Development policies and Guidelines in order to guide Research and Development initiatives within the Country
Higher Incomes for Agricultural Households
In FY2018/19, Government plans to achieve the following:
- Increase fishing in major bodies by 10 per cent;
- Control, contain and reduce the animal disease and vector outbreaks by 8 per centfrom the current 5 percent;
- Increase the number of animals produced for marketing from 5 percent to 7 per cent; and
- Continue supporting, promoting and guiding extension service delivery to attain the recommended extensioner worker/household ratio of 1:500.
- Continue with provision of subsidized farm inputs, improved agricultural infrastructure, postharvest handling technologies and more competitive prices for inputs and outputs to farmers in the clusters under the implementation of the ACDP projects in identified 42 districts among others Nebbi, Amuru, Ntungamo, Iganga and Kalungu.
In FY2018/19 Government plans to achieve to the following:
- Discourage the export of raw coffee. The move is supported by a USD 500m (Ushs 1.8 trillion) investment from Italian coffee roasters, Euro Techno Group at Kampala Industrial Business Park
- Start exporting power to Democratic Republic of Congo for the next three years through a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between the two countries in August 2017.
In FY2018/19, Government plans to achieve the following:
- Establish Isingiro Fruit Factory - Feasibility study and Business Plan reports produced and Factory furnished with increased product storage cooling capacity system;
- Establish Zonal agro-processing facilities and a Food City Complex specifically to add value to cereals;
- Strengthen Mineral Processing: Lake Katwe Salt Project in Kasese District, Sponge Iron Ore Project in Kabale and Kisoro, Cement Manufacturing in Moroto and Sheet Glass Manufacturing at Diimu in Masaka; and
- Establish Tea Factories in Zombo, Nebbi, Mabaale and Kayonza.
- Strengthen Agricultural Marketing Cooperatives through establishment of collective marketing infrastructure;
- Train members of the beneficiary enterprises in business management and value addition skills;
- Support beneficiary enterprises to undertake product packaging, branding and quality certification;
- Establish Training and Common Facility/Incubation Centers; and
- Support beneficiary enterprises to develop bankable business plans, and assisting the enterprises on the programme to register patents and trademarks.
In FY2018/19, Government plans to achieve the following:
- Commennced MSMEs Cluster formation and the common industrial facilities program not only to promote industrial development in the country, but also to increase light manufacturing products in mass production for export;
- Develop Katwe Metal Cluster land at Salam road into an SME industrial park with common industrial facilities to support the groups; and
- Scale up certification of MSMEs through UNBS so as to support exports especially to regional markets. It also plans to train SMEs through MTIC in Value Addition required for export destinations.
In FY2018/19, Government plans to implement, among others, the following strategies under cooperatives:
- Transfer Cooperative Training Institutions from the Ministry of Education and Sports to the Ministry of Trade Industry and Cooperatives;
- Strengthen the policy and legal frameworks of cooperative societies;
- Promote value addition and collective marketing; and
- Improve access to financial services and capacity for the cooperative institutions.
In FY 2018/19, Government through KCCA will undertake the following:
- Partner with the private sector to design, build, finance, operate and transfer a waste treatment and disposal facility capable of effectively managing municipal solid waste;
- Construct over 20 more signalized city junctions under the second Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP 2);
- Construct a stretch of 65km of drainage as planned for in the updated Kampala Drainage Master Plan;
- Finalize the development of the Multi Modal Transport Master Plan;
- Monitor GKMA for compliance to the land use regulatory framework;
- Roll out the Geo referenced database for Kampala properties and roads;
- Allocate street and plot addresses to properties; and
- Develop the cadastre maps and operationalize physical development plans.
In FY2018/19, Government will prioritize the following interventions:
- Construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, staff units and supply of desks to primary schools;
- Construction of 5,000 litre water tank, classrooms, stance latrines among other facilities in 83 primary schools under the Uganda Teacher Effectiveness project;
- Installation of one lightning arrestor per school for 11 primary schools in Iganga, Kibaale, Kasese, Luuka, Busia, Pallisa, Hoima, Kole, Mubende and 15 schools in Butambala districts susceptible to lightning;
- Construction of 2 blocks of 4-unit staff houses at Sheema, Gomba, Rakai, Gulu and Kumi; 2 blocks of 2 classrooms including furniture, multipurpose science laboratory and 2 blocks of 5 stance latrine at Sheema, Gulu, Kumi; 1 block of 2 classrooms including furniture, multipurpose science laboratory, and 2 blocks of 5 stance latrine; and
- Regulating the activities of private schools, more particularly reviewing the fees structure. This is paramount because over 35 per cent of students who drop out of schools cite unaffordable costs as the main reason[1].
In FY2018/19, Government will prioritize the following interventions:
- Fast track the establishment of the Skills Development Council that will be responsible for certification of skills for the oil and gas sector and subsequently promote the national content policy;
- Offer technical training for skills development by recruiting suitable teachers, fully equipping and manning them prior to expansion of new schools;
- Undertake curriculum development and reform to match skills required by industries; enabling youth without skills to acquire them through internship, and apprenticeship programmes; and
- Construction of John Kale Memorial Institute of science and technology in Kisoro district that offers courses such as mechatronics engineering, forensic science, tourism and marine science.
In the FY2018/19, Government will undertake the following key interventions:
- Construction of 70 Mini solar powered schemes and 30 solar powered micro irrigation systems countrywide;
- Finalize construction of 9 RGCs in Kyoga basin and Nyamiyonga-Katojo piped water system and engineering design of Isingiro Bukanga water supply;
- Complete construction of 100 hand pumped wells, 100 production wells and 70 large diameter wells across the country;
- Rehabilitate 4 gravity schemes in south western Uganda, 04 Designs of piped water supply systems completed;
- Construction of Water Surface Reservoirs and Purchase of Specialized Machinery & Equipment for regional centers;
- Purchase Specialized Machinery and Equipment such as Fish drying kits, Bee hives, extraction equipment, honey testing kits.
In the FY2018/19 and in the medium term, Government will through the sector focus on the following interventions:
- Promote decent employment opportunities and labour productivity;
- Boost effective participation of communities in the development process;
- Improve resilience and productive capacity of vulnerable groups for inclusive growth;
- Improve capacity of youth to harness their potential and increase self-employment, productivity and competitiveness;
- Promote rights, gender equality and women empowerment in the development process.
- Improve performance of Strengthening Decentralisation for Sustainability (SDS) institutions;
- Redressing imbalances and promoting equal opportunities for all;
- Earmark Ushs0.524Bn towards purchase of 1000 start-up business tool kits for Jua Kalis and Ushs1.016 for construction of one common user facility in Kampala;
- Government will finance 4,414 new youth groups from Youth Livelihood Programme;
- Government will finance 2,365 groups benefitting 23,650 women through the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme;
- Government will conclude and sign bilateral labour agreements with other countries including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait;
- Under the Green Jobs Programme, Government will establish Industrial Business Shelters, support more Jua-kalis with green technology and business green start-up tools and accreditation and roll out the Green Incubation Centers in all regions; and
- Government will prepare for the countrywide roll out of the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment to cover all districts
SOURCE: BACKGROUND TO THE BUDGET Fiscal Year 2018/19 Ministry of Finance Uganda
BTTB FY2018.19 by jadwongscribd on Scribd


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Thrifty groom organised dream wedding but won't pay for any of it as he's making guests pay for the four-star venue
They are charging guests £150 for the venue, decorating the reception with secondhand flowers and asking a local busker off the street to perform
A THRIFTY groom organised a dream wedding for his bride-to-be for just £2,000 - by getting their guests to pay for the venue.
Frugal Ben Farina, 33, and fiancee Claire Moran, 37, thought they'd never get married because they couldn't afford it.
But Ben refused to let money stand in the way and carefully planned ways to save a fortune - including decorating the reception with secondhand paper flowers, asking a local busker off the street to perform the music and buying a £50 suit off ASOS.
And the pair will tie the knot at a £14,000 four-star venue - which they aren't paying a penny towards.
Eagle-eyed Ben spotted a cancellation at Knockerdown Farm in Gainsborough, Lincs, and managed to bag the countryside retreat for the discounted price of £10,000.
It boasts a Georgian hall and 16 self-catering cottages and is nestled within three acres of beautiful scenery.
But he's charging his 60 guests £150 each to stay on the site, plus £50-a-head for 20 kids - meaning he gets the venue for free.
Ben, of Matlock, Derbs, said: "It might sound stingy but as a guest myself at other weddings I've had to fork out more than that for hotels.
"The way I see it is they're getting a weekend away, which is basically a holiday, and we get a free wedding. It works for everyone.
"When I asked her to marry me and told her how cheap we could do it, she burst into tears and said yes."
Ben, who has a three-year-old girl with Claire and is also stepdad to her 17-year-old daughter, is starting the wedding later than usual at 3pm so he only has to feed his guests once with a £250 hog roast.
A family member, who is a head chef, has promised to make canapes for just £30, which he's kindly agreed to pay out of his own pocket.
And he's asked his teenage stepdaughter, who is studying hair and beauty at college, to sort the make-up for Claire's three bridesmaids free of charge.
After that, he'll plug his iPod into the speakers already provided by the venue for the disco.
They're sourcing all of the alcohol from Morrisons, which means the supermarket provides glassware free of charge.
Ben said: "We're not looking for a really extravagant day. What matters to us is that we'll be married and are able to celebrate our day with our friends and family.
"We bought a house last year and we have two kids to support. Spending a fortune on just one day didn't feel right to us.
"We have better things to spend our money on and we don't want to get into debt."
The cost of the wedding
Hog roast £250
Wedding dress £500
Bridesmaid's dresses £120 (£40 x 3)
Ben's suit £50
Best man's suit £50
Busker £100
Photographer £300
Booze £500
Total £1,870
(Plus £130 for extras they haven't bought yet)


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Pop-Up Church
"To reach people we've never reached before we have to do things we've never done before."
How can we engage people who have never even thought about coming to church? By going to them! This fall we will be launching Pop-Up Church and taking Church to people who may have never thought about coming to us. By creating a mobile church experience, we can literally carry church into communities that don't have a life-giving Church. We plan to go to cities that are beyond our current geographical locations, bring a dynamic worship experience once a month, and begin building faith community through small groups for students and adults. Pop-Up Church will also allow us to meet people at their point of need by hosting marriage seminars, kids camps, financial planning classes, as well as other events that will connect people in community, and ultimately to Jesus.
Are you interested in where Christ Fellowship is going next?
If you are interested in joining the team and being a part of building God's Church in new territory, please fill out an interest form for one or more of the areas listed below!


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The Quest for PvE
OK, so, after my last post, I had settled on SMT: Imagine as my game of choice. Well, things changed. A lot. For one, I went back to playing Megaten, only to immediately get turned off again by more of a focus on click to move mechanics and the general slowness of everything in game (especially walking). I was getting some laptop lag when in towns, but not too bad, it was still workable. But, in the end, it really didn't have the feel I wanted.
So, I turned to check out a few more games. I re-installed Guild Wars, but I've already beaten the hell out of Prophecies, so there's really no point other than high-level PvE I haven't done or buying an expansion. I went back to Battle of the Immortals for a bit, which is a nice game, but fairly boring. There's not a lot of exploring to do when you're just moving around maps with portals, and the game is just, OK. But then, I had a revelation…
Perfect World International worked very well on my laptop the last time I gamed on it. I even used the cash shop! It was fun, and I even leveled up to 46 on the PvP server, but I felt that it would be too cash-shop dependent. It is, actually, fairly favorable to those using the cash shop. You can buy the CS money with in-game money, however, but to make enough in-game money to do that often, I would imagine you would need to farm some high level stuff. (although, I always suck at making money in games, so I haven't tried the "optimal" money making at my level) The thing that makes them profitable? Auto-potions called "Charms". Banks of up to 600000HP that will instantly heal you to max HP once half is gone, with a 10 second cooldown. As you can imagine, these are extremely useful.
So, I am not exactly excited to be going back to something like that, but the game's PvE is fun, the world is explorable and memorable, and I still had active HP/MP charms and cash shop money! I gave myself an ultimatum: No more downloading MMOs until I've played out all my cash shop items and money on this game. And let me tell you, having those items while reintroducing myself to my character is very fun! I will continue to give analysis of my return to PWI, including estimates of how much it would cost per month to play with full charms on all the time. If you're on the Lost Tear server, give Wishfox a shout!
About this entry
You're currently reading "The Quest for PvE," an entry on mmoaddblog
- Published:
- June 8, 2010 / 4:55 pm
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- Uncategorized
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The National Secretariat of the Catalan National Assembly, meeting in regular session on November 16, 2013 in Barcelona, and considering the momentous issues that will have to be dealt with in the immediate future, has adopted its position, and makes it public by means of this
The National Assembly Catalan is a popular, unitary, plural and democratic organization, based on grassroots democracy and unity of action, and composed of people who want Catalonia to become an independent state.
On 11 September 2012, the Catalan National Assembly demonstrated the Catalan people's ability to mobilize. And it did so with a huge demonstration that gathered more than one million and a half people in the streets of Barcelona. On 11 September 2013, we again demonstrated the ability not just to mobilize but to also organize, by spreading two million people across the country in an orderly way, to form a chain over 400 km long.
These massive popular demonstrations, and the enormous impact they achieved in the media around the world, have put the independence of Catalonia in the centre of the political debate and have placed the Catalan issue on the tables of the world's main foreign ministries.
The result of the 25 November 2012 elections and all solvent public opinion surveys attest to the ample support of the citizens of Catalonia for exercising the right of self-determination. Moreover, the desire for Catalonia to become a new independent state is the Catalan citizen's majority option.
Neither the failure of the 2005-2006 Statute nor the economic crisis suffice, in themselves, to explain why we have reached this situation. Like many other European countries, we are living through a crisis of traditional political values and of the social model. In our case, this is complemented by Catalonia's national demand, unresolved by Spain, a state with alarming democratic deficits and a historic inability to reinvent itself as a multinational polity.
In other words, we are living through three crises: economic-social, democratic and national.
Catalan society, without the power mechanisms that define a state, has had to find other ways to progress and to organize itself. Paradoxically, this has given it a unique robustness. This alone explains why, historically and currently, Catalonia has been able to successfully cope with challenges such as the integration of successive waves of immigration, preserving social harmony and cohesion, and defending the underprivileged, through social networks providing support.
The Catalan people have realized that to fight against the triple crisis real tools of state are needed.
The autonomy supposedly guaranteed by the 1978 Spanish Constitution is a bluff. Catalonia is not recognized as a nation, nor is the level of home rule it has achieved respected. The systematic economic throttling of the Catalan government, as well as re-centralization and Spanish nationalism's deliberate attack against the language and culture of the Catalan-speaking lands, are clear examples that Catalonia will only fit in Spain if we are willing to disappear as a nation and as a people.
The aim of the Catalan National Assembly is the recovery of Catalonia's political independence through the establishment of a democratic and social State where the rule of law prevails. The National Assembly has channelled the energy of Catalan civil society that is pushing towards a new, promising national horizon that will allows us to build a better country.
We want a Catalan state because, as a people, we have a right to one. But above all, we want it because we regard it as an opportunity to build our own framework of social, economic and political relations, a State at the people's service, in which the citizens will be at the centre of public policies.
We live in an increasingly interdependent world, but where no state waives its own independence. In this world, the Catalans want to take part with our own voice in building Europe, because we believe in diversity, freedom and in the equality of individuals and peoples. Moreover, Catalonia fulfils all the conditions to be able to become a perfectly viable and prosperous state in economic terms, and legitimately aspires to share the changes that Europe must face to overcome the current common crisis of structures and values, which is deep and disturbing. None of this is possible if we are simply a Spanish region.
Catalonia's political forces need to put aside their partisan tactics and think about the common good. This is why they need to work with the greatest possible unity to firmly face the final stage of the process to independence. Unity can be expressed, depending on the circumstances, by forming a broad unity government, by means of wide-ranging parliamentary agreements, by means of broad united election lists, or by sharing programmatic positions regarding Catalonia's political future. In any event and in the last analysis, it is up to the political parties and their sense of responsibility to specify, in the most appropriate way, how to express the unity which we believe citizens currently call for.
We know where we come from and where we are going, but we must also say how we can get there. This is why, at the present stage in the political debate, the Catalan National Assembly considers it is necessary to underline a number of points it feels are inalienable.
We are facing a strictly political debate, with no legal constraints. In democracy, it is only up to the people of Catalonia to decide on its political future. In this regard, holding a referendum on the independence of our country is an essential objective that cannot be subject to delays or watering-down
For all these reasons, the National Secretariat of the Catalan National Assembly make public its
1. A referendum on the political future of Catalonia must of necessity be held in 2014.
2. The referendum must take place as soon as possible, preferably before 31 May 2014, and must be convened as soon as the applicable legal framework has been defined.
3. The request addressed by the Parliament of Catalonia to the Spanish Congress of Deputies to be able to organise the referendum must not be used as an excuse for delaying it. Parliament should fix a deadline to receive a reply. After this date, the Declaration of Sovereignty and the Right to Decide of the People of Catalonia, adopted by Parliament on 23 January this year, should be applied and the referendum convened under Catalan law.
4. The referendum has to be a single, direct and clear question, to which an affirmative or negative answer can be given, and has to specifically ask about the independence of Catalonia. Any other possibility would be a fraud, because the result would not be decisive and might not be recognized by the international community. To this end, the Catalan National Assembly proposes the following question: "Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state?"
5. To address the current phase successfully the greatest unity of action between the Catalan institutions, civil society and political parties is essential. Catalan political forces must act with the utmost sense of responsibility and with unity, for this is what the vast majority of citizens call for, and putting collective interests ahead of party interests. The unity of political action must be visible through permanent and broad parliamentary agreements and, where appropriate, with the formation of a government of national concentration. Unity is the best tool in the face of the constant attempts of the Spanish state apparatus to undermine the process, and to defend our institutions should the Catalan government be dissolved or intervened.
6. The May 25 2014 European elections will be a challenge and an opportunity for Catalonia. Mobilization will be needed to achieve as high a level of participation as possible, because our national determination will be observed and evaluated by European countries as a function of the votes obtained by the candidates supporting the referendum and independence. The Catalan National Assembly thus makes a call for to work from this moment on, to build a list with a broad socio-political base, which can have the support of as many political parties and popular movements as possible.
7. The Catalan National Assembly will closely monitor developments and will call, if need be, for new demonstrations to ensure the democratic right of citizens to be clearly asked about the future of Catalonia and to defend our national institutions.
Barcelona, November 23, 2013


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A handful of TV spots have been released for the upcoming reboot of GHOSTBUSTERS, and while there is new footage and jokes to be found in them, the primary point of interest will probably be a quick moment in spot #2, which features the return of the Stay Puft marshmallow man.
In the original GHOSTBUSTERS the marshmallow man was something pulled from the mind of Ghostbuster Ray Stantz to be used against him and his teammates. But this is a remake, there is no Ray Stantz, so how is the Stay Puft marshmallow man going to show up this time? Rumor has it that this version of the formerly delicious creature wouldn't be so tasty, as it's said to be a parade balloon that has been brought to life by the ghosts that are flooding the streets of New York City by that point in the film.
Directed by Paul Feig from a script he wrote with Katie Dippold, the new GHOSTBUSTERS stars Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, and Leslie Jones.
The story:
Dead criminals from all eras of New York's underbelly past have returned to roost among the living in Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot. Pilgrims, old-timey sailors, Revolutionary War spirits, and even a couple of zoot-suited gangsters are ready to take on four formidable female busters looking to rid the city of its phantasmic filth.
Chris Hemsworth, Neil Casey, Andy Garcia, Michael K. Williams, Matt Walsh, Pat Kiernan, Cecily Strong, Charles Dance are also in the film, which features cameos by Ozzy Osbourne and original GHOSTBUSTERS stars Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver, and the man who played Ray Stantz, Dan Aykroyd.
The new GHOSTBUSTERS will be in theatres on July 15th.


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We never want to go through the process of hiring a professional locksmith as the situations may be annoying when you have to deal with a malfunctioned door lock. If you are ever stuck in such emergency situations, it is suggested that you don't try to deal with them yourself. So, if you really need to call a professional, and then make sure you are hiring only a certified one. Here are the top 5 reasons for hiring a certified locksmith.
- They are trained
The first and probably the most important reason to hire a certified professional is that they are trained after which they get the certification. The certification requires some minimum qualification and experience in the particular field. Just like any other industry, certification in the locksmith industry also needs proper training. So, if you want someone to deal with your lock professionally and technically, make sure you hire a certified professional as they are trained to tackle the locks. They have to undergo accredited training at a registered training organization in order to get the certification.
- You're secure when they're around
There may be many instances when the locksmiths replace the locks only to break in later because they have copies of the keys. Such incidents are less likely to happen to you if you hire a certified locksmith from a reliable company because they are usually members of bodies to ensure your safety. These bodies are responsible that locksmiths are reliable and delivery professional services. Our '100% Guaranteed Satisfaction Seal' is the proof of our trust.
- They're available 24/7
No matter what time you have to deal with a locked door. You may find it with the first ray of sun or even during the mid-night. In such situations, a certified automotive locksmith is always available to help you with the best solutions without charging you additional for the instant services. They are available to help you deal with the poor performing door locks 24*7 and come to your location with a fully-loaded vehicle that comes with all the required tools to make the support available. With a certified locksmith at your service, you can rest assured knowing that the help will be there at your location with a solution right away.
- They are insured
When you call professional locksmiths to deal with the malfunctioned locks, damages are likely to happen. The lock replacement and repair process can lead to the broken door, glass and even the broken lock itself. But if you have called a certified locksmith, you can rest assured of the damage as these professionals are bonded and insured which means they are able to pay for this kind of damage. With a certified locksmith, you will be protected from any damages that may take place when repairing or replacing the lock.
- They are dependable during the emergencies
Not only calling a certified automotive locksmith important because he can help deal with the emergency situation professionally, but also because they ensure taking care of the professional standards as well. During the emergency situations, you need a professional that has a dependability to get you right away so you can stay assured of the professional services on time without worrying about the security.
No matter how much experienced or trained a locksmith is, make sure to ask about the certification for better security. It is important because when hiring a locksmith, you putting your trust in someone to do take care of the safety of your belongings. Make sure to do some research before you reach the final decision.
Original Article: 5 Reasons Why You Should Always Hire a Certified Locksmith
Related Video Here: How to Choose a Locksmith Provider
Security must be always our topmost priority. Invest for your home locks and let Locksmith Vinings GA help you with this matter.


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Anarchist Raven
This onesie is perfect
for your little anarchist
in training.
All onesies are 100 % cotton, interlock knit. Since they printed in small quantities the onesie brand may vary but for the most part they are either Gerber or Carters brand.
If you need assistance figuring out what size you'll need there is a baby weight guide on our sizes page.
Item will be shipped within 3-7 business days via USPS Priority with delivery confirmation.


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Thursday, November 6, 2014
Catching up....
19 comments:
OhMyGosh.... those hearts are a winner! LOVE them!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
We have broadbeans going mad in my garden at the moment, I make them into a broadbean hummus - yum!
Love the heart washcloths!!! The puff flower circles are ideal as a xmas decoration!!! They look like happy xmas wheels!!!! Have a fab weekend!!!!ReplyDelete
The heart washcloths are exquisite, congratulation on getting an order from a shop. Hope you have a successful fair, I too have one at the weekend.ReplyDelete
I love seeing the other side of the hemisphere it makes me chuckle and warms me up - broad beans and roses - show off!!!! Just got my winter coat out here...JoReplyDelete
Your Christmas decoration are lovely but the heart washcloths is awsome! Have a great day!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous Jules - can't wait to see the finished Christmas decorations and I am completely head over heels in love with your heart facecloths - pleeeeeaaaasssseeee could you sell some over here too !?! xxxxxReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 6, 2014 at 8:42 PM
Lovely puffy flowers and the heart washcloths are beautiful, and how wonderful to have someone ask you to supply their shop with them. I'm sure they will sell well.ReplyDelete
I love the heart washcloths and the little puffy flowers are just gorgeous xxReplyDelete
Love your crochet and roses. Well done on being asked to make washers for the shop - that's great news. Isn't it lovely when you find some produce in the garden that you can use?ReplyDelete
Sure, always glad to share ideas! x I look forward to seeing the lovely creations. Those puffy flowers are adorable! (Another idea) My girls love the small crochet rounds I make for face washers (about four inches), I keep a dish full in the bathroom and I think your puffy flowers would make great ones and a quick projects to sell. Say a set of 7 or 8 in a little cellophane bag with a bow tie of crochet chains. Your roses are gorgeous. I too have more pink ones than other colors. lol That dip sounds interesting too. Good luck at the market and congrats on the commission work!ReplyDelete
I love those washcloths! Do you have a pattern?ReplyDelete
so so niceReplyDelete
I love to come here and see all these beautiful things
have a nice day
I love your crochet beautiful Marie-ClaireReplyDelete
Those hearts are just so gorgeous, you clever thing!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 7, 2014 at 7:37 AM
Hi Julie, loving your flower decorations-really very pretty.ReplyDelete
I echo everyone above in admiration of your heart wash cloths-just beautiful.
Good luck at your fair.
Roses, roses, roses-so miss mine now Winter is upon us on this side of the world-enjoy, photo them often to remind us of garden blooms.
I love looking at your site!ReplyDelete
Your knitting and crocheting is so beautiful.
It's a feast for my eyes!!
Lovely crochet! I bet the market will be a huge sucess for you!ReplyDelete
Take care
Hey Julie, popping by to see what you've been up too....... you've been busy as usual.ReplyDelete
Great to get an outlet for your washers, they look wonderful.
I'm a pink Rose lover too, somehow I seem to have only pink in the garden along with a red one and they are just gorgeous.
Our Broad Beans are late, so I will have to see how they are going, that chunky dip sounds delish.
All the best for the next market and have a great week.
Claire xx
Oh I was so enjoying looking at all the lovely crafty things on your blog, but then I saw (gasp) Broad Beans. I have not seen Broad Beans since I left England in 1971..........I used to love them. Also we do not have them here in Michigan. Now I am craving them they look soooooo goodReplyDelete
I will be following your blog
Thank you for taking the time to add your comment, I love to receive comments and read them all, even if I don't get around to responding to you, I am just not that organised!


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John Underwood plays rhythm guitar in the band. Living in Reading, he has played alongside Hugh, Martin and Dave Harding in Whittakers Patent Remedy and countless other line-ups over many years.
As well as electric and acoustic guitars he also plays bass guitar. In addition John has taught these instruments for almost thirty years.
In common with the rest of the band, John exhibits a good sense of humour. He has wide musical tastes, and is keen to experience all genres of music.
John Underwood
|Home | The Band | UK Tour | Reviews | Photo Gallery | Album | Contact Us
Website by Simon "Jobby" Jobson


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Carl Oltvedt
Carl Oltvedt works full-time as an artist in a variety of painting and drawing media. He retired from Minnesota State University Moorhead in May of 2015, where he was a Professor in the School of Visual Arts. He has exhibited his work at Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis since 1978.
His paintings and drawings are included in numerous public, corporate, and private collections. He has completed commissions for corporations and private collectors including Cargill Corporation, Minnesota Mutual, Securian Corporation, Microsoft, and the Laske family. He was a recipient of Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants in 2014 and 1991, and a Lake Region Arts Council/McKnight Artist Fellowship in 2002.
Artist Statement:
My principal interests during the past two years have been the rugged landscape on the North Shore of Lake Superior, the mixed conifer and deciduous forest surrounding Mantrap Lake near Nevis, MN and the Mississippi River environment near Crosby Lake in St. Paul; the latter has led my work in a new direction with the introduction of egrets and herons into my compositions. My working process includes studies done on location and further work completed in the studio from my photographic documentation of subject material. This may take days, weeks or years to work through. In the end, I strive to instill a sense of presence and mystery in my work.
Carl Oltvedt's website: carloltvedt.com
Follow Carl on Facebook
Carl Oltvedt "March Thaw"
2008 | lithograph | $200.00
image: 10 x 12.5" | unframed
Carl Oltvedt "A Quiet Place for Conversation"
2016 | watercolor & gouache | $700.00
image: 11.5 x 9.5" | frame: 20.5 x 18.5"
Carl Oltvedt "Delicate Balance"
2017 | acrylic & watercolor on paper | $2,750.00
image: 29.5 x 22.5" | frame: 44 x 35"
Carl Oltvedt "Evening Light"
2016 | oil on rag board | $800.00
image: 12.5 x 19" | unframed
Carl Oltvedt "Upward"
2018 | oil on panel | $900.00
image: 14 x 11" | frame: 15 x 12"
Carl Oltvedt "Morning Flight"
2018 | oil on panel | $900.00
image: 14 x 11" | frame: 15 x 12"
Carl Oltvedt "Lift"
2018 | pastel | $1,500.00
image: 23.5 x 17.5" | frame: 31 x 23.5"
Carl Oltvedt "Lake Superior Shoreline"
2014 | oil on rag board | $1,000.00
image: 16 x 14" | frame: 24.5 x 22"


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Ocean, Ocean, Ocean... - 7 Daysoffered by supplier M19371 (read about supplier)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 6 - 7 day(s)
Group Size: 2 - 20 people
Destination(s): Tanzania
Specialty Categories: Cultural Journey
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: Yes
Minimum Per Person Price: 913 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 1200 US Dollar (USD)
Day 1: Arrival at Zanzibar Airport where M19371 welcomes you with a cold drink and a fresh face towel. Short briefing and transfer to your Stone Town hotel. Take your time to rest or enjoy a walk through the narrow winding streets. Overnight based on Bed & Breakfast
Day 2: After breakfast your guide will meet you for a historical walking tour through Stone Town. A typical lunch in a local restaurant ends the tour. In the afternoon you board the boat to Prison Island, also known as Changuu Island, famous for its history of slavery and its prison, now home of the impressive giant land tortoises. Overnight in your town hotel based on Bed & Breakfast
Day 3: Today guide and driver will take you to a spice plantation, to discover the richness of Zanzibar's spices and fruits, many of them used for medical purposes. From the plantation you proceed to your beach resort, where you arrive in time for a relaxed lunch. Afternoon free, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Full day of leisure in the beach resort. Take a swim in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, a snorkeling trip from the hotel or just be lazy and do absolutely nothing on your sun bed. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5: A day for water lovers. Safari Blue starts from the fishing village of Fumba, where you board a a traditional wooden dhow and set off to explore Menai Bay. This conservation area consists of a number of uninhabited islands, pristine coral reefs and sandbanks, perfect for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. Lunch is served on one of the deserted beaches, offering fresh juices, salads and a selection of sea fruits. While returning to the shores by traditional lanteen sail, enjoy the full splendour of the African sunset. Dinner and overnight in the beach resort.
Day 6: Time to find out how local life is at the ocean. During a half day tour to Uroa at the east coast you will discover authentic village life, including the typical housing, the Koran school, the seaweed farming women, a local dhow carpenter, and of course the main industry, the fish market, where a daily auction takes place. Afternoon free time for your last shopping in Stone Town. End the day and your stay with a unique event at the Mtoni Palace Ruins. A lovely evening with living history characters of the sultan's era, traditional Zanzibar music, a golden sunset, freshly prepared delicacies and the enchanted atmosphere of 1001 nights. Overnight in your town hotel.
Day 7: Depending on the departure of your flight, you will be transferred to the airport for your journey home or onwards.
Member discount:
10% discount for InfoHub customer. Request a free gift certificate.
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Accommodation
- Airport pick-up with face towels and coconut water
- All transfers for tours and to/from beach hotel
- Guide fees and entrances
- Meals where indicated.
Click here to email this vacation offer to a friend.
Joined InfoHub: Apr 2009
M19371 provides superior services for those who want to explore both Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland. Wildlife safaris, mountain climbs, beach holidays and water sports are only part of our wide range of services. M19371 believe that providing a tourism service is a very delicate and complicate business, and should be...


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We understand the importance of playing a positive role in the society in which we operate. To achieve our goal of long-term, sustainable success, we need to build the trust of our 10 million customers and gain wider recognition that Sky is a responsible business making a valuable contribution to life in the UK and Ireland. So, in addition to meeting customers' needs with our products and services, we're also committed to doing the right thing, inspiring people to make a positive difference to society and making Sky a great place to work for our people.
Our business is built on long-term relationships with millions of customers across Britain and Ireland. We recognise that they have high expectations of the companies they choose to do business with and will reward those brands that they trust to act responsibly and lead on the issues they care about. Beyond our own customers, we also want to be recognised more broadly as a business that has a positive impact on the society and communities in which we operate. So we understand the importance of doing the right thing and continuing to develop our reputation as a responsible business.
As a major UK business listed on the London Stock Exchange, we are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance. Our Board ensures that the Company's strategy is aligned to the interests of our investors and takes account of the interests of our stakeholders. Its approach to Corporate Governance is based on a culture of honesty, integrity and transparency and in accordance with best practice at least half the Board, excluding the Chairman, are determined to be independent.
We're proud of our track record as a broadcaster. We've opened up more choice in television, stimulated the growth of a multi-channel industry and brought people more of the programmes they love. In common with the rest of the commercial television industry, our broadcasting activities are subject to regulation under Ofcom's Broadcasting Code, which sets out standards in areas such as fairness, privacy and impartiality of news programmes. We take our regulatory obligations very seriously and seek to abide by the Code at all times.
Because we know the importance of safety for parents, we give customers the tools they need to protect their children when using our television and broadband services. On our television platform, we provide market-leading parental control technology, including the ability to set a bespoke watershed or to restrict access to specific channels altogether. Likewise all of our broadband customers receive free parental controls for as long as they want them. This year, we co-authored a Government-backed Code of Practice for child internet safety and we continue to explore other ways of helping parents to control access to online content.
In line with our commitment to acting responsibly, we encourage a culture of doing the right thing in day-to-day operations throughout our business. That includes treating our customers with respect, ensuring all our dealings are professional and resolving problems as quickly as possible. It also includes building productive, fair, ethical relationships with the growing number of partners and suppliers that we do business with, promoting better social and environmental standards through our supply chain. We make sure that everyone at Sky understands our responsibilities towards customers and suppliers, as well as shareholders, colleagues and the wider community, through our code of business conduct, Sky's Ways of Working.
We recognise that protecting the environment is everyone's responsibility and we've been taking action to help to tackle climate change since 2005. Three years ago, we set ourselves 10 challenging environmental targets, including cutting our CO2 emissions by 25% per £million turnover, which we exceeded this year by making a 31% reduction. We also plan to source 20% of our energy from on-site renewables by 2020, which is something we're already doing at our new broadcasting facility, Sky Studios, Europe's most sustainable broadcasting facility. For detailed information about our environmental targets and performance, please visit the bigger picture website.
Our customers can set their own watershed or block access to channels
reduction in CO2 emissions per £million turnover
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Years and years ago, I watched this video of someone making gluten-free phyllo dough–truly, God's work. Despite how easy he makes it look in the video, I have neither the patience nor the pastry skills required to roll out that dough into fine sheets and usually end up with a doughy mess.
Enter Emily, of Goldilocks Goodies. I first met Emily through a mutual friend at a birthday party, and later ran into her at an awesome gluten-free happy hour she organized for local businesses. The point here is that Emily is not only a giant in the local gluten-free scene; she's also a big supporter of other women entrepreneurs, and that is just awesome.
ANYWAY, back to the life-changing product at hand. Right before Christmas, Emily teamed up with Kat from Baklava Couture (another DC-area woman who's work is as awesome as it is enviable) to make gluten-free baklava, which earned enthusiastic approval from ChampagneOnlyKef. This got my little wheels turning, and I asked Emily if she would sell me a batch of gluten-free phyllo. Because she is the loveliest woman alive, she had a batch ready for me within a couple days.
For the first few days after I picked up the dough, I would just open the refrigerator and bask in the knowledge that I was staring at my heart's fondest dream. I finally took this baby for a spin last night, and I am so excited to share the results!
This dough is awesome. Though It is not the paper-thin phyllo gluten-eaters know and love, and doesn't quite produce the signature flakiness of spanakopita, Emily has gotten us as close as humanly possible. I am sure of that. Eaten immediately from the oven, it has almost the taste/texture of very thin puff pastry dough (which is also really delicious but not really in the style of spanakopita). However, eaten the next morning it has EXACTLY the texture of next-morning spanakopita!
If I knew had to use emojis, I would totally add some Greek woman doing backflips to all that overpunctuation. Seriously–those of you who have a 90-year-old Aunt Stella who cooks enough for an army every time you visit know all about the morning race to the breakfast table to snag the last piece of leftover spanakopita. And if you don't, well… now you have a thirty-something Aunt Emily who can help simulate that experience. Thank you, Emily!
Gluten-Free Spanakopita
- 4-5 sheets of gluten-free phyllo dough from Goldilocks Goodies
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 leek (white part only), minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4-5 c fresh spinach
- 4-5 oz feta, crumbled
- 1/4 c cooked rice
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Use olive oil to lightly grease a small casserole dish (I used a 10×6 glass one, or you could use more than one piece of dough for a layer to fit the dish you have) In a deep pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until fragrant. Add garlic and leeks and saute 2-3 more minutes, until mixture is tender.
2. Add lemon zest and juice. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat. Add feta and stir until well combined.
3. Pour mixture into colander or strainer and press out as much liquid as possible.
4. Carefully place your first piece of dough in the pan. Put about a quarter of the spinach mixture on top of the dough and all of the rice. Spread evenly. Repeat for another 2-3 layers (just dough and spinach, no more rice). For the top layer, use two pieces of dough on top of each other to finish. Lightly grease the top of the pie with olive oil and slice as desired, going through only about half of the pie's thickness.
5. Bake at 425 for 17-20 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Definitely let cool to let flavors come together–if possible, refrigerate overnight and enjoy the net day for that awesome leftover spanakopita taste.


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Ten Modern Technologies That Were Inspired by Science Fiction
Flying cars?
The art of prediction
We live in a world where yesterdays science fiction is today's science fact. Sometimes science fiction writers get it almost exactly right. Sometimes, they predict something that when it works out does so in a way quite differently than expected. Sometimes, ideas that might work, like flying cars, are never brought to fruition due to safety, regulatory or other concerns. What follows are a few examples of technology that started in science fiction that now exists in the real world.
It started here
Predicting from the beginning
Science fiction arguably started with Frankenstein, so it seems appropriate to start our list there. The creation of the monster using tissue from cadavers and animating it with electricity are the prototypical examples of our first two technologies.
Organ transplants: Though they are accomplished in quite a different way than Mary Shelly predicted and for different reasons. The concepts she invented for the creation of her stories monster were prototypical for medical organ and tissue transplants.
Defibrillator: Though the modern lifesaving device is a far cry from the animation of the creature in Frankenstein both were based on early experiments using electricity and dead tissue. Shelly may have been the first one to seriously propose shocking a body into life. Today the intellectual successor to her idea saves lives every day.
The Dawn of Sci-fi
Underwater history
Would this have happened without Verne?
Mention of technology inspired by science fiction that did not include Jules Verne would be incomplete. One might make a case that if Shelly were the genres intellectual mother Verne is certainly a contenders for being the father.
Electric powered submarines: Although Verne cannot be credited with inventing the concept of a manned submersible or a diving suit, he was one of the first to propose the idea of one large enough to carry (and need) a large crew. In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea he also first proposed powering such a vessel electrically and using it for protracted underwater voyages. One must wonder how many of today's marine biologists and submariners were inspired by Verne.
Space Flight: Although the giant cannon proposed in From Earth to the Moon is entirely impractical, it was probably the first proposed technological method and moved space travel from fantasy into science fiction. Verne's proposal may also have helped spark subsequent interest in rocketry that helped turn the dream of traveling to the moon into reality within a hundred years.
Read it on Gutenberg
- The Brick Moon, and Other Stories by Edward Everett Hale - Free Ebook
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by Project Gutenberg.
Less familiar but not less importaint
A less familiar work by Edward Everett Hale The Brick Moon published in serialized format in 1869 provided the first example of two new ideas.
Satellite navigational aid: although Hales brick sphere is functionally unlike a modern GPS satellite it was intended to fulfill the same purpose.
Manned space station: Though not intended for the purpose the titular moon did launch while occupied and the occupants survived making it the first fictional manned space station.
On to your wrist
Out of the comics
Our next advancement first appeared in comic strips more than sixty years before being brought to a form of life.
The smart watch: Though the modern smart phone peripheral isn't a stand alone communication device like like the "Dick Tracy" wrist radio the conceptual antecedents are clearly present.
Trek is now
The future came early
Though ideas from "Star Trek" were depicted as belonging to the 23rd and 24th centuries some of them, at least in early prototypical form already exist.
Satellite phones: Although it was the flip phone that was deliberately designed to look like the original series communicators it is the satellite phone that comes closest to functionally matching the fictional device. The devices in the original series were clearly inspired by already existing walk-talky technology. Where the real world devices were bulky and short ranged Star Trek projected they would advance to compact devices capable of ground to orbit communication. Today it's a technology anyone can have.
Tablet computers: From the gadgets Kirk used to sign reports in the original series to the P.A.D.D. of "Next Generation." Although these were presented as peripherals to the "ships computer" in the show and related media the parallels to modern tablets are obvious. There are even apps that allow a tablet to have an interface that looks like one from Trek.
3d Printers: Though the modern 3d printer is the infant stage of Treks replicators the basic idea is there. We have devices now that can print out all sorts of things that can be made of plastic. Metal is harder to work with but it's also around, though more expensive. Combination of 3d printer technology with the capability of a scanning tunneling electron microscope, to move individual atoms, is a logical progression of the technology. Once that's available the only thing preventing a printer from creating literally anything is the supply of raw the right raw materials. An atomic scale printer wouldn't be able to turn lead to gold, but diamonds from the CO2 in the air would be possible (though energy intensive). An atomic scale printer could also produce food by recycling organic waste which, as portrayed on "Star Trek," is extremely useful for a spacecraft with limited room for supplies. Trek however portrayed the technology working on a subatomic level. While our modern technology is an infant replicator, subatomic rearrangement is still far from possible. Anyone who thinks that means we won't get there, however, needs to be reminded that fifty years ago moving individual atoms was also impossible.
3D printer designs
- Thingiverse - Digital Designs for Physical Objects
Thingiverse is a universe of things. Download our files and build them with your lasercutter, 3D printer, or CNC.
The Replicator (early version)
What's next?
These ten items are things inspired by sci-fi that are available (at least in early form) today and they just scratch the surface. When you start adding things that are still on the drawing board the list will multiply by hundreds or even thousands. Much of our modern world was inspired by science fiction and advancements today continue to be inspired. Who knows someday we may even get our flying cars.
On the drawing board
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Susan always never fail to impress me when it comes to my birthday. =) And this year, she brought me for a dinner treat at Grandchamp's Gourmet. So this restaurant definitely looks classy as it is and they serve a wide range wine to pair with cheese if you are really interested in wine. Besides, they do serve main course meals (French style) as well. As for the price, it's quite reasonable for the food that they serve and presentation wise, it was fantastic! Hmm.. And for the service, I guess it improved a lot as compared to those comments from Trip Advisor.
Beef Steak... Just nicely done.. I hope that I can make this one day! =)
Duck Confit... Interesting dish which I have not tried before in my life. The flesh was so good because of the herbs I guess..
And it's me with the food =)
And the pretty her with the wine... =)
The ambiance.. The wines!
And thank you for the great meal!
Total cost was about RM 100 for 2 main course meal and a glass of wine. We will definitely be back someday! =)
By the way, they have a website with the link http://www.grandchampkk.com/
By the way, they have a website with the link http://www.grandchampkk.com/
Enjoy and have a nice day!


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