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Amnesty Int’l critical of Jamaica, Haiti, The Bahamas – News … – Jamaica Observer

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) The London-based international human rights group, Amnesty International, has criticised the situation in three Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries on issues ranging from the ill-treatment of documented migrants to alleged crimes against humanity.

In its 2017 State of the Worlds Human Rights, Amnesty International paid attention to alleged human rights abuses in Haiti, Jamaica and the Bahamas. The other CARICOM countries were not mentioned in the report released over the weekend.

The report noted that in the Bahamas, there was widespread ill-treatment of undocumented migrants from countries including Haiti and Cuba.

It said the Dominican Republic deported thousands of people of Haitian descent including Dominican-born people who were effectively rendered stateless while often failing to respect international law and standards on deportations.

Upon arrival to Haiti, many people who had been deported settled in makeshift camps, where they lived in appalling conditions. Despite a commitment from newly elected authorities in the Dominican Republic to address the situation of stateless individuals, tens of thousands of people remained stateless following a 2013 Constitutional Court ruling which retroactively and arbitrarily deprived them of their nationality. In February, the IACHR described a situation of statelessness of a magnitude never before seen in the Americas.

Amnesty International said that rampant impunity allowed human rights abusers to operate without fear of the consequences weakened the rule of law, and denied truth and redress to millions.

Impunity was sustained by justice and security systems that remained under resourced, weak and often corrupt, compounded by a lack of political will to ensure their impartiality and independence. The resulting failure to bring the perpetrators of human rights violations to justice allowed organised crime and abusive law enforcement practices to take root and prosper.

Denial of meaningful access to justice also left huge numbers of people including in Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela unable to claim their rights.

Amnesty International said in Jamaica, impunity prevailed for the decades-long pattern of alleged unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions by law enforcement officials.

While more than 3,000 people have been killed by law enforcement officials since 2000, only a handful of officials have been held accountable to date. In June, the Commission of Enquiry into alleged human rights violations during the 2010 state of emergency made recommendations for police reform; by the end of the year Jamaica had yet to outline how it would implement the reforms.

The human rights group noted that in Haiti, no progress was made in the investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed by former President Jean-Claude Duvalier and his former collaborators.

It said that States made little headway in tackling violence against women and girls. This included failing to protect them from rape and killings as well as failing to hold perpetrators accountable. Reports of gender based violence came from Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jamaica, Nicaragua, the USA and Venezuela, among other countries.

Amnesty noted that legislative and institutional progress in some countries such as the legal recognition of same-sex marriage did not necessarily translate into better protection against violence and discrimination for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) people.

Across the Americas, high levels of hate crime, advocacy of hatred and discrimination, as well as murders and persecution of LGBTI activists persisted in countries including Argentina, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, the USA and Venezuela.

In the Bahamas, Amnesty International noted Bahamians voted no in a constitutional referendum on gender equality in citizenship matters in June.

Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people continued, it said, adding that in the June referendum Bahamians voted on gender equality in citizenship matters under Bahamian law.

The proposed amendments backed by the government would have strengthened anti-discrimination protections based on sex. The result maintained inequality in Bahamian laws so that women and men pass on citizenship to their children and spouses in different ways.

The result put at risk the citizenship rights of families, in particular the risk of separation of families with diverse nationalities or children born outside of the Bahamas to Bahamian parents.

Amnesty said that stigma and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people continued and in April, activists founded the group Bahamas Transgender Intersex United.

In Jamaica, Amnesty said that unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions continued. Violence against women and discrimination against LGBTI people persisted. Children continued to be detained in violation of international standards.

It said that despite committing to the establishment of a national human rights institution, Jamaica had not established the mechanism by the end of the year.

Jamaica continued to have one of the highest homicide rates in the Americas, Amnesty International reported, saying that in June, a Commission of Enquiry published its much-anticipated report into the events that took place in Western Kingston during the state of emergency, declared on 23 May 2010, which left at least 69 people dead.

Almost 900 pages long, the report identified a number of cases of possible extrajudicial execution and produced a number of important recommendations for police reform. In an official response, the Jamaica Constabulary Force accepted a number of recommendations, such as committing to hold administrative reviews into the conduct of officers named in the Commissioners report.

But Amnesty said that the police continued to refuse to accept any responsibility for human rights violations or extrajudicial executions during the state of emergency.

By the end of the year, the government had still not officially indicated how it would implement the recommendations of the Commissioners. While the number of killings by police have been significantly reduced in recent years, 111 people were killed by law enforcement officials in 2016, compared with 101 in 2015. Women whose relatives were killed by police, and their families, experienced pervasive police harassment and intimidation, and faced multiple barriers to accessing justice, truth and reparation.

The human rights group said that Jamaica again failed to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, signed in September 2000, nor had it adhered to the UN Convention against Torture or the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

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Amnesty Int'l critical of Jamaica, Haiti, The Bahamas - News ... - Jamaica Observer

The Bahamas Private Developers vs. Government Run – Albany Times Union (blog)

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Lastweek I visited the Bahamas and enjoyed itslovely beaches and friendly people. A nice woman named Sharika transportedusto the beach and gave a great touralong the ride. She described how the past hurricane destroyed many businesses and hotels along the route. The rebuilding processis takinga long time and is negatively affecting the economy from decreased tourism.

I learned that half of the island is controlled by the Port Authoritysince 1955.Its a private agency that requiresall of the structures built on thatpart of the island tobeequipped withrunning water, electricity, stable walls and a roof. Every home and building on thatpart of the island must meet those requirements or they cannot build there. The Port Authority controlled halfof the island is also where the tourists comefrom cruise ships. They understandthat visitors want comfort and safety while on vacation and make sure that is what we see and experience. The Port Authority donated $3 million dollars to build a college on their island. They are trying to help theBahamiansprovide for themselves through education and better jobs.The Bahamas gained independence from the UK on July 10, 1973. Sharika describedsimple economics if people dont visit, they cantget money from tourists. The American dollar is equal to the Bahamian dollar so visitors feel comfortable purchasing gifts and spending money while on vacation.Bahamians want visitors tospend money and thereby help them emerge into a stronger country.

The other half of the islandis run by the Bahamian government. Thepeople on the government runhalf of the island live in poverty and are basically hidden from the tourists. According to Sharika, those homes are shacks. They dont have running water or electricity. Their roofs and walls are made of sticks and whatever else they can find to make a home ofnatural resources.Sharika said that the government half of the island is not safe for visitors so they keep us on the Port Authority side.More basic economics poverty yields increased crime. The have-nots will steal from the haves who are visiting their island. (Bahamas shack below.)

Think aboutthe poorerpartsof America. Those areashave dilapidated homes, higher crime rates and lower income. Those neighborhoods also predominately have the most amount of people on government assistance and haveless desirable schools. If a town is known for high crime and drugs, theywill not get people to move there, investthere, or work there. It is similar to the government side of the Bahamas where poverty just creates more poverty.

Here in the USA, thehouseon the right is froma Native American Reservation in Utah where afamily isusing cardboard for the walls and roof. Below left are empty homes in Camden, New Jersey and below center are boarded up homes in Progress, Illinois. As you can see, there are Americans living in poverty that the government didntfix across our own great nation.

Now think about the wealthierpartsof America. There arenicerhomes, lower crime from more police presence, and higher incomes. As a result, people want to live and invest there. Itmakes for a stronger economywithbetter schools, roads and jobs .The better schools help the residents attain better jobs thereby strengthening the economy. For example, below are occupied and well maintained homes in Utah, New Jersey and Illinois.

So, if you were in the market for a new home wouldntyou check out the school districts, crime levels, property taxes and local amenities before investing in a 30 year mortgage? How about if you were building a country hoping to last hundreds orthousands of years? Wouldnt you want the best for yourcitizensto live in asafer and better town? Lets face it, no one wants theirfamily and fellow citizens to live in the governmentrun side of town withcontrolled housing,high crime and low paying jobs. The USAis not much different than the Bahamas maybe.

Simple economics government run programs maintainpoverty levels while privately run programsgrow wealth. Does America need welfare programs to temporarily help citizens in need of course! Should the government provide a lifetime of minimal monetary support and render those citizens to a lifetime of poverty heck no!

Bahamas Grateful To Support From Missionary Flights International – South Florida Caribbean News

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

FORT PIERCERepresentatives from the Bahamas government agencies in Florida including the Bahamas Consulate General Office and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (BMOT) recently held a luncheon, Bahamian style, for forty staff and volunteers of Missionary Flights International (MFI) in Fort Pierce, Florida to show their appreciation to that organization, for their assistance to the residents of The Bahamas affected by Hurricane Matthew.

Persons feasted on signature Bahamian dishes including peas n rice, steamed fish and chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, toss salad, Bahamian pastries and homemade fruit punch and switcher.

Sandra Carey, Deputy Consul General, at the Bahamas Consulate General office was moved greatly by the goodwill and generosity shown by MFI and its staff. Their quick response and assistance has benefited the people of the Bahamas significantly and we owe them a depth of gratitude, she said.

Missionary Flights International is a private, faith-based non-profit mission aviation organization that operates flights between Florida, The Bahamas and areas of the Caribbean that need emergency relief assistance when disasters occur.

MFI flies their work team, missionaries, families and equipment to and from the field for short-term ministry, while sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

According to Captain Joe Karabensh, President of MFI, MFI stood in the gap for The Bahamas and Haiti and began praying and collecting monies and relief supplies, for those islands on Sunday, October 2, 2016 prior to hurricane Matthews arrival in the Bahamas, October 6-8.

As the eminent storm had escaped Florida, but hit The Bahamas, we were in a first responder position to activate quickly, transportation, funds and hurricane relief supplies we had received from residents and business houses throughout South Florida, to distribute to those areas affected by the storm.

In so doing MFI on October 8, immediately commenced relief to The Bahamas and has since provided more than 125,000 pounds of donated food and supplies directly to pastors, churches and the Salvation Army in Andros, Grand Bahama and Nassau, he said.

MFI also provides 470 ongoing Christian missions in Haiti and Dominican Republic as well as render assistance to several organizations in Eleuthera, Abaco, Nassau and Grand Bahama.

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Bahamas Grateful To Support From Missionary Flights International - South Florida Caribbean News

Algeria Talking With Exxon on Joint Offshore Ops (XOM) – Investopedia

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Investopedia

Algeria Talking With Exxon on Joint Offshore Ops (XOM)
Investopedia
Algerian state energy company Sonatrach has begun discussions with ExxonMobil Corp (XOM) and others in order to begin offshore oil drilling. While the Algerian company has experience drilling land-based wells, it needs to partner with an experienced ...
Reuters: Algeria's Sonatrach in talks to begin offshore drillingSeeking Alpha
Algeria's Sonatrach in talks to begin offshore drilling sourceHellenic Shipping News Worldwide

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Algeria Talking With Exxon on Joint Offshore Ops (XOM) - Investopedia

Worried about Revenue clampdown on offshore assets – Irish Times

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Given all the recent talk about a Revenue clampdown on offshore assets could you please clarify what should be declared and how to do so?

I am a PAYE taxpayer. I have two modest offshore accounts, one in euro and one in a foreign currency. They are deposit accounts which earn no interest. There also hasnt been any trading in the foreign currency which might give rise to capital gains.

Until these deposits (or indeed any other offshore assets) generate income, can I assume there is no need to declare them? I note that Form 12 caters for foreign income but otherwise does not invite a declaration of non-earning deposits.

Mr JF, email

As you are a PAYE employee, you probably will not have received any letter recently from the Revenue Commissioners about this. The tax authorities did send out nearly 500,000 letters warning people about impending changes to the regime on failure to disclose offshore income but they only went to people who filed returns last year and that means largely self-assessed taxpayers.

Youre right to be concerned but, as it happens, I think you will be fine and will not be facing any liability.

Right to be concerned? Well, the thing with offshore tax evasion is that everyone assumes, when they hear about it, that the tax authorities are talking about the big players looking to hide ill-gotten millions. And its certainly true that Revenues investigations and large-case unit does actively pursue such players.

However, the bulk of those people likely to be caught under the new rules are small scale taxpayers who will never to this point have had cause to deal personally with Revenue beyond a Med 1 health claim or the comfortable anonymity of a Form 12 annual return.

These are the people who may have spent some time abroad and set up accounts there, or bought shares or even a small house or apartment. Maybe, if they are older, they will be in receipt of a pension either from a foreign state or a private employer in another country.

For Irish taxpayers, all of this counts as income and/or assets and so it is of relevance to the Irish tax authorities as Irish tax residents pay tax here on their worldwide income.

Another thing people also tend to forget is that Northern Ireland is just as offshore as Australia, the United States or anywhere else in the world.

For all these reasons, people should be concerned and should do an audit of their assets to see if they might have any tax liability which they may have forgotten to mention to the Revenue up to now.

Well, from May 1st, anyone approaching Revenue with details of tax liability on offshore assets or anyone approached by Revenue on the same issue will not be able to avail of what is called voluntary disclosure. Voluntary disclosure is a regime where Revenue cuts the taxpayer a bit of slack as an incentive to fess up rather than waiting for Revenue to invest the time, energy and money pursuing them.

While taxpayers using voluntary disclosure still have to pay the tax owing, and interest due on it dating back to when it should have been paid, they pay just a fraction of the penalties that would apply if Revenue has to come chasing after them. Penalties are about 10 per cent of the tax due rather than up to 100 per cent for those caught.

Anyway, in relation to foreign tax liabilities, Revenue has persuaded Government that these things cannot simply be hidden from Revenue accidentally and that forgetting to let Revenue know of such liabilities is actually a deliberate act and so such people should not be able to avail of the relief of voluntary disclosure.

And tax authorities in different countries are now working much more closely with each other. So the Irish Revenue either has already (depending on the jurisdiction), or will later this year, received any details about you, and all other Irish taxpayers, that is held by tax authorities in most other countries. That will certainly include details of foreign bank accounts among other things.

That is why Revenue is so sure of its ground and its ability to track down people with offshore tax liabilities, no matter how large or small.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan announced in his budget last October that there would be a clampdown and the necessary amendments have been made to the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. This new regime kicks in on May 1st, so the message Revenue is giving people out there is that the clock is ticking and they need to act fast to minimise any tax bill.

Apart from lower penalties, errant taxpayers getting their affairs in order before May 1st will avoid the possibility of having their names published in the quarterly list of tax defaulters that appears in Iris Oifigiil and most national newspapers, and will also avoid the, albeit for most remote, possibility of criminal prosecution.

So where does that leave you? You tell me that you have these two offshore accounts. There are two ways in which you could be liable. First, where did the money come from that is sitting in the accounts? Does it date back to a time when you were not a tax resident here? If so, you should be fine. But if the money was put into the accounts since you became liable to Irish tax, it might be liable to Irish tax.

If it was an inheritance, it depends on whether the bequest would bring you over tax-free inheritance tax thresholds; if it was a capital gain on the sale of some asset held abroad, it would be liable to tax here if it exceeded 1,270. And, of course, if it came from income maybe from a pension or from some foreign project you undertook it should certainly have been declared to Revenue at that time.

If not, you could be in trouble and may need to approach Revenue ahead of the May 1st deadline.

The second issue is any income that these accounts may be giving you. You state that neither is delivering any interest but was that always the case? If there is no interest income now or in the past, there is no liability on that front. If there was, the rules above apply.

And, if you do have something to approach the Revenue about, how do you go about it?

Revenue is hoping people will file any details of the tax and penalties owing through the online MyEnquiries facility available to those filing by ROS (Revenue Online Service) or, for individuals, more likely MyAccount.

You will need to file a Disclosure Form, including a computation of tax, interest and penalties owed. To help on this, Revenue is providing an estimator essentially a special calculator allowing you to work out your liability. You dont have to use its estimator but it may well be easier than you trying to work out any liability especially interest due, which is worked out at a daily rate.

The disclosure forms and estimator are at revenue.ie/ en/business/disclosure.html. That same page also includes a fairly comprehensive file of frequently asked questions (FAQs).

To sum up, if the money in these accounts came from after-tax income and you have earned no interest on them, youre fine and do not need to do anything.

One last thing. For those who do have liabilities but only of a minor nature, they should note that, where the full historical liability on offshore assets and income is less than 6,000, no penalty will be applied either before or after the May 1st deadline but you will still have to pay the tax due.

Send your queries to Dominic Coyle, Q&A, The Irish Times, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, or by email to dcoyle@irishtimes.com. This column is a reader service and is not intended to replace professional advice.

Originally posted here:

Worried about Revenue clampdown on offshore assets - Irish Times

Estonia To Finance 1000 Megawatt Offshore Wind Farm At Hiiumaa – CleanTechnica

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Published on February 27th, 2017 | by Susan Kraemer

February 27th, 2017 by Susan Kraemer

Dependence on Russianfossil energy is one weapon Putin has used to subvert democratic rule in neighboring nations. Like most of the worldspetro-states, Russia is anautocracy. But one nation having none of that is Estonia.

Gas dependence on Russia has negative consequences across the region. One is corruption, as the Kremlin and its proxies buy the political support of foreign leaders in order to maintain Russias predominant market position in their countries. In Ukraine, for example, a group of pro-Russian oligarchs grew rich off of gas deals as they subverted the effectiveness of Ukraines democracy.

This dependence has the effect of subverting youngdemocracies that depend on Russian gas.

Just the need for low, or at least affordable, energy prices encourages some central and Eastern European countries to follow the Kremlins line on foreign policy. In private, for example, Hungarian officials admit that a major factor behind the countrys pro-Russian statements and public declarations against sanctions on Russia is related to energy. Hungary hopes that its pro-Russian stance will win it lower gas prices, but the cost is to degrade the European Unions cohesion.

Hungary was for 20years a democracy. Now Hungaryhas reverted toautocracyunder strongman Viktor Orban.

But one of Russias border nations in the Baltic, Estonia, has taken a boldapproach. Estonia had beenimporting all of its natural gas for heating and hot water from Russia, but that ended last year.

In mid-2016, together with Lithuania, Estonia put a stop toits gas imports from Russia. Now Norways Statoil will instead provide gas for heat and hot water in the country.

Despite the challenges due to its position between European democracies and Putins autocracy in Russia,Estonia is looking to increase its clean energy capacity. Ithas already overshot its clean energy generation targets for 2020.

Starting almost a decade ago, Estonian developer 4Energia has been going through the environmental and technical permitting of what was proposed as a 700 MW to 1,000 MW wind farm northwest of the island of Hiiumaa in the Baltic Sea.

(4Energia is also known as Nelja Energia: Nelia means four, referring to four clean energy sources the firm plans to specialize in: wind, water, biomass and solar.)

Six years ago, the director of the Lithuanian Wind Energy AssociationSaulius Piksrys told Wind Energy Update:

The main challenge for the development of wind energy generation facilities in the Baltic States are vested interests among companies importing electricity from Russia. Powerful lobbyists are able to slow down the process significantly, even impeding the relevant law-making.

It has taken 4Energia years to develop the Hiiumaa Offshore Wind Farm. Finally, with all that paperworknow in hand, the last hurdle is financing.

Image Credit: Wikimedia: Baltic Sea off Estonia

4Energia has proposed to utilize the EUs cooperation mechanism to help finance the Hiiumaa Offshore Wind Farm, its largest Baltics project.

As a very small nation of just 1.3 million, it is not easy for Estonia to justify such a massive offshore wind farm that further overshoots its own country climate targets under the EU Directive. Estonia has already met its EU target of 25% renewable energy by 2020, and it exports surplus renewable energy to its neighbors.

One approach being taken to finding funding, is presenting the project as a way for another country that is not meeting its target to finance it under the EU Cooperation Mechanism, whereby:

Joint projects:Two or more EU countries can co-fund a renewable energy project in electricity or heating and cooling, and share the resulting renewable energy for the purpose of meeting their targets. These projects can but do not have to involve the physical transfer of energy from one country to another.

A partnership like this could be a win-win. An EU member state that is not able to meet its targets could be the financing partner. Financing a project elsewhere would qualify such a partner as having met its own 2020 target. Such an arrangement could also be beneficial in getting wind turbine orders from the array if financed by a nation with an industrial wind sector.

But the peculiar combination of factors that would be needed, of being at risk of not meeting its own target AND yet having its own growing industrial wind sector is an unusual combination.

The UK, or even better, France, might be a good potential financing partner. Both France and the UK are at risk of missing their targets but while the UK imports most of its turbinesfrom Germany, France is expanding its domestic wind manufacturing.

It is unrealistic to expect a small nation of 1.3 million like Estonia to set up its own domestic supply chain for building this offshore wind farm, even such a large one. Instead, the turbines, towers, nacelles and cables will be imported, with Germanys Enercon and Finlands WinWind acting as the main suppliers.

While 4Energia is the largest wind developer in the Baltics, to date its projects have been only on land.

Offshore wind development is generally more challenging than onshore, but the Baltic Sea does offer a relatively easy transition geologically, with a shallow and sandy seabed. Costs are lower in the sheltered Baltic Sea than in the more exposed North Sea, because lower wave heights reduce the costs of construction and ongoing maintenance. 4Energia will use ice-proof gravity-based foundations.

In turn, this ease of access for performing maintenance results in more productive hours of operation which further lowers costs again. 4Energia projects that the Hiiumaa Offshore Wind farm would have a very high capacity factor of approximately 50%, and promptand easy maintenance would be needed to achieve that.

In addition to 4Energias project, an equally ambitious Estonian offshore wind project has just begun the multi-year permitting process, this one in the Baltic Seas Riga Gulf.

Eesti Energija is the countrys state-owned primary power generator, distributor, and supplier. Its renewable arm just submitted its application to build another gigantic offshore wind farm south of Kihnu Island in the Bay of Riga. This too is proposed at a 7001,000-MW capacity. (Applicants seem to be given leeway in finalizing capacity in Estonia.)

In addition to these two huge offshore wind farms, another smaller project has made its application to begin its own environmental permitting. Neugrund, a startup firm, proposes to develop the Neugrund Offshore Wind Farm on Estonias North coast up by the Gulf of Finland. The planned capacity is between 100 MW and 234 MW.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Market in the Estonian old historic town of Tallinn

Estonia isexpanding its clean energy to the point of being a clean energy exporter, and has shifted its gas buys to state-owned Statoil, in the worlds only oil-rich liberal democracy, Norway.

The independent state of Estonia can only exist permanently in a space of democratic values, said Estonian president, Kersti Kaljulaid at this weeksEstonian Independence Day. A small state cannot function in a geopolitically tense place such as ours if it is internally undemocratic.

Subsea 7 awarded contract offshore Australia – OilVoice

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Brs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a sizeable(1) contract by Cooper Energy Ltd for the Sole Development Project, offshore Australia.

The Sole gas field is located in the eastern part of the Gippsland Basin, approximately 40km offshore Victoria, Australia. The contract scope consists of the subsea tie- back of the Sole well to the Orbost Gas Plant, including the fabrication and installation of 64km of pipeline, spool and manifold, along with installation of a 64km umbilical and the commissioning of the system. Project management and engineering will commence immediately from Subsea 7's office in Perth, Australia, with offshore operations scheduled to commence in 2018.

The material offshore operations are subject to the Sole Development Project final investment decision which is anticipated soon. Andy Woolgar, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this key project from Cooper Energy Ltd.

This award draws upon Subsea 7's substantial experience of delivering projects in the Gippsland Basin over the last 40 years. We look forward to leveraging this established and proven record in pipeline fabrication and offshore installation to help Cooper Energy as it develops its offshore gas resources." (1) Subsea 7 defines a sizeable contract as being between USD 50 million and USD 150 million.

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Subsea 7 awarded contract offshore Australia - OilVoice

Kitten stowaway gets first-class treatment on offshore Taranaki gasfield rig – Stuff.co.nz

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

JEREMY WILKINSON

Last updated16:44, February 28 2017

ANDY JACKSON/Stuff.co.nz

Veterinarian Gemma Kinross says Maui the kitten had a "full belly" but was "very dirty" after being found on an off shore oil rig.

A kitten that stowed away on a container ship toan offshore oil and gasrig had to be specially flown off by helicopter.

Named Maui- after the gasfield off the coast of Taranaki she was found on- the three-month old kitten won over workers at the site, and has even been adopted by one.

Maui was flown first-class by helicopter off the field once she was discovered, but not before she was spoilt with sardines and milk by the Maui team.

ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ

Shona Salisbury from St Aubyn Veterinary Clinic spends some time with stow away kitten, Maui.

Shell New Zealand chairman Rob Jager said it was likely she'd climbed into a shipping container while it was being loaded, and wasn't discovered until she was at the platform roughly 50kilometres off thecoast.

READ MORE: *Help, it's a wasp: the daftest Fire Service callouts in the past year *Cat stuck up tree in New Plymouth had to be hosed down *Mega moggie captures heart of New Plymouth woman *Council reunites cat's body with owner for farewell *Cat missing for two years is reunited with New Plymouth owners *Slice of cat heaven in New Plymouth

"It's unusual to have a small animal or bird found offshore but it has happened before," he said.

ANDY JACKSON/Fairfax NZ

Maui came in a bit dirty and shy but is pretty much back up to full health.

"Now one of the guys from the Maui team is taking her home. He looked after her when she was offshore and has convinced his wife they should keep her.

"Unless someone claims her."

Animals aren't allowed on the platform and fortunately Maui didn't cause any damage duringher short stay.

STOS

Rebekah Smith, platform medic, at Maui B with Maui the kitten.

Workers managed to lure her into a cage borrowed from a local vet with a rasher of bacon, then loaded her onto a specially-requested helicopter.

She's now staying at St Aubyn Vet Clinic in New Plymouth until her new family takes her home.

Vet Gemma Kinross said she got a call from one of her clients asking to borrow a cage to take to the Maui B platform.

Stuff

Maui the kitten's journey from New Plymouth to the Maui B gasfield roughly 49 kilometres off the coast.

"It was all a bit confusing, I just thought they meant the port," she said.

"But then they said it needed to be pretty fast because there was a helicopter waiting."

Aside from coming in a bit shy, dirty and slightly traumatised from her helicopter ride, Maui was healthy even after a few nights at the platform.

"We have no idea what her start in life was like, we checked for a microchip straight away," Kinross said.

"It seems like everyone loved her, someone rang today saying they would have her as soon as she could leave."

Kinross suspected Maui was seeking food when she got into the container andit looked like she had stowed away to the right place, coming back with a full belly from the crew's attentions.

Maui isn't the first cat to stowaway on and oil and gas ship. In 2001 a cat called Colin's stowed away on the methanol tanker Tomiwaka from New Plymouth to South Korea.

Colin'sbelonged to one of the tanker terminal workers at Port Taranaki, but after falling asleep on board the Tomiwaka she set sail for international waters.

On her arrival back home by air New Plymouth's mayor Peter Tennent named her an honourary ambassador of the district. Sadly she passed away in 2007.

-Stuff

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Kitten stowaway gets first-class treatment on offshore Taranaki gasfield rig - Stuff.co.nz

An LGBTQ Micronation Declared War On Australia In 2004 And A Senator Is Still Mad About It – Huffington Post Australia

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

CANBERRA -- Ever heard of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands? Probably not. You're about to, and it's all got to do with a flag placed in the foyer of the Department of Finance building in Canberra.

During a Senate estimates hearing on finance and public administration on Tuesday, conversation turned to flags. Liberal Senator Eric Abetz, one of the most conservative members of parliament, was concerned about a rainbow flag -- a symbol of the LGBTQ equality movement -- being flown in the foyer of the finance department.

It sparked several minutes of questioning of department officials about flag protocols, who decides which flags are displayed and why, with Abetz saying rainbow flags were the symbol of a "political campaign" and "activist flag".

He stopped short of implicitly criticising the rainbow flag being displayed in a government building, but said he had been tipped off by a department staffer who was "concerned" by the flag selection process.

"If that is allowed, one imagines the Marriage Alliance banner should be flown equally... if you allow one side of a debate, then you need to allow the other side," Abetz said, referencing a group actively opposing marriage equality.

As the hearing started to move on, Abetz had one final bizarre thing to add to an already weird conversation.

"By way of some slight humour on this issue, this particular flag, you will realise, is the flag of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands which declared war on Australia... of course it's the flag of a hostile nation, if we are to believe them, having declared war on Australia," he said, grinning.

Wait, what? What?

Yes, the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands is a place that exists. It's what is called a "micro nation", a tiny area of land which declares independence for itself from the country it is ostensibly part of.

The kingdom, like other micronations such as the famous Principality of Hutt River in Western Australia, is not an official nation of its own, and not recognised by the United Nations or any international bodies.

But it exists, and yes, it did declare war on Australia.

The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, according to its website (yes, it has a website, and a Facebook page) was established in 2004 by a group of LGBTQ activists protesting the government's refusal to grant same-sex marriage. The kingdom is scattered over some one million square kilometres of ocean, in the Coral Sea off Australia's northeast coast.

On its website, the kingdom claims its population is "100 percent homosexual". Its capital is "Heaven, a camp site located on Cato Island". It is a constitutional monarchy. Its currency is the Euro, but its only industries are tourism, fishing and "the sale of Gay & Lesbian Postage Stamps". Its national anthem is titled 'Zadok the Priest' and its national flag, sparking the concern of Senator Abetz, is "the gay rainbow pride flag".

"The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom formally raised the gay rainbow pride flag on Cato Island on the 14th of June 2004 and declared the territory an independent gay and lesbian state, a memorial plaque on the north eastern tip of Cato Island commemorates this historic event," the website reports.

The plaque, pictured above, states: "On the 14th day of June 2004, at this highest point in the Coral Sea, Emperor Dale Parker Anderson raised the gay rainbow flag and claimed the islands of the Coral Sea in his name as homeland for the gay and lesbian peoples of the world. God Save our King!"

The title 'kingdom' is not just a fancy name, with the micronation's sovereign claiming to descend from actual English royalty.

"The sovereign of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom is Dale Parker Anderson, who is directly descendant from the murdered gay King of England, Edward II (1284-1327) this makes the Sovereign distantly related to all the major royal houses of Europe," its website states.

However, as Abetz pointed out, its not all peace in the gay kingdom. In September 2004, the kingdom declared war on Australia (it must be noted that the kingdom claims to have "a small army of gay activist located around the world it can call on in times of emergency".)

"On the 13th of September 2004, the Gay Kingdom declared war on the Commonwealth of Australia. Notification of acceptance and notification of the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, were given to the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard, both directly and through the Swiss Federal Government. This is a ratified Law of Australia, and conveys the responsibility to Govern to the Occupying Power," the kingdom said on its website.

"Therefore, by the Law of Australia, only the Gay Government is the Authority to Govern the Territory and the people of the Coral Sea Islands. The 1 week state of War, which was Officially declared, brought into effect the Law of War, under whose Sovereignty goes automatically to a State undefeated in a State of War. As Australia did not respond to the declaration The Gay & Lesbian Kingdoms independence was assured."

Back in estimates, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann -- as tongue-in-cheek as Abetz was -- promised a "flag enquiry".

"It's certainly not the government's intentions in any of our official buildings to fly the flag of hostile nations," the stone-faced Cormann said.

"We'll make sure there are no flags of hostile nations anywhere in any government building."

So there you go. A nation whose economy is built on postage stamps and occupies a beautiful island chain off the Great Barrier Reef once declared war on Australia, and claimed victory by default. And 13 years later a federal senator complained because a rainbow flag was flown in the Department of Finance.

See the rest here:

An LGBTQ Micronation Declared War On Australia In 2004 And A Senator Is Still Mad About It - Huffington Post Australia

Your own private island for 7000: Seven of the most luxurious new … – The Independent

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

For some, a good book, a rectangle of sand to lay a beach towel on, and a few days to bask in the sun like a lizard and gorge on local food is enough for a relaxing holiday. For others (namely those with deep pockets), a destination won't do unless it is a private island with access to a yacht, a spa, cigar humidor and a wine cellar.

Below, we've rounded up the newest luxury private island resorts from across the globe.

This five-acre stretch of land in the crystal blue waters of the Maldives is a record-breaker. Opened in late 2016, it is not only Four Seasons' first private island resort but also currently the only exclusive-use hideaway in the 463 square mile Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, which is made up of 75 islands. It's exclusive use, so rented to single groups, with a maximum of 22 holiday-makers serviced by a full staff.

Guests can both relax and explore the natural beauty surrounding the island. There is access to three villas, a beach house - complete with an open-air living room, kitchen, pool deck, library, gym - as well as a spa. The 62-foot yacht parked in the lagoon is all yours, whether it's to explore the biosphere reserve or simply snorkel with manta rays and sea turtles.From 36,700 per night for 22 people.

Butlers service every single one of the 77 villas at St. Regis first private island escape, which opened last year. While some rooms are nestled between the dense tropical plants, others are situated slightly off the lagoon of the 23-acre island. Their silver shingle roofs were designed by Singapore-based Wow architects to look like manta rays skimming across the water.

The outdoor infinity pool, spa and library caters to guests yearning for relaxation, while more active holiday-makers can visit the fitness centre, diving and sports centre, and tennis court. Want to get rid of the kids for a bit? Make for the childrens club. From 1400 per night.

Only 10 guests in total can stay on this island, a 45-minute helicopter ride north of Auckland. In 2010, before it was developed (it opened last year), the island was rated second on National Geographic Travelers list of "99 Worlds Top Rated Islands, Coastlines and Beaches" in 2010. Its owner discovered it during his round-the-world super-yacht trip (of course).

As temperatures on the island hover between 22-26C in the summer and 14-17C in the winter, this isnt so much a resort for sunning yourself, but rather for wildlife watching. Each of the five suites on the purpose-built 29m property has a balcony overlooking Helena Bay and the South Pacific Ocean, and comes with a pair of Leica binoculars. The nearby Poor Knights Island is home to the worlds largest sea cave and is a habitat for orca, dolphins and hundreds of species of fish. The rugged landscape means its also perfect for hiking, biking and fishing.

The estate also features a gym, a 25-metre heated swimming pool, a library, and an outdoor fire pit for guests more into relaxing than hiking, and there's also a spa inspired by a Russian banya, over 1000 bottles of New Zealand and international wines in the cellar, and an offshoot of the Amalfi Coast's two Michelin-starred Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890.Doubles from 1020, half board.

This resort, which opened last year, is located on Flicit among the 115 islands of the Seychelles archipelago. As a satellite of the nearby La Digue, Grande Soeur, Petite Soeur, Coco and Marianne islands, it means its ideal for Greek-style island hopping.

Its 30 one-bed villas - each shrouded by tropical plants - are a 20-minute helicopter ride from Seychelles International Airport on the main island of Mah, and look out onto the Indian Ocean. Each has a 20m infinity pool and access to the rock-edged pools and three private white sand beaches.

In a push for sustainability, the resort has a reverse osmosis plant and crystal water refinery removing the need for plastic bottles. As for food, the resort currently has a chicken farm and organic garden.

Doubles from 1075

Set to open in April, this luxury lodge is on Nosy Ankao, on of the biggest of five islands off the north-eastern coast of Madagascar.

Miavana, by the team behind the award-winning North Island lodge in the Seychelles and Chinzombo in Zambia, is a resort for those hungry to experience Madagascars wildlife, 90 per cent of which is endemic. Its 14 villas are set across 5km of white beaches, with views across the ocean which stress to mainland Madagascar to the west. When you want to venture out, marine safari guides head explorations of the archipelagos beaches, lagoons and channels and aquamarine bays.

Villas from 3,360 per night

The winner of the "Worlds Leading Exclusive Private Island"at theWorld Travel Awards 2016, this is the ultimate in luxury - atropical island withjust one villa.

Positioned in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Tanzania, Thanda, which opened last year, is in the middle of a coral reef, and is home to two species of turtle, with afurther three in the surrounding waters. Those headed to the island for an autumn or winter break might also spot whale sharks, which pass through the waters between October and February. Dugongs, an endangered sea mammal, also sometimes make an appearance.

Guests stay in the villa, which has five en-suite bedrooms as well as outr extras like an indoor aquarium, Steinway piano and cigar humidor. There is, of course, aninfinity pool. When that gets tiresome, you can move tothe two traditional Tanzanian banda tents, or head to the spa.

From 7000 per night

Withexplorers wanted as its tagline, guests at this resort have access to six islands situated to the north-east of Singapore.

At Bawah, which is a 150 nautical-mile plane ride from the mainland, a maximum of 70 guests will be allowed to visit at any given time (it opens this year). Thats more than some other private island resorts. Still, it's set across 300 hectares of land and the destination offers nature-lovers access to a jungle canopy for trekking, three lagoons, and 13 white-sand beaches.

Aimed atcouples, the accommodation comes in the form of 35 tented villas. 21 of the have a view of the lagoons, three are surrounded by vegetation, while the remaining 11 are designed for watching the sun rise and set.

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Your own private island for 7000: Seven of the most luxurious new ... - The Independent

Letters: Dismiss Schimel, others for maps – The Sheboygan Press

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 4:02 p.m. CT Feb. 27, 2017

Letters to the Editor(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

It appears that Wisconsin has had negligible, if any, voter fraud for the past decades. But since the most recent redistricting after 2010, the Badger State has had colossal election fraud with huge, widespread election impacts. A federal panel of court judges has ruled Wisconsins legislative maps to be unconstitutional. This election fraud has more severe impacts on election results than almost any voter fraud could ever have.

For fair elections, Wisconsin must redistrict the state WITHOUT DELAY. An independent districting board, NOT the Legislature, must do this work using the mathematical principles of compactness and contiguity, tempered with regards for communities of interest. Transparency and intentional, active public oversight and awareness are NECESSARY! It is unacceptable to allow future elections without new, non-gerrymandered legislative maps.

Although it is not possible to quantify exactly, the Wisconsin Election Fraud undoubtedly impacted (altered, influenced) mind-boggling quantities of revenues and expenditures. Given Wisconsins state annual budget (~$37 billion), it is most probable that at least $1 billion to more than $10 billion per year were impacted by this election fraud.

Attorney General Brad Schimel and Assistant AG Brian Keenan seek to delay and soften or dismiss the ruling of the federal panel of court judges. State Sen.Scott Fitzgerald and other senate leaders have spent more than $2 million Wisconsin taxpayer dollars in legal proceedings to maintain the unconstitutional legislative maps and mapping processes.

I call for the immediate dismissals of Schimel, Keenan and Fitzgerald for their attacks on fair legislative maps, an obvious cornerstone of democracy. Furthermore, I call for legal action against committee members who fielded the fraudulent, unconstitutional Wisconsin legislative maps currently in use. And, lastly, I call for suspension of the blank-check legal proceedings initiated by Fitzgerald and other senate leaders to fight redistricting of these unconstitutional legislative maps.

Steve Deibele

Kiel

I enjoy that Sheboygan County is full of people who have lived here their entire lives, maybe even without ever going to a major city. But as the population grows, new traffic patterns have begun to emerge roundabouts, bike lanes, etc.

As a citizen who has been in many near accidents due to others not understanding these new traffic patterns, I have found myself wanting drivers in this community to take the job of driving more seriously. We need to educate on the correct way to enter and leave a roundabout. We need to educate on the purpose of a bike lane, and that it is for bicycles, not a second lane for vehicles. We need to also point out areas where speed limits have changed.

Just as there is a minimum driving age because of a teenager's attention and decision-making processes, so it should be considered when allowing the elderly to drive. I am not trying to discriminate against our senior citizens, but age causes a decline in decision making and reaction time, among many other things. I believe there should be a requirement that after a certain age, all should be required to re-test every year for a valid license. Additionally, this should be required of those who have just had a major medical procedure (regardless of age) that may affect their ability to drive.

I understand the pain that is involved with becoming more dependent as one ages or falls ill, but I think the safety of everyone should be taken into consideration.

Kellie Resnick

Sheboygan

First, I want to thank the citizens who came out and voted for me and the other candidates. It was a good turnout and demonstrates the civic interest of our citizens.

Secondly, I want to thank the other candidates for a collegial election process. I felt that we all conducted ourselves in a friendly and courteous manner.

Finally, I want to thank the staff of the City Clerks office and the poll workers. The election was run efficiently and transparently and these people do their job well. But, this is the first of two steps. Be sure to underline April 4 for the second step and come out and vote.

Henry Nelson

Sheboygan

Editors note: Henry Nelson is one of two city Common Council candidates who advanced to an April 4 election following a primary vote Feb. 21. Nelson is running for the councils sixth district seat, which represents part of Sheboygans south side.

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Letters: Dismiss Schimel, others for maps - The Sheboygan Press

FSU researcher to lead US-Russia project on health, space travel – Florida State News

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

FSU Dean of the College of Human Sciences and Professor Michael Delp

NASA-Funded Project to Examine Vision, Cardiovascular Problems

A Florida State University researcher will lead a joint U.S.-Russia project that will examine the effect of space travel on astronauts vision, an ongoing problem that NASA has been eager to solve.

The issue of vision impairment is very important to NASA, said Michael Delp, dean of the College Human Sciences and the lead investigator on the project. When astronauts go into space, they lose bone density and muscle mass, but thats mostly preventable or recoverable. The vision may not be, and not everyone is willing to risk their sight.

The work will be funded by a $750,000 grant from NASA.

In recent years, NASA has spearheaded research into vision problems experienced by astronauts returning from space. On shorter trips, astronauts have often experienced minor vision changes that eventually self-corrected. But longer trips to space have caused more structural changes to the eye that have permanently altered astronauts ability to see.

Delp and colleagues at the Russian Academy of Sciences previously collaborated on a study that found space travel may diminish the bodys ability to regulate blood flowing to the brain, which could contribute to temporary or permanent changes in vision for astronauts.

For this study, researchers will send male mice into space on a SpaceX rocket in August 2017. The mice will live at the International Space Station for 30 days and then return to Earth to be recovered by the U.S. Navy off the California coast.

Scientists will then examine changes to the lymphatic and vascular functions to see how that may affect vision.

Were looking at cerebral arteries, cerebral veins and the lymphatics that drain the brain to see if vascular function in any of those areas are changed with micro gravity, Delp said. Were also looking at the blood brain barrier. So if the vessels become leaky and allow fluid out into the brain, that might be another reason were seeing vision problems in astronauts.

Delps research has been funded by NASA for several decades. Prior to becoming dean of the College of Human Sciences in 2013, he worked as a professor at the University of Florida, West Virginia University and Texas A&M University. He received his doctoral degree from University of Georgia.

The grant will fund three graduate students and one postdoctoral researcher at Florida State University, as well as scientists and graduate students from Texas A&M University.

Continue reading here:

FSU researcher to lead US-Russia project on health, space travel - Florida State News

Stars align for space travel at memorable Oscars ceremony – Siliconrepublic.com

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

NASAs fingerprints were all over the Academy Awards, with key members of the associations history gaining particular recognition.

Amid a troubling political landscape, and the controversial execution of the Best Picture prizeat last nights Academy Awards (26 February), NASAs high achievers received some serious recognition at the event.

NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, one of the many women that helped to drive the space race in the 1950s-60s and inspire the blockbuster movie Hidden Figures, took to the stage and received a standing ovation for her achievements.

Although the movie failed to take the top prize, Johnsons appearance on stage was something that NASA was particularly proud of.

Movies about the lives of men and women in the history books have long been a staple of storytellers. Sometimes, the names and deeds are the heroes, and their names are known to all, said actress JanelleMone.

Co-star Taraji P Henson, who played Johnson in Hidden Figures, added: We were honoured to be in an inspiring film about three such women.

Johnson, now 98, was escorted onto the stage by NASA astronaut Yvonne Cagle, before thanking everyone in attendance.

A physicist, space scientist and mathematician, Johnson was integral to early crewed space flight. She carried out the calculations for Alan Shepards flight (which made him the first American in space). She also verified the calculations made by an electronic computer for John Glenns orbit at Glenns request and for Apollo 11s trajectory to the moon.

In 2016, NASA named a building at the Langley Research Center after Johnson, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.

Elsewhere, engineer and astronaut Anousheh Ansari who self-funded her way to becoming the first ever Iranian in space and former NASA scientist Firouz Naderi accepted the Best Foreign Language Film award for The Salesman on behalf of director Asghar Farhadi.

Farhadi chose notto attend the event after US president Donald Trumps move to bar Iranian visa-holders from entering the US.

Oscar figurines. Image: 360b/Shutterstock

Originally posted here:

Stars align for space travel at memorable Oscars ceremony - Siliconrepublic.com

Video: AI Is Getting Smarter, Says Singularity University’s Neil … – Wall Street Journal (subscription) (blog)

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Video: AI Is Getting Smarter, Says Singularity University's Neil ...
Wall Street Journal (subscription) (blog)
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Chair at Singularity University Neil Jacobstein talks about some recent achievements where AIs have been able to solve ...

and more »

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Video: AI Is Getting Smarter, Says Singularity University's Neil ... - Wall Street Journal (subscription) (blog)

I Love Acid’s 10th anniversary compilation comes on a 303-shaped USB stick – FACT

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Luke Vibert, Posthuman, John Heckle and more contribute to the 20-track compilation.

Londons I Love Acid party will celebrate 10 years in the game with a 20-track acid compilation, released on a 303-shaped USB stick.

As RA reports, the compilation features tracks made byacid-loving producers from across the globe, including Luke Vibert, Neville Watson, Jared Wilson, Hannah Holland, Mark Forshaw and John Heckle.

Pye Corner Audio, XXXY, TB Arthur and Posthuman also contribute to the compilation, which will be released in time for the partys 10th anniversary parties in April.

Launched in 2007 by Luke Vibert and Posthuman, I Love Acids first party was held at Londons Corsica Studios and has been a fixture at the club and expanded with parties in different countries.

Its 10th anniversary parties take place at Manchesters Hidden on April 1, Corsica Studios on April 7 and Barcelonas Moog on May 5. Tickets for those can be found here.

10 Years of I Love Acid will be available to pre-order from the Balkan Vinyl Bandcamp page on March 5.

Tracklist:

01. Neville Watson Sweatbox 02. Posthuman Brand Loyalty 03. Mike Dunn No Chaser 04. XXXY Blup Blup 05. TB Arthur TB1 B1 06. Mystic Bill Revenge Of The Preacherman 07. Cardopusher Out On A Limb 08. Hardfloor 36 Chambers Of Kikumoto 09. dyLab Let Us Rise 10. Kerrie Eerie Acid 11. Jared Wilson Tracking 12. Hannah Holland Tweak feat. Josh Caffe 13. B12 Wobble Boarding 14. Mark Forshaw Hes Not There 15. Jozef K & Wintersun Hyggeacid 16. John Heckle Days Of Atlantis 17. Chevron CYPUPB~B 18. Luke Vibert Jeepers H Christ 19. Transparent Sound Dancing Eyelids 20. Pye Corner Audio Dead Ends

Read next: The 20 best acid house records ever made

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I Love Acid's 10th anniversary compilation comes on a 303-shaped USB stick - FACT

Stellaris Brings Ascension Perks in Utopia Expansion – Wccftech

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Turns out Utopia is in space. Paradox Interactive just announced the release date for the expansion for their epic sci-fi grand strategy game, Stellaris.

Stellaris: Utopia is the first big expansion pack for the Stellaris series. It grants players new mechanics to expand your galactic empire.

Your path to a perfect world will focus on pushing your species to gain new traditions and how they push towards their version of enlightenment that follows the Body, Mind, and Machine paths.

Heres exactly what you should expect in Stellaris: Utopia.

Stellaris:Utopias Path to Ascension comes April 9 on PC and will retail for $19.99. The Stellaris base game is available now for $39.99.

The stars have called you for millennia and now you walk among them. A universe of possibilities is open to your species as it takes its first fitful steps into the great unknown. Here you can turn your back on the divisive politics of the home planet. Here you can build something new. Here you can unify your people and build that perfect society.

Only in space can you build Utopia.

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Stellaris Brings Ascension Perks in Utopia Expansion - Wccftech

Time to apply for Teach Ascension Program – Donaldsonville Chief – Donaldsonville Chief

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Ascension Public Schools is currently accepting applications for its Teach Ascension Academy, the district's alternative certification program. Applications are due by March 31 for the 2017-18 academic year.

In 2015, the Teach Ascension program was launched to recruit, train, and hire teachers from alternative professions or academic programs. This one-year program includes four weeks of intensive professional development over the summer, placement as a teacher during the school year with weekly professional development and master, mentor and supervising teacher support.

Tuition for the program is $4,000, but there are no out-of-pocket expenses for candidates as long as they teach in an Ascension Parish school for two years.

Requirements include, but are not limited to a Bachelors Degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher, as evidenced by an official transcript; Passing scores on PRAXIS I (or equivalent ACT/SAT score) and PRAXIS II (content knowledge) for the designated area in which the teacher will be teaching; and a "rigorous" selection process.

For more information about the Teach Ascension program, visit http://www.apsb.org/TeachAscension. To submit an application, visit http://www.apsb.org/ApplyNow.

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Time to apply for Teach Ascension Program - Donaldsonville Chief - Donaldsonville Chief

Ascension Lutheran Church youth to hold Chilifest – Fond du Lac Reporter

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

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The youth from Ascension Lutheran Church invite the public to their annual Chilifest dinner on March 11 to help raise funds for youth mission trips.

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For USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 6:02 p.m. CT Feb. 27, 2017

Youth from Ascension Lutheran Church are pictured in Belize during a past mission trip.(Photo: Courtesy of Mark Rasner)

FOND DU LAC- The youth from Ascension Lutheran Church, 901 County V, in Fond du Lac, invite the public to their annual Chilifest dinner on March 11 to help raise funds for youth mission trips.

In the past, they have gone to Belize to do hands-on work with the local Jaguar Scouts, participating in various mission activities that changed many of their lives. Last year, the Chilifest dinner raised enough funds to do a reverse mission trip in which they brought the Jaguar Scouts from Belize to Fond du Lac to serve thecommunity. This year, they are looking for the communitys help to raise money for additional youth mission trips planned for this summer.

RELATED:Fond du Lac woman begins Peace Corps service in Costa Rica

RELATED:'Thin Blue Line' campaign supports law enforcement

The event will feature a silent auction with manyitems displayed prior to and during the event.A dinner of chili, hot dogs, chips and homemade desserts will be served from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m..Games will be available for the kids and the nursery will be staffed.The evening will end with a live auction starting at 7.

For additional information or to make a donation, contact Mark Rasner at 920-907-2990 or mark.d.rasner@ampf.com.

Youth from Ascension Lutheran Church are pictured with Jaguar Scouts from Belize, who came to the Fond du Lac area as part of a reverse mission trip in 2016.(Photo: Courtesy of Mark Rasner)

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Ascension Parish school district employees resign after food theft – The Advocate

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

A food services manager and four employees at Galvez Middle School in Ascension Parish resigned in the 2015-16 school year after falsifying records to cover up the theft of approximately $200 to $300 of food, a recent independent auditor reported.

In an audit report released Monday for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2016, the Baton Rouge accounting firm of Postlethwaite and Netterville said that no charges were filed, because the employees resigned, and no restitution was made because officials felt the amount stolen to be too small to try to recover.

The letter D, which signifies fraud had been found, was assigned to the School Board's audit as a result of the theft.

Brad Cryer, director of local government with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's office, said assigning the letter D to an audit is not the same as a school grade of D.

"It doesn't mean a letter grade," Cryer said.

The audit reports that the school district's internal controls allowed detection of the theft, and that the food service program will continue to monitor reports and personnel activity.

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Ascension Parish school district employees resign after food theft - The Advocate

Superintelligent AI explains Softbank’s push to raise a $100BN … – TechCrunch

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Danzig

Anyone whos seen Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son give a keynote speech will know he rarely sticks to the standardindustry conference playbook.

And his turn on the stage at Mobile World Congress this morning was no different, with Son making likeEldon Tyrell and telling delegates abouthis personal belief ina looming computing Singularity that hes convinced willseesuperintelligent robotsarriving en masse within the next 30 years, surpassing the human population in number and brainpower.

I totally believe this concept, he said, of the Singularity. In next 30 years this will become a reality.

If superintelligence goes inside the moving device then the world, our lifestyle dramatically changes, he continued, pointing out thatautonomous vehicles containingasuperintelligent AI would become smart robots.

There will be many kinds. Flying, swimming, big, micro, run, two legs, four legs, 100 legs, he added, further fleshing out his vision of a robot-infested future.

Son said hispersonal conviction in the looming rise of billions ofsuperintelligent robots bothexplains his acquisition of UK chipmaker ARM last year, and his subsequent plantoestablish the worldsbiggest VC fund.

I truly believe its coming, thats why Im in a hurry to aggregate the cash, to invest, he noted.

Sons intentto raise$100BN for a new fund, called the Softbank Vision Fund, was announced last October, getting early backing fromSaudi Arabias public investment fund as one of the partners.

The fund hassince pulled inadditional contributors includingFoxconn,Apple, Qualcomm and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellisons family office.

But it has evidently not yet hit Sons target of $100BN as he used his MWC keynoteas a sales pitch for additional partners. Im looking for a partner because we alone cannot do it, he told delegates, smiling and opening his arms in a widegesture of appeal. We have to do it quickly and here are all kinds of candidates for my partner.

Son saidhis haste is partly down to a belief that superintelligent AIs can be used for the goodness of humanity, going on to suggest that only AI has the potentialto address some of the greatest threats to humankinds continued existence be itclimate change ornuclear annihilation.

Though he also said its important to consider whether such a technology will be good or bad.

It will be so much more capable than us - what will be our job? What will be our life? We have to ask philosophical questions, he said. Is it good or bad?

I think this superintelligence is going to be our partner.If we misuse it its a risk. If we use it in good spirits it will be our partner for a better life.So the future can be better predicted, people will live healthier, and so on, he added.

Given this vision for billions of superintelligence connected devices fast-coming down the pipe, Son is unsurprisingly very concerned about security. He said he discusses this weekly with ARM engineers. And described how one of his engineers had played a game to see how many security cameras he could hack during a lunchtime while waiting for his wife. The result? 1.2M cameras potentially compromised during an idle half hour or so.

This is how it is dangerous, this is how we should start thinking of protection of ourself, said Son. We have to be very very careful.

We are shipping a lot of ARMchips but in the pastthose were not secure.We are enhancing very quickly the security. We need to secure all of the thingsin our society.

Son alsorisked something of a Gerald Ratnermoment when he said that all the chips ARM is currently shipping for use in connected cars are not , in fact, secure. Going so far as to show a video of a connected car being hacked and the driver being unable to control the brakes or steering.

There are 500 ARM chips [in one car] today and none of them are secure today btw! said Son. (Though clearly hesworking hard with his team at ARM to change that.)

He also discussed a plan tolaunch800satellitesin the next threeyears, positioned in a nearer Earth orbit to reduce latency and support faster connectivity, as part of a planto help plugconnectivity gaps for connected cars describing the planned configuration of satellites as like a cell tower and like fiber coming straight to the Earth from space.

Were going to provide connectivityto billions of drivers fromthesatellites, he said.

For carriers hungry for their next billions of subscribers as smartphone markets saturate across the world, Son painted a pictured of vast subscriber growth via the proliferation of connected objects which handily of course also helps his bottom line, as the new parent of ARM.

If I say number of subscribers will not grow its not true, he told the conference. Smartphones no but IoT chips will grow to a trillionchips so we will have 1TR subscribers in the next 20 years. And they will all be smart.

One of the chips in our shoes in the next 30 years will be smart than our brain. We will be less than our shoes! And we are stepping on them! he joked. Its an interesting society that comes.

All of the cities, social ecosystem infrastructurewill be connected, he added.All those things will be connected.All connected securelyand managed from the cloud.

Superintelligent AI explains Softbank's push to raise a $100BN ... - TechCrunch

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