2013年8月31日 星期六

BRIEF: Charges filed in child pornography case

Source: The Roanoke Times, Va.迷你倉Aug. 31--A man in Bedford County has been charged in a child pornography case, authorities said.David Seabolt, of Thaxton, was arrested on Thursday and charged with 20 felony counts of possessing and reproducing child pornography, according to a release from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office. He is being held in the Bedford Adult Detention Center with no bond.The release said authorities from multiple organizations worked together in July on the c文件倉se after a complaint of possible child pornography. The investigation led to Seabolt. After a search warrant was executed at his residence, evidence was recovered that led to the charges, the release stated.Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to call the Bedford County Sheriff's Office at 586-7628.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) Visit The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) at .roanoke.com Distributed by MCT Information Services存倉

Sunday conversation: NASA veteran Chris Kraft upfront with criticism

Source: Houston ChronicleSept.mini storage 01--NASA says it's going places, that its plan to develop a new space capsule and rocket will take human astronauts places they've never been before -- asteroids and eventually Mars. But many former NASA officials are deeply skeptical about the plan espoused by the space agency, at the direction of the Obama administration. Among the critics is the legendary Chris Kraft, NASA's first manned spaceflight director, for whom Mission Control at Johnson Space Center is named. Kraft spoke recently with science writer Eric Berger about NASA's plans. The following are edited excerpts:Q: I know you've been frustrated with the current direction of NASA. What's the problem with the space agency's plan to build the Space Launch System, a so-called heavy-lift rocket?A: The problem with the SLS is that it's so big that makes it very expensive. It's very expensive to design, it's very expensive to develop. When they actually begin to develop it, the budget is going to go haywire. They're going to have all kinds of technical and development issues crop up, which will drive the development costs up. Then there are the operating costs of that beast, which will eat NASA alive if they get there. They're not going to be able to fly it more than once a year, if that, because they don't have the budget to do it. So what you've got is a beast of a rocket, that would give you all of this capability, which you can't build because you don't have the money to build it in the first place, and you can't operate it if you had it.Q: What do you see as the alternative?A: In the private sector we've got an Atlas and a Delta rocket, and the Europeans have a rocket called the Ariane. The Russians have lots of rockets, which are very reliable, and they get reliable by using them. And that's something the SLS will never have. Never. Because you can't afford to launch it that many times.Q: So you're saying that NASA should launch its vehicles on existing rockets that can carry less mass into space?A: What's so magic about this being able to lift 120 tons? Why can't you use what you've got and put your vehicles into space in pieces, like you did with the space station? That's the rself storageght way to do it. Eventually you'll get to the point where, even with a really big rocket, you can't put everything on there you need to go where you want to go. Whether you want to go to the moon or Mars, you're going to have to do something in Earth orbit, or maybe lunar orbit, with an assembly capability, a fuel depot capability and the capability to have people operating there sort of as a Cape Canaveral in the sky.Q: Like a lot of people in Congress, you don't like NASA's plan to attempt landing astronauts on an asteroid before maybe trying to go to Mars in the 2030s. Why?A: Most in Congress want to see NASA go back to the moon. So do nearly all of the scientific and technical organizations in the world. China said last week they're going to go to the moon. They aren't going just because it's there, it's because it's a place where you want to be from all kinds of points of view, from science, from a resource point of view. There's no reason why you couldn't set up a factory on the moon to build solar panels. You could provide enough electrical power on the moon from solar cells, and eventually you could supply enough power for half the people on Earth with a solar cell farm on the moon. I just think the world is going to use the moon for practical purposes.Q: A lot of veteran astronauts and engineers are leaving NASA. Why do you think this is?A: Astronauts want to do something that has some excitement to it. The engineers that come to Johnson Space Center want to do something. You go talk to the guys who were doing Constellation (NASA's now-scuttled plan to return to the moon), and the reason they came to NASA was to go back to the moon. They're all leaving now. The leaders are leaving for a lot of other reasons also, but they're leaving because there's no future that they want to be involved in. And that's unfortunate. You've got to have a reason for people to give you their lives, which is what I did. I gave NASA my life not because they asked me to, but because I wanted to. I had a reason. But I just don't think that's there now.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Houston Chronicle Visit the Houston Chronicle at .chron.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉

Penn State knocks off Syracuse

Source: The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.迷你倉Sept. 01--EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Penn State's defense came up with two big stops in the final five minutes and Eugene Lewis scored the winning touchdown as the Nittany Lions held off Syracuse 23-17 on Saturday at MetLife Stadium.Playing in his first collegiate game, Lewis torched the Orange defense down the middle of the field in the fourth quarter for a 54-yard touchdown that gave the Nittany Lions a 23-10 lead.Syracuse answered, turning a Christian Hackenberg interception into a touchdown to pull within 23-17. The Lions sealed it with a Trevor Williams interception with a minute left to play.For more on Penn State's victory, check back to timesleader.com and see Sunday's edition of The Times Leader.------Syracuse took advantage of a freshman mistake by Christian Hackenberg and the Orange have cut Penn State's lead to 23-17 with 6:58 to play.Under pressure on a blitz, Hackenberg forced a quick pass into coverage, where it's intercepted by defensive end Robert Welsh. The return goes back to the Lions 1 and Jerome Smith punches it in on the next play for his second touchdown of the day.------Eugene Lewis made his presence felt in his first college game.After spending much of the game on the sideline, Lewis torched his man down the middle of the field in the fourth quarter for a 54-yard touchdown, giving Penn State a commanding 23-10 lead over Syracuse.It was Lewis' first career touchdown after redshirting in 2012.------Sam Ficken hit a career-best 46-yard field goal to give Penn State a 16-10 lead over Syracuse with 14:16 to play.The much-maligned Ficken has now hit 13 straight kicks dating back to last season. He did not, however, convert from beyond 40 yards in 2012.------Penn State played a half without Allen Robinson. Mike Hull has exited the game with an injury. Several other prominent Lions have missed time with bumps and bruises.The Lions lead 13-10 after three quarters in part because of the play of some depth players.Senior safety/linebacker Stephen Obeng-Agyapong came up with his second turnover of the game, picking up an interception to go with his fumble recovery to halt another Syracuse drive.Before that, tight-end-turned-tackle Garry Gilliam saved a touchdown by making a critical tackle on a fumble return.Robinson, who had six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in the quarter, fumbled after a gain of 18 midway through the frame with Syracuse's Brandon Reddish going 42 yards the other way. Only Gilliam stopped him from finding the end zone and the Orange ultimately missed a field goal try to keep Penn State in the lead.------Welcome back, Allen Robinson.After sitting out the first half for what Bill O'Brien called disciplinary reasons, Robinson touched the ball twice to start the second half and already has found the end zone.Robinson broke wide open down the left sideline for a 51-yard touchdown. Syracuse answered immediately with a deep ball to set up a 10-yard touchdown run by Jerome Smith.Penn State leads 13-10 early in the third quarter. Both scoring drives took just two plays.Robinson's first play of the season was a bubble screen in the slot that he took for a gain of 25. He then found himself wide open down the left sideline, only to have Christian Hackenberg underthrow the ball.But Robinson was so open that he had time to stop, scoop up the low throw and then accelerate from a dead stop past the rest of the Syracuse defense for a score.Syracuse victimized Penn State safety Malcolm Willis on the next play, as Jeremiah Kobena got behind the senior and hauled in a well-thrown lob for 55 yards. Smith scored on the next play.------It hasn't been pretty at all for either side. But Penn State heads to the locker room with a 6-3 lead over Syracuse at MetLife Stadium.Sam Ficken hit his second field goal of the quarter in the final minute, this time from 35 yards out, to give the Nittany Lions their first lead of the season. Ficken's other make was 36 yards.Throwing mostly bubble screens and short passes, Christian Hackenberg starts his career 11-for-15 for 69 yards and an interception. Tyler Ferguson played one drive that ended when he dropped the ball on his windup. Syracuse recovered and converted it into a field goal.Penn State played the first half without star wideout Allen Robinson for disciplinary reasons. He will return for the second half, according to coach Bill O'Brien."That's between me and Allen," O'Brien said in his halftime TV interview.The Lions also had tight end Matt Lehman carted off with what looked to be a serious knee injury. Penn State has also seen linebacker Mike Hull and tight end Kyle Carter miss time with minor injuries, though both have returned.------After trading turnovers, Penn State has its first points of 2013.Sam Ficken connected on a 36-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 with 5:59 to play in the first half. The field goal, which was Ficken's 11th straight make dating back to last season, was set up by a strip and recovery by safety-turned-linebacker Stephen Obeng-Agyapong.Penn State had initially gotten life from its special teams as a low snap skipped back to Jonathan Fisher. That gave defensive lineman Carl Nassib -- brother of prolific former Syracuse quarterback Ryan -- a shot at bringing him down for a loss of 17.Syracuse answered right back, however, as C文件倉ristian Hackenberg threw his first career interception. Safety Jeremi Wilkes jumped in front of Kyle Carter for the pick.Obeng-Agyapong responded by causing a turnover of his own, ripping the ball away from the Orange at the end of a play.The Lions initially lined up for a 47-yard field goal on the ensuing drive, but holder Ryan Keiser took the snap and comfortably converted on fourth-and-2.Syracuse held from there, setting up Ficken's kick.------Penn State's depth is already being tested.The Nittany Lions were dealt a tough blow in the second quarter as senior tight end Matt Lehman was carted off the field with an apparent knee injury as Penn State trails Syracuse 3-0 at MetLife Stadium.Lehman was untouched as he tried to make a cut at the top of his route when his left knee gave out on him, sending him quickly to the turf.The fifth-year senior immediately clutched his knee and the cart was summoned within a minute.------Mike Hull has returned for the Nittany Lions, who trail Syracuse 3-0 in the second quarter of the 2013 opener.The Orange capitalized on a Tyler Ferguson fumble, converting the trunover into three points on a 32-yard field goal by Ross Krautman.Hull, who spent a stretch in the locker room with team trainers, returned to the sideline with an extra wrap on his right knee. After a timeout, he was on the field for a third-and-long stop by the defense before the field goal.------Penn State and Syracuse are scoreless through one quarter at MetLife Stadium. The Nittany Lions' depth will be severely tested for the final three frames.Top wideout Allen Robinson appears to be healthy but is not playing. Dynamic linebacker Mike Hull limped off the field and headed to the locker room and has yet to return.Eugene Lewis and Matt Zanellato have taken the bulk of Robinson's snaps. Safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong has stepped into Hull spot at outside linebacker.Christian Hackenberg took the first two drives for the Lions and went 6-for-7 for 36 yards. Tyler Ferguson was under center for the third drive but had the ball slip out of his hands, with Syracuse recovering the fumble at the Penn State 43.------Christian Hackenberg indeed started at quarterback for Penn State. The much bigger surprise was who didn't.Top wideout Allen Robinson spent the opening series on the sideline with former Wyoming Valley Conference star Eugene Lewis taking his place. Lewis made his first career catch on the drive, hauling in a 7-yard reception from Hackenberg.Robinson sat out a few camp practices that were open to media to rest his hamstring. He was not on the team's injury report this week, however, and was expected to play as usual.Before the game, Penn State was represented by game captains Glenn Carson and John Urschel, taking midfield along with recently enshrined Pro Football Hall of Famer and Penn State great Dave Robinson.Fifth-year senior Drew Allen, an Oklahoma transfer, started at quarterback for Syracuse.------With the Lions' depth beginning to erode because of NCAA sanctions, they will need to rely more and more on freshmen to play early in their careers.To hammer that point home, the Lions brought 16 true freshmen on their travel roster for the opener. Six of them -- Hackenberg, linebacker Branon Bell, kicker Chris Gulla, tackle Andrew Nelson, defensive end Garrett Sickels and return man Von Walker -- had full written bios provided by the school, indicating that all six have a good chance to play this season, if not today.Four other true freshmen -- TE Adam Breneman, WR Richy Anderson, CB Jordan Smith and CB Anthony Smith -- arrived on campus in January and already had bios in the media guide.The rest of the rookies in uniform today for Penn State are QB Ausin Whipple, QB D.J. Crook, RB Chip Chiappialle, LB Brandon Smith, OL Brendan Mahon and WR Gregg Garrity.Penn State also brought 15 redshirt freshmen on the trip. Of the 74 players dressed for the Lions, 42 percent have freshman eligibility.------EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Penn State had gone a full century without starting a season with a true freshman at quarterback. Today, the Nittany Lions will now have done it twice in four seasons.Top recruit Christian Hackenberg is expected to be under center for the Lions as they open the 2013 campaign against Syracuse at 3:30 p.m. The Times Leader is live from MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets, and will be providing updates throughout the day.Hackenberg was rated by some services as the nation's top pro-style passer coming out of Fork Union Military Academy. He'll face an aggressive Syracuse defense led by new head coach Scott Shafer, who was promoted from defensive coordinator.Penn State coach Bill O'Brien has said all week that both Hackenberg and sophomore Tyler Ferguson will see the field today, though the plan is for Hackenberg to take the majority of the snaps.Hackenberg follows Rob Bolden, who opened the 2010 season at quarterback as a true freshman. Before Bolden, the last Penn State player in that position was Hall-of-Famer Shorty Miller in 1910.Check back to timesleader.com for more leading up to kickoff and during the game. Get instant commentary by following along on Twitter.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Visit The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at .timesleader.com Distributed by MCT Information Services存倉

航線開通

迷你倉 寧夏回族自治區首府銀川市終於開通了直飛香港的航線。昨日,在寧夏銀川河東國際機場,乘客們在進行安檢,準備乘坐首班直飛香港的飛機。直航機型為A320,航班號為MU213/4,每周一及周五起飛。之前,若搭飛機來往香港和銀川,多會停經一至兩站,如南京、咸陽、成都等城市,整個航程動輒逾10小時。開通直航後,來往香港和銀川僅需4小時左右,大大縮短了兩個城市之間的「時間距離」。目前,港資企業在銀川投資和貿易合作,包括能源化工、光伏產業、商貿物流、旅遊等,早前銀川市政府更曾帶數十項目來港招商。儲存

新加坡

Popular lunch spot will reopen in November, with better ventilation, more dining optionsThe iconic Lau Pa Sat closes from today for a $4 million facelift.迷你倉出租When it reopens in November, it will feature more alfresco dining options, a Japanese bakery and better ventilation.The facelift is meant to help the ageing food centre keep up with its increasingly modern neighbours, said Mr Alden Tan, managing director of Kopitiam, which owns the building.A popular lunch spot for office workers, Lau Pa Sat - which means old market in Hokkien - was completed in 1894 at its present Raffles Quay site and is a gazetted national monument. This is its first major renovation in the 17 years since Kopitiam took over.Local firm DP Architects, which was behind projects such as People's Park Complex and the Esplanade, has been commissioned to carry out the work.While Lau Pa Sat's Victorian-era cast-iron structure will remain largely untouched, the centre's layout will be rearranged, said Mr Tan.The eight streets that cut across the centre will be reconstructed, and a new internal walkway connecting the streets will be added to allow for better air and traffic flow."The problem with the old layout was that it did not allow for lateral movement," said Mr Tan. "When you want to transfer from a street to another, you have to walk to the centre core and out again."Lau Pa Sat's distinctive cream- coloured clock tower, which stopped working some time ago, will be repaired. Inside, the metal columns will be painted a rustic green to highlight details of the structure, and a stage will be built for live performances.Some of Lau Pa Sat's neighbours are also getting a revamp. The former Market Street carpark nearby is being redeveloped into CapitaGreen, a 40-storey office tower. A 135-room boutique hotel, Sofitel So Hotel, is slated to open in December opposite Lau Pa Sat.Said Mr Tan: "We have to make sure we keep up with the times and our surrou迷你倉dings."The tenant mix, too, will be reviewed to cater to changing consumer tastes. Six new restaurants at the fringe of the centre will offer alfresco seating. An upmarket 2,000 sq ft Japanese bakery will cater to the office crowd, who form the bulk of Lau Pa Sat's estimated 15,000 customers on weekdays.Staying on are the seafood restaurants along Boon Tat Street, and the satay street, which features 10 pushcarts hawking sticks of charcoal-grilled meat.Plans for more pushcarts selling other varieties of street food are in the works. Local food will still make up about 80 per cent of the food options, said Mr Tan.The rejuvenation is "timely, in view of Singapore's evolving food and beverage scene", said Ms Ranita Sundramoorthy, director of attractions, dining and retail at the Singapore Tourism Board, which has been working closely with the Lau Pa Sat management on this project.The total number of tenants will be reduced to accommodate a more spacious layout. The final list is not out yet but more than half of the current 70 are expected to stay.One of those moving out is RNR Curry Chicken Noodle, which has been operating there for three years. "Business has been good but we're afraid the new rental will be too high for our small stall," said its co-owner Rohaya Hassan, 49.The Indian Curry stall will stay on. Mr Churchill Parthiban, 19, whose family owns the stall, said: "We have confidence in the quality of the food."Regular customers The Sunday Times spoke to said they will miss the large variety of reasonably priced food during the two months of renovations.Software consultant Vivek Shettigar, 29, who eats at Lau Pa Sat almost every weekday, is looking forward to better air circulation. "It gets hot when there are a lot of people at lunchtime," he said.Human resource consultant Janice Pennefather, 58, said: "It is looking a bit old. But I hope its essence as a historic landmark will be kept."mellinjm@sph.com.sg儲存倉

新北貢寮 住海景度假村 遊訪大草原

有山有海有奇石的貢寮,存倉旅遊意趣特別豐富。到訪這裡,除了可到桃源谷,在綿延無邊的草原綠地上賞海景、追牛蹤,澳底漁港周邊還藏有一大片壯觀無比的奇石可以探祕;此外,可擁抱無敵海景的飯店、小巧有質感的老房子民宿,則提供遊客徹底放鬆身心的度假悠閒感。報導╱齊佑誠 攝影╱高大鈞 夏天的貢寮,光環被福隆海水浴場搶去一大半;但屏除這處人氣沙灘,貢寮其實還藏有很多景點,比如,貢寮奇石。一般人都知道瑞芳的南雅奇石,殊不知在澳底漁港附近,還藏有一片奇石區,就位在濱海公路(台2線)94公里處附近,由中油加油站旁、置有鐵貨櫃的小路進入,就可以發現。 這一大片有著波浪紋的砂岩,很像拿鐵上的奶泡花、也像一個個漩渦般,模樣千奇百怪,很值得前來拍拍照。不過,要提醒大家的是,這些砂岩非常脆弱,用力一摸就會粉碎,來到這裡切記用眼睛看、用相機拍就好,不要破壞它們。 貢寮還有一處佔地相當遼闊的景點桃源谷大草原,很值得上山健行走走。前往桃源谷分有內寮線、草嶺線、大溪線、觀音線4條登山路線,其中以單程約1公里的內寮線(也稱蕭家莊線)最平易近人,也是4線中最短的1條,其它3條為3.5~5公里不等。 桃源谷 眺草原海景 緩步登上標高約500公尺的桃源谷,一切辛苦都值得。高低起伏的大草原綿延無邊,遠方還可瞧見湛藍海景;我到訪時,天空、海洋都藍得清透,白雲點綴其中,遠方龜山島清晰入目,好一幅絕美風情畫。草原步道上每隔一小段距離就設有一座觀景涼亭,讓人休憩賞景吹吹涼風;步行其間,還可看到在水塘裡戲水休憩的水牛呢!下山後不妨順道至望遠坑溪親水公園,這裡有濕地可見開黃花的台灣萍蓬草、水蠟燭等特色水生植物,清淺的望遠坑溪也適合玩水清涼一下!這趟貢寮旅程讓我驚喜的還有莫瑞納海灣會館。瀕臨澳底漁港的這間飯店,前身為九岸會館,去年易主後變身為一間度假風情濃厚的飯店。一襲純白色的3層樓建築,每間客房都規劃有陽台,海景房面對的就是毫無遮蔽的湛藍海景,這裡還規劃了一座長約20公尺的臨海大泳池,池畔不但設有可2人同坐的悠閒大躺椅,還規劃了海景下午茶區,讓人在貢寮就可品味宛如置身墾丁般的悠閒假期。 小泰迪熊 超級可愛 飯店還有一大特色,就是泰迪熊;大廳裡擺放了多迷你倉大型的泰迪熊讓遊客拍照,進房後,床上也擺放了2~4隻小泰迪熊,別懷疑,房裡的泰迪熊是送房客的。位於福隆車站後方的好天氣B&B,是一間以30多年老房子改建的民宿。老房子裡被踩得光亮的磨石子地板、紅磚牆等美好的一面被保留了下來,並融入了大量的木質家具,女主人的攝影作品、藝術收藏、再利用家具、書籍等就成了最符合老屋Tone調的擺設。這裡只規劃了4間2~4人房,每一間採光都很好,也都有設計上的小巧思,老房子再利用在這裡被發揮得淋漓盡致。 【風味美食】日式創意料理 精緻上菜 莫瑞納海灣會館今夏新登場、供應晚餐的景觀餐廳,提供以當地海鮮入菜的無菜單日式創意料理,5菜1湯每人500元+10%,9/15前打5折,但限房客。因自家廚師有漁船,多數海鮮都當天現捕,新鮮是一大賣點。當天我嘗到的特色菜有鮪魚山藥掛,以黃鰭鮪魚丁佐山藥泥、蛋黃,淋日式淡醬油,口感紮實的鮪魚在山藥、蛋黃的黏稠柔滑點襯下,清鮮爽口很是好吃。特選握壽司,除了白旗魚、黃鰭鮪兩種握壽司,另以黃鰭鮪魚做出的鐵火卷,小巧易入口,也令人激賞。 玉腐千絲揚 外脆內Q 炸物中的玉腐千絲揚,以加了豆腐、水果泥提鮮的花枝漿,外包上手工麵線後酥炸,大口嘗下外脆內彈Q,淋上的日式美奶滋及綠蘆筍則扮演著去膩角色。此外,料理中的炭烤槍烏賊、白毛魚等,也都讓人吃出主廚的創意與獨特口感。 【旅遊資訊】 ◎開車 ★桃源谷:中山高八堵交流道接台62線快速道路下瑞濱端,走台2線接102縣道轉吉林產業道路,循指標可到登山口。 ★望遠坑溪親水公園:102縣道循指標轉產業道路可達。 ★貢寮奇石、莫瑞納海灣會館:前者在台2線94km處;後者續行台2線轉新港街可達。 ★好天氣B&B:台2線在福隆遊客中心旁過涵洞,走龜壽谷街可達。 ◎搭車 ★好天氣B&B、莫瑞納海灣會館:搭台鐵至福隆車站,前者步行約5分鐘可達;後者可搭會館免費接駁車(須預約)。 ★桃源谷、望遠坑溪親水公園、貢寮奇石:須開車前往。 ◎相關資訊 ★莫瑞納海灣會館 (02)2490-3955 9~10月2人海景房3900元起 ★好天氣B&B (02)2499-1977 2人房2200元起自存倉

Laurel時裝建築之旅

「我遊遍全球,迷你倉尋找吸引我,且給予我靈感的建築物。來到位於亞洲的大都市,讓我感覺置身另一個世界,燃點起我的想像火花。」Laur�l設計總監Elisabeth Schwaiger道出今個秋冬系列,正是以其旅遊中的所見所聞為靈感,並將建築美學融入時裝設計,綻放不同都會的女性魅力。 文:Elaine Chung 圖:陳鐵剛、品牌提供 模特兒:Taiana S@Model Genesis 化妝及髮型:Gigi Chu 場地提供:Lupa 服飾查詢:2523 6088 品牌設計向來強調展現女性美態,以月球漫步為題的秋冬系列,便從現代建築及著名建築師Zaha Hadid充滿未來主義都市意味的作品中擷取靈感,以不同城市作為設計主題,如新加坡、美國曼克頓和新澤西、加拿大多倫多及澳洲雪梨等,組成豐富而多元化的嶄新造型。其中以新加坡為題的系列,透過色彩運用、細節裝飾及印花圖案等在服飾上展現建築形態,如金銀絲�、亮片刺繡裝飾及染色皮草等,展現閃亮華麗的魅力。 幾何�條凸顯身形 品牌設計總監Elisabeth Schwaiger(右圖)早前來港接受專訪,談及全新秋冬系列的設計主題,她表示,因受到建築的啟發,今季新作剪裁也�重�條與幾何美感。裙款、上衣及毛衣統統呈現雕塑般的外形輪廓,當中的幾何圖形刺繡裝飾,靈感便來自玻璃金屬外牆。她又指新作剪裁利落,以凸顯女性身形輪廓為依歸,如寬鬆裙款或上衣,下配貼身長褲及高跟鞋,還有斗篷袖連身裙,以及部分衣裝上的Laser Cut細節裝飾,都能為整體造型增添女人味。 問及如何看東西方女性的穿衣風格?她答道:「亞洲女士穿衣風格比較大膽,穿上色彩繽紛的時裝時,也會襯上配飾,喜歡透過時裝展現個性與社會地位;相反,歐洲女士衣�較休閒,一般會因應場合才作合適配搭。由於各地女性風格不同,自存倉此品牌的設計理念是"Luxury Ease",以融合不同文化的女性美為大前提。」談到秋冬季的熱賣首選,Elisabeth即時回答:「Dress, dress, dress!」她認為裙款適合出席不同場合,平日上班可配搭平底鞋,下班後只要換上高跟鞋及配襯Clutch Bag,便可參加派對。此外,她又指經典的Pantsuit將再度流行,新系列中的Peplum Top套裝及長褲,便是秋冬衣櫥中的必備單品。 1.黑色拼白色背心裙(售價待定)、銀色Ankle Boots($4,690)、手鐲(售價待定)。 2.仿領項鏈(售價待定)、黑色皮褸($19,630)、白色上衣(售價待定)、黑白色Tight Pants($3,530)、銀色Ankle Strap尖頭高跟鞋($3,290)。 3.藍色外套($8,730)、藍色上衣($2,630)、藍色Cropped Pants($2,960)、銀色Clutch Bag($3,290)、銀色Ankle Boots($4,690)。 4.藍色外套(售價待定)、印花圖案上衣($5,260)、拼色Tight Pants($3,330)、銀色Ankle Boots($4,690)、皮革手袋($5,490)、手鐲(售價待定)。 5.Fur Scarf($16,290)、蝙蝠袖灰色上衣($3,530)、黑色粗腰帶(售價待定)、紅色Pencil Skirt(售價待定)、銀色Ankle Strap尖頭高跟鞋($3,290)。 6.黑白雙色上衣($4,030)、黑色長褲(售價待定)、黑色腰帶($2,030)、銀色Ankle Strap尖頭高跟鞋($3,290)。 7.紫色Ruffles Dress($6,130)、黑色皮手套(售價待定)、銀色Ankle Boots($4,690)。 迷你倉新蒲崗

風行網力推台網融合新範式打造新一代視頻

有跡象表明,迷你倉當前互聯網視頻行業正進入新一輪整合的重要拐點。從早前的盛大收購酷6、人人網收購56視頻、優酷並購土豆,到今年以來的愛奇藝並購P PS、SMG百視通控股風行網,以及傳言中的阿里巴巴並購PPTV,網網之間、台網之間的資本運作和業務整合越來越頻密,也越來越深入。行業人士認為,在上述整合案例中,迥別于網網融合模式的SMG百視通與風行網之間的台網融合模式,或許將成為今後一段時期內網絡視頻企業整合的新範式。據羅江春介紹,風行網新一代視頻平台將以風行在客戶端上的傳統優勢為起點,在PC客戶端和移動客戶端上將引入酷炫的界面設計風格,給用戶完全耳目一新的用戶體驗;此外,還將引入響應式設計,保持PC客戶端和移動客戶端的風格統一,手機、PAD的窗口界面自適應,同時可以支持投射到電視機上,多屏合一。從電文件倉節目的輸出,到聯合製作、聯合推廣,下一步,就是雙方圍繞節目內容的跨平台聯合售賣和聯合招商階段。羅江春認為,通過台網融合,不僅可以降低廣告主的投放成本,提高廣告到達率,也可以有效地對台和網的廣告資源加以整合,進行綑綁銷售,從而給廣告客戶帶來最大的價值。此外,隨著電視節目的內容逐步遷移到互聯網和移動端,多屏營銷也成為了可能。由於受�結構的不同,廣告主可以根據目標受�的需要,分配台網之間的投放。談及新營銷策略為廣告主帶來的價值,羅江春表示,在今後,廣告主將不必再對應一個個獨立的渠道,"風行網———新一代視頻"將打通"電視台、互聯網電視與視頻網站"全媒體,直接生產"整合"的內容。風行網新一代視頻平台通過"全媒體營銷整合中心",將整合IPTV、OTT、PC視頻和移動視頻,為廣告主提供一攬子營銷解決方案。存倉

《世.界.之.窗》NEXT FRONTIER IN PIRACY: DOWNLOADING PHYSICAL OBJECTS TO YOUR 3D PRINTER 盜版的下一個戰場:將實體物件下載到3D印表機

閱讀暖身印表機只能印平面的文字嗎?打破你傳統的想像,存倉未來的趨勢是:你可以使用3D印表機列印出實體的物件。然而,盜版的猖獗將會使3D列印的合法性面臨更大挑戰。進入本文前請先想想以下詞彙的英文怎麼說:(A)反盜版法案、(B)首要來源、(C)知識產權。EXCITING TIMES, FRIENDS. WHILE WE'VE BEEN CLEANING UP THEPROVERBIAL TICKER TAPE LEFT BEHIND BY JUBILANT CELEBRATIONOVER THE RECENTLY STALLED (A)ANTIPIRACY BILLS, THE PIRATEBAY-ARGUABLY THE (B)PREMIER RESOURCE FOR PIRATING DIGITALCONTENT-HAS ALREADY MOVED ON TO THE NEXT BIG THING.激動人心的時刻,朋友。當我們還在收拾因歡慶最近陷入僵局的反盜版法所遺留,眾所周知的股票磁帶,「海盜灣」-可說是最大的盜版數位內容來源網站-已轉移到下一件大事。THE SITE HAS ANNOUNCED A NEW CATEGORY CALLED "PHYSIBLES"THAT HOUSES DIGITAL FILES THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADED AND USEDIN CONJUNCTION WITH 3D PRINTERS TO PRINT OUT ACTUAL, PHYSICAL OBJECTS.該網站已經宣布了一個新的類別被稱為"PHYSIBLES",所儲存的數位文件,可以被下載和連結到3D印表機,並列印出實體:"WE BELIEVE THAT THE NEXT STEP IN COPYING WILL BE MADE FROM DIGITAL FORM INTO PHYSICAL FORM. IT WILL BE PHYSICAL OBJECTS. OR AS WE DECIDED TO CALL THEM: PHYSIBLES. DATA OBJECTS THAT ARE ABLE (AND FEASIBLE) TO BECOME PHYSICAL. WE BELIEVE THAT THINGS LIKE THREE DIMENSIONAL PRINTERS, SCANNERS AND SUCH ARE JUST THE FIRST STEP. WE BELIEVE THAT IN THE NEARBY FUTURE YOU WILL PRINT YOUR SPARE PARTS FOR YOUR VEHICLES. YOU WILL DOWNLOAD YOUR SNEAKERS WITHIN 20 YEARS.""我們相信,複印的下一個步驟將從數位形式轉換成實體形式。即將是實體的物體。或我們決定稱之為:PHYSIBLES。數據物體能夠並且可行成為實體。我們深信,3D的影印機,掃描機等只是第一步。我們深信,在不久的將來,你即將可以為你的車子列印零配件。20年之內,你將可以下載你的運動鞋。"AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE PHYSIBLES SECTION OF THE PIRATE BAYHAS ONLY A FEW (1)ODDS AND ENDS-A 3D MODEL OF A CAMERA LENS, A MODEL 1970 CHEVELLE HOT ROD AND A WHISTLE, TO NAME AFEW-BUT AS THE PRICES OF 3D PRINTERS CONTINUE TO FALL ANDPEOPLE ONE DAY GET USED TO THE IDEA OF, SAY, PURCHASING ANOTHERWISE TANGIBLE PRODUCT FROM AMAZON AND THEN PRINTING OUT THAT OBJECT THEMSELVES, YOU CAN SEE WHERE A SITE LIKE THEPIRATE BAY COULD REALLY START TO (2)RUFFLE SOME RETAIL FEATHERS.截至目前,海盜灣網站PHYSIBLES 選項內只有幾件東西-相機鏡頭的3D模型、1970年CHEVELLE車款和一個哨子模型,僅此幾例-但3D印表機的價格持續下跌,當人們某天習慣從亞馬遜購買其他有形產品,然後自己印出那樣物品,你可以看到海盜灣網站可能真的開始激怒某些零售商。THE SITE SPINS THE ANNOUNCEMENT WITH A MORE HUMANITARIANOUTLOOK, HOWEVER :"THE BENEFIT TO SOCIETY IS HUGE. NO MORESHIPPING HUGE AMOUNTS OF PRODUCTS AROUND THE WORLD. 迷你倉O MORE SHIPPING THE BROKEN PRODUCTS BACK. NO MORE CHILD LABOR. WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRINT FOOD FOR HUNGRY PEOPLE. WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE NOT ONLY A RECIPE, BUT THE FULL MEAL."不過該網站公布是更人道的前景:「對社會有巨大的好處。不需再運送大量產品到世界各地。不需退運回破損的產品。不再有童工。我們將能夠列印食品給飢餓的人。我們將能夠分享不僅僅是食譜,而是整份餐點。」SUCH A FUTURE IS STILL SEVERAL, IF NOT TENS OF, YEARS OFF, BUT THE ABILITY TO PRINT RELATIVELY SIMPLE OBJECTS (EVENFOOD) IS ALREADY HERE AND WILL CONTINUE TO GET MORE REFINEDOVER TIME. EVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT (C)INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AS IT PERTAINS TO 3D PRINTING HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED.這樣的未來可能還要數年或數十年,但列印相對簡單物體的效能(甚至食品)已在這裡,將隨著時間推移變得更精緻。即使有關知識產權的問題,因為它涉及3D列印,已被提起。YOU MAY RECALL LAST YEAR THAT SHAPEWAYS.COM, A SITE THATLETS USERS SHARE 3D PRINTER FILES WITH ONE ANOTHER, FOUND ITSELF (3)ASSOCIATED WITH A LEGAL SCUFFLE BETWEEN ONE OF ITSUSERS AND PARAMOUNT PICTURES. THE USER HAD APPARENTLY RECREATED A PROP FROM PARAMOUNT'S MOVIE SUPER 8 AND, ACCORDINGTO PARAMOUNT, WAS OFFERING TO SELL 3D PRINTOUTS OF IT.您可能還記得去年的 SHAPEWAY 網站,該網站讓用戶共享3D列印檔案, 被發現其中一位用戶和派拉蒙影業公司之間的混戰有關。該用戶顯然已經從派拉蒙的電影「超級8」重新創建一個道具,根據派拉蒙公司的說法,已供應銷售3D的影印資料。NOW IMAGINE A DAY WHEN EVERYONE HAS A 3D PRINTER AT HOME.WE'LL SURELY BE ABLE TO PURCHASE 3D PRINTER FILES FROM PEOPLE AND COMPANIES FAR MORE ADEPT AT CREATING MODELS OF PRINTABLE OBJECTS THAN WE ARE, AND ASSUMING THESE FILES WILL BE RELATIVELY EASY TO DUPLICATE DUE TO THEIR DIGITAL NATURE,WE'RE BOUND TO WITNESS PLENTY OF LITIGATION OVER WHAT'SLEGAL TO COPY AND WHAT'S NOT.想像有一天,當每個人都有一個3D印表機在家。我們能夠和擅長創造可列印物件模型的公司購買3D列印檔,假設這些檔案會因其數位性質更容易複製,我們必將見證大量的訴訟,什麼是合法的複製,什麼不是。AS SHAPEWAYS POINTS OUT WHEN COMMENTING ON THE PIRATE BAYNEWS, "BEING ABLE TO DOWNLOAD PRODUCT FILES IS NOT NEW, SHAPEWAYS HAS HAD DOWNLOADABLE MODELS FOR YEARS, AS HAS THINGIVERSE AND GOOGLE WAREHOUSE, BUT LET'S SEE HOW THIS AFFECTS THE 3D PRINTING IP DEBATE. "SHAPEWAYS 評論海盜灣新聞時指出,「能夠下載產品檔案不是新鮮事,SHAPEWAYS已經擁有可供下載的模型多年, 並擁有 THINGIVERSE 和 GOOGLE 倉庫,但是,讓我們拭目以待這將如何影響3D印刷IP位置的辯論。」景氣再來,你趁勢而起,IN ENGLISH!英文確實可以為你做很多很多事,但是,它能夠為你的人生帶來的最大祝福是:找回失去的自信,還有,讓你從一個本土精英變成全球精英。下定決心請上網.CORE-CORNER.COM加入VIP計劃。(台北)02-27215033、(內湖)02-87515003、(新竹)03-5782199。自存倉

2013年8月30日 星期五

西周鐘變身手機喇叭 台北故宮「文物」進入百姓家

【本報訊】綜合中通社及中央社三十日報道:台北故宮博物院30日舉辦第四屆「國寶衍生品設計競賽」頒獎典禮,存倉本屆商品設計金獎由具有手機擴音功能的「鐘響」獲得,靈感來自「西周晚期銅宗周鐘」,作品將有機會展出並批量生產成為故宮商品。台北故宮的國寶衍生商品每年創造極大的商機,根據故宮表示,最近供不應求的「朕知道了」紙膠帶更是賣出2萬1672件,深受島內外遊客喜愛。今年的國寶衍生品設計競賽進入第四屆,參賽者須從101件國寶和熱門文物中選擇發想物件。經過兩階段評選後,選出金銀銅獎及優選共15件作品,作品性質迷你倉元,包括耳機、鹽罐、製冰盒和薰香器等。其中衍生商品組金獎「鐘響」,是由設計師賴忠平所設計,發想來自「西周晚期銅宗周鐘」,結合手機成為迷你的喇叭和立架;賴忠平說明,他的想法是把過去作為宗廟表演的樂器,用在現代科技產品上,讓古代的鐘可以播現代的音樂。角色公仔組金獎「棗磨姊弟」,由實踐大學學生吳俊逸設計,將《宋蘇漢臣秋庭戲嬰圖》中姊弟倆在玩推磨棗的模樣,變成雞蛋形狀,饒富童趣。插畫創作組金獎「犧尊的日常生活」,由台灣藝術大學學生程宜方以「戰國中期犧尊」為題,將文物擬人化,呈現犧尊喝酒、寫詩等不同情境。自存倉

The Baltimore Sun Jacques Kelly column

Source: The Baltimore SunAug.迷你倉出租 30--I put a question to one of Southeast Baltimore's busiest restaurateurs: What is the secret behind the steady growth of so many Latino restaurants flourishing along the old commercial corridor in Highlandtown?"People are looking for portions, price and quality," said Carlos Cruz, the owner of Carlos O'Charleys, a place that now qualifies as an Eastern Avenue Latin-American institution.Diners are likely looking for a comfortable place to do this, in a traditional neighborhood that, well, looks very Baltimore. I'll nominate Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown as one of Baltimore's undisputed recovery acts. It ranks up there with Hampden's 36th Street and Hamilton-Lauraville's Harford Road as a place that has built on newly found strengths.And I'll bet these customers divide into two camps -- those who want the foods they knew at their native homes and those, like me, who are curious and heard that Highlandtown was the place to get the authentic thing, at an affordable Baltimore price.Cruz came to the states from his native El Salvador when he was 14 to get away from the civil war. Now 51, he was called in to help out at Tex Mex Grille in Harborplace, where he met Orioles players. This led to many Orioles friendships and, as one of his current jobs, he helps feed the Orioles in the clubhouse. He retains his Orioles ties but branched into the burgeoning Highlandtown Latino community seven years ago.My mouth was watering for some of the Peruvian roasted chicken that people have been whispering about. And since I can no longer get sweetbreads at Marconi's, I thought, why not also try a roasted beef heart as a kebab?A few weeks ago, Cruz and his partner, William Coronado, opened another location, a restaurant that I'll translate as Aunt Julia's or La Tia Julia, which is a chicken place or polleria. I'd heard this was the place for the roasted chicken.This is a Peruvian establishment (3821 Eastern Ave.), and it hopes to serve South American customers, along with the rest of us. Even though it opened earlier this month, I saw迷你倉that its menu was attracting the Central and South American families who are such a part of the Highlandtown revitalization agenda."We are educating people as well as feeding them," Cruz said of his mission as food ambassador.So in the next few minutes, I got a food education from the extended Coronado family, including William's sister, Karina Santiago, and his chef and cousin, Martin Vidal, who came to Baltimore from Lima. I learned the extended family lives in nearby Dundalk and the men often do construction and carpentry as well as cooking.The real Tia Julia is William Coronado's grandmother, who died some years ago. She was known throughout her Lima neighborhood for her cooking and her way with spices. She was everyone's Auntie Julia. I thought to myself, what better way to have a family-centric restaurant than to name it after grandma.I spoke at length with Chris Ryer, director of the Southeast Development Corp. We discussed that Aunt Julia's is doing a good job of serving the people who are already familiar with its food and understand its menu. Those of us who did not grow up with its offerings will have a hard time fathoming some of the delicious dishes.Ryer suggested that Southeast Development get a bilingual staff member to write descriptive paragraphs for the restaurants in the area, which could help those of us who are unfamiliar with Peruvian dishes.I am food adventurous. I like to point and await the consequences.My finger touched a picture on the Tia Julia menu. What arrived was surprising, a ceviche -- a powerful lime soup laced with fresh fish and milk, served as a drink in a glass, garnished with toasted Peruvian style corn, whose kernels are much larger than ours. (A little secret: As a rule, I am not a fish eater. I made an exception and loved it.) I was told people order it to cure hangovers."Things are changing," Cruz told me. "And we'll see a better Highlandtown."jacques.kelly@baltsun.comCopyright: ___ (c)2013 The Baltimore Sun Visit The Baltimore Sun at .baltimoresun.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存倉

Tailor-made手機皮套

儲存倉 買完靚書包,也不忘為我們的手機「摯友」添置秋冬新袋!手機配飾品牌Lifestyle New York秋冬新季將推出以牛皮製作的手機保護套,不單全人手製造,更為你度身訂造!保護套皮料設有黑色、紅色、綠色及原色,內層帆布有三款供選擇,更可隨意加添木珠、金屬鈕或壓字等。即日前往鑽石山荷里活廣場新店,購買任何iPhone或iPad保護套,更可免費享雕刻服務。查詢:2359 0005(鑽石山店)迷你倉價錢

Three suicide attempts behind her, 'I can't imagine wanting to die'

Source: Pioneer Press, St.self storage Paul, Minn.Aug. 30--The first time Chantal Bjorklund tried to kill herself, she was in seventh grade.One month later, she tried again.When she was 31, she tried again.Today, at 34, the Newport woman is a living testimonial for suicide prevention. She speaks at meetings and conferences and works to prevent others from killing themselves.She says that she owes her life to Canvas Health, an Oakdale-based nonprofit that offers suicide-prevention and other programs.Listeners find her story revealing. Bjorklund challenges many myths about suicide -- including that families are a suicidal person's best source of support and that suicidal feelings can be cured.After years of hiding her urges, she is blunt about them today."I want to remove myself from the world without hurting anyone. If I could do that, I would," she said after a recent speech in Edina.But with her new coping skills and weekly counseling, she says she relishes life."I am not 'happy-oh-so-happy-celebration.' But I am more content now," she said. "I can't imagine wanting to die."In 1991, Bjorklund moved from Sauk Rapids, Minn., to Hastings.She left a school where she was a "big fish in a small pond" for a school where she felt ignored and picked on.She had low self-esteem and was overweight, problems that dog her to this day.She was depressed. "It is like being in the deepest dark hole of doom," Bjorklund said. "Unless you have been there, it's not something you can understand."The 12-year-old girl quietly reached a decision. "I was carrying around that burden that I did not want to live," she said.She took 10 Advil pills. She recovered on her own and kept the episode secret.A month later, she took 200.A sister found her in the bathroom, and she was rushed to a hospital. After the medical crisis passed, she was moved to a psychiatric ward.That's when the consequences of her act began to boil around her. "After two days, I was begging to go home. I was apologizing," she said.She was dreaming of home as an inviting place to rest and recover. "I anticipated going home to open arms, to people who would be grateful to see me."That didn't happen."The family was absolutely devastated and angry," Bjorklund said."They said, 'This will hurt us. You can't do this to us.' "Her family members, she said, w迷你倉re focused on their own pain. They didn't understand that suicide victims are in such pain that they can't see pain in others.Some of them accused her of cowardice."I heard people say this is a chicken---t way out of life. They said it was selfish," Bjorklund said."It scared them to not understand. They were worried about setting me off. So I started isolating myself."She began "self-medicating" with alcohol when she was 18.Extreme mood swings plagued her. "It means you can't cope with normal things. The highs are too high, and the lows are too low."As the years passed, she carried a secret -- she still yearned for death.The third suicide attempt came three years ago, in a bar. "I basically tried to drink myself into oblivion," she said."There was no more hiding it. The beast inside was erupting," she said.This time, she called a suicide-prevention hotline. Soon, she was at the Oakdale clinic of Canvas Health.Immediately, she experienced something foreign to her. "From the moment I walked in, I said, 'What is that feeling?' " she recalled."Oh. That is hope."She began a series of sessions and interviews. "No one was judging me, and no one was looking down. I could say whatever was on my mind and tell the truth with no repercussions."I would leave there feeling lighter. I could stand up straight."The advice she gives her audiences in her presentations is unequivocal."Do not rely on your family. They can't separate the person from the condition."They can't be objective. They care about you too much."She has not been "cured" of her suicidal thoughts, the way someone can get over a cold.But she has developed ways to cope. One involves a four-second breathing cycle to deal with stress. "Another is doing the opposite of whatever you are feeling. If you feel like shutting the blinds and getting off the phone, then you need to do the opposite."She sees a counselor weekly for "maintenance sessions."Bjorklund still has bad days, she said, but they seem different now."I am not necessarily where I want to be. But I know I am never going back there."Bob Shaw can be reached at 651-228-5433. Follow him at twitter.com/BshawPP.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) Visit the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) at .twincities.com Distributed by MCT Information Services文件倉

Integrating airports, not another runway, is sensible solution

I agree with your editorial ("Stop bickering and think big", August 20) as Hong Kong has moved down through the gears since the 1997 handover, and it seems that we are now driving with the handbrake on, despite our powerful fiscal position.迷你倉The Kai Tak site offered an opportunity to think big, but our cruise terminal is underwhelming. The grand vision of the Central waterfront is already a disappointment.West Kowloon's woodland park shows no signs of life. Our competitors such as Shanghai and Singapore would have implemented significantly more at these unique and dramatic locations. Hong Kong has lost its confident wide vision, and now bureaucratically seeks blinkered reactive solutions. The transport situation in the Pearl River Delta also illustrates this view.The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge is catering only to narrow vested interests. The present push for a third runway at Chek Lap Kok is an easy orthodox response but avoids having to think outside the box. There is ample aircraft runway capacity in the delta region but a severe shortage of airspace.It is the most congested airspace in China: besides Chek Lap Kok, Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen Baoan, Zhuhai Jinwan, and Macau airports are competing for this space. It is a case of "one country, five airports", and despite official pl儲存dges of co-operation and the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2011 there appears little movement to control airspace centrally.In the delta region, each airport is "paddling its own canoe". If London acted in this unco-ordinated manner with City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Southend and Stansted airports there would be air traffic chaos. It is common sense to closely integrate Chek Lap Kok, Macau, Zhuhai, and Shenzhen under a single management. Just adding runway capacity at Hong Kong is not a solution. Public transport needs must trump private commercial interests.It should have been a "no-brainer" to extend our Airport Express line to these three airports, but ludicrously the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge only serves road traffic – contrary to government policy of giving precedence to rail.We need a rapid and secure transport system to whisk travellers between these four airports. Instead of spending billions of dollars on the ecologically damaging reclamation for a third runway, authorities should invest into the vanguard of Elon Musk's "Hyperloop" high-speed-transit system. The pneumatic tube ferrying the passengers could be mounted on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai bridge. It would also create some excitement about Hong Kong as we become increasingly dull.Charlie Chan, Mid-Levels新蒲崗迷你倉

The Philadelphia Inquirer Changing Skyline column

Source: The Philadelphia InquirerAug.文件倉 30--How will students living in Temple University's deluxe new Morgan Hall dorm ever be able to concentrate?Its 27-story tower is now the tallest building north of City Hall and, even from a middle floor, Philadelphia's downtown skyline looks as if it had been laid out on a platter. Students can pan all the way from the Delaware River to Fairmount Park and peek into Montgomery County. Should they tire of gazing outside, every suite is equipped with a 42-inch flat-screen TV.Temple poured $216 million into the massive complex at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, where three shimmering, brick-and-metal towers orbit around a landscaped plaza and outdoor dining terrace. Designed by MGA Partners and Olin, firms that generally work for the Ivy Leagues, Morgan Hall packs in the sort of amenities that Center City apartment dwellers might envy, from fireplaces in the lobbies to full kitchens and sleek Herman Miller furniture in the rooms.With the opening of Morgan Hall last week, Temple joins schools across the country in the race to upscale their dorms and lure more top students. Colleges have been feathering these lavish nests to appeal to a generation that grew up with their own bedrooms and recoil at the thought of trekking down the hall to shower. Compared with places that equip their residences with swimming pools and tanning salons, Morgan Hall might be considered restrained.Then again, Temple's goal with Morgan Hall wasn't just to build another fancy dorm. The block-sized complex, which will add significantly to the university's stock of on-campus housing, is really about bringing coherence to Temple's cluttered campus. While the design doesn't get a perfect grade in campus-building, Morgan Hall still is Temple's first grown-up work of architecture since it began transforming itself into a major university in the 1990s.Surrounded by a sea of short buildings, Morgan Hall is a shining, high-visibility declaration that Temple has left behind its commuter-school past. The complex will provide housing for 1,275 students, about a quarter of the population now living on campus. Its roomy, four-person suites won't be enough to pull the rest of Temple's undergraduates out of rented rowhouses in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, but it is a big step in that direction.Morgan Hall is best understood as a reaction to everything Temple had done wrong over the last two decades. Nearly all its new construction -- both residential and academic -- had been plopped down haphazardly, with almost no long-term vision.The result is a collection of buildings lacking in basic social skills. Grand front doors open out onto loading docks of their neighbors. Powerful corner locations are neutralized by blank walls. Temple has nearly wrecked its part of North Broad Street, which should be a vital Main Street for the sake of both the university and the city.Temple began coming to terms with these problems two years ago after it commissioned MGA and Olin to develop a campus master plan. Hiring a university architect -- Margaret Carney -- was the first recommendation. Building a major dorm was the second. The site was chosen as a way of extending the campus south, so Temple can tap into the energy of Center City, much as Penn存倉and Drexel have done.The architects saw Morgan Hall as an opportunity to soften Temple's hard-edged urban campus with a gracious plaza where all students could hang out. By putting a signature project next to the Cecil B. Moore subway stop, at what is effectively the campus' front door, the university hoped to set a new tone for Temple's treatment of Broad Street.Morgan Hall, which is named for 1980 alumnus and apartment mogul Mitch Morgan and his wife Hilarie, consists of four discrete buildings. Besides the 300-foot main tower at the north corner of the block, two 10-story slabs frame its east and south sides. A two-story, glass-fronted dining hall along Broad Street completes the block and encloses an elevated plaza on the second level.Such a huge residence could be an overwhelming place for students. To foster a sense of intimacy, MGA's Daniel Kelley organized the building around groups of 60 students, called "college houses" and made up of suites with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and kitchen. Every pair of floors is served by a spectacular two-story glass lounge and other services, like a laundry room.A committed modernist, Kelley designed the skin with great care to reflect what's going on inside. The towers rise from a base of glazed black brick that roots the buildings in the city; above, the facade shifts to an intricate weave of pearly white and gray metal panels -- a "scotch plaid," Kelley says. The plaid's squares form the "bay windows" of the living rooms. Narrow windows signal bedrooms. There's not a bit of Temple red in the house.Kelley does less well with the campus-building part of the assignment, mainly because Morgan Hall fails to restore the primacy of Broad Street. Despite the presence of the dining hall's long glass wall, no doors face the street. Meanwhile, the north corner, all black brick, is similarly mute, although there are plans for a high-end restaurant with outdoor tables on the Cecil B. Moore side. It's still a long walk south to the next block, where pedestrians are greeted by Fresh Grocer's blank wall.Because Morgan Hall is meant to serve all Temple students, Kelley positioned the complex's main point of entry on Cecil B. Moore, across from Liacouras Walk. Students flow up a generous ramp to the terrace plaza, where they can access the dining room and all three residences. Dressed up with heavy beams of granite and some by-the-numbers planting beds, the terrace, by Olin, falls just short of being too corporate. Students, being students, should fix that.At the southern end of the plaza, a grand staircase leads down to Broad Street. Presumably, it will allow students slogging to Fresh Grocer to avoid a dull walk along Broad Street. It's a shame those stairs aren't closer to the subway, where they could imbue Temple's main crossroads with the grand sense of arrival it deserves.Like so many skyscrapers, Morgan Hall excels at connecting its occupants to the city from on high. Making them part of the city at ground level remains the challenge Temple still has to master.Contact Inga Saffron at 215-854-2213, ingasaffron@gmail.com or on Twitter @ingasaffron.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Philadelphia Inquirer Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at .philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉

Morgan Spurlock tries a new 'Direction'

Source: Philadelphia Daily NewsAug.存倉 30--EVEN IF you aren't a love-struck 14-year-old girl, and don't know Harry from Liam from Niall from Louis from Zayn, you soon will -- after taking in the documentary/concert film "One Direction: This Is Us" (most likely dragged to the cinema by your kids).More interestingly, you'll probably come to like the vocally talented guys in this globally colossal, billion-dollar boy band enterprise, put together by music Svengali Simon Cowell on the British talent contest "X Factor," but really made important by social-media connected fans.Though this small-town English and Irish lot came in third on the TV show's 2010 season, their fans quickly twittered the troupe to international acclaim -- before One D's first album even came out.The predominantly female fan base continues to buy out their concerts in seconds -- next year's world tour of stadiums has already "gone clean" -- and recently caused such a fuss at an LA movie preview that Sony Pictures is hiring extra security guards to keep order at theaters where the film opens today.Much of the glossy, 3-D movie's appeal is that the cutely coiffed guys -- just 16-18 when they made their debut on TV -- come off so well: as funny, fearless, sweet and innocent souls who get along shockingly well, are kind to their mums and even to their former employers (Harry swept up at a bakery shop, Louis stocked shelves at Toys R Us). Even with those new tattoos (acquired post-filming), the lads could confidently be brought home to meet the parents.The other shock is that these sympathetic character studies were captured and massaged by Morgan Spurlock, a seemingly cynical film director/auteur/comedian previously known best for blasting the fast-food industry in "Super Size Me" and the insidious growth of advertising placement in "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold."So what made him drink the boy-band Kool-Aid? Spurlock told all in a recent, exclusive (at least for our hour) schmooze.Q: This film seems so far out of your discomfort zone. What lured you into the fold?A: I've actually done music videos before, including with the Philly/Roots-connected Jazzyfatnastees, so the subject matter isn't totally foreign to me. As a filmmaker, you want to tell stories that people will actually see and resonate with. This film will play to more people on opening day than all my other films did combined. I don't always want to be the guy who just skewers sacred cows. As a storyteller you want to push yourself in directions that are exciting or different or challenge you.Here I had to get in five personalities' stories, get lots of the fans in there and also put on a show. There's about 28 minutes of concert footage in the film, plus 62 minutes to tell the whole story. And while I knew nothing about shooting concert films in 3-D, I made sure to hire guys who did -- director of photography Tom Krueger who did the terrific "U2 3D" film, and our executive producer Doug Merrifield, who's worked on the Jerry Bruckheimer "Pirates of the Caribbean" blockbusters and the Ju迷你倉tin Bieber, Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert films. And working with a major studio (Sony) also gives you access to all the best, state-of-the-art equipment.Q: Given One Direction's seemingly innocent, awestruck nature and your cynical upbringing, how come there isn't much insight to "powers behind the throne," people imposing their creative wills on the guys? There's just a brief glimpse of one songwriter and a little bit with their choreographer, Paul Rogers.A: And as you see, Paul's not very successful. He's trying to get them to do choreography, which they don't want to do, with the exception of just blocking them onstage. When people look at them, they theorize there's some puppet master -- a Simon Cowell -- behind the curtains going "Dance, dance dance!," pulling the strings. And that's just not the case. I'm sure in the beginning they were being pushed in directions by management and the record label. What's happened now is they've got this little democracy where five of them vote on everything that happens. "Are we going to extend the tour and where, how many days are we going to work? Are we going to endorse this product?" If three out of five say "yes," they do it; democracy wins. They're taking the reins on songwriting with the next album. And it's their call to work a lot. I look back on when I was 19 to 21 and in college, doing shots of Jagermeister in the keg stand. Quite a different world that they're in, with a tremendous amount of responsibility and pressure. They're incredibly self-aware of where they are right now and where they potentially could be, if they decide to stay together and ride it out.Q: So what makes them different, in your opinion, from other boy bands?A: They have this easy charm about them. They don't have to turn it on. It's a rare gift. A lot of people in music have to work hard to communicate. Then once they're offstage, they think, "I'm not that person anymore. I have to go into this dark place and be this depressed artist." And that's not who they are.Q: There's been a lot of media buzz that Harry (Styles) demanded you take out all shots of him with his former girlfriend Taylor Swift, after she turned their breakup into a hit song.A: Not true. Never happened. Never shot one frame of Taylor Swift footage. Now I get to experience firsthand what the boys deal with all the time. People often write and report things about them that never happened. She was around in the fall (of 2012), they were going out November to December. We started shooting in January. By then they were done; they stopped dating before Christmas. That story was just a way to get their names together in the conversation one more time even if it wasn't true. Sadly, that's what so much of this pop culture world is about.Blog: philly.com/GizmoGuyOnline: ph.ly/TechJONATHAN TAKIFF Daily News Staff Writer takiffj@phillynews.com, 215-854-5960Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Philadelphia Daily News Visit the Philadelphia Daily News at .philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services自存倉

Energy sector main generator of greenhouse gases -- report

Source: Jordan Times, AmmanAug.儲存 30--AMMAN -- A total of 72.9 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Kingdom are generated by the energy sector, with carbon dioxide constituting 83.58 per cent of the sector's emissions, according to a report released on Thursday.The report categorised the waste sector as the second contributor to GHG emissions, accounting for 10.6 per cent, while industrial processes are responsible for 8.9 per cent, followed by agriculture (4.6 per cent) and land use conversion and forestry (3 per cent).The Kingdom's Third National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) indicated that the largest contributor to emissions in the energy sector in 2006, was the energy industries sub-sector, which accounted for 37.9 per cent of energy emissions, followed by the transport sector (22.5 per cent).In the industrial processes category, the carbon dioxide emissions originated mainly from cement production, accounting for 91 per cent of the sector's emissions in 2006. In addition, cement production was also the second largest source of non-methane 新蒲崗迷你倉olatile organic compounds.The report, whose figures are still preliminary, showed that emissions from agricultural activities in 2006 were composed of methane and nitrous oxide.Meanwhile, the waste sector's emissions originated from the disposal of domestic solid waste, accounting for 98.6 per cent of the sector's GHG emissions, while wastewater handling accounted for 1.4 per cent.The findings of the report, which will be officially released in mid-2014, will guide the government in prioritising sectors which need projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and come up with means to adapt with climate change effects, Environment Ministry Secretary General Ahmad Qatarneh said at a workshop to announce results of the report.The Kingdom prepares a national communication report every four years with the aim of identifying the amount and sources of greenhouse gases in Jordan, Third National Communication Project Manager Batir Wardam said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Jordan Times (Amman, Jordan) Visit the Jordan Times (Amman, Jordan) at .jordantimes.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage

Electric bicycles zig-zag their way around laws - at higher speeds

With the rising popularity of electric bikes, it may be time for a new set of rules and a licensing systemSingaporeTHEY'RE handy, speedy, and non-polluting, and demand for them has been whizzing on up - enough, apparently, to even pull one market player up a possible IPO path.儲存But as electric bicycles grow in popularity here - with some riders using them to circumvent existing traffic laws - should regulators consider new frameworks to govern the hybridised machines?Such a review would be timely, as it's been close to a decade since electric bike rules were first introduced into the Road Traffic Act. With strict safety requirements and specific manufacturing standards, the law is clear on what types and models of electric bicycles are allowed on Singapore roads.But when it comes to rules pertaining to the use of such bicycles, perhaps it's time for more regulatory oversight. This is especially so as riders are becoming more inventive in their use of the power-assisted machines - and in doing so, are succeeding in side-stepping road safety laws."There is a group of people who have had their licences suspended or (are) close to being suspended because of drink driving . . . so they buy electric bicycles instead," said Chris Kuah, owner of A-Tech Bike Supply."If you drink you can't ride a motorcycle, you can't drive a car. But there is no law that says that if you are a drunkard you cannot ride an electric bicycle," added Mr Kuah, whose company has been selling electric bikes since 1999.Another electric bicycle distributor, Royston Teo of MKP Bikes, told BT: "The current rules (about where these bikes can be used) are very confusing, because some are made by HDB, some are made by NParks, and so on."Under the Road Traffic Act, conventional pedal bikes and power-assisted bikes are lumped together under the same "bicycle" category.As such, they are governed by the same laws when it comes to road use. Like traditional bikes, electric bicycles can only be used on the roads, but are not allowed on pedestrian walkways, HDB void decks and public parks.This is in accordance with various regulations laid down by different government agencies, including the Singapore Police Force, the Housing & Development Board and the National Parks Board.A Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesperson told BT that there is currently no differentiation between the two types of bikes because "these low-power motorised bicycles have similar characteristics as conventional pedal bicycles".Since they are classified as regular bicycles, motorised bikes - like their manual cousins - are exempt from registration. When asked if it would consider having a licensing system for power-assisted bikes, the LTA said it has no such intentions as yet.But not everyone agrees."I think (electric bicycles) should be split up into a tota新蒲崗迷你倉ly different category," said Wong Siew Lee, vice-president of AIG Singapore. "They should be licensed, and it should be compulsory to make these riders buy insurance . . . These bikes can go a lot faster than manual bikes, so if they knock into a pedestrian or another vehicle, the damage is (going to be) more severe."On Thursday, AIG said that it has seen the number of injury claims involving cyclists double between 2010 (77 claims) and 2012 (166 claims)."I think it's really an increasing trend . . . There are now more cyclists on the road, especially since cars are very expensive," said Ms Wong. Her sentiment echoes retailers' experiences, who say they often sell electric bicycles to commuters looking to avoid ERP and parking costs, as well as precious time spent waiting for public transport.The lack of any licensing or tracking framework has also meant that the LTA is unable to tell how many electric bicycles are currently on the road. Likewise, while the Traffic Police says that a total of 410 accidents involving cyclists occurred in 2012, it does not differentiate between incidents involving manual bicycles and motorised ones.Bicycle distributors BT spoke to estimate that there are about 20,000 electric bikes now on the road - a number that is expected to rise as the contraptions gain in popularity.While traditional pedal bicycles used to dominate his company's sales, Mr Kuah says A-Tech now sells more electric bikes than manual ones. "Proportion-wise, it used to be 80 per cent manual, 20 per cent electric, but now it's 45 per cent manual and 55 per cent electric," said Mr Kuah.Sensing ripe business opportunities, more distributors have also hit the scene since 2004, with the number of electric bike sellers quadrupling to around 20 players today.One long-standing player in the bicycle industry - which sells manual bikes and also parts for electric bicycles like tyre tubes - even has future plans to possibly list on the Singapore Exchange.However, BT understands that plans are only preliminary at this point.Thus far, the LTA and Traffic Police have done a good job with regular enforcement operations against errant cyclists who use non-compliant electric bikes. According to the LTA, in the first half of this year, about 552 cyclists were issued summonses for using unapproved motorised bicycles that fail to live up to the speed and safety requirements laid out by the law.To supplement such efforts that regulate the make of motorised bikes, it may be time for the government to re-look its policies on electric bicycle use. Should they still be considered no different from regular pedal bikes? Should licences be mandatory after all? Close to 10 years on, these questions require serious consideration - before the exuberance for these machines zooms off, leaving everybody else in the dust.mini storage

Motorists expected to hit the road for Labor Day thanks to better economy, lower gas prices

Source: The Fayetteville Observer, N.迷你倉C.Aug. 30--Lower gas prices, a slowly improving economy and better weather mean more travelers will take to the road this Labor Day weekend than did last year.AAA Carolinas predicts that 972,600 North Carolina residents will travel more than 50 miles from home between Thursday and Monday. That's 5 percent more than last year.The average cost of a gallon of gasoline in North Carolina this week is $3.46, lower than the $3.72 heading into Labor Day weekend last year."We do see that there is a threshold of about $3.50 where people think gas is cheaper," said Angela Daley, a spokeswoman for AAA Carolinas. "People might not be saying, 'Gas is so cheap,' but it's not going to be a factor in their vacation plans, whereas when it was at $3.72 or even higher, they might delay travel plans or not travel so far or spend as much," she said.The average price in Fayetteville on Thursday was $3.41, according to the Gasbuddy website. Last week, the average price was $3.35 per gallon, which was the lowest all summer.Prices have fallen steadily since July 21, but the escalating tension in Syria has raised the cost of crude oil and nudged up prices at the pump, Gasbuddy's analysts have noted.The bump has not been enough to affect AAA Carolinas' travel predictions. But as Laci Blake served customers at the BP Family Fare on Hay Street Thursday , she said prices are still high enough for drivers to think twice about a long trip."I wouldn't be going anywhere at $3.40 a gallon," she said.Weather also hurt last year's travel numbers, with the threat of Hurricane Isaac a deterrent. This weekend, the National Weather Service forecasts typical late summer conditions, w自存倉th highs near 90 and a chance of afternoon showers, increasing slightly on Monday.The N.C. Department of Transportation will suspend road construction on most interstates and state highways from 4 p.m. today until 9 a.m. Tuesday. One local exception is U.S. 1 just north of Aberdeen in Moore County, where bridge construction has traffic reduced to one lane in each direction.More state troopers will be on the roads through Monday as part of the annual Booze It & Lose It campaign that focuses on holiday weekends. Of the 278 fatal wrecks the Highway Patrol investigated in last summer, 88 involved impaired driving. Drivers should expect increased patrols and checkpoints statewide.The campaign also extends to the state's 5,000 square miles of inland streams, rivers, lakes and coastal waterways, where wildlife resources officers will be enforcing laws against operating a boat while drinking. Violations can result in a $1,000 fine and jail time.The National Safety Council estimates the number of traffic deaths during Labor Day weekend is 14.6 percent higher than the weekends before and after. The council estimates there will 400 deaths on U.S. roads this weekend.That's another reason for Ed Ancherico to be happy he is staying put. As he filled his car with gas in Haymount on Thursday, Ancherico said he will visit Myrtle Beach, S.C., next weekend instead."I think most of the traffic will be gone by then," he said.Staff writer Gregory Phillips can be reached at phillipsg@fayobserver.com or 486-3596.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) Visit The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) at .fayobserver.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉新蒲崗

中國建築入股信德盤

【本報訊】賭后何超瓊掌管的信德(242)公佈,儲存倉中國建築(3311)將透過認購 Fast Shift(FS)100%已發行B股股份,享有濠庭都會第5期住宅部份29%的經濟利益或承擔損失。待認購股份及待出售貸款總代價為20億元,預計信德將有約10.7億元收益入賬。第5期用地是一幅規劃發展用地。除第5期發展項目住宅部份中,可間接歸屬於B股的29%權益外,預計認購迷你倉價錢交時將無其他重大資產可歸屬於B股。另外,濠庭都會第5期一份主合約,由中國建築旗下中建澳門中標,工程總價約63.02億澳門元(約61.19億港元),其中住宅部份46.12億澳門元(約44.78億港元),商用部份約16.9億澳門元(約16.41億港元)。該項目位於澳門路�中心城區,距離路�金光大道、國際機場與橫琴口岸均在10分鐘車程之內。預計將提供8幢住宅樓宇。迷你倉

Lost for words

Computerization is affecting our ability to handwrite Chinese characters.self storage It is a sad trend that cannot be reversed. But the upside is higher efficiency in the use of the language as the bar for literacy keeps getting lowered. By Raymond Zhou. Amidst the numerous incarnations of singing contests that hog China's television screens, one show stands out for its originality (it's not based on an imported program format) and also for its educational value. It is a show about the dictation of Chinese characters. Surprisingly, it is fun and full of suspense as well. The concept is simple: Groups of students from various provinces compete with each other by handwriting Chinese words, or characters, that the host reads out to them. They can erase what they have written until they submit it or time is up. The writing process is projected so both the live audience and the TV audience are witness to it. What's more, members of the live audience can participate by writing on their own pads. The result is shocking: Many words that are hardly difficult become stumbling blocks for the youngsters, whose failure to write correctly sees them ejected from the competition. The adults in the audience do even worse, with much lower scores, on average, than the formal contestants on the stage. If this is an accurate gauge of Chinese people's ability to write Chinese words, it is clear we are losing the skill fast. By "writing" I refer to handwriting only. The culprit, as everyone knows, is keyboard input, which has taken away the necessity to memorize all the strokes of Chinese characters. What has made writing so much easier is also chipping away at a foundation that many believe essential to be an educated person in China. Now I have to provide a little background information for those not familiar with the Chinese language, the written one in this case. Unlike Western languages, the Chinese character is a pictograph, not pronounceable by the way it is written — even though it may contain an element for the sound. Each character is a picture for which you need to remember a series of strokes to write it. Conventional wisdom suggests some 3,000 characters must be mastered to be able to write Chinese and a typical student spends much of his or her elementary school years training in this. The desire to simplify this writing system is almost intuitive. Chinese teachers often dole out penalties to poorly performing students such as ordering them to write their name in characters 100 times. For this punishment, anyone called Ding Yi is the luckiest because this name requires just three strokes for both the given and family names. At the other extreme there can be 30 strokes in a name. Nowadays, it is common for authors, when signing hundreds of autographs in one sitting, to adopt a cursive style of calligraphy that allows you to skip and combine strokes. But for students, this simplified writing style isn't allowed and in fact would be regarded as something akin to a spelling mistake. Now there are generally two ways to input Chinese characters on a standard keyboard: one is a system that turns each character into a sequence of usually four numerals, a system for which one has to memorize a set of rules and use regularly to be fast; and the other is pinyin, a form of Romanization that enables you to read out each character. If you know how a character is pronounced in Putonghua, the pinyin input is intuitive even though it requires another step of selecting the right character from a lineup of homonyms. According to one survey, 90 percent of all users depend on this method. An emerging exception is the use of touch screen for handwriting each character, prompting several look-alike characters to appear from which you can then select the right one. People who don't speak correct Putonghua or迷你倉have never learned pinyin, mostly those of an older generation, have found this useful. Three decades of widespread use of personal computers and gadgets have effected a dichotomy between the skill of recognizing characters and that of handwriting them. Selecting the right homonym out of say two dozen choices is easier than writing the correct strokes. In my line of work, handwriting still comes in handy. When I interview people, I use a notebook instead of a computer and often use pinyin for words whose strokes elude me. These are just pointers to remind me of words when I return to my notes later. On the rare occasion I have to leave a handwritten note for someone I sometimes resort to my cellphone for a pinyin-enabled display of the characters — not esoteric ones, mind you — to avoid looking unprofessional with pinyin spliced into a sentence of Chinese characters. In other words, if I was a contestant on that show, I may well flop at the first character test. And I was trained in this skill before anybody in China had seen a computer keyboard. Is it terrifying that this fundamental skill of being culturally Chinese is eroding at an alarming rate and scope? Yes and no. While the ability to handwrite a Chinese vocabulary of certain size is to be admired, we have to ask ourselves if it is really as essential to a basic education as we assume. To answer that question, we have to understand the functions of a language. For most people, a language is solely for communication. If you can talk in Chinese and write simple sentences — nowadays increasingly in text messages — that's probably enough. For a select few, however, language is more than a tool of communication; it is a form of art through which one can express exquisite emotions, artistic aspirations and philosophical thoughts. Even for this group there are multiple layers of sophistication. One may lament the loss of handwriting, another will go one step further and say that not only are the strokes of characters essential but traditional brush calligraphy should be part of a Chinese person's education. The irony is, the higher you raise the bar, the lower the rate of literacy will be. Say, if we define literacy as five different styles of calligraphy with a vocabulary of 10,000 characters, the rate will be abysmally low. That is the rationale behind the initiatives since the May 4th Movement to push for the simplification of Chinese characters as well as Romanization efforts such as pinyin. When we compare a set of traditional Chinese characters, used in Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the simplified ones, of course the older style is more elegant and richer in connotation, but it is so much harder to learn well that fewer people will be able to use the language, at least in writing. I still remember the shock I had when meeting old people in rural areas who could not write their own names. For them, an education is tantamount to the ability to read a small number of characters. I doubt today's young will suffer the burden of this kind of illiteracy. With the ubiquitous gadget, it is almost impossible to be denied the basic skill of reading and writing, ahem inputting. But for kids who aspire for more, the option of mastering the refined parts of the language, just like learning the classics or playing the piano, should always be available and encouraged. Contact the writer at raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn. Raymond Zhou X-Ray The irony is, the higher you raise the bar, the lower the rate of literacy will be. Say, if we define literacy as five different styles of calligraphy with a vocabulary of 10,000 characters, the rate will be abysmally low. That is the rationale behind the initiatives since the May 4th Movement to push for the simplification of Chinese characters as well as Romanization efforts such as pinyin. 文件倉

Special notes

(吉隆坡29日訊)27歲少婦駕駛摩哆車經過警方路障時被發現竄改車牌、藏有危險武器和印有皇家警察徽章的背心和證件夾,新蒲崗迷你倉少婦因此被控抵觸3項罪名,惟她否認有罪。控狀指,諾希達雅在25日凌晨3時,在吉隆坡馬洛夫路警方設立的路障時被發現駕駛一輛掛假車牌的摩哆車,在經過查證後證實她並不是該輛摩哆車車主,她被控抵觸1987年陸路交通法令下第108(3)條文(使用假車牌);一旦罪成將被判罰款不超過5千令吉或坐牢不超過1年或兩者兼施。諾希達雅也因為身藏10吋小刀而被控抵觸195mini storage年危險武器、爆炸物及腐蝕物法令第6條文,罪成將被判坐牢不超過2年和鞭笞。控狀也指她因擁有警方證件而抵觸1967年警察法令第89(a)條文(擁有警方物品),罪成將被罰款不超過500令吉和坐牢不超過6個月或兩者兼施。以2千令吉保外諾希達雅否認有罪後,主控官西蒂愛莎建議推事讓被告以5千令吉及一名擔保人保外。被告擔保人即其丈夫在求情時指,被告是一名餐廳員工,兩人的薪水微薄,希望推事將保釋金減到最低。推事祖萊尼裁定被告以2千令吉和一名擔保人保外,案件定於9月14日過堂。;self storage

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mini storage bjyouth.ynet.com/3.1/1308/31/8247571.html...  據外電報道,法國總統奧朗德30日在接受法國《世界報》採訪時表示,對敘利亞的軍事打擊行動有可能在下周三前進行。   英國議會...self storage

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文件倉 未能提供文字內容。.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1300781/rbc-picks-canadas-first-woman-bank-chairman存倉

中國禪都 六祖故里築夢崛起

新興縣是六祖惠能的故鄉,新蒲崗迷你倉歷史悠久,公元前111年設縣,公元315年設郡,是雲浮市境內最早設置郡、縣級行政區域的地區。明代著名禪師憨山德清指出,中國禪宗「其根發於新州,暢於法性,浚於曹溪,散於海內。是知文化由中國漸被嶺表,而禪道實由嶺表達於中國」。今年是六祖涅槃1300周年,廣東省雲浮市新興縣,於公元2013年9月5日晚至8日舉行紀念六祖惠能圓寂1300周年暨2013廣東禪宗六祖文化節。中國禪也將藉此進一步挖掘和弘揚禪宗優秀文化,擴大六祖惠能作為東方和世界文化名人的影響,凝聚宗教界正能量,為推動新興文化、旅遊事業發展,為共同實現中華民族偉大復興的「中國夢」做出新貢獻。 ■香港文匯報記者 蘇碧霞 李叢書 通訊員 何勇新興縣以臨新興江而得名,秦始皇時納入象郡管轄,歷史源遠流長。若論新興,不能不提具備中華文化典型符號意義的歷史人物:禪宗六祖惠能。這裡是六祖故里,1300多年的禪宗文化在新興傳承不息,福澤華夏,並輻射世界華人文明圈,因而新興素有「中國禪都」之美譽。文明的千年積澱讓新興的格調顯得格外不同。優勢後發特色規劃展開六祖故里生態旅遊產業園區的規劃圖,整個規劃區域的空間意象形似一片充滿禪意的菩提樹葉,不僅暗示了園區內優越的生態自然環境,還寓意�園區佛教禪宗聖地的深遠意蘊。作為六祖出生、成長、圓寂之地,這裡保存了眾多六祖生平遺址遺跡。與其他區域相比,新興縣發揮潛在的後發優勢,引入先進的開發和管理理念,致力於將本地區打造成為獨具特色的文化產業發展區、「珠三角地區後花園」。有了生態資源優勢做基礎,加上深厚的禪宗文化背景,新興縣發展生態文化旅遊可謂是優勢獨顯。《新興縣國民經濟和社會發展第十二個五年規劃綱要》提出,要「做大做強特色旅遊業——圍繞『中國禪都』核心旅遊品牌,以禪宗文化統領溫泉和自然生態旅遊資源開發,推動文化與旅遊發展相融合,把新興縣建設成為國內外遊客必游的禪宗文化探源體驗之旅終端地、珠三角休閒基地和知名旅遊勝地。」禪宗浸染文化托底據了解,六祖故里所在地周邊被群山環繞,在這片群山間分佈有以國恩寺為代表的二十多間佛教廟宇,每一間廟宇都與六祖惠能的影響息息相關。因此,六祖故里的山地是一片受到六祖與禪宗文化薰陶和浸染的聖地,這也是六祖故里的山地與廣東省其他名山最大的區別所在。所以,園區內的禪文化旅遊資源具有世界級歷史和文化價值,在全球範圍內極具影響力和知名度,如國恩寺、六祖故居、藏佛坑等以禪文化為內涵的核心旅遊資源都具有很高的觀賞遊憩價值和宗教朝拜吸引力,資源稀有,獨特性強,為打造世界級禪宗聖地提供了強有力的資源依托和文化本底。旅遊文化唱響海外目前,園區內的六祖故里旅遊度假區開發已比較完善。該度假區是由縣政府統一管理的國家4A級景區,是新興縣最主要的旅遊產業集群發展中心,現有禪宗文化朝覲觀光旅遊和溫泉度假養生旅遊兩大特色鮮明的主題產品。旅遊區最具特色的景點有國恩寺、龍山溫泉、龍山文化景區、六祖故居、藏佛坑等。園區內的著名景區——藏佛坑景區位於新興縣集成鎮寺田村東側,內有約2公里的長坑延綿於兩山之間,原始自然生態保持良好,坑內淺流飛瀑,奇岩怪石,綠蔭山色相映成趣。坑內的化身潭是由瀑布從峭壁下瀉而成的數米深潭,潭內岩洞傳說是當年六祖圓寂後其弟子收藏六祖佛身之處。潭外百餘尺有「求雨石」,舊社會遇天旱之時,鄉民常迎六祖塑像來此石求雨,據稱相當靈驗。目前,六祖故里旅遊度假區、藏佛坑景區和六祖故居三個景區(點)構成了新興縣旅遊發展的「金三角」。接下來,新興縣將以紀念六祖惠能圓寂1300周年暨2013廣東禪宗六祖文化節活動為重大契機,將園區整體打造成以「中國禪都」為主題的世界禪宗文化聖地,吸引國內外高端禪宗文化機構以及相關文化產業研發和貿易組織入駐,形成以「六祖文化博覽園」、「飛天蠶國家禪院」與「山谷溫泉私家禪院」等為支撐的國家級禪生態旅遊產業園區。力爭將園區低碳、綠色、人文特色明顯的產業模式打造為廣東雲浮地區乃至整個粵西地區的功能性帶動項目,打造為省部共建的國家級並具有世界影響的禪宗文化聖地,使新興及雲浮成為名符其實的「廣東省的文化大西關」。心量大事不行小道六祖惠能圓寂1300周年暨2013廣東禪宗六祖文化節也許只是新興千餘年文化發展史上的一個mini storage站。站雖小,但情懷不小。無數新興人站在這片泥土上呼吸,見證新興的歷史跨越,見證這裡的一草一木繁衍生息,見證這裡的改革生機勃勃,也見證這裡的和諧與安康、汗水和歡笑。「心量大事,不行小道」,務求知行合一,妙手著文,為新興縣在改革開放新時期的發展事業貢獻更多正能量,讓中國夢、新興夢綻放在新興科學崛起的時代進程中。推進特色旅遊產業高端化發展打造新增長極目前,作為廣東省旅遊強縣的新興縣,以建設美麗幸福新興為重點,深入實施「文化引領、優勢集聚、特色主導、服務均等」四大發展戰略,進一步解放思想,開拓創新,大力轉變發展方式,加快旅遊產業轉型升級和持續健康發展,�力把旅遊產業建設成幸福導向型和生態文明產業,提升「中國禪都」的影響力與競爭力,實現旅遊產業跨越發展。 2013年上半年,全縣旅遊接待人數268.79萬人次,其中不乏來自港澳台地區、日本、韓國和東南亞的海外遊客。社會旅遊總收入18.73億元,分別同比增長23.02%和23.05%。整合縣域優勢資源招商引資為加大旅遊項目建設力度,新興縣積極推進大型旅遊配套項目建設,充分挖掘和整合縣域優勢資源,創造良好的發展環境,加強文化旅遊產業的招商引資,吸引省內外有實力的投資者參與新興縣旅遊資源的開發,推進特色旅遊產業高端化發展。重點加快以廣東禪文化創意產業園區為中心的園區建設,�力推進六祖小鎮、禪泉大酒店和神仙谷景區、禪文化創意產業園區規劃展示館和禪文化交流中心等項目建設,打造「大龍山」增長極。同時,以創建「廣東省旅遊綜合改革示範縣」為契機,加快旅遊綜合改革,加快轉變經濟發展方式,重點加快推進旅遊行業標準化、規範化建設,爭取新興縣旅遊星級飯店和國家A級景區數量有新的突破。做好競爭全省山區(生態)旅遊產業園區扶持性資金和廣東生態鄉村示範區申報有關工作;加大對景區、旅行社的管理力度,加強行業教育培訓,提高旅遊檔次和服務質量,努力讓遊客玩在新興、樂在新興、愛上新興。弘揚優秀傳統文化促進社會管理創新禪文化的影響,在新興縣已是無處不在。「藏佛坑」古蹟前的龍山塘村,天藍,草綠,水清,巷淨,路暢,人悠閒,50多幢古香古色的閒置老房子即將成為農家禪院和農家客棧,人與自然和諧共處。據介紹,該村依托禪文化資源,在打造「中國禪宗文化村」過程中解決了雨污分流、人畜分離、垃圾分類等農村老大難問題,建立起和諧宜居體系。優秀傳統文化進家庭,讓 「天人合一」、「道法自然」等理念進駐廣大群眾心中。廣泛開展的各類民俗文化活動,也讓群眾在參與中增進感情,建立和睦、融洽的鄰里關係,豐富精神生活,培育積極向上的精神追求和健康文明的生活方式。在轉變發展方式的同時,創新社會管理方式,讓經濟發展與社會發展齊頭並進、獲得雙贏。國恩寺方丈冀打造「靜心院」國恩寺始建于唐高宗弘道元年(公元706年),原稱報恩寺,因其位於龍山山麓,寺後山峰蜿蜒起伏,狀若游龍,故又稱「龍山寺」,唐中宗神龍三年賜名「國恩寺」。依山而築,佈局合理,古樸典雅,由半山亭、山門牌坊、金剛殿、大雄寶殿、六祖殿、報恩塔、方丈室、諸天佛殿、觀音殿、六祖紀念堂、僧房等建築組成。是中國佛教禪宗六祖惠能大師的故居和圓寂之所及《六祖法寶壇經》輯錄之地,自唐至今,在中國佛教界被視為「嶺南第一聖域」。養心之旅盡感禪意目前,國恩寺周圍50平方公里區域正在建設廣東禪文化創意產業園,它由政府、企業和村民共同開發,將整合開發禪文化生態旅遊、禪文化研發交流、禪文化保健養生、禪農文化體驗和禪文化消費服務等五大產業,形成具有參禪朝聖、文化體驗、度假養生、會議展覽等多功能的複合型文化產業園區。對此,國恩寺方丈表示,六祖的禪宗文化已跳出宗教範疇,他更是教育家、思想家、哲學家。例如香港,這麼一個多元文化的地方,卻有很多人將六祖禪宗當哲學來講授,一些歐美的專家學者也對六祖禪宗研究深入。他期望,有朝一日將六祖禪文化能落實到:人人提到中國的禪文化,都知道源頭在新興。能打造一個「靜心院」,成為大眾修行、參禪的平台,打開每個人的心扉。當前,新興正在把禪文化之旅打造成名副其實的養心之旅,讓遊客無論是泡溫泉、品香茶還是賞美景,皆能感受到禪意,既能遊得盡心,住得舒心,食得放心,而且可以行得安心,購得誠心,充分感受「中國禪都」的獨特魅力。self storage

意外弄髒香港張國榮紀念牌 四川女歌迷昨道歉

信息來源於四川新聞網 / Cited from .newssc.org/成都商報訊(記者 陳玲莉 任宏偉)9月12日是已故歌星張國榮(昵稱哥哥)的生日。8月28日晚,迷你倉一位哥哥的四川忠實粉絲到位於尖沙咀星光大道的張國榮星星紀念牌上拜祭,誰料好心辦壞事,30多枚砌成心形的小蠟燭燃燒後,燭淚滲進了地面,導致紀念牌一片髒汙,照片被其他粉絲發到網上後儲存倉起軒然大波。昨天,成都商報記者聯繫上這位四川女粉絲,她再次表示非常抱歉。"我買的是香薰蠟燭,它外面是有那種殼的,我就以為不會漏。下次再去,一定會買電子蠟燭去。"香港的星光大道管理公司昨天在給成都商報記者發來的郵件中,對此事的後續作了說明,"張國榮牌匾上的蠟燭痕跡已被清理,現已重新開放予遊客參觀。由於事件並不涉惡意毀壞,我們沒有報警追究的打算。"迷你倉價錢

《〈安排〉補充協議十》深化及進一步開放服務貿易的主要開放內容

來源 : 經濟財政司司長辦公室法律服務在廣東省進行試點,迷你倉價錢允許澳門律師事務所與廣東省律師事務所以協議方式,由廣東省律師事務所向澳門律師事務所駐粵代表機構派駐內地律師擔任內地法律顧問。建築專業服務1.澳門服務提供者在內地設立的建設工程設計企業中,出任主要技術人員且持有澳門方面身份證明文件的自然人,不受每人每年在內地累計居住時間應當不少於6個月的限制。2.對於註?建築師繼續教育中選修課部分,澳門服務提供者可以在澳門完成或由內地派師資授課,選修課繼續教育方案須經內地認可。3.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。市場調研服務允許澳門服務提供者在內地設立合作企業,提供市場調研服務。技術檢驗和分析服務1在廣東省內試點將澳門檢測機構獲准承擔的以認證為目的的檢測服務範圍由食品類別放寬至其他自願性產品認證領域。2.在參與認證檢測活動中比照內地認證機構、檢查機構和實驗室給予澳門服務提供者在內地設立的合資與獨資認證機構、檢查機構和實驗室同等待遇。3.在互信互利的基礎上,允許在澳門的認證檢測機構與內地認證檢測機構開展檢測數據(結果)的接受合作。具體合作安排另行商定。4.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。人員提供與安排服務取消澳門服務提供者在廣東省設立人才中介服務機構條件中從業年限限制。印刷及其輔助服務1.允許澳門服務提供者在內地設立合作企業,從事出版物和其他印刷品的印刷業務,內地方投資者應佔主導地位。2.簡化澳門圖書進口審批程序,建立澳門圖書進口綠色通道。3.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。複製服務1.允許澳門服務提供者在內地設立合資、合作或獨資企業,提供複製服務。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。電信服務1.允許澳門服務提供者在廣東省設立合資企業,提供在線數據處理與交易處理業務,澳資股權比例不超過55%。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。視聽服務電影或錄像帶製作服務1.允許國?影片及合拍片在澳門進行沖印作業。2.允許澳門影片因劇情需要,在影片中如有方言,可以原音呈現,但須加註標準漢語字幕。3.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下具體開放承諾的服務。電影或錄像的分銷服務,包括娛樂軟件及錄音製品分銷服務1.允許澳門與內地合拍影片的方言話版本,經內地主管部門批准,在內地發行放映,但須加註標準漢語字幕。2.允許澳門影片的方言話版本,經內地主管部門審查批准通過後,由中影集團進出口公司統一進口,在內地發行放映,但均須加註標準漢語字幕。3.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下具體開放承諾的服務。環境服務1.澳門服務提供者在澳門和內地從事環境污染治理設施運營的實質性商業經營,可共同作?評定其在內地申請企業環境污染治理設施運營資質的依據。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。金融服務銀行及其他金融服務(不包括保險和證券)澳門的銀行在內地的營業性機構,經批准經營澳資企業人民幣業務時,服務對象可包括依規定被認定?視同澳門投資者的第三地投資者在內地設立的企業。證券服務及期貨服務1.?澳資證券公司申請內地合格境外機構投資者(QFII)資格進一步提供便利,允許澳資證券公司申請QFII資格時,按照集團管理的證券資?規模計算。2.允許符合條件的澳資金融機構按照內地有關規定在內地設立合資基金管理公司,澳資持迷你倉比例可達50%以上。3.允許符合設立外資參股證券公司條件的澳資金融機構按照內地有關規定在上海市、廣東省、深圳市各設立1家兩地合資的全牌照證券公司,澳資合併持股比例最高可達51%,內地股東不限於證券公司。4.允許符合設立外資參股證券公司條件的澳資金融機構按照內地有關規定在內地批准的"在金融改革方面先行先試"的若干改革試驗區內,各新設1家兩地合資全牌照證券公司,內地股東不限於證券公司,澳資合併持股比例不超過49%,且取消內地單一股東須持股份49%的限制。5.在內地批准的"在金融改革方面先行先試"的若干改革試驗區內,允許澳資證券公司在合資證券投資諮詢公司中的持股比例達50% 以上。醫院服務1.允許澳門服務提供者以跨境交付的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。社會服務1.允許澳門服務提供者以獨資民辦非企業單位形式在廣東省設立居家養老服務機構,開展居家養老服務。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。旅遊和與旅遊相關的服務1.澳門服務提供者在內地投資設立旅行社,無年旅遊經營總額的限制。2.對澳門服務提供者在內地設立旅行社的經營場所要求、營業設施要求和最低註?資本要求,比照內地企業實行。3.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。體育和其他娛樂服務1.允許澳門服務提供者以跨境交付的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。海運服務1.澳門服務提供者投資建設港埠設施並經營港口裝卸、堆場和倉儲業務,其資本額和設立分公司的條件比照內地企業實行。2.將澳門服務提供者在廣東省內設立外商投資企業經營國際海運集裝箱站和堆場業務、國際貨物倉儲業務登記下放至廣東省地級以上市交通運輸主管部門。3.將廣東省內至澳門普通貨物運輸,以及在航澳門航線船舶變更船舶數據後繼續從事澳門航線運輸的審批權下放至廣東省交通運輸主管部門。4.將澳門服務提供者在廣東省內設立外商投資企業經營國際船舶管理業務登記下放至廣東省交通運輸主管部門。5.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。航空運輸服務1.允許澳門服務提供者以跨境交付的方式為內地提供國際航線或香港、澳門、台灣地區航線機票銷售代理服務。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務,但不符合經營主體資格的不得從事此類服務活動。公路運輸服務公路卡車和汽車貨運1.對在福建省投資的生?型企業從事貨運方面的道路運輸業務立項和變更的申請,委托福建省省級交通運輸主管部門進行審核或審批。2.取消澳門服務提供者在廣東省投資道路貨運和機動車維修業的立項環節,按照國家現行法規受理申請和許可審批。3.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。城市間定期旅客服務、道路客貨運站(場)1.允許澳門服務提供者在內地設立合資(澳資股權比例不超過49%) 或合作道路客運站(場)。對在福建省設立道路客貨運站(場)項目和變更的申請,委托福建省省級交通運輸主管部門進行審核或審批。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。殯葬設施1.允許澳門殯葬業者在內地以獨資或合資等方式投資並經營除具有火化功能的殯儀館以外的殯儀悼念和骨灰安葬設施。2.允許澳門服務提供者僱用的合同服務提供者以自然人流動的方式在內地提供本部門或分部門分類項下的服務。儲存

A real thinker living in our midst

I am always the last to know.mini storage That may be why I only heard about Chandran Nair when I started reading his book, Consumptionomics, even though he has been a prominent consultant in Hong Kong for many years. A long lunch with him yesterday confirms my suspicion – that he may be one of the most important Asian thinkers writing about globalisation and the future of Asia today.Here's a contradiction that Nair likes to point out. He reads in one page of the Financial Times that Asia, especially China, needs to rebalance from export-driven production and investment to consumer-driven growth. Then on another page, experts warn against an Asian population explosion and expanding middle class.Just having half the 2.5 billion Indians and Chinese living like Americans would consume so much of our natural resources you would need another earth-like planet to satisfy them. But this is a contradiction only because the two opposing demands are part of a Western-centric narrative on Asia and China. He believes western liberal democracy creates the individualist sense of entitlement which morphs into the Western consumer culture of market economics. For example, 70 per cent of the American GDP is related to consumer-driven service industries.If self storagesians are to adopt democracy and allow markets to help determine the efficient allocation of resources, it will have to be radically different from the Western models, or rather their practices. "Owning a car is not a right," he said. Having proper public roads and transport systems and clean air, however, qualify as genuine rights as they relate to basic needs. His solution is having a strong state that can impose public goods on its population. If I am not mistaken, he is somewhat impartial whether this would be democratic like India or authoritarian like China so long as it delivers the (public) goods.A New York Times op-ed piece said: "History shows authoritarianism is neither necessary nor sufficient for development." Yes, that's true, but Western-style democracy is neither necessary nor sufficient for development. What is important is that a strong state has the power to limit growth, resource exploitation and consumerism. Otherwise, Asia faces endless political conflicts, territorial disputes and ecological disasters.An optimist, though, Nair thinks many Asian countries, given their history and culture, have a far better chance of achieving what he calls austerity – or disciplined living with prosperity – than most others.迷你倉

BRIEF: Ventura police report increase in thefts at storage facilities

Source: Ventura County Star, Calif.迷你倉Aug. 29--Ventura police Thursday issued a warning about burglaries at rental storage facilities throughout the city.Police said burglaries and thefts from storage units through Aug. 15 have risen 181 percent compared with the same period in 2012, or an increase to 73 incidents from 26.Among the thefts this year, 41 involved forced entry such as a cut or pried lock, 31 involved open or unlocked units and one had an unknown method of entry, police said.Ventura police offered tips for people with pro文件倉erty in a storage unit.Take inventory of property and contact police if something is missing.Itemize property, record serial numbers and photograph it.Use a high-quality lock.Make sure the storage facility has adequate lighting, on-site security, video monitoring, security gates and a secure access method.Check property frequently and consider getting insurance.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) Visit Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) at .vcstar.com Distributed by MCT Information Services存倉

CITY DIGEST

'Drunk' man takes on armed airport policeA Korean man who was said to be reeking of alcohol struggled with police officers from the Airport Security Unit, grabbing on to one of their submachine guns, as they moved in to arrest him following an argument with staff at Chek Lap Kok yesterday morning.迷你倉 The 42-year-old man, who was reportedly arguing about queuing, was later sent to Princess Margaret Hospital with knee injuries.Officers arrest boy, 10, over online toy saleA 10-year-old boy was arrested and taken in for questioning for allegedly cheating a girl of nine out of HK$20自存倉 after selling a toy online. The girl's family called police when they failed to receive the toy. The boy, from Ngau Tau Kok, was freed on bail.High Court bid targetsTung's daughter-in-lawThe Medical Council secretary yesterday asked the High Court for permission to lodge a judicial review of its disciplinary panel's decision to acquit the daughter-in-law of former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa on a charge of professional misconduct. Dr Fuong Rulin was tried for wrongly calling herself "specialist in paediatrics" on a receipt. Mr Justice Patrick Li Hon-leung reserved judgment.迷你倉新蒲崗

What's news

Commerce Ministry's rules to support online retail The Ministry of Commerce released a policy on Thursday to improve cross-border outbound e-commerce.儲存 The new policy will take effect on Oct 1. Cities including Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Zhengzhou, which have already started pilot programs for cross-border e-commerce clearance, will be the first to implement the new policy. The policy defines outbound e-commerce governing bodies, sets a new method of supervising customs and specific statistics, supports regular earnings announcements by companies, and encourages banks and other payment institutions to provide payment services.Automaker SAIC posts rise in H1 net profit SAIC Motor Corp, China's largest automaker, posted a 6 percent rise in first-half net profit, boosted by strong sales at its joint ventures with General Motors Co and Volkswagen AG. SAIC made a net profit of 11.5 billion yuan ($1.88 billion) during the January-June period, compared with 10.78 billion yuan a year earlier, the Shanghai-based automaker said in an exchange filing on Thursday. SAIC sold 2.6 million vehicles during the first half, up 15 percent from the same period last year, outpacing industry growth of 12 percent. SAIC partners with Gene新蒲崗迷你倉al Motors and Volkswagen to sell cars, mini-vehicles and vans in China, the world's biggest automobile market.Liquidity will go to targeted areas, central bank says The central bank said on Thursday that added liquidity gained from securitized assets will help boost growth in targeted areas. The areas include credit support to small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture, urban renovation, and infrastructure projects, according to a statement on the central bank's website. On Wednesday, an executive meeting of the State Council, China's cabinet, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, gave the green light for high-quality securitized assets to be traded as a way to boost bank liquidity. The move will help ease risks for banks and quench liquidity demand.Economists say credit supply weakened in August Credit supply in August weakened further as the de-leveraging process in the financial sector continues, economists said. "Newly added credit in August may stand at 650 billion yuan ($106 billion), down from 699 billion yuan in new loans recorded in July," said Lu Zhengwei, chief economist with Industrial Bank Co. E Yongjian, a financial analyst with Bank of Communications, also predicted that new loans declined in August.China Dailymini storage

Enter the dragon

As leading international auction houses invade the mainland, their Chinese peers are working hard to expand their influence overseas.存倉 With the approach of September sales, a new landscape is forming and the bidding wars are fierce. Emma Dai reports. Among businesses with an eye on the future, the Chinese mainland market, spawning visions of rivers of golden stardust, remains the brightest luminary in the firmament, but those who sail into the unchartered waters of the mainland need to give heed to the cautions inscribed on the maps of the storied ancient mariners, "there be dragons". And as we learn from our storybooks, the dragon's treasure is jealously guarded. The auction business, for one, has boomed from nothing during the past decade. The central government had not thrown open doors however, to allow the country's treasure to be pillaged by foreign giants. Not until very recently have both Sotheby's and Christie's been granted licenses to hold auctions on the mainland. To thrive in the middle kingdom, they still need to learn the rules and lay out their war maps carefully or may find their endeavors all but futile. Take Sotheby's, the venerable old auction company of nearly 300 years duration found itself hampered by apparently insurmountable encumbrances when it tried to crack the mainland market. Out of the game "Our development strategy on the mainland largely depends on government policy," Kevin Ching, CEO of Sotheby's Asia, tells China Daily. Summing up prospects for the auction house on the mainland he notes, "To this day, it's still illegal for foreign auction houses to auction cultural relics." According to the Law on Protection of Cultural Relics, international houses like Sotheby's and Christie's are not allowed to sell Chinese antiques, classic Chinese paintings or other items from before 1911. In other words, they are dealt out of the game in sectors Chinese collectors are most fond of and the most valuable fields their local peers are working at. "It's unfair," he continued. "Mainland auction houses, such as Poly, can get a license today and open for business in Hong Kong tomorrow. It's cheap to register a company in Hong Kong, where we have a free and fair playground. There are, however, plenty of curbs on us going into the mainland market. The restrictions placed on outsiders give the domestic players huge advantages through unfair protections." But the speed with which the Chinese market is growing, says Ching, is amazing. In 2005, mainland bidders counted only 4 percent of Sotheby's Asian clientele. Today, they comprise a quarter of its customer base. During the market peak of 2011, mainland clients climbed as high as 30 percent. "Seven years ago when I joined Sotheby's, there were only 50-plus people dealing in Asia business. Now we have more than 200 staff here," says Ching. "In Hong Kong, especially when it's an auction of Chinese paintings or porcelain, the majority of those in attendance are mainland bidders. That's why we are so dedicated to tap this market." So, as Ching points out, with that much market potential, Sotheby's is in it for the long haul. "We have to comply with the existing rules and work on what we can do inside the framework," says Ching. "Jewelry and watches, wine, contemporary art and classic Western arts are our strong suits too." At last, after years of trying, the top two international houses, both established in 18th-century London迷你倉 found their way to tap the mainland market. On Sept 27, 2012, Sotheby's announced its joint venture Sotheby's (Beijing) Auction Co Ltd with Beijing Gehua Cultural Development Group, a State-owned corporation. The new company, 80 percent owned by Sotheby's, immediately proclaimed itself, "the first international auction house licensed to conduct auctions in China". An ice-breaking auction the same night sold a Chinese sculpture to a Chinese collector for 1.69 million yuan ($276,150). Following in their steps, Christie's, Sotheby's old rival, broke the news on Apr 9 that it was "the first international fine art auction company to be granted a license to operate independently in the Chinese mainland". "We can establish a sole proprietorship too, but as a new player, it was important for us to know how to get various approvals and access the right market," says Sotheby's Ching. "Gehua is a perfect match. They have good networks with the authorities, the cultural circle and the media. And it's Beijing, where all the leading domestic and international galleries are situated and all the high cap artists live." Tax-free auction haven Gehua operates a major local art museum in the capital, China Millennium Monument, but even more importantly, it's building a logistics and exhibition center in Beijing's Tianzhu Free Trade Zone, at the end of Beijing International Airport's third runway. That new facility will serve as a tax-free haven for the auction business. On the mainland, imported art is dutiable at the same rate as luxury goods — that's as much as 30 percent, and surely enough to discourage potential local buyers. "So the practical solution," says Ching, "is to hold the auction in the free trade area. As long as bidders store the works in our warehouse, they don't have to pay the tax. Foreign buyers, like those from Southeast Asia, can take their purchases with them when they leave. Art investors can leave the works in our warehouse and sell them later. People buy for different reasons." With the market changing so rapidly, the Gehua joint venture proved a masterstroke for Sotheby's. "The mainland auction market is sophisticated," Ching tells China Daily. "We couldn't wait outside until everything was ready. Now that we've managed to get in the market, we have the chance to gather experience along the way. One day when the door totally opens, we will be well-prepared." With its first Beijing season scheduled in October, Sotheby's is also in talks with The European Fine Art Fair to hold a joint fair in Beijing in 2014. TEFAF is the biggest European art fair. It represents 260 galleries from 20 countries. The focus of the Beijing extravaganza will be antiques, old masters' paintings and European furniture. "Cultural communication is a two-way street," says Ching. "Chinese collectors are maturing and are starting to appreciate Western arts. As the country grows stronger, it will also become more internationalized — just the way Japan emerged as a strong buyer of Western art in the 1980s. We are optimistic. We expect to see more Western art in Chinese museums. In the long term, we expect to compete with Chinese rivals on a platform that is balanced and fair." We expect to see more Western art in Chinese museums. In the long term, we expect to compete with Chinese rivals on a platform that is balanced and fair." Kevin Ching CEO, Sotheby's Asia Contact the writer at emmadai@chinadailyhk.com 自存倉