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Monday, 23 September 2013

Amazon dives into the red despite sales lift lift jump

       Amazon.co.uk saw soaring sales of Inferno, Dan Brown's latest book, plus evidence of Britain's baby boom in a leap in demand for nappy wipes, but that could not stop the world's biggest online retailer falling to a surprise loss for the last three months.


     Amazon enjoyed a 22 per cent jump in global sales to $15.7bn (£10.2bn) between April and June, but growing expenses pushed it into the red.
The web giant, which is under fire for tax avoidance as it routes billions of pounds from sales to British customers through Luxembourg to pay negligible British tax, is spending billions trying to diversify from a warehouse and online store to become a broader digital company. It is selling its Kindle tablets alongside cloud computing, video streaming and digital downloads, as well as investing heavily in expanding into new markets such as China.

     Due to that spending, the company fell to a $7m loss in the second quarter of the year – in contrast to the $7m profit it made in the corresponding period a year earlier.

      However, a sales boycott sought by campaigners angry about its tax arrangement does not appear to have had an impact. Sales at Amazon's international division, which includes the British website, actually rose by 13 per cent to $6.2bn during the three months. Bestsellers at its UK website were dominated by Kindle books and baby products, Amazon said.

      The most-downloaded e-books in the three months were Inferno and titles by self-published authors using Kindle Direct Publishing, including No-One Ever Has Sex On a Tuesday by Tracy Bloom and The Magpies by Mark Edwards. Other best-selling items included the Gro Anywhere Blackout Blind in Amazon's baby department, Pampers wipes and the Philips juicer.

      The site's founder and chief executive, Jeff Bezos, claimed Amazon's emphasis on technology was paying off: "This past quarter, our top 10 selling items worldwide were all digital products – Kindles, Kindle Fire HDs, accessories and digital content." The company is opening a new 12-storey office in central London later this year. When fully complete, the building at 60 Holborn Viaduct will accommodate more than 1,600 people.
  

Monday, 9 September 2013

Ancient Olympic Games


   According to historical records, the first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC. They were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia. They continued for nearly 12 centuries, until Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such "pagan cults" be banned.

Olympia
   Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of "Pelops", the founder of the Olympic Games. Imposing temples, votive buildings, elaborate shrines and ancient sporting facilities were combined in a site of unique natural and mystical beauty. Olympia functioned as a meeting place for worship and other religious and political practices as early as the 10th century B.C. The central part of Olympia was dominated by the majestic temple of Zeus, with the temple of Hera parallel to it.  
The Games and religion
   The Olympic Games wer
/* podadonky *e closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus, but were not an integral part of a rite. Indeed, they had a secular character and aimed to show the physical qualities and evolution of the performances accomplished by young people, as well as encouraging good relations between the cities of Greece. According to specialists, the Olympic Games owed their purity and importance to religion.
Victory Ceremonies
    The Olympic victor received his first awards immediately after the competition. Following the announcement of the winner's name by the herald, a Hellanodikis (Greek judge) would place a palm branch in his hands, while the spectators cheered and threw flowers to him. Red ribbons were tied on his head and hands as a mark of victory.

   The official award ceremony would take place on the last day of the Games, at the elevated vestibule of the temple of Zeus. In a loud voice, the herald would announce the name of the Olympic winner, his father's name, and his homeland. Then, the Hellanodikis placed the sacred olive tree wreath, or kotinos, on the winner's head.

Easter Sunday

The Carrying of the Cross (aka Road to Calvary) by Simone Martini    Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It celebrates the resurrection from the dead of Jesus, three days after he was executed. The Easter story is at the heart of Christianity.

Easter Sunday
   Easter Sunday marks Jesus' resurrection.
After Jesus was crucified on the Friday (now known as Good Friday), his body was taken down from the cross, and buried in a cave tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman Soldiers and an enormous stone was put over the entrance, so that no-one could steal the body.

    On the Sunday, Mary Magdalene, followed later by some of Jesus' disciples visited the tomb and found that the stone had been moved, and that Jesus' body had gone.

    Jesus himself was seen that day by Mary and the disciples, and for forty days afterwards by many people. His followers realised that God had raised Jesus from the dead. Christians call this the Resurrection.
The week leading up to Easter is called Holy Week.
Jerusalem skyline

Holy Week

Palm Sunday
    This is the Sunday before Easter Day.
It is the first day of Holy Week and celebrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Crowds of people came out of the city to greet him, throwing down palm branches on the road.

    Anglican and Roman Catholic churches give out small crosses made from palm leaves, as a reminder of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and his death on the cross. Some Christians keep these in their homes all year as a symbol of their faith.

Maundy Thursday
This is the Thursday before Easter Day

Last Supper: On Maundy Thursday Christians remember when Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples, breaking bread and drinking wine, which is now known as the Last Supper.

    Many Christians remember this by sharing bread and wine together in a service called Holy Communion, Eucharist or Mass. It is a reminder that Jesus sacrificed his life for mankind.

   At this meal Jesus told his followers that they should love and serve one another. He demonstrated this by washing the feet of the disciples - something a servant would normally do. You can read this story in the Bible in John Ch.13v1-15

   The word maundy comes from the command (mandate) given by Jesus at the Last Supper, that we should love one another.
Roman Catholic church services include a ceremony in which the priest washes the feet of 12 people to commemorate Jesus' washing the feet of his disciples.

Good Friday
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It commemorates the
execution of Jesus by crucifixion.

    Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. During special Good Friday services Christians remember Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith.
 
 In some countries, there are special Good Friday processions, or re-enactments of the Crucifixion.

   The main service on Good Friday takes place between midday and 3pm. In many churches it takes the form of a meditation based on the seven last words of Jesus on the cross, with hymns, prayers, and short sermons.

Himalaya


     The Estes Valley Library's popular Our Wonderful World series resumes on Monday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. for a presentation titled "25 Years in the Himalaya", to be held at National Park Village's Rocky Mountain Opry Theater at 900 Moraine Avenue. Cynthia Hunt will recount the pitfalls and pinnacles of her 25 years working in grassroots development in the Western Himalayas, exploring the "road less traveled" in a land buffeted by winds of war, modernization, and tourism. Doctors Tom and Kathy Hornbein will introduce the program, offering their unique insights and perspectives on a region of the world very close to their hearts.
 Our Wonderful World will then conclude for the season with one final program on Monday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m


   




      The Himalaya is a rugged, yet beautiful area.
featuring a presentation titled "Starry Night: a Story of Survival". Mountain climber and author Isabel Suppé, will discuss the story of how she survived a chilling fall in the Bolivian Andes through strength and resolution. The story is now told in her book titled "Starry Night". The Sept. 16 event takes place at National Park Village's Rocky Mountain Opry Theater.

     Both final events in the series are free and open to the public. For more information on the Our Wonderful World series and other upcoming programs, contact the library at (970) 586-8116.

Goa restrictions sought

    Offshore casinos should not be allowed to operate on more than one river in Goa, the Indian Congress said last month, amid news that a leading casino promoter is considering relocating one of its three casinos in line with Congress’ preferences.
Goa   “We do not want the evil of casinos to spread to other parts of the state. They should be in the Mandovi (a river off Panaji) or out of Goa,” party spokesperson Reginaldo Lourenco told the media.

   His comments come on a day when a leading national daily quoted Goa’s casino promoter Jaydev Mody as saying that his firm was on the look-out for a new site for a recently acquired casino vessel.

   “At the request of the Goa government and with a view to support it in its quest to reduce operations of casino ships in Mandovi, we have agreed to move the vessel out to another river in Goa. We will now work closely with the authorities to find a suitable location,” Mody said.

   Lourenco now claims that the Congress state committee will meet and formally pass a resolution on the casino relocation issue. “We are going to oppose it come what may,” the Congress spokesperson said.

    Four years ago, another casino which had dropped anchor in the Sal river in South Goa had to be relocated to Mandovi, off Panaji, following public protests against offshore casino operations.

   The National Green Tribunal has told the state government not to allow any new casinos in Mandovi, pending testing of the river water for pollutants emitted by casino vessels.

   There are presently five offshore casinos in the Mandovi river, out of which four are functional. Green groups have pushed for the large casino vessels to be moved from the river to offshore locations.

Friday, 6 September 2013

Wright brothers

     The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were two American brothers, inventors, and aviation pioneers who were credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903. From 1905 to 1907, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.

     The brothers' fundamental breakthrough was their invention of three-axis control, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium. This method became standard and remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds. From the beginning of their aeronautical work, the Wright brothers focused on developing a reliable method of pilot control as the key to solving "the flying problem". This approach differed significantly from other experimenters of the time who put more emphasis on developing powerful engines. Using a small homebuilt wind tunnel, the Wrights also collected more accurate data than any before, enabling them to design and build wings and propellers that were more efficient than any before. Their first U.S. patent, 821,393, did not claim invention of a flying machine, but rather, the invention of a system of aerodynamic control that manipulated a flying machine's surfaces.


    They gained the mechanical skills essential for their success by working for years in their shop with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and other machinery. Their work with bicycles in particular influenced their belief that an unstable vehicle like a flying machine could be controlled and balanced with practice. From 1900 until their first powered flights in late 1903, they conducted extensive glider tests that also developed their skills as pilots. Their bicycle shop employee Charlie Taylor became an important part of the team, building their first aircraft engine in close collaboration with the brothers.

   The Wright brothers' status as inventors of the airplane has been subject to counter-claims by various parties. Much controversy persists over the many competing claims of early aviators.

Indian Railway

The History

   The history of rail transport in India began in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1849, there was not a single kilometre of railway line in India. A British engineer, Robert Maitland Brereton, was responsible for the expansion of the railways from 1857 onwards. The Allahabad-Jabalpur branch line of the East Indian Railway had been opened in June 1867. Brereton was responsible for linking this with the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, resulting in a combined network of 6,400 km (4,000 mi). Hence it became possible to travel directly from Bombay to Calcutta. This route was officially opened on 7 March 1870 and it was part of the inspiration for French writer Jules Verne's book Around the World in Eighty Days. At the opening ceremony, the Viceroy Lord Mayo concluded that “it was thought desirable that, if possible, at the earliest possible moment, the whole country should be covered with a network of lines in a uniform system”.



    By 1875, about £95 million were invested by British companies in India guaranteed railways. By 1880 the network had a route mileage of about 14,500 km (9,000 mi), mostly radiating inward from the three major port cities of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. By 1895, India had started building its own locomotives, and in 1896 sent engineers and locomotives to help build the Uganda Railways.

     In 1900, the GIPR became a government owned company. The network spread to the modern day states of Assam, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh and soon various autonomous kingdoms began to have their own rail systems. In 1905, an early Railway Board was constituted, but the powers were formally invested under Lord Curzon.It served under the Department of Commerce and Industry and had a government railway official serving as chairman, and a railway manager from England and an agent of one of the company railways as the other two members. For the first time in its history, the Railways began to make a profit.

    In 1907 almost all the rail companies were taken over by the government. The following year, the first electric locomotive made its appearance. With the arrival of World War I, the railways were used to meet the needs of the British outside India. With the end of the war, the railways were in a state of disrepair and collapse.

     In 1920, with the network having expanded to 61,220 km (38,040 mi), a need for central management was mooted by Sir William Acworth. Based on the East India Railway Committee chaired by Acworth, the government took over the management of the Railways and detached the finances of the Railways from other governmental revenues.

     The period between 1920 and 1929 was a period of economic boom; there were 41,000 mi (66,000 km) of railway lines serving the country; the railways represented a capital value of some 687 million sterling; and they carried over 620 million passengers and approximately 90 million tons of goods each year.Following the Great Depression, the railways suffered economically for the next eight years. The Second World War severely crippled the railways. Starting 1939, about 40% of the rolling stock including locomotives and coaches was taken to the Middle East, the railways workshops were converted to ammunitions workshops and many railway tracks were dismantled to help the Allies in the war. By 1946 all rail systems had been taken over by the government.