View allAll Photos Tagged Commerce
I finally made it out shooting just for kicks last night. Dave and I explored the many parking decks around downtown Peoria. We settled on this deck for awhile with nice views of the Commerce Bank Building.
Im still learning PS 6 and there is lots of experimentation here. This is a blend of three shots to get the best traffic lights and I played with the tilt shift effect a bit (and I already see a change I want to make - sigh, so much to learn!)
Hey at least a shot something...anything!
Commerce, GA (Jackson County) Copyright 2009 D. Nelson
I have always loved the combination of dark storm clouds and sunshine. Unfortunately, the clouds won most of the day with the sun playing tease. I had to wait 15 minutes for the sun to light up this old sign.
I almost went inside and asked them if they had some leftover Kodachrome 64. It is funny how an old-fashioned sign makes us think inside is a goldmine of vintage cameras and film. I could kick myself now for not checking.
Representatives of striking independent truck drivers meet with Vice President Walter Mondale (seated, center) June 29, 1979 at the White House in an attempt to reach an agreement to end the work stoppage.
Mondale aide Jack Watson is standing immediately behind Mondale.
Truckers had been on strike since early June in what began as scattered halts to trucking over rising fuel prices and other independent trucker grievances.
The following day Watson released a plan that he called a “final offer” that included an Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) rule permitting truckers to “pass through” rising fuel costs to businesses.
Other aspects of plan included support by the Carter administration for federal legislation ending a six-state refusal to increase the minimum weights of truck loads to the federal 80,000 lbs. that caused loads of some truckers to be lightened or partially off-loaded.
Other provisions included a federal promise for equal fuel distribution across the country, a coordinated federal program to ensure safety for truckers and a federal working party to find solutions to other problems of independent truckers.
The proposal fell short of the independent trucker representatives demands, but the strike was already crumbling with an increasing number of trucks on the road and blockades of oil terminals and food distribution centers dismantled.
By July 7th, a group representing 21 independent trucker associations voted to return to work. “We lost our bargaining power because so many truckers went back to work,” said Bill Hill of the Independent Truckers Unity Coalition to the Washington Post.
“Economically, we’re in bad condition to continue the strike right now,” he continued. Hill estimated fewer than 20 percent of the truckers were still on strike at that time.
The Independent Truckers Association that had initially publicized the strike nationwide and attempted to continue, but the back-to-work horse was already out of the barn. The ITA was initially formed in 1962 by Overdrive magazine editor Mike Pankhurst.
The strike had been spurred by a fuel crisis spurred by the revolution in Iran that led to prices increasing dramatically.
A previous nationwide strike by independents occurred during the 1973-74 gas crisis.
At the time, independent truck drivers’ rates were still subject to federal regulation and many earned a good living, but that would soon be challenged not by gas prices, but by deregulation.
Business Insider reported October 21, 2019:
“In the mid-20th century, truck drivers had to buy specific routes to move a certain type of product from one location to the other. But goods exempt from regulation moved at rates 20% to 40% below similar products that were regulated, according to Thomas Gale Moore, then a senior fellow at Stanford University's conservative public policy think tank Hoover Institution.
“Ultimately, that meant consumers were paying more because trucking was an industry with little competition and high barriers to entry. But it also meant truck drivers were better paid.
“The Motor Carrier Act of 1980 removed many of the cumbersome regulations that the previous law, passed in 1935, had put in place. Most notably, it allowed new trucking companies to open with relative ease and removed many of the route regulations. Companies also had more control over changing their rates.
“The law was passed by President Jimmy Carter, who declared that the MCA would save consumers as much as $8 billion ($25 billion in 2018 dollars) each year.
“Following the passing of the MCA, truck drivers' salaries tumbled. From 1977 to 1987, mean truck driver earnings declined 24%, according to research by Wayne State University economics professor Michael Belzer. And from 1980 to the present day, a Business Insider analysis found that median trucking wages have sunk as much as 35.8% in some metropolitan areas.
"’To be able to be a truck driver used to be quite a good blue-collar, middle-class job, but over the past 40 years, it has kind of dwindled away,’ Gordon Klemp, principal of the National Transportation Institute, previously told Business Insider.
“Unions also lost much of their power. Membership in Teamsters, which was once one of the most powerful unions around, has declined dramatically. In 1974, Belzer wrote that there were 2,019,300 truckers in Teamsters. Now, there are 75,000.
“When truck drivers were largely in Teamsters, work stoppages were common — and sometimes quite dramatic. In 1970, a nationwide trucker strike went on for more than a month, dealing a serious economic blow in cities like Chicago and St. Louis.
“In Cleveland, Ohio, the impacts even became one of domestic security as rock-throwing protesters drew 3,000 National Guardsmen to the city. "Helmeted troops, armed with M‐1 rifles, were stationed in pairs on some overpasses, while other guardsmen rumbled along on patrol in quarter‐ton trucks," reported The New York Times on May 1, 1970.
“The strike led to a pay increase of nearly 30% for all Teamsters truckers. The average nationwide hourly pay of $4 got a $1.10/hour bump, the Times reported.
The issue of the “barrier states” was not resolved until Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 established the needed federal minimum for truck weight limits. This Act standardized truck size and weight limits across the country for traffic on the Interstate Highway System.
De-regulated and de-unionized, four out of five truckers are now independent owner-operators. Many more work for small non-union trucking companies. The two groups mostly eke out a living from what was once was a good blue-collar job.
For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHsmQJFzet
The photographer is unknown. The image is an Associated Press photograph housed in the D.C. Library Washington Star Collection.
Governor Hogan Speaks at the Commerce Staff Event by Patrick Siebert at 401 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
The Future of Healthcare in Virtual Worlds
Moderator: Dave Taylor, Imperial College London
SL: Davee Commerce
dave.taylor@imperial.ac.uk
Panel:
John Lester (Pathfinder), Linden Lab
Dan Hoch, Neurologist, Massachussets General Hospital
Dr Maurice Slevin, London Oncology Clinic
Shireen Lewis, Strategic Planning and Innovation, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Maria Toro-Troconis, Senior Learning Technologist, Imperial College London
Victor Cid, Senior Computer Scientist, National Library of Medicine, NIH, HHS
Randy Hinrichs, CEO 2b3d
James Kinross, Surgeon, Imperial College London
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FURTHER DETAILS
++++++++++++
++++++++
James Kinross, Surgeon, Imperial College London
BSST Imperial College
Head of Department: Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham
Programme Lead, Virtual Worlds and Medical Media: Dave Taylor
++++++++
The department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology at Imperial College first entered Second Life in 2007.
Initial work focused on the development of social platforms that would inform health policy within London's National Health Service (NHS). The aim was to create health infrastructure and treatment pathways of the future that patients and medical professionals could experience virtually. This quickly expanded into consultation meetings and the creation of the Second Health islands (www.secondhealth.org.uk). As the pace of real world health reform quickened, so did the project. We are now working on creating virtual care networks across a simulated london borough.
Surgical simulation and education have formed the basis for much of the research within the department. Therefore, reserachers are now exploring the feasibility of Second Life as an educational platform for training medical professionals. This has initially focused on team training within the operating theatre environment, but it is seeking to explore the unlocked potential of virtual worlds in the fields of patient safety and undergraduate education.
++++++++++++
Maria Toro-Troconis, Senior Learning Technologist, Imperial College London
Game-based learning for virtual patients in Second Life
++++++++++++
This project aims to develop an effective model for the delivery of virtual patients following a game-based learning approach in Second Life.
The four-dimensional framework described by De Freitas and Martin (2006), plus the learning types described by Helmer (2007), as well as the different aspects of emergent narrative described by Murray (1997) have provided the basis for the design of these game-based learning activities for virtual patients under two different categories: context and learner specification, and narrative and modes of representation.
Phase I of this project focused on the delivery of a virtual patient in the area of Respiratory Medicine following a game-based learning model in Second Life. A pilot was carried out in March 2008 with 43 students. The feedback received has informed the development of Phase II which incorporates a multi-patient approach. Five virtual patients suffering from different respiratory problems, such as Asthma and COPD have been implemented. The same narrative and Activity Model is applied for all these patients including different modes of representation. The learner is asked to make decisions based on current information and acquires new information as a result of different decisions. Phase II will be released in August 2008.
A web world environment has been implemented consisting of a three-tier architecture based on J2EE’s Model View Controller (MVC) design pattern – tier 1: web-server; tier 2: application server; and tier 3: database. This model accommodates the delivery of a one-to-many relationship between the user/student and several virtual patients.
For more information please contact Maria Toro-Troconis: m.toro@imperial.ac.uk
SLURL: slurl.com/secondlife/Imperial College London/150/86/27/
Demo on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=WnPYhSbSABA
+++++++++++
Dan Hoch, Neurologist, Massachussets General Hospital
::::Massachusetts General Hospital Relaxation Response Study in Second Life::::
+++++++++++
Do you enjoy using Second Life to communicate with others? Are you interested in learning about stress reduction techniques? Are you able to travel to downtown Boston?
We are recruiting healthy people and their Second Life Avatars to take part in a research study. The study involves teaching the Relaxation Response within Second Life. The Relaxation Response is a form of stress reduction therapy.
The eight week study comprises 8 training sessions in Second Life, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes. All participants will receive a Razer Piranha headsets to be used in the study and kept after the study ends. Additionally, study participants will be given $25 toward travel expenses to the Massachusetts General Hospital. The study does not involve any medication or blood draws.
If you are interested in participating, please send an email to RRSLStudy@partners.org or call 617-643-6240. You may also IM our in world contact, Halton Alsop.
or check out the study web page at:
www.connected-health.org/programs/second-life/center-for-...
[[Benson-Henry Instituet for Mind Body Medicine -- Center for Connected Health -- Department of Neurology]]
:::::Questions?:::::
Our plot will be staffed by a member of our research team during the following times:
Monday June 30th 9a-5p PST
Tuesday July 1st 9a-5p PST
Wednesday July 2nd 9a-1p PST
Thursday July 3rd 9a-1p PST
Thanks for listening to our principal investigator Dr. Dan Hoch discuss healthcare in virtual worlds during the SL5B speaker series!
+++++++++++++
John Lester (Pathfinder)
"Linden Lab's Perspective on Healthcare in Second Life: Cultivating Ecosystems and Strategies for Success"
++++++++++++
Pathfinder Linden (RL: John Lester) currently serves as Linden Lab's Boston Operations Director, coordinating the growth of Linden Lab's East Coast presence. He also leads Linden Lab's Proactive Education and Healthcare Mentoring Program, acting as a mentoring resource and academic evangelist for people using Second Life for teaching, academic and healthcare research, medical education/simulation, and scientific visualization. Pathfinder will talk about Linden Lab's perspective on healthcare applications in Second Life, the critical connection between the healthcare and education communities, and future visions of how healthcare might best leverage virtual worlds.
+++++++++++
Randy Hinrichs, CEO 2b3d
+++++++++++
Medipelago and our partners are beginning a new era for professional societies in the digital immersive 21st century. We believe social networking in 3D spaces changes everything. So, we are offering access controlled 3D peer spaces and scalable virtual rentals for your business meetings, research collaborations, and educational courses. We have a simple mission: move photons, not people and use more silicon, and less carbon. It is less costly to meet in an immersive digital world, and its more flexible to use 3D software to make you productive, responsive, and motivated.
2b3d offers information services that feature 3d meeting spaces, collaborative environments and virtual real estate rentals to individuals, companies, professional societies or groups. We leverage virtual worlds and social networking to bring professionals together in a single immersive location. Our services help to reduce travel costs and human resource downtime. At 2b3d locations, you meet peers, access current research, hold conferences, working groups and collaborate with people on the leading edge in your field. Our mission is to build robust information service solutions with innovative tools to advance productivity, tell a story and create a rich environment for you to gather with colleagues and partners.
The Future of Healthcare in Virtual Worlds
Moderator: Dave Taylor, Imperial College London
SL: Davee Commerce
dave.taylor@imperial.ac.uk
Panel:
John Lester (Pathfinder), Linden Lab
Dan Hoch, Neurologist, Massachussets General Hospital
Dr Maurice Slevin, London Oncology Clinic
Shireen Lewis, Strategic Planning and Innovation, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Maria Toro-Troconis, Senior Learning Technologist, Imperial College London
Victor Cid, Senior Computer Scientist, National Library of Medicine, NIH, HHS
Randy Hinrichs, CEO 2b3d
James Kinross, Surgeon, Imperial College London
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FURTHER DETAILS
++++++++++++
++++++++
James Kinross, Surgeon, Imperial College London
BSST Imperial College
Head of Department: Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham
Programme Lead, Virtual Worlds and Medical Media: Dave Taylor
++++++++
The department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology at Imperial College first entered Second Life in 2007.
Initial work focused on the development of social platforms that would inform health policy within London's National Health Service (NHS). The aim was to create health infrastructure and treatment pathways of the future that patients and medical professionals could experience virtually. This quickly expanded into consultation meetings and the creation of the Second Health islands (www.secondhealth.org.uk). As the pace of real world health reform quickened, so did the project. We are now working on creating virtual care networks across a simulated london borough.
Surgical simulation and education have formed the basis for much of the research within the department. Therefore, reserachers are now exploring the feasibility of Second Life as an educational platform for training medical professionals. This has initially focused on team training within the operating theatre environment, but it is seeking to explore the unlocked potential of virtual worlds in the fields of patient safety and undergraduate education.
++++++++++++
Maria Toro-Troconis, Senior Learning Technologist, Imperial College London
Game-based learning for virtual patients in Second Life
++++++++++++
This project aims to develop an effective model for the delivery of virtual patients following a game-based learning approach in Second Life.
The four-dimensional framework described by De Freitas and Martin (2006), plus the learning types described by Helmer (2007), as well as the different aspects of emergent narrative described by Murray (1997) have provided the basis for the design of these game-based learning activities for virtual patients under two different categories: context and learner specification, and narrative and modes of representation.
Phase I of this project focused on the delivery of a virtual patient in the area of Respiratory Medicine following a game-based learning model in Second Life. A pilot was carried out in March 2008 with 43 students. The feedback received has informed the development of Phase II which incorporates a multi-patient approach. Five virtual patients suffering from different respiratory problems, such as Asthma and COPD have been implemented. The same narrative and Activity Model is applied for all these patients including different modes of representation. The learner is asked to make decisions based on current information and acquires new information as a result of different decisions. Phase II will be released in August 2008.
A web world environment has been implemented consisting of a three-tier architecture based on J2EE’s Model View Controller (MVC) design pattern – tier 1: web-server; tier 2: application server; and tier 3: database. This model accommodates the delivery of a one-to-many relationship between the user/student and several virtual patients.
For more information please contact Maria Toro-Troconis: m.toro@imperial.ac.uk
SLURL: slurl.com/secondlife/Imperial College London/150/86/27/
Demo on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=WnPYhSbSABA
+++++++++++
Dan Hoch, Neurologist, Massachussets General Hospital
::::Massachusetts General Hospital Relaxation Response Study in Second Life::::
+++++++++++
Do you enjoy using Second Life to communicate with others? Are you interested in learning about stress reduction techniques? Are you able to travel to downtown Boston?
We are recruiting healthy people and their Second Life Avatars to take part in a research study. The study involves teaching the Relaxation Response within Second Life. The Relaxation Response is a form of stress reduction therapy.
The eight week study comprises 8 training sessions in Second Life, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes. All participants will receive a Razer Piranha headsets to be used in the study and kept after the study ends. Additionally, study participants will be given $25 toward travel expenses to the Massachusetts General Hospital. The study does not involve any medication or blood draws.
If you are interested in participating, please send an email to RRSLStudy@partners.org or call 617-643-6240. You may also IM our in world contact, Halton Alsop.
or check out the study web page at:
www.connected-health.org/programs/second-life/center-for-...
[[Benson-Henry Instituet for Mind Body Medicine -- Center for Connected Health -- Department of Neurology]]
:::::Questions?:::::
Our plot will be staffed by a member of our research team during the following times:
Monday June 30th 9a-5p PST
Tuesday July 1st 9a-5p PST
Wednesday July 2nd 9a-1p PST
Thursday July 3rd 9a-1p PST
Thanks for listening to our principal investigator Dr. Dan Hoch discuss healthcare in virtual worlds during the SL5B speaker series!
+++++++++++++
John Lester (Pathfinder)
"Linden Lab's Perspective on Healthcare in Second Life: Cultivating Ecosystems and Strategies for Success"
++++++++++++
Pathfinder Linden (RL: John Lester) currently serves as Linden Lab's Boston Operations Director, coordinating the growth of Linden Lab's East Coast presence. He also leads Linden Lab's Proactive Education and Healthcare Mentoring Program, acting as a mentoring resource and academic evangelist for people using Second Life for teaching, academic and healthcare research, medical education/simulation, and scientific visualization. Pathfinder will talk about Linden Lab's perspective on healthcare applications in Second Life, the critical connection between the healthcare and education communities, and future visions of how healthcare might best leverage virtual worlds.
+++++++++++
Randy Hinrichs, CEO 2b3d
+++++++++++
Medipelago and our partners are beginning a new era for professional societies in the digital immersive 21st century. We believe social networking in 3D spaces changes everything. So, we are offering access controlled 3D peer spaces and scalable virtual rentals for your business meetings, research collaborations, and educational courses. We have a simple mission: move photons, not people and use more silicon, and less carbon. It is less costly to meet in an immersive digital world, and its more flexible to use 3D software to make you productive, responsive, and motivated.
2b3d offers information services that feature 3d meeting spaces, collaborative environments and virtual real estate rentals to individuals, companies, professional societies or groups. We leverage virtual worlds and social networking to bring professionals together in a single immersive location. Our services help to reduce travel costs and human resource downtime. At 2b3d locations, you meet peers, access current research, hold conferences, working groups and collaborate with people on the leading edge in your field. Our mission is to build robust information service solutions with innovative tools to advance productivity, tell a story and create a rich environment for you to gather with colleagues and partners.
The Future of Healthcare in Virtual Worlds
Moderator: Dave Taylor, Imperial College London
SL: Davee Commerce
dave.taylor@imperial.ac.uk
Panel:
John Lester (Pathfinder), Linden Lab
Dan Hoch, Neurologist, Massachussets General Hospital
Dr Maurice Slevin, London Oncology Clinic
Shireen Lewis, Strategic Planning and Innovation, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Maria Toro-Troconis, Senior Learning Technologist, Imperial College London
Victor Cid, Senior Computer Scientist, National Library of Medicine, NIH, HHS
Randy Hinrichs, CEO 2b3d
James Kinross, Surgeon, Imperial College London
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FURTHER DETAILS
++++++++++++
++++++++
James Kinross, Surgeon, Imperial College London
BSST Imperial College
Head of Department: Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham
Programme Lead, Virtual Worlds and Medical Media: Dave Taylor
++++++++
The department of Biosurgery and Surgical Technology at Imperial College first entered Second Life in 2007.
Initial work focused on the development of social platforms that would inform health policy within London's National Health Service (NHS). The aim was to create health infrastructure and treatment pathways of the future that patients and medical professionals could experience virtually. This quickly expanded into consultation meetings and the creation of the Second Health islands (www.secondhealth.org.uk). As the pace of real world health reform quickened, so did the project. We are now working on creating virtual care networks across a simulated london borough.
Surgical simulation and education have formed the basis for much of the research within the department. Therefore, reserachers are now exploring the feasibility of Second Life as an educational platform for training medical professionals. This has initially focused on team training within the operating theatre environment, but it is seeking to explore the unlocked potential of virtual worlds in the fields of patient safety and undergraduate education.
++++++++++++
Maria Toro-Troconis, Senior Learning Technologist, Imperial College London
Game-based learning for virtual patients in Second Life
++++++++++++
This project aims to develop an effective model for the delivery of virtual patients following a game-based learning approach in Second Life.
The four-dimensional framework described by De Freitas and Martin (2006), plus the learning types described by Helmer (2007), as well as the different aspects of emergent narrative described by Murray (1997) have provided the basis for the design of these game-based learning activities for virtual patients under two different categories: context and learner specification, and narrative and modes of representation.
Phase I of this project focused on the delivery of a virtual patient in the area of Respiratory Medicine following a game-based learning model in Second Life. A pilot was carried out in March 2008 with 43 students. The feedback received has informed the development of Phase II which incorporates a multi-patient approach. Five virtual patients suffering from different respiratory problems, such as Asthma and COPD have been implemented. The same narrative and Activity Model is applied for all these patients including different modes of representation. The learner is asked to make decisions based on current information and acquires new information as a result of different decisions. Phase II will be released in August 2008.
A web world environment has been implemented consisting of a three-tier architecture based on J2EE’s Model View Controller (MVC) design pattern – tier 1: web-server; tier 2: application server; and tier 3: database. This model accommodates the delivery of a one-to-many relationship between the user/student and several virtual patients.
For more information please contact Maria Toro-Troconis: m.toro@imperial.ac.uk
SLURL: slurl.com/secondlife/Imperial College London/150/86/27/
Demo on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=WnPYhSbSABA
+++++++++++
Dan Hoch, Neurologist, Massachussets General Hospital
::::Massachusetts General Hospital Relaxation Response Study in Second Life::::
+++++++++++
Do you enjoy using Second Life to communicate with others? Are you interested in learning about stress reduction techniques? Are you able to travel to downtown Boston?
We are recruiting healthy people and their Second Life Avatars to take part in a research study. The study involves teaching the Relaxation Response within Second Life. The Relaxation Response is a form of stress reduction therapy.
The eight week study comprises 8 training sessions in Second Life, each lasting 60 to 90 minutes. All participants will receive a Razer Piranha headsets to be used in the study and kept after the study ends. Additionally, study participants will be given $25 toward travel expenses to the Massachusetts General Hospital. The study does not involve any medication or blood draws.
If you are interested in participating, please send an email to RRSLStudy@partners.org or call 617-643-6240. You may also IM our in world contact, Halton Alsop.
or check out the study web page at:
www.connected-health.org/programs/second-life/center-for-...
[[Benson-Henry Instituet for Mind Body Medicine -- Center for Connected Health -- Department of Neurology]]
:::::Questions?:::::
Our plot will be staffed by a member of our research team during the following times:
Monday June 30th 9a-5p PST
Tuesday July 1st 9a-5p PST
Wednesday July 2nd 9a-1p PST
Thursday July 3rd 9a-1p PST
Thanks for listening to our principal investigator Dr. Dan Hoch discuss healthcare in virtual worlds during the SL5B speaker series!
+++++++++++++
John Lester (Pathfinder)
"Linden Lab's Perspective on Healthcare in Second Life: Cultivating Ecosystems and Strategies for Success"
++++++++++++
Pathfinder Linden (RL: John Lester) currently serves as Linden Lab's Boston Operations Director, coordinating the growth of Linden Lab's East Coast presence. He also leads Linden Lab's Proactive Education and Healthcare Mentoring Program, acting as a mentoring resource and academic evangelist for people using Second Life for teaching, academic and healthcare research, medical education/simulation, and scientific visualization. Pathfinder will talk about Linden Lab's perspective on healthcare applications in Second Life, the critical connection between the healthcare and education communities, and future visions of how healthcare might best leverage virtual worlds.
+++++++++++
Randy Hinrichs, CEO 2b3d
+++++++++++
Medipelago and our partners are beginning a new era for professional societies in the digital immersive 21st century. We believe social networking in 3D spaces changes everything. So, we are offering access controlled 3D peer spaces and scalable virtual rentals for your business meetings, research collaborations, and educational courses. We have a simple mission: move photons, not people and use more silicon, and less carbon. It is less costly to meet in an immersive digital world, and its more flexible to use 3D software to make you productive, responsive, and motivated.
2b3d offers information services that feature 3d meeting spaces, collaborative environments and virtual real estate rentals to individuals, companies, professional societies or groups. We leverage virtual worlds and social networking to bring professionals together in a single immersive location. Our services help to reduce travel costs and human resource downtime. At 2b3d locations, you meet peers, access current research, hold conferences, working groups and collaborate with people on the leading edge in your field. Our mission is to build robust information service solutions with innovative tools to advance productivity, tell a story and create a rich environment for you to gather with colleagues and partners.
The City of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and as of 2013 is the 18th most populous municipality in Colorado. The city population was 45,913 at the 2010 United States Census, a population increase of 118.7% in the ten years since the 2000 census.
Commerce City is a mixed residential and industrial community that is known for an oil refinery with a capacity of 90,000 barrels per day (14,000 m3/d), operated by Suncor. Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a soccer stadium in Commerce City, hosts the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.
Commerce City is home to an oil refinery with a capacity of 90,000 barrels per day (14,000 m3/d). Originally, this facility existed as two separately owned refineries, one on each side of Brighton Boulevard.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce_City,_Colorado
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...
Governor Hogan Speaks at the Commerce Staff Event by Patrick Siebert at 401 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
September 7, 2017 - Secretary Perry Meeting with Paducah, KY Chamber of Commerce at Energy HQ in Washington D.C.
(Photo, Simon Edelman | Energy Department)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson testifies before the Senate Appropriations’ Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies subcommittee during a hearing on NASA’s budget request, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Détail de l'auberge Ravoux où vécut Van Gogh (Auvers-sur-Oise - Val d'Oise - France)
Il y mourra le 29 juillet 1890.
Commerce de vin et restaurant plus que centenaire, c’est une auberge typique de la fin du XIXème siècle
Governor Hogan Speaks at the Commerce Staff Event by Patrick Siebert at 401 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Protótipo para Home de E-commerce Goodyear - Venda on-line de Pneus.
Criação, Direção de Arte
Cliente: Goodyear
Status: On-line, com modificações by Rafaela Ornellas
Desenvolvido na agência Foster
Taken with a Nikon 1 J2, edited with Snapseed. Part of my Street Blur photo series.
Visit my website and join the mailing list at obscuran.tk.
From Bitcoin and beyond we look at where it all began from its inception to its current day notoriety helping shape the way in which we pay. We also look at what it means for consumers and merchants and how it can be easily integrated into new and existing platforms.
free pic no repro fee
pictured at the Cork Chamber , US Embassy and the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland joined forces at a breakfast meeting entitled Economic Leaders Forum , Drivers of Growth in the US-Irish Relationship in the Clarion Hotel, Cork.
pictures Gerard McCarthy 087 8537228
more info contact Katie Keogh Office of Public Affairs U.S. Embassy Dublin 01 237 5843 087 682 3845
Adolphus Hotel / Dallas, Texas
*** Adolphus Busch, co-founder of Anheuser-Busch ***
Adolphus Busch aimed to grow his Missouri brewing company to Texas and Dallas would be the Texas hub. He and St Louis business partners already owned the Oriental Hotel on the SE corner of Commerce and Akard. For years, The Oriental Hotel was considered the finest hotel in Dallas. It was torn down in 1924 to make way for the Baker Hotel. Dallas Mayor Stephen Hay and other city officials traveled to St. Louis in May 1910 to lobby Adolphus Busch to build a huge additon to the Oriental hotel. Busch agreed, but he desired the site opposite the Oriental Hotel - which was the Dallas City Hall. The committee agreed to the sell the lot on the spot to Busch. City offices were relocated to 411 Commerce Street. Demolition began and the site for the "New Oriental Hotel," as it was first named, was ready by January 1911. The Dallas chamber of commerce telegrahed Busch in March 1911 suggesting that the new hotel be named the Adolphus in his honor. Busch responded "I shall cheerfully acquiesce and be proud of it".
The hotel was designed by the St. Louis architect Tom P. Barnett, of the firm Barnett, Haynes, and Barnett. The architects used a strong familiarity with the design of the Astor Hotel in New York City which had elaborately decorated public rooms, a roof garden, an exterior faced with a combination of stone and brick and capped with a Mansard roof. The architects previously designed the 425-room Hotel Jefferson (1904) in St. Louis. Construction began in 1911 on the site by Louis J. Haenni of the Gilsonite Construction Company. Busch would spent $1.8 million (about $45 million today) to build a 20 story hotel befitting Dallas’ aspirations, aiming for world-class status. Adolphus Busch died in 1913, but members of the family, including his son August, continued the hotel operation.
The New Oriental's monumental facade is of the Louis XIV period. The buildings architectural ornamentation was unheard of this side of the Mississippi. Its exterior was Parisian Beaux Arts style, with a tapestry of red velvet brick, trimmed with Bedford stone, and gargoyles flanked by the colossal, helmeted heads of Greek gods. The building is topped with a handcrafted Turret in the shape of a beer bottle. The exterior included stone figures of Apollo, Ceres and Mercury. The gargoyles symbolized barley, malt, hops and other brewing motifs. The opulent interior was unlike anything Dallas had ever known — vaulted ceilings, sculptured panels in bas-relief, fixtures of brass, ormolu (gilding with gold paste), alabaster carved ornaments decorated with silk and velvet draperies. Busch commissioned two identical Chandeliers. One hangs in the hotel lobby. It is a gilded chandelier, with eagles hovering wingtip to wingtip. The other hangs at the Clydesdale stables in St. Louis.
In 1917, the Busch heirs elected to enlarge the hotel with the West Annex, which brought the total number of rooms to 482 when the new section opened in January 1918. The architects Otto Lang and Frank Witchell designed the West Annex, called the "Junior Aolphus", which added 229 hotel rooms. With a roof top restaurant the Adolphus was a hot spot during the Roaring '20s. A third addition was made in 1926.
Otto Schubert was the Adolphus general manager from 1922 to 1946. National Hotel Management, headed by Ralph Hitz, served as the hotel management company. NHM also managed the New Yorker, the Lexington and the Belmont Plaza hotels (New York); the Congress Hotel(Chicago); the Netherland Plaza(Cincinnati) and the Book-Cadillac (Detroit).
The Century Room on the 19th floor, was the hotel's popular and classy nightclub. It even went Hawaiian for a brief period in 1938 to help showcase a Hawaiian band that was in town. But the Century Room's big attraction was the ice shows. The Century Room had a retractable 20’ X 24’ ice rink used for touring ice revues. When not in use it was retracted and the area used as a dance floor. In the early ’40s, retired speedskater and Olympic gold medalist Dot Graney brought her Broadway-on-ice show to Dallas for a month. Franey ended up staying at the Adolphus for 14 years, where she directed, produced, and choreographed her own shows in the Century Room. Century Room Entertainment included the likes of Phil Harris and Orchestra, Bill Bardo's Band, Art Jarrett and Orchestra with singer Eleanor Holm, Fiddler Joe Venuti, Andrews Sisters, Rudy Vallee, Ben Berne, Ozzie Nelson and Harriett Hilliard, Jack Benny and Phyllis Diller. During the 1950's Liberace broke all Century Room attendance records. In the 1970's The Century Room went Tiki Hawaiian for awhile with such acts as singer "Meteliko" accompanied by five Hula Girls, and fire/knife drummer named Enoka Fetui with the Johnny Scat Davis Band.
The Busch family owned the Adolphus hotel for 37 years until 1949 when Dallas investor Leo F. Corrigan Sr purchased the 825 room property for $2,977,000. Under Corrigan's ownership the facility was again expanded to include an additional hotel tower (the Adolphus Tower), an adjoining office tower, and parking garage. Corrigan claims the 1,350 room Adolphus was the largest totaly air conditioned hotel in the world. Corrigan's hotel portfolio included the Biltmore in Los Angeles and Emerald Beach in Nassau. Corrigan made unsuccesful attempts to buy the Empire State Building in NYC and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. In Dallas Corrigan had previously bought the Stoneleigh Hotel (owned for over 50 years) and Maple Terrace hotel. H.H. Andy Anerson was Managing Director from 1956 to 1967 and again in 1977.
In 1980 the Adolphus had its third owner - a California investment group lead by Patrick R. Colee, president of the Westgroup Parnters. With finacning from New England Mutual Life Insurance Company, Colee purchased the commercial block of improved real estate in downtown Dallas which consisted of office buildings and the well-known but poorly maintained hotel known as the Adolphus Hotel. In disrepair and subjected to mismanagement for years, the Adolphus was initially considered a liability to the viability of the purchased block. Colee lead a charge to fully renovate the hotel and create his own hotel ownership and management organization. For the next twenty-five years under the auspices of Colee, the Adolphus thrived in its tradition of elegance, charm and excellence. On February 3, 1980 after 68 years of continuous service, Westgroup closed The Adolphus for restoration and refurnishing.
By 1981 the Adolphus re-opened after a $45 million facelift. The hotel was again a showplace, with $25 million in "new" antiques and art. The work on the original structure was confined to restoration of existing elements on the exterior, with a major redecorating campaign on the interior. The room count was reduced from 850 to 437 - creating one guest room from two. The hotel received new plumbing and individually controlled air conditionand heating and an advanced emergency alert system. Rooms and halls have sprinklers and smoke alarms. The stairways have been pressurized to prevent the entrance of smoke. The French Room opened as the finest restaurant in Dallas. In the early 80's Jean Banchet, the owner and chef of Le Francais in Wheeling IL. was rated as the America's best restaurant, was the food consultant for the French Room. Westgroup selected Amfac, the Hawaiian sugar, real estate and resort company, to manage the hotel. John Kirk was Amfac's first general manager at the Adolphus. After the $45 million renovation the once great but greatly deteriorated property staged a comeback as one of the world's finest hotels and in a short time earned the AAA Five Diamond Rating. Amfac's 1981 annual meeting was held at the Adolphus. Westgroup also bought in 1985 the Biltmore in Los Angeles for $45 million and the Newporter Resort for $25 million.
In 2012 Adolphus Associates/Met Life sold the Adolphus to a company set up by RockBridge Cabital for $33.5 million. Cresent Hotels was retained as manager. Rockbridge is a Columbus Ohio based private equity firm.
Rockbridge and Crescent Hotels & Resorts commenced a multi-million dollar renovation to Dallas’ historic Adolphus Hotel in 2013. The legendary hotel (currently at 407 rooms) will receive a comprehensive, property-wide renovation that will modernize and vitalize the property while preserving its history, elegance and charm. The scope of the renovation includes the complete refurbishment of all guest rooms, public spaces and meeting spaces; the addition of a new 19th floor ballroom; construction of a 7th floor rooftop pool and bar; introduction of a new luxury spa and fitness center; refreshment of the acclaimed French Room Restaurant (restored the ceiling of the storied French Room to its original white, a move that pained fans of the rococo cherub frescoes, a relic of eighties excess); and the development of new dining and retails outlets. Rockbridge President and CEO Jim Merkel said the renovation is led by RB Hotel Development and design firm Duncan Miller Ullmann. Merkel is the co-founder of Rockbridge and helped grow it to over $2.0 billion in managed assets. The Adolphus remained open throughout the project. Other Rockbridge properties include Cliff House in Cape Neddick, ME and The Lay Low, Honolulu (formerly the Coral Reef Hotel). Merkel says "We fix broken hotels. We reinvent them and make them relevant to the market and to today's customers".
With renovations completed in 2017, The Adolphus, shed its independence and become part of the Marriott brand's "Autograph Collection" of hotels.
Compiled by Dick Johnson / October, 2018
Singapore (Listeni/ˈsɪŋɡəpɔːr/), officially the Republic of Singapore, and often referred to as the Lion City, the Garden City, and the Red Dot, is a global city and sovereign state in Southeast Asia and the world's only island city-state. It lies one degree (137 km) north of the equator, at the southernmost tip of continental Asia and peninsular Malaysia, with Indonesia's Riau Islands to the south. Singapore's territory consists of the diamond-shaped main island and 62 islets. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased its total size by 23% (130 km2), and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora, parks and gardens.
The islands were settled from the second century AD by a series of local empires. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles founded modern Singapore as a trading post of the East India Company; after the company collapsed, the islands were ceded to Britain and became part of its Straits Settlements in 1826. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by Japan. It gained independence from Britain in 1963, by uniting with other former British territories to form Malaysia, but was expelled two years later over ideological differences. After early years of turbulence, and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland, the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy, based on external trade and its human capital.
Singapore is a global commerce, finance and transport hub. Its standings include: "easiest place to do business" (World Bank) for ten consecutive years, most "technology-ready" nation (WEF), top International-meetings city (UIA), city with "best investment potential" (BERI), 2nd-most competitive country (WEF), 3rd-largest foreign exchange centre, 3rd-largest financial centre, 3rd-largest oil refining and trading centre and one of the top two busiest container ports since the 1990s. Singapore's best known global brands include Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport, both amongst the most-awarded in their industry; SIA is also rated by Fortune surveys as Asia's "most admired company". For the past decade, it has been the only Asian country with the top AAA sovereign rating from all major credit rating agencies, including S&P, Moody's and Fitch.
Singapore ranks high on its national social policies, leading Asia and 11th globally, on the Human Development Index (UN), notably on key measures of education, healthcare, life expectancy, quality of life, personal safety, housing. Although income inequality is high, 90% of citizens own their homes, and the country has one of the highest per capita incomes, with low taxes. The cosmopolitan nation is home to 5.5 million residents, 38% of whom are permanent residents and other foreign nationals. Singaporeans are mostly bilingual in a mother-tongue language and English as their common language. Its cultural diversity is reflected in its extensive ethnic "hawker" cuisine and major festivals - Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western - which are all national holidays. In 2015, Lonely Planet and The New York Times listed Singapore as their top and 6th best world destination to visit respectively.
The nation's core principles are meritocracy, multiculturalism and secularism. It is noted for its effective, pragmatic and incorrupt governance and civil service, which together with its rapid development policies, is widely cited as the "Singapore model". Gallup polls shows 84% of its residents expressed confidence in the national government, and 85% in its judicial systems - one of the highest ratings recorded. Singapore has significant influence on global affairs relative to its size, leading some analysts to classify it as a middle power. It is ranked as Asia's most influential city and 4th in the world by Forbes.
Singapore is a unitary, multiparty, parliamentary republic, with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government. The People's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959. One of the five founding members of the ASEAN, Singapore is also the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat, and a member of the East Asia Summit, Non-Aligned Movement, and the Commonwealth of Nations.
ETYMOLOGY
The English name of Singapore is derived from the Malay word, Singapura, which was in turn derived from Sanskrit (Singa is "lion", Pura "city"; Sanskrit: सिंहपुर, IAST: Siṃhápura), hence the customary reference to the nation as the Lion City, and its inclusion in many of the nation's symbols (e.g., its coat of arms, Merlion emblem). However, it is unlikely that lions ever lived on the island; Sang Nila Utama, who founded and named the island Singapura, most likely saw a Malayan tiger. It is also known as Pulau Ujong, as far back as the 3rd century, literally 'island at the end' (of the Malay Peninsula) in Malay.
Since the 1970s, Singapore has also been widely known as the Garden City, owing to its extensive greening policy covering the whole island, a priority of its first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, dubbed the nation's "Chief Gardener". The nation's conservation and greening efforts contributed to Singapore Botanic Gardens being the only tropical garden to be inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The nickname, Red Dot, is a reference to its size on the map, contrasting with its achievements. In 2015, Singapore's Golden Jubilee year, the celebratory "SG50" branding is depicted inside a red dot.
HISTORY
Temasek ('Sea Town' in the Malay language), an outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya empire, is the earliest written record relating to the area now called Singapore. In the 13th century, the Kingdom of Singapura was established on the island and it became a trading port city. However, there were two major foreign invasions before it was destroyed by the Majapahit in 1398. In 1613, Portuguese raiders burned down the settlement, which by then was nominally part of the Johor Sultanate and the island sank into obscurity for the next two centuries, while the wider maritime region and much trade was under Dutch control.
BRITISH COLONISATION 1819-1942
In 1819, Thomas Stamford Raffles arrived and signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor, on behalf of the British East India Company, to develop the southern part of Singapore as a British trading post. In 1824, the entire island, as well as the Temenggong, became a British possession after a further treaty with the Sultan. In 1826, Singapore became part of the Straits Settlements, under the jurisdiction of British India, becoming the regional capital in 1836.
Prior to Raffles' arrival, there were only about a thousand people living on the island, mostly indigenous Malays along with a handful of Chinese. By 1860, the population had swelled to more than 80,000 and more than half were Chinese. Many immigrants came to work at rubber plantations and, after the 1870s, the island became a global centre for rubber exports.
After the First World War, the British built the large Singapore Naval Base. Lieutenant General Sir William George Shedden Dobbie was appointed General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command on 8 November 1935, holding the post until 1939;
WORLD WAR II AND JAPANESE OCCUPATION 1942-45
in May 1938, the General Officer Commanding of the Malaya Command warned how Singapore could be conquered by the Japanese via an attack from northern Malaya, but his warnings went unheeded. The Imperial Japanese Army invaded British Malaya, culminating in the Battle of Singapore. When the British surrendered on 15 February 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the defeat "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". Between 5,000 and 25,000 ethnic Chinese people were killed in the subsequent Sook Ching massacre.
From November 1944 to May 1945, the Allies conducted an intensive bombing of Singapore.
RETURN OF BRITISH 1945-59
After the surrender of Japan was announced in the Jewel Voice Broadcast by the Japanese Emperor on 15 August 1945 there was a breakdown of order and looting and revenge-killing were widespread. The formal Japanese Occupation of Singapore was only ended by Operation Tiderace and the formal surrender on 12 September 1945 at Singapore City Hall when Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia Command, accepted the capitulation of Japanese forces in Southeast Asia from General Itagaki Seishiro.
A British Military Administration was then formed to govern the island. On 1 April 1946, the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore became a separate Crown Colony with a civil administration headed by a Governor. Much of the infrastructure had been destroyed during the war, including the harbour, electricity, telephone and water supply systems. There was also a shortage of food leading to malnutrition, disease, and rampant crime and violence. High food prices, unemployment, and workers' discontent culminated into a series of strikes in 1947 causing massive stoppages in public transport and other services. In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established and the election of six members of the Legislative Council was scheduled for the following year. By late 1947, the economy began to recover, facilitated by a growing demand for tin and rubber around the world, but it would take several more years before the economy returned to pre-war levels.
The failure of Britain to defend Singapore had destroyed its credibility as an infallible ruler in the eyes of Singaporeans. The decades after the war saw a political awakening amongst the local populace and the rise of anti-colonial and nationalist sentiments, epitomized by the slogan Merdeka, or "independence" in the Malay language.
During the 1950s, Chinese Communists with strong ties to the trade unions and Chinese schools carried out armed uprising against the government, leading to the Malayan Emergency and later, the Communist Insurgency War. The 1954 National Service Riots, Chinese middle schools riots, and Hock Lee bus riots in Singapore were all linked to these events.
David Marshall, pro-independence leader of the Labour Front, won Singapore's first general election in 1955. He led a delegation to London, but Britain rejected his demand for complete self-rule. He resigned and was replaced by Lim Yew Hock, whose policies convinced Britain to grant Singapore full internal self-government for all matters except defence and foreign affairs.
SELF-GOVERNMENT 1959-1963
During the May 1959 elections, the People's Action Party won a landslide victory. Singapore became an internally self-governing state within the Commonwealth, with Lee Kuan Yew as its first Prime Minister. Governor Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode served as the first Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State), and was succeeded by Yusof bin Ishak, who became the first President of Singapore in 1965.
MERGER WITH MALAYSIA 1963-65
As a result of the 1962 Merger Referendum, on 31 August 1963 Singapore joined with the Federation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of Sarawak and the Crown Colony of North Borneo to form the new federation of Malaysia under the terms of the Malaysia Agreement. Singaporean leaders chose to join Malaysia primarily due to concerns over its limited land size, scarcity of water, markets and natural resources. Some Singaporean and Malaysian politicians were also concerned that the communists might form the government on the island, a possibility perceived as an external threat to the Federation of Malaya.However, shortly after the merger, the Singapore state government and the Malaysian central government disagreed on many political and economic issues, and communal strife culminated in the 1964 race riots in Singapore. After many heated ideological conflicts between the two governments, on 9 August 1965, the Malaysian Parliament voted 126 to 0 to expel Singapore from Malaysia with Singaporean delegates not present.
INDEPENDENCE 1965 TO PRESENT
Singapore gained independence as the Republic of Singapore (remaining within the Commonwealth of Nations) on 9 August 1965. Race riots broke out once more in 1969. In 1967, the country co-founded ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in 1970 it joined the Non-Aligned Movement. Lee Kuan Yew became Prime Minister, leading its Third World economy to First World affluence in a single generation. His emphasis on rapid economic growth, support for business entrepreneurship, limitations on internal democracy, and close relationships with China set the new nation's policies for the next half-century.
In 1990, Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee as Prime Minister, while the latter continued serving in the Cabinet as Senior Minister until 2004, and then Minister Mentor until May 2011. During Goh's tenure, the country faced the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS outbreak and terrorist threats posed by Jemaah Islamiyah.
In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, the eldest son of Lee Kuan Yew, became the country's third Prime Minister. Goh Chok Tong remained in Cabinet as the Senior Minister until May 2011, when he was named Emeritus Senior Minister despite his retirement. He steered the nation through the 2008 global financial crisis, resolved the disputed 79-year old Malayan railways land, and introduced integrated resorts. Despite the economy's exceptional growth, PAP suffered its worst election results in 2011, winning 60% of votes, amidst hot-button issues of high influx of foreign workers and cost of living. Lee initiated a major re-structuring of the economy to raise productivity, improved universal healthcare and grants, especially for the pioneer generation of citizens, amongst many new inclusive measures.
On 23 March 2015, its founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who had 'personified Singapore to the world' for nearly half a century died. In a week of national mourning, 1.7 million residents and guests paid tribute to him at his lying-in-state at Parliament House and at community sites around the island.
Singapore celebrated its Golden jubilee in 2015 – its 50th year of independence, with a year-long series of events branded SG50. The PAP maintained its dominance in Parliament at the September general elections, receiving 69.9% of the popular vote, its second-highest polling result behind the 2001 tally of 75.3%.
GEOGRAPHY
Singapore consists of 63 islands, including the main island, Pulau Ujong. There are two man-made connections to Johor, Malaysia: the Johor–Singapore Causeway in the north and the Tuas Second Link in the west. Jurong Island, Pulau Tekong, Pulau Ubin and Sentosa are the largest of Singapore's smaller islands. The highest natural point is Bukit Timah Hill at 163.63 m. April and May are the hottest months, with the wetter monsoon season from November to January.
From July to October, there is often haze caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia, usually from the island of Sumatra. Although Singapore does not observe daylight saving time (DST), it follows the GMT+8 time zone, one hour ahead of the typical zone for its geographical location.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Singapore is a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. The country's constitution establishes a representative democracy as the political system. Executive power rests with the Cabinet of Singapore, led by the Prime Minister and, to a much lesser extent, the President. The President is elected through a popular vote, and has veto powers over a specific set of executive decisions, such as the use of the national reserves and the appointment of judges, but otherwise occupies a largely ceremonial post.
The Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the government. Members of Parliament (MPs) consist of elected, non-constituency and nominated members. Elected MPs are voted into the Parliament on a "first-past-the-post" (plurality) basis and represent either single-member or group representation constituencies. The People's Action Party has won control of Parliament with large majorities in every election since self-governance was secured in 1959.
Although the elections are clean, there is no independent electoral authority and the government has strong influence on the media. Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free" in its Freedom in the World report, and The Economist ranks Singapore as a "flawed democracy", the second best rank of four, in its "Democracy Index". Despite this, in the 2011 Parliamentary elections, the opposition, led by the Workers' Party, increased its representation to seven elected MPs. In the 2015 elections, PAP scored a landslide victory, winning 83 of 89 seats contested, with 70% of popular votes. Gallup polls reported 84% of residents in Singapore expressed confidence in the government, and 85% in its judicial systems and courts – one of the highest ratings in the world.
Singapore's governance model eschews populist politics, focusing on the nation's long-term interest, and is known to be clean, effective and pragmatic. As a small nation highly dependent on external trade, it is vulnerable to geo-politics and global economics. It places great emphasis on security and stability of the region in its foreign policies, and applies global best practices to ensure the nation's attractiveness as an investment destination and business hub.
The legal system of Singapore is based on English common law, but with substantial local differences. Trial by jury was abolished in 1970 so that judicial decisions would rest entirely in the hands of appointed judges. Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning, which may be imposed for such offences as rape, rioting, vandalism, and certain immigration offences.There is a mandatory death penalty for murder, as well as for certain aggravated drug-trafficking and firearms offences.
Amnesty International has said that some legal provisions of the Singapore system conflict with the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that Singapore has "... possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population". The government has disputed Amnesty's claims. In a 2008 survey of international business executives, Singapore received the top ranking with regard to judicial system quality in Asia. Singapore has been consistently rated among the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International.
In 2011, the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index ranked Singapore among the top countries surveyed with regard to "order and security", "absence of corruption", and "effective criminal justice". However, the country received a much lower ranking for "freedom of speech" and "freedom of assembly". All public gatherings of five or more people require police permits, and protests may legally be held only at the Speakers' Corner.
EDUCATION
Education for primary, secondary, and tertiary levels is mostly supported by the state. All institutions, private and public, must be registered with the Ministry of Education. English is the language of instruction in all public schools, and all subjects are taught and examined in English except for the "mother tongue" language paper. While the term "mother tongue" in general refers to the first language internationally, in Singapore's education system, it is used to refer to the second language, as English is the first language. Students who have been abroad for a while, or who struggle with their "Mother Tongue" language, are allowed to take a simpler syllabus or drop the subject.
Education takes place in three stages: primary, secondary, and pre-university education. Only the primary level is compulsory. Students begin with six years of primary school, which is made up of a four-year foundation course and a two-year orientation stage. The curriculum is focused on the development of English, the mother tongue, mathematics, and science. Secondary school lasts from four to five years, and is divided between Special, Express, Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical) streams in each school, depending on a student's ability level. The basic coursework breakdown is the same as in the primary level, although classes are much more specialised. Pre-university education takes place over two to three years at senior schools, mostly called Junior Colleges.
Some schools have a degree of freedom in their curriculum and are known as autonomous schools. These exist from the secondary education level and up.
National examinations are standardised across all schools, with a test taken after each stage. After the first six years of education, students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), which determines their placement at secondary school. At the end of the secondary stage, GCE "O"-Level exams are taken; at the end of the following pre-university stage, the GCE "A"-Level exams are taken. Of all non-student Singaporeans aged 15 and above, 18% have no education qualifications at all while 45% have the PSLE as their highest qualification; 15% have the GCE 'O' Level as their highest qualification and 14% have a degree.
Singaporean students consistently rank at or near the top of international education assessments:
- In 2015, Singapore topped the OECD's global school performance rankings, based on 15-year-old students' average scores in mathematics and science across 76 countries.
- Singaporean students were ranked first in the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, and have been ranked in the top three every year since 1995.
- Singapore fared best in the 2015 International Baccalaureate exams, taken in 107 countries, with more than half of the world's 81 perfect scorers and 98% passing rate.
The country's two main public universities - the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University - are ranked among the top 13 in the world.
HEALTH
Singapore has a generally efficient healthcare system, even though their health expenditures are relatively low for developed countries. The World Health Organisation ranks Singapore's healthcare system as 6th overall in the world in its World Health Report. In general, Singapore has had the lowest infant mortality rate in the world for the past two decades.
Life expectancy in Singapore is 80 for males and 85 for females, placing the country 4th in the world for life expectancy. Almost the whole population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities. There are fewer than 10 annual deaths from HIV per 100,000 people. There is a high level of immunisation. Adult obesity is below 10%
The government's healthcare system is based upon the "3M" framework. This has three components: Medifund, which provides a safety net for those not able to otherwise afford healthcare, Medisave, a compulsory health savings scheme covering about 85% of the population, and Medishield, a government-funded health insurance program. Public hospitals in Singapore have autonomy in their management decisions, and compete for patients. A subsidy scheme exists for those on low income. In 2008, 32% of healthcare was funded by the government. It accounts for approximately 3.5% of Singapore's GDP.
RELIGION
Buddhism is the most widely practised religion in Singapore, with 33% of the resident population declaring themselves adherents at the most recent census. The next-most practised religion is Christianity, followed by Islam, Taoism, and Hinduism. 17% of the population did not have a religious affiliation. The proportion of Christians, Taoists, and non-religious people increased between 2000 and 2010 by about 3% each, whilst the proportion of Buddhists decreased. Other faiths remained largely stable in their share of the population. An analysis by the Pew Research Center found Singapore to be the world's most religiously diverse nation.
There are monasteries and Dharma centres from all three major traditions of Buddhism in Singapore: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Most Buddhists in Singapore are Chinese and are of the Mahayana tradition, with missionaries having come into the country from Taiwan and China for several decades. However, Thailand's Theravada Buddhism has seen growing popularity among the populace (not only the Chinese) during the past decade. Soka Gakkai International, a Japanese Buddhist organisation, is practised by many people in Singapore, but mostly by those of Chinese descent. Tibetan Buddhism has also made slow inroads into the country in recent years.
CULTURE
Singapore has one of the lowest rates of drug use in the world. Culturally, the use of illicit drugs is viewed as highly undesirable by Singaporeans, unlike many European societies. Singaporeans' disapproval towards drug use has resulted in laws that impose the mandatory death sentence for certain serious drug trafficking offences. Singapore also has a low rate of alcohol consumption per capita and low levels of violent crime, and one of the lowest intentional homicide rate globally. The average alcohol consumption rate is only 2 litres annually per adult, one of the lowest in the world.
Foreigners make up 42% of the population, and have a strong influence on Singaporean culture. The Economist Intelligence Unit, in its 2013 "Where-to-be-born Index", ranks Singapore as having the best quality of life in Asia and sixth overall in the world.
LANGUAGES; RELIGIONS AND CULTURES
Singapore is a very diverse and young country. It has many languages, religions, and cultures for a country its size.
When Singapore became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963, most of the newly minted Singaporean citizens were uneducated labourers from Malaysia, China and India. Many of them were transient labourers who were seeking to make some money in Singapore and they had no intention of staying permanently. A sizeable minority of middle-class, local-born people, known as the Peranakans, also existed. With the exception of the Peranakans (descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants) who pledged their loyalties to Singapore, most of the labourers' loyalties lay with their respective homelands of Malaysia, China and India. After independence, the process of crafting a Singaporean identity and culture began.
Former Prime Ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, have stated that Singapore does not fit the traditional description of a nation, calling it a society-in-transition, pointing out the fact that Singaporeans do not all speak the same language, share the same religion, or have the same customs. Even though English is the first language of the nation, according to the government's 2010 census 20% of Singaporeans, or one in five, are illiterate in English. This is a marked improvement from 1990 where 40% of Singaporeans were illiterate in English.
Languages, religions and cultures among Singaporeans are not delineated according to skin colour or ancestry, unlike many other countries. Among Chinese Singaporeans, one in five is Christian, another one in five is atheist, and the rest are mostly Buddhists or Taoists. One-third speak English as their home language, while half speak Mandarin Chinese. The rest speak other Chinese varieties at home. Most Malays in Singapore speak Malay as their home language with some speaking English. Singaporean Indians are much more religious. Only 1% of them are atheists. Six in ten are Hindu, two in ten Muslim, and the rest mostly Christian. Four in ten speak English as their home language, three in ten Tamil, one in ten Malay, and the rest other Indian languages as their home language.
Each Singaporean's behaviours and attitudes would therefore be influenced by, among many other things, his or her home language and his religion. Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture, while those who speak Chinese as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward the Malay culture, which itself is closely linked to the Islamic culture.
ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS
At the national level in Singapore, meritocracy, where one is judged based on one's ability, is heavily emphasised.
Racial and religious harmony is regarded by Singaporeans as a crucial part of Singapore's success, and played a part in building a Singaporean identity. Singapore has a reputation as a nanny state. The national flower of Singapore is the hybrid orchid, Vanda 'Miss Joaquim', named in memory of a Singapore-born Armenian woman, who crossbred the flower in her garden at Tanjong Pagar in 1893. Many national symbols such as the Coat of arms of Singapore and the Lion head symbol of Singapore make use of the lion, as Singapore is known as the Lion City. Other monikers by which Singapore is widely known is the Garden City and the Red Dot. Public holidays in Singapore cover major Chinese, Western, Malay and Indian festivals.
Singaporean employees work an average of around 45 hours weekly, relatively long compared to many other nations. Three in four Singaporean employees surveyed stated that they take pride in doing their work well, and that doing so helps their self-confidence.
CUISINE
Dining, along with shopping, is said to be the country's national pastime. The focus on food has led countries like Australia to attract Singaporean tourists with food-based itineraries. The diversity of food is touted as a reason to visit the country, and the variety of food representing different ethnicities is seen by the government as a symbol of its multiculturalism. The "national fruit" of Singapore is the durian.
In popular culture, food items belong to a particular ethnicity, with Chinese, Malay, and Indian food clearly defined. However, the diversity of cuisine has been increased further by the "hybridisation" of different styles (e.g., the Peranakan cuisine, a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisine).
WIKIPEDIA
E-Commerce Masterplan, Order Fullfillment & Using Twitter to Generate Business
Three excellent presentations today:
Gerry Kierce is the Managing Director of Euroroute Logistics Ltd. Gerry has a proven track record in delivering innovative solutions to clients that are specific to their needs and adding value to their business and contributing to improved efficiencies and bottom-line performance.
Samantha Kelly is the Owner of Tweetinggoddess. Mother of two, A Dragons Den participant, creator of #irishbizparty on twitter, twitter for business trainer, star of the recent RTE show She's the Business and former owner of Funky Goddess Samantha has a great story to tell.
Chloe Thomas is an Online Marketer and the Author of E-Commerce Masterplan. The book has been described by Elite Business Magazine as "worth its weight in internet gold" Chloe has worked with "over 50 eCommerce businesses, improving their online marketing, saving them money and time in the process. She helps businesses reach success faster, and stop wasting money and time on the wrong marketing".
The World Trade Centre Montreal (in French, Centre de Commerce mondial de Montréal) is a building located in the Quartier international district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Completed in 1992 by the architectural firm Arcop, the 10-storey complex is known for its architecture, including a large glassed-in atrium, formerly Fortification Lane. The complex includes other historic elements:
Nordheimer Building (1888)
a fragment of the Berlin Wall
a fountain by French architect and sculptor Dieudonné-Barthélemy Guibal (1699–1757)
The Centre is home to the Montreal InterContinental Hotel, as well as offices, stores and restaurants.
The Centre is connected to Montreal's underground city and to Square-Victoria metro station.