ANNALS OF WAR about the Vietnam war since 1969, under the Nixon Admin. Since 1954, the U.S. has had only one concern & that was the war to destroy the revolutionary movement. It has not won that war & it has not destroyed the revolution, but it has changed Vietnam to the point where it is unrecognizable to the Vietnamese. The American war has devasted the economy while at the same time it has broken down the political power that is necessary to restore it. Whatever strategy the U.S. uses to carry on the war, it will only be delaying the inevitable. It is not just that the N.V. & the N.L.F. will refuse to surrender; it is that after all these yearsof war the V. have an immense desire for peace. Peace implies the victory of a single political system & way of life; peace implies revolution a complete change in the order of society, the goal of the N.L.F. Tells about the unsuccessful (according to writer) invasions of Cambodia & Laos, in 1970 & 1971, respectively, & about Vietnamization, which, during the Laotian operation, came to mean increased Vietnamese deaths in pursuit of the Amer. objective of extricating the Amer. troops from V. without peace negotiations. Vietnamization also resulted in having half the V. population, armed & trained by the U.S., sitting in military occupation of the other half. Tells about the bombing of Indo-China, which was Nixon's way of maintaining the Thieu regime. Gives various casualty statistics.


It's not likely you'll cross paths with an ogre or elf anytime soon, or call upon a magical being to help make your dreams come true.
But the motivations that so often drive citizens of the fairy-tale realm are not all that unrecognizable to their real-life counterparts.
There are metaphorical monsters to slay in the modern world, after all, in the form of bad luck, sickness and economic woes, to name just a few.
There are plenty of products produced to appease one's yearning to be healthier, happier, prettier, more handsome or wealthier. One learns every action has a consequence -- often one that is unintended (even with the best planning).
Ultimately, the adage "be careful what you wish for" has much relevance and resonance in an allegorical world as it does in reality.
"Life is an unpredictable thing to deal with," said Mark Lamos, artistic director of Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, as he discussed the theater company's first show of the 2012-13 season. "And, along the way, we experience a lot of unhappy surprises."
'Into the Woods' The Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport. Tuesday, May 1-Saturday, May 26. $50-$30. 203-227-4177, www.westportplayhouse.org.
"Into the Woods," the 1987 Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, opens the playhouse's 82nd season, where it runs Tuesday, May 1, through Saturday, May 26. Directed by Lamos, it is co-produced with Baltimore's Centerstage, the state theater of Maryland.
Lamos said the story's two main characters, the Baker and his Wife, are reminiscent of a contemporary couple.
"They display this sensibility of a modern, urban couple trying to have a child," Lamos said.
However, in this tale of fractured fairy tales, the people with whom they meet up with in their quest to reverse their fortune and "live happily ever after," include Cinderella and Prince Charming, Jack (of beanstalk fame) and the Giant, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and the witch, who agrees to help them in their cause.
The 15-member cast includes Danielle Ferland from Derby as the Baker's Wife and Justin Scott Brown, who plays Jack.
Since its Broadway debut, the musical has become popular with high schools and community theater groups.
As such, student actors from area school productions of "Into the Woods" have been invited to the matinee performance on Sunday, May 6, which also will feature a post-performance symposium with four of the original cast members from the Broadway production.
The reunion will bring together Ferland (the original Little Red Riding Hood), Joanna Gleason (who won a Tony as the Baker's Wife), Lauren Mitchell (who played Lucinda) and Chip Zien, the first Baker.
The playhouse's 2012-13 season will continue with "The Year of Magical Thinking," based on National Book Award winner Joan Didion's account of how she dealt with the death of her husband in 2003 and their only child in 2005. That show runs June 12 to 30.
Molière's "Tartuffe," comes along from July 17 to Aug. 4, while the world premiere of the comedy "Harbor," by Chad Beguelin, will run Aug. 28 to Sept. 15.
The season ends with the classic "A Raisin in the Sun," which will be directed by Phylicia Rashad, Oct. 9 to Nov. 3.
As for "Harbor," Lamos said he is "very, very excited" to be premiering the piece.
"We just had a three-day workshop last month ... and we are really thrilled with it," he said.
Described on the playhouse's website as a "hilarious comedy about the constantly shifting nature of the meaning of family," the story focuses on a newly married couple, Kevin and Ted, whose lives are upended by the visit of Kevin's sister, Donna, and her 15-year-old daughter, Lottie.
Another first, of sorts, will be the production of Lorraine Hansberry's "Raisin in the Sun," the 1959 play that has long been featured on school reading lists. This will be the first time this story of a black Chicago family, living on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s, will be told from the playhouse stage.
For tickets ($50-$30) or more information, call 203-227-4177 or visit www.westportplayhouse.org.


Iconic and long-standing UK airline operator British Airways (BA) will soon begin testing in-flight WiFi and mobile use on its planes. That’s right, soon, like our US and Canadian cousins Brits will be able to complain about the slow speeds and expensive prices of getting online while flying through the air at 30,000 feet.
Official word from a BA spokesman said that it’s “early days” and “we are just investigating the potential of a connectivity trial at the moment.” That sounds pretty non-committal. In fact, it got worse, as the spokesman said that “no firm decisions” about even running a trial had been made yet, let alone actually offering a commercial service.
However, according to the Airline Passengers Experience Association’s (APEX) blog, the London-based carrier will start a one-year trial using a Panasonic KU-band satellite supplier for WiFi needs and an airborne mobile network provided by AeroMobile for texting, but not voice calls at an unspecified time this year.
The information was given to APEX by Richard Cruze, inflight entertainment and technology manager at BA, who also said that the tests will take place on Boeing 747 planes and will be carried out on across their varying flight paths, rather than only on specific routes, say, between New York and London.
There’s no word on how much it could cost passengers as yet, and if it’s anything like the US models could work out quite pricey indeed, but still, it’s WiFi while you’re flying.
“We’ll be looking at testing different price points and every quarter we’ll play around with the prices to see what is the optimum price for take-up,” Cruze said.
Across the Atlantic, carriers like American Airlines have been offering on-board WiFi for some time now, while in the UK we’re left lagging behind. Charges for a single domestic trip starting at $14 (+tax) for a day pass and from $12 for two hours on an international flight. However, take up is relatively low and, according to Cruze, there’s always some fears around WiFi interference issues, which leads to “nervousness”.
Within Europe some carriers, such as KLM and Norwegian, are already rolling out WiFi in some form or another. While KLM is only just ramping up its efforts, beginning with just one plane, Norwegian said in January that 51 of its aircraft already offered WiFi, with plans to roll it out to the whole fleet by March this year.
So please BA, stop sitting on the fence and at the very least commit to a trial run of the tech, at least find out if European passengers want or will use it before writing it off altogether, the future of my jet-setting emails depends on it.


Moderation is usually a good mantra for your everyday eating, but practicing moderation can be especially tricky during the holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, indulgent treats are basically handed to you at every turn.
Eggnog is one of those treats. The combination of heavy cream, egg yolks, spiced rum, and sugar add up to a high-calorie drink. Homemade recipes vary, but one store-bought brand of eggnog contained 460 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 56 grams (!!) of sugar per cup. And that’s without the rum.
In moderation, that’d be fine and dandy, but in a month already packed with white chocolate fudge, gingerbread houses, and Santa-shaped cookies, the treats add up.
What’s an eggnog lover to do? One possibility is to healthify your homemade eggnog. A few simple swaps could cut down on sugar, calories, or saturated fat in your eggnog.
1. Lighten your milk choice.
Think of it this way: Whole milk contains 150 calories and 8 grams of fat in one cup, but plain almond milk contains just 60 calories and 3 grams of fat per cup. Check out this eggnog recipe with almond milk from A Sweet Pea Chef.
Eggnog without eggs? (*Gasp*) It might seem strange, but you can ditch the eggs without losing the eggnog experience. After all, most of the love-it-or-hate-it flavor comes from the nutmeg.
The main purpose of egg yolks in eggnog is to add extra richness, but that comes at a cost: Each egg yolks adds about 55 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. For the same flavor without the yolk, find out how to make eggless eggnog from the Living Well Mom.
A shot of rum or brandy might make your eggnog more fun, but it certainly won’t keep the calorie count in check. A 1-ounce shot of rum contains around 64 calories (and let’s be honest, many people probably like to pour themselves a double).
Taking your eggnog sans booze can save sugar and calories and help you avoid a hangover. If you want, add a splash of rum extract instead. It can help you get the flavor profile you might be looking for, without the actual alcohol.
If you’re a diehard fan of the traditional recipe—and all these swaps sound blasphemous to you—you could always just be mindful of your portion sizes. Most eggnog recipes are 300 calories or more for an 8-ounce serving. Having half a glass and switching to water might help you get the best of both worlds.
If eggnog isn’t your thing, here are tips to healthify your other favorite seasonal drinks.


If you want to keep on top of the ways water is changing around the world—and how people are trying to preserve its supply for future generations—this is a comprehensive list of the people and resources you need to know.
If there’s one Twitter feed to watch, it’s @WillSarni, former Deloitte adviser on water issues, and one of the most knowledgeable people in the water world, now running his own water consulting and investing business. Sarni picks up all the worthwhile news articles on water.


AVON — Mark Williams was an Air Force fighter jet pilot in the first Gulf War and an intelligence turned entrepreneur who studied Eastern mysticism. He is running for U.S. Congress … because, he says, we really need people such as him.
It’s making the race for the 2nd District much more interesting. Democratic insiders had preordained Boulder attorney Joe Neguse as Polis’ successor, Williams said.
Williams went the petition route to the Tuesday, June 26, primary, handing in 1,926 signatures to Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, who declared Williams the first Democrat to qualify for the Democratic primary ballot.
“We don’t need help from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its billionaire donors and revolving-door consultants to decide on issues and candidates here in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District,” Williams said. “It’s called democracy. We like our candidates like we like our values — strong — so we’re taking a stand for robust policies that address the needs of all Americans.
Williams is the former chairman of the Boulder County Democratic party.
Neguse, 33, is the son of refugees from Africa. He is an attorney on the Front Range and in 2008 was elected as a University of Colorado Regent while still in law school. Democratic delegates to last weekend’s state assembly in Broomfield put Neguse on the ballot.
Jan Crawford, a Colorado native and longtime Colorado political and media consultant, told The Boulder Reporter the state and national Democratic party wanted the road cleared for Neguse and blocked for all others.
Primary ballots will be available Friday, May 25, from the county clerk’s office. They will be mailed on Monday, June 4. The primary is Tuesday, June 26.


For the second time in over a year, a high profile figure has had his identity stolen after publicly releasing his own financial information. Is identity theft really this easy?
A British TV presenter has learned the hard way that identity theft is serious, and in the process, become the joke of the moment for privacy bloggers. More importantly, this is the second time in just one year that such a thing has happened. This blog post explores the latest incident, looks back to the past, and then concludes with a more broad analysis.
Jeremy Clarkson, host of the BBC show Top Gear, recently wrote an article for the U.K.'s Sunday Times in which he ridiculed the uproar that had occurred after the British government admitted to losing two compact discs containing the personal information on 25 million people. To prove his point that there was no risk of financial fraud for those consumers, he published his bank account details, and instructions on how to locate his address. Writing in the Times, he claimed that "All you'll be able to do with [the account numbers] is put money into my account. Not take it out. Honestly, I've never known such a [fuss] about nothing."
The following week, he changed his tune after learning that an identity thief with a sense of humor had used the details to create an automatic bank transfer to the charity Diabetes UK.
"I opened my bank statement this morning to find out that someone has set up a direct debit which automatically takes £500 from my account," he said. "The bank cannot find out who did this because of the Data Protection Act and they cannot stop it from happening again.
Admitting the error of his previous article dismissing identity theft concerns, he wrote that, "I was wrong and I have been punished for my mistake." The incident seems to have changed his opinion about the risks to which the 25 million Brits have been exposed. "Contrary to what I said at the time, we must go after the idiots who lost the discs and stick cocktail sticks in their eyes until they beg for mercy."
While news of Mr. Clarkson's woes has been mentioned around the blogosphere in the past few days, no one seems to have connected the dots to another similar event from 2006.
Todd Davis is the CEO of LifeLock, a company that offers a mostly useless $10 per month identity theft protection service. In an effort to eat his own dogfood, and promote his company's service, Mr. Davis includes his social security number in all of the company's advertisements--see here. A full page ad in this week's USA Today had his SSN listed in big letters.
Making a mockery of LifeLock's identity theft protections, a Texas man in 2006 was able to secure a $500 payday loan with Mr. Davis' social security number.
While the BBC's Clarkson can be forgiven for not hearing about the woes of LifeLock's CEO, I think an important lesson can be drawn from these two incidents: Identity theft is real, and easy to commit with just a few bits of personal information.
I've been mildly jealous of Mike Godwin and Prof. Ed Felten for sometime--as they both have 'laws' named after them. I think it's time for my own.
Thus, I now introduce Soghoian's Law of Identity Theft Stupidity: Anyone who publishes their own private financial details in a public discussion of identity theft will eventually find that information used for fraud.


The latest addition to our Reviews Section is a piece by Quantum Sarah on Clarice Lispector’s Near to the Wild Heart, which is translated from the Portuguese by Alison Entrekin and is available from New Directions.
“He was alone. He was unheeded, happy, and near to the wild heart of life.” This is the epigraph, borrowed from Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, that captures the modernist spirit so essential to Clarice Lispector’s revolutionary novel, Near to the Wild Heart. As her fierce and precocious protagonist struggles through adolescence and young adulthood, Lispector offers a wealth of luminous meditations on human nature, consciousness, individuality, and God. In this new translation by Alison Entrekin (New Directions, 2012), the intensity and brilliance of Lispector’s prose thrills to life. Surprising, powerful, and revelatory, Near to the Wild Heart recounts with unforgettable candor the life of an audacious young woman in modern society.


This year film goers got lost in space, revisited the horrors of American slavery, and delighted in an outrageous story based on a real-life scam. WSJ Film Critic Joe Morgenstern discusses the Best Director and Best Picture Oscar races. Photo: Getty.


MOSCOW, July 14 — President Vladimir V. Putin, angered by American plans to deploy a missile shield in Eastern Europe, formally notified NATO governments on Saturday that Russia will suspend its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, a key cold war-era arms limitation agreement.
The decision ratcheted up tensions over the missile shield plan, but also reflected a trend of rising anti-Americanism and deep suspicion toward the West here as Russia’s March presidential elections approach.
Russia’s suspension will take effect in 150 days, according to a copy of the president’s decree posted on a Kremlin Web site. That delay leaves open the possibility of further negotiation on the 1990 treaty, which resulted in a huge wave of disarmament along the former East-West divide in Europe.
Despite a Foreign Ministry statement that Russia would reject any limitations on redeploying heavy weaponry on its Western border, the Kremlin’s move is not expected to radically transform the security situation.
But the decision is a strong indicator that the smiles and warm embraces between Presidents Bush and Putin just a few weekends ago at the so-called lobster summit in Maine did little to soften the Kremlin’s pique over proposals to build two American missile defense bases in former Soviet satellite states, Poland and the Czech Republic.
So on Saturday, Mr. Putin reached for a powerful diplomatic tool to fend off what he has described as American bullying and NATO and European encirclement, both economic and military, that the Kremlin believes encroaches into a Russian sphere of influence. White House officials expressed immediate disappointment after the announcement from Moscow, but pledged to continue to meet with their Russian counterparts to resolve the dispute.
“We’re disappointed Russia has suspended its participation for now, but we’ll continue to have discussions with them in the coming months on the best way to proceed in this area, that is in the interest of all parties involved and provides for security in Europe,” said Gordon D. Johndroe, the National Security Council spokesman.
Critics of the United States’ handling of relations with Russia have warned that the Bush administration was creating an environment in which the Putin government, emboldened by a flood of oil dollars and seeking to re-establish its status in the world, could pick and choose among its treaty obligations. After all, the Bush administration has put less stock in official treaty relations than many predecessors. Under Mr. Bush, the United States pulled out of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty so it could pursue the goal of a global antimissile shield, the exact effort that has so angered Mr. Putin and his inner circle.
Indeed, the Saturday announcement from Moscow was not much of a surprise, given Mr. Putin’s earlier warnings. Bush administration officials routinely point to other significant areas of cooperation — on halting nuclear proliferation, on battling terrorism and combating drug traffic — so White House officials reject assessments that relations with Russia are on the point of rupturing.
But while the Saturday announcement was, at least, unsettling to officials in Washington and in NATO capitals, senior policy analysts said it is likely only to strengthen the position of Mr. Putin’s leadership clique among Russian voters in the spring elections. Anti-American posturing has played well with the public, and it is encouraged in the state news media and through such means as leaflets distributed by Kremlin-sponsored youth groups. One depicts American warplanes loading body bags at a Moscow airport, for example.
A separate statement by the Foreign Ministry identified these circumstances as unrelated to the missile shield plans — though Mr. Putin has linked the issues in previous speeches. In the most notable case, during a state of the nation speech to Parliament on April 26, Mr. Putin threatened to suspend observance of the treaty in response to the United States’ abrogation of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty and plans to deploy missile-shield elements in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Still, Mr. Putin’s threat in April, and his execution of it on Saturday, left some arms-control experts scratching their heads because the conventional forces treaty has no formal provision for a signatory nation to suspend observance. A nation can withdraw from the treaty without violating its terms, but only after notifying the other signatory countries 150 days in advance.
The Kremlin on Saturday offered six reasons for suspending the treaty, many of which reflected a deep bitterness in Moscow about what is perceived here as a string of broken promises as NATO expanded into the former Warsaw Pact countries after the fall of communism.
They included a claim that NATO expansion into Eastern Europe had beefed up the alliance’s military capabilities in violation of the treaty, a charge that NATO denied.
The statement said the new NATO member nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are not signatories of the treaty but have alliance weapons deployed on their territories. Russia maintains that NATO committed in 1999 to refrain from opening bases in new member countries, though now the United States is building facilities in Romania and Bulgaria. NATO says those are training sites.
Also, the statement noted that NATO governments have not ratified the 1999 amendments to the treaty, which Russia ratified in 2004. Western governments say they will not ratify them until Russia withdraws troops from the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Moldova.
In a statement, NATO said member countries would convene a task force on Monday to formulate a response.
He said the treaty has no provision for suspension, only withdrawal. “Nobody is going to be splitting hairs here and requiring Russia withdraw,” he added. He also denied that NATO’s eastward expansion left the bloc in violation of the treaty. “All of this falls into a larger Russian concern of encirclement,” he said.
In Germany, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Russia’s decision “was a real cause of concern.” Some members of Germany’s governing coalition have repeatedly criticized the American missile shield plan, saying it could lead to just such a move by Russia.
A statement posted by Russia’s Foreign Ministry said flatly that Russia would halt inspections allowed under the treaty and claim the right to redeploy heavy weaponry along its western and southern borders, but would do so only in response to any possible NATO redeployment. It also suggested that the suspension was Russia’s first official rejection of the arms limitations treaties of the Soviet Union.
A deputy foreign minister, Sergei I. Kislyak, said Russia was not “shutting the door on dialogue” on the treaty, leaving open the possibility of a negotiated retreat from the position announced Saturday.
Andrew E. Kramer reported from Moscow, and Thom Shanker from Washington. Judy Dempsey contributed reporting from Berlin.


Loving wife to Giuseppe (deceased), dearly loved mother of Filomena, Loredana and Gabriella and mother in law of Jitendra, cherished grandmother of Shanthi, Roshan, Sophia and Jack.
A Requiem Mass will be celebrated at St Fiacres Catholic Church, 96 Catherine Street Leichhardt on Friday 8 February 2019 at 1.30pm followed by a crypt interment at Rookwood Catholic Cemetery. The family will appreciate donations to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation in lieu of flowers.
What will you miss most about Ada CATANZARITI?


Recessions in many nations of the world may be depressing stock markets and other economic activity, but the build out of China's 3G (third generation mobile telecommunications) network is providing a boost to some chip makers.
China, which boasts more mobile phone users than anywhere, made building out its 3G network a priority alongside the massive 4 trillion Chinese yuan (US$585 billion) economic stimulus package the government announced last year. One company, China Mobile, built 3G networks in several cities across China last year ahead of the Olympic Games, and has continued rolling out its network.
The build out is already boosting some chip makers.
Taiwanese chip designer MediaTek, the biggest provider of mobile phone chips to China, on Tuesday raised its first quarter revenue guidance due mainly to stronger demand for handset chips.
The company now forecasts up to a 13 percent quarter-on-quarter increase in first quarter revenue, compared to a previous forecast of as much as a 16 percent revenue decline, it said in a statement to the Taiwan Stock Exchange.
MediaTek isn't the only beneficiary.
U.S. communications chip maker Altera on Monday revised up its first quarter guidance slightly as well, also due to demand from China. The company now expects its first quarter revenue will now decline by a maximum 20 percent, down from the fourth quarter of last year. Previously, it forecast a potential 25 percent drop.
"The improved outlook is largely attributable to better than expected demand from OEMs providing equipment for Chinese 3G wireless networks," the company said in a statement.
Good news for chip makers tied to China's 3G network is in stark contrast to much of the rest of the industry.
Global semiconductor sales plunged to US$15.3 billion in January, down 28.6 percent compared to the same month last year, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.


Yellow Springs High School Principal Tim Krier will not work for the district this school year, but he will get paid as though he was until the spring.
Krier, who has been on leave from his position since March, resigned and the school board approved a separation agreement during a special session Thursday night.
Krier’s letter of resignation and the separation agreement were signed on the same day, Aug. 30. The agreement stipulates that Krier’s resignation does not go into effect until April 22, 2019, and he will continue to receive his full salary of approximately $108,000 as well as benefits until that time or until he finds other employment in the education field.
The agreement also says that Superintendent Mario Basora will provide Krier a letter of reference.
Krier’s status changed over the summer to paid administrative leave after his doctor cleared him to return to work in a letter to the district dated June 27, according to district records.
The investigation also cleared the school board and Basora of any wrongdoing, according to Basora’s statement.
“The investigation further made clear that the board of education and superintendent first learned of the alleged incidents of student sexual harassment and assault in March 2018 and took immediate and appropriate action to investigate the matter and ensure student safety,” the statement reads.
Thursday’s open meeting lasted about 30 minutes, and the vote was 4-0 in favor of approving the agreement with one member, school board President Aida Merhemic, abstaining.
Merhemic, a local mental health therapist, did not provide a reason for abstaining from the vote, according to officials.
After the open meeting, the school board held an executive session. Basora said he and Treasurer Dawn Bennett were not permitted to attend that closed meeting.
Jack Hatert will continue working as the interim principal at the high school and McKinney Middle School at an annual salary of $95,000, approximately $20,000 more than his salary last year working partly as the assistant principal and partly as a teacher, according to district records.
Teacher Cameron McCoy will split his time teaching and serving as the interim assistant principal, at an annual salary of $68,736, an increase of approximately $15,000 from his salary last year.
In February, the district plans to seek permanent administrators who will start working in the 2019-20 school year.


ADD some crunch to your weekend with Apple Days at Hughenden Manor.
The annual celebration of all things pomme de terre includes the opportunity to taste and buy different apple varieties grown on the estate.
Visitors can also see apple cider being made and have fun with apple bobbing and apple printing. The Stableyard Restaurant will be serving apple recipes and garden apple trees will be available for sale.


Oh man, oh man, oh man out of all of the shows premiering and returning this fall there hasn’t been one I’ve anticipated nearly as much as I did for Elementary and it seems that my anticipation was well earned because what an enjoyable way to kick start a season.
We begin not far from where season one left off with our two leads, Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) and Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) having a midday stakeout, keeping an eye on pigeons for their newest lead to walk by in search of the message one of the grimy birds is carrying.
It’s not long before their guy shows up and the two begin a pursuit and chase him through the park but Sherlock loses him. Luckily, Joan has been practicing her defense skills and manages to take the man down with Sherlock’s weapon of choice—the baton. It reminds me that Liu is truly fearsome when a weapon is put in her hands (if you don’t believe me please go watch Charlie’s Angels or Kill Bill).
Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn) and Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill) appear for a brief moment to remind the audience member that they exist but are soon carted off screen for to make way for the location and characters that will be filling the episode: London and the inhabitants that used to make up Sherlock’s life.
An old colleague from The Scotland Yard has called in a favor of Holmes: come back to London and sort out his old “partner” Detective Lestrade (Sean Pertwee).
We first see Lestrade at the start of the episode as he ambushed the recently deceased wife of his target, Pendry, with a grenade in hand. He accuses the husband of the wife’s death and swears that he will make sure Pendry sees justice not only for the murder but for the discrediting of Lestrade’s name.
Lestrade, as we learn from Sherlock, had held a good reputation a few years back when Sherlock still consulted for the Yard and acted as Lestrade’s crutch. As put by Sherlock, Lestrade was a perfectly “adequate” detective but Sherlock typically solved all of his cases and would simply allow Lestrade to take the credit for them. Sherlock feels responsible for how Lestrade reacted to the fame and puts him on his Step 9 list which entails him apologizing to anyone to whom he believes he’s done a wrong to.
And for most of the episode that’s what he does, dodging all over to try and alleviate the guilt he feels for Lestrade succumbing to his current state, but also picks up the case out of pure interest. It doesn’t take long before Sherlock is fully invested and finding clues left and right with Watson’s aid. With their teamwork they find that a 3D printer had been used to make a gun, kill the wife, and then the evidence was dissolved in acetone. However, a second murder finds a piece of the gun untarnished and they deduct that it was the man Pendry all along.
Sherlock offers Lestrade the option to allow Sherlock the credit for the case he just solved but unable to break old habits Lestrade takes it for himself once again, a move that Sherlock saw coming.
Detective Lestrade is but one acquaintance we make but it’s the second one that has been much more largely waited for: Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft Holmes (Rhys Ifans).
Sherlock and Watson just arrived in London, are heading towards Sherlock’s old home, 221B Baker Street, an address that I’m sure had many like myself excited.
He says that all of his possessions were supposed to have been kept in pristine condition, calling his home a representation of his mind but instead he finds that his loft is not as it was—richly decorated, muted and clean, it is not his home. He runs off to see what’s happened and when upstairs Mycroft makes his entrance and inquires as to why Joan is in his home and that’s when Sherlock bursts back in, shocked to see his brother standing there.
Barbs are traded and it’s obvious the two aren’t well off. It also allows for some comedic turns by Ifans and Miller to be traded off in a theme that continues throughout out most of the episode—this episode is funny and it’s quicker witted than many of the episodes last season, a lightness that didn’t at first exist. Like the comedy it’s also hugely energetic with Joan and Sherlock seeming to bound wherever they go, the pacing fast as to not bore the audience on the first go back—it seems that the entire cast and crew are excited to be back.
It would have been simple to have made Sherlock the victim in the fall out between he and his brother—it would have been the obvious choice to make Mycroft the one who acted on the wrong and Sherlock the one to have befell the consequences. It’s easy to like Sherlock the martyr, Sherlock the man with the cold exterior but the heart of gold. The damaged hero, it’s what so many viewers crave when finding themselves a person to idolize and watch each week but what makes Sherlock wholly more interesting is that he is riddled with flaws and the fallout with his brother only showcases a few. Him sleeping with Mycroft’s fiancé may in Sherlock’s mind have had nothing to do with wanting her but wanting to prove her shady behavior to his brother. If she slept with Sherlock it meant he was right and she only wanted Mycroft’s inheritance. However, the way he went about it (seven times) only fueled his ego and belief that because of his genius he could get away with whatever he wanted.
Even if what he wanted inspired the ending of a relationship—two if you count the trepid state we find the brothers in.
During the case and after Mycroft has allowed the two of them to stay at this home Joan tells Sherlock that Mycroft has asked her to dinner. He informs her that Mycroft wishes to sleep with her to get back at Sherlock for sleeping with his fiancé and that maybe Watson wants to because it’s the closest she can get to sleeping with Sherlock, who she can’t because of their business partnership and her having been his sober companion.
Joan ignores him and his rambling.
Later he gives her the okay, telling her he’s decided he doesn’t care and she’s an adult and can do as she pleases.
It must be exhausted to live in his head.
It turns out that he was wrong however and despite the romantic notion of emptying out a restaurant just to talk to her, Mycroft actually wants to speak to Watson about Sherlock. He’s in awe over how she’s become friends with his brother because he’s never seen it happen before—Sherlock has never held the capacity for friendship and yet Watson has seemingly managed to chip her way through to him and now they enjoy a companionship. Mycroft wants to know how she did it because he wishes to do it, too. As he tells her, he’s been sick recently and it put things into perspective and one of his few regrets was how his relationship with Sherlock had turned so sour.
After the case is finished and before Watson and Sherlock take flight back to New York City Mycroft asks Sherlock to meet him. Sherlock is hesitant to do so but still goes and listens to what his brother has to say. He tells Sherlock that he had placed all of his belongings in a storage unit, one that resides right behind them. He tells him that Watson told him that to be friends he needs to do something that will really get him to listen.
So he blows up the storage unit that held all of his belongings from his old life.
He tells Sherlock that he considers them to now be even and to know that the status of their relationship has changed for the better. I’m hoping this means that we get to see more of Ifans in the season to come because he’d be a much welcome addition. His Mycroft was cool and calm in a highly-mannered demeanor that promised something a little more anxious lurking beneath.
The episode didn’t paint London as some greater area of Sherlock’s expertise, it didn’t feel like we were missing anything with our characters not residing there, more so it felt as if it was simply an excuse to fill in missing puzzle pieces.
Sherlock’s origin story—no matter how many stories were published, how many television versions or how much money a movie with his name made—have never, truly, been given much enlightenment. While there’s been plenty of hints, smokes and mirrors mostly, intricacies about his boyhood have typically been briefly touched upon rather that illuminated. There’s a mysterious nature to Sherlock Holmes and how he grew to be the man he is could potentially spoil that mystery.
The real mystery—the real bit of intrigue that has always remained through the course of the character’s history is the friendship and codependence that grows between Holmes and Watson. The story behind all of the crimes and deductions and genius has always been the growing warmth between the two characters so that even through the most dreary or boring stories the interest exists because of our narrator and the subject he/she was writing about.
However in this case Elementary has managed to work in two contributing parties of Sherlock’s past and rather than take anything away from the character has instead added to idiosyncrasies that we already knew as well as contributing more. My greatest fear walking into this episode (and my sheer excitement nearly overshadowed it) was that after 24 episodes of character exploration the writers were going to find difficulties wringing out any more nuances of our characters and instead they’ve managed to prove me wrong only one episode in.
I’m excited to trail behind my favorite literary and television duo for yet another season of wonderful misadventure and friendship on the streets of New York City, who else is ready?
In the original Sherlock Holmes stories, Mycroft has kept 221B as it was for Sherlock for three years after Sherlock had faked his death. In Elementary he keeps all of his belongings from 221B until his return and then proceeds to destroy them.


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In this article we are going to provide some practical recommendations that should be taken into account both by mortgager and mortgagee when concluding a mortgage agreement.
In the case of mortgage of a building, recourse may also be taken upon the land plot under the building. The same will happen to the building in the case of mortgage of a land plot under the building and to subsidiary annexes of the building in case of mortgage of the building, following the principle of belonging to the principal building. It should be noted here that a creditor under the obligation secured by mortgage is not entitled to receive money from the value of such things, since they were not the subjects of the mortgage.
In the case of consolidation of land plots, one of which is mortgaged, the mortgage will also apply to the land plot created in the result of consolidation. This rule is directly stipulated in the Land Code, however, such a rule is not provided in case of division of the mortgaged land plot. Therefore, at the stage of outlining the terms of the mortgage agreement, it is necessary to define the destiny of the mortgage in case of any changes that can be made by the owner of the mortgaged land plot, namely, to apply the mortgage to the newly formed plots, since in the case of formatting new land plots through division or other operations with the mortgaged plot, the initial mortgaged plot ceases to exist as an object of civil rights. Thus, it is worthwhile to stipulate in the mortgage agreement that the mortgage will apply to any new plots that may be formed out of the mortgaged plot through its division or other operations, or to restrict the proprietor’s rights to such activities, such as by necessity to obtain written consent from the mortgagee to operations involving the subject of the mortgage. In the latter case, if the mortgagee’s consent to division of the plot has been obtained, it is possible to conclude an additional agreement to the mortgage agreement stating that the new land plots created after division are mortgaged in the same way as the initial land plot. Additional agreements of this sort are subject to obligatory state registration.
Incomplete constructions that belong to a real estate object may become the subject of the mortgage, unless they are the subject of an effective building contract. Mortgage creditors under conclusion of the mortgage agreement should provide a clause where the mortgager declares that the incomplete construction is not the subject of an effective building contract. Under such a condition a bad faith mortgager will not be able to present to court any building contract that was unknown at the moment of concluding the mortgage agreement, or claim nullity of the mortgage agreement reasoning that the subject of the mortgage was the subject of the effective building contract.
Under mortgage of land plots their evaluation is necessary in accordance with the legislation on evaluation activities, that is, the evaluation should be performed by an independent evaluator. An independent evaluator’s report should be dated no earlier than six months prior to conclusion of the mortgage agreement.
Under mortgage of several real estate objects, such as several land plots, each land plot should be evaluated separately, since they do not make up a property complex — each object that has a certificate of the state registration of property is subject to evaluation.
The agreement should state all the rights to the subject of the mortgage that exist at the moment of concluding the mortgage agreement, otherwise the mortgagee may demand early discharge of obligations secured by the mortgage — see Article 12 of the law on mortgages.
If a debt under obligation secured by mortgage is transferred to the other party, the mortgage is terminated unless the mortgager has assumed liability for the new debtor to the creditor.
In the case of a change of the principal obligation secured by a mortgage, such as extension of the term of loan repayment, the respective amendments should be made to the mortgage agreement and registered with the state registration body.
Finally, one should always observe the requirements for concluding major deals provided in Article 78 of the federal law on joint stock companies and Article 46 of the federal law on limited liability companies.


On a day many Americans are focused on big-box, Black Friday sales, Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., issued a statement bringing attention back to small businesses, saying Congress should work hard to create an environment that allows small business to thrive.
Today is Small Business Saturday, a day recognized on the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year in order to promote local businesses across America. In downtown Greeley, 30 businesses will participate in the Holiday Open House for Small Business Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
There are about 28 million small businesses in the United States, accounting for 48 percent of private sector employees, according to the release, which cited Small Business Administration data.
The 30 businesses in Greeley will host an annual Bingo game, where shoppers can win up to $1,000 in gift certificates and merchandise.
The open house will be followed by the Greeley Lights the Night Parade at 5:30 p.m. and a park lighting ceremony afterward at Lincoln Park.


Shipbuilding may not seem like a vital issue for arid, landlocked Arizona, but Rep. Trent Franks, R-Glendale, joined the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus – along with 23 other caucuses and working groups.
He’s not alone. When it comes to caucuses, Arizona lawmakers seem to err on the side of involvement, joining everything from better-known, more-active groups like the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, to groups for things like songwriters and soccer.
On Wednesday, Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Mesa, added the Congressional Algae Caucus to the list.
The caucus, co-chaired by Salmon and Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., will act as a forum for topics relating to the algae industry, including university research and high-tech jobs, according to a statement from their offices. Salmon said in the statement that his involvement in the caucus was meant to show support for the economic benefits of the emerging industry.
“High-tech jobs will help grow our economy and through this caucus, I hope to draw attention to the great economic and environmental benefits of algae production,” Salmon said in a statement Wednesday.
The algae caucus is just the latest addition to a list of more than 250 such groups registered as “congressional member organizations” with the House Administration Committee. And that list is likely to grow as caucuses from previous sessions get around to re-registering for the 113th Congress.
Those 250 serve varied interests, including the Bourbon Caucus, the Cement Caucus, the Contaminated Drywall Caucus and the Rock and Roll Caucus.
Despite the apparently unusual nature of some caucuses, Rodolfo Espino, an assistant professor of political science at Arizona State University, said these groups are probably closer to the Founding Fathers’ vision for ÿCongress than political parties are.
Caucuses, working groups and coalitions create connections among representatives with similar views on certain issues, Espino said. They also allow members to show constituents that they are taking an active stance on certain issues. But they are not entirely for show, Espino said.
“It’s going to be natural for groups of legislators to group together,” Espino said.
Arizona representatives participate in their fair share of niche organizations, like the Small Brewers Caucus and the Soccer Caucus, in addition to influential groups like the Republican Study Committee and the Progressive Caucus.
Lawmakers often join a smaller, special-interest caucus because its topic is important to their district, said a spokeswoman for Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Flagstaff. Jennifer Johnson said, for example, that Kirkpatrick joined the Tennis Caucus because so many people in northern Arizona are physically active, and because the Reffkin Tennis Center in Tucson is just outside the southern portion of her district and attracts visitors to the area.
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, is involved in 77 caucuses, seven task forces and two coalitions, according to his website, including the Songwriters Caucus.
Many of these caucuses exist for more practical reasons, and others exist and a way of gathering like-minded members.
In some caucuses, Grijalva is particularly active, co-chairing the well-known Progressive Caucus, for example. But he does not need to make much of a commitment to the smaller groups, Sarvana said. Most of the minor caucuses only exist as an easy way to show support for a cause, Sarvana said.
“All it really boils down to is being on a mailing list,” he said.
A researcher at the Arizona State University Polytechnic Laboratory for Algae Research and Biotechnology checks on the lab’s equipment that grows algae on a large scale. The Congressional Algae Caucus aims to focus on boosting research and development of algae, which could one day be used as a fuel, food and for other purposes.


An Indian military shipyard is competing with five foreign firms to bag a Rs 2,000-crore contract in the Philippines, marking the coming of age for the Indian defence manufacturing sector.
Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers joined the bidding process to make two frigates for the navy along with shipyards from Spain and France and three Korean yards. The bid is currently going through the technical evaluation and the final round for the clarification is scheduled in January 2015.
Moreover, GRSE will make 10-12 fast patrol boats for Vietnam for which India has extended a $100 million line of credit to the friendly neighbour nation when President Pranab Mukherjee visited Vietnam in September 2014.
“GRSE offers cost advantages because of cheap labour and sourcing of materials from within India,” said A K Verma, chairman and managing director of GRSE, which manufactured an offshore patrol vessel named Barracuda that will be handed over to Mauritius on Saturday.
The Rs 350 crore ($ 58 million) Barracuda is the first Indian warship to be exported to a country. Another defence public sector undertaking, Goa Shipyard, is building two off- shore patrol vessels for Sri Lanka. India’s military export has not taken off well so far though New Delhi remains one of the world’s largest arms importers.
In the last three fiscal, India’s export was Rs 512.48 crore in 2011-12; Rs 446.75 crore in 2012-13 and Rs 686.27 crore in 2013-14. Till September, 2014, India’s total defence equipment export was pegged at a low price of Rs 166.67 crore.
The Kolkata-based shipyard that made 92 warships for the Navy and Coast guard is now gearing up to make three stealth frigates. The project (P-17A), which involves construction of three ships at GRSE and four at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai, awaits the approval Cabinet Committee of Security.
In addition, eight landing craft utility to carry tanks, armoured vehicle and troops and three anti-submarine warfare corvettes are under construction at GRSE. “The first LCU will be delivered by the middle of 2015 and all eight would be handed to the Navy by 2016 end,” Verma said.


Aung Kywe remembers how he had to stand by helplessly last year when massive floods in the wake of Cyclone Komen affected Ayeyarwady Delta and destroyed half of his 14 acres of paddy.
That traumatic experience came on top of years of decreasing yields, Aung Kywe said, adding that this monsoon season he will leave much of his land in Kawkatkyi Village, Zalun Township, fallow to avoid loss of money with another failed harvest.
“Paddy plots on the lower-lying land are almost sure to be flooded,” he said, adding, “Paddy yields have also decreased year by year, from 100 baskets per acre to 75 baskets.” A basket of rice weighs around 25 kilograms.
In neighbouring Maubin Township, also located in the heart of Myanmar’s ‘rice bowl’ delta region, farmers spoke of similar measures to limit exposure to what many believe are increased occurrences of climate change-related extreme weather, such as drought, heat and floods.
Farmers in the delta generally grow two rice crops, one in the rainy season and one in the cooler season in lower-lying areas that are fed with receding flood waters. They might also grow a third, short-cycle crop, such as beans, in the hot months before the monsoon.
Thein Aung, chairman of the Independent Farmers League in Ayeyawady Region, said that because of rising concerns among farmers vast areas of land will go uncultivated this year.
“The farmers from our villages will not be growing paddy in a total of 200,000 acres situated on the low lands,” he said, before adding that the impact on overall paddy production would probably be limited as these fields are some of the least-productive tracts.
The Ayeyarwady Delta is home to many millions of subsistence farmers whose income and food security relies on their annual harvest, and to a lesser extent fishing.
The drop in rice production follows the devastating impact of Cyclone Komen, which ravaged the farm sector with heavy flooding in 12 out of 14 states and regions from June to August last year.
Some 260,000 acres of monsoon paddy fields were flooded and 52,000 acres damaged, according to official figures, which showed that the cyclone killed 120 people and affected more than 400,000 households.
Sein Win Hlaing, chairman of the Paddy and Rice Producers Association, said, “Rice production declined by 20 percent last year due to the weather’s impact.” He added that the fall in rice production would hamper Myanmar’s export, which stood at around 1.5 million metric tons of rice before 2015.
Cyclones and other extreme weather are set to increase further and this trend should ring alarm bells with the agriculture sector and the new National League for Democracy government, said Tun Lwin, an independent meteorological expert and former government official.
“Traditional agricultural methods are no longer suitable for the changing weather conditions,” he warned, adding that the monsoon would be shorter and produce more volatile weather.
Ba Hein, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Natural Resources for Ayeyawady Region, said development of the agriculture sector and of the water management infrastructure was ignored by previous, military-led governments.
“The delta has many rivers and streams, and these have not been properly managed,” he said, adding, however, that the state government had limited funds to improve water management infrastructure and that it was unlikely that the central government would provide more resources soon.
His administration, Ba Hein said, would focus on helping farmers find solutions to the changing weather conditions and boost overall agricultural development by, for example, launching new contract farming systems in cooperation with the Myanmar Rice Producers Association.
Thike Soe, an officer of the Agricultural Department in Maubin Township, said his department was trying to educate farmers about the changing weather patterns and the need to use different rice varieties in order to adapt to the changes.
“There will be a shortage of water supply for cultivation and crop yields may decline. So, they should grow rice seeds that can be harvested in a shorter period,” he said, adding that such varieties were available to farmers on local markets.
Soe Tun, chairman of the Myanmar Rice Association, echoed this idea but stressed water management should be improved in order to harness available water resources in times of drought.
“Myanmar has some alternative sources of water supply, including four major rivers. If the water from these rivers can be used efficiently, the country’s agricultural sector is sure to resurge,” he said.


LONDON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- An attempt to impeach British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected in the next two weeks.
The Sunday Herald reports that a previous attempt last year ended when only 23 members of Parliament signed on -- but the recent defeat of Blair's anti-terrorism legislation with 49 Labor members voting against their leader has spurred a renewed effort.
Divisive issues facing Blair include his proposed education reform bill -- which is expected to come up for a vote in the spring -- and his plan to reform the National Health Service by introducing more competition from the private sector.
Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party, told the Sunday Herald that questions about Blair's role in getting Britain involved in the war in Iraq are likely to cause him more trouble.


LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - – In preparation for the launch of the “Tap and Go” MyTARC fare card system beginning the first full week of January 2019, TARC started distributing new electronic cards on Monday.
The MyTARC electronic fareboxes will be on all TARC buses beginning January 7. This new system will allow customers to pay fare with a simple “tap” of their card, replacing the 20-year-old farebox that only accepted cash and paper tickets.
Customers with current paper tickets and paper passes can trade those in for equal electronic value on their new MyTARC card at Union Station. During a special 30 day introductory period, customers who load an initial fare of at least $5.00 will receive the card for free.
Fares will not increase. Cash payment, exact fare only, will remain an option. Adult one-way fare using the MyTARC card will be $1.50 – just as it is today when buying tickets in advance - compared to $1.75 with cash. Passengers with a MyTARC card will receive a free transfer good for two hours from initial boarding. TARC will no longer offer paper transfers.
With MyTARC, passengers can purchase MyTARC cards online, at the Nia Center and Union Station. Customers will also be able to reload value on board each bus.
The official launch and beginning date MyTARC cards will be capable of paying fare on board will not be until January 7, 2019. Be sure to prepare, and keep the necessary amount of current paper tickets to get you through to the launch date.


Internet consultancy Zefer appears to be signing off. The company has shut down its headquarters and has reportedly laid off about 300 remaining employees.
Internet consultancy Zefer appears to be signing off. The company has shut down its headquarters and has reportedly laid off about 300 remaining employees. Zefer officials would not return calls, but the Boston Globe reported that NEC has offered jobs to about 180 employees and was looking to assume Zefers client list. NEC led a $48 million investment in Zefer in March.
Logistics.com has secured what it says is a multimillion-dollar contract to provide transportation procurement and management technology to PPG Industries, a large manufacturer of coatings, glass, fiberglass and chemicals. Logistics.com will initially handle order management, routing, selection, tendering, tracking and tracing of close to 2,500 truckloads of products per week.
Amazon.com has expanded its strategy of teaming with offline retailers, this time announcing plans to open an online store this fall in a partnership with Target. The Target store at Amazon.com will sell apparel, home furnishings, electronics and jewelry. Amazon has previously partnered with Circuit City and Toys "R" Us.


In her review of the budget figures generated by District Manager Jim Bentley, Evart incorporates a proposed redevelopment district east of Highway 395, in addition to the current west side redevelopment into the new city.
Without the property taxes generated by both the existing and proposed commercial areas in north Douglas County, Evart expects the new city would lose an estimated $742,500 in annual revenues, or about 19 percent of the proposed city’s new budget.
Incorporation of those commercial areas will require dissolution of the current redevelopment district and Evart expressed concerns about the complexity of the process. Douglas County has put a lot of money into the redevelopment district and she does not know if dissolution is the wisest course.
Designed to improve infrastructure without raising property taxes, redevelopment provides improvements specifically for underdeveloped or blighted urban areas through bonding, or a number of other financial avenues.
Indian Hills resident Ron Lynch challenged the new budget’s staffing, saying personnel numbers for the fire and police departments are adequate.
“We now have nine personnel rotating through the fire department. This budget starts with nine and goes to 12,” said Bentley. “We now have one cop. This budget starts with eight, including five patrol deputies, a chief of police, a lieutenant and clerks.
The proposed budget for the new city includes 49 positions, 32 more than the District’s current total of 17, Indian Hills officials said.
Indian Hills trustee Charles Swanson said government is a service organization and one of the big questions, is labor costs.
“Without making sure those labor costs are in the comfort zone, this whole thing could fall apart,” he said.
In a previous interview, County Manager Dan Holler said salaries as stated in this budget are adequate or a little low, but none are underestimated.
About $222,000 are included in the contingency fund the first year, increasing to $289,000 by the fifth year, according to the budget as presented.
“It’s a little insurance. When you’re branching out like this, I think you need that,” Evart said.
Once the budget director in Washoe County, Evart has more than 20 years’ experience in local government financial analysis, both as a practitioner and a consultant. A director in the firm, she manages government financial analysis services and casino feasibility studies.
She holds a bachelor of arts from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Cityhood has been a hot topic for Douglas County residents since Indian Hills officials unveiled their first study, compiled by County Manager Jim Bentley in August. Bentley’s study promised a 13.3 percent decrease in taxes over the first 10 years and Meridian concurred.
In an October assessment, Douglas County Manager Dan Holler disagreed. Incorporation could mean an estimated $2 million budget deficit by the second year, ballooning to $25 million in 10 years.
Holler also predicted increased water rates and loss of services.


SpiceJet co-founder Ajay Singh said on Monday that the second tranche of Rs 400 crore to be infused into the airline would come in by Wednesday. Singh said the first tranche of Rs 100 crore has been paid and the money has already been invested. He was speaking on the sidelines of a roundtable conference on the budget.
The investments went towards clearing income tax dues of Rs 100 crore, said a source in the know of things. The next tranche will be used for clearing salaries and making vendor payments, the source confirmed.
Ajay Singh jumped in to buy the loss-making airline after Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Group expressed that it will be unable to support the airline financially anymore. When Singh had exited SpiceJet in 2010, the company had a cash reserve of Rs 450 crore, but when Maran hung his boots, the dues were Rs 1,300 crore.
The third tranche from Singh and his private equity partners will be of Rs 500 crore, expected to come in March.
That will again help Singh clear debt and make vendor payments. The company, which has Rs 700 crore in debt, has already got the approval of the Competition Commission of India for the stake sale, and Singh is now awaiting clearance from the home ministry for his appointment as a director.
Meanwhile, the restructuring programme has already started. The source didn’t disclose the details, but said Singh was focusing on cutting costs. “It was part of the board meeting discussion,” the source added.
SpiceJet will continue to focus on discounts and offer tickets. Since January 28, it has already announced four rounds of sale. The first one, where 5,00,000 seats were on offer, Spice Jet saw a 400% jump in bookings.
In the quarter ended December, the company announced that there was a capacity reduction of 31%, with revenue dipping 27% and losses swelling to Rs 275 crore, mainly due to the exceptional cost of fleet reduction and early termination of contract. The press statement mentioned that if not for the exceptional cost, the company would have made a profit of Rs 20 crore.


Get the latest construction and itinerary updates from Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic, American Queen Steamboat Company and MSC Cruises.
To drum up excitement for the new expedition cruise ship, Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic has launched a countdown of behind-the-scenes features on its blog. Find out more.
Norwegian Cruise Line, Lindblad Expeditions - National Geographic and Royal Caribbean have all issued policy updates regarding onboard charges. Find out what your clients need to know.
The line says the move will make pricing effectively inclusive on the National Geographic Explorer and National Geographic Orion. Get the details here.
The National Geographic Venture is a sibling ship to the National Geographic Quest, which is scheduled to launch this June. Find out more.


SAO PAULO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A penalty from the home side’s former captain Fabio Santos rescued a point for Atletico Mineiro in a lacklustre 1-1 draw at Corinthians in Brazil’s Serie A on Saturday.
The hosts were celebrating their 108th birthday and they took the lead after 19 minutes thanks to right winger Pedrinho.
The 20-year steadied himself 25 metres from goal and curled a beautiful shot that hit the crossbar and bounced in off the back of the diving goalkeeper Victor.
However, full back Fabio Santos levelled the scores 16 minutes later when he calmly slotted home a penalty after a handball.
There were few clear chances in a dour second half and both sides will rue missing the opportunity to cut the difference between themselves and league leaders Sao Paulo.


The Gist on the lifestyles of roman emperors, and an unusual Facebook privacy problem.
Would You Trade a Roman Emperor’s Life for Air Conditioning and Soap?
Who’s Better Off: A Roman Emperor, or You?
The Gist weighs the value of imperial spoils against air conditioning and soap.
How good did the Roman emperors have it?
Photo Illustration by Slate. Oil painting by Thomas Couture, via Wikimedia Commons.
How good did the Roman emperors have it? The Gist asks UCLA history professor Ronald Mellor to compare a ruler’s bounty in the ancient world with life in modern America. Plus, Kashmir Hill from Forbes explains the latest tarnish on Facebook’s reputation for dubious privacy practices. In today’s Spiel, another botched execution and what it teaches us about the death penalty.


Residents are encouraged by the Sacramento County Department of Transportation to report potholes. Residents in the unincorporated portion of Sacramento County can call 311 or 916 875-4311.
The county-wide sweeps week effort to fill potholes began Monday in Arden Arcade. Potholes are typically tackled within 72 hours, according to the county.


Whereas a lot of gaming video projects elect to remake older games in a newer engine, YouTube user and Battlefield enthusiast "PzkpfwV" decided to go the opposite route. Upon seeing the still-awesome Battlefield 1 trailer, he took it upon himself to remake it in the now 14 year-old Battlefield 1942 engine (specifically, with the Forgotten Hope: Secret Weapon mod).
You can view the excellent results above. If you'd like to watch both versions of the trailer at once, click here. As you'll see, the remake is bang on.


It's interesting what you can learn bicycling in this city: New York drivers are hateful and monstrous and pedestrians are almost as bad. It's interesting what you can learn walking in this city: New York drivers are hateful and monstrous and bicyclists are almost as bad. It's interesting what you can learn driving in this city: New York pedestrians are hateful and monstrous and bicyclists are far, far worse. It's all about perspectives, you see, which this week's letters point out can be vastly different. As Maude upstairs in 3F always says, no two people ever have the same point of view unless they're looking at the world from 6 feet under. Which I will be doing the next time I try to squeeze my bike between a Mister Softee truck and the M104. Let's 'settle' this . . . Dear John: Re: The discussion of "settling," all of my friends that married the love of their life are now divorced. The others who are with someone they have settled for are still together, including myself, for neither my husband nor I were the loves of our lives, but after 10 years we are "happy.
" Perhaps the word "settling" should be redefined. Sandra Weiss, Joe54@1X netcom.
com Thanks, Sandra. And now, to all you romantics out there: Shall we meet at the Brooklyn Bridge for one mass plunge into the East River? . . . once and for all Dear John: In response to G. of Brooklyn (who moaned last week about going for "passion" as opposed to "settling"), I don't have to imagine the pain of losing the one I truly love. I know the pain too well. A few months after leaving my husband, while waiting on a long supermarket line, I began talking to the man behind me. His name was Bobby and we hit it off immediately. The attraction was instantaneous and mutual. After a week of dating, we both admitted it had been love at first sight for each of us. After a month, I moved in with him. That was the start of a fairy-tale romance that lasted almost six years. I never knew that two people could be so perfect for each other, or that I could be that happy. It has been almost two years now since Bobby was killed when a drunk driver ran a light and plowed into his car. I never got to say goodbye. So I do know the pain of losing the one you truly love, but I also know the joy of loving and being loved in return. I believe that there is someone out there I can be as happy with again, and I will not stop believing or settle for less. MaryAnn from Brooklyn P.
S. I've also come to realize that settling isn't fair to the other person. Everyone deserves the happiness and passion of being truly loved. The interesting thing among my friends, MaryAnn, is that some who settled found a strong love grew; others who started out passionately found that while their initial flame may have waned, a deeper feeling took its place. Still others broke up regardless of whether they settled or went for the pinnacle of passion. As Maude says, all roads lead to Rome. But you might end up in Peoria. Get over it Dear John: I would like to send J.
J. of Brooklyn a message (he likes your column a lot): J.
J., what is it about "Get out of my life, I never want to see you again" that you do not understand? I changed my number so that you would quit calling me. Please, no more letters, no more messages, no more gifts and stop harassing my friends and relatives to find out where I am, what I'm doing and what is my new number. Get on with your life. It's over for good this time. No More His "Sweetcups" Okay, J.
J., apparently your Sweetcups runneth over no more. In fact, I'd runneth in the other direction if I were you. Lost & Found Dept. Dear John: We're a couple of old guys trying to find whether any graduates of June 1934 from P.
S. 76 are still living around the metropolitan area. The school, which is no longer there, was located at 68th St. and Lexington Ave. in Manhattan, near the 68th Street Playhouse. It vibrated from the clang of the trolley on Lexington Ave., the Third Ave. el, and the subway running underneath us, and we used to walk down the street to the fire station to watch the firemen train. It was like an Ivy League school, with its mix of kids from silk-stockinged Park Avenue, and those of us from Second Ave., with its pushcarts and working-class residents. It was quite a place. If the old-lady teachers that ran that school caught you chewing gum, they sent you up the river to Sing-Sing. We never had a reunion, and trying to arrange one after all these many years seems a bit late, but it would be interesting to discover whether class members from long ago are well and living somewhere in the area. Robert E. Leddy, Richard J. Muzio Thanks for an evocative letter, boys AND GET RID OF THAT CHEWING GUM THIS INSTANT! Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of P.
S. 76 alumni may contact Mr. Leddy or Mr. Muzio through this column.


It’s not exactly a gladiator-style prison battle royale, but the contestants emerged bruised and bloodied just the same.
Pennsylvania State Police say three prison guards at York County Prison were arrested for allegedly arranging fights between inmates and bribing them with food, WSYR reported. The guards, David Whitcomb, Mark Haynes, and Daniel Graff, are accused of pitting inmates David Wright and James Hicks against each other in exchange for coffee and food. They would also fight the officers when told.
The inmates said they were being punched to the point of numbness in their arms and legs and sometimes even being choked. They were also subject to other inhumane coercions like having to drink a gallon of milk in an hour, swallowing a spoonful of cinnamon and snorting crushed candy.
Whitcomb, Hands and Graff were charged with official oppression and were placed on unpaid leave.


CINCINNATI -- Want to get the biggest bang out of Sunday's Riverfest? It'll take a little planning.
Covington, Newport and Cincinnati are making multiple traffic adjustments to accommodate the estimated 500,000 people expected to watch the Western & Southern/WEBN Fireworks from the banks of the Ohio River.
The fireworks start at approximately 9:05 p.m. Sunday but street and bridge closings, along with parking restrictions, will take effect hours before the show.
Here is a map detailing traffic restrictions and when they start on Sunday. See a detailed list of those restrictions below the map.
The city recommends people arrive early for festivities and use Metro, TANK and the Cincinnati streetcar to travel to the riverfront.
Access to the Cincinnati riverfront will be limited to pedestrians south of Third Street.
The Purple People Bridge will close to foot traffic at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The Taylor-Southgate Bridge, Roebling Suspension Bridge and Clay Wade Bailey Bridge will close to all vehicle traffic at 6 p.m. Sunday. Pedestrians may cross on the west side of the Taylor-Southgate Bridge until 7:30 p.m.
Access to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge (I-471) from Ohio will close at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Third Street exit from westbound Columbia Parkway will close at 9 p.m. Sunday.
On-street parking will not be available throughout the Downtown area south of Ninth Street after 11 a.m. Sunday.
All streets north of East Fourth Street and east of Madison Avenue to the Licking River will close to vehicle traffic starting at 6 p.m. Sunday. Madison Avenue will remain open to allow access to public parking lots and garages until they are full or 6 p.m., whichever occurs first. This area may not reopen to traffic until an hour after the fireworks are over.
The Fourth Street Bridge to Newport will close to all vehicle traffic at 8 p.m. Sunday.
Devou Park, Kenton Hills and the Bluffs will restrict traffic starting at 2 p.m. Sunday. Access to these areas will be restricted to residents and their guests only.
All vehicles parked in garages and parking lots located north of East Fourth Street and east of Madison Avenue will not be permitted to leave until pedestrian traffic has cleared.
Riverboat Row and Columbia Street north of Fourth Street will close at 8 a.m. Sunday.
The Purple People Bridge will close at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Taylor-Southgate Bridge will close to vehicle traffic at 6 p.m. Sunday and pedestrian traffic at 7:30 p.m.
Monmouth Street from Third to 11th streets will close at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Monmouth will reopen to southbound traffic only starting at 9 p.m. No parking will be allowed on Monmouth Street.
North and southbound I-471 ramps to Route 8 will close at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
10th Street between Saratoga and York streets will close at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Licking Pike at Aspen Court will close to northbound traffic starting at 9 p.m. Sunday.


The May 11 episode of Days Of Our Lives revolves around the central plot of Theresa’s return to Salem. Theresa Donovan (Jen Lilley), who left the show in 2016 made her first reappearance on air this month. She has been trapped in Mexico City with a drug lord named Mateo (El Fideo). When Chloe was dragged off to Mexico City by Miguel, she discovered Theresa is also being held by the same man.
After Chloe caught Theresa up on the happenings in Salem, the two women began to hatch a plan of escape. The only way out of Mexico City, without placing their families in danger, is to collect enough information against Mateo to hand over to the authorities. Theresa and Chloe feign an argument while Miguel is in the room. When he separates the two women, Theresa is able to steal Miguel’s keys.
There has been much talk about Theresa circulating around Salem on today’s Days of Our Lives, letting us know that her return to our favorite small town is close at hand. Victor, who has known all along why Theresa left her family behind, has been defending Theresa’s honor to Maggie. Maggie, who is in favor of Brady’s relationship with Eve, is confused by Victor’s sudden support of Eve’s sister. Afterall, Eve has yet to leave Brady’s bedside.
Brady and Eve are discussing their love for each other and for Tate. Brady pulls out an engagement ring and once again proposes to Eve. He tells her that she deserves to be treated like a princess and he plans to do just that, all the days of her life if she will do him the honor of becoming his wife.
Before Eve can give Brady an answer to his proposal, Victor enters the room. He states that before an engagement is set in stone, there is something that Brady must know about first. Days of Our Lives viewers believe that he will more than likely tell Brady the reason why Theresa left Salem.
Across town, Kate is at the DiMera mansion reading about the death of Vivian Alamain. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Vivian’s life came to a tragic end when Kate accidentally shot Vivian her during yesterday’s episode 5/10 of Days of Our Lives. Lucas appears in the doorway to offer his support.
Kate and Lucas end up arguing about Chloe again. Although Kate doesn’t care for Chloe and believes Lucas will eventually get hurt, she gives him her blessing. Lucas has not given up on their relationship and plans to head to Mexico City to find her.
Back in Mexico City, Theresa is desperate to find enough information to free herself and Chloe. She is able to get into the basement bunker area that Mateo uses to hide away his sensitive information. With some digging, Theresa finds a key to the lockbox and finds exactly what she is looking for. What she didn’t expect to find was Xander Cook (Paul Telfer), walking in the doorway of the bunker.


Cynthia is most proud of her work with Wednesday's Child.
Cynthia Izaguirre is an anchor at WFAA in Dallas, TX, specializing in television news and weekly Wednesday's Child reports.
1) Who are you? Cynthia was raised in Dallas and is a proud product of the Dallas Independent School District. She attended Herbert Marcus Elementary, Longfellow Academy for middle school and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. Cynthia attended The University of North Texas and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism with a double minor in Political Science and Spanish. Go Mean Green!
2) What are your interests? Cynthia is most proud of her work with Wednesday's Child. Since 2011, she has produced and anchored the segments which help find abused and neglected children a safe and loving home. In addition, Cynthia is on the Board of Directors for TexProtects: The Texas Association for the Protection of Children. It has become Cynthia's mission to fight for the most vulnerable children in our communities.
When Cynthia is not working, she is spending time with her family. Cynthia is married to her husband who she affectionately calls Captain Awesome. They have a Twin Daughter and Twin Son who are the light of her life!
3) What do you like about working at WFAA? Working at Channel 8 is a dream come true for Cynthia. She grew up watching WFAA and considers it a great honor and privilege to work alongside some of the best journalists in the country. Cynthia is also proud to work for a company that celebrates diversity and encourages authenticity. It takes courage to report on some of the stories we do. Cynthia is proud that WFAA wants us to be brave for the benefit of the community we serve.
4) What's one thing people would be surprised to learn about you? You might be surprised to know that Cynthia has a passion for sewing. She grew up watching her mom, a seamstress, sew many beautiful pieces of clothing. Cynthia recently bought her own sewing machine and hopes to one day be good enough to sew her own clothes for on air!


Shameless is saying goodbye to one of its own. During a panel event held at the Television Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday night, showrunner John Wells confirmed Justin Chatwin will not return as a series regular in Season 4 and did, in fact, die at the end of last season.
"He has done great work, but that character was coming to an end," Wells said. Costar Emmy Rossum, who plays Jimmy's girlfriend Fiona, also weighed in, calling the departure "incredibly emotional, like losing a part of your family. I shed a couple of tears in my trailer."
Chatwin's character, Jimmy, split most of his screen time last year between the Gallaghers and his secret wife, Estefania, who happened to be the daughter of a Brazilian drug lord. After she was deported, Jimmy was last seen being forced onto a yacht fearing for his life. While the script had Jimmy being gunned down on the boat, Wells revealed the filming permit for the dock expired before the scene could be completed.
"But actually now it's kind of cool because we don't have to have him die that way," Wells said. "We've been talking about having the recaps every week [next season] have a different way that he died." A statement released by Showtime echoes that possibility, noting that Chatwin "will not be coming back as a series regular, but there is a possibility of him coming back in future episodes in some manner." After the panel concluded, Wells told TV Guide Magazine, "We'll just wait and see if we come up with a story that works or is interesting, but we haven't yet. As of right now, we're done."
Because they didn't explicitly see his death, viewers question whether Jimmy's life has actually been spared. Mystery has always surrounded the character, who lived a double life as "Steve" in the show's first two seasons and even disappeared overseas at the beginning of Season 2. "We were trying to think up ways to make certain that he was no longer with us," Wells said. "We wanted to do a little tag where we were at a polo match and the Brazilians would go get their mallets and drop down his head."
As to how this development will affect Fiona going forward, Wells was mum, saying, "Hopefully in a really compelling and interesting way, but we just started working on next year with the writers, so we don't know yet."
Will you miss Chatwin on Shameless?


Adidas miCoach Fit Smart vs Nike+ SportWatch GPS: What's the difference?
When details of the Adidas miCoach Fit Smart first leaked, it was thought to be a rival to Nike's FuelBand SE. However, that has turned out not to be the case.
Adidas has now officially announced the device - which will be available in the UK and US from mid-August - and it is more a tool for those who take their fitness and sports training seriously.
Therefore, it is more like Nike's other device in the Nike+ range, the SportWatch GPS. And while that specific fitness tracking wristband is around three years old now, it is still being sold and supported by Adidas' big sports brand rival so it's worth checking out some of the key features and specifications to see which would better suit your needs.
One of the big features of the Adidas miCoach Fit Smart is that it contains an optical heart rate sensor on the underneath of the band's face that can measure your heart rate as you train. The Nike+ SportWatch GPS doesn't.
Instead, it relies on the addition of a Polar WearLink+ Transmitter to send heart rate information to the device and that adds cost (an extra £50, roughly) and needs to be strapped elsewhere.
Both devices have a number of key statistics that are available to you at the touch of a button or two and will be used to form more visual graphs on their respective smartphone apps.
The Fit Smart is able to tell you calories burned, pace, distance covered and stride rate. The SportWatch is similar, with pace, calories, distance, lap marking and a timer on board. It's much of a muchness in fact.
As Nike's SportWatch is made in collaboration with TomTom it naturally focuses around GPS features. It keeps track of a user's location in GPS codes, so you can see exactly where you have been and how long it took to get you around the circuit.
The Fit Smart doesn't have that option, with no GPS on board, but it does have an accelerometer, so it knows how fast you are moving.
The Adidas device definitely wins out in the app stakes. It links directly with the miCoach Train & Run app available across Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8. And as it uses Bluetooth 4.0, it doesn't take much power to do so.
Nike's SportWatch is dependent on a PC or Mac to crunch the stats it creates. Admittedly, it has a more detailed screen, so you can see more information on the device itself, but there's not really any way to check out your full profile until you are in reach of a desktop computer or laptop.
Adidas is keen to stress that the Fit Smart is primarily a serious training tool and as such it can be programmed with defined training plans that you either create or choose from the 100s available. These can be set from the accompanying smartphone app and when you need to up your game, based on your heart rate, etc, the watch will tell you through a visual lightbar or by vibrating.
The Nike+ SportWatch GPS can be set with automatic run reminders and other training features that spur you into action. And through your nikeplus.com profile, you can set goals much like you can with a Nike+ FuelBand. You can also check out mapped runs, thanks to the GPS, so you can see if inclines make for better performance and more.
To be honest, while the Nike device is three years old it still holds its own in the field. However, the Adidas one looks sleeker and the built-in heart rate monitor could be key.
Adidas claims that without the monitor it is next to impossible to accurately craft training plans that are best suited to individual users. It can tell instantly whether you are getting a higher cardio workout based on specific actions and doesn't require an add-on accessory.
Yes, the screen on the Nike watch provides more information, but the Fit Smart's LED display is simple and effectively. Plus, as the Adidas device directly links to your smartphone - even if you're a Windows Phone owner - you will be able to check out full stats when on the move anyway.
It is more expensive now, being £179 rather than the £129 for the SportWatch (without training shoe sensor), but that extra £50 is soaked up by the Polar heart rate monitor required by the Nike device to offer that functionality.


Hearing examiner John Fuchs recommended denial after a public hearing on a controversial Oconomowoc condo development.
The hearing examiner in a controversial condominium project in the city of Oconomowoc has recommended denying the project, since the proposal does not meet mandated design criteria, according to a report.
John Fuchs, an attorney for Fuchs & Boyle S.C., acted as the hearing examiner during a March 20 public hearing after the architectural commission recused itself in January.
The hearing centered around WaterView Condominiums, a nine-unit development proposed by Renner Architects at 517 and 525 N. Lake Road in Oconomowoc's Isthmus District.
According to city ordinance, all development built in the district must reflect the practices as common in the period between 1870 and 1930.
"The homes in the area, particularly on Lake Road, are substantially dissimilar to the proposed development, both in terms of mass and other design criteria, and essentially the surrounding area does conform to the applicable design standards," Fuchs wrote.
Fuchs said the project did not conform to the applicable design standards and did not reflect the architecture of the time.
"I conclude it also fails to complement similar development in the area," Fuchs stated.
Fuchs' decision will serve as a recommendation to the city's plan commission.
In his report to the city, Fuchs said all the letters he received were against the project, with the exception of one authored by a former mayor. Fuchs also reviewed an architectural report prepared on behalf of those opposed to the project, an independent architectural report procured by the city, two treatises from the Isthmus Historical Preservation Society, the city's land-use map and city ordinances.
Fuchs had to decide whether the project, as proposed, conforms to the design standards set in Oconomowoc's ordinance. According to Fuchs, the district allows for up to 10 dwelling units per acre. The site in question is 1.3 acres, thus allowing for 13 dwellings.
Renner's project consisted of two structures. One, a standalone building, would be 3,800 square feet. The eight-unit building would be roughly 25,000 square feet.
According to documents, there would be 26 interior parking spaces and 13 surface parking spaces for the main building. The single building would have three inside and three surface spaces.
Fuchs said there was an overwhelming view from the citizens that the development did not conform to the requisite standards.
"One might argue that those opposed have an inherent bias and thus argue there is noncompliance," Fuchs wrote. "It would seem more logical and likely that it is non-compliance which motivates their objection."


Amazon is rolling out a series of Alexa-powered devices to put the digital assistant in more areas of your life. Here's what it all means.
These are all the new Echo devices Amazon just announced The e-commerce giant revealed a newly designed Echo, as well as the Echo Connect, Echo Plus, and even Echo Buttons.
Amazon rolled out a series of Alexa-powered devices that essentially ups the ante for Google throughout the smart home and advances its Alexa everywhere strategy that emerged early in 2017.
Whether Google Assistant is smarter than Alexa is almost a moot point. This digital assistant game is about distribution and points of presence. And so far, Amazon has Google and Apple's Siri surrounded.
In Seattle, Amazon launched a smaller, cloth-covered Amazon Echo that has better voice recognition, six shells available and a smaller footprint. Preorders start at $99.99. There's also the Echo Connect, which can make phone calls and rides shotgun with the Echo. And Alexa will be embedded into BMW cars in 2018.
Amazon also outlined Buttons, which are just like they sound. Amazon Buttons with Alexa have the ability to play games.
For good measure, Amazon launched a new Fire TV. After all, you can't control the smart home without the living room. Amazon--as if it couldn't get enough of the Echo barrage--also announced the Echo Spot, which is an alarm clock device with a 2.5-inch screen that can show video feeds. What's next? Alexa voice recognition in key fobs?
Not surprisingly, Amazon's powwow and the devices that come with it are about Alexa, e-commerce and Amazon touch points such as Prime. For good measure, Amazon has an Alexa Gadgets software development kit (SDK). Amazon said Alexa will get the ability to cluster areas of the smart home and run routines like turning on the lights, open shades and start a news briefing.
These Alexa routines will presumably be run through the Echo Plus, which serves as a smart home integration hub starting at $149.
Last week, Amazon launched a 10-inch Fire HD tablet with Alexa. Now Amazon is playing up the kitchen and, increasingly, your car. The BMW-Amazon deal for Alexa is notable given Apple and Android already have spots on your dashboard.
Add it up and Amazon is building an entire Alexa-enabled stack of devices that cover almost all areas of the home. The Echo family of devices is the front end of the Alexa everywhere effort. On the back end, Alexa devices will connect to Amazon Web Services on multiple fronts. Given that developers follow the money and reach, Amazon's Alexa ecosystem is only going to get stronger. Alexa everywhere is one fine moneymaking mantra for Amazon.
Amazon is aggressively compensating for the lack of Alexa on smartphones by effectively giving the devices away and pushing e-commerce as hard as it can. A land grab strategy makes complete sense because the more Amazon can drive Alexa usage, the more data it will generate and the better it can become. Usage is the key to making all digital assistants better and this is the one area where Amazon has huge ground to make up compared to Google.
The fact that Google is still really struggling in the smart home, is why Amazon still has the upper hand which it is showing no sign of losing. This move is clearly aimed at seeding as much of the market as possible before Google can get its act together.
Google may get its act together and its recent deal with HTC highlights how it is serious about hardware. Google will need more than a smartphone footprint to put its Assistant everywhere. Ditto for Apple. Ironically, Amazon has played the hardware game well, forged omnichannel deals, and tethered its e-commerce hooks and Prime subscriptions to Alexa.