#top places to visit in algeria

[lionheartlr]

Exploring Algeria: A Comprehensive Travel Guide

Algeria, the largest country in Africa, offers a rich tapestry of history, culture, and natural beauty. From ancient Roman ruins to vast desert landscapes, Algeria is a destination waiting to be discovered. Here’s everything you need to know for an unforgettable journey. A Brief History Algeria has a rich and diverse history dating back to ancient times. The region was inhabited by various…

[xtruss]

Where Falconry is a Storied Sport, These Women are Writing a New Chapter

In the United Arab Emirates, One Photographer Sets Out to Document Unseen Figures in this Beloved National Tradition.

— Photographs By Vidhyaa Chandramohan | By Manar Al Hinai and Sharifa Al Hinai | March 1, 2023

Guardians of an ancient desert heritage, falconers pose with their birds in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba area. For women and girls in the United Arab Emirates, learning the national sport is increasingly becoming a rite of passage.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — The irising sun spreads pale light over the desert sands, illuminating a scene at once common and unexpected: a solitary falcon, hooded and still atop its perch, ready for hunting practice.

While people in what is now the United Arab Emirates have trained falcons for more than 4,000 years, more surprising is the falconer—a woman, with a young daughter working beside her.

Historically used as hunting companions, falcons captured meat that couldn’t be killed with an arrow or trapped in a snare to augment the low-protein diet of the nomadic Bedouins on the Arabian Peninsula. Falcons are keen-eyed—they see eight times farther than a human—and capable of plummeting from the sky at over 200 miles an hour to catch small prey such as desert hares and houbara bustards.

Left: After French artist Horace Vernet visited Algeria in 1839 en route to the Middle East, he painted "An Algerian Lady Hawking." Wallace Collection, Bridgemam Images. Right: Map

Though no longer necessary as food suppliers, the raptors remain beloved by the people who own and train them, holding a revered perch in the country’s cultural heritage. Amid the fierce winds of globalization, falconry—which includes both racing and hunting exhibitions—has allowed practitioners to reconnect with their desert roots.

Another enduring fact: The prestigious national sport has been primarily associated with men, at least in the public eye. Yet photojournalist Vidhyaa Chandramohan knew women were there.

For centuries women have tamed and hunted with falcons in places ranging from Mongolia and Kazakhstan to the United States and the United Kingdom. And Emirati women are no less devoted, says Chandramohan, who has lived in the country for 16 years.

Top: The photographer sought out women falconers, who she describes as being "absent from the photographic records.” She focused on Ayesha al Mansoori (left), here teaching Mariam Al Hammadi and Iman Al Hammadi. Women falconers regularly come together in the evenings, developing friendships and sharing knowledge in the process. Carrying the bird so that it remains comfortable and calm is a basic skill in falconry.

Bottom Left: A member of Dubai's ruling family, Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan bin Mohammed bin Hasher Al Maktoum practices falconry. "I am trying to be disciplined and do it every weekend," she says. "But a true commitment to it is doing it every day, if not twice a day, as it’s important to establish a bond with the falcon.”

Bottom Right: Osha, 8, learns falconry from her mother, Ayesha al Mansoori, who has trained nearly 150 women and 70 girls. The first stage is learning how to care for the falcons, which takes about a year, followed by training the birds using lures. Osha uses a live pigeon lure here.

Top: Al Mansoori and her aunt drive with her falcon to a training session. Historically the birds were utilized for food gathering; today they're maintained as pets and regarded as family members. Bottom: The saluki breed is integral to falconry. The dog tracks and recovers prey struck down by the falcons. Al Mansouri is seen here with her friend's dog.

Revealing the Role of Women

Chandramohan began to search for female falconers to document their part in the tradition. She scoured social media for pictures and stories. When she came upon Ayesha al Mansouri, she knew she’d found a treasure.

Top Left: Al Mansouri owns seven falcons and spends most of each day with them. At home, she constructed a ventilated space with desert sands and access to water.

Top Right: Osha displays her falcon's passport. The United Arab Emirates created the passport system in the hopes of decreasing illegal falcon trafficking and regulating the sport. Bottom: During hunting and racing season, falconers often go out twice a day, at dawn and dusk, to train their birds. Women unwind after a session while falcons rest on perches.

Al Mansouri began to study falconry with her father when she was four. After her brother failed to wrestle a hood on a falcon and gave up, Al Mansouri tried—and eventually got it.

“’I just covered it,’ she recalls saying to her father. “He was stunned, and shot me glances showing he was proud and impressed.” The moment marked her entry into the world of falcons.

But in 2018, when Chandramohan approached the thirty-something falconer with a proposal to document her career, she was reluctant. Just as falconers must first earn a bird’s trust, Chandramohan realized she too needed to patiently gain Al Mansouri’s trust in order to tell her story in pictures.

Top: Al Mansouri during a training session with Osha. Falconry is traditionally handed down from father to son, but in Abu Dhabi more women and girls are entering the sport. “I often used to sit with my father, who would tell me stories about falconry," Al Mansouri says, "especially ones about the women who practiced the sport in the old days.”

Bottom Left: A vet files and shapes a falcon’s claws in an attempt to protect the bird’s owner from serious scratches.

Bottom Right: A falcon under anesthesia is checked by Margit Muller, a doctor and executive director of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, a leading center for raptor medicine.

Eventually she did. And when photographs of Al Mansouri and her daughter, Osha, now 8 and following in her mother’s footsteps, were published in media outlets and displayed as part of a photography festival, the public took note. Changing the perception of the sport would require a role model—Al Mansouri.

After that, “many women came to me and said that their grandmothers and aunts were practicing falconry,” says Chandramohan. “But my documenting this practice by capturing women as subjects was something new and unfamiliar to them.”

Top: Women have been engaged in falconry for centuries. In this circa 1780 painting, Indian ruler and warrior Chand Bibi hunts with hawks from her stallion. The British Library (ADD.OR.2894)

Bottom Left: A tile depicts a falconer and a musician from Iran's Qajar dynasty, circa 1850. The British Museum

Bottom Right: A circa 1750 Guler-style painting of a lady with a hawk, from India's Punjab region, is among the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection. HIP/Art Resource

Al Mansouri too says she was not the first woman from her family to break in. “My cousin, in her sixties, is an expert in falconry, and she learned her methods and secrets from two uncles,” she says. (One was Al Mansouri's father.) “She often took me with her on hunting trips.”

Woman on a Mission

But it wasn’t enough to be visible. Al Mansouri wanted to do more. Her mission became teaching falconry to girls, which she began in 2016 at the Abu Dhabi Falconers Club. When she offered classes, 50 women promptly signed up. So far, she's trained nearly 150 women and 70 girls.

Now “everyone wants to educate their daughters even before their sons in falconry,” she says, “and society has become more accepting of women’s participation in this ancient sport.”

Today women take part in competitions and festivals, including the International Festival of Falconry, which launched in 1976.

Top: Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan bin Mohammed bin Hasher Al Maktoum and her cousin Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Mohammed Hasher Al Maktoum, also an experienced falconer, train a falcon to chase prey tied to the plane.

Bottoms Left: Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan bin Mohammed bin Hasher Al Maktoum attaches a GPS transmitter to the tail feathers of her falcon before releasing it for training. A GPS tag helps locate a bird if it is lost.

Bottom Right: Al Mansouri drives out to the desert with her falcon.

The legacy that Al Mansouri is keen to preserve goes beyond ensuring that women have a place in the sport. Conservation is integral to her work and to other equally committed falconers.

The UAE has made strides at a time when several falcon species face threats from habitat loss and illegal wildlife trading. (Read more about falcon conservation in the UAE.)

Preserving a Legacy

UAE falconers now fly only captive-bred birds for racing and hunting demonstrations, and hunting live prey with falcons is prohibited except by special permit in certain areas.

In 2002, to further discourage the trafficking of illegally captured birds, the UAE began issuing falcon “passports” detailing their origins. Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, followed suit.

The UAE reinforced its pivotal role with the 1999 opening of the largest falcon hospital in the world, whose training programs draw students from more than 42 countries. “The UAE is a global model for falconry, not only in terms of veterinary medicine related to the care of the birds but also in terms of conservation and population maintenance through breeding,” says Margit Muller, executive director of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital.

In offering tours to local schools, “our goal is for the youth first to learn and love the sport, so that they’ll pass their knowledge on,” says Muller, who has been in the city since 2001.

The time-honored tradition has become a profitable engine sustained by annual competitions and festivals, such as the President’s Cup Falcon Competitions in Abu Dhabi and the Fazza Championship for Falconry in Dubai.

'Your Falcon Is Your Brother'

As dedicated as Al Mansouri is to her mission, she never forgets a lesson she learned at her father’s side. “Your falcon is your brother,” she recalls. “He’s more than just a hunting bird; he is a being that should be appreciated.”

Rawan Hareb al Hammadi offers hot tea to friends after a training session.

In the desert twilight, Al Mansouri lights a campfire and soon the rich aroma of Arabic coffee fills the air. She finishes her cup, walks to her waiting falcon and lifts off its hood. She raises her hand for the bird to take its place on her arm, and in a moment the falcon takes flight.

The falconer swings a lure in a wide arc around her—a rope with a bustard wing tied at the end. The falcon takes aim and swoops in. At the last second Al Mansouri jerks the lure away. After a couple more tries, she allows the falcon to capture the lure and then quickly replaces it with meat—usually a quail or pigeon breast.

Osha’s piercing eyes watch all her mother does—both her movements and her stillness—as she handles her obedient falcon. They don’t need words to teach and learn the fundamentals of their ancient craft.

[wikiuntamed]

Top 5 @Wikipedia pages from a year ago: Saturday, 10th December 2022

Welcome, velkommen, ողջու՜յն (voġčuyn), добродошли (dobrodošli) 🤗 What were the top pages visited on @Wikipedia (10th December 2022) 🏆🌟🔥?

1️⃣: 2022 FIFA World Cup "The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2010. It was the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world..."

2️⃣: FIFA World Cup "The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition between the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has been held every..."

Image licensed under CC BY 4.0? by Hossein Zohrevand

3️⃣: Morocco "Morocco ( ), officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south. Morocco..."

Image by Denelson83, Zscout370

4️⃣: Grant Wahl "Grant Wahl (December 2, 1973 – December 10, 2022) was an American sports journalist and soccer analyst for CBS Sports, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a correspondent for Fox Sports, based in New York City. He was also the author of the book The Beckham Experiment (2009). His Sports..."

5️⃣: Cristiano Ronaldo "Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɾiʃˈtjɐnu ʁɔˈnaldu]; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest..."

Image licensed under CC BY 4.0? by Mehrdad Esfahani/SNN

[aroundtheworldmary]

Visited: October 10th- October 15th 2023

Later in the Month, I went to Morrocco for almost a week! This trip was most definitely an adventure trip. Morocco is home to the largest hot desert in the world which is the Sahara Desert. It is a country that is part of western North Africa. It was the center of Berber Islamic kingdoms that included much of Spain and North Africa. France established control over Morrocco in 1912 and then granted it independence in 1956. Morocco borders Algeria to the east and southeast. It is the only country in Africa with coastlines on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. While in Morroco the main cities we visited were Fés and the Sahara desert. The first day we spent going to the Medina which is a place in the city with a bunch of markets and we specifically visited, the leathery, the pharmacy, the carpet shop, and a fabric store. Bargaining is part of the culture and it is rude to not try and bargain from the original price. That was an experience and I was able to bargain for a leather belt and some pants while I was there for a good deal. The pharmacy was cool and I was able to get some authentic Moroccan tea, ph lipstick, cactus cream, soap, and their famous Moroccan lip tint. We also had a typical Moroccan lunch of couscous, bread, and vegetables. Then we traveled to the Sahara Desert and were there for two nights! We traveled by jeep into the desert and were able to see the beautiful sunset. The camp we stayed at was just tents in the middle of the desert and very off the grid. The stars were insane as there was no light pollution but the night was frigid. There was also a night show of classic barber music and that was fun to dance around and hear the drums. The next day was our big excursion into the desert day. I woke up at the crack of dawn for sunrise which blew me away and after breakfast, we got onto camels and went to a dune where many went sand surfing and we all just enjoyed one another. Then we ventured into the old town and had a pool party as a break and cool down. After our long day, we headed back to camp for more Moroccan lunch. Later that day I went on a jeep tour and was able to see a mining site with fossils and then where Algeria was from a high top point. Then we found a dune and watched our last sunset. The following day we just were traveling and heading home. This trip is definitely at the top of my list and was something I can not even describe and I hope to someday be able to go back to the desert. The people and place exceeded my expectations and even had me take a new way of life realizing how beautiful life can be. The pictures of the landscape and places were taken by me and all other photos of me were taken by Laura Josler, Michael Lee, or Courtney Stephenson from October 10 to October 15 2023. 

[formulaonedirection]

Favourite place to read a book

Favourite decorative item in your bedroom

Top place on your list to visit

1. Ooooh. Uhm on the train. I basically do 80% of my reading on trains because it's the only place I'm like trapped and I can just read without being distracted. I also read 3 full books on my flight back from London. I can basically only read when I have no other options LOL 2. Unfortunately I'm like the room decor bitch. I have this huge Better Oblivion Community Center poster on my gallery wall which I kinda love

3. Making plans to go to Algeria next year mayhaps......but also I just want a weekend in KL more than anything right now.

anonymously message me (3) things you want to know about me.

[jcoleepics]

Libs market analysis & industry research reports 2020-2027

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Synopsis: The exploration group projects that the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) market size will develop from XXX in 2020 to XXX by 2027, at an expected CAGR of XX. The base year considered for the review is 2020, and the market size is projected from 2020 to 2027.

The excellent target of this report is to assist the client with understanding the market as far as its definition, division, market potential, persuasive patterns, and the difficulties that the market is looking with 10 significant districts and 50 significant nations. Profound explores and investigation were finished during the arrangement of the report. The perusers will discover this report exceptionally supportive in understanding the market top to bottom. The information and the data in regards to the market are taken from dependable sources like sites, yearly reports of the organizations, diaries, and others and were checked and approved by the business specialists. Current realities and information are addressed in the report utilizing outlines, diagrams, pie graphs, and other pictorial portrayals. This upgrades the visual portrayal and furthermore helps in understanding the realities much better.

By Market Players:

Bruker

Rigaku

Laval Lab

Avantes

Hitachi

SECOPTA

TSI Incorporated

P&P Optica

Princeton Instruments‎

B&W Tek

Ocean Optics

By Type

Handheld

Desktop

By Application

Mining

Metallurgy

Pharmaceutical

Environment

Research Institutions

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By Regions/Countries:

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United States

Canada

Mexico

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China

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Europe

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Middle East

Turkey

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Israel

Iraq

Qatar

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Oman

Africa

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Morocoo

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Colombia

Chile

Venezuela

Peru

Puerto Rico

Ecuador

Rest of the World

Kazakhstan

Points Covered in The Report

The points that are discussed within the report are the major market players that are involved in the market such as market players, raw material suppliers, equipment suppliers, end users, traders, distributors and etc.

The complete profile of the companies is mentioned. And the capacity, production, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, sales volume, sales revenue, consumption, growth rate, import, export, supply, future strategies, and the technological developments that they are making are also included within the report. This report analyzed 12 years data history and forecast.

The growth factors of the market is discussed in detail wherein the different end users of the market are explained in detail.

Data and information by market player, by region, by type, by application and etc, and custom research can be added according to specific requirements.

The report contains the SWOT analysis of the market. Finally, the report contains the conclusion part where the opinions of the industrial experts are included.

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To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

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Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

To understand the future outlook and prospects for the market.

Besides the standard structure reports, we also provide custom research according to specific requirements.

The report focuses on Global, Top 10 Regions and Top 50 Countries Market Size of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) 2016-2021, and development forecast 2022-2027 including industries, major players/suppliers worldwide and market share by regions, with company and product introduction, position in the market including their market status and development trend by types and applications which will provide its price and profit status, and marketing status & market growth drivers and challenges, with base year as 2020.

Key Indicators Analysed

Market Players & Competitor Analysis: The report covers the key players of the industry including Company Profile, Product Specifications, Production Capacity/Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin 2016-2021 & Sales by Product Types.

Global and Regional Market Analysis: The report includes Global & Regional market status and outlook 2022-2027. Further the report provides break down details about each region & countries covered in the report. Identifying its production, consumption, import & export, sales volume & revenue forecast.

Market Analysis by Product Type: The report covers majority Product Types in the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Industry, including its product specifcations by each key player, volume, sales by Volume and Value (M USD).

Markat Analysis by Application Type: Based on the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Industry and its applications, the market is further sub-segmented into several major Application of its industry. It provides you with the market size, CAGR & forecast by each industry applications.

Market Trends: Market key trends which include Increased Competition and Continuous Innovations.

Opportunities and Drivers: Identifying the Growing Demands and New Technology

Porters Five Force Analysis: The report will provide with the state of competition in industry depending on five basic forces: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitute products or services, and existing industry rivalry.

COVID-19 Impact

Report covers Impact of Coronavirus COVID-19: Since the COVID-19 virus outbreak in December 2019, the disease has spread to almost every country around the globe with the World Health Organization declaring it a public health emergency. The global impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are already starting to be felt, and will significantly affect the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) market in 2021. The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought effects on many aspects, like flight cancellations; travel bans and quarantines; restaurants closed; all indoor/outdoor events restricted; over forty countries state of emergency declared; massive slowing of the supply chain; stock market volatility; falling business confidence, growing panic among the population, and uncertainty about future.

Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the USP of the report?

Global Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Market Research Report 2021 Professional Edition Market report offers great insights of the market and consumer data and their interpretation through various figures and graphs. Report has embedded global market and regional market deep analysis through various research methodologies. The report also offers great competitor analysis of the industries and highlights the key aspect of their business like success stories, market development and growth rate.

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[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Sofia Boutella

full name: Amina Zaidi

nickname(s): Mina

pronouns & gender: they/them, nonbinary

sexuality: queer

birth date: July 30, 1982

birth place: Lyon, France

time in town: five years

housing: the coast

occupation: metaphysical shop owner

family: none.

personality: Amina always likes to walk the line of duality. They’re both a spiritual person and a skeptic, someone who needs introspective time and the loudness of other people near. While they might balk at the word “intellectual” they do like engaging with serious learning and consider themselves a bit of an arm chair scholar. They are prone to bouts of obsessive behavior around the things they love, which some find endearing and occasional others can find slightly over the top.

BACKGROUND / BIO

The child of immigrant parents and then an adventuring immigrants theirself, Amina grew up comfortable with ambiguity and the idea that they should develop a strong sense of self. Their parents immigrated to France from Algeria before they were born, but always kept strong ties to their home and encourages their children to be proud of who they are. In many ways, Amina was the ideal child for their family, both parents straddling the line between academia and working as artists, as they had a keen desire to learn and a sharp aptitude. Growing up speaking both Arabic and French, they quickly added English and some German to their skills. They were raised as a citizen of the world, and their parents never shied away from difficult topics, or the idea of raising their child to be socially aware and kind.

Amina was always the sort of person who loved to chat with people and get to know them. In many ways, they always felt that knowing each person was knowing a little universe into itself. The other thing they loved greatly was learning, and not just that, learning about the world around them. They stumbled into geology as a study when their father brought back some specimens from a trip to Southwest Asia to visit some dear friends and it was true love ever since then. It wasn’t just the sparkly things that dazzled Amina, but a love of the rough that didn’t even become a diamond.

After completing le bac, they were accepted to university in England and never quite fully returned home. They found joy in meeting new people and new faces and learning more about the world and the subject they loved dearly. At times, their exuberance was a lot for their peers, but they didn’t care, as long as they were happy learning, and collecting rocks and stories like a magpie. Grad school took them to the United States, where they had a whole new perspective on the world, and fell in love for the first time. Let it be said that some people simply have a natural interest in a bad “boy”.

Charmed by love and feeling disillusioned with academia, Amina embarked on a cross country road trip of love and got to see everything from the US’s National Parks to its seediest motels. Eventually, the couple tried to make it work in New York City, but Amina already had too much buzzing around their head to be content there. They fell into a crowd of people who shared interests in anything from mythology to mineral specimens and when their relationship went sour, had the brilliant idea to buy a large stock of rocks, herbs, and other tools to set up roadside shop on their journey.

Due to the relatively low cost of living and the kindness of people, Amina decided on Merrock for a home. They bought their distinctive pink camper and managed to find a storefront that they could almost afford the rent on- and almost was good enough. From there, they worked to set up Universal Rocks a shop focusing on ethically sourced and fair trade crystals, herbs, jewelry, spiritual aids, and gifts. They’re not sure if they fully believe that the universe has some great plan for everyone, but they do believe that each person has that universe within them that needs fostering.

Oh yeah, and they may or may not still be married to that ex.

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

A Journey to France to Uncover the Mysteries of the Carnegie’s Grand Staircase

The Carnegie Institute has been in existence for 125 years and is one of the greatest architectural buildings ever designed in Pittsburgh. In 1985, Carnegie Institute President Robert Wilburn invited Dr. Cynthia R. Field, the Smithsonian’s Architecture Historian, to assess the artistic value of the museum. He asked, “what do you think is the most valuable specimen or painting in the museum?” She said, “The Building Itself is the Greatest Object of the entire Museum Collection” (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Carnegie plaque

The internationally-famous architect, I.M. Pei, who designed the Louvre’s glass pyramid that sits in the Louvre’s central courtyard in Paris, France, opined, “Architecture is the very mirror of life. You only have to cast your eyes on buildings to feel the presence of the past, the spirit of a place; they are the reflection of society.” In 2018, Architecture Digest ranked the Carnegie’s Grand Staircase the 8th best museum staircase in the world. The Grand Staircase was built by the Pittsburgh architectural firm of Alden and Harlow at the apex of America’s Gilded-Age building boom. During my research, I discovered that the architects employed multicolored classic marbles and fossil limestones in the interior design from Algeria, Croatia, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, and the United States. The commission to build the Grand Staircase in 1907 incorporated two classical French fossil limestones in the columns and pillars, floor tiles, steps, walls, balconies, and water fountains. This monumental Beaux-Arts style staircase is modeled after the L‘Opéra Garnier ‛a Paris, Grand Staircase in France, c. 1875, and was visited by a French Delegation with Andrew Carnegie (Fig. 2). The architecture described as Beaux-Arts was taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, from the mid-19th century until 1900. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism and used modern building materials, i.e., iron and glass. And as such, it became a preferred architectural style in the United States from 1895 until 1910 in cities such as, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Pittsburgh, and Washington D.C.

Fig. 2: French delegation and Andrew Carnegie

In 2019, The Carnegie’s Grand Staircase and Music Hall Foyer were recognized in the book La pierre de l’Échaillon Une histoire locale, une renommée international for the use of Échaillon jaune (yellow) ornamental stone in the museum’s columns, pillars, and walls (Fig. 3). This book was published by S.P.I.A. (Sauvegarde du Partrimoine Industriel d’Autrefois, a historical society founded by Jean Paul Rey, president) (Fig. 4).  In the book, they describe how a small French village of l’Échaillon, pronounced Esh-ee-own, received recognition for its white marble (a limestone) used by famous French architects in 64 classic buildings and sculptures from 1875 to the early 20th century (Fig. 5).  I first met Jean Paul in October of 2016, when I was invited to give a presentation at an S.P.I.A. meeting on my research on the Carnegie’s l’Échaillon.  The meeting was held in an old schoolhouse in the village of Saint-Quentin-sur-Isère, Département de Isère, in southeast France.

Fig. 3: The Grand Staircase

Fig. 4: Jean Paul Rey and Albert D. Kollar

Fig. 5: Book cover

The French Limestones in the Carnegie’s Architecture

The Carnegie building stones research project progressed significantly, once we obtained the digital images of the architect’s blueprints from the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Architecture Department. With the assistance of my co-authors, Rich Fedosick and Kay Hughes of the Section of Invertebrate Paleontology, we examined the blueprints to understand the architects Marble Index terminology (Fig. 6). Eventually, we were able to interpret and recognize the location of the two French limestones based on the Marble Index letters, E for Échaillon and H for Hauteville. From a nonscientific perspective, the architects considered the Carnegie’s interior stones to be marbles. However, the geological definition of a marble is when a rock defined as a limestone or dolomite is subjected to high heat and pressure from geologic forces forms a metamorphic rock.  The six stones listed in the Marble Index as marbles, are limestones, a sedimentary rock enriched with fossil seashells. The characteristic rudist fossils and yellow color that distinguish the Échaillon stone are found in the 18 pillars and the 22 columns that rise 3.8 meters or 12.5 feet about the Grand Staircase, and in the walls of the Music Hall Foyer (Fig. 7).

Fig. 6: Marble index E and H letters

Fig. 7: Échaillon fossils

The other French limestone used in the Carnegie is Hauteville. This limestone was quarried from the Plateau d’Hauteville in the Ain Department, in eastern France. I visited this quarry in 2016 to investigate the geology of the quarry operation, to uncover evidence of the common fossil snail Nerinea in the quarry rock (Fig. 8), and to learn more about the cultural history of the region (Fig. 9).  The Hauteville limestone was used in the Grand Staircase walls, balcony features, water fountains, vestibule steps, and as floor tiles. Other locations include, the Hall of Sculpture and Hall of Architecture floors, the walls along the grand hallway, the Music Hall vestibule floor, the Founder’s Room vestibule floor, the floor and steps in the Smoking Room (now offices), the Forbes Avenue vestibule entrances to the music hall, carriage drive, and museum and fine arts. Moreover, the Hauteville floor tiles are distributed throughout the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh main entrance corridors. The Hauteville stone is beige in color and contains many visible fossils, none more distinctive than the robust Nerinea, a 12.7 cm/5-inch-long snail that serves as the index fossil for the limestone identification (Fig. 10).

Fig. 8: Hauteville Quarry fossil snail

Fig. 9: Hauteville directional signs

Fig. 10: Nerinea snail in Carnegie floor

Introduction to the l’Échaillon Carrières

There are three carrières or quarries in the Vercors cliffs located in the Isère River Valley that were excavated for White Echaillon or “Echaillon blanc,” Yellow Echaillon or “Echaillon jaune,” and Pink Echaillon or “Echaillon rose” during the 19th and early 20th century (Fig. 11).  These unique color combinations became popular for various interior and exterior architecture features in 194 buildings in western Europe, North Africa, and the United States. In 2016, Jean Paul Rey and members of S.P.I.A. led me on a field trip to the abandoned classic l’Échaillon white quarries (Fig. 12). We explored what is thought to be a 2,000-year-old Roman quarry and walked through a maze of underground caverns and narrow tunnels that contained abandoned mining equipment.  The other two Echaillon carrières are located several kilometers south in the small villages of Lignet, where the Pink Echaillon was quarried (Fig. 13) and Rovon, where the Yellow Echaillon was excavated (Fig. 14).

Fig. 11: Echaillon quarries locations, S.P.I.A.

Fig. 12: Visit to Echaillon

Fig. 13: Lignet Quarry Marker

Fig. 14: Rovon quarry

Cularo, Grenoble, and the white l’Echaillon stone

A fortuitous discovery was made by S.P.I.A. for their book while searching for evidence of the white l’Echaillon in the Gallo-Romans era 4th century Cularo or Grenoble, France today. In the Saint Laurent crypt that is preserved many meters below the modern-day street level tramway, a white capitol on top of a white limestone column was identified as l’Echaillon. This white capitol stone is presumably from the Roman quarry adjacent to the white l’Echaillon underground caverns. When Emperor Gratian ruled the Roman Empire from 367 to 383 A.D., he renamed Cularo after himself. Cularo thus became Gratianopolis, which through a later phonetic shift became Graignovol and then Grenoble. Although hard to find among the narrow streets and passageways of Grenoble, is a section of a Roman wall that once encircled Cularo, a portion of which is protected by a fence. This historic wall can be seen at Passage Sainte-Claire on the corner of Rue Lafayette, in the central city of Grenoble (Fig. 15). I suspect some of the white cobbles embedded in the wall may have their origin from the white l’Echaillon Roman quarry. Undoubtedly, more research will be necessary to make an affirmative conclusion.

Fig. 15: Roman wall

“Geology of the l’Échaillon Carrières”

The drawing of a new geologic map on the l’Echaillon carrières by Professor Thierry Dumont of the Université Grenoble-Alpes, confirms stratigraphically, the ages of the three limestone quarries. Among the three, the white Echaillon limestone is late Jurassic in age, whereas the pink Lignet and yellow Rovon limestones are early Cretaceous in age. The formal geologic name for the rose and yellow limestones is the Urgonian Formation. Fossils are abundant in the three limestones. Dr. Claudie Durand of Le musèum d’Histoire naturelle de Grenoble (Fig. 16) curated a diverse collection of 163 species of invertebrate fossils from l’Echaillon first published in 1919. Geologically, the three limestones were deposited in the tropical Tethys Seaway a circum-equatorial ocean of the Mesozoic Era. The strata form the Vercors carbonate platform, a buildup of late Mesozoic rudist (bivalve mollusk) reefs spanning 25 million years of evolution from (late Jurassic 140 million years ago to early Cretaceous 165 million years ago) (Fig. 17).  

Fig. 16: Dr. Claudie Durand

Fig. 17: Rudist (bivalve) reef fossils

The Rovon carrière provenance and fossils

The primary goal of this research is to define the geology and authenticate the specific provenance of all marbles, fossil limestones, sandstones, and the singular igneous granite rock used in the Carnegie building. The search for the provenance of the Carnegie’s yellow Echaillon was initiated in December of 2017 by Jean Paul Rey, when we were introduced to the Forman of the modern-day Rovon quarry. After a long discussion about our objectives, he granted permission to visit the old quarry. As darkness fell, we met with a local farmer who directed us to the quarry location in the Vercors cliffs that rise some 538 meters above his snow-covered field (Fig. 18).  

Fig. 18: Verors cliffs and old Rovon quarry

In October of 2018, the S.P.I.A. team pre-arranged to have several 4-wheel trucks transport ten people including Professor Fabienne Giraud-Guillot of the Université Grenoble-Alpes to the Rovon quarry. We ascended the long steep road that ended some 500 m from the main quarry. Surprisingly, the quarry was filled with massive limestone boulders that were cut by mechanical wire saws from the cliff rock (Fig. 19). Such large boulders make it virtually impossible to break with small hammers. For actual fossil collecting purposes, it is better to search for smaller size rocks to break apart (Fig. 20). This past October, transport to the Rovon quarry riding in a 55-year-old Russian built farm tractor was a treat (Fig. 21). And the fossil collecting was a success with 21 complete specimens collected for the museum of the diagnostic Caprina rudist bivalve clam (Fig. 22). The shape of these fossils closely resembles the fossils preserved in the Echaillon limestone in the Grand Staircase and Music Hall Foyer. Additional geologic data is being reviewed by colleagues from the Geology Department at the University of Zagreb in Croatia and the University of Ireland at Galway.  

Fig. 19: S.P.I.A. team

Fig. 20: Collecting fossils

Fig. 21: Russian tractor

Fig. 22: Caprina rudist clam

“Carnegie’s Grand Staircase in the 21st Century”

A study published this month by the BMJ, formerly The British Medical Journal, suggested that “when people of all ages participate in the arts and visit museums once a month or even every few months, they are likely to be more engaged in the world and may actually live longer.” Years ago, the Oscar winner actor Russell Crowe was in Pittsburgh, and he was asked what he did on his days off. In reply, he said, “I ride my bicycle to look at buildings and the architecture of the city.” I. M. Pei states, “Architecture brings people together.” I agree.

Maybe it’s time to reconsider how the Carnegie’s Grand Staircase is promoted to the public at large. For instance, the current arrangement of the free-standing dioramas situated on the first floor, awkwardly impede the flow of patrons walking among the pillars, columns, and the taking of photographs of the Grand Staircase.  Moreover, the placement of these dioramas detracts from the visual enjoyment of the famous John White Alexander multicolor murals. An artistic feature of the murals is their connection to the stone colors to enhance the first and second floors architectural features. The best vantage points to see this fabulous spectrum of color is from the third-floor balcony looking down to the first and second floors.

The Carnegie Museum of Art (Museum of Fine Arts) will be celebrating its 125th Anniversary in the fall of 2020. The Grand Staircase was designed as the showcase entrance to the Museum of Fine Arts for Pittsburghers of the early 20th Century. One hundred and twenty-five years later, perhaps, this world-class space can once again establish a new generation of museum patrons and become the destination as a place to be for its cultural and intellectual heritage.  And don’t forget, this staircase can be an Instagram-worthy site for a family portrait to encourage our younger audiences to visit too.

Albert D. Kollar is the Collection Manager in the Section of Invertebrate Paleontology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

[carlosramiroblog]

Follow Your Way - Argentina from Iść Swoją Drogą on Vimeo.

** IMPORTANT NOTE: This video is not trying to deliver any political ideologies. Characters like Ernesto Guevara, Eva Perón or Jorge Videla are part of Argentina's history and by introducing them I don't mean to judge anything. I'm fully aware of controversies and don't want to be a part of dispute. **

The third part of our travel ­- 5 months in the midst of the vast land of Argentina.

It's not easy to plan your journey when you cycle trough the country that is 3,650 km long and has more than 1,400 km at its widest point. In the beginning we had a strong feeling that because of our 'limits' we're missing a lot. Then a moment came when we realized that it wasn't about places you visited, but people, smells, tastes and before all about those magic moments which were inexplicably unique for every of us. Instead of breathtaking landscapes I'll always remember hundreds of curious loud parrots following my bike in the middle of nowhere, 85 ­years old gaucho one day of horse riding from his herds and faces of people dancing in boliche club.

Argentina... It's amazing that you can find so many different worlds in one single country. Sometimes you can feel almost like in Europe, sometimes you start wondering if you're already in Bolivia. On the top of Argentina's amazing identity lies enormous labirynth of Buenos Aires with it's own contrasts. Villa miseria surrounded by modern skyscrapers, homeless sleeping next to the fancy restaurants and goverment buildings. Weak currency and high inflation rate touch everyday life of many Argentinians. Deforestation in the north and tentacles of Monsanto are even more serious problems because of having long term effects.

I know that trying to describe the beautiful soul of Argentina with words is pointless... I'm not sure if my images caught at least a little piece of it but I'm sure that I left piece of my heart somwhere across the ocean. Thank you Argentina. Thank you South America.

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music: "The Aviators" (Extended Version) by Helen Jane Long

audio in order of appearance: - "Milonga de dos hermanos" by Jorge Luis Borges - Jorge Videla during press conference in 1979 - mother of the Plaza de Mayo (from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary) - football commentary by Víctor Hugo Morales - "Gracias a La Vida" by Mercedes Sosa (lyrics and song by Violeta Parra) - "Madres de la Plaza de Mayo" by Antonio Gala (from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary) - Ernesto Che Guevara during Afro-Asian Conference (Algeria, 1965) - "El pueblo victorioso" by Pablo Neruda (voice of Víctor Heredia, from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary) - "El derecho de Soñar" by Eduardo Galeano (from "Madres coraje: Madres de Plaza de Mayo" documentary)

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author: Bartosz Lisek gear: Canon EOS 60D + EF 24-105mm f/4L, EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5, EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, Fader ND blog: iscswojadroga.pl/

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.19

295 BC – The first temple to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility, is dedicated by Quintus Fabius Maximus Gurges during the Third Samnite War. 43 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, later known as Augustus, compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. 947 – Abu Yazid, a Kharijite rebel leader, is defeated and killed in the Hodna Mountains in modern-day Algeria by Fatimid forces. 1153 – Baldwin III of Jerusalem takes control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his mother Melisende, and also captures Ascalon. 1458 – Pope Pius II becomes the 211th Pope. 1504 – In Ireland, the Hiberno-Norman de Burghs (Burkes) and Anglo-Norman Fitzgeralds fight in the Battle of Knockdoe. 1561 – Mary, Queen of Scots, who was 18 years old, returns to Scotland after spending 13 years in France. 1612 – The "Samlesbury witches", three women from the Lancashire village of Samlesbury, England, are put on trial, accused of practicing witchcraft, one of the most famous witch trials in British history. 1666 – Second Anglo-Dutch War: Rear Admiral Robert Holmes leads a raid on the Dutch island of Terschelling, destroying 150 merchant ships, an act later known as "Holmes's Bonfire". 1692 – Salem witch trials: In Salem, Province of Massachusetts Bay, five people, one woman and four men, including a clergyman, are executed after being convicted of witchcraft. 1745 – Prince Charles Edward Stuart raises his standard in Glenfinnan: The start of the Second Jacobite Rebellion, known as "the 45". 1745 – Ottoman–Persian War: In the Battle of Kars, the Ottoman army is routed by Persian forces led by Nader Shah. 1759 – Battle of Lagos Naval battle during the Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France. 1772 – Gustav III of Sweden stages a coup d'état, in which he assumes power and enacts a new constitution that divides power between the Riksdag and the King. 1782 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Blue Licks: The last major engagement of the war, almost ten months after the surrender of the British commander Charles Cornwallis following the Siege of Yorktown. 1812 – War of 1812: American frigate USS Constitution defeats the British frigate HMS Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada earning the nickname "Old Ironsides". 1813 – Gervasio Antonio de Posadas joins Argentina's Second Triumvirate. 1839 – The French government announces that Louis Daguerre's photographic process is a gift "free to the world". 1848 – California Gold Rush: The New York Herald breaks the news to the East Coast of the United States of the gold rush in California (although the rush started in January). 1854 – The First Sioux War begins when United States Army soldiers kill Lakota chief Conquering Bear and in return are massacred. 1861 – First ascent of Weisshorn, fifth highest summit in the Alps. 1862 – American Indian Wars: During an uprising in Minnesota, Lakota warriors decide not to attack heavily defended Fort Ridgely and instead turn to the settlement of New Ulm, killing white settlers along the way. 1909 – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opens for automobile racing. Wilfred Bourque and his mechanic are killed during the first day's events. 1920 – The Tambov Rebellion breaks out, in response to the Bolshevik policy of Prodrazvyorstka. 1927 – Patriarch Sergius of Moscow proclaims the declaration of loyalty of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Soviet Union. 1934 – The first All-American Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio. 1934 – The German referendum of 1934 approves Hitler's appointment as head of state with the title of Führer. 1936 – The Great Purge of the Soviet Union begins when the first of the Moscow Trials is convened. 1940 – First flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. 1941 – Germany and Romania sign the Tiraspol Agreement, rendering the region of Transnistria under control of the latter. 1942 – World War II: Operation Jubilee: The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division leads an amphibious assault by allied forces on Dieppe, France and fails, many Canadians are killed or captured. The operation was intended to develop and try new amphibious landing tactics for the coming full invasion in Normandy. 1944 – World War II: Liberation of Paris: Paris, France rises against German occupation with the help of Allied troops. 1945 – August Revolution: Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh take power in Hanoi, Vietnam. 1953 – Cold War: The CIA and MI6 help to overthrow the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran and reinstate the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. 1955 – In the Northeast United States, severe flooding caused by Hurricane Diane, claims 200 lives. 1960 – Cold War: In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Soviet Union for espionage. 1960 – Sputnik program: Korabl-Sputnik 2: The Soviet Union launches the satellite with the dogs Belka and Strelka, 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants. 1964 – Syncom 3, the first geostationary communication satellite, is launched. Two months later, it would enable live coverage of the 1964 Summer Olympics. 1965 – Japanese prime minister Eisaku Satō becomes the first post-World War II sitting prime minister to visit Okinawa Prefecture. 1978 – In Iran, Cinema Rex fire caused more than 400 deaths. 1980 – Saudia Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar burns after making an emergency landing at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing 301 people. 1981 – Gulf of Sidra Incident: United States fighters intercept and shoot down two Libyan Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets over the Gulf of Sidra. 1987 – Hungerford massacre: In the United Kingdom, Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a semi-automatic rifle and then commits suicide. 1989 – Polish president Wojciech Jaruzelski nominates Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to be the first non-communist prime minister in 42 years. 1989 – Several hundred East Germans cross the frontier between Hungary and Austria during the Pan-European Picnic, part of the events that began the process of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. 1991 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union, August Coup: Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is placed under house arrest while on holiday in the town of Foros, Ukraine. 1991 – Crown Heights riot begins. 1999 – In Belgrade, Yugoslavia, tens of thousands of Serbians rally to demand the resignation of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milošević. 2002 – Khankala Mi-26 crash: A Russian Mil Mi-26 helicopter carrying troops is hit by a Chechen missile outside Grozny, killing 118 soldiers. 2003 – A car-bomb attack on United Nations headquarters in Iraq kills the agency's top envoy Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 other employees. 2003 – A suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem, Israel, planned by Hamas, kills 23 Israelis, seven of them children, in the Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing. 2005 – The first-ever joint military exercise between Russia and China, called Peace Mission 2005 begins. 2009 – A series of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 101 and injures 565 others. 2010 – Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, with the last of the United States brigade combat teams crossing the border to Kuwait. 2013 – The Dhamara Ghat train accident kills at least 37 people in the Indian state of Bihar. 2017 – Tens of thousands of farmed non-native Atlantic salmon are accidentally released into the wild in Washington waters in the 2017 Cypress Island Atlantic salmon pen break.

[dikshithseo13]

Unlocking the Path to PCI DSS Certification: Best Practices and Insights

PCI DSS Certification in Cambodia - By adhering to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, companies certified by PCI DSS can safeguard cardholder data during transactions. It shows a business's dedication to following security procedures to stop data leaks. In order to protect payment environments, accreditation requires adherence to strict regulations.

A PCI DSS certification guarantees that businesses handle, store, and securely send credit card data, guarding against fraud and data breaches. To protect credit card transactions, it sets a baseline of technical and operational criteria. Attaining certification improves security and fosters stakeholder and customer trust.

What are the Advantages of Obtaining PCI DSS Certification?

Enhanced Security Measures: By protecting sensitive data with encryption and secure network standards, PCI DSS certification guarantees the application of robust security protocols, lowering the risk of data breaches and cyber-attacks.

Enhanced Customer Confidence: Complying with PCI DSS and PCI DSS Implementation in Oman indicates a dedication to data security, which increases customer trust and loyalty. Customers like doing business with companies that value protecting their personal and financial data. 

Decreased Risk of Financial Losses: By reducing the possibility of data breaches, compliance helps to prevent fines and reputational harm. Payment card data is handled and stored securely by with PCI DSS standards, preventing expensive security issues.

Competitive Advantage: A business can gain a competitive advantage over non-compliant rivals and become the go-to option for security-conscious clients by obtaining PCI DSS certification. This is especially true in a market where data protection is a top priority.

Simplified Regulatory Compliance: Complying with PCI DSS criteria can help make it easier to comply with more comprehensive data protection rules (such as GDPR). This is because complying with PCI DSS covers a wide range of security practices that are help follow different data security laws, which makes compliance easier to achieve.

How much does the PCI DSS Certification Cost?

Various factors, including the type of service, size of the organization, operational complexity, and certifying body of choice, might affect gaining the PCI DSS Cost in Algeria. Sector-specific standards may also have an impact on prices. The total cost of PCI DSS certification for payment card data security is greatly impacted by the certifying body chosen and the range of services it offers. The degree of readiness and the expenditures required to meet PCI DSS standards can also have a significant impact on the overall cost.

What is the Audit Process for PCI DSS Certification?

Preparation and Documentation Review: The organization must provide all necessary documentation before the audit process can begin. The auditor carefully looks over these documents to acquire a thorough grasp of the company's current security protocols, which establishes the foundation for further evaluation phases.

On-Site Assessment: In this stage of PCI DSS Audit in Lebanon, the auditor visits the organization's location to carry out in-depth assessments. The auditor verifies the correctness of documentation and evaluates the actual application of security policies in real-world scenarios through interviews, on-site inspections, and technical assessments.

Testing and Validation: Extensive testing methods are used to confirm that the security mechanisms in place within the company are effective. Via penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and careful examination of system configurations, the auditor verifies that they put in place safeguards against potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Issue Identification and Remediation: The auditor finds vulnerabilities and non-compliance issues and notifies the company of them. Through remediation operations, the organization takes care of these.

Report Generation and Compliance Assessment: The auditor compiles findings into a report and assesses compliance. If the organization complies, certification could be granted; if not, problems need to be fixed and more audits need to be conducted.

Where and How to Obtain PCI DSS Certification Services? It is preferable to work with a respected consulting company with a global reputation, like B2BECRT, while seeking PCI DSS Certification Services in Brazil. B2BECRT is an expert in assisting companies with the complexities of the PCI DSS certification process and related procedures, having a stellar history in audits, consultancy, and validation services. Contact the experts at contact@b2bcert.com with questions or to discuss PCI DSS certification assistance.

[good-times-with-theo]

Black Gold (Chapter 2)

(Here’s Chapter 2 of the fic I’m writing! I hope you guys like it!)

The European Union Newsroom; November 6th, 7:39 P.M.

“You better tell us everything we need to know, EU! There are people we care about who could be in grave danger, but you won’t tell us anything about it?!” Germany said angrily, slamming his hands onto the EU’s wooden desk. “You three are the only people who I will not give any information to. I could care less if people you care about are in danger,” the EU replied firmly, looking at the three with his hollow black eyes. “My own grandchildren were involved! Along with my son! How dare you exclude us from this information?!” France shouted, glaring at the EU. “Especially because of you, France. You leak intel to our enemies. You cannot be trusted with such classified information,” the EU said. The UK sighed. “France, let’s go find out ourselves. It’s the only solution. Besides, the EU can’t stop us if we go with our own national passports and not the European Union ones he gave us when we joined this bloody union,” he said, taking his lover’s hand and leading her to their car. The airport was only a few miles away, so it would be a short drive, yet a long flight; 16 long, painstaking hours to be exact. “Shouldn’t Germany come along too?” France asked, looking at the UK. “No. He is needed here. We have to go and find Austria for him just so we can make sure everything is alright.” The UK answered. “Alright. There should be tickets booked for us in the glove box. I booked them earlier since we were planning to visit anyway.” France said.

16 long hours later, and both the UK and France arrive in Yellowstone, Wyoming. “America is waiting for us outside,” the UK said, checking his phone as they left. France looked around and noticed America’s car. “You guys weren’t supposed to come for another month! Why are you here?” America said to his mother. “We heard about the whole incident in Salt Lake Creek. How is Wyoming?” France replied, looking at America.

“She’s fine, but I still didn’t expect you guys to come until Christmas like you normally do,” America said. “Especially since the whole incident could’ve been explained then. But since it’s so recent, and none of us know who made those six OPEC members try to steal oil from me, I can hardly clear anything up.” The UK noticed there were medical supplies in the back of the car. “America, why are there so many supplies back there?” He asked with worry. America fell silent. “I’ll explain when we get to my place. Hop in.”

About an hour and a half later, the UK and France are sitting on the couch with America. “Mind explaining the medical supplies to us now?” France asked her son. America took a deep breath.

“Well, during the incident, as I was trying to reason--”

“You mean to argue, dad?” said Wyoming from the kitchen.

“Like I was saying.. While I was arguing with Saudi Arabia and Russia, there was sudden gunfire. One single shot had been fired, and it got Texas in the leg. He’s fine now, but it was one of the most restless nights of my life. Saudi Arabia said it was him, but I don’t believe it. He was in front of me, not in the East where the bullet came from. So now we don’t know if someone was trying to assassinate me, Texas, or one of the culprits,” America said. “It could’ve been a seventh OPEC member who they made a sniper just in case they got caught,” the UK said. “Maybe,” America replied. “But why Texas? Sure, he has oil, but that doesn’t make him a target. The OPEC organization strictly forbids and foreign oil rigs on U.S Soil... Well, I believe they do anyway.” France then noticed a drop of some kind of substance on the floor. She went to it and kneeled down, picking some up with her fingertip. “France? What did you find?” The UK asked. “I believe it’s some form of cyanide, but I’m not sure,” France replied, taking off the glove she had on. “Let me see it,” America said, taking the glove from France. “Yep. That’s cyanide. A dangerous form of it, too.”

“But who would bring cyanide into a home with over 50 people living inside of it? Wouldn’t that be considered manslaughter? Or mass genocide?” The UK asked, looking at both of them. “It can be in-between,” France replied. “Unless there is no doubt that this was attempted mass genocide. Then again, it could still be a danger. Who knows if we’re standing right next to something that should be killing us right now, but it isn’t.” America tensed a little at the thought of dying and leaving all of his kids behind. Who would take care of them? Canada or Poland? Both, possibly. But if his parents died with him, that would cause a mass panic all across the globe; not just North America and parts of Central America or the Caribbean. “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Just as long as--” the UK was cut off by Canada suddenly breaking the door down. “Step away from that area! There were signs of a bomb from one of my own satellites right in that place!” Canada said, getting his parents and brother away from that area. “Sorry, America, but I have to break the floorboards open,” Canada then said to his older brother. “Yeah, yeah! Whatever! Just get that bomb out of my house!” America replied, staying near his parents. Canada grabbed a crowbar he brought and forced the floorboards off of the floor. He grabbed the bomb and studied it. He then found the date the bomb was made. “January 1915. The same year dad was bombed about 51 times by the German Empire,” Canada said. “The bomb isn’t going to go off. It’s been deactivated for years now.” The UK looked at America in shock. “Why in Heaven’s name do you have a World War I bomb in your own home?! As a souvenir of all of the people and money I lost?!” He said angrily, clearly upset by the memories. “Or as a reminder that your own father almost died because of that German wanker?!” France grabbed the UK and held him close. “Calm down,” she said. “It’s nothing but a decoy.”

“France, it’s still a bomb from when I almost died! Do you even know how upsetting that is?! What do you expect from me? To be calm about this whole situation?” The UK said, getting out of France’s arms. “You know what? This was a ridiculous reason to even come here. I’m going back to London.”

“But dad--”

“No buts! I’m going home. You can come along if you want to, France. Unless you wish to discuss the raids on London during World War I with our own children.”

France remained silent. She didn’t even look her own husband in the eye as he left. “Kids, you know full well your father cannot handle such sensitive topics. Do not bring that up again. It was nice seeing you, America,” she said as she left with the UK. Canada turned to America. “So what are we going--”

“Leave.”

“What..?”

“Leave, Canada! Don’t come back!”

Canada rushed out immediately. Why was his family suddenly getting torn apart? It was all okay before. Why now? Canada needed to find someone. Someone he knew would be on the other side of the world, and that America nor the rest of his family trusted. He had to find China. He would know exactly what to do.

Beijing, China; 12:35 A.M.

Another day had gone by just like that. China had not expected the days to go by so quickly, but that’s what he got when he was a workaholic and most of the world was against him. Then again, it was nice to come home to friends he lived with due to loneliness. Firstly, there was Mongolia. He was the more peaceful one of the household next to China. Next was Macau; a micronation very few nations even know to exist. He was rather uptight for a small nation, but anyone can get like that when they have not yet been internationally recognized by the United Nations leaders and the UN himself. Finally, there’s Hong Kong. She moved out recently, but before, she was a rather bright and smart girl with a lot of imagination, like the UK.

“Hey, China. What’s with the sad look in your eyes?” Mongolia asked, facing China as he kept making dinner. “What do you mean? I always look like this,” China replied as he opened the door to his room. Mongolia just sighed. “Alright, if you say so,” he said quietly, fixing the apron he had on. China closed the bedroom door behind him and immediately took off his jacket, hanging it on a coat hanger right above his door. He then grabbed out his portfolio and began flipping through the paperwork as he sat on his bed. The paperwork was mainly financial, war strategies, military costs, and a few other things that China despised working on. Especially since the UN leaders piled work on top of work on the poor man. He always kept working though, regardless of what people told him to do. There was a sudden knock on his bedroom door. It sounded rather familiar, but so did most knocks. “Come in,” China said, putting the paperwork away. He then heard the clicking of winter boots and immediately saw the Canadian’s face. “Oh, hello, Canada,” China then said in surprise. He had expected Macau of Mongolia, but not Canada of all people. “Hey, China. Can we talk? It’s about the recent incident that included my brother, my niece, and my nephew,” Canada said softly, looking at China. “Yes, of course,” China said, making room for Canada to sit on the bed. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Well, it started all the way back in Salt Lake Creek, Wyoming, at around midnight. America and Texas were taking shifts guarding the oil rigs and they were on break while some of America’s top guards took their places. While they were talking, Saudi Arabia and Russia were both found listening in for intel. Well, what we believe they were doing at best. Saudi Arabia won’t tell any of us exactly what happened. Four other guards caught Austria, Venezuela, Iran, and Nigeria in the other rooms with their own oil barrels trying to harvest the recently pumped oil. Algeria was supposedly there as well, but no guards found her. They are assuming she was the sniper they hired to try and take out either America or Texas or possibly the other OPEC members if they were ever caught and were forced to give out classified information. Wyoming is still trying to recover her heavy financial loss, but it’s hardly gotten better. Now, I’m one for being optimistic, but this whole situation is even getting me hopeless that there won’t be a possibility of a war or two going on at once,” Canada explained to China. He watched China’s face become terrified to upset as he spoke. “Yeah, I knew you would be upset when you heard that one of your best allies was involved.” China was indeed very upset at Russia. He would have jeopardized his own life by doing such a thing! He has kids! What kind of father would do that?! “I am upset. Russia should not have risked such a horrible thing. Especially when he has kids who look up to him and try to be like him. If they grow up with that image of their father in their head, they will attempt the same thing. So will their kids. And so on,” China said firmly, looking at Canada. He still had a hard time believing it even when he was told by Russia himself that he had attempted it. How could his best ally do this and jeopardize their relationship? Their ties? Unfortunately, China had to find out the hard way when he was suddenly pushed onto a flight to Tokyo, Japan, the very next day.

After a long, grueling flight to Tokyo, China finally reached Khaosan Tokyo Samurai Hotel in the big, technological city he would be staying in. Of course, he hated it. He and Japan had never gotten along, due to their major and minor conflicts in history, and the executions of China’s own people by Japan during the Second World War. He set his suitcase down next to one of the two single beds in the hotel room and sat on the bed. “Well, another day, another stupid conflict you got yourself dragged into, China,” China muttered to himself. As he was making tea, he suddenly got a phone call from an old friend, yet a slight enemy; a frenemy, in better terms. The United States. “Nǐ hǎo?” China asked as he answered the phone. “Hey, China! Old pal! Uhm, do you have any spare planes?” America asked.

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Dunno. You seem to loan them to North Korea a lot, even though you constantly barrage his name around the rest of us. Are you two a couple or something?”

China immediately freaked out at that statement. “What?! Are you kidding, Měiguó?! Why would you even assume that?!” China asked in shock.

“Whoa, calm down there, pal. It was just a question. Anyway, I need one of your planes at Yellowstone Regional Airport by next week. If that’s possible.”

“Yes. Yes, of course, that’s possible. By next week works. I’ll be out of Tokyo by then.”

“Wait why are you staying in Tokyo?”

China hung up before he even answered America’s question. Of course, it was only because there was another situation involving China, Japan, and, unfortunately, the Philippines. He wasn’t exactly ready for the meeting. At all. China just went to sleep so he wouldn’t keep himself up all night with his own paranoia.

The next morning, China was suddenly joined by Russia; the same person who was caught red-handed stealing Wyomingite oil from Salt Lake Creek. “Russia,” China greeted his former ally. Russia remained silent for a few moments. “China, I just wanted to apologize--”

“Apologize for what? Breaking and entering? Almost being annexed? Risking our whole relationship? Take your pick, Russia!” China replied firmly, glaring at Russia. He was more upset with the fact that Russia, his own ally, had the audacity to think an apology would just work. “China. Look at me when I say this,” Russia replied. China looked up at Russia, his golden and red eyes staring into Russia’s blue ones. “I’m sorry. For everything,” he said softly. China couldn’t help but forgive Russia. If only he wasn’t so gullible, then maybe this wouldn’t even be the person he was going to marry. “It’s alright,” China said with a sigh. “I forgive you, Rus..” China then noticed Russia was holding two cups of coffee. “Did you get one of those for me like usual?” China asked.

“You read my mind, Chai.”

“Hey, you and I both know only the UK can call me that.”

“Haha! I know. I’m still calling you that regardless. You can’t stop me, Chai.”

China just sighed softly, followed by quiet laughter coming from him. Maybe this was what he really needed: a good laugh. Just once in a while. He didn’t feel like he needed to keep being stressed out, but now with this whole upcoming meeting, he knew that yearn for happiness or just a simple laugh would return quickly as the meeting began.

United Nations Administrative Office, Shibuya-ku, Japan

It was now past midnight when the meeting finally took place. China was sat next to Russia and North Korea, like usual. North Korea wasn’t really allowed inside, but China managed to get him a seat next to him and as far away from South Korea as humanly possible. Along with Japan. The Philippines has sat next to Russia and Vietnam; one seat away from the very person he was enemies with. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, leaders also were forced to attend due to the Philippines’ and Vietnam’s presence in the room. “What seems to be the issue?” The UN asked firmly. “It has been going on for weeks now, and I suspect it has something to do with you two,” he added, shooting a glare at the Philippines and China. “Or possibly you.” Another glare was shot at Russia, along with both Koreas. “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, what did I do?” South Korea asked when he was glared at. “I only have to come here because North has too as well!”

“Hey! Shut it, you K-Pop addicted, good for nothing, brother!” North Korea said angrily.

“Why don’t you, you closed-off, overly paranoid, maniac?!”

“Quiet! Both of you!” Malaysia said angrily, her voice rising for the first time in a long time anyone had heard it. “We’re already risking war because of Russia’s attempt to steal U.S oil, I’m not going to deal with another Korean War if I don’t have to!” Both Koreans fell silent, still shooting the occasional glares at each other. “As I was saying,” the UN continued, “we need to figure out who is responsible for all of the tension in Southeastern Asia. ASEAN and I have both agreed that we either need to isolate all of Southeast Asia until this issue is resolved, or we shall start closing off trading ports with American, British, French, and even Pakistani items. Make your choice, and choose wisely, or else all of Asia will suffer.” Now, it was up to everyone in that room to figure out what to do next. Only a few people would know exactly what to do, however. Those were the people of the Commonwealth of Nations. They would know exactly how to solve this. If not, the world could stop entirely, economies could collapse within minutes, and many countries could be annexed. It would be a massacre of men, women, children, and most of all… countries, even continents would be devastated.

A/N: Sorry for the really weird formatting! I couldn’t get the darn thing to cooperate with me! I still hope you guys like it!

[aprilskyforever]

Tmblrvision 2019 aesthetics

the vibes and associations i get while listening to the songs. based mainly on melody.

GREECE: the popular-girls-at-high-school (or maybe college) stereotype - pillow fights, road trips, gossip, passing notes in the classroom, cheerleading 

ALGERIA: lonely, sleepless nights after just getting dumped. lethargy. deep forests and wide streched landscapes without end

POLAND: jogging through a suburbia in rain. gray daily commute. overcast weather. the feeling that there must be something better than this

JAPAN: the first real love, kids playing in a meadow, waterfalls and butterflies, shy gestures and looks, the first misunderstanding and fight, but also the first reconcilation 

THE NETHERLANDS: a frustrated and restless author, he has writer’s block that never really lets go, he’s never content with his work. wrinkled paper, broken pencil ends, colliding with others on walks

SLOVAKIA: modern ballet, faint light, a couple, a farewell you don’t want to say

ISRAEL: party and ceremonies in a village where the older women are in charge; they do the cooking, leading the dances, and make sure everyone is involved and having fun

ICELAND: army boots, lighters and torches, pills, disassociation

ARMENIA: racing dogs, or maybe a tiger tamer, a queen on her throne dressed in a fur cloak 

FRANCE: bisexuality; the flags and those colours. smoke. dance on a float at pride, but not entirely euphoric. bubblegum, soap bubbles, cartwheels and other acrobatics

CZECHIA: a hall of mirrors or glass labyrinth where you can’t find your way out. constant shift between lights on and off, constant feel of being hunted; stress

ROMANIA: oriental palaces, a secret love affair with the sultan in order to get his money, terracotta, blood red and mosaic blue

PORTUGAL: a buzzing shopping street in strong sunlight, attractive people at cafés and restaurants, sunglasses, stores too expenisve for you to visit, still everything feels exciting

MONACO: the most popular guy and girl from high school are now adults, have become famous, they’ve released a summer hit that evryone loves besides you. you just don’t get it 

BELARUS: to be one with the elements, feeling the wind tug your hair, the earth tremble beneith your feet, hearing the oceans roar

LITHUANIA: a date at the bottom of an empty outdoor swimming pool, watching the stars, smoking weed, torn jeans and flannel shirts

HUNGARY: green grass. small lakes. cloudy, rain in the air. scent of wood. riding in a pick-up truck. visitng places that carry happy memories for you, but now you’ve broken up with the person you created those memories with

ALBANIA: teenagers discovering a city; on a playground, between concrete walls, on rooftops. sparkling chemistry

UKRAINE: a car ride through a big city at night, the car is expensive and drives fast and you have no idea where you’re going, you’re both afraid and a little turned on at the same time. neon lights. drugs are offered

CROATIA: a scene from a musical set at a café or maybe a diner, a waitress is the main character but all the visitors and staff are dancing, they even get out in the street. cappuccino colours, big flowers. 

ITALY: a carnival, but everything is a little off/cursed. you get hypnotized by the wheels of fortune, the clowns don’t look too friendly, one tent is having a burlesque show, the rides are creeking and jangling

AUSTRALIA: a festival in summer. hot sun. mingling, dancing drunk at the back of the audience, beer, loose tank tops, denim shorts

ESTONIA: a ship. the crew running around getting everything in ready and in order. riding on the waves. can also be a family packing for a road trip

SWITZERLAND: walking along a beach in sunset. lots of people, vendors along the way. wind in your hair. someone is doing a performance. orange, pink, purple. 

LUXEMBOURG: a small restaurant with a dancefloor. tension between a couple, they’re eating in silence, dance together, something doesn’t feel right but they can’t tell what it is

MOLDOVA: nature romance, but sorrowful. riding thourgh a forest, drinking from the small brooks, dacning in an wood anemone valley pretending everyhing’s alright while pushing away your anxiety

SPAIN: growing up; looking at oneself for too long in the mirror and not be content with oneself, get the impulse to smash it with a punch, shave one’s head, tear down all posters and throw out all toys

BULGARIA: being on the way to the most important boxing game of one’s life, alternatively to commit murder. blood splashing on the walls like a pollock painitng. the audience cheering you on in slow motion

EGYPT: a smokey club 90 years ago, red glittery dresses and white suits, live music, something more in your drink besides alcohol

AUSTRIA: being home alone, talking to oneself and dacning like no one is watching, watching the sunset through the window, autumn leaves falling

RUSSIA: glistening snow and northern lights, a car ride over scandinavian mountains, fjords and forest in the middle of winter

LATVIA: preteens on tiktok, boys staying out too late, skateboards and scooters, afro hair 

UNITED KINGDOM: royals of the street, breakdance battles, a boombox on the shoulder, graffiti, bengals (are they called that? you know the smokey coloury things often used at football games and marches and stuff), flashmobs

SWEDEN: graduation (or just schools out for summer), a peptalk before an important event, hugs where one is lifted up and spinned around, the first swim of summer

IRELAND: love letters, having a secret crush on your best friend, sweaters and skinny jeans, baking together, flowery bed covers

DENMARK: riding in an old mustang on cliffs along the ocean, stopping to watch the sunset, laying on top of the hood watching the sky, hearing the yells from cranes, geese and seagulls

SLOVENIA: running ink, bonfires, thin papers, bathtubs filled to the brim, strobe lights

SERBIA: spices, powders in all different colours, tobacco, tulips, terracotta

LEBANON: before the last grand battle in a movie, standing on the top of a mountain watching your enemy at the horizon, horses... and no one knows that just some nights ago, you and your enemy met at a club and danced very close to each other

NORWAY: grandfather clocks, dark silver gray, white show lights

BELGIUM: an eerie dark forest, bats, running without knowing where you put your feet

GERMANY: gathering around something; running down the street knocking on every door urgning everyone to come out because something important is happening

FINLAND: riding the bus while it’s raining, following the drops racing down the window, finding joy in the small things while the rest of your life is quite miserable

[lornashores]

what's your favourite place you've travelled to so far and which 3 places are on your to-travel-to-list? hope it's going well with your thesis, leï, you got this!! 🌼💙

thank you so much magda ♡ i’m not gonna include destinations in my home countries because that will be unfair bc they’re on the top of my list. so probably paris, france or venice, italy for places i have visited. and i would love to visit rome, italy to visit a bunch of ruins! i would also like to visit constantine, algeria to once again visit the ruins! and i’d also like to visit cairo, egypt and giza, egypt for the history! i guess you can see the purpose of my travels is often to go to museums and archeological sites. i just want to visit a bunch of historical museums and ruins.

i’m currently struggling with motivating myself to write as i feel quite defeated but i’m gonna do my best, thank you so much and i love you ♡

honesty hour! nothing will be ignored or deleted.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.19

295 BC – The first temple to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility, is dedicated by Quintus Fabius Maximus Gurges during the Third Samnite War. 43 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, later known as Augustus, compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. 947 – Abu Yazid, a Kharijite rebel leader, is defeated and killed in the Hodna Mountains in modern-day Algeria by Fatimid forces. 1153 – Baldwin III of Jerusalem takes control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his mother Melisende, and also captures Ascalon. 1458 – Pope Pius II becomes the 211th Pope. 1504 – In Ireland, the Hiberno-Norman de Burghs (Burkes) and Anglo-Norman Fitzgeralds fight in the Battle of Knockdoe. 1561 – Mary, Queen of Scots, who was 18 years old, returns to Scotland after spending 13 years in France. 1612 – The "Samlesbury witches", three women from the Lancashire village of Samlesbury, England, are put on trial, accused of practicing witchcraft, one of the most famous witch trials in British history. 1666 – Second Anglo-Dutch War: Rear Admiral Robert Holmes leads a raid on the Dutch island of Terschelling, destroying 150 merchant ships, an act later known as "Holmes's Bonfire". 1692 – Salem witch trials: In Salem, Province of Massachusetts Bay, five people, one woman and four men, including a clergyman, are executed after being convicted of witchcraft. 1745 – Prince Charles Edward Stuart raises his standard in Glenfinnan: The start of the Second Jacobite Rebellion, known as "the 45". 1745 – Ottoman–Persian War: In the Battle of Kars, the Ottoman army is routed by Persian forces led by Nader Shah. 1759 – Battle of Lagos Naval battle during the Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France. 1772 – Gustav III of Sweden stages a coup d'état, in which he assumes power and enacts a new constitution that divides power between the Riksdag and the King. 1782 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Blue Licks: The last major engagement of the war, almost ten months after the surrender of the British commander Charles Cornwallis following the Siege of Yorktown. 1812 – War of 1812: American frigate USS Constitution defeats the British frigate HMS Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada earning the nickname "Old Ironsides". 1813 – Gervasio Antonio de Posadas joins Argentina's Second Triumvirate. 1839 – The French government announces that Louis Daguerre's photographic process is a gift "free to the world". 1848 – California Gold Rush: The New York Herald breaks the news to the East Coast of the United States of the gold rush in California (although the rush started in January). 1854 – The First Sioux War begins when United States Army soldiers kill Lakota chief Conquering Bear and in return are massacred. 1861 – First ascent of Weisshorn, fifth highest summit in the Alps. 1862 – American Indian Wars: During an uprising in Minnesota, Lakota warriors decide not to attack heavily defended Fort Ridgely and instead turn to the settlement of New Ulm, killing white settlers along the way. 1909 – The first automobile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 1927 – Patriarch Sergius of Moscow proclaims the declaration of loyalty of the Russian Orthodox Church to the Soviet Union. 1934 – The first All-American Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio. 1934 – The German referendum of 1934 approves Hitler's appointment as head of state with the title of Führer. 1936 – The Great Purge of the Soviet Union begins when the first of the Moscow Trials is convened. 1940 – First flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. 1942 – World War II: Operation Jubilee: The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division leads an amphibious assault by allied forces on Dieppe, France and fails, many Canadians are killed or captured. The operation was intended to develop and try new amphibious landing tactics for the coming full invasion in Normandy. 1944 – World War II: Liberation of Paris: Paris, France rises against German occupation with the help of Allied troops. 1945 – August Revolution: Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh take power in Hanoi, Vietnam. 1953 – Cold War: The CIA and MI6 help to overthrow the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran and reinstate the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. 1955 – In the Northeast United States, severe flooding caused by Hurricane Diane, claims 200 lives. 1960 – Cold War: In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Soviet Union for espionage. 1960 – Sputnik program: Korabl-Sputnik 2: The Soviet Union launches the satellite with the dogs Belka and Strelka, 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants. 1964 – Syncom 3, the first geostationary communication satellite, was launched. 1965 – Japanese prime minister Eisaku Satō becomes the first post-World War II sitting prime minister to visit Okinawa Prefecture. 1978 – In Iran, Cinema Rex fire caused more than 400 deaths. 1980 – Saudia Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar burns after making an emergency landing at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing 301 people. 1981 – Gulf of Sidra Incident: United States fighters intercept and shoot down two Libyan Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets over the Gulf of Sidra. 1987 – Hungerford massacre: In the United Kingdom, Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a semi-automatic rifle and then commits suicide. 1989 – Polish president Wojciech Jaruzelski nominates Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to be the first non-communist prime minister in 42 years. 1989 – Several hundred East Germans cross the frontier between Hungary and Austria during the Pan-European Picnic, part of the events that began the process of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. 1991 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union, August Coup: Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is placed under house arrest while on holiday in the town of Foros, Ukraine. 1991 – Crown Heights riot begins. [1] 1999 – In Belgrade, Yugoslavia, tens of thousands of Serbians rally to demand the resignation of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milošević. 2002 – Khankala Mi-26 crash: A Russian Mil Mi-26 helicopter carrying troops is hit by a Chechen missile outside Grozny, killing 118 soldiers. 2003 – A car-bomb attack on United Nations headquarters in Iraq kills the agency's top envoy Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 other employees. 2003 – A suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem, Israel, planned by Hamas, kills 23 Israelis, seven of them children, in the Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing. 2005 – The first-ever joint military exercise between Russia and China, called Peace Mission 2005 begins. 2009 – A series of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 101 and injures 565 others. 2010 – Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, with the last of the United States brigade combat teams crossing the border to Kuwait. 2013 – The Dhamara Ghat train accident kills at least 37 people in the Indian state of Bihar. 2017 – Tens of thousands of farmed non-native Atlantic salmon are accidentally released into the wild in Washington waters in the 2017 Cypress Island Atlantic salmon pen break.

[peckhampeculiar]

Wrap it up

WORDS: MIRANDA KNOX; PHOTO: LIMA CHARLIE

If you haven’t visited Salas’ food truck on Rye Lane and ordered one of their iconic wraps, you seriously need to.

This might sound like an advert – but genuinely it’s not.

The food is just that good, and it’s probably one of the best value for money meals you’ll find in the capital.

Salas is owned and run by a two-man team, business partners Salah Yaiche – whose nickname is Salas – and Yamani Berhi.

They’ve been serving wraps from their truck on Rye Lane for the last five years, taking the pitch over from a vegetable stall.

Salas – who moved to London from Algeria, north Africa, 18 years ago – has always been passionate about food, taking inspiration from north Africa and picking up ideas and recipes over his years working in the industry.

He says: “People like my food – they like the fresh wraps, the fresh falafel – everything is made daily. They love the bread and how we season the meat.

“We also do a range of fresh dips – feta cheese with olives, a normal hummus, a spinach dip, olive tapenade, an aubergine and tomato dip and red pepper chilli hummus – there’s too many! Sometimes we change them, but every day they’re fresh.”

Prior to Peckham, Salas worked in Maltby Street Market near Tower Bridge. “It was busy, and I worked on a food stall there too. We had a gazebo there at the weekend. I’ve always worked in food – restaurants, bars.”

Nestled by Morley’s chicken shop on the corner of Parkstone Road, the modest truck may be tiny, but don’t let that fool you – the level of flavour the food packs is second to none.

For a fiver, customers can choose between a chicken shawarma, falafel, lamb kofta or spiced halloumi wrap, or, for an extra pound, there’s also lamb shawarma as an option.

Served with a choice of freshly prepared dips – going dealer’s choice and trying them all is recommended – every wrap is baked to order, and served in a fresh toasted flatbread.

Just make sure you arrive hungry – the huge, generous portions served up are not for the faint-hearted and finishing an entire wrap is no easy feat.

Salas – who has also done pop-up events in the past at local venues including Four Quarters and Lerryn’s – says: “We do something unique. No one does it like us – you can go anywhere in London, people tell us, and no one does a fresh wrap like ours.

“The most popular wrap is halloumi, and the chicken shawarma as well. The chicken is the best. I call it shawarma, but I do it differently – I season it at night. It’s cooked fresh every time.

“The menu and food is a mix of north African and Middle Eastern. I’ve mixed it all together. Everything’s created using ideas I’ve picked up over the years from working in restaurants.”

The stall opens at 11.30am daily and stays open until “six or sevenish”, but because every element of their food is fresh, for Salas and Yamani, their day actually begins at 7am, seasoning the meat and making the dips.

Salas says: “We get asked if we do events like weddings all the time, but we can’t do it – we’re too busy.

“I do the lunchtime, and Yamani does the evening. The lunchtime is our busiest time. On Saturdays sometimes I do up to 150 people on my own in one lunch, nonstop. By the end my shoulders are hurting! We’re so busy now – in the summer it gets crazy. There’s always a queue, but I never panic.

“We’ve started doing fresh juices now as well. People like to come when the weather’s nice and sit on our tables outside and have a drink. It’s a great atmosphere.”

While it sounds chaotic, the fast-paced way of life and bustling Rye Lane is something Salas loves, and their location means they’re in the heart of the action.

He says: “I like everything about London, it’s busy – I’ve lived away and it’s boring!

“Peckham is nice, it’s popular. It’s mixed. It’s changed a lot since we started. There’s a lot of people moving here now.”

It’s the type of easy-to-grab food that attracts everyone, and in a time where many businesses use Instagram and Twitter to promote themselves, Salas doesn’t really need or use social media – most of his customers hear about the food through word of mouth.

“Everyone comes here,” Salas says. “We have such a mix of customers. Students, chefs and bar staff in the area, office workers. It’s very sociable.

“We have a different crowd during the week as we do at the weekend.”

While their day is already long as it is, they’re now applying for permission to stay open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays – a move that will delight Peckham revellers looking for a late-night snack when the pubs close.

As well as expanding their opening hours, Salas says he would love to open another stall and ideally would like to run his own restaurant – although keeping the price of his food down for his customers is always one of his top priorities.

“I’d like to open another place to be honest. I’d like to have a big space – I could make a lot of things,” he says.

“It’s too expensive to rent a premises though – this is how I can sell the wraps so cheap now.

“Imagine if I got a shop. I’d have to charge more, like £8 or £9. Restaurants charge way more than me.”

Like all good businesses, it’s clear that customer satisfaction is at the forefront of Salas and Yamani’s minds.

Salas says: “I make my customers happy – that’s so rewarding. Some travel from far away, from north London and east London, and tell me they miss my wraps. It’s a nice feeling.”