Podcasts about gads

Oh what a weak it was. The tingling thrills of giving LAFC what for as the crushing disappoinment of revisiting a match at altitude. And the injuries. Gads. Now it's off to Saint's Lewis for a match against the Commanders? Questions and thoughts are all over the place.

2025. gadā Liepāja ar daudzveidīgiem pasākumiem, kas apvieno kultūru, sportu, mākslu, uzņēmējdarbību un citas nozares, svin savu 400 gadu jubileju. Svinību centrālais notikums būs koncertuzvedums “Personas kods: Liepāja” 18. martā, bet pēc tā uzmirdzēs gaismas pastaiga "Izgaismotā Liepāja". Šajā nedēļas nogalē sāksies apstādījumu akcija “Liepāja plaukst”, bet 1. martā svētku maratons iesākās Liepājas Sv. Trīsvienības katedrālē ar garīgās mūzikas "Caur gaismu nāk un sudrabs top", kas izskanēja arī LR3 "Klasika" tiešraidē.   Liepājas Svētās Trīsvienības katedrālē glabājas unikāla Liepājas kantorāta (“Libauer Cantorat”) nošu kolekcija ar 170 mūzikas rokrakstiem un iespieddarbiem, kurus apņēmies digitalizēt Latvijas Nacionālais arhīvs. Par Liepājas 400. dzimšanas dienu un svinību kulmināciju 18. martā, svētku pasākumiem visa gada garumā un Liepājas Svētās Trīsvienības draudzes arhīva digitalizāciju stāsta Liepājas valstspilsētas pašvadības un "Liepāja 2027" sabiedrisko attiecību un mārketinga vadītāja Zita Lazdāne. Kulminācijas punkts gaidāms 18. martā. Esat gatavi kārtīgi svinēt? Šis tiešām ir ļoti, ļoti svarīgs un nopietns gads - Liepājai 400 gadu ir vienreiz mūžā. Man ļoti patīk, kā Orests Silabriedis, atklājot jubilejas mēnesi 1. marta koncertā teica - mums jābūt ļoti gandarītiem un lepniem par to, ka mums ir iespēja piedzīvot šo četrsimtgadi. Mēs esam gatavi, jo esam sākuši gatavoties jau pagājušā gada sākumā. Programma ir ļoti plaša un daudzveidīga, esam iesaistījuši gan profesionāļus, gan amatierus, gan iedzīvotājus ļoti dažādās sfērās. Kulminācijas brīdis būs marta vidū, sākot no 18. marta. Vai varat teikt, ka šo svētku gaisotni jūt ikviens liepājnieks un Liepājas viesis? Jā. Liepājnieks ir īpašs ar to, ka ir ļoti liels lokālpatriots un ar ļoti lielu lepnumu nes Liepājas vārdu. To mēs novērojam ne tikai iedzīvotājos, kas šobrīd tur dzīvo, bet arī bijušajos liepājniekos, kuri šobrīd atrodas gan citās Latvijas pilsētās, gan citās valstīs. Tie ir svētki ne tikai šobrīd Liepājā dzīvojošajiem, bet ikvienam, kurš bijis saistīts ar Liepāju. To mēs ļoti izjūtam. Kas notiks 18. martā? Sākot ar 18. martu, Liepājas četrsimtgades jubilejas svinības notiks veselas nedēļas garumā. 18. marts ir īstā Liepājas dzimšanas diena. Ļoti sen mums nav bijis āra koncerts, jo 18. marts parasti ir lietains un vējiens, ļoti liels izaicinājums. Tagad tā nebūs? Varbūt, bet mēs esam gatavi. Esam sagatavojuši ļoti lielu un daudzveidīgu āra koncertu, kur iesaistīti ļoti daudzi mūziķi, zināmi un mazāk zināmi, vecāka un jaunāka paaudze. Uldis Marhilēvičs komponē jaundarbu, būs īpašs koncertuzvedums. Koncerta nosaukums ir “Personas kods - Liepāja”, kur mēģinās apvienot dažādākos Liepājas kodus un laikmetus. Pusotras stundas garumā centīsimies parādīt labāko, jaudīgāko un zīmīgāko, kas Liepāju raksturo. Par jubilejas sajūtu runājot, cik lielas iespējas katram liepājniekam ir bijušas šo sajūtu radīt, pielikt savu roku? Sabiedrības līdzdalība ir ārkārtīgi svarīga ne tikai pilsētas kontekstā kā pašvaldībai, bet arī saistībā ar "Eiropas kultūras galvaspilsētas 2027" titulu. Jau pagājušā gada vidū veicām aptauju iedzīvotājiem, pajautājām, kā viņi vēlētos svinēt šo notikumu. Interesanti, ka pirmajā vietā bija lieli bezmaksas pasākumi, bet otrajā vietā - sabiedrība izteica vēlmi pašiem līdzdarboties vides apzaļumošanā. 8. martā uzsāksim akciju “Liepāja plaukst”, kur iedzīvotājiem būs iespēja pieteikties sēklām, pašiem diedzēt, pašiem audzēt, tad kopā ar Liepājas dārzniecēm veikt apstādījumus gan publiskajā vidē, gan pie savām organizācijām, skolām, ģimenēm. Būs arī lekcijas par dārzkopību un vides tēmām, kā arī mēs ceram iestādīt jaunu un skaistu ābeļdārzu par godu četrsimtgadei. Kas Liepājā vislabāk aug? Liepas, bet ābeles arī. Liepāja ir pateicīga vieta dažādām apzaļumošanas aktivitātēm. Mums ļoti liels prieks, ka iedzīvotāji paši izrādīja vēlmi un pateica, kā gribētu iesaistīties. Bet neatkarīgi no tā, ir ļoti daudz dažādu kultūras notikumu, kur visdažādāko paaudžu un nozaru pārstāvji paši aktīvi piepilda programmu ar dažādām aktivitātēm - gan uzņēmēji, gan skolēni, gan amatierkustības. Gads mums iesākās ar uzņēmējdarbības izstādi “Ražots Liepājā”, kur parādījām labāko, ko šobrīd Liepājā ražo. Tas aizvirpinājās tālāk ar dažādiem koncertiem, izstādēm, amatierfotogrāfi ir atklājuši un plāno atklāt savas izstādes, bibliotekāri ir sarosījušies, bērni izdos savu īpašo zīmējumu, stāstu un pasaku grāmatu. Nav vairs tā, ka programmu nodrošina tikai 3 vai 4 organizatori - lielākais spēks un jauda ir pašos liepājniekos, kuri ar ļoti lielu atbildību un patiesu vēlmi grib parādīt, kas ir tas, ko viņi var parādīt, kā viņi grib iesaistīties. Šī programma ir ļoti daudzveidīga, no uzņēmējdarbības līdz mūzikai, kas ir Liepājas lielākais smagsvars, bet būs arī dažādi sporta notikumi.    

244: Amir, Casey, Marika, and Brad join Geoff for the first annual Geoscars ceremony! Featuring an opening monologue addressing last week's controversial episode, a Best Documentary Short submission, Brad's Gads, the nominees for Best Picture, and MORE!» FOLLOW Geoff on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoffreyjames/» FOLLOW Amir on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amir/» FOLLOW Marika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marikaelon/» FOLLOW Brad on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradthehuman/» FOLLOW Casey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseydonahue/» FOLLOW Grace on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chorlesborkley/Advertise on The Headgum Podcast via Gumball.fmRate The Headgum Podcast 5-stars on Apple PodcastsRate The Headgum Podcast 5-stars on SpotifyJoin the Headgum DiscordSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Studijā NATO Stratēģiskās komunikācijas izcilības centra direktors Jānis Sārts un NBS Zemessardzes štāba virsnieks majors Jānis Slaidiņš.

Jubilejas gads brīvprātīgajiem

Radio Marija ir klausītāju veidots radio, kas nes Dieva Vārdu pasaulē. Radio Marija balss skan 24 stundas diennaktī. Šajos raidījumos klausītājiem kā saviem draugiem neatkarīgi no viņu reliģiskās pārliecības cenšamies sniegt Kristus Labo Vēsti – Evaņģēliju, skaidru katoliskās Baznīcas mācību. Cenšamies vairot lūgšanas pieredzi un sniegt iespēju ielūkoties visas cilvēces kultūras daudzveidībā. Radio Marija visā pasaulē darbojas uz brīvprātīgo kalpošanas pamata. Labprātīga savu talantu un laika ziedošana Dieva godam un jaunās evaņģelizācijas labā ir daļa no Radio Marija harizmas. Tā ir lieliska iespēja ikvienam īstenot savus talantus Evaņģēlija pasludināšanas darbā, piedzīvojot kalpošanas prieku. Ticam, ka Dievs īpaši lietos ikvienu cilvēku, kurš atsauksies šai kalpošanai, lai ar Radio Marija starpniecību paveiktu Latvijā lielas lietas. Radio Marija ir arī ģimene, kas vieno dažādu vecumu, dažādu konfesiju, dažādu sociālo slāņu cilvēkus, ļaujot katram būt iederīgam un sniegt savu pienesumu Dieva Vārda pasludināšanā, kā arī kopīgā lūgšanas pieredzē. "Patvērums Dievā 24 stundas diennaktī", - tā ir Radio Marija Latvija devīze. RML var uztvert Rīgā 97.3, Liepājā 97.1, Krāslavā 97.0, Valkā 93.2, kā arī ar [satelītuztvērēja palīdzību un interneta aplikācijās](http://www.rml.lv/klausies/).

January 31, 1874. Jesse James and the James-Younger gang commit one of the most infamous crimes in the American Old West. This episode originally aired in 2022.Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Frederik Liebmann gennemførte i årene 1840-1843 en botanisk ekspedition til det sydlige Mexico med det sigte at udforske den artsrige vegetation og indsamle planter til gavn for videnskaben og de nationale samlinger. Med sine omkring 90.000 hjemsendte eksemplarer – levende planter, frø og tørrede planter er det en af de mest udbytterige ekspeditioner i dansk botaniks historie. Det var på alle plan en strabadserende og farlig rejse Liebmann drog ud på. Mexico var præget af uroligheder, Liebmann frygtede overfald for banditter, og diverse sygdomme og insektangreb prægede ekspeditionen, mens hans muldyr blev angrebet af giftslanger. Hvordan klarede Liebmann sig igennem den lange rejse, og hvordan lykkedes det ham at få den sjældne koglepalme hele vejen med hjem til København?Medvirkende:Mille Gabriel, seniorforsker på Nationalmuseet med en ph.d. i antropologi fra KøbenhavnsUniversitet. Mille er museumsinspektør for de Nord- og Sydamerikanske samlinger og har væretmedlem af Den Danske UNESCO-nationalkommission og så har hun skrevet om netop FrederikLiebmann i museets værk om dansk ekspeditionshistorie, som er udkommet på GADs forlag.

Par vjetnamiešu kopienu Latvijā, tradīcijām un jaunā gada sagaidīšanu saruna ar divām māsām, kas jau 10 gadus dzīvo Latvijā

Skaidrojam zināmo un nezināmo par vētrām uz Saules, citām zvaigznēm un to planētām Visumā. Gads daudzviet pasaulē iesākās ar dabas radītu salūtu - ziemeļblāzmu, atzīmējot, ka aizvien piedzīvojam Saules aktivitātes periodu. Sarunājas Andris Vaivads, Ventspils augstskolas rektors un Karaliskās Tehniskās augstskolas Stokholmā profesors, Ints Ķešāns, IT speciālists, astronomijas entuziasts, un Raitis Misa, IT speciālists, astronomijas entuziasts.  

Radio Marija ir klausītāju veidots radio, kas nes Dieva Vārdu pasaulē. Radio Marija balss skan 24 stundas diennaktī. Šajos raidījumos klausītājiem kā saviem draugiem neatkarīgi no viņu reliģiskās pārliecības cenšamies sniegt Kristus Labo Vēsti – Evaņģēliju, skaidru katoliskās Baznīcas mācību. Cenšamies vairot lūgšanas pieredzi un sniegt iespēju ielūkoties visas cilvēces kultūras daudzveidībā. Radio Marija visā pasaulē darbojas uz brīvprātīgo kalpošanas pamata. Labprātīga savu talantu un laika ziedošana Dieva godam un jaunās evaņģelizācijas labā ir daļa no Radio Marija harizmas. Tā ir lieliska iespēja ikvienam īstenot savus talantus Evaņģēlija pasludināšanas darbā, piedzīvojot kalpošanas prieku. Ticam, ka Dievs īpaši lietos ikvienu cilvēku, kurš atsauksies šai kalpošanai, lai ar Radio Marija starpniecību paveiktu Latvijā lielas lietas. Radio Marija ir arī ģimene, kas vieno dažādu vecumu, dažādu konfesiju, dažādu sociālo slāņu cilvēkus, ļaujot katram būt iederīgam un sniegt savu pienesumu Dieva Vārda pasludināšanā, kā arī kopīgā lūgšanas pieredzē. "Patvērums Dievā 24 stundas diennaktī", - tā ir Radio Marija Latvija devīze. RML var uztvert Rīgā 97.3, Liepājā 97.1, Krāslavā 97.0, Valkā 93.2, kā arī ar [satelītuztvērēja palīdzību un interneta aplikācijās](http://www.rml.lv/klausies/).

Apvienoto Nāciju Organizācija 2025. gadu pasludinājusi par Starptautisko Kvantu zinātnes un tehnoloģiju gadu. Ne reizi vien dzirdēts, ka kvantu tehnoloģijas radīs tādu apvērsumu, kāds nav piedzīvots kopš industriālās revolūcijas laikiem. Kā kvantu atklājumi mainīs mūsu dzīvi tuvākajās desmitgadēs? Kā soli pa solim esam nonākuši pie tām zināšanām, kādas mums ir par kvantu mehāniku un kvantu fiziku šodien, un kāds tad izskatās kvantu dators? Raidījumā Zināmais nezināmajā skaidro fiziķis, Latvijas Universitātes tenūrprofesors Vjačeslavs Kaščejevs un un matemātiķis, datorzinātnieks Latvijas Universitātes profesors Andris Ambainis. Interesants atklājums matemātikā - parādījusies jauna figūra Formas, kuras  sen jau eksistē dabā, ir piesaistījušas matemātiķu interesi tādā veidā, ka vienu šādu formu, ievietojot to ģeometrisko figūru grupā, zinātnieki pagājušajā gadā tai devuši jaunu nosaukumu – mīkstā jeb noapaļotā šūna. Kāda tā izskatās un  kāpēc kādu dabā sen esošu formu eksakto zinātņu pārstāvji sāka daudzināt tikai tagad. Par to stāsta matemātiķis un datu zinātnieks Jānis Lazovskis. Ja ir viegli saprast, kāds izskatās kubs, trijstūris, aplis vai rombs, tad kāda  forma ir mīkstajai jeb noapaļotai šūnai – figūrai, par kuru apraksti parādījās 2024. gadā, kad matemātiķu grupa no Ungārijas, sadarbojoties ar Kalifornijas mākslas institūta  arhitektiem, paziņoja par šo figūru. Vienkārši sakot, tas ir kā ķieģelis ar noapaļotiem stūriem, taču figūrai ir vairākas formas. Dabā šo mīksto šūnu var ļoti labi redzēt čiekura zvīņās,  gareniskā sīpola šķērsgriezumā vai graudu formā. Matemātiķi ir arī atklājuši, ka ar šādām it kā neregulārām figūrām, var pilnībā noklāt laukumu. Tālāk matemātiķi pēta, cik lielā mērā var ņemt kādu mīkstās šūnas figūru un to stiept un liekt, lai iegūtu pēc iespējas lielāku izklātu laukumu, jeb mozaīkas režģi. Lai arī tikai nesen šāda figūra tika pie sava nosaukuma, tas nenozīmē, ka ārpus dabas formām cilvēki to nav izmantojuši. Mīkstās šūnas var sastapt austrumu tautu ornamentos, matemātiķi kā šīs figūras paraugu min irākiešu izcelsmes Lielbritānijas arhitektes Zahas Hadidas projektētās ēkas. Šīs arhitektes, kuru dēvē par līkņu karalieni, kontā ir Londonas akvacentrs ar formu kā zirga sedliem vai Riversaidas muzejs Glāzgovā, kura centrālā fasāde atgādina temperatūras līkni vai kardiogrammas pierakstu.   Raidījums skan Zvaigznes dienā, svētki nosvinēti un beidzot dienas kļūst garākas. Par cik minūtēm diena kļūst garāka, vaicājam Astronomijas biedrības pārstāvim Mārtiņam Gillam.

Apvienoto Nāciju Organizācija 2025. gadu pasludinājusi par Starptautisko Kvantu zinātnes un tehnoloģiju gadu. Ne reizi vien dzirdēts, ka kvantu tehnoloģijas radīs tādu apvērsumu, kāds nav piedzīvots kopš industriālās revolūcijas laikiem. Kā kvantu atklājumi mainīs mūsu dzīvi tuvākajās desmitgadēs? Kā soli pa solim esam nonākuši pie tām zināšanām, kādas mums ir par kvantu mehāniku un kvantu fiziku šodien, un kāds tad izskatās kvantu dators? Raidījumā Zināmais nezināmajā skaidro fiziķis, Latvijas Universitātes tenūrprofesors Vjačeslavs Kaščejevs un un matemātiķis, datorzinātnieks Latvijas Universitātes profesors Andris Ambainis. Interesants atklājums matemātikā - parādījusies jauna figūra Formas, kuras  sen jau eksistē dabā, ir piesaistījušas matemātiķu interesi tādā veidā, ka vienu šādu formu, ievietojot to ģeometrisko figūru grupā, zinātnieki pagājušajā gadā tai devuši jaunu nosaukumu – mīkstā jeb noapaļotā šūna. Kāda tā izskatās un  kāpēc kādu dabā sen esošu formu eksakto zinātņu pārstāvji sāka daudzināt tikai tagad. Par to stāsta matemātiķis un datu zinātnieks Jānis Lazovskis. Ja ir viegli saprast, kāds izskatās kubs, trijstūris, aplis vai rombs, tad kāda  forma ir mīkstajai jeb noapaļotai šūnai – figūrai, par kuru apraksti parādījās 2024. gadā, kad matemātiķu grupa no Ungārijas, sadarbojoties ar Kalifornijas mākslas institūta  arhitektiem, paziņoja par šo figūru. Vienkārši sakot, tas ir kā ķieģelis ar noapaļotiem stūriem, taču figūrai ir vairākas formas. Dabā šo mīksto šūnu var ļoti labi redzēt čiekura zvīņās,  gareniskā sīpola šķērsgriezumā vai graudu formā. Matemātiķi ir arī atklājuši, ka ar šādām it kā neregulārām figūrām, var pilnībā noklāt laukumu. Tālāk matemātiķi pēta, cik lielā mērā var ņemt kādu mīkstās šūnas figūru un to stiept un liekt, lai iegūtu pēc iespējas lielāku izklātu laukumu, jeb mozaīkas režģi. Lai arī tikai nesen šāda figūra tika pie sava nosaukuma, tas nenozīmē, ka ārpus dabas formām cilvēki to nav izmantojuši. Mīkstās šūnas var sastapt austrumu tautu ornamentos, matemātiķi kā šīs figūras paraugu min irākiešu izcelsmes Lielbritānijas arhitektes Zahas Hadidas projektētās ēkas. Šīs arhitektes, kuru dēvē par līkņu karalieni, kontā ir Londonas akvacentrs ar formu kā zirga sedliem vai Riversaidas muzejs Glāzgovā, kura centrālā fasāde atgādina temperatūras līkni vai kardiogrammas pierakstu.   Raidījums skan Zvaigznes dienā, svētki nosvinēti un beidzot dienas kļūst garākas. Par cik minūtēm diena kļūst garāka, vaicājam Astronomijas biedrības pārstāvim Mārtiņam Gillam.

2024. gads zinātnē: raidījuma komandas apskats. Kāds aizvadītais gads bijis programmā Zināmais nezināmajā? Aizraujoši fakti un atklājumi, iedvesmojošas sarunas, temati, kas liek aizdomāties un atklāj pasauli no jauna.

Gada beigās parasti atskatāmies uz to, kas ir noticis pēdējos 12 mēnešos. Tad var arī izsvērt, kuriem procesiem būs turpinājums nākotnē, bet kas tā arī paliks 2024. gada notikums. Šis gada apskats ir Latvijas Radio Ziņu dienesta un raidījuma Krustpunktā kopdarbs, pieaicinot vēl citus Latvijas Radio 1 kolēģus. Iekšpolitikas notikumi Aizvadītais gads nav bijis garlaicīgs politiskajā ziņā, krituši arī pāris ministri un nav trūcis runu par izmaiņām valdībā. Tā līdz šim iztikusi bez izmaiņām politiskajā virknējumā, bet cik ilgi? Evikas Siliņas vadītās valdības darba pirmos mēnešus pavadīja plašas runas par iepriekšējā premjera Krišjāņa Kariņa laikā vairākkārt izmantotajiem privātajiem reisiem un tam pārtērētajiem līdzekļiem. Valsts kontrole Kariņa specreisu revīzijā konstatēja vismaz 220 000 eiro nelikumīgu izmantošanu. Ģenerālprokuratūra sāka kriminālprocesu. Kariņš drīz paziņoja, ka Siliņas valdībā pamet ārlietu ministra amatu. Sporta notikumi Sportā pēc spilgtiem notikumiem pārbagāta 2023. gada, šis, nu jau aizejošais gads, bijis salīdzinoši mierīgāks – Parīzes olimpiskās spēles Latvijas delegācijai ne tās labākās, arī citos sporta pasākumos mūsu atlētiem labākas dienas mijās ar ne tik labām. 2024. gada galvenais notikums sportā neapšaubāmi bija Parīzes vasaras olimpiskās un paraolimpiskās spēles. Latvijas delegācijai olimpiskās spēles gan sanāca ne tās labākās – uz Parīzi tika vesta mazākā delegācija vasaras spēlēs kopš neatkarības atgūšanas, arī sportiskie rezultāti beigu beigās ne tie augstākie, otro reizi kopš neatkarības atgūšanas Latvijas sportistiem atgriežoties mājās bez godalgām. Pasaules aktualitātes Ukraina saskaras ar pieaugošu Krievijas spiedienu, taču joprojām dod pretspēku. Kara trešajā gadā Ukrainas karavīri turpina varonīgi cīnīties pret agresorvalsts Krievijas karaspēku. Diemžēl pretinieka pārspēks karavīru skaita ziņā, kā arī ar lielāku skaitu izmantoto ieroču un tehnikas nozīmē to, ka ļoti lēni, taču uz priekšu tas virzās Ukrainas teritorijā. Salauzt ukraiņu garu pretinieks šogad centās, cik vien nežēlīgi to var. Taču šajā gadā ukraiņi parādīja, ka var dot arī cienīgu pretsparu. Ievērojot informatīvo klusumu, augusta sākumā Ukrainas spēki šķērsoja Krievijas robežu un uzsāka militāro operāciju Kurskas apgabalā. Dažas dienas pēc operācijas sākuma Ukrainas prezidents Volodimirs Zelenskis savā ikvakara uzrunā uzsvēra šī uzbrukuma nozīmīgumu. Ekonomikas notikumi Eiropas Centrālās Bankas lēmumi pazemināt procentlikmes, „Rail Baltica” sāgas turpinājums un šogad ieviestā banku virspeļņas nodeva – tie ir tikai trīs no šā gada notikumiem ekonomikā. Ekonomisti nākamgad sagaida straujāku tautsaimniecības izaugsmi, taču tam nepieciešami arī labvēlīgāki ārējie apstākļi. Vides jomas aktualitātes Šogad netrūkst spilgtu norišu arī vides un dabas aizsardzības lauciņā – lielus zaudējumus pašvaldībām, mājsaimniecībām un lauksaimniekiem radīja postošā vasaras vētra; Satversmes tiesa pieņēma vēsturisku lēmumu, atceļot valdības iepriekš pieņemtos noteikumus par jaunāku mežu ciršanu, tikmēr Alūksnes upē nojaukts pirmais lielais upju šķērslis – Bejas dambis, lai uzlabotu zivju migrāciju. Kultūras aktualitātes Latviešu animācijas filmas “Straume” starptautiskie panākumi un Jaunā Rīgas teātra atgriešanās savās vēsturiskajās mājās ir tikai divi spilgti, tomēr nebūt ne vienīgie kultūras notikumi šajā gadā. Spilgtos pozitīvos iespaidus aizēno skandāls Mūzikas akadēmijā.

Gada beigās parasti atskatāmies uz to, kas ir noticis pēdējos 12 mēnešos. Tad var arī izsvērt, kuriem procesiem būs turpinājums nākotnē, bet kas tā arī paliks 2024. gada notikums. Šis gada apskats ir Latvijas Radio Ziņu dienesta un raidījuma Krustpunktā kopdarbs, pieaicinot vēl citus Latvijas Radio 1 kolēģus. Iekšpolitikas notikumi Aizvadītais gads nav bijis garlaicīgs politiskajā ziņā, krituši arī pāris ministri un nav trūcis runu par izmaiņām valdībā. Tā līdz šim iztikusi bez izmaiņām politiskajā virknējumā, bet cik ilgi? Evikas Siliņas vadītās valdības darba pirmos mēnešus pavadīja plašas runas par iepriekšējā premjera Krišjāņa Kariņa laikā vairākkārt izmantotajiem privātajiem reisiem un tam pārtērētajiem līdzekļiem. Valsts kontrole Kariņa specreisu revīzijā konstatēja vismaz 220 000 eiro nelikumīgu izmantošanu. Ģenerālprokuratūra sāka kriminālprocesu. Kariņš drīz paziņoja, ka Siliņas valdībā pamet ārlietu ministra amatu. Sporta notikumi Sportā pēc spilgtiem notikumiem pārbagāta 2023. gada, šis, nu jau aizejošais gads, bijis salīdzinoši mierīgāks – Parīzes olimpiskās spēles Latvijas delegācijai ne tās labākās, arī citos sporta pasākumos mūsu atlētiem labākas dienas mijās ar ne tik labām. 2024. gada galvenais notikums sportā neapšaubāmi bija Parīzes vasaras olimpiskās un paraolimpiskās spēles. Latvijas delegācijai olimpiskās spēles gan sanāca ne tās labākās – uz Parīzi tika vesta mazākā delegācija vasaras spēlēs kopš neatkarības atgūšanas, arī sportiskie rezultāti beigu beigās ne tie augstākie, otro reizi kopš neatkarības atgūšanas Latvijas sportistiem atgriežoties mājās bez godalgām. Pasaules aktualitātes Ukraina saskaras ar pieaugošu Krievijas spiedienu, taču joprojām dod pretspēku. Kara trešajā gadā Ukrainas karavīri turpina varonīgi cīnīties pret agresorvalsts Krievijas karaspēku. Diemžēl pretinieka pārspēks karavīru skaita ziņā, kā arī ar lielāku skaitu izmantoto ieroču un tehnikas nozīmē to, ka ļoti lēni, taču uz priekšu tas virzās Ukrainas teritorijā. Salauzt ukraiņu garu pretinieks šogad centās, cik vien nežēlīgi to var. Taču šajā gadā ukraiņi parādīja, ka var dot arī cienīgu pretsparu. Ievērojot informatīvo klusumu, augusta sākumā Ukrainas spēki šķērsoja Krievijas robežu un uzsāka militāro operāciju Kurskas apgabalā. Dažas dienas pēc operācijas sākuma Ukrainas prezidents Volodimirs Zelenskis savā ikvakara uzrunā uzsvēra šī uzbrukuma nozīmīgumu. Ekonomikas notikumi Eiropas Centrālās Bankas lēmumi pazemināt procentlikmes, „Rail Baltica” sāgas turpinājums un šogad ieviestā banku virspeļņas nodeva – tie ir tikai trīs no šā gada notikumiem ekonomikā. Ekonomisti nākamgad sagaida straujāku tautsaimniecības izaugsmi, taču tam nepieciešami arī labvēlīgāki ārējie apstākļi. Vides jomas aktualitātes Šogad netrūkst spilgtu norišu arī vides un dabas aizsardzības lauciņā – lielus zaudējumus pašvaldībām, mājsaimniecībām un lauksaimniekiem radīja postošā vasaras vētra; Satversmes tiesa pieņēma vēsturisku lēmumu, atceļot valdības iepriekš pieņemtos noteikumus par jaunāku mežu ciršanu, tikmēr Alūksnes upē nojaukts pirmais lielais upju šķērslis – Bejas dambis, lai uzlabotu zivju migrāciju. Kultūras aktualitātes Latviešu animācijas filmas “Straume” starptautiskie panākumi un Jaunā Rīgas teātra atgriešanās savās vēsturiskajās mājās ir tikai divi spilgti, tomēr nebūt ne vienīgie kultūras notikumi šajā gadā. Spilgtos pozitīvos iespaidus aizēno skandāls Mūzikas akadēmijā.

Lai arī kādas būtu filmas „Zeme, kas dzied” kvalitātes, tā labā nozīmē ir izprovocējusi divu grāmatu rašanos – kamēr viņu grimēja, Vilis Daudziņš telefonā zīmēja, līdz tapa grāmata „Pirmie latviešu dziedāšanas svētki bildēs”, savukārt scenārija līdzautors Dainis Īvāns kopā ar režisoru Māri Martinsonu iedziļinājās 1873. gada norisēs, kā bija iespējams nonākt līdz pirmajiem svētkiem un „Rīga dimd”. Par to lasāms vairāk nekā 600 lappušu biezā grāmatā „Zeme, kas dzied. 1873. gads”. Sarunā ar Daini Īvānu atklājas uzņēmīgo un skoloto latviešu gudrais šahs starp Vācijas un Krievijas varām. Protams, arī domstarpības pašu starpā; Rīga, kura vēl top; valodu jautājumi, arī utopiski sapņi par restorānu ar akvārijiem. Daiņa Īvāna un Māra Martinsona grāmatu „Zeme, kas dzied. 1873. gads” izdevusi biedrība „Nameyse”. Raidījumu atbalsta:

#DigitālāsBrokastis turpina tehnoloģiju pasaules aktualitāšu atskatu 2024. gadā ar mākslīgā intelekta progresa barometru. Cik vieds kļuvis mākslīgais intelekts? Kas diktējis tā attīstību? Vai tas sapratīs latvisko garu? Un kādu ietekmi tas jau ir atstājis uz sabiedrību? Pie Digitālo brokastu mielastu galda Agate Ambulte, Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes Digitālās transformācijas mākslīgā intelekta virziena vadītāja, Pēteris Paikens, Latvijas Universitātes Eksakto zinātņu un tehnoloģiju fakultāte asociētais profesors, kā arī Reinis Zitmanis, "Itero" biznesa tehnoloģiju speciālists. Plašāk par tehnoloģiju jaunumiem lasi arī LSM portālā.

#DigitālāsBrokastis turpina tehnoloģiju pasaules aktualitāšu atskatu 2024. gadā ar visaptverošu sarunu par gada aizraujošākajiem sasniegumiem auto nozarē. Kādas tendences novērotas? Kādas tehnoloģijas pārsteidza? Un ko varam gaidīt no 2025. gada? Digitālo brokastu virtuve pilna ciemiņiem! Viesos Egija Gailuma, uzņēmēja un auto entuziaste, Gusts Kikusts, "Tavs Auto TV" vadītājs un Latvijas Televīzijas žurnālists, Māris Ozoliņš, "iauto.lv" redaktors, kā arī Raimonds Zandovskis, "Delfi auto" redaktors. Plašāk par tehnoloģiju jaunumiem lasi arī LSM portālā.

Radio Marija ir klausītāju veidots radio, kas nes Dieva Vārdu pasaulē. Radio Marija balss skan 24 stundas diennaktī. Šajos raidījumos klausītājiem kā saviem draugiem neatkarīgi no viņu reliģiskās pārliecības cenšamies sniegt Kristus Labo Vēsti – Evaņģēliju, skaidru katoliskās Baznīcas mācību. Cenšamies vairot lūgšanas pieredzi un sniegt iespēju ielūkoties visas cilvēces kultūras daudzveidībā. Radio Marija visā pasaulē darbojas uz brīvprātīgo kalpošanas pamata. Labprātīga savu talantu un laika ziedošana Dieva godam un jaunās evaņģelizācijas labā ir daļa no Radio Marija harizmas. Tā ir lieliska iespēja ikvienam īstenot savus talantus Evaņģēlija pasludināšanas darbā, piedzīvojot kalpošanas prieku. Ticam, ka Dievs īpaši lietos ikvienu cilvēku, kurš atsauksies šai kalpošanai, lai ar Radio Marija starpniecību paveiktu Latvijā lielas lietas. Radio Marija ir arī ģimene, kas vieno dažādu vecumu, dažādu konfesiju, dažādu sociālo slāņu cilvēkus, ļaujot katram būt iederīgam un sniegt savu pienesumu Dieva Vārda pasludināšanā, kā arī kopīgā lūgšanas pieredzē. "Patvērums Dievā 24 stundas diennaktī", - tā ir Radio Marija Latvija devīze. RML var uztvert Rīgā 97.3, Liepājā 97.1, Krāslavā 97.0, Valkā 93.2, kā arī ar [satelītuztvērēja palīdzību un interneta aplikācijās](http://www.rml.lv/klausies/).

#DigitālāsBrokastis uzsāk atskatu uz tehnoloģiju pasaules aktualitātēm 2024. gadā. Pirmajā decembra raidījumā sākam ar plašu skatu uz tendencēm un notikumiem, kas iepriecināja vai sarūgtināja mūsu tehnoloģiju garšas kārpiņas - gan tepat Latvijā, gan pasaulē. Pie Digitālo brokastu galda Anda Asere, tehnoloģiju žurnāliste no "Labs of Latvia" portāla, Kristaps Skutelis, "kursors.lv" portāla galvenais redaktors un Ieva Treija, "Labs of Latvia" portāla galvenā redaktore. Plašāk par tehnoloģiju jaunumiem lasi arī LSM portālā.

30.novembrī Tartu ar vairākiem svētku notikumiem noslēdza Eiropas kultūras galvaspilsētas gadu, vienlaikus vairāki gada notikumi turpinās. Viens no šiem pasākumiem bija gaismu šovs „Paliec un radi”, simbolizējot izturību un nepārtrauktu radīšanas procesu ar skatu nākotnē.

Ja vēlaties redzēt pilnīgi nevadāmu un pārbijušos suni, izšaujiet viņa tuvumā pirotehniku. Bet ne tikai sprāgstošas raķetes apdraud mīļdzīvniekus. Kādi ir visbiežāk sastopamie negadījumi un kā no tiem izvairīties, interesējamies raidījumā Kā labāk dzīvot. Skaidro Veterinārārstu biedrības Mazo dzīvnieku veterinārārstu sekcijas pārstāve Lita Konopore un vetārste, vadošā ķirurģe klīnikā "24/7" Jekaterina Plaksina. "Īsti pieradināt pie salūta trokšņa dzīvnieku ir ļoti grūti. Jāpatur prātā, ja parādās kāda no trauksmes pazīmēm, vai braucot mašīnā, vai uz skaņam, vai vēl kaut ko, nevajag neko gaidīt, jo šīm uzvedības problēmām ir tieksme tikai apaugt kā sniega bumbai ar sniegu, nevis pāriet pašām par sevi. Ja ir trauksme uz petardēm, tad varētu parādīties arī atšķiršanas trauksme, kad saimnieks iet prom," norāda Lita Konopore. Risinājumi ir gan medikamentu lietošana, gan darbs ar zoopsihologiem, bet tas prasa investīcijas laika un finanšu ziņā. Tāpēc labāk izsargāties un ievērot metodes, kā dzīvnieku pieskatīt. "Dzīvnieks pats tajā [salūta] laikā meklē patvērumu. Nedrīkst vilkt laukā no tām vietām. Kāds meklē saimnieka tuvumu, tāpēc saimniekam nedalīti jāvelta dzīvniekam laiks, jāsēž ar viņu vannas istabā blakus, jāmīļo, jāmierina. Vislabāk ir savlaicīgi sagatavoties un izrunāt ar veterinārārstu medikamentu lietošanu, kā konkrētam sunim darbosies konkrēts medikaments," turpina Lita Konopore. Var censties pieradināt suni pie salūta. Var ierakstīt salūtu un laika gaitā to atskaņot, sākot no ļoti klusinātas skaņas, pakāpeniski to pieaudzējot, spēlējoties ar dzīvnieku. Labāk darīt uzvedības speciālista klātbūtnē.  Vēl tieši gada nogales svētkiem arī dzīvniekiem ir raksturīga pārēšanās un tad ir klasiskais pēcsvētku sindroms – vemšana, caureja, aizcietējumi. Pašiem doties, piemēram, uz Jaungada svinībām un mīļdzīvnieku atstāt mājās nav ieteicams. Ir jāziedojas viņam. "Dzīvnieks - tā ir atbildība," atgādina Lita Konopore. "Tāpēc viens no galvenajiem jautājumiem, pirms ņemt dzīvnieku, ir, kā tu plāno ar viņu dzīvot. Kā tu plāno braukt atvaļinājumos? Vai tu esi gatavs atteikties no saviem atvaļinājumiem, ņemot lielu dzīvnieku? Vai tev ir pietiekama finansiāla rocība vajadzības gadījumā samaksāt visus veterināros izdevumus? Vai tev ir pietiekami liela rocība samaksāt par viesnīcu vai ņemt līdzi uz savu viesnīcu, zinot, ka dažbrīd maksa par suni viesnīcā ir tikpat dārga kā par cilvēku? Dzīvnieks ierobežo. Tāpēc veterinārārsti vispirms cenšas potenciālos dzīvnieku ņēmējus atrunāt no šī soļa." Ņemot dzīvnieku, nevar tikai domāt, ka būs jāiegādājas tikai pārtika. Jārēķinās, ka būs nepieciešami veterinārsta pakalpojumi, un tie ar katru gadu kļūst arvien dārgāki. Tāpēc arvien populārāka ir apdrošināšana dzīvniekiem. 

In a Contrarians year dominated by Peter Bogdanovich and PJ Hogan, will their filmographies take over our annual awards ceremony? The only way for you to find out is to listen to The Embries 2024, as we celebrate the last twelve months of Contrarians awesomeness by giving away Embries, Hooeys, Ruffalos, Gads, and The Lancaster Dodd Grant!TIMELINE00:01:24 The Embries 202400:12:55 Supporting Actress00:23:58 Supporting Actor00:37:24 The Ruffalo00:44:34 The Lancaster Dodd Grant for the Development of White People Movies00:49:55 Lead Actor01:04:42 Lead Actress01:19:54 The Gad01:35:14 The Hooey01:41:31 The Embry01:47:11 The Future & Patreon Stuff- Interested in more Contrarians goodness? Join THE CONTRARIANS SUPPLEMENTS on our Patreon Page! Deleted clips, extended plugs, bonus episodes free from the Tomatometer shackles… It's everything a Contrarians devotee would want!- Our YouTube page is live! Get some visual Contrarians delight with our Contrarians Warm-Ups and other fun videos!- Contrarians Merch is finally here! Check out our RED BUBBLE MERCH PAGE and buy yourself something nice that's emblazoned with one of our four different designs!- THE FESTIVE YEARS have been letting us use their music for years now and they are amazing. You can check out their work on Spotify, on Facebook or on their very own website.- Our buddy Cory Ahre is being kind enough to lend a hand with the editing of some of our videos. If you like his style, wait until you see what he does over on his YouTube Channel.- THE LATE NIGHT GRIN isn't just a show about wrestling: it's a brand, a lifestyle. And they're very supportive of our Contrarian endeavors, so we'd like to return the favor. Check out their YouTube Channel! You might even spot Alex there from time to time.- Hans Rothgiesser, the man behind our logo, can be reached at @mildemonios on Twitter or you can email him at mildemonios@hotmail.com in case you ever need a logo (or comics) produced. And you can listen to him talk about economy on his new TV show, VALOR AGREGADO. Aaaaand you can also check out all the stuff he's written on his own website. He has a new book: a sort of Economics For Dummies called MARGINAL. Ask him about it!Up next, a very special episode as we celebrate ten years (TEN YEARS!) of The Contrarians being part of the podcasting world. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about everything that's happened on this little show since its inception! Until then, let us know what you thought of The Embries 2024: which awards did you agree with? Who got snubbed? Have we convinced to watch any of the nominees or winners? E-mail us at wearethecontrarians@gmail.com or tweet at us or facebook us and share your thoughts!

In this episode we're joined by our teammate and the golden arm herself, Georgia Adams. Gads takes us through her cricket journey, including how a single innings of 80 convinced her to drop pace bowling for good.  She gives us the lowdown on what was possibly one of the most successful years of her life, winning all (WBBL, The hundred, Regional one dayer and Regional T20 competitions) but one tournament —and she even credits it to a pair of pizza pants (you'll definitely want to tune in for that story!). Currently playing for NSW, Georgia shares her thoughts on joining the squad, the buzz around the Big Bash, and how she's navigating leadership and captaincy. Don't miss it! She's in the Game: IG  https://www.instagram.com/shesinthegame_pod/?hl=en Maitlan Brown: IG https://www.instagram.com/maitlanjoy/ Hannah Darlington: IG  https://www.instagram.com/hannah_darlington/?hl=en

2023. gads, 5. oktobris. Dienas vidus. Hroza, Harkivas apgabals, četrdesmit kilometru no frontes. Krāsmatas, drupas un cilvēku ķermeņi. Hrozā atgriežamies pēc gada. Dienas vidus un tā pati vieta, kur sadega kafejnīca. Strādnieki pabeidz cementēt laukumu. Tuvojas gadadiena. Akmens plāksnēs iekalti visi 59 vārdi, kāds visu laiku nes ziedus, svecītes.

There is no treaty deal yet. The talks continue. We're trying to make sense of what emerged from the meetings in Brussels. Some have said it's positive that the process continues and that there's still good will to make it happen. What is the Chief Minister's verdict on how yesterday went? He was on Viewpoint last night: our reporter Christina Cortes has been listening back to Mr Picardo's comments. We also hear reactions from the Leader of the Opposition Keith Azopardi, editor of the Gibraltar Chronicle Brian Reyes, former GSD Minister Peter Montegriffo, and Diario Area editor Pablo Gomez.It's Wear Purple Day, and the volunteers at the Gibraltar Alzheimers and Dementia Society and the GHA are encouraging everyone in the community to show support and raise awareness by wearing purple. Raising awareness of dementia reduces stigma, it fosters understanding and promotes early diagnosis and support for those affected. We spoke to the Chair of GADS, Jeanette Ochello, and looked ahead to a 24 Hour Memory Walk event that is planned for tomorrow.Jose Mari Ruiz told us the latest in local sports, including news in the world of boxing, a lookahead to rugby where Gibraltar national side are in action this weekend, and Lincoln player Liam Payas has become the youngest player to ever feature in the UEFA League competition at 14 years old. And, in this week's Friday feature: "Llanitos Abroad" we travel to Liverpool to hear from chef Nico Fitzgerald. He enrolled at "Le Cordon Bleu" - one of the top culinary arts academies in the world – and has competed in "MasterChef: The Professionals!” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minister for Tourism Christian Santos said in an interview shortly after becoming Minister that he wants the Gibraltar experience to be a seamless tourist and cultural experience. Now that the summer season is coming to a close, we spoke to CEO of the Tourist Board Kevin Bossino about how tourism has been lately, and what the expressions of interest for improvements to the Upper Rock could bring. Sports Reporter Jose Mari Ruiz told us what's coming up in local sport over the weekend, as well as looking back to the disappointing result for Lincoln last night. We had a special surprise up our sleeve for Jose which he did not expect! Jeanette Ochello has recently been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Alzheimer's and Dementia Society. We asked Jeanette about her journey with GADS. We also spoke to Karen Truman, Dementia Coordinator for the Health Authority and Elderly Residential Services. And, in this week's edition of “Llanitos Abroad” we caught up with Kevin Murphy who is sailing the Mediterranean on a yacht for a living! He told us what it's like being at sea full time. He's back on the Rock briefly after arriving from the South of France. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NotiMundo a la Carta - María José Pinto, Prevención de Desnutrición Infantil Con Los GADs by FM Mundo 98.1

En El Gran Musical, con Christian Del Alcázar Ponce, conversamos con Ramiro Vela, Asambleísta por ADN, sobre el proyecto de reforma al COOTAD para regular el gasto público de los GADs presentado por su parte ante el Legislativo.

Atzīmējot Latvijas basketbola izlases sākto oficiālo treniņnometni pirms olimpisko spēļu kvalifikācijas turnīra, "Ārpus kadra" studijā aicinājām Latvijas basketbolistu Klāvu Čavaru, kurš podkāstā sīkāk pastāstīja par aizvadīto sezonu Japānas basketbolā un kultūrā, kā arī ieskicēja noskaņojumu Latvijas izlasē pirms kvalifikācijas spēlēm. Podkāstu "Ārpus kadra" atbalsta Aizdevums.lv.

Apvienoto Nāciju Organizācija pasludinājusi 2024. gadu par kamieļveidīgo gadu. Tie ir dzīvnieki, kas ne tikai apdzīvo Arābijas tuksnesi, bet arī Diendivameriku, Āfrikas ziemeļus un pat Austrāliju. Kamieļveidīgie ir lielisks piemērs dabas unikālajai spējai pielāgoties dzīvei vissarežģītākajos apstākļos, kur nespētu uzturēties neviena cita lielo zīdītāju suga. Dodamies uz Rīgas Nacionālo Zooloģisko dārzu, lai par kamieļiem sarunātos ar Zzoodārza pārstāvi Māri Lielkalnu. Un, protams, tiktos arī ar kamieļiem. Mūsu saruna sākumā aizrit starp diviem aplokiem, kur vienā pusē maltīti ilgstoši ietur divkupru kamieļu tēviņš Niselinskis, un tad ik pa laikam viņš pats vai kāds cits no aploka biedriem izdomā kādu atrakciju, kas piesaista mūsu uzmanību. Bet vispirms - par kamieļa nozīmi kultūrā. Arābu valodā vārds "jamal" nozīmē gan „skaistums”, gan „kamielis”. Arābu klejotāju ciltīs tāpat kā mūsu dainās tiek apdziedāts zirgs, tik dzejas rindas te veltītas kamielim. Vairāk par kuprainajiem dzīvniekiem gan islāma, gan kristietības vēsturē un kultūrā stāsta vēsturnieks Imants Ļaviņš. „Labs padoms ir kamieļa vērts” – vēstī sena sīriešu paruna. Spēka, izturības arī pazemības simbols – tā kamielis attēlots arābu pasaulē, vietās, kur tuksnešu klajumus gadsimtiem ilgi ir šķērsojušas kamieļu karavānas.  Šie dzīvnieki minēti gan dzejā, gan reliģiskos rakstos un tiem rīko pat skaistuma konkursus. Par kamieli kā arābu kultūras sastāvdaļu  un kā transporta  līdzekli stāsta vēsturnieks Imants Ļaviņš, kurš padziļināti pētījis arābu vēsturi. Bībelē, Jaunās Derības Mateja evaņģēlijā, ir teksts, ko šodien labi zina ikviens, neatkarīgi no viņa reliģiskās izglītības, tas ir teiciens: „Vieglāk ir kamielim iziet caur adatas aci nekā bagātam ieiet Dieva valstībā.”  Bet  gan kristiešu, gan  islāma svētajos rakstos kuprainais dzīvnieks ir pieminēts jau krietni senāk un līdzību ar  kamieļa izlīšanu caur adatas aci var atrast arī Korānā. Runājot par kamieļiem arābu klejotāju tautu jeb beduīnu kultūrā, pagājušā gadā  UNESCO cilvēces nemateriālā kultūras mantojuma sarakstā tika iekļauti tā dēvētie kamieļu čuksti jeb „Alheda'a”.  Tie ir īsi dziedājumi, ko deklamē kamieļu gani, katram ganam raksturīgā melodija tiek nodota no paaudzes paaudzē un tiek atskaņota nozīmīgos saviesīgos pasākumos, tostarp dziedāta pie ugunskuriem, kāzās, kā arī cilšu un valsts svētkos, īpaši kamieļu sacīkstēs. Beduīni uzskata, ka šī dziedāšana uzmundrina gan pašus ganus, gan arī dzīvniekus garajos pārgājienos pa tuksneša smiltīm. Vēl arābu kultūrā  kamielis rodams arī debesīs, tas vis nav kāds kamieļa zvaigznājs, bet polārzvaigzne, kā mietiņš pie kura piesieta kamieļmāte. Vēsturnieks  atgādina, ka skatot  dižo maģistrāli senajos un viduslaikos, proti uz Zīda ceļu no Ķīnas uz Eiropu, tad tādas lietas, kā papīrs, pulveris, porcelāns un vēl daudz kas cits no austrumu izgudrojumiem un precēm līdz Eiropai nonāca lielā mērā patiecoties kamieļu transportam, jo šie izturīgie gargabalnieki spēj nest lielus smagumus. Tāpēc nav jābrīnās, ka kamieļi jau izsenis un arī mūsdienās ir turīguma un statusa simbols arābu valstīs  

NotiMundo Estelar - Diana Caiza, Recursos para Los GADs, ¿ahora Llegarán Puntuales? by FM Mundo 98.1

The GAds Girls are back! And they're here to share valuable tips for creating successful Google Ads lead generation campaigns. From leveraging tools like Microsoft Clarity to tracking button clicks, understanding user behavior, and optimizing forms, they cover crucial aspects of lead gen success. Mel, Carmen, and Leandra emphasize the importance of CRM utilization, providing examples and strategies to make the most of your data. With a festive touch and practical insights, this is a must-listen for anyone aiming to elevate their lead generation game.0:00 Top Tips for Running Successful Lead Generation Ads from the GAds Girls0:41 Using Microsoft Clarity2:37 Tracking button clicks7:43 Optimizing the lead forms10:08 The importance of having a good CRM12:44 Remarketing strategies for lead generationNeed help with Google Ads? Get your FREE action plan here: https://sol8.com/ap/

Piedāvājam Latvijas sporta līdzjutēja Kristapa Lešinska stāstījumu un atmiņas par notikumiem 2005. gadā (Sanktpēterburgā) spēlē starp Krievijas un Latvijas izlasēm. Politika un sports.

Aizvadītais gads medicīnā mums paliks atmiņā ar daudziem “pirmajiem”: pirmie medikamenti, kas apstādinātu agrīnu Alcheimera slimību, zaļā gaisma pirmajai CRISPR gēnu rediģēšanas terapijai, pirmie medikamenti, kas palīdzētu smagajā cīņā ar aptaukošanos un jaunas vakcīnas pret dažādām slimībām. Ko 2023. gads sniedza mums medicīnā? Apzinoties, ka visus aspektus vienā sarunā izrunāt nevaram, šajā raidījumā pievērsīsimies vēža izpētei un terapijai, kā arī jaunumiem Alcheimera ārstēšanā. Saruna ar Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes asociēto profesori, neiroloģi Zandu Priedi un Latvijas Universitātes profesoru, Latvijas Universitātes Klīniskās un profilaktiskās medicīnas institūta direktoru, gastroenterologu Mārci Leju. Alcheimers ir neirodeģeneratīva saslimšana, kuru ir neiespējami padarīt par nebijušu brīdī, kad slimības process jau ir sācies. 2023. gads nebija pirmais, kad pasaulē vispār runāja par medikamentiem pret Alcheimeru, tomēr zāļu izstrādē pagājušais gads ir bijis nozīmīgs. "Pētījumi ir ļoti ilgi, jo smadzeņu neirodeģenerācijas process tas nav viena, divu mēnešu jautājums, tas ir process vairāku gadu garumā. Pēdējos 20 gadus pētniecībā nebija nācis neviens reāls medikaments, kas varētu ietekmēt smadzeņu neirodeģenerācijas mehānismu. Šis ir sasniegums specifiskā imūnterapijas pieejā tieši Alcheimera slimības vienā no patoģenēzes mehānismiem. Imūnterapija, kas vērsta pret konkrētu proteīnu, lai šīs plāksnītes, kas smadzenēs akumulējas un ierosina šo neirodeģenerācijas procesu, tiktu izšķīdinātas un evakuētas no smadzenēm. Lai līdz šim tiktu, pētījumi norisinājās jau 30 gadus," skaidro Zanda Priede. Tas ir gana liels periods cilvēcei. Zanda Priede atzīst, ka tas, ka ASV jau ir apstiprinājušas izstrādāto zāļu izmantošanu, ir liela uzvara. "Arī lai mēs tiktu līdz šī medikamenta ieviešanas praktiskā lietošanā ir vēl garš ceļš ejams, ne tikai Eiropā un Latvijā, norāda Priede. Viņa atzīst, ka jau pētījumu gaitā veikta rūpīga cilvēku atlase un ļoti daudzi cilvēki nevarēja piedalīties, tas nozīmē, ka arī ikdienas praksē ārstiem būs grūts uzdevums noteikt, kuram pacientam, kurā brīdī un kad uzsākt medikamenta lietošanu. Tas būs nākamais svarīgais jautājums.

Aizvadītajā gadā ChatGPT sašūpoja pat tās sabiedrības grupas, kurām ikdienā nav saskares ar mākslīgā intelekta rīkiem. Sākot ar skolēnu domrakstiem, beidzot ar autortiesībām - ChatGPT tiešām lika lauzīt galvas par tā pielietojumu. Taču ne tikai satura ģenerēšana ar mākslīgā intelekta palīdzību bija spilgts notikums. Kiberdrošība, virtuālā realitāte, inovācijas zaļajā enerģijā un medicīnas tehnoloģijas - arī šīs jomas virzījās uz priekšu 2023. gadā. Par aizvadīto gadu tehnoloģijās un ko sagaidīt no 2024.gada, raidījumā Zināmais nezināmajā saruna ar biedrības “Riga TechGirls” vadītāju Annu Andersoni un raidījuma Digitālās brokastis veidotāju un tehnoloģiju apskatnieku Arti Ozoliņu. Aizvadītā gada spilgtākie notikumi kvantu mehānikā „Mēs esam nodemonstrējuši pašu mazāko iespējamo tranzistoru, kur viena elektrona klātbūtne nosaka pa kuru ceļu aizies otrs elektrons,” stāsta Latvijas Universitātes Fizikas, matemātikas un optometrijas fakultātes profesors, fiziķis Vjačeslavs Kaščejevs, runājot par sasniegumiem kvantu fizikā pagājušā gadā. Kā šis tranzistors darbojas un cik tāls ceļš ejams līdz kvantu datoram? Atskatoties uz pagājušā gada veikumu kvantu fizikas jomā, Vjačeslavs Kaščejevs stāsta par kvantu tehnoloģijām, kas tiek  lietotas visprecīzākajai mērīšanai. Latvijas zinātnieki pagājušā gadā ir praktiski izpētījuši, kā šādi mērījumi darbojas un to lietderība var tikt izmantota ne tikai teorētiskajās zinātnēs, bet arī praksē militāros konfliktos, piemēram, Ukrainas karā. Vēl jačeslavs Kaščejevs skaidro, kāpēc tik sarežģīti ir sagaidīt visdrošāko un precīzāko datoru darbībā, proti, kvantu datoru. Iedomāsimies, ka divi cilvēki dzīvo katrs savā ezera krastā un viens vēlas nodot ziņu otram: viņš iemet ezerā akmeni un tā radītā viļņošanās sasniedz otru krastu, tādejādi tas otrs cilvēks, tā teikt, nolasa šo viļņoto ziņu. Kvantu fizikā ir uzdevums, kā nodrošināt bezvēja un beztrokšņa apstākļos šo viļņošanos un tā, lai šo komunikāciju neviens cits nevar noklausīties. To garantē kvantu mehānikas likumi, tā iesākot stāstu par minēto kvantu superdatoru, stāsta profesors Vjačeslavs Kaščejevs.    

Gads nepavisam nesolās būt mierīgs. Ko mēs varam droši prognozēt nākamajos mēnešos, palūkosimies raidījuma beigās, droši vien pieminot arī notiekošo Ukrainā. Bet tādu plašāku analīzi vispirms veltīsim Tuvajiem Austrumiem.  Ir skaidrs, ka Izraēla un tās kaimiņvalstis tuvākajos mēnešos joprojām būs ziņu virsrakstos. Viens ir pašreizējais karš Gazas joslā, bet ne mazāk svarīgi notikumi blakus esošajās teritorijās, īpaši Libānā, kur bāzējas Izraēlas spēcīgākais ienaidnieks - kustība „Hezbollah”. Tikmēr Latvijā, šķiet, vairāk izjutīsim sekas notikumiem Sarkanajā jūrā. Jemenas husītu kaujinieki radījuši pamatīgas problēmas lielajām kuģniecības kompānijām, apdraudot kuģu satiksmi jūrā. Aktualitātes pasaulē analizē Ģeopolitikas pētījumu centra direktors Māris Andžāns un Latvijas Ārpolitikas institūta asociētais pētnieks un Delavēras universitātes doktorants Toms Rātfelders. Sarkano jūru iekrāso asinis Pēdējās dienās pasaules mediju virsrakstos arvien biežāk vīd jautājumi un pieņēmumi par Sarkano jūru kā „benzīna mucu”, kurā pašreizējās Gazas joslas karadarbības dzirksteles var izraisīt daudz plašāku – reģionāla mēroga uzliesmojumu. Jau drīz pēc Izraēlas militārās operācijas sākuma Jemenas husītu kaujinieki paziņoja par gatavību iesaistīties šai konfliktā palestīniešu teroristu pusē. Husītu grupējums, kas ar Irānas atbalstu kopš 2014. gada cīnās par varu Jemenā pret starptautiski atzīto valdību un tās sabiedrotajiem, pašreiz kontrolē valsts ziemeļrietumu rajonus, tai skaitā galvaspilsētu Sanu un Sarkanās jūras piekrastes rajonus. Sākotnēji husītu aktivitātes aprobežojās ar raķešu un lidrobotu triecieniem pa Izraēlas teritoriju, ar ko diezgan viegli tika galā pretgaisa aizsardzība. Taču 19. novembrī nemiernieki, izmantojot helikopteru, Sarkanajā jūrā sagrāba kādu Izraēlas pilsonim piederošu kravas kuģi un nolaupīja tā komandu. Tika paziņots, ka husīti turpmāk uzskatīs jebkuru ar Izraēlu saistītu peldlīdzekli par leģitīmu uzbrukuma mērķi. Kopš tā laika reģistrēti 17 uzbrukumi kravas kuģiem, vairumu no kuriem gan izdevies atvairīt pašu kuģu komandu spēkiem. Tomēr septiņi no desmit pasaules lielākajiem kravas kuģu operatoriem pārtraukuši pārvadājumus cauri Sarkanajai jūrai un Suecas kanālam. Līdz šim pa šo maršrutu virzījās apmēram 18% pasaules konteineru pārvadājumu, arī ievērojama daļa naftas piegāžu Eiropai no Persijas līča rajona. Alternatīvais maršruts apkārt Āfrikai pagarina ceļā pavadīto laiku par apmēram divām nedēļām un attiecīgi pamatīgi palielina izmaksas, draudot ar nopietnu Āzijā ražoto preču un degvielas cenu kāpumu Eiropā. Rietumu atbilde husītu akcijām ir 18. decembrī uzsāktā operācija „Pārticības sargs”, Savienoto Valstu un Lielbritānijas karakuģiem ar vairāku citu valstu kara jūrnieku piedalīšanos uzsākot kravas kuģu aizsardzību. Līdz nesenam laikam pretstāve Sarkanajā jūrā iztika bez upuriem, taču pagājušajā svētdienā amerikāņu helikopteri, atsitot kaujinieku uzbrukumu starptautiskās kompānijas „Maersk” konteineru pārvadātājam, aizraidīja uz viņsauli desmit uzbrucējus. Kā paziņoja Lielbritānijas aizsardzības ministrs Grants Šepss, sabiedrotie nevicināšoties arī turpmāk vajadzības gadījumā lietot spēku, kas varētu nozīmēt arī triecienus militārajiem objektiem Jemenas teritorijā. Tikām vakar Sarkanās jūra ūdeņos ieradās Irānas jūras spēku eskadras mīnu kuģis, liekot spekulēt par iespējamu tiešu militāru konfrontāciju starp Irānu un rietumu sabiedrotajiem. Šī notikumu attīstība apdraud nesen iezīmējušos attiecību normalizēšanos starp Irānu un Saūda Arābiju un ar to saistīto iespējamo Jemenas pilsoņu kara noslēgumu. Izraēlas iespējamā otrā un trešā fronte Jau kopš Izraēlas un „Hamās” kara sākuma tiek piesaukta iespēja, ka Izraēlas Aizsardzības spēkiem var nākties iesaistīties nopietnā karadarbībā arī pie citām savas valsts robežām. Pirmām kārtām šai sakarā min ziemeļu robežas ar Libānu un Sīriju, kur Izraēlas spēcīgākais pretinieks ir musulmaņu šiītu kustība „Hezbollah” jeb „Allāha partija”. Organizācijas spēki jau kopš pagājušā gadsimta 80. gadiem bāzējas Libānā un Sīrijā un saņem nopietnu atbalstu no Irānas. „Hezbollah” spēku skaitliskā lieluma aplēses svārstās visai plašā amplitūdā. Organizācijas līdera, šeiha Hasana Nasrallā apgalvojumi par 100 000 vīru gan tiek vērtēti skeptiski, tomēr apmēram 50 000 viņa rīcībā varētu būt, pie tam daudzi no tiem ir kaujinieki ar Sīrijas pilsoņkarā gūtu nopietnu pieredzi. Arī „Hezbollah” bruņojums un Libānas dienvidos izveidotās fortifikācijas būves tiek vērtētas kā krietni pārākas pār tām, kāds bija „Hamās” Gazas sektorā. Līdz nesenam laikam Izraēlas un „Hezbollah” spēki apmainījās artilērijas, raķešu un strēlnieku ieroču apšaudēm, Izraēlai arī plaši izmantojot aviāciju. Novērotāji to raksturoja kā teju ikdienišķu rutīnu, lai arī tā prasījusi vairāk nekā 120 dzīvību, no kuriem apmēram trīs ceturtdaļas ir nogalinātie „Hezbollah” kaujinieki. Tomēr, tuvojoties gada beigām, Izraēlas retorika kļuva draudīgāka, un vakar, 2. janvārī, Libānas galvaspilsētā Beirutā nogranda eksplozija, kurā dzīvību zaudēja organizācijas „Hamās” otra ietekmīgākā persona, tās militārā spārna dibinātājs un vadītājs Salehs al-Aururi. Uzbrukums, visdrīzāk, veikts, izmantojot lidrobotu, un kustības „Hezbollah” pārstāvji jau paziņojuši, ka šis Izraēlas solis nepalikšot nesodīts. Vēl viens potenciālais militāro spēku piesaistes virziens Izraēlai varētu būt Jordānas upes rietumkrasts. Pēc palestīniešu pašpārvaldes sniegtajām ziņām, 2023. bijis asiņainākais gads Rietumkrastā pēdējo divu desmitgažu laikā, kas jau pirms „Hamās” teroristiskā uzbrukuma bija prasījis apmēram 200 palestīniešu dzīvības, kurām pēc tam pievienojušies vēl apmēram trīs simti. Pēc kara sākuma Izraēlas aizsardzības spēki īstenojuši intensīvus reidus Rietumkrasta palestīniešu teritorijās, arestējot apmēram 4800 cilvēkus. Apmēram 70% no bojāgājušajiem palestīniešiem nogalināti tieši šo reidu laikā, apmēram pusē gadījumu – palestīniešu kaujiniekiem izrādot bruņotu pretestību. Tiek ziņots, ka vismaz astoņi palestīnieši nogalināti Rietumkrasta izraēliešu kolonistu uzbrukumos. Savukārt palestīniešu uzbrukumos nogalināti četri izraēliešu civiliedzīvotāji un trīs militārpersonas. Sevišķi plašs bijis reids 28. decembrī, kad Izraēlas spēki konfiscējuši apmēram divus ar pusi miljonus ASV dolāru no valūtas maiņas punktiem, apgalvojot, ka šī nauda tiekot izlietota teroristiskās darbības finansēšanai. Sagatavoja Eduards Liniņš.   

Karš un nedrošība arvien valda pasaule: turpinās karš Ukrainā, pirms dažiem mēnešiem sācies Izraēlas un Hamās karš, kopumā pasaulē šobrīd ir vairāk militāru konfliktu, nekā jebkad kopš Otrā pasaules kara beigām. Diskusijās pieskarsimies arī jautājumam par Krieviju, vai un kādas izmaiņas notikušas šajā valstī gada laikā. Migrācija – arī šis ir arvien aktuāls jautājums, kas ietekmē gan politiku Eiropā, gan ASV. Aizvadīto gadu ārpolitikas un drošības jomā vērtē Rīgas Stradiņa Universitātes lektore, Latvijas Ārpolitikas institūta pētniece Elīna Vrobļevska un Latvijas nacionālās aizsardzības akadēmijas Drošības un stratēģiskās pētniecības centra pētnieks Toms Rostoks. Asinslaiks Jau pagājušajā gadā, neilgi pēc Krievijas plaša mēroga iebrukuma Ukrainā sākuma, Apvienoto Nāciju ģenerālsekretārs Antoniu Guterrešs nāca klajā ar konstatāciju, ka vardarbīgu konfliktu skaits šobrīd pasaulē ir lielākais kopš Otrā pasaules kara. Aizejošais gads šo tendenci tikai pastiprinājis. Nav piepildījušās cerības uz kara beigām Ukrainā, kuras pagājušā gada nogalē tika saistītas ar Ukrainas bruņoto spēku iespējām gūt izšķirošos panākumus. Rietumu bruņojuma piegādes Ukrainai bija pārāk gausas un novēlotas, Krievijai izdevās izveidot nopietnas aizsardzības pozīcijas, kuras pārvarēt ukraiņiem nebija pa spēkam. No otras puses, arī Krievijas ieguvumi šī gada kaujās ir niecīgi, maksājot par tiem ar daudziem tūkstošiem savu karavīru dzīvību. Ukrainas puses nesen publiskotie dati vēsta, ka Krievijas bruņoto spēku zaudējumi nesen pārsnieguši 350 000 cilvēku, no tiem vairāk nekā 150 000 nogalināti. Nedaudz pieticīgāk šo nāves pļauju vērtē rietumvalstu eksperti, gan arī runājot par vairāk nekā 300 000 lieliem krievu puses zaudējumiem, bet, savukārt, lēšot, ka Ukrainas pusē kritušo varētu būt ap 70 000, ievainoto – vairāk nekā 100 000. Novembra pirmajā pusē publicētās Apvienoto Nāciju aplēses min vairāk nekā 10 000 nogalinātu Ukrainas civiliedzīvotāju. Vēl viena asinspirts nu jau trešo mēnesi risinās Tuvajos Austrumos. Kā zināms, teroristiskā grupējuma „Hamās” iebrukumā Izraēlas teritorijā tika zvēriski nogalināti vairāk nekā 1200 cilvēku, kam sekoja Izraēlas Aizsardzības spēku izvērstā militārā operācija Gazas sektorā. Gazas palestīniešu pašpārvaldes institūcijas šobrīd vēsta par vairāk nekā 20 000 operācijas laikā bojāgājušu iedzīvotāju, gan iekļaujot šai apjomā arī kritušos bruņotos kaujiniekus. Patieso civiliedzīvotāju upuru skaitu šobrīd noskaidrot nav iespējams, tomēr eksperti norāda, ka teritorijas blīvā apdzīvotība un karadarbības veids, plaši izmantojot nevadāmus lādiņus, liek domāt, ka šis skaitlis, visdrīzāk, tiešām mērāms diezgan daudzos tūkstošos. Bez pieminētajiem diviem lielākajiem konfliktiem pasaulē izraisījušies vai aktivizējušies vēl vairāki. Septembrī Azerbaidžānas bruņotie spēki uzsāka izšķirošo ofensīvu pret starptautiski neatzīto Arcahas republiku jeb Kalnu Karabahu, pārņemot to savā kontrolē. Rezultātā praktiski visi šis teritorijas armēņu iedzīvotāji – vairāk nekā 100 000 – dažās dienās pameta zemi, kur viņu senči dzīvojuši gadu tūkstošiem ilgi. Runājot par citiem planētas karstajiem punktiem, preses pārskati min pēdējā gada laikā arvien saasinājušos pilsoņu karu starp Mjanmas militāro huntu un dažādām bruņotām opozīcijas grupām, pieaugušo pretstāvi starp Ķīnu un Filipīnām strīdīgajos Dienvidķīnas jūras ūdeņos, Venecuēlas diktatūras nesen paustos tīkojumus pēc kaimiņvalsts Gajanas teritorijas, „apvērsumu epidēmiju” Subsahāras Āfrikā, kur pēdējais gads pievienojis sarakstam vēl divus – Nigērā un Gabonā. Tāpat iekšēji konflikti turpinās Etiopijā, Sudānā, Dienvidsudānā, Somālijā, Jemenā, Kongo Demokrātiskajā Republikā, Mali, Burkinafaso un citur; turpina gruzdēt Sīrijas pilsoņkarš, iekšēju konfliktu potenciālu komentētāji saskata Irānā un Pakistānā… Sarakstu var turpināt. Un trijjūgs turpina auļot… 14. decembrī Krievijas vadonis Putins pavadīja četras stundas tiešraidē, noturēdams tradicionālo gada notikumus rezumējošo preses konferenci. Pērngad, kad auditorijai kā Krievijā, tā ārpus tās vēl visai svaigā atmiņā bija krievu spēku atkāpšanās no Hersonas, šis ikgadējais notikums izpalika. Šogad Ukraina nevar lepoties ar līdzīgiem panākumiem, nesen Krievijas spēki pat aktivizējuši uzbrukumus vairākos frontes sektoros, palīdzības pakete Ukrainai iestrēgusi Savienoto Valstu Kongresā, un daži attiecīgas ievirzes komentētāji ceļ brēku par stratēģiskās iniciatīvas pāriešanu Kremļa rokās. Tad nu šoreiz nelielā auguma plikgalvis, acīmredzot, jutās drošs diezgan, lai sēstos kameru priekšā. Sociālajos tīkos visbiežāk apspēlētais motīvs bija viņa atbilde uz jautājumu par pamanāmo vistu olu cenu kāpumu Krievijā, par ko valdnieks tautai atvainojās, skaidrodams to ar valdības darba nepilnībām. Kas attiecas uz karadarbību Ukrainā, tad tika atkārtoti jau kara sākumā definētie uzstādījumi par kaimiņvalsts „denacifikāciju” un „demilitarizāciju”. Tam, acīmredzot, jāliecina, ka Kremļa līderis joprojām cer uz Krievijai pozitīvu kara iznākumu. Ja vien šo cerību lolotājs, protams, joprojām ir tas pats lemtspējīgais personāžs, kurš gadsimtu mijā ņēma Krievijas trijjūga grožus savās rokās. Pagājušā gada notikumi beidzot visai nepārprotami atklāja, ka dažas funkcijas Putina vietā izpilda dubultnieks vai dubultnieki, un tas, protams, aktivizējis versijas par to, ka īstais Putins jau ilgāku vai īsāku laiku vairs neesot starp dzīvajiem, valsti vadot kāda aizkulišu hunta, bet publikai tiekot piedāvāta vadoņa imitācija. Citi gan argumentē, ka Ķīnas prezidents Sjī Dziņpins, Apvienoto Arābu Emirātu prezidents šeihs Muhammeds bin Zaijids un Saūda Arābijas kroņprincis Muhammeds bin Salmāns šīgada valstsvizīšu laikā diezin vai būtu bijuši ar mieru spiest roku kaut kādam pseido-Vladimiram. Lai kā arī nebūtu, notikumu, kuru teju vienbalsīgi atzīst par draudošāko Putina režīmam visā tā pastāvēšanas laikā, šis režīms šogad izturēja. Runa ir par privātās militārās kompānijas „Vāgnera grupa” īpašnieka Jevgeņija Prigožina sarīkoto dumpi aizejošā gada Vasaras saulgriežos, kas režīmam beidzās ar izbīli, Putinam, diezgan droši, maksāja ne mazumu nervu, bet pašam Prigožinam un dažiem viņa līdzgaitniekiem – dzīvību. Ļaužu straumes un politikas dambji Saskaņā ar Eiropas Komisijas sniegtajiem datiem 2022. gads Eiropas Savienībā ieceļojušo personu skaita ziņā ar nepilniem 3,8 miljoniem iebraucēju pietuvojies 2015. gada bēgļu krīzes rādītājiem, kas ir vien nedaudz lielāki. Toreiz ieceļotāju straumes galvenais iemesls bija pilsoņkara aktivizēšanās Sīrijā, pērngad – Krievijas agresija pret Ukrainu. Atšķirība ir tāda, ka ja 2015. gada apmēram puse no ieceļotājiem jeb vairāk nekā miljons un astoņsimt tūkstoši bija t.s. neregulārie migranti, t.i. ļaudis bez legāla ieceļošanas iemesla, tad pērngad, ciktāl Ukrainas bēgļi tika uzņemti savienības valstīs legāli, šādu neregulāro ieceļotāju bija mazāk nekā desmitā daļa – nedaudz virs 330 000. Tomēr abām situācijām ir daudz kopīga. Gan 2015. gadā, gan tagad bēgļu plūsmas iemesls ir asinspirts, kas sakurta ar krievu ieročiem – iepriekš Sīrijā, tagad Ukrainā. Un loģisks ir jautājums – vai šīs bēgļu plūsmas nav daļa no Kremļa kalkulācijām kā Eiropu destabilizējošs faktors? Var piebilst, ka „ķirsītis uz tortes” ir tie robežpārkāpēji, kuri iepriekšējos gados iekļuva pāri Polijas, Lietuvas un Latvijas robežai ar Lukašenko režīma gādību, bet nupat nesen līdzīgā veidā no Krievijas centās ietikt Somijā. Austrumu robežas šķērsojušo migrantu skaits gan ir pavisam neliels, ja salīdzina ar ļaužu plūsmām, kuras arvien aktīvāk virzās uz Eiropu, peldlīdzekļos šķērsojot Vidusjūras, Egejas jūras vai Atlantijas okeāna ūdeņus, attiecīgi nonākot Maltā, Lampedūzā, Grieķijas salās, Kiprā, Spānijas piekrastē vai Kanāriju salās, vai arī pārejot sauszemes robežas Balkānos. Pēdējos gados šīs plūsmas pakāpeniski aug, un līdz ar to pa Eiropas politisko skatuvi atkal sāk klīst nekontrolētās migrācijas rēgs, kura raisītās baismas vislabāk prot izmantot labējie populisti.  Tas pats attiecas uz Savienotajām Valstīm, kuru robežu ar Meksiku jau gadu desmitiem ilgi tiecas šķērsot labākas dzīves alcēji, pamatā Centrālamerikas valstu iedzimtie. Viņiem ceļā, kā zināms, sola stāties republikāņu prezidenta amata kandidāts Donalds Tramps. Uzsākot savu priekšvēlēšanu kampaņu, viņš jau deklarējis, ka izbeigšot to „invāziju”, kādu esot pieļāvusi prezidenta Baidena administrācija. Dižais Donalds sola, ja atkal tiks prezidentos, atsaukt amerikāņu karaspēku no ārvalstīm un dislocēt to uz Meksikas robežas. Sagatavoja Eduards Liniņš.      Eiropas Parlamenta granta projekta „Jaunā Eiropas nākotne” programma.* * Šī publikācija atspoguļo tikai materiāla veidošanā iesaistīto pušu viedokli. Eiropas Parlaments nav atbildīgs par tajā ietvertās informācijas jebkādu izmantošanu.

"Futbolbumbas" piedāvā 2023. gada Latvijas futbola Virslīgas sezonas apskatus. Šoreiz atsevišķs video par katru no 10 komandām, kur izrunājām sniegumu un aktuālos notikumus gada griezumā, kā arī noteicām labākos spēlētājus anonīmajā balsojumā. Kārta bronzas medaļniekiem FK "Auda". Šis tiešām bija viņu gads.

Gads līdz prezidenta vēlēšanām ASV: vai karš Izraēlā ietekmēs cīņu par Baltā nama krēslu? Turpinās Izraēlas operācija Gazā. Aktualitātes pasaulē analizē politologs Andis Kudors, portāla "Delfi" žurnālists Toms Ģigulis. Sazināmies ar Nacionālo bruņoto spēku pārstāvi, majoru Jāni Slaidiņu. Gazā dārd, Amerikā atbalsojas Vakar, 7. novembrī, apritēja mēnesis kopš teroristiskās organizācijas „Hamās” slepkavnieciskā iebrukuma Izraēlas teritorijā no Gazas sektora, un šo dienu iezīmēja ne vien upuru piemiņas pasākumi, bet arī Izraēlas aizsardzības ministra Joava Galanta paziņojums, ka izraēliešu sauszemes spēki sasnieguši Gazas pilsētas centru. Nedēļas sākumā tika ziņots, ka izraēlieši, virzoties no sektora austrumu robežas, sasnieguši Vidusjūras piekrasti uz dienvidiem no Gazas pilsētas, tādējādi faktiski atdalot sektora ziemeļdaļu no dienviddaļas. Gazas pilsēta tiek uzskatīta par „Hamās” citadeli, tomēr iekļūšana tajā pati par sevi vēl nenozīmē būtisku panākumu. Izraēlas Aizsardzības spēku nozīmīgākais pārākums pār pretinieku ir smagā kaujas tehnika, taču šo priekšrocību lielā mērā laupa blīvā pilsētas apbūve. Vēl lielāks izaicinājums būs zem pilsētas izbūvētais tuneļu labirints – vairāku simtu kilometru kopgarumā un līdz pat astoņdesmit metru dziļumā. Izraēlas Aizsardzības spēkus, pēc visa spriežot, gaida ilga un asiņaina cīņa, kas neizbēgami vairos Gazas civiliedzīvotāju upuru skaitu. „Hamās” kontrolētās Gazas Veselības ministrija apgalvo, ka civiliedzīvotāju upuru skaits tur nesen pārsniedzis desmit tūkstošus, tai skaitā vairāk nekā četrus tūkstošus bērnu, tomēr šo informāciju pārbaudīt nav iespējams. Līdz ar ziņām par civiliedzīvotāju upuriem, Izraēla izjūt arvien lielāku pasaules sabiedriskās domas spiedienu par labu uguns pārtraukšanai, kas gan nepārprotami dotu atelpu „Hamās” teroristiem. Savienotās Valstis, nozīmīgākais Izraēlas sabiedrotais, līdz šim gan mudinājušas tikai uz „humānām pauzēm” karadarbībā. Tikām pēdējās dienās pasaules preses virsrakstos bieži izskan pieļāvumi, ka stingrā Izraēlas pozīcijas atbalstīšana var maksāt prezidentam Baidenam un Demokrātiskajai partijai uzvaru nākamā gada prezidenta vēlēšanās. Savienotajās Valstīs dzīvojošie arābi u.c. islāmticīgie līdz šim bijuši pārsvarā demokrātu partijas vēlētāji, bet daudzi no viņiem tagad maina savu nostāju. Atbalsts Demokrātiskajai partijai arābu izcelsmes amerikāņu vidū krities no 59% pirms diviem gadiem līdz 17% šobrīd. Tiek minēts, ka, piemēram, Mičiganas pavalstī prezidents Baidens pēdējās vēlēšanās ieguva 154 000 balsu pārsvaru, un šis skaitlis ir biedējoši tuvu tam, cik šai štatā varētu būt pret pašreizējo administrāciju negatīvi noskaņotu arābu izcelsmes vēlētāju. Izvēle nebalsot par Baidenu un demokrātiem gan nenozīmē pievēršanos republikāņiem, sevišķi ja viņu kandidāts būs Donalds Tramps. Liktenīgā iestrēguma briesmas Karš ir nonācis strupceļā – tas ir galvenais secinājums, kuru pasaules prese izceļ Ukrainas Bruņoto spēku virspavēlnieka, ģenerāļa Valerija Zalužnija intervijā, kuru pirms nedēļas publicēja izdevums „The Economist”. Līdz ar interviju izdevums publicēja arī Zalužnija apcerējumu par pašreizējo kara situāciju. Stāvokli Ukrainas frontēs ģenerālis salīdzina ar simts gadus senu pagātni, kad Pirmā pasaules kara laikā tā brīža militārās tehnikas attīstība deva nozīmīgas priekšrocības tai pusei, kura aizsargājas, kas, savukārt, noveda pie ilgstoša pozīciju kara. Ukrainas spēki, dodoties ilgi gatavotajā un gaidītajā pretuzbrukumā, ir spējuši pavirzīt fronti tikai par kādiem 17 kilometriem. Savukārt Krievijas pusei vajadzēja daudzus mēnešus un milzu upurus, lai nostiprinātos vienā samērā nelielā pilsētā – Bahmutā. Iemesls ir strauji attīstījušās attālināti vadāmu novērošanas un uzbrukuma līdzekļu tehnoloģijas, pirmkārt – bezpilota lidaparāti jeb droni. Pretinieki ir viens otram teju kā uz delnas, un jebkuras uzbrukuma operācijas ātri pārtver pretējās puses artilērija. Tā nu šobrīd visai ticama šķiet ilgstoša pozīciju kara fāze, resursu izsmelšanas karš, kurā Krievijai ir acīmredzamas priekšrocības, pirmām kārtām jau cilvēkresursu ziņā. Kā uzsver ģenerālis Zalužnijs, Krievijas sabiedrībā cilvēka dzīvībai ir gana maza vērtība, lai Kremlis varētu atļauties vēl daudzus sūtīt nāvē un šādā ilgstošā cīņā likt Ukrainai noasiņot. Kā zināms, Ukrainas sabiedrotās rietumvalstis līdz šim gausi un paskopi piegādājušas tai modernāko un jaudīgāko bruņojumu, kas spētu reāli nodrošināt lūzumu kara gaitā, savukārt Krievija pakāpeniski kāpina sava militāri rūpnieciskā kompleksa jaudu un iegūst zināmas ieroču un munīcijas piegādes no tādiem partneriem kā Irāna un Ziemeļkoreja. Tas viss, kā norāda ģenerālis Zalužnijs, var novest pie kritiska Ukrainas dzīvā spēka izsīkuma, respektīvi – pie zaudējuma šai karā. Kā norāda novērotāji, šī publikācija acīmredzot bijusi nepatīkams pārsteigums prezidentam Volodimiram Zelenskim un viņa birojam. Ukrainas valsts galva komentēja armijas pavēlnieka pausto vien pēc vairākām dienām – vairāk nekā 40 minūtes ilgā intervijā telekanālam „NBC News”. Prezidents uzstāja, ka kara gaitu nevarot raksturot kā iestrēgušu, un vēlreiz apliecināja Ukrainas nācijas gribu uzvarēt. Jautāts par pēdējās dienās parādījušos informāciju par to, ka Rietumu partneri vedinot viņu uz domām par iespējamām miera sarunām, Zelenskis atbildēja, ka neredz iespēju vest sarunas ar teroristiem, kuru vārdiem nevar uzticēties. Sagatavoja Eduards Liniņš.  Eiropas Parlamenta granta projekta „Jaunā Eiropas nākotne” programma.* * Šī publikācija atspoguļo tikai materiāla veidošanā iesaistīto pušu viedokli. Eiropas Parlaments nav atbildīgs par tajā ietvertās informācijas jebkādu izmantošanu.

The first workshops and talks from the AI Engineer Summit are now up! Join the >20k viewers on YouTube, find clips on Twitter (we're also clipping @latentspacepod), and chat with us on Discord!Text-to-SQL was one of the first applications of NLP. Thoughtspot offered “Ask your data questions” as their core differentiation compared to traditional dashboarding tools. In a way, they provide a much friendlier interface with your own structured (aka “tabular”, as in “SQL tables”) data, the same way that RLHF and Instruction Tuning helped turn the GPT-3 of 2020 into the ChatGPT of 2022.Today, natural language queries on your databases are a commodity. There are 4 different ChatGPT plugins that offer this, as well as a bunch of startups like one of our previous guests, Seek.ai. Perplexity originally started with a similar product in 2022: In March 2023 LangChain wrote a blog post on LLMs and SQL highlighting why they don't consistently work:* “LLMs can write SQL, but they are often prone to making up tables, making up field”* “LLMs have some context window which limits the amount of text they can operate over”* “The SQL it writes may be incorrect for whatever reason, or it could be correct but just return an unexpected result.”For example, if you ask a model to “return all active users in the last 7 days” it might hallucinate a `is_active` column, join to an `activity` table that doesn't exist, or potentially get the wrong date (especially in leap years!).We previously talked to Shreya Rajpal at Guardrails AI, which also supports Text2SQL enforcement. Their approach was to run the actual SQL against your database and then use the error messages to improve the query: Semantic Layers to the rescueCube is an open source semantic layer which recently integrated with LangChain to solve these issues in a different way. You can use YAML, Javascript, or Python to create definitions of different metrics, measures and dimensions for your data: Creating these metrics and passing them in the model context limits the possibility for errors as the model just needs to query the `active_users` view, and Cube will then expand that into the full SQL in a reliable way. The downside of this approach compared to the Guardrails one for example is that it requires more upfront work to define metrics, but on the other hand it leads to more reliable and predictable outputs. The promise of adding a great semantic layer to your LLM app is irresistible - you greatly minimize hallucinations, make much more token efficient prompts, and your data stays up to date without any retraining or re-indexing. However, there are also difficulties with implementing semantic layers well, so we were glad to go deep on the topic with Artem as one of the leading players in this space!Timestamps* [00:00:00] Introductions* [00:01:28] Statsbot and limitations of natural language processing in 2017* [00:04:27] Building Cube as the infrastructure for Statsbot* [00:08:01] Open sourcing Cube in 2019* [00:09:09] Explaining the concept of a semantic layer/Cube* [00:11:01] Using semantic layers to provide context for AI models working with tabular data* [00:14:47] Workflow of generating queries from natural language via semantic layer* [00:21:07] Using Cube to power customer-facing analytics and natural language interfaces* [00:22:38] Building data-driven AI applications and agents* [00:25:59] The future of the modern data stack* [00:29:43] Example use cases of Slack bots powered by Cube* [00:30:59] Using GPT models and limitations around math* [00:32:44] Tips for building data-driven AI apps* [00:35:20] Challenges around monetizing embedded analytics* [00:36:27] Lightning RoundTranscriptSwyx: Hey everyone, welcome to the Latent Space podcast. This is Swyx, writer, editor of Latent Space and founder of Smol.ai and Alessio, partner and CTO in residence at Decibel Partners. [00:00:15]Alessio: Hey everyone, and today we have Artem Keydunov on the podcast, co-founder of Cube. Hey Artem. [00:00:21]Artem: Hey Alessio, hi Swyx. Good to be here today, thank you for inviting me. [00:00:25]Alessio: Yeah, thanks for joining. For people that don't know, I've known Artem for a long time, ever since he started Cube. And Cube is actually a spin-out of his previous company, which is Statsbot. And this kind of feels like going both backward and forward in time. So the premise of Statsbot was having a Slack bot that you can ask, basically like text to SQL in Slack, and this was six, seven years ago, something like that. A lot ahead of its time, and you see startups trying to do that today. And then Cube came out of that as a part of the infrastructure that was powering Statsbot. And Cube then evolved from an embedded analytics product to the semantic layer and just an awesome open source evolution. I think you have over 16,000 stars on GitHub today, you have a very active open source community. But maybe for people at home, just give a quick like lay of the land of the original Statsbot product. You know, what got you interested in like text to SQL and what were some of the limitations that you saw then, the limitations that you're also seeing today in the new landscape? [00:01:28]Artem: I started Statsbot in 2016. The original idea was to just make sort of a side project based off my initial project that I did at a company that I was working for back then. And I was working for a company that was building software for schools, and we were using Slack a lot. And Slack was growing really fast, a lot of people were talking about Slack, you know, like Slack apps, chatbots in general. So I think it was, you know, like another wave of, you know, bots and all that. We have one more wave right now, but it always comes in waves. So we were like living through one of those waves. And I wanted to build a bot that would give me information from different places where like a data lives to Slack. So it was like developer data, like New Relic, maybe some marketing data, Google Analytics, and then some just regular data, like a production database, so it sells for sometimes. And I wanted to bring it all into Slack, because we were always chatting, you know, like in Slack, and I wanted to see some stats in Slack. So that was the idea of Statsbot, right, like bring stats to Slack. I built that as a, you know, like a first sort of a side project, and I published it on Reddit. And people started to use it even before Slack came up with that Slack application directory. So it was a little, you know, like a hackish way to install it, but people are still installing it. So it was a lot of fun. And then Slack kind of came up with that application directory, and they reached out to me and they wanted to feature Statsbot, because it was one of the already being kind of widely used bots on Slack. So they featured me on this application directory front page, and I just got a lot of, you know, like new users signing up for that. It was a lot of fun, I think, you know, like, but it was sort of a big limitation in terms of how you can process natural language, because the original idea was to let people ask questions directly in Slack, right, hey, show me my, you know, like opportunities closed last week or something like that. My co founder, who kind of started helping me with this Slack application, him and I were trying to build a system to recognize that natural language. But it was, you know, we didn't have LLMs right back then and all of that technology. So it was really hard to build the system, especially the systems that can kind of, you know, like keep talking to you, like maintain some sort of a dialogue. It was a lot of like one off requests, and like, it was a lot of hit and miss, right? If you know how to construct a query in natural language, you will get a result back. But you know, like, it was not a system that was capable of, you know, like asking follow up questions to try to understand what you actually want. And then kind of finally, you know, like, bring this all context and go to generate a SQL query, get the result back and all of that. So that was a really missing part. And I think right now, that's, you know, like, what is the difference? So right now, I kind of bullish that if I would start Statsbot again, probably would have a much better shot at it. But back then, that was a big limitation. We kind of build a queue, right, as we were working on Statsbot, because we needed it. [00:04:27]Alessio: What was the ML stack at the time? Were you building, trying to build your own natural language understanding models, like were there open source models that were good that you were trying to leverage? [00:04:38]Artem: I think it was mostly combination of a bunch of things. And we tried a lot of different approaches. The first version, which I built, like was Regex. They were working well. [00:04:47]Swyx: It's the same as I did, I did option pricing when I was in finance, and I had a natural language pricing tool thing. And it was Regex. It was just a lot of Regex. [00:04:59]Artem: Yeah. [00:05:00]Artem: And my co-founder, Pavel, he's much smarter than I am. He's like PhD in math, all of that. And he started to do some stuff. I was like, no, you just do that stuff. I don't know. I can do Regex. And he started to do some models and trying to either look at what we had on the market back then, or try to build a different sort of models. Again, we didn't have any foundation back in place, right? We wanted to try to use existing math, obviously, right? But it was not something that we can take the model and try and run it. I think in 2019, we started to see more of stuff, like ecosystem being built, and then it eventually kind of resulted in all this LLM, like what we have right now. But back then in 2016, it was not much available for just the people to build on top. It was some academic research, right, kind of been happening. But it was very, very early for something to actually be able to use. [00:05:58]Alessio: And then that became Cube, which started just as an open source project. And I think I remember going on a walk with you in San Mateo in 2020, something like that. And you had people reaching out to you who were like, hey, we use Cube in production. I just need to give you some money, even though you guys are not a company. What's the story of Cube then from Statsbot to where you are today? [00:06:21]Artem: We built a Cube at Statsbot because we needed it. It was like, the whole Statsbot stack was that we first tried to translate the initial sort of language query into some sort of multidimensional query. It's like we were trying to understand, okay, people wanted to get active opportunities, right? What does it mean? Is it a metric? Is it what a dimension here? Because usually in analytics, you always, you know, like, try to reduce everything down to the sort of, you know, like a multidimensional framework. So that was the first step. And that's where, you know, like it didn't really work well because all this limitation of us not having foundational technologies. But then from the multidimensional query, we wanted to go to SQL. And that's what was SemanticLayer and what was Cube essentially. So we built a framework where you would be able to map your data into this concept, into this metrics. Because when people were coming to Statsbot, they were bringing their own datasets, right? And the big question was, how do we tell the system what is active opportunities for that specific users? How we kind of, you know, like provide that context, how we do the training. So that's why we came up with the idea of building the SemanticLayer so people can actually define their metrics and then kind of use them as a Statsbot. So that's how we built a Cube. At some point, we saw people started to see more value in the Cube itself, you know, like kind of building the SemanticLayer and then using it to power different types of the application. So in 2019, we decided, okay, it feels like it might be a standalone product and a lot of people want to use it. Let's just try to open source it. So we took it out of Statsbot and open-sourced. [00:08:01]Swyx: Can I make sure that everyone has the same foundational knowledge? The concept of a cube is not something that you invented. I think, you know, not everyone has the same background in analytics and data that all three of us do. Maybe you want to explain like OLAP Cube, HyperCube, the brief history of cubes. Right. [00:08:17]Artem: I'll try, you know, like a lot of like Wikipedia pages and like a lot of like a blog post trying to go into academics of it. So I'm trying to like... [00:08:25]Swyx: Cube's according to you. Yeah. [00:08:27]Artem: So when we think about just a table in a database, the problem with the table, it's not a multidimensional, meaning that in many cases, if we want to slice the data, we kind of need to result with a different table, right? Like think about when you're writing a SQL query to answer one question, SQL query always ends up with a table, right? So you write one SQL, you got one. And then you write to answer a different question, you write a second query. So you're kind of getting a bunch of tables. So now let's imagine that we can kind of bring all these tables together into multidimensional table. And that's essentially Cube. So it's just like the way that we can have measures and dimension that can potentially be used at the same time from a different angles. [00:09:09]Alessio: So initially, a lot of your use cases were more BI related, but you recently released a LangChain integration. There's obviously more and more interest in, again, using these models to answer data questions. So you've seen the chat GPT code interpreter, which is renamed as like advanced data analysis. What's kind of like the future of like the semantic layer in AI? You know, what are like some of the use cases that you're seeing and why do you think it's a good strategy to make it easier to do now the text to SQL you wanted to do seven years ago? [00:09:39]Artem: Yeah. So, I mean, you know, when it started to happen, I was just like, oh my God, people are now building Statsbot with Cube. They just have a better technology for, you know, like natural language. So it kind of, it made sense to me, you know, like from the first moment I saw it. So I think it's something that, you know, like happening right now and chat bot is one of the use cases. I think, you know, like if you try to generalize it, the use case would be how do we use structured or tabular data with, you know, like AI models, right? Like how do we turn the data and give the context as a data and then bring it to the model and then model can, you know, like give you answers, make a questions, do whatever you want. But the question is like how we go from just the data in your data warehouse, database, whatever, which is usually just a tabular data, right? Like in a SQL based warehouses to some sort of, you know, like a context that system can do. And if you're building this application, you have to do it. It's like no way you can get away around not doing this. You either map it manually or you come up with some framework or something else. So our take is that and my take is that semantic layer is just really good place for this context to leave because you need to give this context to the humans. You need to give that context to the AI system anyway, right? So that's why you define metric once and then, you know, like you teach your AI system what this metric is about. [00:11:01]Alessio: What are some of the challenges of using tabular versus language data and some of the ways that having the semantic layer kind of makes that easier maybe? [00:11:09]Artem: Imagine you're a human, right? And you're going into like your new data analyst at a company and just people give you a warehouse with a bunch of tables and they tell you, okay, just try to make sense of this data. And you're going through all of these tables and you're really like trying to make sense without any, you know, like additional context or like some columns. In many cases, they might have a weird names. Sometimes, you know, if they follow some kind of like a star schema or, you know, like a Kimball style dimensions, maybe that would be easier because you would have facts and dimensions column, but it's still, it's hard to understand and kind of make sense because it doesn't have descriptions, right? And then there is like a whole like industry of like a data catalogs exist because the whole purpose of that to give context to the data so people can understand that. And I think the same applies to the AI, right? Like, and the same challenge is that if you give it pure tabular data, it doesn't have this sort of context that it can read. So you sort of needed to write a book or like essay about your data and give that book to the system so it can understand it. [00:12:12]Alessio: Can you run through the steps of how that works today? So the initial part is like the natural language query, like what are the steps that happen in between to do model, to semantic layer, semantic layer, to SQL and all that flow? [00:12:26]Artem: The first key step is to do some sort of indexing. That's what I was referring to, like write a book about your data, right? Describe in a text format what your data is about, right? Like what metrics it has, dimensions, what is the structures of that, what a relationship between those metrics, what are potential values of the dimensions. So sort of, you know, like build a really good index as a text representation and then turn it into embeddings into your, you know, like a vector storage. Once you have that, then you can provide that as a context to the model. I mean, there are like a lot of options, like either fine tune or, you know, like sort of in context learning, but somehow kind of give that as a context to the model, right? And then once this model has this context, it can create a query. Now the query I believe should be created against semantic layer because it reduces the room for the error. Because what usually happens is that your query to semantic layer would be very simple. It would be like, give me that metric group by that dimension and maybe that filter should be applied. And then your real query for the warehouse, it might have like a five joins, a lot of different techniques, like how to avoid fan out, fan traps, chasm traps, all of that stuff. And the bigger query, the more room that the model can make an error, right? Like even sometimes it could be a small error and then, you know, like your numbers is going to be off. But making a query against semantic layer, that sort of reduces the error. So the model generates a SQL query and then it executes us again, semantic layer. And semantic layer executes us against your warehouse and then sends result all the way back to the application. And then can be done multiple times because what we were missing was both this ability to have a conversation, right? With the model. You can ask question and then system can do a follow-up questions, you know, like then do a query to get some additional information based on this information, do a query again. And sort of, you know, like it can keep doing this stuff and then eventually maybe give you a big report that consists of a lot of like data points. But the whole flow is that it knows the system, it knows your data because you already kind of did the indexing and then it queries semantic layer instead of a data warehouse directly. [00:14:47]Alessio: Maybe just to make it a little clearer for people that haven't used a semantic layer before, you can add definitions like revenue, where revenue is like select from customers and like join orders and then sum of the amount of orders. But in the semantic layer, you're kind of hiding all of that away. So when you do natural language to queue, it just select revenue from last week and then it turns into a bigger query. [00:15:12]Swyx: One of the biggest difficulties around semantic layer for people who've never thought about this concept before, this all sounds super neat until you have multiple stakeholders within a single company who all have different concepts of what a revenue is. They all have different concepts of what active user is. And then they'll have like, you know, revenue revision one by the sales team, you know, and then revenue revision one, accounting team or tax team, I don't know. I feel like I always want semantic layer discussions to talk about the not so pretty parts of the semantic layer, because this is where effectively you ship your org chart in the semantic layer. [00:15:47]Artem: I think the way I think about it is that at the end of the day, semantic layer is a code base. And in Qubit, it's essentially a code base, right? It's not just a set of YAML files with pythons. I think code is never perfect, right? It's never going to be perfect. It will have a lot of, you know, like revisions of code. We have a version control, which helps it's easier with revisions. So I think we should treat our metrics and semantic layer as a code, right? And then collaboration is a big part of it. You know, like if there are like multiple teams that sort of have a different opinions, let them collaborate on the pull request, you know, they can discuss that, like why they think that should be calculated differently, have an open conversation about it, you know, like when everyone can just discuss it, like an open source community, right? Like you go on a GitHub and you talk about why that code is written the way it's written, right? It should be written differently. And then hopefully at some point you can come up, you know, like to some definition. Now if you still should have multiple versions, right? It's a code, right? You can still manage it. But I think the big part of that is that like, we really need to treat it as a code base. Then it makes a lot of things easier, not as spreadsheets, you know, like a hidden Excel files. [00:16:53]Alessio: The other thing is like then having the definition spread in the organization, like versus everybody trying to come up with their own thing. But yeah, I'm sure that when you talk to customers, there's people that have issues with the product and it's really like two people trying to define the same thing. One in sales that wants to look good, the other is like the finance team that wants to be conservative and they all have different definitions. How important is the natural language to people? Obviously you guys both work in modern data stack companies either now or before. There's going to be the whole wave of empowering data professionals. I think now a big part of the wave is removing the need for data professionals to always be in the loop and having non-technical folks do more of the work. Are you seeing that as a big push too with these models, like allowing everybody to interact with the data? [00:17:42]Artem: I think it's a multidimensional question. That's an example of, you know, like where you have a lot of inside the question. In terms of examples, I think a lot of people building different, you know, like agents or chatbots. You have a company that built an internal Slack bot that sort of answers questions, you know, like based on the data in a warehouse. And then like a lot of people kind of go in and like ask that chatbot this question. Is it like a real big use case? Maybe. Is it still like a toy pet project? Maybe too right now. I think it's really hard to tell them apart at this point because there is a lot of like a hype, you know, and just people building LLM stuff because it's cool and everyone wants to build something, you know, like even at least a pet project. So that's what happened in Krizawa community as well. We see a lot of like people building a lot of cool stuff and it probably will take some time for that stuff to mature and kind of to see like what are real, the best use cases. But I think what I saw so far, one use case was building this chatbot and we have even one company that are building it as a service. So they essentially connect into Q semantic layer and then offering their like chatbot So you can do it in a web, in a slack, so it can, you know, like answer questions based on data in your semantic layer, but also see a lot of things like they're just being built in house. And there are other use cases, sort of automation, you know, like that agent checks on the data and then kind of perform some actions based, you know, like on changes in data. But other dimension of your question is like, will it replace people or not? I think, you know, like what I see so far in data specifically, you know, like a few use cases of LLM, I don't see Q being part of that use case, but it's more like a copilot for data analyst, a copilot for data engineer, where you develop something, you develop a model and it can help you to write a SQL or something like that. So you know, it can create a boilerplate SQL, and then you can edit this SQL, which is fine because you know how to edit SQL, right? So you're not going to make a mistake, but it will help you to just generate, you know, like a bunch of SQL that you write again and again, right? Like boilerplate code. So sort of a copilot use case. I think that's great. And we'll see more of it. I think every platform that is building for data engineers will have some sort of a copilot capabilities and Cubectl, we're building this copilot capabilities to help people build semantic layers easier. I think that just a baseline for every engineering product right now to have some sort of, you know, like a copilot capabilities. Then the other use case is a little bit more where Cube is being involved is like, how do we enable access to data for non-technical people through the natural language as an interface to data, right? Like visual dashboards, charts, it's always has been an interface to data in every BI. Now I think we will see just a second interface as a just kind of a natural language. So I think at this point, many BI's will add it as a commodity feature is like Tableau will probably have a search bar at some point saying like, Hey, ask me a question. I know that some of the, you know, like AWS Squeak site, they're about to announce features like this in their like BI. And I think Power BI will do that, especially with their deal with open AI. So every company, every BI will have this some sort of a search capabilities built in inside their BI. So I think that's just going to be a baseline feature for them as well. But that's where Cube can help because we can provide that context, right? [00:21:07]Alessio: Do you know how, or do you have an idea for how these products will differentiate once you get the same interface? So right now there's like, you know, Tableau is like the super complicated and it's like super sad. It's like easier. Yeah. Do you just see everything will look the same and then how do people differentiate? [00:21:24]Artem: It's like they all have line chart, right? And they all have bar chart. I feel like it pretty much the same and it's going to be fragmented as well. And every major vendor and most of the vendors will try to have some sort of natural language capabilities and they might be a little bit different. Some of them will try to position the whole product around it. Some of them will just have them as a checkbox, right? So we'll see, but I don't think it's going to be something that will change the BI market, you know, like something that will can take the BI market and make it more consolidated rather than, you know, like what we have right now. I think it's still will remain fragmented. [00:22:04]Alessio: Let's talk a bit more about application use cases. So people also use Q for kind of like analytics in their product, like dashboards and things like that. How do you see that changing and more, especially like when it comes to like agents, you know, so there's like a lot of people trying to build agents for reporting, building agents for sales. If you're building a sales agent, you need to know everything about the purchasing history of the customer. All of these things. Yeah. Any thoughts there? What should all the AI engineers listening think about when implementing data into agents? [00:22:38]Artem: Yeah, I think kind of, you know, like trying to solve for two problems. One is how to make sure that agents or LLM model, right, has enough context about, you know, like a tabular data and also, you know, like how do we deliver updates to the context, which is also important because data is changing, right? So every time we change something upstream, we need to surely update that context in our vector database or something. And how do you make sure that the queries are correct? You know, I think it's obviously a big pain and that's all, you know, like AI kind of, you know, like a space right now, how do we make sure that we don't, you know, provide our own cancers, but I think, you know, like be able to reduce the room for error as much as possible that what I would look for, you know, like to try to like minimize potential damage. And then our use case for Qube, it's been using a lot to power sort of customer facing analytics. So I don't think much is going to change is that I feel like again, more and more products will adopt natural language interfaces as sort of a part of that product as well. So we would be able to power this business to not only, you know, like a chart, visuals, but also some sort of, you know, like a summaries, probably in the future, you're going to open the page with some surface stats and you will have a smart summary kind of generated by AI. And that summary can be powered by Qube, right, like, because the rest is already being powered by Qube. [00:24:04]Alessio: You know, we had Linus from Notion on the pod and one of the ideas he had that I really like is kind of like thumbnails of text, kind of like how do you like compress knowledge and then start to expand it. A lot of that comes into dashboards, you know, where like you have a lot of data, you have like a lot of charts and sometimes you just want to know, hey, this is like the three lines summary of it. [00:24:25]Artem: Exactly. [00:24:26]Alessio: Makes sense that you want to power that. How are you thinking about, yeah, the evolution of like the modern data stack in quotes, whatever that means today. What's like the future of what people are going to do? What's the future of like what models and agents are going to do for them? Do you have any, any thoughts? [00:24:42]Artem: I feel like modern data stack sometimes is not very, I mean, it's obviously big crossover between AI, you know, like ecosystem, AI infrastructure, ecosystem, and then sort of a data. But I don't think it's a full overlap. So I feel like when we know, like I'm looking at a lot of like what's happening in a modern data stack where like we use warehouses, we use BI's, you know, different like transformation tools, catalogs, like data quality tools, ETLs, all of that. I don't see a lot of being compacted by AI specifically. I think, you know, that space is being compacted as much as any other space in terms of, yes, we'll have all this copilot capabilities, some of AI capabilities here and there, but I don't see anything sort of dramatically, you know, being sort of, you know, a change or shifted because of, you know, like AI wave. In terms of just in general data space, I think in the last two, three years, we saw an explosion, right? Like we got like a lot of tools, every vendor for every problem. I feel like right now we should go through the cycle of consolidation. If Fivetran and DBT merge, they can be Alteryx of a new generation or something like that. And you know, probably some ETL tool there. I feel it might happen. I mean, it's just natural waves, you know, like in cycles. [00:25:59]Alessio: I wonder if everybody is going to have their own copilot. The other thing I think about these models is like Swyx was at Airbyte and yeah, there's Fivetran. [00:26:08]Swyx: Fivetran versus AirByte, I don't think it'll mix very well. [00:26:10]Alessio: A lot of times these companies are doing the syntax work for you of like building the integration between your data store and like the app or another data store. I feel like now these models are pretty good at coming up with the integration themselves and like using the docs to then connect the two. So I'm really curious, like in the future, what that will look like. And same with data transformation. I mean, you think about DBT and some of these tools and right now you have to create rules to normalize and transform data. In the future, I could see you explaining the model, how you want the data to be, and then the model figuring out how to do the transformation. I think it all needs a semantic layer as far as like figuring out what to do with it. You know, what's the data for and where it goes. [00:26:53]Artem: Yeah, I think many of this, you know, like workflows will be augmented by, you know, like some sort of a copilot. You know, you can describe what transformation you want to see and it can generate a boilerplate right, of transformation for you, or even, you know, like kind of generate a boilerplate of specific ETL driver or ETL integration. I think we're still not at the point where this code can be fully automated. So we still need a human and a loop, right, like who can be, who can use this copilot. But in general, I think, yeah, data work and software engineering work can be augmented quite significantly with all that stuff. [00:27:31]Alessio: You know, the big thing with machine learning before was like, well, all of your data is bad. You know, the data is not good for anything. And I think like now, at least with these models, they have some knowledge of their own and they can also tell you if your data is bad, which I think is like something that before you didn't have. Any cool apps that you've seen being built on Qube, like any kind of like AI native things that people should think about, new experiences, anything like that? [00:27:54]Artem: Well, I see a lot of Slack bots. They all remind me of Statsbot, but I know like I played with a few of them. They're much, much better than Statsbot. It feels like it's on the surface, right? It's just that use case that you really want, you know, think about you, a data engineer in your company, like everyone is like, and you're asking, hey, can you pull that data for me? And you would be like, can I build a bot to replace myself? You know, like, so they can both ping that bot instead. So it's like, that's why a lot of people doing that. So I think it's a first use case that actually people are playing with. But I think inside that use case, people get creative. So I see bots that can actually have a dialogue with you. So, you know, like you would come to that bot and say, hey, show me metrics. And the bot would be like, what kind of metrics? What do you want to look at? You will be like active users. And then it would be like, how do you define active users? You want to see active users sort of cohort, you want to see active users kind of changing behavior over time, like a lot of like a follow up questions. So it tries to sort of, you know, like understand what exactly you want. And that's how many data analysts work, right? When people started to ask you something, you always try to understand what exactly do you mean? Because many people don't know how to ask correct questions about your data. It's a sort of an interesting specter. On one side of the specter, you know, nothing is like, hey, show me metrics. And the other side of specter, you know how to write SQL, and you can write exact query to your data warehouse, right? So many people like a little bit in the middle. And the data analysts, they usually have the knowledge about your data. And that's why they can ask follow up questions and to understand what exactly you want. And I saw people building bots who can do that. That part is amazing. I mean, like generating SQL, all that stuff, it's okay, it's good. But when the bot can actually act like they know that your data and they can ask follow up questions. I think that's great. [00:29:43]Swyx: Yeah. [00:29:44]Alessio: Are there any issues with the models and the way they understand numbers? One of the big complaints people have is like GPT, at least 3.5, cannot do math. Have you seen any limitations and improvement? And also when it comes to what model to use, do you see most people use like GPT-4? Because it's like the best at this kind of analysis. [00:30:03]Artem: I think I saw people use all kinds of models. To be honest, it's usually GPT. So inside GPT, it could be 3.5 or 4, right? But it's not like I see a lot of something else, to be honest, like, I mean, maybe some open source alternatives, but it feels like the market is being dominated by just chat GPT. In terms of the problems, I think chatting about it with a few people. So if math is required to do math, you know, like outside of, you know, like chat GPT itself, so it would be like some additional Python scripts or something. When we're talking about production level use cases, it's quite a lot of Python code around, you know, like your model to make it work. To be honest, it's like, it's not that magic that you just throw the model in and like it can give you all these answers. For like a toy use cases, the one we have on a, you know, like our demo page or something, it works fine. But, you know, like if you want to do like a lot of post-processing, do a mass on URL, you probably need to code it in Python anyway. That's what I see people doing. [00:30:59]Alessio: We heard the same from Harrison and LangChain that most people just use OpenAI. We did a OpenAI has no moat emergency podcast, and it was funny to like just see the reaction that people had to that and how hard it actually is to break down some of the monopoly. What else should people keep in mind, Artem? You're kind of like at the cutting edge of this. You know, if I'm looking to build a data-driven AI application, I'm trying to build data into my AI workflows. Any mistakes people should avoid? Any tips on the best stack to use? What tools to use? [00:31:32]Artem: I would just recommend going through to warehouse as soon as possible. I think a lot of people feel that MySQL can be a warehouse, which can be maybe on like a lower scale, but definitely not from a performance perspective. So just kind of starting with a good warehouse, a query engine, Lakehouse, that's probably like something I would recommend starting from a day zero. And there are good ways to do it, very cheap, with open source technologies too, especially in the Lakehouse architecture. I think, you know, I'm biased, obviously, but using a semantic layer, preferably Cube, and for, you know, like a context. And other than that, I just feel it's a very interesting space in terms of AI ecosystem. I see a lot of people using link chain right now, which is great, you know, like, and we build an integration. But I'm sure the space will continue to evolve and, you know, like we'll see a lot of interesting tools and maybe, you know, like some tools would be a better fit for a job. I'm not aware of any right now, but it's always interesting to see how it evolves. Also it's a little unclear, you know, like how all the infrastructure around actually developing, testing, documenting, all that stuff will kind of evolve too. But yeah, again, it's just like really interesting to see and observe, you know, what's happening in this space. [00:32:44]Swyx: So before we go to the lightning round, I wanted to ask you on your thoughts on embedded analytics and in a sense, the kind of chatbots that people are inserting on their websites and building with LLMs is very much sort of end user programming or end user interaction with their own data. I love seeing embedded analytics, and for those who don't know, embedded analytics is basically user facing dashboards where you can see your own data, right? Instead of the company seeing data across all their customers, it's an individual user seeing their own data as a slice of the overall data that is owned by the platform that they're using. So I love embedded analytics. Well, actually, overwhelmingly, the observation that I've had is that people who try to build in this market fail to monetize. And I was wondering your insights on why. [00:33:31]Artem: I think overall, the statement is true. It's really hard to monetize, you know, like in embedded analytics. That's why at Qube we're excited more about our internal kind of BI use case, or like a company's a building, you know, like a chatbots for their internal data consumption or like internal workflows. Embedded analytics is hard to monetize because it's historically been dominated by the BI vendors. And we still see a lot of organizations are using BI tools as vendors. And what I was talking about, BI vendors adding natural language interfaces, they will probably add that to the embedded analytics capabilities as well, right? So they would be able to embed that too. So I think that's part of it. Also, you know, if you look at the embedded analytics market, the bigger organizations are big GADs, they're really more custom, you know, like it becomes and at some point I see many organizations, they just stop using any vendor, and they just kind of build most of the stuff from scratch, which probably, you know, like the right way to do. So it's sort of, you know, like you got a market that is very kept at the top. And then you also in that middle and small segment, you got a lot of vendors trying to, you know, like to compete for the buyers. And because again, the BI is very fragmented, embedded analytics, therefore is fragmented also. So you're really going after the mid market slice, and then with a lot of other vendors competing for that. So that's why it's historically been hard to monetize, right? I don't think AI really going to change that just because it's using model, you just pay to open AI. And that's it, like everyone can do that, right? So it's not much of a competitive advantage. So it's going to be more like a commodity features that a lot of vendors would be able to leverage. [00:35:20]Alessio: This is great, Artem. As usual, we got our lightning round. So it's three questions. One is about acceleration, one on exploration, and then take away. The acceleration thing is what's something that already happened in AI or maybe, you know, in data that you thought would take much longer, but it's already happening today. [00:35:38]Artem: To be honest, all this foundational models, I thought that we had a lot of models that been in production for like, you know, maybe decade or so. And it was like a very niche use cases, very vertical use cases, it's just like in very customized models. And even when we're building Statsbot back then in 2016, right, even back then, we had some natural language models being deployed, like a Google Translate or something that was still was a sort of a model, right, but it was very customized with a specific use case. So I thought that would continue for like, many years, we will use AI, we'll have all these customized niche models. But there is like foundational model, they like very generic now, they can serve many, many different use cases. So I think that is a big change. And I didn't expect that, to be honest. [00:36:27]Swyx: The next question is about exploration. What is one thing that you think is the most interesting unsolved question in AI? [00:36:33]Artem: I think AI is a subset of software engineering in general. And it's sort of connected to the data as well. Because software engineering as a discipline, it has quite a history. We build a lot of processes, you know, like toolkits and methodologies, how we prod that, [00:36:50]Swyx: right. [00:36:51]Artem: But AI, I don't think it's completely different. But it has some unique traits, you know, like, it's quite not idempotent, right, and kind of from many dimensions and like other traits. So which kind of may require a different methodologies may require different approaches and a different toolkit. I don't think how much is going to deviate from a standard software engineering, I think many tools and practices that we develop our software engineering can be applied to AI. And some of the data best practices can be applied as well. But it's like we got a DevOps, right, like it's just a bunch of tools, like ecosystem. So now like AI is kind of feels like it's shaping into that with a lot of its own, you know, like methodologies, practices and toolkits. So I'm really excited about it. And I think it's a lot of unsolved still question again, how do we develop that? How do we test you know, like, what is the best practices? How what is a methodologist? So I think that would be an interesting to see. [00:37:44]Alessio: Awesome. Yeah. Our final message, you know, you have a big audience of engineers and technical folks, what's something you want everybody to remember to think about to explore? [00:37:55]Artem: I mean, it says being hooked to try to build a chatbot, you know, like for analytics, back then and kind of, you know, like looking at what people do right now, I think, yeah, just do that. I mean, it's working right now, with foundational models, it's actually now it's possible to build all those cool applications. I'm so excited to see, you know, like, how much changed in the last six years or so that we actually now can build a smart agents. So I think that sort of, you know, like a takeaways and yeah, we are, as humans in general, we like we really move technology forward. And it's fun to see, you know, like, it's just a first hand. [00:38:30]Alessio: Well, thank you so much for coming on Artem. [00:38:32]Swyx: This was great. [00:38:32] Get full access to Latent Space at www.latent.space/subscribe

On this week's episode of the Illinois REALTORS® Weekly Podcast, we're highlighting the work of our GADs throughout the state. We welcome in Tom Benedetto, Neely Erickson and Ron Deedrick to talk about the big issues facing their parts of the state.

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on August 11. It dropped for free subscribers on August 14. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe for free below:WhoBrian Suhadolc, General Manager of Mount Snow, VermontRecorded onJuly 17, 2023About Mount SnowClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Vail ResortsLocated in: Dover, VermontYear founded: 1954Pass affiliations:* Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass: Unlimited access* Epic Northeast Value Pass: Unlimited access with holiday blackouts* Epic Northeast Midweek Pass: Unlimited access with weekend and holiday blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Hermitage Club (9 minutes), Stratton (23 minutes), Bromley (36 minutes), Magic Mountain (39 minutes)Base elevation: 1,900 feetSummit elevation: 3,600 feetVertical drop: 1,700 feetSkiable Acres: 601Average annual snowfall: 150 inchesTrail count: 80 (15% advanced/expert, 70% intermediate, 15% beginner)Lift count: 19 (2 six-packs, 4 high-speed quads, 5 triples, 2 doubles, 1 ropetow, 5 magic carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Mount Snow's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himThis is my second podcast focused on Mount Snow. The first episode featured then-GM Tracy Bartels, in November 2020. Our focus then was Covid: as in, what the hell were we going to do about it? The ski industry had spent eight months from the March shutdowns preparing for a masked world of closed ski bars and social distancing. Was this actually going to work?It did, of course. Sort of. But that podcast from 2020 has little to do with the Mount Snow of 2023, which has evolved substantially in just three years. It was time for an update.I'm also owning the fact that I overcorrected when I took The Storm national in 2021. In the pod's first two years, I'd interviewed the heads of most of New England's largest ski areas. Check, check, check. Done. I needed to establish this thing in the Rockies, the Cascades, the Sierras, the Wasatch. And I did. But a lot of my New England listeners felt snubbed. I'd built this thing on their attention and enthusiasm, and now I was pivoting away.It's time to pivot back a bit. The lift-served ski world is changing fast, especially among those giants with access to capital and ambition. So I've scheduled upcoming podcast conversations with the leaders of Killington and Sunday River, both of which I've profiled in the past. I'll pursue more such follow-ups in the future, in all regions – and not just with mega-resorts, as the recent second installment with the owners of Plattekill demonstrated. The long-term goal is to alternate podcasts so that every other episode focuses on the West, with the East/Midwest/Mid-Atlantic occupying the alternate slots.But setting aside my own admin, I'm focusing on Mount Snow because it's an incredibly important mountain. I'll reset what I wrote in this same section three years ago:Because Mount Snow is where big-time Northeast skiing begins. As the southern-most major Vermont ski area, it is a skier's gateway to mountains that are big enough to get lost on. From its strategic position in the orbit of the East Coast megalopolis, successive owners have gradually built something uniquely suited to the frenetic swarms of wildly varied skiers who bullseye the place each winter: Mount Snow has one of the most outstanding terrain parks in America and one of the best snowmaking systems in the world. The families who swarm here find absolutely unintimidating terrain, blue as the sky and groomed smoother than I-91. It's a perfect family mountain and a perfect bus skier's mountain and a perfect first step from Mount Local to something that shows you how big skiing can be. It was the crown jewel of the Peak Resort's empire, and it's one of the most important pieces to Vail's ever-expanding Epic jigsaw puzzle. I wouldn't call it a special mountain – the terrain is mild and not terribly interesting, and the volume and quality of natural snowfall is best described as adequate. But it is a vital mountain, as the southern-most anchor of Vermont's teeming ski scene, as an accessible ski experience for weekending cityfolk, as an aspirational destination for people stepping more fully into skiing culture, and as a testament to the power of the imagination to transform a big vertical drop and cold skies into a vital and vibrant node of the regional ski scene.What we talked aboutSurveying damage from the July rainstorm; the Epic Promise Foundation; Mount Snow's four-foot March snowstorm; the frantic hilarity of New England powder days; the difference between east and west coast pow; breaking down Mount Snow's lift upgrades at Sundance, Sunbrook, and Heavy Metal; how the Sundance six-pack “changed the dynamic of the ski resort”; why Sundance – unlike the mega-popular Bluebird Express – does not have bubbles; how the resort manages 18 high-speed out-of-base seats; the four most-utilized lifts at Mount Snow; how Mount Snow built the Sunbrook lift in a roadless section of mountain; what it took to convert the Heavy Metal lift from a double to a triple; why Vail auctioned the individual chairs from the old Sunbrook rather than selling the lift – a 1990 CTEC quad – to a smaller ski area; talking through long-term upgrades to Nitro; why the resort doesn't add more chairs to the current Nitro to boost its capacity from 2,100 skiers per hour to 2,400; the status of paid parking two years in; impressions of New England ski culture; the difference between running a mountain in the east and in the west; what happens when Vail surprise-buys your resort; connecting Park City to The Canyons via gondola – “the magnitude of it was not lost on me”; the mining facilities still scattered across Park City; career opportunity within Vail Resorts; Mount Snow's monster snowmaking system; why Mount Snow has become Vail's late-season New England operator, rather than Wildcat; why Carinthia is the mountain's late-operating pod; whether we could ever see another October opening at Mount Snow; potential upgrades for the North Face lifts; assessing the Beartrap double; contemplating the future of Grand Summit; whether we could ever see a detach lift on beginner terrain at Mount Snow; whether the Epic Local Pass is the correct unlimited-access pass for Mount Snow; the popularity of Northeast-specific Epic Passes; the Epic Day Pass; and Vail Resorts' day-ticket limits for the 2022-23 ski season.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewEver since Peak Resorts built the Bluebird Express six-pack in 2011, Mount Snow has had a problem: the lift, with its blue bubbles and ultra-smooth ride, was so flashy and appealing that nobody wanted to ride any other lift on the front side of the mountain. Even the Grand Summit high-speed quad, which runs parallel to Bluebird and serves all the same terrain, had trouble getting attention. This was great for skiers who actively work the mountain, but a real drag for Mount Snow's rap as the most-crowded Southern Vermont ski area.Enter: Vail Resorts' Epic Lift Upgrades of 2022. Mount Snow was the beneficiary of two of the 21 planned lifts (18 of which Vail finished on schedule*): the Sundance and Tumbleweed triples made way for a new six-pack, while the backside Sunbrook lift got a boost from a fixed-grip quad to a detach. Meanwhile, the mountain converted the Heavy Metal double into a triple chair, adding capacity to the popular Carinthia terrain park.Sundance and Sunbrook had one job: give people a reason to ski something besides Bluebird. As far as replacement lifts go, they seemed brilliant. But did the plan work to unknot Mount Snow's gnarliest crowd points?That was one topic Suhadolc and I discussed. Another: was Vail able to recover from its arguably oversold 2021-22 ski season by implementing day-ticket limits and settling into paid-parking plans? And how were those paid parking plans going? And should Mount Snow really be unlimited on the Epic Local Pass?Vail Resorts is entering its fifth winter season operating Mount Snow. With the Peak Resorts transition fully digested and Covid's hassles a memory, the company has no choice but to fully own every piece of the experience. With its size and proximity to New York City, Mount Snow will always be somewhat hectic. New Englanders can tolerate that. Chaos, however, does not belong in this land of picket-fence order. And for a moment post-Covid, Mount Snow seemed to be tilting toward chaos.But no one can say that Vail has not brought big change to the mountain over the past several seasons. Despite daily lift tickets that topped out at $154 this past winter, Mount Snow has never been more affordable to the masses. Unlimited access is just $689 on the Epic Local Pass; subtract holidays with the $567 Northeast Value Pass; minus weekends with the $425 Northeast Midweek Pass. With prices that low at a mountain that big that's as easy to access as Mount Snow is, things could go sideways pretty quick. The new lifts, the parking plans, the lift-ticket limits – all of it is calculated to prevent that from happening.Ski areas are a little bit like novels. They're never really finished. But unlike our great works of literature, we get to edit ski areas after they're published. The version of Mount Snow that we ski today is probably not the best and final version of the hill, but it may also be the best it's ever been,.*Two lifts scheduled to rise in Park City were rerouted to Whistler after spiteful locals revolted; Keystone's Bergman sixer had to wait a year after a construction-road misfire tore up some sensitive high-altitude terrain.What I got wrong* I said that the new Sunbrook high-speed quad clocked a ride time around four minutes. The actual time is closer to six minutes, according to Suhadolc.* I asked Brian why Vail didn't try to re-use the Sunbrook lift – a 1990 CTEC quad that likely had lots of life left on it – at a “smaller ski area.” He explained that Vail does occasionally move a lift within its portfolio. What I had meant to ask, however, was why didn't Mount Snow didn't attempt to sell the lift on the open market to a smaller independent ski area. It's great that Mount Snow sold the chairs and flipped the money to the Epic Promise Foundation, which assists their employees in times of outstanding need, such as the floods that just smashed Okemo. But the company could likely have made more for Epic Promise by selling the entire lift to an independent ski area, many of which are desperate for a modern quad in good working condition.* I said that Vail Resorts purchased Park City Mountain Resort “in 2014 or 2015.” The company bought the resort in 2014, a year after it bought Canyons (which is now part of Park City).* I said the Outpost lift turned 60 this year. Lift Blog, my go-to source for pretty much all things lifts, lists the lift as a 1963 Yan triple. Brian said that it is a 1988 CTEC triple. New England Ski History agrees with Brian. This is not a crack on Lift Blog, which is an excellent resource, so much as on me for not double-checking my references - in fact, I think Tracy Bartels corrected me on the exact same factoid three years ago.* I said that the Northeast Midweek Epic Pass was “less than $400.” This is incorrect. The pass currently costs $425. The early-bird price for the 2023-24 ski season was $416.* When I was running through the various resorts that the Northeast-specific Epic Passes accessed, I left out Mt. Brighton, Michigan.* I noted that Mount Snow had opened in October “once and maybe twice” under Peak Resorts. The only record I can find of Mount Snow opening that early was on Oct. 27, 2018.Why you should ski Mount SnowMount Snow has two big, obvious constituencies: Park Brah and Family Bro.The Carinthia peak is a crucial piece of Peak Resorts' legacy, as important as the Bluebird Express or the tens of millions the company pumped into snowmaking upgrades. Once a separate ski area, the peak is isolated from the mountain proper (though connected both ways by green trails), a thousand vertical feet of straight hits served by a high-speed quad and a triple chair. Park Brahs can park out, Brah. Along with Seven Brothers at Loon, it may be the best terrain park in the eastern United States.Family Bro loves Mount Snow partly because of Carinthia. Radbrah Junior can spend his afternoons there, posted up five wide with his boys, contemplating the hits below. The rest of the mountain, outside of the North Face, is interstate-width and solid blue. Families of almost any ability can manage this terrain. Mount Snow may be home to the best sustained intermediate terrain in New England. It's certainly among the most varied. And the mountain grooms just about every run just about every night, even if I wish they'd chill and let some bumps sprout here and there. Mount Snow's biggest drawback is a relative lack of glades for a mountain of its size. Skiers seeking trees should aim their GPS for Stratton or Magic, both of which have excellent, extensive glade networks.Epic Pass holders need to really pick their spots, though. Both Mount Snow and Okemo reach stampede-level crowding on weekends and holidays (I really don't think either should be unlimited on the Epic Local pass). Head for Stowe at these times if at all possible. Or snag an Indy Pass for peak-day getaways to Magic and Bolton Valley.Podcast NotesOn Heavenly and the Caldor FireWhen discussing Vail Resorts' unified disaster response to the recent Vermont floods, I referred to a similar conversation I'd had with Heavenly COO Tom Fortune in regards to the Caldor Fire that descended on Tahoe two years ago. You can listen to that conversation starting at 56:03 here.On Vermont's monster March snowstormWe discussed a monster snowstorm that descended on Vermont March 14 to 15. Huge snow totals included 45 inches at Bromley, 37 inches at Magic, and 46 inches at Mount Snow.On crushing pow at Mount SnowI discussed the chaos of a pow-day rope-drop at Mount Snow. Unfortunately the only access I have to it is this Twitter video. And since Substack won't embed Twitter videos anymore you'll have to click through to watch it:Too many “suns”I kept getting Mount Snow's “sun” lifts confused. It reminded me of a time I was skiing Snowbird, and a bunch of us were debating where to go next, and my buddy Mike, clearly confused, was just like, “There's too many Gads.” And my God he's right.On the Mount Snow “tram”Brian and I briefly discussed Mount Snow's old “tram,” which transported skiers from a base-area hotel up to the ski hill. It was really more of a whacky speedboat suspended from a cable, as you can see in the rendering on this 1965 trailmap. And yes, that's a double bubble chair beside it:On the Vail Resorts acquisition of Park CityBrian worked at Park City when Vail Resorts swiped it off Powdr Corp's lunch tray after the latter forgot to renew its lease. It was probably the most cartoonishly absurd business transaction in the history of lift-served skiing. Here's Park Record, examining the events as part of a decade-in-review series in late 2019:In some circles, though, the whispers had already started that something was afoot, and perhaps not right, at PCMR. Powdr Corp. for some unknown reason was negotiating a sale of its flagship resort, the most prevalent of the rumblings held. The CEO of Powdr Corp., John Cumming, late in 2011 had publicly stated there was not a deal involving PCMR under negotiation, telling Park City leaders during a Marsac Building appearance in December of that year the resort was “not for sale.” Later that evening, he told The Park Record the rumors “always amuse me.”The reality was far more astonishing and something that would define the decade in Park City in a similar fashion as the Olympics did in the previous 10-year span and the population boom did in the 1990s.The corporate infrastructure in the spring of 2011 had inadvertently failed to renew two leases on the land underlying most of the PCMR terrain, propelling the PCMR side and the landowner, a firm under the umbrella of Talisker Corp., into what were initially private negotiations and then into a dramatic lawsuit that unfolded in state court as the Park City community, the tourism industry and the North American ski industry watched in disbelief. As the decade ends, the turmoil that beset PCMR stands, in many ways, as the instigator of a changing Park City that has left so many Parkites uneasy about the city's future as a true community.The PCMR side launched the litigation in March of 2012, saying the future of the resort was at stake in the case. PCMR might be forced to close if it did not prevail, the president and general manager of the resort at the time said at the outset of the case. Talisker Land Holdings, LLC countered that the leases had expired, suddenly leaving doubts that Powdr Corp. would retain control of PCMR. …Colorado-based Vail Resorts, one of Powdr Corp.'s industry rivals, would enter the case on the Talisker Land Holdings, LLC side in May of 2013 with the aim of wresting the disputed land from Powdr Corp. and coupling it with nearby Canyons Resort, which was branded a Vail Resorts property as part of a long-term lease and operations agreement reached at the same time of the Vail Resorts entry into the case. Vail Resorts was already an industry behemoth with its namesake property in the Rockies and other mountain resorts across North America. The addition of Canyons Resort would advance the Vail Resorts portfolio in one of North America's key skiing states.It was a deft maneuver orchestrated by the chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, Rob Katz. The agreement was pegged at upward of $300 million in long-term debt. As part of the deal, Vail Resorts also seized control of the litigation on behalf of Talisker Land Holdings, LLC. …The lawsuit itself unfolded with stunning developments followed by shocking ones over the course of two-plus years. In one stupefying moment, the Talisker Land Holdings, LLC attorneys discovered a crucial letter from the PCMR side regarding the leases had been backdated. In another such moment, PCMR outlined plans to essentially dismantle the resort infrastructure, possibly on an around-the-clock schedule, if it was ordered off the disputed land.What was transpiring in the courtroom was inconceivable to the community. How could Powdr Corp., even inadvertently, not renew the leases on the ground that made up most of the skiing terrain at PCMR, many asked. Why couldn't Powdr Corp. and Talisker Land Holdings, LLC just reach a new agreement, others wondered. And many became weary as businessmen and their attorneys took to the courtroom with the future of PCMR, critical to a broad swath of the local economy, at stake. The mood eventually shifted to exasperation as it appeared there was a chance PCMR would not open for a ski season if Talisker Land Holdings, LLC moved forward with an eviction against Powdr Corp. from the disputed terrain.The lawsuit wore on with the Talisker Land Holdings, LLC-Vail Resorts side winning a series of key rulings from the 3rd District Court judge presiding over the case. Judge Ryan Harris in the summer of 2014 signed a de facto eviction notice against PCMR and ordered the sides into mediation. Powdr Corp., realizing there was little more that could be accomplished as it attempted to maintain control of PCMR, negotiated a $182.5 million sale of the resort to Vail Resorts that September.Absolutely brutal and amazing and hard to believe, even nearly a decade later.On Canyons' name historyI mentioned the various names that the former Canyons ski area (now part of Park City), had gone by. Ski Utah provides the complete history:A neighboring ski area and sister resort to Park City Ski Area, called Park City West, opened in 1968. It was renamed ParkWest in 1975 after a change in ownership, then Wolf Mountain in 1995 for just two seasons. In 1997 it became The Canyons after an acquisition by the American Skiing Company before it was purchased by the Talisker Corporation. It was then sold to Vail Resorts in 2014 and subsequently merged with Park City Mountain. Today that base area is known as The Canyons Village at Park City.On Mount Snow's amazing snowmaking systemJust two years before selling its entire portfolio to Vail Resorts, Peak Resorts invested an amazing $30 million into Mount Snow's snowmaking system. The Brattleboro Reformer profiled the system shortly before go-live in 2017:West Lake is actually a sprawling system that begins about 4 miles from Mount Snow.It starts with a small, black, inflatable dam that stretches 18 feet across Cold Brook in Wilmington. From November through March, Mount Snow can inflate that dam as needed, drawing water into the newly constructed reservoir.A sluiceway alongside the dam ensures a flow of water in Cold Brook whether the dam is inflated or not."We were trying to be pretty low-impact, or as low-impact as possible," Storrs said.A nondescript-looking pump house near the dam can send water upward toward Mount Snow at a rate of 11,800 gallons per minute, "which is pretty much double what we used to have in terms of pumping capacity," Storrs said.On a recent morning, crews were putting on finishing touches and conducting tests at that pump house and two others situated farther up the mountain. There's a nearly 600-foot elevation gain between the inflatable dam and the last pump house on Mount Snow's slopes.On Wildcat and the long seasonWe discussed Wildcat's tradition as a late operator. Under Peak Resorts, the ski area would push the season into late April and, occasionally, May. Snowpak has documented Wildcat's closing dates over the past nine years – note the shift to earlier dates after Vail acquired the resort in 2019 (ignore the 2020 date, for obvious reasons):Vail shifted late-season New England operations to Mount Snow for reasons that Brian explains on the podcast. But it's a little incongruous stacked up against the region's other five late operators: Killington, Sugarbush, Jay Peak, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf, all of which are quite a ways north of Mount Snow:On Grand Summit and Yan detachablesI referred to the dreadful safety record of Yan detachable lifts. I broke this history of death and incompetence down in my recent podcast with China Peak GM Tim Cohee (scroll down to the Podcast Notes section).On Epic and Ikon access shifts since 2020I keep asking Vail Resorts' GMs if their ski areas are placed on the appropriate Epic Pass tier, mostly because it's amazing to me that an unlimited season pass to a mountain like Breckenridge or Mount Snow or Stevens Pass could be $676 – the early-bird price of 2023-24 Epic Local Passes. The Ikon Pass, as I noted on the podcast, has shifted its pass structure all over the place the past several seasons, tweaking access to Stratton, Sugarbush, Crystal Mountain, Alta, Aspen, Jackson Hole, Taos, Deer Valley, and Arapahoe Basin. Here's the chart I included in my recent podcast conversation with Alterra CEO Jared Smith to document those changes:I was astonished when Vail kept Stevens Pass on the Epic Local unlimited tier after 2021's well-documented crowding meltdowns. Things got so wild in Washington that Alterra pulled Crystal off the Ikon Pass' unlimited tier and jacked its season pass price up to $1,700 for the 2022-23 ski season. I still don't really understand this super-bargain access strategy, but Vail has made it clear that they're sticking with it.On the phenomenal deal that is the Epic Day PassWe discussed the Epic Day Pass. This thing really is an amazing deal:The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 68/100 in 2023, and number 454 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Want to send feedback? Reply to this email and I will answer (unless you sound insane, or, more likely, I just get busy). You can also email skiing@substack.com. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Hanif berättar om hur Magda Gads gedigna erfarenheter gör henne immun mot ifrågasättande medan Per ömmar för Johannes Säråker som inte verkar kunna gå vidare från kritiken som riktades emot honom under senare juraperioden.

Kellie Macpherson with guest host Rush Ferrell breakdown GADS for those of us at home (or at work). It is a great back and forth conversation full of useful information. For more information about GADS reporting, check out our blog.

Episode 110: Derrick Volp Presented by: Final Rise If you remember back to Episode 93, Derrick Volp joined me for a "before and after the hunt" podcast. It was Derrick's first outing with his Griffon, Gads. I promised a follow up to recap the entire season. Well here it is.  Join me this week as Derrick and I cover a variety of topics to include; Things to do to reduce the main of the early season, using a Whoa post, force fetching his dog, sounding like a sext female Turkey and much, much more. _____________________________________________ If you enjoy the podcast please go and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts ____________________________________ Connect with me: Email: Upchukarpodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @upchukar  Website: Upchukar.com

Caitlin Bulla leads Customer Support at Clearstream which is based in Pensacola, Florida. She tells us she prayed to God specifically for this kind of job and God delivered. She gives all the credit to Jesus for where He has her and what He is doing in her life. I loved hearing about the different groups she is connected with that are making a difference. Thank you so much, Caitlin for coming on the podcast and sharing what God has on your heart! So grateful to know you. God has a special calling on your life and I pray to support you well as a sister in Christ. Connect with Clearstream, known as the "The church texting service you'll love": https://clearstream.io/?utm_source=csRefresh&utm_medium=gAds&utm_campaign=searchAd&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw7TUv_rR_QIV5yZMCh1qng2EEAAYASAAEgJ8VvD_BwE Check out Positively Pensacola: https://www.positivelypensacola.org/ Come to church with us!! https://upperroompensacola.com/

This week we bring you guys an episode swap with the good folks at History Daily. In the first segment on February 16, 2003, five thieves break into the vault of the Antwerp Diamond Centre and pull off one of the biggest heists in history. In the second, from January 31, 1874, the outlaw Jesse James and his gang pull off one of the most infamous crimes in the American Old West with the Gads Hill Train Robbery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices