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This has really been bugging me and I figured I could share this to help us all gain a little clarity on a few things. On Independence Day, July 4, 2019 – the 45th President of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump, gave a speech to the American people on the mall in Washington D.C. Shortly after, both conservative and liberal media began their debates and then provided their two cents regarding the content and cost of the event. It wasn’t long before social media was buzzing with hatred and dark things to say.
As you can imagine, the conservatives loved the message, the flyovers, and the history lessons. And as you can imagine, the liberals found every way they could to criticize the president. And as you can imagine… and in my humble opinion… I find that BOTH sides have gotten it wrong – once again. Of course, it’s been a couple of weeks and the entire nation has completely forgotten about it. Well, I haven’t.
I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. And yes, there is a lot to consider. Did Trump provide a great speech? Yes. Were the flyovers and displays of military might impressive? Yes. Were the history lessons needed? Yes. Was I impressed that a president finally called our nation a Republic, instead of a democracy? Absolutely! But was the speech really appropriate? No. Should the military have been such a focus? No. Were the history lessons the right ones to give? Not really.
Let me clarify something. It was a great speech. I was quite impressed actually. And that speech would have been perfect for Veteran’s Day. In fact, just about everything about it would have been spot on for a day the focuses on our military. From the flyovers, the speech, the lessons of our battles and military struggles and so on. I also believe that the cost of the event would have been well worth it. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better event to pay homage to our soldiers because they do deserve that recognition (my reasons being different than most). But here’s the problem… it’s just not appropriate for Independence Day.
Independence Day is NOT about our government, our military, trips to the moon, trips to Mars, battles on foreign soils, or anything like that. And it’s most definitely NOT about showing off what unconstitutional acts of revenue generation can produce. We get it; the U.S. government is mighty. April 15th is all the evidence we need of that. Which is ironic when you think about it. Even the proposition of a small excise tax on alcohol was once enough to prompt an entire rebellion. Not today though. Today, we kneel and reluctantly say thanks while those who swore an oath stand idly by.
Friends, let me say that Independence Day is supposed to be a celebration of YOU. What other day do we get to celebrate the rebellious nature of the Founders and pretend as though we still hold that spirit? What other day do we embrace our desire to do the right thing and pretend that we too would declare that we will no longer be slaves to an expanding machine? What other day do we celebrate the desire to be free, to declare that our future is our own and to pretend as though we really mean it when we say it? And since none of us are actually brave enough or principled enough to fight for what our Founders created, what other days can we celebrate what those brave rebels actually did?
I know… rebellion is frowned upon these days; unless you’re rebelling against actual freedom. Does anyone else see the problem here? I digress. Yes, history is important. But the history of Independence Day didn’t start AFTER the war… it started before. Where were the stories about Thomas Paine? Where were the quotes from Sam Adams? Where was the history of Ethan Allen? I didn’t hear the story of The Shot Heard Around the World. If you want to talk about Independence Day, we need the history of what inspired it. I want to hear about the anger of the people. I want to hear about the dangers of a standing army. I want to hear about the excessive limitation and laws placed on the people. I want to hear about the burdens of taxation. I want to hear about a tyrants attempts to take away the right of self-protection. If you’re going to give an Independence Day history speech, these are the things that should be talked about because the inspiration for Independence Day was from a tired, frustrated and fed-up PEOPLE; not a mighty government.
Sure, a new government was created but the people were the driving force. Independence Day is about the spirit of 1776. This is significant when you consider that Washington didn’t even become President until 89. We all know that the war changed the world but what people need to hear is what led to that change in the first place. If you want to talk about what happened since the war, then lets at least go ahead and put THAT into an Independence Day context. In fact… allow me…
At one point, our government was comprised of representatives that were pulled from the citizenry and took turns trying to provide great outcomes for the people. The idea of a broke government and rich people was prized by most. This is because shortly before the war, the people of this great nation got fed up with rich, thieving tyrants and decided to create that new government. So what happened?
Well, it’s been a long time since that was the case. Today we have a bunch of people that live in Washington that make more laws than anyone can count and they make decisions for you without actually considering you, your family, your future or your struggles. All because that same entity decided that secrecy, the omission of information, excessive taxation, redistribution practices, and control is a better policy. Awesome. Happy Independence Day.
And now the one day that we could celebrate the spirit of rebellion, is being co-oped with a government that looks strikingly similar to the opposing forces that we have all but forgotten our Founders once defeated? Just remember that at one point, Independence Day was about YOU and ME. Not the government, not the military, not the wars and not about how mighty our government can become when it continues to erode our personal wealth. Our government today is every bit the opposite of what our Founders wanted. Our “mighty” Bill of Rights is a punch-line to most who swore to defend it. But most of us simply don’t understand that because we didn’t learn that in our government-run school. Like James Madison said, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” It’s a sad state of affairs, James.
To be honest, I don’t know what we are celebrating anymore. Don’t get me wrong; I love my home and what it’s SUPPOSED to be, but just look at how far we have strayed. Today we have standing armies among us. We have tax overload. Our currency is no longer “money”. We have so many laws that even the Library of Congress can’t count them. We have perpetual debt brought on by conquest that nobody asked for. We have a lack of representation. We incarcerate more people than tyrannical nations. Our money is redistributed on terms WELL OUTSIDE of anything resembling equality. We have people swearing oaths with zero intention of actually defending the Constitution – because they never took the time to actually read it in the first place. Our property is rented – not owned. We ask permission to exercise our supposed unalienable Rights and we pay for that opportunity. Our government profits from your labor and education several times over while at the same time, trying desperately to get you angry at your neighbor. Friends… we are not even the free-est nation on the planet… by a long shot.
Yet with all of this, we have the audacity to call ourselves the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave”? Forget throwing off the tyrants. In many cities, you can’t even speak your mind in public without buying a permit. And let me just clarify that a license or permit is defined as “special permission for something that would otherwise be illegal“. Read the Constitution! Marbury v Madison anyone?
I believe our Founders would be more than angry with us all. They would be disappointed and confused. The truth is that we’ve lost our way and we should be disappointed with ourselves. And as any student of history can tell you, when a nation loses its way, hard times are sure to come.
What does Independence Day even mean anymore? People don’t remember and their ignorance is now a punchline on late-night television. Too many people just wrap themselves in the flag while they buy their permits and post memes about how great we are. Well, I’m confused.
By the way, Independence Day was supposed to be about more than just getting away from the crown. It was supposed to be about standing up to tyranny – no matter where we were in the world or who the tyrant was. It’s kind of funny; most of us can’t even do that in our own neighborhoods. What gives us the right to pretend that we are so great? We have forgotten not only what made this nation so strong, but also who was supposed to have that strength.
But now that I’ve given this a little more thought, perhaps the term “Independence Day” is still appropriate after all. Maybe I’m wrong. I mean, it’s the one day that so few have given any real thought about lately. Which would also mean that these people are essentially, Independent of any real thought on the topic. It’s not something to be proud of but hey… at least it’s still about the people. | <urn:uuid:32d8ecf2-7686-4bcc-b3ca-d424fa1b38ae> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dmrpublications.com/2019/07/the-independence-day-speech/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.972089 | 2,091 | 1.554688 | 2 |
US Navy Launches New Warship Sideways Into The Water
It’s always so cool to see the different ways ships are launched into the water. We’ve seen massive yachts launched from a truck and trailer, smaller vessels ramped straight out of the assembly facility, and of course, the awe-inspiring sideways launches of massive craft like the one seen in this video.
Assembled at Marinette Marine Shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin, the US Navy’s latest Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship, the USS Billings was recently christened and launched into the Menominee River near the entrance to Lake Michigan. Christened by its sponsor, Montana Senator Jon Tester’s wife Sharon, with a bottle of sparkling wine smashes across its bow, the USS Billings was then launched in dramatic fashion into the water.
Years of experience have taught these shipbuilders the best way to get their latest creations into the water, and clearly the Marinette Marine way is the sideways plunge. As soon as Mrs. Tester smashes the wine on the ship’s hull, a horn sounds and the launch proceeds, ending in a matter of seconds with a massive splashdown that sends a wall of water racing across the top of the river. While the launch looks to be violent and unpredictable, there’s no doubt this process has been carried out many times by the crew and they certainly knew exactly how it was going to go. The ship rocks quickly back and forth, then settles nicely into it’s upright orientation, ready to load up with the crew and head out to sea.
When the ship slips quietly though the Great Lakes and enters the northern Atlantic, it will join the rest of the Naval fleet in defending our freedoms and protecting our interests around the world as part of the most powerful military on the planet. We are proud of the might of our military and thankful for the service of all the men and woman around the world that fight to keep America the greatest nation on the planet. | <urn:uuid:5cf44036-0f90-4683-823b-48d7c9fb6ede> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://news.speedsociety.com/us-navy-launches-new-warship-sideways-into-the-water/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.947212 | 418 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Caring for Your Child After an Appendectomy
After an appendectomy (surgery to remove the appendix), your child will need to rest. It takes a few weeks to feel back to normal again.
What Should I Expect?
Most kids recover well at home after an appendectomy. In the first few days after surgery, here are some things you might notice — and what you can do:
- Pain. Your child probably will have belly pain. Kids who had laparoscopic surgery also might have shoulder pain. Ease your child's pain by using the medicine that the surgeon recommended. If the pain gets worse or does not get better after using the pain medicine, call your surgeon.
- Lack of appetite. Your child might not feel like eating after surgery. Start with clear liquids like chicken broth and water. When your child feels a bit hungrier, offer bland foods like crackers. Don't force your child to eat. If your child isn't drinking anything or hasn't started eating by 2 days after the surgery, call your surgeon.
- Lack of energy. It's normal for kids to feel tired for a few days after surgery. Let your child rest as needed. Call your surgeon if your child doesn't start to have more energy by about a week after surgery.
- Sore throat. The breathing tube used during anesthesia can leave kids with a sore throat. The pain should go away in a day or two. Offer your child ice chips and cool drinks to soothe the pain.
- Constipation. It can take a few days to have a bowel movement (poop). As kids start to drink and eat again, they should go back to having normal bowel movements. Call your surgeon if your child has not pooped by 2 days after the surgery. Sometimes the surgeon will recommend a mild laxative (medicine that makes a person poop).
- Fever. Some children may have a low fever of around 99°F (37°C) in the first day or two after surgery. It should go away within 2 days. Call the surgeon if your child has a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. This could be a sign of an infection.
How Can I Help My Child?
To help your child feel better faster, follow your surgeon's instructions for:
- when and what your child can eat
- which medicine to give for pain
- other medicines to give, if any
- which activities are OK
- when to come back for a follow-up appointment
When Should I Call the Doctor?
Call your surgeon if your child:
- has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
- has redness, swelling, or pus draining from any of the incisions (cuts)
- has pain that gets worse or doesn't get better after taking pain medicine
- is vomiting (throwing up)
- will not drink
- doesn't start eating by 1 day after surgery
- hasn't had a bowel movement (pooped) by 2 days after the surgery
- has diarrhea
If your child has any of these problems, your surgeon may want to see your child or ask you to go to your pediatrician, visit urgent care, or have a telemedicine visit.
It's rare for kids to have serious problems after an appendectomy. But if the doctor thinks your child needs attention right away, they will tell you to take your child to the emergency room (ER). | <urn:uuid:9b7f31b3-eae0-4b97-b134-b75d3778e2fc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/post-appendectomy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.958897 | 724 | 2.53125 | 3 |
‘Blue Boy’ by Rakesh Satyal
Author: Charles Casillo
June 8, 2010
Many gay coming of age stories, in fiction and in real life, share some common elements: the lonely protagonist who feels isolated and misunderstood, a disapproving father, a doting but bewildered mother, and a mob of cruel, taunting peers. Often there are many humiliating experiences, awkward attempts at friendship, budding sexuality, a desire to do things considered “girlie,” perhaps a clumsiness in sports. And because of all of these things there is almost always a desperate need for the protagonist to prove himself to others as worthwhile, to excel. All of these plot points are common but real, and it is up to the writer to put his stamp on such a story to make it his own.
In Blue Boy, author Rakesh Satyal covers a few months in the life of Kiran Sharma, a twelve year old gay Indian American boy whose parents immigrated to Cincinnati from India. The fact that he doesn’t just act different, but looks different, and lives in Middle America with parents from an unfamiliar culture (Punjabi), adds to the boy’s separateness and confusion. Kiran is remarkably observant, has an intelligent and witty mind, and he finds an affinity with the religious story of the flute-playing, crown-wearing, blue-skinned Hindu god Krishna. The idea that he actually may be a reincarnation of Krishna comes to him as he takes Sunday religious instruction with a group of other Indian children. “…what those kids don’t know—what those derisive posses can’t get their thickly black-haired heads around—is that I am destined for great things, too. I am blue, too. You just can’t see it yet.”
He so identifies with Krishna that Kiran starts molding his life on the deity—eating butter and practicing the flute. He even starts believing his skin color may actually turn blue. He plans to have a triumphant unveiling of his “true” self as the modern day embodiment of the Hindu god during an extravagant song and dance number at the annual elementary school talent show. So much for putting a unique stamp on the traditional gay coming of age story!
The book is also interesting in the way it stands as a document in the evolution of coming out stories through the years. Although the story takes place in 1992 and many of the standard situations are in play, Kiran is already much more daring than most gay boys would have been, say, even a decade earlier. “I am a walking museum of oddities,” he admits, “and the thing I want most is genuine sympathy from someone.” Yet, while desperately wanting to fit in, Kiran has enough pluck to assert his distinct personality on many occasions. His queerness causes him to be jeered at but he doesn’t try to clone himself into everyone else.
Through the years he has turned up at school drenched in his mother’s perfume and appeared costumed as the doll Rainbow Brite’s boyfriend for Halloween. He is the only boy who takes ballet classes in a special after school program. He has a bright pink bath mat in his bathroom—a luxury he begged his mother to buy him. During a party at his parents’ friends’ house he sneaks away from the other children and secretly puts on full face make-up in the hostesses’ master bathroom, using her cosmetics. At school Kiran readily discusses Malibu Barbie versus Evening Gown Barbie with a couple of conniving girls. The following day he wears a neon orange coat to school and finds his desk plastered with Barbie doll stickers. He tries to scratch them off the desk rather than informing the teacher and “putting a spotlight on the situation.” Yet he seems unaware that he already pointed the spotlight on himself by wearing the neon orange coat. It’s almost if he can’t stop himself. There is an inner creative, independent streak that controls him. He admirably expresses his individuality in an attempt to be true to his unique nature even while knowing it’s his difference that keeps him singled out.
I sympathized with the character Kiran and related to him on a number of levels (I remember my own desire to read Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret as a pre-teen and being made to feel that this was a wrong choice for a boy), but I didn’t always find myself liking him. With Kiran, Satyal has drawn a colorful, multi-dimensional character so that at one moment you are rooting for him while at other times you’re rolling your eyes in exasperation.
He has a prankster spirit that doesn’t always win admiration. He has feelings of superiority over his contemporaries and is privately just as judgmental of them as they are of him. ‘”How did Sarah and Melissa, otherwise ‘cool’ girls end up with a hunchback like Cody and an ostrich like Danny?” he asks himself. Of course, his fury stems from being an outcast—having to sit alone in the middle of a field while the other kids play. Sneaking around his own house to do things that make him happy (playing with dolls and putting on makeup.) And afraid to be himself in front of his own father. He gets his revenge by being a tattletale on an adolescent Indian couple for making out (which could have serious repercussions) and alarmingly, setting a school room on fire—allowing others to take the blame. “I’ve taught them all what happens when you cross my path,” he crows.
Through it all, Kiran never questions his own specialness. He hopes to make his exceptional abilities apparent to one and all (while exposing their inadequacies) at the school talent show. “There are countless examples of other lip-synching fiascos that I could mention but suffice it to say that 99.9 percent of the school is virtually talentless, and there is only that one rare diamond in the rough that shines through the mold. And I am a 400-carat stone, baby.”
The kids at his schools—both Caucasian and Indian—are standard bullies but some of Satyal’s other characters stand out. Kiran’s mother is torn between her traditional values as an Indian woman and her new love for American shopping for sales at places like the Gap. Also, in one uncommonly touching, deftly written scene, Satyal brings the homophobic father character center stage and—as he pours out his disappointment in his son—the reader actually feels some sympathy and understanding for him! We are forced to view Kiran’s behavior through eyes that can see his son only from the standpoint of his life experience in a particular culture that dictates a stringent standard of male behavior. He desperately wants a connection with his boy but can’t comprehend his actions. Satyal also effectively reveals Kiran’s emotions to the awkward encounter. “I have never felt so ineffective as a boy. My crying proves right everything that my father is accusing me of.” Later that day his father tries to bring some normalcy back to their relationship by resorting to his habit of videotaping his son at random moments. Kiran doesn’t see this as an attempt at restoring peace but as his father’s inability to feel. Ultimately it is Kiran’s story, told in his voice, and it is he who has the final word on his relationship with his father. “We will never be like each other. I will never respond emotionally the way he does. We will never be more than two containers, full of the same blood but different in size, shape, owners. His belongs to the mind, and mine belongs to the heart.”
We are still a long way from gay children feeling comfortable and accepted for who they are but we are moving in a positive direction. In Blue Boy we see how one gay adolescent learns to accept his orientation and his ethnicity and even, in the end, feel triumphant for his trials and tribulations: “Now there is a little bit of immortality added to my public persona, an ability to defy pain, and I giggle inside thinking that, in at least this respect, I have made myself a god.” Kiran’s triumph is a triumph for many of us who survived the pain of an early life of bullying and Blue Boy is an important contribution to its genre. | <urn:uuid:7d729d7b-46bb-4ae9-9175-27ddd8e9839a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lambdaliterary.org/2010/06/blue-boy-by-rakesh-satyal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.979179 | 1,802 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Dhola: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today inaugurated India’s longest bridge – the 9.15 km long Dhola-Sadiya bridge, over the River Brahmaputra, in Assam.
This was his first engagement on the third anniversary of his swearing-in as Prime Minister.
The bridge will enhance connectivity and greatly reduce travel time between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
After unveiling a plaque to mark the inauguration, the Prime Minister travelled, and walked on the bridge for a few minutes.
Later, addressing a public meeting at Dhola, the Prime Minister said that the inauguration of the bridge marks the end of a long wait for the people of this area.
The Prime Minister said infrastructure is extremely important for development, and the effort of the Union Government is to fulfil the dreams and wishes of the people. He said this bridge enhances connectivity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, and opens the door for economic development, on a big scale.
He said the eastern and north-eastern parts of the country have the greatest potential for economic development, and this bridge is just one element of the Union Government’s vision in this regard.
The Prime Minister said the bridge will bring about a positive change in the lives of the common people. He said the Union Government is placing great emphasis on the development of waterways as well.
The Prime Minister said enhanced connectivity between the North-East and other parts of the country is a priority for the Union Government, and work has been greatly speeded up in this regard. He said that good connectivity in the North-East will also link the region with the economy of South-East Asia.
The Prime Minister also spoke of the immense tourism potential of the North-East. He said the Union Government has decided to name the Dhola-Sadiya bridge after the great musician, lyricist and poet, Bhupen Hazarika. | <urn:uuid:6726f78d-d218-45e0-a9cb-976ab1abe73c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://orissadiary.com/pm-narendra-modi-inaugurates-indias-longest-bridge-assam-addresses-public-meeting-dhola/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.96329 | 398 | 1.804688 | 2 |
BJP’s tally will depend on promises kept, not made (Sunday Guardian)
By M D Nalapat
Subtext of 2019 mandate will be the same as for 2014: Not continuity but change.
While voters pay attention to the promises of an Opposition party, they factor in only the achievements of the ruling side. India expected Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leap to a flying start. After all, in 1992, Prime Minister Narasimha Rao (as Minister for Industry), within his first hundred days in office, dismantled several of the hurdles on expansion and investment placed by successive governments till then. His Finance Minister, Manmohan Singh, went the other way and retained most of the existing taxes on citizens of India and domestic companies, even while slashing them on foreign enterprises. Had Singh given tariff cover to Information Technology hardware units owned by his fellow citizens, this country may not have witnessed the flood of imports of IT hardware that has characterised external trade in India since then, including expenditure on mobile handsets by a country where Nokia shut down a giant handset plant in Tamil Nadu owing to issues relating to taxation. In India, it is much easier to shut down a plant than to construct one. Most such growth-dampeners have yet to get cleared. Cultural values, national security, protection of the weaker sections; these are a few of the excuses offered by those who operate from (im)purely commercial motives as they block competition through ministries or the courts preventing fresh capacity. Surprisingly, the incoming government gave a passing grade to its predecessor in the first Economic Survey of the Modi government. Instead, what ought to have been done was to use the atmosphere of goodwill and cooperation created by the BJP’s poll victory in holding a Joint Session of Parliament to rectify several of the blockages to growth and social justice that have long lingered within the governance system. For starters, there needed to be much more transparency and accountability in the civil service than has been the case since Sardar Patel transplanted the Imperial Civil Service practically unchanged into the post-Independence era. The Central government’s power to sanction projects needed to get reduced and much of such residual powers moved downwards to state and even municipal level. A more equitable allocation of revenue than at present needed to get created as would give greater spending power to the lowest units of administration, rather than having vast sums coagulate at the Central level. A Joint Session of Parliament in 2014 or early 2015 to steer through systemic changes would have had an effect even greater than P.V. Narasimha Rao’s reforms during his initial months in office.
Instead of using the Joint Parliamentary Session method sanctioned by the Constitution of India to get through essential business, the Modi government decided to seek a Rajya Sabha super majority by making every state election as important to the BJP government as the national polls. Given their zeal over the next three years to take over political space to a degree not seen since the period when Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and personally handpicked BJP president Amit Shah made a coming together of the Opposition all but inevitable before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Even the CBI or the ED, those immensely useful tools of practical statecraft, will find it a tough slog to separate Mayawati from Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, or to break up the Rahul-Lalu combo in Bihar, the two states responsible for the present BJP Lok Sabha majority. Had the BJP not sought to continue a “Naamdar” as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, and had the just passed Constitution amendment bill on reservation to “forward” castes been introduced before the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, the BJP may have prevailed over the Congress Party in both states. As matters stand, while Chhattisgarh is likely to see a strong Lok Sabha showing by the Congress Party, the BJP is likely to get less than half the seats it had won in 2014 from MP and Rajasthan. Should the Shiv Sena separate from the BJP in Maharashtra, and the Vijay Rupani government keep its present form in Gujarat, the Opposition is likely to get more parliamentary seats than the BJP in both states. The more Rahul Gandhi has been able to fashion Congress policy and tactics different from those witnessed during the UPA era, the tougher it will prove for the BJP to hold the Congress Party to a double digit Lok Sabha tally. Going by present trends, the difference between the Congress and BJP Lok Sabha tally is likely to be below 50 seats, in a context where it would be far easier for Rahul Gandhi than for Modi-Shah-Jaitley (the triumvirate that has dominated politics and the economy since 26 May 2014) to persuade a sufficient number of others to join them in the formation of a majority government. It needs to be added that Nitin Gadkari, were the BJP tally to fall below 220, would be able to move about 60 Opposition MPs more to the BJP corner than the party’s ruling triumvirate. If the BJP’s tally falls below 220, its MPs may have to choose between sitting in the opposition under Modi or returning to government under Nitin Gadkari.
The BJP must have calculated that the Congress Party and others such as the BSP and the SP would follow a reflexive policy of opposition and vote against the Constitution amendment bill in the Rajya Sabha. Instead, Rahul, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav showed dexterity in backing the government’s move, thereby substantially reducing the political benefits of the legislation to the BJP. Had Modi-Shah-Jaitley used the Joint Session route to get passed other measures (such as a ban on Triple Talaq or the construction of the Ram Temple), the BJP may have been able to better convince voters that it was capable of actually fulfilling the promises made to the electorate. Instead, by acting since 2014 as though little could be done until the party had a substantial majority in both Houses of Parliament as well as three-fourths of state Assemblies, the BJP has disappointed those who expected results and not excuses in performance. Should the coming Budget Session get creatively used to ensure a more rational taxation and regulatory regime than the present toxic mishmash, such moves too are likely to see not obstruction but support from much of the Opposition, but overall can slow down a BJP slide. The subtext of the 2019 mandate will be the same as for 2014: Not continuity but change. The more voters believe change is real under the party’s regime, the higher the BJP tally will be. Promises will no longer work, unlike the way they did in the previous election. | <urn:uuid:358d9b3e-8dba-46b7-834d-fa8eee69182e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://globe.mdnalapat.com/2019/01/bjps-tally-will-depend-on-promises-kept.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.96483 | 1,369 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Successful partnerships between Indigenous, rural or remote communities and renewable energy or energy storage companies are essential to the future of the energy transition in Canada. This session will explore the opportunities represented by these partnerships, the readiness of communities and companies to partner in the development of local projects, and illustrate how such projects can support community goals, such as achieving greater energy independence and reducing environmental and carbon footprints.
Moderator:Alexandra Thomson, Program Manager, Indigenous Clean Energy
Speaker: Jay Massie, Vice President, Northern Development & Indigenous Relations, ATCO
Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation | <urn:uuid:f385344a-794a-426e-9c6f-b134c9d1e3cb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://electricitytransformation.ca/sessions/session-1-2-renewable-energy-partnerships-with-indigenous-communities/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.900471 | 136 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Amazon MMO New World Is Bricking RTX 3090s, Players Say; Amazon Responds
It seems that EVGA RTX 3090s are primarily being affected by the game, though Amazon says the number of incidents is small.
It seems that making a game is actually somewhat harder than rocket science. Amazon, which recently had its founder Jeff Bezos blasted into space by Blue Origin, is now bricking high-end graphics cards with a beta for its MMO, New World, according to players. Amazon has now responded to downplay the incident but says it plans to implement a frame rate cap on the game's menus.
According to users on Twitter and Reddit, New World has been frying extremely high-end graphics cards, namely Nvidia's RTX 3090. It's worth noting that while the RTX 3090 has an MSRP of $1,500, it's often selling for much more due to scarcity and scalpers, so players could easily be losing upwards of $2,000 if their card stops working.
Specifically, it seems that one model of the RTX 3090 is being consistently fried by New World. On Reddit, a lengthy thread of over 600 posts includes multiple users claiming that their EVGA 3090 graphics cards are now little more than expensive paperweights after playing the New World beta.
The "red light of death," an indicator that something is disastrously wrong with your EVGA 3090, doesn't pop up consistently for players though. Some report their screen going black after a cutscene in the game while others have said that simply using the brightness calibration screen was enough to brick their card.
Amazon Games has acknowledged the issue surrounding EVGA 3090 graphics cards, saying a patch is on the way to prevent further issues. "Hundreds of thousands of people played in the New World Closed Beta yesterday, with millions of total hours played. We’ve received a few reports of players using high-performance graphics cards experiencing hardware failure when playing New World," said Amazon Games in an official statement.
"New World makes standard DirectX calls as provided by the Windows API. We have seen no indication of widespread issues with 3090s, either in the beta or during our many months of alpha testing. The New World Closed Beta is safe to play. In order to further reassure players, we will implement a patch today that caps frames per second on our menu screen. We’re grateful for the support New World is receiving from players around the world, and will keep listening to their feedback throughout Beta and beyond."
Prior to this beta, New World has faced other issues. The game was delayed repeatedly, with its last major delay hitting a year ago in July 2020. New World is currently set to launch for PC on August 31.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site. | <urn:uuid:a11e2b27-0a78-4d81-a62e-aa7c1a340de7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.gamespot.com/articles/amazon-mmo-new-world-is-bricking-rtx-3090s-players-say/1100-6494221/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.980286 | 597 | 1.507813 | 2 |
California gold prospectors hope state-wide drought will help them strike it rich
Much of California is enduring extreme drought conditions that have left farmers hoping for any rain to water their crops. Prospectors say there’s an upside to the harsh conditions, though, with the depleted conditions exposing previously invisible gold.
Gold was first discovered in California during the latter half of the 1840s, with hundreds of thousands of Americans making their way west from the congested east coast hoping to strike it rich. The gold-seekers - also known as 49ers, prospectors, and by a variety of other names – found so much of the metal that the total, while not known for sure, almost certainly is equivalent to tens of billions of dollars in today’s currency.
Within a few short years the Gold Rush had become so saturated with prospectors that only a small fraction found enough wealth to justify their trip, never mind the fortune they sought. But now, 150 years later, the California drought that has left much of the state desperate for precipitation has inspired a number of people to try their luck again.
CBS’ affiliate in Los Angeles reported that, as water in small creeks and streams throughout Southern California evaporates, more avenues for prospectors are becoming exposed. Gold is currently trading at $1,300 per troy ounce, which is enough of an incentive for families to spend their weekends sifting through the dirt.
“A lot of the time you would just see a husband. Now you’re seeing the whole family,” said Kevin Hoagland, a member of the Gold Prospectors Association of America. Many of the gold pieces he’s found range in value from $5 to $200 apiece.
“While you may not make a fortune, it’s a great way to spend time with the family,” he said. “We can go back over some of the areas where old miners looked in the past and find gold that they missed.”
The conditions in California are so dry that the US federal government has announced that every square mile in the state is enduring some kind of drought. Nearly 15-percent of the state, and much of the farmland, is in an extreme state of drought.
While the Los Angeles area is preparing for its first heavy rainfall in some time, the San Francisco region has experienced a mere 5.85 inches of precipitation since July 1, 2013, about one-third the normal total. Los Angeles has received 1.2 inches over the same amount of time, far short of the normal 10.45 inches.
One couple living in the heart of Gold Country in Northern California probably is not complaining about the conditions. The pair, who have only been identified as a middle-aged couple who have lived on their rural property for years, said they were walking their dog when they discovered $10 million in rare, mint-condition coins buried beneath an old tree.
They found 1,427 coins, according to the Associated Press, and nearly all of them date from 1847 to 1894 and are in uncirculated, mint condition. David Hall, co-founder of Professional Coin grading Service, said the value of the gold pieces adds up to $27,000 but many of the pieces are so rare that they could command $1 million apiece.
How greatly the months-long drought contributed to the finding of the treasure is unknown, but the couple is keeping their identity hidden to prevent prospectors from targeting them or their property. They plan to sell many of the coins online while donating others to local museums and charities, according to Don Kagin, a veteran numismatist who is representing the family.
“I don’t like to say once-in-a-lifetime for anything, but you don’t get an opportunity to handle this kind of material, a treasure like this, ever,” he told the AP. “It’s like they found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” | <urn:uuid:c5946267-f31d-4b34-af0b-1884873e40f1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.rt.com/usa/california-drought-gold-rush-2014-732/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.967892 | 829 | 2.78125 | 3 |
The Live Well, Work Well newsletter is an employee newsletter that is produced monthly and covers topics like health, wellness, fitness, nutrition, and personal finance. This month’s issue discusses dental health.
Why Dental Health is So Important
Having a happy, healthy smile is often one of our first achievements and a goal we share with others. But good oral health is more than a smile on your face. It can help you prevent disease, fungal infections, and the need for false teeth or implants.
Research has shown that the health of your mouth has an impact on the overall health of your body. If you are in general good health, it stands to reason your teeth are generally strong, you have minimal signs of decay, and no gum disease.
However, if you have chronic issues such as periodontal/gum disease, mouth ulcers, dry mouth, or excessive gum problems, these may be signs that there is something more serious going on.
- Mouth lesions are often the first sign of diabetes.
- Gum disease can be a warning sign of stroke or heart disease.
- Swollen gums, dry mouth, and excessive gum problems have been associated with diseases such as leukemia, pancreatic cancer, and kidney disease.
Saliva, plaque build-up, and bacteria
Your saliva contains antibodies that help protect you from harmful bacteria and viruses. But it can’t defend you from all illnesses. You have more than 500 species of bacteria in your mouth that constantly form plaque. Plaque is a sticky, clear film that clings to your teeth and can lead to health problems.
Bacteria from your mouth don’t normally enter your bloodstream. However, plaque can build up along your gum line and lead to an infection known as gingivitis. This can weaken your mouth’s normal defenses and potentially lead to further contamination in other areas of your body.
Medication’s effect on oral health
Decongestants, antihistamines, pain killers, and antidepressants have all been shown to reduce the flow of saliva. Be sure to talk to your dentist if you are taking any of these medications so they can help you devise a plan to counteract any potential negative side effects.
Good oral health habits
Maintaining good oral health is key to maintaining good health. Here’s how you can develop a comprehensive routine to protect your teeth and gums.
- Brush your teeth at least twice a day. If possible, brush after every meal. Be sure to use toothpaste with fluoride and pay special attention to your gum line. Choose a toothbrush that’s easy to use (electric or manual) and replace it every three to four months.
- Floss at least once every day to clean those tight spaces between your teeth. It doesn’t matter if you floss before or after you brush your teeth. However, if you floss before brushing you may get better contact between your teeth and the fluoride in your toothpaste.
- Consider having children’s teeth sealed to help prevent cavities. Your dentist will let you know when and if sealants are needed.
- Eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, and limit sugary foods, which promote tooth decay.
- Don’t smoke or, if you do smoke, try to quit. Smoking increases your risk of gum disease and tooth loss.
It’s also important that you become an active participant in your dental health. See your dentist regularly and talk to them about any concerns you may have. Ask questions about how to care for your teeth properly. For example, you may want to ask for recommendations on what kind of toothbrush and toothpaste you should use or the proper way to brush and floss.
Detecting oral health problems early
You should visit your dentist at regular intervals. These regular checkups can help with the early detection of cavities, gingivitis, enamel loss, and periodontitis (a serious infection of the gums caused by bacteria accumulated on your teeth and gums). Your dentist can recommend how often to schedule your appointments.
Also, if you are pregnant, you should continue to see your dentist regularly. Poor oral hygiene has been shown to lead to premature birth and low birth weights.
For more information
If you have questions about your dental plan and how you can take advantage of its benefits to maintain good dental health, talk to your HR or benefits advisor. They can help you understand your plan and the benefits available to you. | <urn:uuid:3c064fa6-ba13-46ea-9fa1-5b25bdf94e17> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.lawriegroup.com/live-well-work-well-may-2021/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.941272 | 932 | 3.34375 | 3 |
The Kingdom, part of a planned trilogy with The Apostles and the never completed The Last Judgment; is often overshadowed by Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. This is a pity because, in many ways, The Kingdom is a very cohesive work that is so full of beautiful moments. Sir Adrian Boult once recalled a great friend of Elgar saying to him ‘My dear boy, beside The Kingdom, Gerontius is the work of a raw amateur.’ A rather strong comment on Gerontius, perhaps, but a valid endorsement of The Kingdom.
Completed in 1906 and first performed at the Birmingham Festival in October of that year, The Kingdom is in five parts and tells the biblical account of the events after the crucifixion of Jesus, with the story of Pentecost, the arrest of Peter, his release and the final Breaking of the Bread with Elgar’s fine setting of the Lord’s Prayer. The text was compiled by Elgar assisted by conversations with his parish priest in Hereford, Canon Dolman.
The Prelude acts as a wonderful introduction, containing so many of the works main leitmotifs or representative themes, here receiving a very dynamic opening that contrasted so well with the more reflective moments. The large forces of these two choirs and the BBC Symphony Orchestra gained so much from the spacious acoustic of the Royal Albert Hall.
Part I: In the Upper Room produced some lovely singing from the choirs, so well blended. Christopher Purves (baritone) as St. Peter brought a performance that was full of expression, though occasionally a little unsteady. Andrew Staples (tenor) as St. John was strong and firm. Andrew Davis moulded the music so well, bringing out some lovely orchestral textures with the Royal Albert Hall organ pointing up the bass textures.
Erin Wall (soprano) as the Blessed Virgin and Catherine Wyn-Rogers (contralto) as Mary Magdalene combined so well in Part II: At the Beautiful Gate with Wall showing a very fine, strong voice and Wyn-Rogers particularly fine in her richer lower textures.
Andrew Staples proved to be very fine again when he sang ‘When the great Lord will, we shall be filled with the Spirit of understanding’ in Part III: Pentecost. Erin Wall really threw herself into the dramatic solo, when the Holy Spirit descends, ‘and suddenly there came from Heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind…’
Christopher Purves brought a great sense of humanity in his fine solo ‘I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.’; for me one of the most beautiful melodies in this work, leading to the fine conclusion of Part III.
When we arrived at Part IV: The Sign of Healing, Catherine Wyn-Rogers was in fine voice, tender and expressive and Andrew Staples sang beautifully in ‘Unto you that fear His name’, full of power and expression. Indeed both Andrew Staples and Christopher Purves blended wonderfully in the following duet.
In Part V: The Upper Room, Elgar seems to weave so many more of his leitmotif through the music, gloriously played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Soloists, choirs and orchestra brought a terrific final section, not a climax but perhaps the most beautiful setting of The Lord’s Prayer to end this great work.
This was a full blooded performance yet with so many subtle, beautiful moments from one of our finest conductors of Elgar. This was a terrific opening concert to the 2014 season of the BBC Proms. | <urn:uuid:a0d01635-7c92-462a-bb0f-8658a89ce559> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.com/2014/07/sir-andrew-davis-brings-terrific.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.953197 | 746 | 1.539063 | 2 |
You may think they have plenty of conventional spots – cliffs, islands, seaside rooftops, chimney pots – to nest on.
But a pair of herring gulls have opted to construct their nest on the roof of a Dorset police car, taking it out of action because they are a protected species and cannot be disturbed.
In the sort of a scenario that might have appeared in Hot Fuzz, the Edgar Wright film featuring hapless West Country officers, Dorset police are having to stand by and wait for nature to take its course.
The force said that as soon as officers in Bridport spotted the nest, they knew it should not be disturbed, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
A spokesperson said: “We are now liaising with Natural England to explore what options are available to us in these unusual circumstances. As this is a spare vehicle, there are sufficient cars to meet our operational requirements and there will be no impact on our daily activities. However, we are keen to get the vehicle operational as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson for the RSPB, a conservation charity, said the car was a surprising place for a nest, but was confident it would be safe under police protection.
The spokesperson added: “Herring gulls are on the red list of highest conservation concern and, like many seabirds, face a range of threats. Fortunately, it won’t be long before the eggs hatch – and the young are away not long after hatching.”
A local resident said: “Clearly the police haven’t had to use the car for a while as it must have taken the gulls some time to build a nest. Apparently they have been there for a few days but I haven’t seen any signs of eggs yet.”
The RSPCA said: “Birds are at their most vulnerable when nesting. Any disturbance could kill or injure wild birds and their young – or cause parent birds to abandon their nest, eggs and young.
“Nests can’t be moved or destroyed while they’re being built or still in use – apart from under certain exceptions to allow the control of certain birds for specific reasons under licence.” | <urn:uuid:29425181-962d-4bd8-81d1-97df612e2143> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/27/protected-gulls-roost-on-roof-of-dorset-police-car | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.966035 | 464 | 1.914063 | 2 |
EC357: I twice heard sociologist lecture to different groups. He had done a very extensive bit of research on the difference between company towns and towns where people were on their own working for themselves either as small businessmen or farmers. And he said that the difference between the two cultures was dramatic. In the company town very often the company was very generous, very thoughtful, did everything to provide the proper conditions, both housing, often better than people on their own had, recreation, health care and so on. But in the company town church going was low, very much lower than in the town of people who had their own homes or farms where private property prevailed. | <urn:uuid:635db425-dcf8-4176-9ad3-20bba95a1563> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://chalcedon.edu/resources/audio/property-and-society?craftToken=M8KlXePUO50VTJ54lpJlcaMIgfp3ZuTI | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.996161 | 133 | 2.0625 | 2 |
For those of you who are just hearing about SEO let me explain what seo optimization is - Search Engine Optimization is search engine optimization (in our case Google and Bingbecause they are the 2 most popular in Europe), also known as organic search.
In other words - these are the first results that come out in the search results after Google Ads paid advertising, Google My Business publications and YouTube videos.
On this page:
What Are The Benefits Of Website SEO
- you do not pay to display your website
- you do not pay for search clicks
- you get a lot of free traffic
- you can easily monetize your site
What is SEO and how is SEO done?
The results of the organic search are not organic at all. They have been manipulated!
But how does it actually happen? Let me explain…
In front of you stands the man X and states that he is president. The first thing that comes to mind is doubt - you have never seen him or heard his name. Several other people appear to confirm the words of man Xthat he is president. Doubt is beginning to dissipate slightly, but it is still there. You go home, run the news, and see the prime minister, whom you know very well, say that the man X is the new president. The suspicion then disappears on 100%.
The process works in the same way with SEO services - the more external links point to your site (a process known as link building / creating backlinks), the more "reliable" it seems to search engines. Or so it was in the beginning…
Like the president, it does not matter whether 10 people unknown to you will confirm his words or whether the current prime minister will do so. The same goes for links (backlinks) coming from external sites - some have more value than others, and this is determined by the current "authority" of the site, also known as domain authority.
Building links is an easy way to manipulate organic search results and therefore from Google announced in their latest update that this will no longer be the main ranking criteria, especially if the links come from "farms" (sites created solely for the purpose link building).
Instead, serious attention will be paid to semantics in the content - a science that studies the very meaning of words and phrases and how they interact, and the user experience - page experience:
- mobile friendly - Is the website convenient for viewing a mobile phone?
- first input delay - measures interactivity (anything under 100 milliseconds is a good result)
- cumulative layout shift - Is the site visually "stable" and how often do users click somewhere "by mistake"
- largest contentful paint - page load time (2.5 seconds is the upper limit)
- safe browsing - is there an SSL certificate (http "S")
- social share - If your website is shared, it is a sure sign for search engines that the content in it is worth it.
What do I offer?
On-site SEO optimization
Imagine watching an Opel car. Its owner and several other people are trying to convince you that this is a Mercedes. But you keep seeing Opel, no matter how many more people try to convince you otherwise.
The same thing happens with websites - your site will never rank first if its content is irrelevant to the keyword phrase you are looking for, no matter how many links you have.
I offer SEO of a website with content created and written competently and entirely according to search algorithms - correct keyword selection according to Google Keyword Planner, exact density of key phrases and "satellite" words filled in correctly in the rich snippet and Schema Markup, manually selected image for social networks for each page, above 90% uniqueness of the texts according to Advego Plagiatus.
Quality Link Building
Building links is the factor that can elevate you to the first position, but it can also bring eternal BAN to your site if it is not done properly.
The basic model requires them to appear "naturally" over time and by no means from "link farms".
Ioffer you quality link building from verified sites with high domain authority, which will ensure fast and long - lasting ranking of your website in the results of Google and Bing.
Copywriting to the next level
Content is King (always !) - a phrase that is gaining more and more popularity in the Internet circles. There is nothing more annoying than content (text or video), which does not match our search. It is even more unpleasant when it is created illiterately and by people posing as "professionals".
Toall my clients I offer copywriting (content creation) on any subject with a guarantee of literacy and above 90% uniqueness of the texts according to Advego Plagiatus - in Bulgarian, English and Spanish language.
When does it make sense to do SEO?
When there is enough search traffic per month to justify the investment!
The process of SEO services also has its disadvantages:
- it takes time - from 6 months to an year, sometimes more
- works only in "Search network"
- there is no accountability in conversions
- it is not applicable in "sales funnels"
- can't be used in remarketing campaigns and other…
What is the best strategy for your website? Send me an inquiry now…
Website Optimization Prices
SEO for Website
for an article up to 300 words
Frequently Asked Questions
In the interest of truth, God cannot guarantee that. The reason is that in the process of SEO optimization is "played" by some rules of search engines, which rules can be changed at any time and this compromises the original strategy. For this not to happen, things have to be done intelligently and 'naturally', as I mentioned above, and that takes time. If you want instant results we can discuss an option for advertising in Google Ads and Facebook Business.
It depends not so much on what position your site is, but what you sell / offer, what is the interest in your product / service, what is the profit, what are the costs of your company and other factors that have nothing to do with "first position in search network '.
Why choose me for SEO?
Many clients describe me as a perfectionist - a person who cares about the "small detail". In my work I am not satisfied with just "it's good", but with It is perfect!
Behind every quality software there is an "army" of well-paid programmers. That's why I firmly stand behind the idea that quality costs money and I would never allow myself to use untested and / or free software on a website made by me!
SEO site optimization is the least I can do for you. As my clients, you will have the opportunity to advise you on many business issues thanks to the experience I have since 2010, especially if you are just starting out. I could:
- assist in the import / export of goods to and from the EU and China in English and Spanish
- clear your goods quickly from customs thanks to the contacts I have there (only for Sofia)
- sell your goods and services in the EU, thanks to my many years of experience in dropshipping
- create, manage, and optimize your ad campaigns in Google Ads and Facebook Business
- advise you on any other issues concerning your business.
A person works with person. Companies close and register in less than a week. But a person's name remains forever.
What I will do for you will be "my business card on the internet ". | <urn:uuid:50856f59-7532-426a-9547-bd9e3869df58> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://vilizarn.eu/en/seo-consultant-seo-agency-seo-services/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.950427 | 1,579 | 1.96875 | 2 |
365 days away from the Barranquilla Climaton!
By Nataly Velasquez, @seaphiagroup
Translated to English by Carlos Andrés Caviedes
Exactly one year ago, Seaphia had the pleasure of being the main organizer at the first and only Climathon held to date in the city of Barranquilla, Atlántico at the Colombian Caribbean, together with our friends from Blue21, from the Netherlands, SENA, and the Hydrosphere Foundation. One year later, we are pleased to share the main achievements, lessons, and perspectives that the Climathon left us.
“The Climathon is a global event happening in 56 cities around the world simultaneously! It is a meeting space for entrepreneurs, students, large companies, small companies, NGOs, the city, and anyone interested in a greener future to devise solutions for a greener local economy.” https://climathon.climate-kic.org/
Cali, Bogotá, and Barranquilla were the participating cities last year. Seaphia, as the host entity, was in charge of coordinating, publicizing, and leading the different activities of the meeting in the so-called "Golden Gate". For 4 days, experts in different disciplines, universities, members of the national and international private and public sectors, dedicated themselves to discussing, getting to know, and generating knowledge, alliances and initiatives focused on sustainable solutions to the use of the city's water bodies and the Atlantic: rivers, ocean, and swamps.
The Climathon revolved around six specific challenges: navigability of the Magdalena River, sustainable tourism, blue energies, restoration of maritime ecosystems, recycling - solid waste collection, and a deep-water port.
The proposals put forward by the participants ranged from issues such as governance in the Cienaga de Mallorquín (Invemar) to the use of mobile applications to encourage and spread the practice of recycling in the region. The winning project, Floating panels for the Mallorquín Swamp by Teko Mallorquín, went directly to the national Climathon contest. The winners there competed in the world final.
In addition to the massive awareness of citizens and people related to the participating entities of the importance and multilateral attention that the water bodies of the Colombian Caribbean require, agreements, strategies, and contracts have been fostered between relevant actors to improve the aquatic ecosystem and its uses, with a view to achieving a higher standard of living for the surrounding populations. An example is the country's active role in global initiatives such as the World Conference on Maritime Space Planning - MSP2030 of UNESCO and the European Union. It has been linked at the local level with the advances made by the national authorities in the typification of industries, organization, and development of Coastal Zones.
The support of Activist magazine was fundamental to the success of the event. In its Article about it, you can find specific details of the attendees and exponents of the Climathon Barranquilla 2020.
Seaphia is committed to achieving the objectives pursued in the Climathon, and together with Blue21, is currently working on the preparatory stage of the Blue Makerspace Project, which will be the first floating Blue Economy Hub, a meeting point for startups, investors, and civil society, for the creation of technologies and enterprises that position Colombia as a beacon in Latin America in this matter.
Those who are interested in knowing more about it and participating as promoters of this pioneering development in the continent can write to us at | <urn:uuid:1f8b6e19-f133-4eb3-8e81-ca128ba6e947> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.seaphia.blue/post/365-days-away-from-the-barranquilla-climaton | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.923508 | 744 | 1.5 | 2 |
The ALERT™ course incorporates interactive seminars, practical demonstrations and role-play clinical scenarios during which the candidates are encouraged to reflect on their actions and to consider 'What would I do next?' An ALERT™ course manual, for pre-course reading, is provided to all attendees.
Originally developed in 1999 by Professor Gary Smith, and colleagues at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, ALERT™ is a multi-professional course to train staff in recognising patient deterioration and act appropriately in treating the acutely unwell. The course is usually delivered as a one-day interactive seminar built around practical patient-based scenarios. The day is supported by a comprehensive reference manual and slide presentation.ALERT™ uses a structured and prioritised system of patient assessment and management to enable a pre-emptive approach to critical illness. It instructs staff in the recognition of impending clinical deterioration, the management of disordered physiology and other aspects of the delivery of acute care.
ALERT™ has now run successfully since the beginning of 2000 and has been delivered in over 100 centres in the UK and overseas. The course is:
• a blended, flexible, learning programme
• a track record of delivery over the past 10 years
• recognised by several medical royal colleges
• supported by optional assessments and issuing of formal certificates
• simple to organise and deliver with no special equipment needed
It is expected that the introduction of the ALERT™ course will result in specific benefits to patients, their relatives and hospital staff, such as:
• improvements in the general ward care of patients
• a reduced number of cardiac arrest calls on general wards
• earlier, and more appropriate referrals to the intensive care unit
• fewer re-admissions to the intensive care unit
• fewer avoidable in-hospital deaths
• improved decision-making regarding the resuscitation status of patients
• improved multi-professional teamwork
• improved communication
• fewer complaints from patients or their relatives
Taken from alert-course.com 12-Nov-14
Cost: £80 (with a reduced rate of £40 for Addenbrooke's nursing staff)
Please phone the PGMC office to make payment: 01223 256229
Please note that your place on the course is not confirmed until payment is received. For Addenbrooke's nurses: If your supervisor has confirmed your place on the course & subsequently you are unable to attend, your fee will still be charged to your department unless the place can be filled by a department colleague.
Please be advised that your course fee is refundable for up to 14 days following your application. Thereafter course fees are non-refundable | <urn:uuid:3c96b3bc-d5ae-4498-817d-e3e6a29ac7c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cam-pgmc.ac.uk/courses/alert-14th-october-2022 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.9347 | 542 | 1.671875 | 2 |
- (Focus Area) Environment
Research Highlight Editor Lysa Maron spotlighted the work in her article, “Breaking or Sneaking into the Fortress: the Root Endodermis is a Defence Wall Against Nematode Infection.” The journal also showcased the research team's image of a nematode on the cover.
Siddique led the 10-member international research team in discovering the role of a plant's endodermal barrier system in defending against plant-parasitic nematodes. The Plant Journal published the research, “Root Endodermal Barrier System Contributes to Defence against Plant‐Parasitic Cyst and Root-Knot Nematodes, in its July 19 edition.
“We discovered that the integrity of the endodermis—a specialized cell layer that surrounds the vascular system and helps regulate the flow of water, ions and minerals--is important to restrict nematode infection,” said Siddique, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Nematology who joined the faculty in March after serving several years at the University of Bonn.
“We found that having defects in endodermis make it easier for parasites to reach the vascular cylinder and establish their feeding site. Although, this finding is a result of basic research, it opens new avenues to for breeding resistance against cyst nematodes in crops.”
Maron noted that “Roots are a truly amazing plant structure: they conquer the underground, form complex structures that anchor the plant, let water and nutrients in, but must not dry out. Roots store energy, send signals to the aboveground parts of the plant and to neighbors, and defend the plant against soil-borne pathogens. Within the root, the endodermis is the barrier that separates the inner vasculature from the outer cortex. If the root is a fortress, the endodermis is the gated wall. Cell wall reinforcements such as the casparian strip (CS), lignin deposition, and suberin seal the apoplast of the endodermis throughout different parts of the root. These reinforcements allow the diffusion of water and nutrients to and from the vascular tissue while blocking its penetration by pathogens such as bacteria and fungi (Enstone et al., 2002).”
“But roots also face pathogens of a different kind: root-infecting, sedentary endoparasites such as cyst nematodes (CNs) and root-knot nematodes (RKNs),” Maron wrote. “These pathogens infect a variety of important crops and cause significant yield losses (Savary et al., 2019).”
Maron quoted Siddique: “According to Siddique, investigating root traits that affect plant-nematode interactions is important for finding new strategies for plant protection. Screening for natural variation in suberin- and lignin-related traits might help identify and develop stronger fortresses, i.e., plants with enhanced resilience against pathogens, drought, and nutrient deficiency.”
Siddique collaborated with scientists from Germany, Switzerland and Poland: Julia Holbein, Rochus Franke, Lukas Schreiber and Florian M. W. Grundler of the University of Bonn; Peter Marhavy, Satosha Fujita, and Niko Geldner of the University of Lasuanne, Switzerland; and Miroslawa Górecka and Miroslaw Sobeczak of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland.
“Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive plant pathogens, causing agricultural losses amounting to $80 billion annually in the United States,” said Siddique in an earlier news story. “They invade the roots of almond, tomato, beets, potato or soybeans and migrate through different tissues to reach the central part—the vascular cylinder--of the root where they induce permanent feeding sites.”
“These feeding sites are full of sugars and amino acids and provide the parasite all the nutrients they need,” Siddique explained. “A specialized cell layer called the endodermis surrounds the vascular system and helps regulates the flow of water, ions and minerals into and out of it. However, the role of endodermis in protecting the vascular system against invaders such as nematodes had remained unknown.”
The research was funded by a grant from the German Research Foundation.
The class, set from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 in the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Center on Bee Biology Road, will be taught by Extension apicuturist Elina Niño of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty and director of the California Master Beekeeper Program, and lab assistants Robin Lowery and Nissa Svetlana Coit.
“Robin and Nissa will be leading us through the practical part of the wax working day,” announced Wendy Mather, program manager of the California Master Beekeepers Program. “This class is perfect for the hobby and sideline beekeeper and for other individuals interested in learning the basics of working with wax.”
The instructors said the class "will be a creative and science-based class learning the what, why and how of beeswax, making candles, lotion bars, beeswax food wraps, lip balm and dipped flowers to take home.” The products are wonderful for holiday gifting, they said.
As a bonus, the instructors will provide an overview of the honey extraction process, and learn bottling, labeling rules and regulations, and how to perform a honey tasting.
Class participants will have an opportunity to make candles with wicks, use molds, pour wax into jars or cans, dip flowers in wax, and make hand lotion, chapsticks, and wax reusable food wraps.
The two lab assistants are daily exposed to bees, beekeeping, and all things related to honey bee husbandry, said Mather. Lowery, a two-year beekeeper, assists with managing the apiary and the research at the E. L. Nino lab. "She has been making gifts for special occasions for over 15 years and looks forward to modeling how to dip and roll candles, make sealing wax, lotion and lip balm, and wax food wrappers," Mather said.
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by worker honey bees, which have eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments. Hive workers collect the wax and use it to form cells for honey storage and for larval and pupal protection. When beekeepers extract the honey, they remove the wax caps from the honeycomb frame with an uncapping knife or machine.
Beewax has long been used for making candles (they are cleaner, brighter and burn longer than other candles) and for cosmetics and encaustic paintings. Wax food wrappers, used to wrap sandwiches and cover bowls of food, are environmentally friendly, sustainable, economical, and a reusable alternative to plastic bags. Statistics show that globally, people use an estimated one trillion single-use bags every year, or nearly 2 million a minute. While beeswax is a natural wax, plastic bags and plastic bags contain chemicals, and there is concern that chemicals can leach into the food.
The $235 registration fee covers a continental breakfast, snacks, lunch and refreshments, and materials. Participants make and take two of each item. The registration deadline is Nov. 23, said Mather, who may be reached at email@example.com for more information. To register, access https://registration.ucdavis.edu/Item/Details/589.
Williams and 13 other Fellows were inducted Tuesday night, Oct. 15 at the annual Bay Area gathering of the Fellows. Among the inductees: dermatologist and associate professor Emanual Michael Maverakis of UC Davis Health. (See list of 2019 inductees)
Fellows, nominated by other Fellows, and elected by the California Academy of Sciences' Board of Trustees. James R. Carey, distinguished professor of entomology, nominated Williams, with Claire Kremen of the University of British Columbia, formerly of UC Berkeley, seconding the nomination. Maverakis was nominated by Walter Leal, distinguished professor, UC Davis Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and a former chair of the entomology department.
In his letter of nomination, Carey wrote that Williams is “widely known and respected for his excellence in research, extension, outreach, teaching and leadership” and “is not only one of the stars of our campus, and the UC system, but is an internationally recognized leader in pollination and bee biology and strong voice in the development of collaborative research on insect ecology. He has organized national and international conferences, leads scores of working groups, and guides reviews of impacts of land use and other global change drivers on insects and the ecosystem services they provide.”
Williams' research spans the ecology and evolution of bees and other pollinating insects and their interactions with flowering plants. “He has become a leading voice for pollinator diversity and conservation in the California and The West,” wrote Carey. “One focus of his work has been in understanding the responses of bees to different environmental drivers and developing practical, scientifically grounded actions to support resilient pollinator communities. These efforts are particularly timely given concern over the global decline in bees and other pollinators.”
The UC Davis professor served as co-chair (with Extension apiclturist Elina Lastro Niño) of the seventh annual International Pollinator Conference, a four-day conference focusing on pollinator biology health and policy held July 17-20 on the UC Davis campus.
In his work--a labor of love--Williams seeks and finds found common solutions for sustaining both wild and managed bees and communicates that information to the public and stakeholder groups. Said Carey: “This is a critical perspective in natural and agricultural lands, but also in urban landscapes in northern and southern California.”
Each year the UC Davis professor speaks to multiple beekeeper, farmer and gardener groups, and provides guidance to governing bodies, including the state legislature, and environmental groups. He and his lab are involved in a newly initiated California Bombus assessment project, which is using both museum and citizen scientist records to understand past, current and future distributions and habitat use by bumble bees. This program will host a series of workshops this spring and summer open to practitioners and the public.
Williams received his doctorate in ecology and evolution in 1999 from the State University of New York, Stony Brook and served as an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Bryn Mawr (Penn.) College from 2004 to 2009. He joined the UC Davis faculty in 2009, advancing to full professor in 2017.
His honors and awards are numerous. Williams was part of the UC Davis Bee Team that won the Team Research Award from the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America (PBESA) in 2013. In 2015, he was named a five-year Chancellor's Fellow, receiving $25,000 to support his research, teaching and public service activities. And then earlier this year, Williams received PBESA's Plant-Insect Ecosystems Award, presented annually for outstanding accomplishments in the study of insect interrelationships with plants.
In addition to Carey, five others affiliated with UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology are Fellows of the California Academy of Sciences:
- Professor Phil Ward, ant specialist
- Frank Zalom, integrated pest management specialist and distinguished professor of entomology. He is a past president of the Entomological Society of America
- Robert E. Page Jr., bee scientist and UC Davis distinguished emeritus professor. He is a former chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and provost emeritus of Arizona State University
- Walter Leal, distinguished professor, UC Davis Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and a former chair of the entomology department; and
- Visiting scientist Catherine Tauber, formerly of Cornell University.
Former Fellows from the UC Davis entomology department include Robbin Thorp (1933-2019), distinguished emeritus professor of entomology, and visiting scientist Maurice Tauber (1931-2014), formerly of Cornell University.
Two scientists—lead author Charlie Nicholson, a UC Davis postdoctoral scholar formerly with the University of Vermont (UVM), and senior author Paul Egan, a senior researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences--analyzed 117 published research papers on natural hazards that threaten pollinators and pollination.
Their paper, “Natural Hazard Threats to Pollinators and Pollination,” published in the journal Global Change Biology, sounds the alarm to scientists and policy makers to place the impacts of natural hazards at the center of future research in order to emphasize conservation and reduce disaster risks.
Previous research on threats to pollinators primarily focuses on direct human impacts, but scientific knowledge of natural hazard impacts has not been synthesized yet, they said.
“The frequency and intensity of many natural hazards, such as floods and storms, are set to increase under climate change, so bringing together the evidence of these impacts is really timely,” said Nicholson, who joined the Neal Williams lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, earlier this year.
“Research was not evenly distributed across pollinator groups, with many impacts recorded for bees, Lepidoptera, flies. wasps, birds, beetles, and bats,” they wrote. “Studies tended to report impacts to pollinators in terms of abundance (41 percent of responses), species richness (19 percent), and various population-level effects (19 percent), whereas impacts to plants were measured in terms of reproductive success (39 percent), floral traits (27 percent), and species richness (11 percent).”
Scrutinizing the scientific literature involved “poring over many accounts of the powerful destructive force of nature, but also searching for some pretty unexpected hazards such as solar flares, or the Earth's electromagnetic effect on pollinators,” Nicholson said.
The work also highlights disparities in the burden of evidence. Said Egan: “We see that this type of pollination research is strongly biased toward economically developed regions, whereas it is smallholder farmers and developing countries that will bear the largest impacts. Their existing vulnerabilities and dependence on crop pollinators tend to be higher.”
Nicholson and Egan identified several future research priorities, including the need to understand impacts to yields through impacted pollination services and to better characterize and contextualise the nature of exposure to natural hazards.
“Taken together, our findings show that the response of pollinators and pollination to natural hazards depends on the type of disturbance and level of biological organization observed and that different pollinator taxa can respond very differently to the same hazard,” they wrote.
Formas, a Swedish government research council for sustainable development, funded the research.
Nicholson holds a doctorate in natural resources (2018) from UVM. Egan received his doctorate in plant animal interactions from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland in 2015.
Kimsey will be honored at the UC Davis Fall Welcome, set for 9:30 to 11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 17 in the Student Community Center multipurpose room. The annual campuswide awards program, launched in 2015, honors the outstanding faculty advisor, staff advisor, advising administrator, new advisor, peer advisor, campus collaborator and the advising equity champion.
Kimsey, known as "Dr. Bob," earlier received the 2019 Eleanor and Harry Walker Faculty Advising Award from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES).
Kimsey, master advisor for the animal biology (ABI) major since 2010 and an ABI lecturer since 2001, “excels at teaching, advising and mentoring,” wrote nominator Steve Nadler, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. “He sincerely cares about each student, and incredibly, remembers their conversations and their interests.”
Kimsey is known for expertly guiding students toward career paths, helping them meet challenges and overcome obstacles.
Advising is “about being a good listener, being a source of diverse perspectives to tackle potential problems, being able to put oneself in the other person's place, being broadly experienced and caring about and enjoying other people,” said Kimsey, who also advises the UC Davis Entomology Club.
Kimsey holds two entomology degrees from UC Davis: a bachelor of science degree (1977) and a doctorate (1984). He has served in his current position as an associate adjunct professor and lecturer since 1990.
“I view Dr. Kimsey as the epitome of what a university professor and student advisor should be,” wrote doctoral student Alex Dedmon, who has worked with him for 10 years, first as an undergraduate student in 2009 and now as a doctoral candidate. “Over that time, he has filled many roles in my life and career--a mentor, teacher, advisor, major professor, and friend.”
UC Davis biology lab manager Ivana Li, who holds a bachelor's degree in entomology from UC Davis (2012), wrote: “For myself, and likely for others, Bob has served as a wonderful mentor. He saw things in me that I didn't see in myself. He gave me the confidence to be a leader and I still carry those lessons with me as a lab manager.”
Kimsey continues to draw “best of the best” accolades from students on the Rate My Professors website:
- “Dr. Kimsey is by far one of the best professors at UC Davis. His class never fails to entertain! You do need to put in the work to do well but it is very worth it! Dr. Kimsey truly cares about his students and wants to see them succeed and find a path that best suits them. Strongly recommend!”
- "This was the best class I've taken at UC Davis. You can tell that Dr. Kimsey really cares, and puts a lot of effort into his class.”
Dedmon recalled that in his third year, he enrolled in Kimsey's forensic entomology course. “This turned out to be arguably the most pivotal point in my academic career. Dr. Kimsey is an excellent teacher, and aside from being thoroughly enjoyable, the content of the course itself was comprehensive and enlightening. Dr. Kimsey's instruction was unparalleled, both in the classroom as well as the field part of the course. In the end, I was so enamored with forensic entomology and its presentation, that I decided to make it the focus of my degree.”
“Over this time, I have seen countless undergraduates from his courses come to him for advice, help, or even just someone to talk to. While it is common for advisors to have to listen to the woes of students, it is much rarer to find ones that genuinely care. The proof of his character is in their success – I know many of his former students who have gone on to graduate, veterinary, or medical school. I still find it amazing how these young men and women have gone from scared, tearful students in office hours to successful vets and doctors. After being his student for so long, though, I can easily see why.”
Dedmon praised Kimsey not only his major professor, but as a friend. “When I was diagnosed with cancer, there were countless times he called or visited me at the hospital – this was not just to touch bases about academics, but because he genuinely cared and wanted to help as much as he could. In my most trying times, gestures such as these were absolutely invaluable to me. Even in good times, he is someone I know I can always turn to for advice, a straight answer, or just a good laugh.”
Li wrote that “his dedication to inspiring students for careers in the science, far surpasses the scope of his obligations as an advisor to the Entomology Club or as a faculty member of the department.”
She first met him as an undergraduate student in 2009. “It became apparent that he truly possessed a deep caring for each student that he met. Everyone who knows him affectionately calls him Bob, and I think it is a testament to his determination to tear down the alienating hierarchy of academia and fully integrate students into the UC Davis community.”
“Over the years, I worked with Bob as a member of the Entomology Club,” Li related. “When I became president of the club, I planned many of the club activities with him. He connected us with the National Park Service which helped the club take some truly unique trips. Of these, the one that stands out to me was when we took an overnight trip to Alcatraz. While surveying for rats, we found evidence of beetle damage to the buildings. This led to subsequent trips that involved documenting the full scale of the damage done by beetles, including in many areas normally off-limits to tourists.”
“The hard work he puts into making events happen is infectious,” Li said. “Bob is really the hidden hero of Picnic Day for the Entomology Department. Year after year, he never fails to lug several truckloads of equipment and décor out of storage. Without him, the entomology exhibits at Picnic Day wouldn't be possible. He truly loves educating the public and having students teach people what they have learned. It's a very direct feedback experience that helps students gain confidence that they understand the organisms and scientific processes that they have been learning.”
“In addition to promoting on campus networking, Bob connects students with his many contacts in forensics labs, the National Park Service, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and other organizations,” Li pointed out. “This has led to internships and even full-time employment for some many students over the years.”
UC Davis alumnus Danielle Wishon, who holds a bachelor's degree in entomology (2013), said that Kimsey “continues to be one of my most valuable connections from my time there. I am proud that, even years after my graduation, I can call him a friend.”
Kimsey “introduced us to as many personal and professional contacts as possible,” Wishon said. “This networking has proven invaluable to my and others post-graduate success. I participated in a number of skill-based volunteer work that contributed to my CV and qualified me for a number of job opportunities that I would have otherwise been unqualified for. Working on Alcatraz Island was one of those opportunities."
Wishon recalled “conducting official pest surveys of a number of rodent and arthropod pests, as well as evaluating and documenting pest-related structural damage. We were able to work alongside and learn from a National Park Service professional in charge of the Island. Dr. Kimsey understands the value in developing the practical side of student education and works tirelessly to help us develop that skill set.”
“Another invaluable opportunity for me was interning in his laboratory," Wishon added. "After showing a particular interest in Forensic Entomology, he welcomed me into his lab as a student intern. In this position, I learned colony development and various laboratory skills; I assisted and observed curriculum design and student teaching; and I assisted him in the field on casework. I was able to network with many professionals in my field of interest and was able to get a job soon out of college directly based on the experience I obtained through this internship.”
“Dr. Kimsey has always had an open-door policy with his students,” Wishon said. “Students come to UC Davis from all over the world, with all different backgrounds and upbringings, and come together in a setting that is often stressful and vulnerable. He helps us personally when he can, and knows when and how to get other forms of help to students when needed. In addition to my own experiences seeking his counsel and help through difficult times in my life, both personal and with learning disability struggles, I have personally witnessed Dr. Kimsey aide a number of other students through turbulent times in their lives. academic stress to more serious.”
Graduate student Mark James McLellan of the UC Davis Forensic Science Masters' Program lauded Kimsey for offering him first-hand experience in forensic science. “In addition, he has been instrumental in my research, I had little experience and he has pushed me towards developing a thesis for the program. I am not the only one, there are boatloads of students he has helped and continues to do so! He is a guide and mentor, not only academically but professionally.” | <urn:uuid:cc5f471a-31aa-4d05-a151-823176a13dc9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ucanr.edu/blogs/entomology/index.cfm?taxonomy_id=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.961886 | 5,209 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Posted: February 14, 2020
There’s a reason couples travel on their honeymoons. Travelling abroad together can help you deepen your relationship, and learn more about each other and the world. Here’s why volunteer vacations for couples are an excellent idea.
Volunteer opportunities for couples are a great idea if you’re considering a trip overseas together. As well as getting to share exciting adventures with your partner, and gaining insight into your relationship, you’ll be able to make an impact in a meaningful way. Overall, this can be a great way to build a strong and long-lasting partnership.
GVI offers different types of volunteer opportunities for couples who want to take a holiday and make an impact, together. Here are eight reasons to give couple volunteering a go.
Travelling solo can be a challenge. For many people, having someone along for the adventure can make overseas travel more accessible. In the security of a couple, you can travel to places that might intimidate you if you were alone.
Good places to travel as a couple, such as Cambodia, Ghana or India, will challenge you to step out of your comfort zone. Having the support of your other half can make these destinations much less daunting.
When you volunteer together, you’ll get to see your partner’s altruistic side. Seeing your significant other working towards making an impact can show you a side of them that you may not have seen before.
One 2013 study revealed that altruistic behaviour can make you appear more attractive in the eyes of others. Both men and women in the study rated people that showed helping behaviour as more appealing for long term relationships.
Couples volunteering together can enjoy a stronger and more connected relationship.
That’s because studies have shown that helping other people can trigger the release of the “love hormone” oxytocin. This hormone facilitates social bonding and building trust in other people.
As such, experiencing the feel-good effects of volunteering can also make you feel closer to your partner.
Purple ointment is applied to an infection on the sea turtle by volunteers in Seychelles.
One volunteer is good, two is better. By supporting your partner in their volunteer project — or convincing them to come with you — you’ll have double the impact.
The best places to volunteer as a couple will allow you to make a meaningful impact and contribute your respective strengths.
For example, you could consider a project such as volunteering to promote public health and well-being in India, where you can take part in workshops to create awareness on topics relating to public health and wellbeing, education, or women’s health.
Travelling as a couple means you’ll spend nearly every hour of the day together. Couple volunteering is a great alternative to classic vacations, ensuring you don’t get sick of each other during your trip.
During your volunteer project, you’ll spend time with other international volunteers from around the world, as well as a dedicated team of skilled staff, and local project participants.
This means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to have thought-provoking conversations and share meaningful experiences with other people.
Being around others means you won’t run out of things to say to your partner!
Identifying common goals can help bring you closer as a couple. Relationships built on shared core values, such as striving to help others and build a better world, are more likely to last the distance.
Contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) through volunteer projects can give you a shared purpose as a couple, and help you identify the values that are most important to you.
Volunteer ideas for couples can include going on a wildlife research expedition in South Africa to learn more about conservation, helping to build communities through teaching English in Costa Rica, or supporting holistic well-being on public health projects in Nepal.
When learning how to travel as a couple, you’ll figure out how to function as a well-oiled team.
During your volunteer project, you’ll overcome obstacles together, compromise, problem solve and communicate.
Whether it’s learning a new language, arranging your visas, or figuring out how to navigate a new city, you’re in it together.
Dealing with unanticipated challenges can encourage you to adapt and explore different roles within your relationship, developing better teamwork skills and supporting each other in a range of different ways.
You’ll grow more trust in your relationship and become closer with each joint decision you make.
Volunteering is a powerful experience. You’ll be carrying out potentially life-changing work in a beautiful corner of the planet.
Experiences such as learning about Buddhist culture and teaching English in Laos, researching elusive jaguars in Costa Rica, or trekking to Mount Everest’s base camp can be even better when you share them with that special person in your life.
You’ll have your partner along for the entire ride, sharing in the joy and wonder, as well as the difficulties and frustrations.
Shared, meaningful experiences can help to build companionship by giving you space to spend important time together and giving you plenty to talk about and reflect on.
Plus, sharing experiences gives you special memories that are unique to your relationship. Later down the line, you’ll be able to reminisce happily with each other about the incredible time you spent volunteering abroad.
Start planning your overseas adventure together and explore GVI’s range of volunteer vacations for couples today.
By Zaytoen Domingo | <urn:uuid:4fefa28a-034f-4355-9030-e2359c7b2c0d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.gviusa.com/blog/eight-reasons-to-consider-volunteer-vacations-for-couples/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.945439 | 1,175 | 1.9375 | 2 |
10 Thousand Steps
During the pandemic, it’s recommended to stay at home, avoid public places, and reduce our contact with family and friends that may be exposed to COVID-19. Everyone has different problems and matters that require special attention. Many may require mental health care, others are concerned about their living conditions, while some might be in need of home removals. While following CDC guidelines is among most people’s priorities, you may be feeling the effects of staying at home and limiting your social activities. Whether you want to reduce your weight, gain strength, or get a deep of fresh air, taking ten-thousand steps is greatly beneficial to your physical and mental health.
Incorporate Vegetables & Fruits To Your Meals
Experts advise adults to consume five to ten servings a day of veggies. Yes, that’s correct. While it may seem extreme, every adult should aim to reach this goal. For fruits, dietary guidelines note nine servings of fruit per day will suffice. Mix in some vegetables and fruits in protein smoothies, find ways to add them to every meal, and before you know it you’ll move to a healthier you. For instance, instead of eating cereal for breakfast, give protein smoothies a try. In a blender, add spinach, kale, banana, chia seeds, plant-based milk of your choice, and cinnamon. Enjoy more breakfasts dense in nutrients that will meet your daily goals of fruits and vegetables. Eating more of these foods reduces your risk of bowel cancer, eye, and digestive problems, as well as having a positive effect on blood sugar.
Get Your Beauty Sleep
Guilty of scrolling through social media or binge-watching your favorite tv shows at two in the morning?
Change that habit.
Adults should get at least eight hours of sleep, according to the CDC. Teens are recommended from eight to ten. If you have trouble sleeping, consider drinking a caffeine-free herbal tea or reading a book for ten minutes. Ensure your environment is quiet, play calming and soothing music, change your pillow position, and control breathing. Remember, be patient. Millions of Americans have insomnia, but the strategies above are small steps to take instead of spending your nights watching tv. A good night’s sleep works wonders for your health. You’ll suffer fewer illnesses, lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease, simultaneously improving your concentration, attitude, and mood.
Avoid Consuming Alcohol
Give your liver a break.
Sure, a nice glass of wine on New Year’s Eve, other special holidays, and birthday events never hurt anybody. But if you’ve been drinking alcohol in excessive amounts, your health is in jeopardy. Life with minimal alcohol consumption keeps your mind clear, heals your lover, and maintains your heart strong. Don’t put yourself at risk. Alcoholism is a dangerous disease. The National Cancer Institute notes an excessive intake of alcohol “increases the risk of alcohol-related cancers.” Inform yourself of the hazards and contact a center for more information.
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After being evaluated by your cardiologist the decision to perform a catheterization will be made. The timing of the procedure is dependent on the patient's cardiac condition. Most catheterizations are performed on an elective basis, which means no immediate action is required, but should be scheduled at the earliest convenient date. Other catheterizations may need to be done on an emergent basis, which is determined by the cardiologist and current medical condition.
After your cardiologist has requested the procedure, you will be contacted directly by the catheterization technologist who will schedule the procedure. It is important that any change in personal information (address, phone, and insurance) be updated at each clinic visit with the registration personnel. After the catheterization is scheduled, you will receive a confirmation letter in the mail, which includes pre-procedure instructions. The week preceding your procedure, a member of the cath lab staff will call you to review pre-procedure instructions, review the patient's past medical history and review what will happen after you arrive in the Catheterization Laboratory.
Back to Cardiac Catheterization Home Page | <urn:uuid:a883d648-93f4-4324-b5dc-e69ee94e8699> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/childrens-hospital/cardiology/tests-and-procedures/cardiac-catheterization/scheduling-your-catheterization.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.943329 | 230 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Can I breastfeed if I have anemia?
Yes. Breastfeeding is good for you and your baby even if you have iron-deficiency anemia. Iron-deficiency anemia means that your body doesn't have enough iron to help make red blood cells. It's the most common cause of anemia in pregnancy and postpartum.
It's not unusual to have anemia after your baby arrives. One study of almost 1,500 postpartum women found that almost 30 percent were anemic. The main symptoms of anemia – fatigue and weakness – aren't uncommon postpartum, so many women don't even realize that they have it.
Many women are anemic toward the end of their pregnancies. This condition can be worsened by blood loss during delivery. After delivery, your red blood cell count will be checked, and your healthcare provider will make a plan for you that includes iron supplements and vitamins if necessary. You may even receive an intravenous infusion of iron before leaving the hospital to replace your body's iron more efficiently. Some women have anemia that's so severe they need blood transfusions right after delivery.
If you're anemic, you'll want to work with your healthcare provider to treat your anemia. The condition can affect:
- How you feel. Because anemia can make you feel tired and even lightheaded or dizzy, caring for your newborn can be extra challenging. Accept all the help you can get at home, at least until you get some of your energy back.
- Your ability to produce milk. One study found that anemic mothers reported producing insufficient breast milk, and as a result weaned their babies earlier than they would have otherwise. If you think this may be happening to you, talk with your provider and/or a lactation consultant. It's very important to make sure your baby is receiving adequate nutrition and gaining weight on schedule.
- Your risk of anemia in future pregnancies. Having anemia puts you at higher risk for developing anemia again during a future pregnancy.
Should I take iron supplements while breastfeeding?
If you were anemic after delivery, then yes – it's important to take an iron supplement. Depending on the severity of your anemia, you may need to take an iron supplement, or get an iron infusion or blood transfusion.
Iron supplements are perfectly safe to take when you're breastfeeding. Your provider may give you a prescription, or recommend an over-the-counter supplement that's right for you.
Your need for iron decreases after pregnancy – partly because you're no longer maintaining that extra blood volume, but also because you probably aren't having a menstrual period yet (especially if you're exclusively breastfeeding).
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for elemental iron during pregnancy is 27 milligrams (mg) per day. For breastfeeding women, the RDA for iron drops to 9 mg daily if you're 19 to 50 years old, and 10 mg per day if you're 14 to 18 years old.
Note: Elemental iron is the amount your body can absorb. Labels will often also list ferrous gluconate or ferrous sulfate (sources used for iron supplements) in milligrams. Be sure to look at the amount of elemental iron.
Most prenatal vitamins and multivitamins have enough iron to supplement your diet. (It's a good idea to continue taking your prenatal vitamin – or a multivitamin – for six to eight weeks after your baby arrives, especially if you're breastfeeding.) You can also make an effort to eat foods that are rich in iron – such as lean beef and turkey, fortified cereal and oatmeal, lentils, kidney beans, spinach, and tofu.
If you were given an iron supplement to take before leaving the hospital, your provider will check your blood count during your postpartum visit to make sure the supplement is working. If it's not, she'll explore possible underlying conditions that could be making it difficult for your body to absorb iron.
Note: Be sure to keep all iron supplements out of the reach of babies and children because they can be toxic in large doses.
How can I make sure my baby gets enough iron?
If you've had anemia, it's understandable to worry that your baby will have an iron deficiency too. But that won't necessarily be the case. First, the iron levels in your breast milk aren't affected by the amount of iron you consume or by anemia. Second, most infants have enough iron stored in their bodies to last at least the first 4 months of their lives.
Feeding your infant breast milk or standard, iron-fortified formula will give her all the iron she needs for her first 4 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants who are exclusively breastfed be given a daily iron supplement starting at 4 months. Once a baby starts solids – at around 6 months – her iron needs can be met by feeding her iron-rich foods. Include sources of vitamin C, too, to help your baby absorb the iron in foods.
The recommended dietary allowance of iron for a baby from birth to 6 months is 0.27 mg per day. From 7 to 12 months it's 11 mg, and from 1 to 3 years it's 7 mg.
There may be reasons your baby might not have as much iron stored as he needs, however. For example:
- If your baby was born prematurely or had a low birth weight, then he probably won't have as much iron stored in his body as a larger or full-term infant. That's because babies get their initial iron stores from Mom during the last trimester of pregnancy. If this is the case, your baby may need iron drops.
- Theoretically, babies born to moms who were anemic during pregnancy may also have lower iron stores at birth, though we don't have studies to back this up. So far, studies show that babies born to mothers who were anemic during pregnancy aren't at increased risk for iron deficiency.
Read more about iron-deficiency anemia in babies.
Follow your healthcare provider's advice about how much iron to give your baby, and store it safely out of reach.
Should I give my baby formula or cow's milk?
If you're not able to breastfeed (or choose not to), it's still important to ensure that your baby gets enough iron. Choose iron-fortified formula so your baby gets the right amount of iron from day one.
Don't give your baby cow's milk before the age of 1. It's low in iron; doesn't have the right type of fat, and babies can't digest it as easily as breast milk or formula. Because it can irritate the lining of your baby's digestive system and lead to blood in his stools, it may even cause iron-deficiency anemia.
After age 1, you can give your toddler cow's milk, but limit the amount you give her to no more than 24 ounces daily. (Once she's 2 years old, you should limit her cow's milk consumption to 20 ounces a day, according to the AAP.) Many kids love drinking milk, but if your child fills up on milk instead of iron-rich foods, this could lead to anemia.
To feel your best after your baby arrives, you'll want to eat plenty of iron-rich foods as part of an overall healthy diet while you're breastfeeding. Here are some tips for boosting your energy and boosting your mood with your food choices, too. | <urn:uuid:31e5d2f0-92dc-42bc-abcd-3baf712bc647> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.babycenter.com/baby/breastfeeding/anemia-and-breastfeeding_10414725 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.965608 | 1,547 | 2.40625 | 2 |
IRISH ADVENT CALENDAR – 5th December
According to many people (including me), Clannad is one of the biggest Irish bands of all time. The Donegal-based family group has been essential since the early seventies due to their progressive folk sound and ethereal vocal arrangements. Since 1973 they have released 16 studio albums, won several important awards and toured in many countries many times . Recently, they have been on the road with their Farewell Tour that celebrates the band’s 50th anniversary.
The ballad Christmas Angels was released as a CD single in 1997. Later it appeared on the charity album Forgotten Angels (In Aid Of The Childrens’ Hospital Temple Street). The beautiful song features some of the most-loved Clannad characteristics; some dreamy mellow-sounding synthesizers, Moya Brennan’s amazing vocals and her innovative harp playing. Furthermore, the icing on the cake is the London Session Orchestra which enhances the Clannad sound in a very magical way.
Despite its top quality, ‘Christmas Angels’ remained unknown outside Ireland because it did not appear on any Clannad studio albums. However, the song got a lyric video on YouTube in 2013 and appeared on some compilations.
Article by Károly Káli-Rozmis
CD covers are sourced from Discogs.com | <urn:uuid:c0066589-398a-4b76-ae89-6139c6e5cf3d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.thefifthprovince.hu/?p=400 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.965593 | 285 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The empowered and engaged patient is the Holy Grail of health care. If patients were able to – and wanted to – manage their own health proactively so that the healthcare system would be less reactive we would see reduced costs and improved outcomes. There are a number of technologies ranging from Quantified Self wearable devices to gamified apps that seek to do this. One new entrant in the space is called ManageMD, which is creating a “patient cloud.” We spoke with their founder, Buzz White, about what that means and why empowering patients is so important.
Shiv Gaglani, Medgadget: What problem are you solving?
Buzz White: Current health information exchange (HIE) initiatives don’t connect all data sources, they actually connect very few data sources, and there is no focus on the patient. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which are costs and politics. We’re turning this on its head by empowering the patient to collect, manage and share their own health information and enhancing the patient/physician relationship. The patient is the ONLY element common across all care settings. Our system allows the patient to collect information from any source to build a complete and searchable longitudinal patient record and make that record available to the right physician at the right time. Making it searchable ensures the physician is not inundated with a huge, unstructured record, making it flexible in its data sources ensures the patient is able to collect and share any bit of information associated with them. We are helping patients request and receive all their information, which is a difficult task for the average patient.
Medgadget: What was the story behind ManageMD?
White: My wife was diagnosed with Grave’s disease 5 years ago. The treatment path sent us to multiple specialists every month. We were the only ones who cared to take our information from point to point, we were the only ones who invested in the effort to promote the continuity of my wife’s care. In 2012, we moved to Austin from Dallas, just 3 months after we decided to irradiate my wife’s Thyroid (the medication was not working). We searched for the best endocrinologist in Austin and set up a visit. We sent the medical record ahead of us, but the physician refused to take it into account. It was incomplete, on paper and not digestible. The new physician started over and it set my wife back in her care. I stood by her through emotionally and medically difficult times and it was killing me. It shouldn’t have to be this way. I didn’t have the ability to collect everything I needed or provide it in a meaningful manner to the physician. Our efforts weren’t good enough and it hurt the love of my life. This story should never have to be told again.
Medgadget: Do you have any competitors and, if so, what makes you different?
White: We do. It’s not a crowded space by any means, but we’re not the only ones who have recognized the problem. I think the key differentiator for each team will be how exactly we show value and to whom. That, and go to market strategy. Reaching patients is one of the most difficult tasks in health care; our strategies will differentiate us. We’ve been in this industry for a long time and have developed different solutions; we’ve seen what doesn’t work and we are well aware of the problems many stakeholders face. We can get to the patient by relieving the burdens of others in the industry, this is how we will serve patients.
Some folks believe there is value in just having your health information, we don’t. This is truly what will make us successful. We believe it’s about the information itself, but what the patient can do with that information. The ability to get it to the right person at the right time, that’s the true value.
Medgadget: What trends in medical innovation/technology are you most excited about?
White: What gets me out of bed every morning is the theory of the informed and empowered consumer. Many people see the problems of our industry as opportunity, and we do too, but we believe the empowered consumer is the key to cracking the healthcare nut in the future. Empowerment comes through education and ability. Many resources have been around for years educating patients, which has been an awesome first step. Now we need to give the patient the ability to affect the change he/she needs. The ability to understand and participate in their own care, as their own team captain, that power is what drives us every day to try to make a difference.
Our industry is all about hiding choices from the patient and that’s just not right. Patients have the right to make educated decisions, physicians and caregivers should be our trusted advisors and we should work together to focus on the only thing that truly matters, the patient.
Medgadget: What is your background?
White: Professionally, I grew up on the physician side of the equation through organized medicine. This is where I was turned on to health information technology from day one. Being a geek, all I could do was imagine how technology can improve the industry. We had started a health information exchange effort right after I started my first job and I dove in head first. We worked on this for years and we failed a number of times before finally pulling it off in 2010. With funding from ARRA and the State HIE Grant Program, we founded the HIE in North Texas serving 7 Million patients, 12,000 physicians and 140 hospitals. | <urn:uuid:3e76a5ff-13fb-427d-a872-485e281016f2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.medgadget.com/2014/06/empowering-patients-interview-with-managemd-founder-buzz-white.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.97043 | 1,182 | 1.742188 | 2 |
BURNS began to learn the fiddle in 1781, but never attained any proficiency. When driven from the field by bad weather, he would wile away a heavy hour in trying to learn. Occasionally, too, he rose early in the morning, broke up the kitchen gathering coal, and commenced practising; but this excited such discomposure in the family, as to render his fiddling anything but popular. He also attempted to learn the German flute, but in this also he attained no proficiency. It is amusing, nevertheless, to learn that he always kept up the idea that he was a kind of musician.
FlikeNoir 1 Minute
Published by FlikeNoir
My name's Jenny, I'm in my late-thirties, from Glasgow and I'm your friendly local (as everything online has become) Scottish historian. View all posts by FlikeNoir | <urn:uuid:82ed51c6-a6a5-4913-8171-e4ba7a383ca8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://randomscottishhistory.com/2021/12/24/burns-as-a-musician-p-26/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.982216 | 184 | 2.3125 | 2 |
The Jacuzzi may be a fairly large bathtub that permits you to enjoy great relaxation. Invented by the Italian Roy Jacuzzi, this bathtub, which was used in particular to supply sanitary care, has experienced real development. In fact, models haven't stopped developing and experiencing various uses, especially within the field of hydromassage. However, if many of us use an inside jacuzzi tubs, with the newest technological discoveries, it's undoubtedly true that the jacuzzi also can be green for a protected environment.
The Dutchtub or the wood-fired jacuzzi: an excellent invention
To be green, the Dutchtub is perfectly ecological. Positioning yourself in the least outdoor locations, you'll be perfectly on the brink of nature and eventually have the jacuzzi you would like for your terrace or garden. it's a jacuzzi that works on a wood fire. In fact, it's alittle pool that doesn't need wiring, solar panels, or large installations, it just needs a hearth fueled with wood and biomass to supply heat to your home. natural jacuzzi. The basin can take several designs and is attached to a metal tube during which the water circulates so as to offer temperatures like a jacuzzi.
The special feature of the Dutchtub
The Dutchtub may be a really great invention. The basin can take many shapes and is definitely crammed with a faucet , a river, a lake or the other source of water. The manufacturer of this marvelous Jacuzzi spa has given this jacuzzi a playful, simple, ecological and not too sophisticated side. Besides, you do not even need a replacement filter or nozzles. additionally , it's perfectly ecological as long as you are doing not use electricity, gas or heating oil . Additionally , unlike solar which is sort of unavailable in winter, you usually have a source of energy.
With the above, you can understand that a jacuzzi can be eco friendly and well organised for the whole world. Tropicspa can be the best in terms of jacuzzi when you need an ecofriendly tool. | <urn:uuid:4477d53e-e424-4a4c-aeb1-d53d74df23ad> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.smart-recycle.eu/news/can-jacuzzi-tubs-become-eco-friendly.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.962067 | 448 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Nearly three quarters (72%) of the cost of providing home oxygen therapy to Medicare patients represent services, delivery, and other operational expenses that benefit patients, according to a comprehensive new survey of current costs by Morrison Informatics, commissioned by the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare). Only about one quarter (28%) of the cost represents oxygen equipment.
“The study shows that, contrary to some perceptions, home oxygen therapy involves much more than a piece of equipment,” said Tom Ryan, chairman of AAHomecare and CEO of Homecare Concepts in Farmingdale, NY.
Morrison collected and analyzed data from 74 home care providers that collectively serve more than 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries receiving oxygen therapy in their homes, which represents more than half of the Medicare population receiving oxygen therapy at home. Medical oxygen and oxygen systems require a physician’s prescription. Oxygen is highly regulated by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the US Department of Transportation.
Oxygen therapy is critical to approximately one million Americans who suffer from respiratory disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and who require oxygen therapy under Medicare. Nationwide, as many as 15 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD, which is growing in prevalence. It is a slowly progressive, incurable disease that causes irreversible loss of lung function. Though existing medications have not proven beneficial in reversing its effects, home oxygen therapy—when properly prescribed and maintained—can slow or stop lung degeneration, a statement from AAHomecare said.
AAHomecare has endorsed the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act, HR 5513, which was introduced last month by two physicians in Congress—Rep Joe Schwarz (R-Mich) and Rep Tom Price (R-Ga). The bill restores the Medicare treatment-of-ownership of oxygen equipment to that in effect before enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). A provision in the DRA requires oxygen users to assume ownership of and responsibility for the oxygen system they use after 36 months. The DRA policy change effectively severs the patient-provider relationship for home oxygen therapy, which raises numerous patient-safety concerns. About 25% of Medicare home oxygen patients continue to need oxygen therapy beyond 36 months.
AAHomecare, the American Lung Association, and other patient and provider groups vigorously oppose the change in oxygen policy, which does not save Medicare any money. Medical oxygen therapy at home costs an average of $7.62 per day under Medicare. The average hospital cost under Medicare is $4,603 per day.
“We believe that Congress inadvertently overlooked important patient and public safety concerns associated with home oxygen therapy, and that the new oxygen equipment ownership provisions may actually conflict with existing FDA regulations,” said Ryan. “A national Medicare policy that does not account for the many services associated with oxygen therapy shortchanges both the patient and the provider. As a result, up to one million Medicare patients who require medical oxygen may find breathing even harder than it already is. It is time that CMS and Congress recognize that the services documented in this Morrison study represent the industry standard of care in the United States, regardless of payor source. Managed care, Medicaid, and Medicare patients alike all require the same service categories.”
Ryan continued, “Home oxygen reimbursements under Medicare have been cut by nearly 50% over the past decade. This direction in policy will shrink and erode the nation’s home care infrastructure, which delivers high-quality, cost-effective care to a growing population of older Americans.”
In a letter to Members of Congress earlier this year, American Lung Association President John Kirkwood said that the DRA provision raises many quality of care, continuity of care, and patient out-of-pocket costs issues that may have significant impact on the lives of people with lung disease. “The American Lung Association is deeply troubled that Congress is acting precipitously without enough information to inform lung disease patients of the impact of these proposed changes,” Kirkwood wrote. “We urge Congress to ensure these changes will not adversely impact patient health, interrupt continuity of care, or shift additional costs to patients and their families.” | <urn:uuid:8db895fa-2158-44b8-bfd8-68e961e41cb2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://rtmagazine.com/disorders-diseases/chronic-pulmonary-disorders/copd/study-shows-oxygen-therapy-for-medicare-patients-at-home-is-service-intensive/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.939589 | 871 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Getting sick can happen to anyone, but it’s still important to keep healthy habits in order to prevent getting sick. While you can’t perfectly protect yourself from illness, small changes to your daily life such as diet, sleep, and exercise can help your body be more prepared to fight pathogens when it does encounter them. Read on for some natural ways you and your family can boost your immune systems!
Getting enough sleep is known to boost your immunity and decrease your risk of getting sick. In a study, people who slept less than six hours a night were more prone to getting sick than those who got enough sleep. Getting enough rest can also help strengthen your natural immunity. It can help your body fight infections by allowing it to make more antibodies.
To get the most out of your sleep, adults should aim to get at least 7 hours per night, while kids and teens should get 8–10 hours. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, try limiting your screen time before bed to prevent the blue light from your devices from disrupting your body’s natural wake-sleep cycle. Other ways to improve your sleep include going to bed at the same time each night, wearing a sleep mask, and sleeping in a dark room.
Your diet can also have a significant effect on your immune system. Getting enough antioxidants is also important to support your immune system. High levels of these nutrients can help fight free radicals, which can suppress the body’s natural defense.
Getting enough healthy fats is also important to support your immune system. Although it’s generally recommended to eat healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil, sunflower oil, and fish, replacing saturated fats can also help boost the production of certain compounds that help regulate immunity. For additional immune-boosting nutrients, try adding garlic and/or ginger to your meals.
Fermented food is known to contain probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that can help boost your immune system. According to studies, these types of bacteria can help differentiate between healthy and harmful organisms. Some of the fermented food options that can be found in supermarkets include yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi.
Drinking fermented milk can also help kids avoid getting sick, as a study revealed that those who drank 2.4 ounces of fermented milk a day were 20% less likely to develop childhood infectious diseases than those who didn’t eat fermented food. Probiotic supplements are a helpful alternative if fermented foods aren’t your favorite. Another study revealed that people who took Bifidobacterium animalis bacteria had a stronger immune response when they got sick with rhinovirus.
Getting active is also known to help boost the body’s natural defense against infections. According to a 2019 study, regular exercise can help mobilize the immune system’s cells and fight cancer and pathogens. It can also help protect the body from the effects of aging.
However, intense exercise can also weaken the body’s immune system and increase its susceptibility to viral infections temporarily. This is why it’s important to follow a balanced diet and hydration strategy to maintain a healthy immune system.
A review conducted in 2004 revealed that prolonged stress can negatively affect the body’s natural defense against infections. It suggested that exposure to stressful situations can trigger a decline in the immune system’s ability to fight infections. Getting to the root of this issue is taking control of your stress. Aside from regular exercise, it’s also important to practice relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation.
Many people and companies will recommend various herbs and supplements that will boost immunity, but be careful to do your research before taking them as many studies are inconclusive on their effectiveness. Nevertheless, the above strategies are scientifically proven to help increase immune function. While these habits and activities won’t keep you from getting sick, they can help you avoid illness more often and equip your body to fight infections faster. | <urn:uuid:6a1648ec-c07c-4349-986f-0a4fe2f530b4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://drcolinknight.com/5-natural-ways-to-boost-your-immune-system/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.957372 | 840 | 3.296875 | 3 |
January 2020 marks the third year the world has struggled to overcome the coronavirus pandemic. For many different and valid reasons, people are reluctant to get vaccinated. Still, broad and successful vaccination rates are needed to avoid giving the virus time to mutate and create another variant, as it did with Omicron.
Alaska Public Media has joined 20 community groups — including cultural, information and health organizations — working to ensure vaccine-hesitant Alaskans can find accurate information from community members they trust. . APM will offer a series of programs called “Talk to Your Neighbor” to highlight this community outreach and to provide a channel for Alaskans to ask their own questions and tell their own stories.
Today you will hear about a nonprofit network that provides medical care to the underserved. A member of the network will talk about a new cohort of community health workers going to neighborhoods and social service facilities to help individuals find medical care, including good information about Covid and vaccinations.
We will also hear from a doctor. He sometimes sits with patients who are hesitant to get vaccinated. He understands that this is a difficult conversation and offers perspective on how to proceed, always with great respect. Finally, a social media expert will share information on where misinformation comes from, how it spreads on social media, and how the sometimes disastrous tone of the information can turn off some in the audience. .
“Talk to Your Neighbor” programming will be archived on this web page as it develops. Programs are planned on Hometown Alaska, Line One and Alaska Insight.
Listeners are invited to share their thoughts and concerns on today’s show by dialing 907-550-8433. Additionally, APM has added a recorded phone line to answer your questions, concerns, and stories 24/7. This number is 907-550-8480. Your contribution can influence future programming.
Join us and help us provide the information you need.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
- Melinda Freemanexecutive director, Anchorage Project Access, a community partner
- Husband Saddle, Chief of Staff, Alaska Primary Care Association, launched that agency’s Community Health Worker Cohort
- Dr Phillip Mendozadoctor, board member of Enlaces, a community partner
- Pedro Luis Graterolsocial media specialist, Sol de Medianoche, a community partner
- To call 550-8433 (Anchor) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live stream (10-11 a.m.)
- To send E-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (emails can be read on air).
- post your comment or question below (comments can be read on-air).
- LIVE: Monday January 24, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday January 24, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program. | <urn:uuid:5bd1468a-7e93-43f6-a7cd-5bf15a5a52a3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://oldfarminncowichan.com/community-groups-respond-to-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-with-trusted-voices-and-accurate-information/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.932035 | 634 | 1.625 | 2 |
Freight haulage was the last bastion of horse-drawn transportation; the motorized truck finally supplanted the horse cart in the 1920s.” Experts cite 1910 as the year that automobiles finally outnumbered horses and buggies.
When did cars begin to replace horses?
By 1917, New York was the epicenter for the country’s automobile sales rather than urban horses. Shops that sold wagons, carriages, harnesses, and saddlery on Broadway were replaced by supply stores selling tires, ignitions, speedometers, batteries, and carburetors.
What year did cars take over horses?
In 1908 the number of cars passed the number of horses for the first time and irrevocably. There were many things that needed to happen for the car to surpass the horse, one of the most important being the surface of the roads.
When did autos become common?
Cars came into global use during the 20th century, and developed economies depend on them. The year 1886 is regarded as the birth year of the car when German inventor Karl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Cars became widely available in the early 20th century.
Who invented the horse and cart?
The earliest recorded sort of carriage was the chariot, reaching Mesopotamia as early as 1900 BC. Used typically for warfare by Egyptians, the Near Easterners and Europeans, it was essentially a two-wheeled light basin carrying one or two passengers, drawn by one to two horses.
Did they have cars in 1918?
Manufacturing began at the Tulsa Automobile Manufacturing Company in late summer for the 1918 season. Three models, roadster, touring, and an “oil field” special, were offered on a 117 inch wheel base. “The Peer of the West” was priced under $1,000.
What happened to the horses after cars?
People steadily replaced horses, which did not last forever, with cars. The number of cars increased, the number of horses decreased. When I was young, in Brooklyn, NY, there still existed the last pony drawn scrap metal/junk wagon. That was so long ago.
When did horse carriage End UK?
Horse and van and were replaced, in the main, by motorised delivery vehicles from around the 1920s.
Did Henry Ford invent the car?
A common myth is that Henry Ford invented the automobile. This is not true. While he may not have invented the automobile, he did offer a new way of manufacturing a large number of vehicles. This method of production was the moving assembly line.
When did cars become popular UK?
Cars were still generally used for pleasure, rather than business, although they were becoming increasingly popular with regular daily travellers such as doctors. There were 23,000 cars on Britain’s roads by the end of 1904, and over 100,000 by 1910. Early motorists needed a spirit of adventure.
What were cars like in the 1920s?
1920’s cars saw many technical advances that improved the functions of the automobile. Many of the automobile innovations that we assume of as being modern were in fact introduced in the 1920’s. For example, front wheel drive, four wheel drive, electric powered cars, and even hybrid fuel/electric cars.
How much did a wagon cost in the 1800s?
It was costly—as much as $1,000 for a family of four. That fee included a wagon at about $100. Usually four or six animals had to pull the wagon.
Were there carriages in the 1800s?
Horse drawn carriages were in widespread use from the 18th century until the early 1900s. The carriages came in a variety of types, from public stagecoach to elegant private vehicles. … By the Regency era of the early 1800s, more comfortable horse drawn carriages were in use.
When were horses used for transportation?
Horses were first domesticated around 3500 BC, near the steppes of southern Russia and Kazakhstan. At about 2300 BC, horses were brought to the ancient Near East, and by 2000 BC, they were used to pull carts, chariots, wagons, and riding. | <urn:uuid:07162790-7c7f-4d05-946d-e88b669c97db> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://horsetalesforthesoul.com/useful-articles/when-did-we-stop-using-horse-and-cart.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.98133 | 870 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Early data center rack arrangements were often task based, where racks performing similar functions were located in close proximity to each other. There was little attention paid to where the rack inlets and discharges were placed; that is, there were no defined hot and cold aisles. When racks are arranged such that there is no defined hot and cold aisle, the hot air being discharged from the racks mixes with the air entering nearby racks, thus raising the temperature. This condition has two negative impacts.
Click below for more information on how hot aisle configuration and containment saves energy.
Written by: Raymond Johnson, II, PE, LEED AP, Senior Associate Principal – Director of Mission Critical | <urn:uuid:d7685f37-3fb7-4707-9de4-5093685d9eed> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wendelcompanies.com/hot-aisle-configuration-containment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.969903 | 137 | 2.84375 | 3 |
written by Paul Witcover
In the opening pages of The Eight, we first encounter Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord described only by his title: the Bishop of Autun. There, two nuns from Paris, Alexandrine de Forbin and Marie-Charlotte de Corday (herself a significant player in the novel—and in history), speak of him as a “man of great evil” who “has cast his eye upon Montglane Abbey,” seeking the fabled treasure of Charlemagne, the bejeweled chess pieces and board that together constitute the Montglane Service. The year is 1790, and the French Revolution, from its flashpoint in Paris, is spreading across the country, a social and political wildfire. Soon the flames will engulf all of Europe.
In 1791, the novices and cousins Mireille and Valentine are ordered to Paris by their aged abbess to avail themselves of the hospitality and protection of Valentine’s godfather, the famous painter Jacques-Louis David. There the two young women are to serve secretly as a gathering point for the scattered pieces of the Montglane Service and those who bear them. At David’s studio, the cousins meet Talleyrand in the flesh . . . only to find, instead of “the Devil incarnate” they had been warned against, a witty, sympathetic friend and charming guide to a Paris whose glittering lights are far from extinguished despite the rising red tide of the Terror. “They are dancing at the edge of the abyss,” says Talleyrand of the jaded Parisians. But in The Eight, the thirty-seven-year-old Talleyrand finds his own cynical armor pierced by the two innocent young women, and avuncular fondness blossoms into something more, leading to a passionate involvement with Mireille and the birth of a son, Charlot.
In The Fire—which opens thirty years later—we find Talleyrand, in his late 60s, enjoying a comfortable, well-deserved retirement at his palatial Château de Valençay in the Loire Valley. The year is 1823, and in the intervening years, as we learn, through his deployment of brilliant statesmanship and the cunning instinctive survival tactics for which he was famous—he has kept not only his own vast fortune intact—but he has managed to ensure the survival of France herself, despite her repeated military defeats, as a major world class power. Despite these triumphs, in The Fire, he soon discovers that the fateful chess game he had thought successfully concluded at the end of The Eight is far from over, and it proves that the consummate diplomat has yet another part to play in helping his now-grown son, Charlot, solve a mystery concerning a vital piece of the Montglane Service: the Black Queen.
Katherine Neville’s multifaceted portrait of Talleyrand as a man at the center of deadly intrigues, a peerless political strategist and tactician who himself exerted a gravitational pull on many beautiful and intelligent women, is amply borne out by the historical record. Indeed, Talleyrand’s life was an affair of such drama, adventure, and romance that it seems as if only a novel could do it justice.
Charles-Maurice was born on February 2, 1754, into a Parisian family of impeccable aristocratic pedigree. As the eldest son, he stood heir not only to his father’s ancestral title of comte de Talleyrand-Périgord but to the lands and income that went with it. But as a result of a malformed foot, a physical flaw that his family regarded as incompatible with its long tradition of military service, the youngster was legally stripped of his rights of inheritance and instead pressed into a career in the Catholic Church under the watchful eye of his uncle, the Archbishop of Rheims.
Talleyrand always attributed his deformity to a childhood fall in which he was dropped by a clumsy governess, but though he retained a lifelong terror of falling (as an adult, he placed protective barriers around his bed so he could sleep without fear), today most historians believe that his club foot—memorably described by a mistress as “a horse’s hoof made of flesh ending in a claw”—was in fact a congenital birth defect, much like that of another famous aristocrat who is dramatically brought to life in the pages of The Fire: George Gordon, Lord Byron. But whether Talleyrand’s club foot, and the drastic extent to which it altered his circumstances, was the product of nature or (a lack of) nurture, it undoubtedly left a psychological as well as a physical mark on his subsequent career.
The Church proved a hospitable environment for a well-connected young man who was both clever and ambitious. In addition to his ecclesiastical studies, Talleyrand became acquainted with, and sympathetic to, the liberal political ideas of the Philosophes, a group of progressive-minded intellectuals, who were critical of what they viewed as the Church’s collusion with the absolute monarchy that had long ruled the secular State by “Divine Right.” These Philosophe freethinkers included such Enlightenment luminaries as Denis Diderot, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire. Nor did Talleyrand neglect more secular pursuits of his own—taking his first mistress while still a student at the seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris. But such philosophical (and physical) departures from the straight and narrow did not prevent Talleyrand from taking holy orders in 1779, after which—thanks again to his uncle’s influence—in 1781 he was appointed Agent General of the Clergy, a position in which he acted as the representative of the French clergy in its dealings with the government. In this role, despite a personal lack of religious conviction, Talleyrand won a reputation as a zealous defender of Church privileges in everything from property rights to tax exemption. This success led to his creation as the Bishop of Autun in 1788. At the age of thirty-four, Talleyrand’s future seemed assured: a comfortable life of privilege and power that would afford ample scope for the satisfaction of his considerable intellectual and voluptuary appetites.
Then came the Revolution.
In 1789, when King Louis XVI convened the Estates-General—a quasi-legislative body comprised of representatives from the Church (the First Estate), the Nobility (the Second Estate), and pretty much everyone else (the Third Estate)—Talleyrand was elected by his fellow clergymen as their representative. Doubtless they thought he would once again prove a fierce champion of ecclesiastical interests. In this, they were mistaken.
Instead, the aristocratic prelate worked with single-minded purpose and determination toward the nationalization of all Church properties and the abolition of the Church’s traditional privileges—the very privileges that he had defended so ably (and so recently) as Agent General. In addition, he was a chief contributor in the drafting of The Declaration of the Rights of Man—the French Bill of Rights—as well as other key documents defining the new government’s scope of powers, such as the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which reorganized the Catholic Church in France into a democratic institution owing allegiance to the state rather than to the Pope in Rome. For these efforts, Talleyrand was excommunicated by Pope Pius VI. He was also vilified by members of those exclusive circles into which he had been born—the First and Second Estates—as a self-seeking turncoat. It was not the only time that such charges would be leveled against him.
Talleyrand’s co-authorship of The Declaration of the Rights of Man earned him notice from another quarter as well, an even more interesting one: in 1792, the proto-feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, (mother of Mary Shelley, the future author of Frankenstein), composed her influential work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which she dedicated to Talleyrand—not only out of admiration for his revolutionary contributions, but also to point out the shortcomings of Talleyrand’s Declaration—wherein he had advocated restricting women to a domestic education only. An uncharacteristic position for a man who had been involved in relationships with such extraordinary women as Madame de Stäel as lovers and valued friends.
In 1791, as the continental monarchies began to mobilize against the French revolutionary government, Talleyrand was dispatched to England by the French Foreign Minister, as an unofficial envoy, in order to win British neutrality. In this, he was momentarily successful. But when he returned to Paris, he found—as it is vividly portrayed in a gripping section of The Eight—that the atmosphere had turned increasingly hostile when the first blush of revolutionary ardor had begun to change into something more poisonous. In The Eight, we follow Talleyrand’s actual movements as, fearing for his own immediate safety, he flees back to London in 1792. And we are provided a close-up view—in 1794, following the execution of Louis and the French invasion of Belgium, with the state of war heating up between England and France—when Talleyrand is expelled by order of Prime Minister Pitt. In life, as in the fictional portrayal, Talleyrand was unable to return to France, where a death sentence awaited him, and as no other European country would accept him, he finally sought refuge in America. There he remained for the next two years, in relative obscurity—amassing a small fortune through New England real-estate speculation, while across the seas, the Terror continued to rage throughout France.
When at last the execution of Maximilien Robespierre signaled the beginning of the end of the Terror, Talleyrand lobbied the French National Convention and its newly formed Directory for permission to return to France. His petitions, conveyed by Madame de Staël and other sympathetic friends, were at last granted, and he arrived in Paris in 1796. By the following year, he was appointed Foreign Minister, and with that his true career began: a career which was to make the name of Talleyrand virtually synonymous with the art of diplomacy.
In this new position, Talleyrand was first to notice the potential of a certain dashing young artillery officer and to play a leading role in the coup d’etat of 1799 that placed Napoleon Bonaparte at the helm of the ship of state, initially as First Consul but really emperor in all but title. Five years later, in 1804, Napoleon added that title as well, crowning himself Emperor at Notre Dame. During those five years, and a handful beyond, Talleyrand continued to serve as Foreign Minister—as Napoleon again and again defeated the coalition armies throughout Europe that were assembled against him, as he engaged in the process of redrawing the map of Europe and throwing the established political order of the ancient regimes into chaos. Although Talleyrand came to regret his part in Napoleon’s rise to power—privately disagreeing with the emperor’s aggressive diplomatic strategies and quick recourse to war, and deeply unhappy with Napoleon’s departure from the egalitarian ideals of the Revolution and with his even more egregious rapprochement with the Catholic Church and its continuing support of the “Divine Right of Kings”—whatever were Talleyrand’s private misgivings, the public diplomat remained an adroit, effective servant.
It was during this period that Talleyrand met and, in 1802, with the encouragement of Napoleon, married Catherine Noel Worlée Grand—who is portrayed in The Eight as the White Queen and the nemesis of the book’s heroine, Mireille. In real life, the extraordinary beauty of “Madame Grand”—this scandal-plagued divorcee, who had been run out of both India and France at different times—is captured in two paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The first, by Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, depicts a vivacious twenty-one-year-old beauty dressed in all the colorful and sumptuous finery of the ancien régime; the second, by Baron François-Pascal-Simon Gérard, shows a still striking forty-six-year-old, dressed in the simpler Neoclassical style of the Empire. If readers of The Eight are curious as to the appearance of the fictional Valentine, Mireille’s cousin, who is described as virtually indistinguishable from the White Queen, they need look no further.
As detailed in The Eight, Talleyrand’s marriage was not a happy one. Perhaps Talleyrand grew bored with this ravishing woman whose intellect apparently fell short of her beauty. It is said of her, for example, that when asked where she was from, Catherine replied, “Je suis d’Inde,” meaning “I am from India.” Unfortunately, this phrase sounds like “Je suis dinde,” a common French expression for a stupid woman: that is, “I am a goose.” Nonetheless, Catherine accomplished what no other woman ever managed: to get Talleyrand to the altar. The marriage was childless, though Talleyrand did sire illegitimate children; exactly how many is a matter of debate. Charles Joseph, comte de Flahaut, and the famous painter Eugène Delacroix (who is presented in this light in The Eight) are among the more likely candidates, as are the so-called “Mysterious Charlotte” (who appears in both The Eight and The Fire), a young girl whom Talleyrand adopted at the age of five—as well as Pauline, thought to be the result of Talleyrand’s long involvement with the great love of his life, his young niece Dorothée, the Duchess of Dino, one of the richest women in Europe by age sixteen, and by all accounts as brilliant and witty as Madame de Stäel.
By 1807, Talleyrand’s disenchantment with Napoleon was complete—as was the emperor’s with him. In a now-famous quip, one morning, before the entire French court, Napoleon addressed Talleyrand as “ordure (crap) in a silk stocking.” Resigning as Foreign Minister, Talleyrand retired to his estates at Valençay, where he engaged in activities—around which controversy still swirls to this day—that may have wavered between self-preservation, plotting, conspiracy, or even treason, against the Imperial storm trooper that Napoleon was fast proving himself to be.
Meanwhile, during this era, Talleyrand was also pursuing a collaboration that was destined to leave nearly as great a mark upon the history of cuisine as his diplomatic efforts were to leave upon the history of European politics. In Paris, Talleyrand had made the acquaintance of a young chef at Bailly’s patisserie, who would—largely through Talleyrand’s ministrations—one day become a culinary genius who would be regarded as the father of haute cuisine: Antonin Carême. Carême, who makes a memorable appearance in The Fire, not only trained in Talleyrand’s kitchens, but the two men meticulously planned each day’s menu; with Talleyrand’s intimate involvement, Carême created a 365-day menu with completely different meals for each day. Carême’s sensational “pièces montées,” huge, extravagantly constructed sculptures of spun sugar confectionary, were the wonders of Paris, and he went on to work for such luminaries as George IV of England, the Emperor Alexander of Russia and the Rothschilds of France, becoming in effect the first celebrity chef.
After Napoleon’s forced abdication in 1814, Talleyrand played a leading role in the restoration of the Bourbon Dynasty in the person of Louis XVIII, who promptly rewarded his efforts by appointing him to his old position of Foreign Minister. At the Congress of Vienna, Talleyrand was at his most brilliant, manipulating the victorious allied powers against each other while plying them (aided by Carême, whom he’d brought along to the conference) with lavish and sumptuous banquets. Talleyrand’s negotiating style is aptly conveyed in his famous message from Vienna to the restored king, Louis XVIII, back in Paris: “We are more in need of soufflés here than of instructions.” The result of Talleyrand’s culinary diplomacy was that he attained remarkably favorable terms for defeated France, which emerged from the Congress, virtually unscathed, remaining one of the great European powers.
With the second restoration of Louis XVIII—following Napoleon’s escape from Elba and the Hundred Days of his rule and defeat—Talleyrand was pensioned off with an impressive title and large sinecure, and sent into retirement once more at Valençay. There he devoted himself to the intellectual and epicurean pursuits that so delighted him, working on his memoirs and continuing the romance with his young niece, Dorothée, that had begun at the Congress of Vienna and would continue until the end of his life. In 1830, during the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe, Talleyrand was called back into the diplomatic arena one last time, serving with distinction as ambassador to London until 1834—with his niece, Dorothée, Duchess of Dino, by his side. He died on May 17, 1838, and was buried at Valençay. On his deathbed, following his lifelong tradition of negotiating each point to its successful conclusion—Talleyrand resolved his excommunication issue, ending his long estrangement from the Church, and was officially reconciled with the Catholic faith.
Talleyrand’s own words offer a succinct summation of his career, as well as a strong refutation of the charges of perfidy and corruption sometimes leveled against him by contemporaries and historians alike. “They think that I am immoral and Machiavellian, yet I am simply impassive and disdainful. I have never given perverse advice to a government or a prince, but I do not go down with them. After shipwrecks, you need pilots to rescue the shipwrecked. I stay calm and get them to port somewhere. No matter which port, as long as it offers shelter.” In effect, he was a realist, and today, historians generally concur that his primary allegiance (with the possible exception of his own fortune) was to the preservation of his beloved country, France. | <urn:uuid:34809e13-8cbf-465f-895a-81b3055533b4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.katherineneville.com/the-books/about-my-work/my-bookessays/talleyrand/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.974477 | 3,937 | 2.015625 | 2 |
A new documentary presents the premise that the climate crisis cannot be overcome without a revolution and the overthrow of the capitalist system. The movie also shows how this can be achieved.
The Roaring Spring documentary with an interlaced clip from “reflective fiction” is not another film about the impact of the climate crisis. You will search in vain for guidance on how to live in a neutral climate through technical solutions. The subtitle “Together Out of the Climate Crisis” is not a call for more sustainable living practices. The Noisy Spring spreads only the overthrow of the capitalist system, through revolution.
According to the analysis by writer Joanna Schilhagen and those interviewed in the film, ie Andreas Malm, anything else would make sense. According to this logic, “green capitalism” is not part of the solution, but part of the problem, because it cannot slow down the logic of capitalism’s growth and resource hunger.
There is already a lot of criticism of capitalism from the climate movement, but the climate movement hardly gives any idea how to bring about change in the system. This is the point at which the ‘Noisy Spring’ begins and incorporates elements from different labor movements. Revolution in the Marxist sense means workers’ control of the means of production. This is the only way to stop the destructive overproduction of capitalism.
“As winners, we are forced to participate in an economy that is destroying life on Earth,” says author Joanna Schilhagen. At the same time, human labor is also where the capitalist system depends on the great masses of people. And that’s exactly why it’s so important to bring the climate rebellion into the workplace. Die hier aufgezeigte Idee der Revolution, die von Arbeiter:innen wie sozialen Bewegungen ausgehen und in einer Selbstorganisation etwa in Stadtteilversammlungen und übernommenen Betrieben münden soll, folgt wohl am ehesten postoperaistischen Ideen (einer marxistischen Strömung, die antistaatlich und auf den Kampf gegen die Fabrikarbeit fokussiert he is).
The Labornet TV collective, to which writer Joanna Schilhagen belongs, has produced several documentaries about labor disputes. It often has to do with struggles that have arisen outside the big unions, such as organizing “cyclists” – food delivery workers on bicycles – or the strikes of migrant warehouse workers in Italy.
The current film also makes no reference to the role of trade unions in fighting the climate crisis, perhaps because there is not much to say about it and at least German trade unions have always supported the capitalist growth model on which industrial jobs depend. are based.
The writer’s voice accompanies us throughout the film from the beginning and at the beginning explains her personal motives:
I have been photographing strikes and social movements for 20 years and I am long overdue in realizing what the catastrophe of climate change is. When the exchange rate finally fell, I decided I wanted to try to transfer everything I had learned from the striking workers to the climate movement.
The following images from the Paris climate conference, the devastation caused by the mining of fossil raw materials and the severe weather are brief, and there is no need for long explanations here that the world is heading toward disaster.
This quickly raises the question of why governments, if recognizing the problem, would do nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – because these have not gone down since the start of the climate conferences, but are up 60 percent. Just a few numbers show how serious the mismatch between declarations of intent and action is.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), approximately $200 billion in fossil fuels are extracted annually in the G20 countries alone. Other studies come up with much higher amounts. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), direct and indirect subsidies to coal, gas and oil (including the costs of damage to health and the environment) will reach $5.9 trillion in 2020, money that the country must also raise. Countries. According to the intergovernmental organization IRENA, only $128 billion was made available for renewable energies in 2017. At the same time, states help fossil fuel companies, as evidenced by the example from Colombia, in order to advance projects against the population, if necessary using military force (para. ).
Despite these inconvenient facts, countries are selling the promise of green capitalism and talking about a technological solution to the climate problem. However, green capitalism will not solve resource scarcity, there are new environmental problems and neo-colonial exploitation, says economist and activist Matthias Schmelzer.
Parts of the climate movement, such as “Ende Gelände,” are highly critical of green capitalism and advocate not only lower consumption of fossil energy, but also growth in general. Despite great popularity and public perception, the climate movement has a blind spot, as the author sees it: How to build the power to transform? It is at this point that her view turns to workers, with the initially formulated thesis that labor is the weak point of capitalism. | <urn:uuid:fafed945-5ec7-466b-b8c0-29cff1a0b1e0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://myastheniamedi.com/2022/07/30/why-the-climate-crisis-raises-the-question-of-power/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.909104 | 1,099 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Yesterday, President Barack Obama ordered the federal government to conduct a broad reassessment of its global development policies. Revamping the government’s approach to foreign aid has been a longtime goal of progressives, who see a smarter approach to development projects as a major non-military solution to global insecurity and environmental problems. The liberal Center for American progress cheered that the move begins to put “development alongside diplomacy and defense as a crucial instrument of US foreign policy.”
In May, CAP released its “National Strategy for Global Development,” a lengthy report that calls for reworking the federal government’s balkanized approach to global assistance. The resources for foreign aid “are now spread across 24 government agencies, offices, and departments,” it notes, “and are neither centrally coordinated nor guided by clear goals or a national strategy.” Among other things, the report suggests appointing a single person to oversee global development policy, focusing on building strong government institutions abroad, and reinvigorating US AID, which had a staff of 15,000 during the Vietnam War but has languished to 3,000 today.
Obama’s executive order asks the National Security Council and National Economic Council to submit a joint report on US development policies by January. Any shakeup that results would come none too soon. CAP has found major flaws in how the US has provisioned aid in Afghanistan, which, along with other hotspots, may ultimately succeed or fail on the effectiveness of roads and schools as much as IEDs and smart bombs. | <urn:uuid:55e86455-d8d8-4efa-84b3-a2b957c41111> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/09/obama-rethinking-us-foreign-aid/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.961935 | 317 | 2.0625 | 2 |
The Genesis Problem
By Rev. Robert Barron
I’m continually amazed how often the “problem” of Genesis comes up in my work of evangelization and apologetics. What I mean is the way people struggle with the seemingly bad science that is on display in the opening chapters of the first book of the Bible. How can anyone believe that God made the visible universe in six days, that all the species were created at the same time, that light existed before the sun and moon, etc., etc? How can believers possibly square the naïve cosmology of Genesis with the textured and sophisticated theories of Newton, Darwin, Einstein, and Stephen Hawking?
One of the most important principles of Catholic Biblical interpretation is that the reader of the Scriptural texts must be sensitive to the genre or literary type of the text with which he is dealing. Just as it would be counter-indicated to read Moby Dick as history or “The Waste Land” as social science, so it is silly to interpret, say, “The Song of Songs” as journalism or the Gospel of Matthew as a spy novel. By the same token, it is deeply problematic to read the opening chapters of Genesis as a scientific treatise. If I can borrow an insight from Fr. George Coyne, a Jesuit priest and astrophysicist, no Biblical text can possibly be “scientific” in nature, since “science,” as we understand it, first emerged some fourteen centuries after the composition of the last Biblical book. The author of Genesis simply wasn’t doing what Newton, Darwin, Einstein, and Hawking were doing; he wasn’t attempting to explain the origins of things in the characteristically modern manner, which is to say, on the basis of empirical observation, testing of hypotheses, marshalling of evidence, and experimentation. Therefore, to maintain that the opening chapters of Genesis are “bad science” is a bit like saying the Iliad is bad history or The Chicago Tribune is not very compelling poetry.
So what precisely was that ancient author trying to communicate? Once we get past the “bad science” confusion, the opening of the Bible gives itself to us in all of its theological and spiritual power. Let me explore just a few dimensions of this lyrical and evocative text. We hear that Yahweh brought forth the whole of created reality through great acts of speech: “Let there be light,’ and there was light; ‘Let the dry land appear’ and so it was.” In almost every mythological cosmology in the ancient world, God or the gods establish order through some act of violence. They conquer rival powers or they impose their will on some recalcitrant matter. (How fascinating, by the way, that we still largely subscribe to this manner of explanation, convinced that order can be maintained only through violence or the threat of violence). But there is none of this in the Biblical account. God doesn’t subdue some rival or express his will through violence. Rather, through a sheerly generous and peaceful act of speech, he gives rise to the whole of the universe. This means that the most fundamental truth of things—the metaphysics that governs reality at the deepest level—is peace and non-violence. Can you see how congruent this is with Jesus’ great teachings on non-violence and enemy love in the Sermon on the Mount? The Lord is instructing his followers how to live in accord with the elemental grain of the universe.
Secondly, we are meant to notice the elements of creation that are explicitly mentioned in this account: the heavens, the stars, the sun, the moon, the earth itself, the sea, the wide variety of animals that roam the earth. Each one of these was proposed by various cultures in the ancient world as objects of worship. Many of the peoples that surrounded Israel held sky, stars, sun, moon, the earth, and various animals to be gods. By insisting that these were, in fact, created by the true God, the author of Genesis was, not so subtly, de-throning false claimants to divinity and disallowing all forms of idolatry. Mind you, the author of Genesis never tires of reminding us that everything that God made is good (thus holding off all forms of dualism, Manichaeism and Gnosticism), but none of these good things is the ultimate good.
A third feature that we should notice is the position and role of Adam, the primal human, in the context of God’s creation. He is given the responsibility of naming the animals , “all the birds of heaven and all the wild beasts” (Gen. 2:20). The Church fathers read this as follows: naming God’s creatures in accord with the intelligibility placed in them by the Creator, Adam is the first scientist and philosopher, for he is, quite literally, “cataloguing” the world he sees around him. (Kata Logon means “according to the word”). From the beginning, the author is telling us, God accords to his rational creatures the privilege of participating, through their own acts of intelligence, in God’s intelligent ordering of the world. This is why, too, Adam is told, not to dominate the world, but precisely to “cultivate and care for it” (Gen. 2: 16), perpetuating thereby the non-violence of the creative act.
These are, obviously, just a handful of insights among the dozens that can be culled from this great text. My hope is that those who are tripped up by the beginning of the book of Genesis can make a small but essential interpretive adjustment and see these writings as they were meant to be seen: not as primitive science, but as exquisite theology. | <urn:uuid:39640fcb-1a6c-447c-8c4c-82bfada709c1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/barron/the-genesis-problem-2-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.959529 | 1,208 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Lisbon/Berlin (dpa) – “People, we need a change!” , Hollywood star Jason Momoa (42/”Aquaman”) from Hawaii called the audience to the audience – and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres talks about an “emergency”.
The second United Nations Ocean Conference kicked off Monday in Lisbon with emotional pleas and urgent calls to save the world’s oceans, which are increasingly exposed to litter, overfishing, climate change and acidification.
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke leaves for the Portuguese capital only on Wednesday evening. However, it made clear what it is primarily about on Monday in the ministry’s statement to the five-day conference: Healthy seas are “essential to us humans” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wissen/. So we must from talk to action and make marine conservation a much higher priority.”
Nearly 30 heads of state and government, politicians, other scientists, some young activists, representatives of NGOs and companies will discuss how the world’s ocean resources can be better protected and used as sustainably as possible.
Lemki: We are putting our livelihoods at risk
“If we do not stop destroying the seas, we will not only endanger the wonderful natural resources, but also our own livelihoods. Marine protection will help us fight the climate crisis, pollution crisis and species extinction,” he said. Lemke. The green politician believes that one should “think more broadly and reconcile protection of the seas and oceans with eco-friendly and eco-friendly use”.
The minister stressed that Germany is developing a national strategy to strengthen the protection of the seas: “A separate sub-department for marine protection is currently being established within the ministry.” In addition, the Federal Government’s First Commissioner for the Sea will begin work this summer.
Guterres calls for ‘strict action’
But Guterres cautioned that national initiatives and progress in recent years are far from enough. “We all have a lot to do.” He called for global efforts and called for “strict measures” especially to combat marine plastic pollution. The largest plastic island in the Pacific Ocean is already the size of France, and plastic particles can now be found in the most remote corners. In 2021, new records are set for sea level rise, ocean warming and acidification, and greenhouse gas concentrations.
Like Lemke, the WWF called for “actions” rather than “declares and promises” at the start of the UN conference. Heik Weissper, head of marine conservation at WWF Germany, said the international community must “make surely a consistent policy change of course for the benefit of the seas”. According to the WWF, the conference “must make progress, particularly in the ongoing negotiations on the Convention to protect the high seas, protect 30 percent of sea surface by 2030 and stop deep sea mining.”
No binding agreements planned
On Friday, the “Lisbon Declaration” containing “innovative scientific proposals to solve the problem” will be published. Meanwhile, environmentalists have expressed skepticism because there are no binding agreements.
After the first conference in New York in 2017, the second Ocean Conference will be held two years late due to Corona. According to official information, the meeting will be attended by former US Secretary of State John Kerry and French President Emmanuel Macron, in addition to Guterres and Lemke. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may want to stop. Sports stars like the world’s best giant surfer, Maya Gabeira, are also present. Regardless of the Russian war of aggression, representatives of both Russia and Ukraine announced their participation.
The world’s oceans cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and are home to more than 80 percent of life on Earth. For billions of people, they are the basis of work and nutrition. The oceans are also an important part of the global climate system.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 220627-99-820993 / 2 | <urn:uuid:be5ac345-c671-40f6-bba6-a229d0fab725> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://myastheniamedi.com/2022/06/27/science-un-ocean-conference-begins-with-emotional-appeals-wikipedia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.92511 | 868 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Hip joint dysplasia (HD) is the most common hereditary disease of the skeleton of dogs, affecting all breeds and hybrids. Here, the ball joint, which consists of the acetabulum and the femoral head, is affected by dysplastic changes, which are intensified in the course of life by wear and tear and are not curable. HD is inherited multifactorially and, despite strict diagnostic and selection measures, is difficult to control, since even animals that have been evaluated healthily are carriers of the disease and can inherit it.
In addition to genetic disposition, the effects of stress and feeding also play a minor role, which can influence the prenatal development of the hip joint. The main cause, however, must certainly be seen in the hereditary predisposition for the looseness of the joint. As an adult dog, a genetically HD-healthy dog will hardly be prone to severe deformities due to improper nutrition and exercise.
The breed French Bulldog is like the Pug and the English Bulldog strongly affected by HD. However, the disease is mainly ignored because of its "soft" symptoms, which only become noticeable in the small, strongly muscled dog with high-grade changes.
Many Bullys show no clear signs of pain or movement restrictions with a stable spinal column in combination with medium HD, because the Bully, unlike the Doberman for example, gets its locomotion mainly from the force of the forehand.
However, it is out of the question to ignore hereditary diseases, because the compact, well muscled dog can compensate the deformations relatively well.
But: HD in combination with weak points in the spine can have devastating consequences even in young dogs, since the gait automatically shifts to another centre of gravity further forward in the spine due to deformities in the hip and can have an unfavourable effect on existing weak points.
Most breeding clubs do not require HD examinations for the suitability test for breeding, so that one can only refer to a few publications of HD results and one's own evaluations. These show, however, that a perfect HD-A is very rare with the Bully. The average is roughly between the transition form (HD-B) up to medium HD (HD-D).
The improvement of HD requires long-term careful control and selection of acceptable animals.
In the selection of bulldogs, however, the focus must continue to be on brachycephalic airway syndrome and a spinal column without pain-causing deformities. Breeding dogs, which are almost without strain in all 3 categories respiration, spinal column and hip, are not found as often as one would wish. Here it is necessary to judge the whole package individually and to set priorities regarding vitality and quality of life and to weigh up what the breeder is responsible for and can expect from the bred animal on the basis of the maximum expected disease value of the offspring, which the prudent breeder certainly includes in the judgements. The aim of breeding must of course be the dilution and eradication of defects over generations.
Basically, a well-founded evaluation of all three main hereditary diseases is necessary. The interest for this is frighteningly low with many federations, associations and breeders. A closed control of offspring and close relatives would be absolutely necessary to control the problem of HD over generations.
Unfortunately, practice shows too often that this is even denied in cases of illness of the offspring and thus suspected cases, which suggest the parents. Acceptance through ignorance of hereditary defects is certainly a bad attitude towards breeding and the breed!
In the case of a moderate to severe HD disease, it must be clarified by a specialist veterinarian which form of therapy promises the greatest possible success for the affected dog on freedom from symptoms.
Here the range of possibilities is high, from physiotherapy with muscle build-up to surgical procedures such as pectinectomy, possibly combined with gold acupuncture. Further surgical interventions are the femoral head resection, DBO or even the insertion of artificial hip joints, which is rarely the case with small dogs.
In pectinectomy, the pectineus muscle is removed to improve the position of the femoral head in the acetabulum. This gentle procedure promises success if the joint is not too severely deformed and there are no advanced arthroses. Contrary to the general recommendation, this surgical method can also lead to a desired success in an older bully if the muscle is removed and not only incised and the joint is possibly still treated with gold implants.
Acupuncture with gold implants can stop the dog's pain reaction.
These two options do not rule out further treatment, such as femoral head resection, if they are not successful.
In femoral head resection, the femoral head is separated and removed so that a connective tissue-like replacement joint is formed in its place. This surgical method may be necessary if the hip joint head and the acetabulum are severely degenerated and affected by progressive arthrosis. The disadvantage of this operation is the complex physiotherapy that has to follow. | <urn:uuid:30e13023-1be7-4294-8c0f-2e301b2e71a8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.gesunde-bulldoggen.com/hip-dysplasia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.961571 | 1,044 | 2.875 | 3 |
Mr. Rushern Baker –The current County Executive for Prince George’s County is known not to be a man of his word according to Prince George’s County NAACP Chapter and is deeply involved in the scandal comprising Dr. kevin Maxwell .
It never hurts when a company’s founder wins the Nobel prize for the product it makes or a leader who has shown extra-ordinary qualities in times of difficulties. However, news reports that, CEO Maxwell of Prince George’s County received an award for environmental conservation when no one has ever seen him advocate for such in Prince George’s County is a questionable exercise. Could it be this is a decoy for after we published an expose for hiring Mr. Christian Rhodes recently? We will let you be the judge.
Prince George’s County needs sustained reporting on malfeasance in public life. The continuous reporting has resulted in the ouster of corrupt officials and raised public awareness on the need for reform. If there has to be an award to the county’s CEO Maxwell, it needs to be an award for his promotion of hostile work environment. >> Read more Dr. Kevin Maxwell takes a bizarre turn!
Elements of a Hostile Work Environment Claim
Determining harassment or discrimination is fact-specific and the elements that must be established depend on the type alleged. In general, to establish that a person has been harassed or discriminated against under Maryland Law Against Discrimination, that person must show the following five elements to establish a hostile work environment claim:
(1) They are a qualified individual under protected class for example they could have disability;
(2) They were subjected to unwelcome harassment;
(3) The harassment was based on the person’s class or status;
(4) The harassment was sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter a term, condition, or privilege of employment; and
(5) Some factual basis exists to impute liability for the harassment to the employer.
“Reasonable Person Standard”
In addition, to recover on a hostile environment claim, a plaintiff must demonstrate not only that he subjectively perceived his workplace environment as hostile, but also that a reasonable person would so perceive it — that it was objectively hostile. Factors to consider
- frequency of the discriminatory conduct;
- its severity;
- whether it is physically threatening or humiliating, or a mere offensive utterance; and
- whether it unreasonably interferes with an employee’s work performance.
In Prince George’s county, Dr. Maxwell has failed to address the issues of hostile work environment and his actions speaks volumes in recent months. Claims against Prince George’s County and other employers within are rising, with a majority alleging employees or former employees were subjected to a “hostile work environment” or “hostility in the workplace.” To any keen observer, this is failed leadership out to squander public cash through the back door.
In an influential essay titled “Leading From Within,” educational writer and consultant Parker Palmer introduces a powerful metaphor to dramatize the distinction between ethical and unethical leadership. According to Palmer, the difference between moral and immoral leaders is as sharp as the contrast between light and darkness, between heaven and hell.
A leader is a person who has an unusual degree of power to create the conditions under which other people must live and move and have their being, conditions that can be either as illuminating as heaven or as shadowy as hell. A leader must take special responsibility for what’s going on inside his or her own self, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership create more harm than good.
Leaders have the power to illuminate the lives of followers or to cover them in darkness. They cast light when they master ethical challenges of leadership. They cast shadows when they (1) abuse power, (2) hoard privileges, (3) mismanage information, (4) act inconsistently, (5) misplace or betray loyalties, and (6) fail to assume responsibilities.
According to professor Kellerman, bad leaders can be ineffective, unethical, or ineffective and unethical. She identifies seven types of bad leaders:
- Incompetent: These leaders don’t have the motivation or ability to sustain effective action. They may lack emotional or academic intelligence, for example, or be careless, distracted, or sloppy. Some can’t function under stress, and their communication and decisions suffer as a result. Former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch (1961–2000) is one example of an incompetent leader. Toward the end of his tenure he turned a blind eye to commercialism, drug scandals, and corruption in the Olympic movement.
- Rigid: Rigid leaders may be competent, but they are unyielding, unable to accept new ideas, new information, or changing conditions. Thabo Mbeki is one such leader. After becoming president of South Africa in 1999, he insisted that HIV did not cause AIDS and withheld antiretroviral drugs from HIV-positive women. These medications would have dramatically cut the transmission of the disease to their babies.
- Intemperate: Intemperate leaders lack self-control and are enabled by followers who don’t want to intervene or can’t. Marion Barry, Jr.’s political career demonstrates intemperate leadership in action. Barry served as mayor of Washington, DC, from 1979 to 1991. He ignored widespread corruption in his administration, perhaps in part because he was busy cheating on his wife and doing drugs. Barry was convicted of possessing crack cocaine and served 6 months in jail. After being released from prison, he was elected to the city council in 1992 and was reelected as mayor in 1994. During his administrations, the district’s schools and public services deteriorated while the murder rate soared.
- Callous: The callous leader is uncaring or unkind, ignoring or downplaying the needs, wants, and wishes of followers. Former hotel magnate Leona Helmsley personifies the callous leader. She earned the title “The Queen of Mean” by screaming at employees and firing them for minor infractions such as having dirty fingernails. Helmsley later served time for tax evasion. (She once quipped, “Only the little people pay taxes.”)
- Corrupt: These leaders and at least some of their followers lie, cheat, and steal. They put self-interest ahead of public interest. Former United Way of America chief William Aramony is an example of this type of leader. Aramony used United Way funds to buy and furnish an apartment for his girlfriend and to pay for vacations. His top financial officers helped him hide his illegal actions. Aramony and his colleagues were convicted on fraud-related charges.
- Insular: The insular leader draws a clear boundary between the welfare of his or her immediate group or organization and outsiders. Former President Bill Clinton behaved in an insular manner when he didn’t intervene in the Rwandan genocide that took the lives of 800,000–1 million people in 1994. He later traveled to Africa to apologize for failing to act even though he had reliable information describing how thousands of Tutsis were being hacked to death by their Hutu neighbors.
- Evil: Evil leaders commit atrocities, using their power to inflict severe physical or psychological harm. Foday Sankoh is one example of an evil leader. He started a civil war in Sierra Leone in 1991. His army, which included many boy soldiers, carried out a campaign of rape and murder. The rebels were also known for chopping off the legs, hands, and arms of innocent civilians.
We know where light is coming from by looking at the shadows.
—Humanities scholar Paul Woodruff
Dr. Kevin Maxwell seemed like a good fit in the very beginning but has proved himself to be something else. He is clearly being used by Mr. Rushern Baker regime and others for selfish motives including for high salaries at the expense of poor children and for improper influence within PGCPS District. Every time he gets criticized for making mistakes, the county leadership or some other external forces promotes him for some kind of an award to confuse the public everything is ok.
The Behaviors and Personal Characteristics of Toxic Leaders
|Destructive Behaviors||Toxic Qualities|
|Leaving followers worse off||Lack of integrity|
|Violating human rights||Insatiable ambition|
|Feeding followers’ illusions; creating dependence||Enormous egos|
|Playing to the basest fears and needs of followers||Arrogance|
|Stifling criticism; enforcing compliance||Amorality (unable to discern right from wrong)|
|Misleading followers||Avarice (greed)|
|Subverting ethical organizational structures and processes||Reckless disregard for the costs of their actions|
|Engaging in unethical, illegal, and criminal acts||Cowardice (won’t make tough choices)|
|Building totalitarian regimes||Failure to understand problems|
|Failing to nurture followers, including successors||Incompetent in key leadership situations|
|Setting constituents against one another|
|Encouraging followers to hate or destroy others|
|Making themselves indispensable|
|Ignoring or promoting incompetence, cronyism, and corruption|
SOURCE: Adapted from Lipman-Blumen, J. (2005). The allure of toxic leaders: Why we follow destructive bosses and corrupt politicians—and how we can survive them. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp. 19–23.
Read more >>> Rebranding of Prince George’s through Vote 2014. | <urn:uuid:2b0d0793-6e66-498c-ac2b-29ff7d9e3385> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://pgcpsmess.com/2014/10/30/corruption-and-good-governance-in-the-county/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.956606 | 2,024 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Passwords are no longer enough to protect accounts with sensitive information. Now most popular websites and apps provide two-factor authentication to help you protect your account. For some financial-related accounts, the suggestion here is to protect them through physical security key. But first, you need to access the account through the official link.
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Jan 01, 2021 · EBSCO is a diverse organization with many businesses. Our success has been created by shared commitments to similar values. Our businesses are entrepreneurial organizations driven to grow; committed to creating positive results for our future, our team members and our communities. | <urn:uuid:d4b010bd-a479-489e-ab3d-7a4b96f82a11> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bcdinfo.com/ebsco-mobile-login-customer-service-support-information-account-bill-pay/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571950.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813111851-20220813141851-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.902673 | 650 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Adenoids and tonsils are composed of lymphatic tissue and are part of the immune system and designed to help with immune reactions particularly against bacterial and viruses through a number of means. They encircle the top of the breathing and digestive tract.
The tonsils are visible on either side of the back of the throat but the adenoids are invisible and behind the soft palate.
They do not form a very important part of the immune system and these organs have been removed for many decades with no harm noted to the system. The body has other and more important methods of preventing infection or fighting off bacteria and viruses.
The adenoids and tonsils are different sizes in people. The adenoids tend to shrink in size after early childhood but the occasional young adult may have adenoid tissue present. Similarly, the tonsils usually also shrink in size but tend not to disappear.
This is an increasingly recognised problem for children and is becoming the most common reason for removing tonsils and adenoids surgically. Rarely, the same condition can affect adults. The hallmarks of sleep disordered breathing include snoring, obstructed breathing, restless sleeping with self awakening at night. These children are difficult to awaken in the mornings, are grumpy, fall asleep readily during the day and may have a poor concentration span.
The most common form of infection is recurrent acute tonsillitis which are episodes of tonsil infection which leave (mostly children) ill for a week at a time. This can be a very painful disease associated with high fevers and general unwellness. Frequently there is a family history of the condition. A rough guideline for those who are likely to benefit from surgery includes:
This is a chronic and constant, low-grade infection of the tonsils. The lymph nodes on the side of the neck may be tender and frequently those with this condition produce small, cheesy and very smelly balls from their tonsils called tonsilloliths. This is also frequently associated with a smelly breath (halitosis).
This begins as an infection of the tonsil itself and then spreads beyond the tonsil to form an abscess between the tonsil and the underlying muscle. A quinsy is an extremely painful condition which, in the vast majority of instances, affects only one side. The initial treatment of this condition is drainage of the pus with rapid resolution of symptoms. If a second quinsy occurs or if recurrent tonsillar problems become evident, a tonsillectomy is indicated.
Chronic, low-grade infections in the adenoids with bacteria protected from the immune system and antibiotics by a structure called a biofilm frequently found in children who have a "snotty" nose or middle ear infections. The most common indication for removal of adenoids in this scenario is otitis media with effusion (glue ear) or recurrent acute otitis media. Removal of the adenoids can result in an immediate resolution of the "snotty" nose.
An (adeno-) tonsillectomy is undertaken under general anaesthetic. The tonsils are generally removed by disssection and the adenoids by curetting (scraping) or by cautery.
All the discomfort of surgery comes from the tonsillectomy and, because of the continuous movement of the throat, all the significant pain emanates from the tonsillar fossa with little discomfort coming from the adenoidectomy.
Pain varies significantly between people. It is most important to ensure that there is adequate fluid intake and that painrelief is administered regularly. A small percentage of people (1-3%) experience a post-operative bleed most of which do not require further treatment. Many children are better within one week but an adult will certainly take longer to recover from this surgery.
If you have any questions about this procedure please contact us. | <urn:uuid:7c00d3ee-5935-4675-87ec-a4d2d04ed7c0> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.brandonhitchcock.co.nz/adenoids_and_tonsils.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.957644 | 792 | 3.8125 | 4 |
The concern about all these holes through the country's subsurface layers has taken on added significance with the widespread application of hydraulic fracturing to obtain oil and natural gas trapped in deep shale formations. The process injects millions of gallons of water under high pressure mixed with toxic chemicals into wells to create fractures that will allow oil and natural gas to flow to the surface. Also flowing to the surface are millions of gallons of return flow which must be disposed of. Much of it is forced down waste injection wells.
Vast new areas in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, Arkansas and many other states are now the subject of intense interest from drillers. So, an issue that had previously been confined to hydrocarbon-rich states such as Texas, Louisiana and California has now become a nationwide concern almost overnight.
The ProPublica story referenced above makes the case that the injection process changes the underground geology because of the amounts that have been injected (trillions of gallons), the high pressures used and the fractures created intentionally or unintentionally by the process--fractures which have the potential to allow dangerous wastes to reach underground drinking water aquifers. All of this is compounded by the lax supervision by both state and federal regulators who are overburdened in any case and have too few resources to monitor so many wells. It is no surprise then that many wells experience failures and leaks.
So where does that leave the future of America's drinking water? One former EPA engineer predicts that within 100 years most of the country's underground drinking water will be contaminated. This is an observation that I want to focus on.
I had a conversation this week about this issue with a contact who frequently does environmental consulting with clients in the oil and gas industry. While he thinks the immediate dangers of groundwater contamination from hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas wells are overblown, when I asked him about the long-term integrity of all those millions of wells, both recent ones and those long since abandoned, he was less sanguine. I asked him to imagine those wells not 10 years or even 100 years from now, but 1,000 years from now. He agreed that most of them will have disintegrated allowing free flows of liquid along the drill paths. There wouldn't be much pressure, he added. But then, the liquids don't need to come to the surface to be a problem for underground drinking water.
More recent wells might maintain their integrity much longer since they are usually stainless steel, and the concrete which surrounds them is more intelligently formulated to withstand corrosive elements in the subsurface layers. He was far more concerned about the waste injection wells which he agrees are poorly regulated and poorly run. These, he believes, pose the greatest danger to underground drinking water supplies.
I suggested that we are not accustomed to asking questions such as, "Who will be monitoring all these wells in 500 years or 5,000 years?" Human civilization, that is, our settlement in cities with their complex systems and logistics, is only roughly 10,000 years old. And, many discrete civilizations have come and gone in that period, most in under 1,000 years; many have come and gone in only a few hundred.
A great number of people in our time imagine that our technological age has solved the problem of civilizational collapse. They imagine our society moving from triumph to triumph and never making fatal mistakes that could wipe our way of life from the globe. Since the mental time line these people imagine stretches out thousands of years into the future, they have no care about who will be monitoring all those wells we've drilled in America and across the globe.
But history suggests the folly of this way of thinking. And, it is therefore an almost unspeakable horror that we have already bequeathed to future generations--polluted groundwater virtually everywhere that will kill and sicken many and may make habitation based on groundwater supplies impossible in many areas of the country.
That is the irretrievable legacy of our age of pincushion America. We get the temporary benefits while all future generations pay the terrible price.
Kurt Cobb is the author of the peak-oil-themed thriller, Prelude, and a columnist for the Paris-based science news site Scitizen. His work has also been featured on Energy Bulletin, The Oil Drum, 321energy, Common Dreams, Le Monde Diplomatique, EV World, and many other sites. He maintains a blog called Resource Insights. | <urn:uuid:f6a6dd34-d29e-4d69-87ba-a530f23f5dfe> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2012/06/pincushion-america-irretrievable-legacy.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.963954 | 911 | 2.84375 | 3 |
A lot of nutrition research is done through the use of the food history questionnaire. This is different from food recalls in that it is shorter, easier to administer and does not require special interviewing skills.
The downfall is that it is a fairly “blunt” instruments. With a bit of care in its construction some of the bluntness can be removed. The following techniques can be used to make them better research instruments:
- Make up your own;
- Make them specific to your target population;
- Make them as detailed as possible while keeping them still realistically long;
- Base the questions on foods your population eats. Collect as many food recalls as you can and base the questions on the foods in those recalls;
- Create composite foods from similar foods in the recalls and use those to calculate nutrient contributions for corresponding questions in the food history questionnaire;
- Validate your questionnaire… does it over/under-estimate specific nutrients in comparison to your food recall data?
There is enough variability in food intake and nutrient concentrations of individual foods to try to minimize the effect of further variability introduced by blunt food history questionnaires.
Given the amount of variability in this data it is a wonder that any conclusion can be reached about the predicted effect of a nutrient intervention or of specific nutrient consumption.
By all means find and use good software that will make your task bearable. Variability can only be reduced by eliminating mistakes, using the best sources of data possible and collecting large amounts of data. A significant task indeed. | <urn:uuid:028bd7c3-4e97-452f-9feb-63576c4a2504> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://foodresearch.ca/index.php/2016/01/07/food-history-questionnaires-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.930793 | 310 | 3.421875 | 3 |
Last year, according to the third annual State of Recycling in Colorado, released by Eco-Cycle and the Colorado Public Interest Research Group on Tuesday, Colorado continues to be one of the worst states at recycling and one of the most wasteful states in the country.
Despite diverting an additional 75,000 tons of waste from the landfills last year, 2018 was the most wasteful in the state’s history. In fact, residents created an extra 10 million pounds of trash per day as compared to 2017, totaling nearly 16 million tons of waste, only 17% of which was recycled. That weighs in at half the national average.
The price of recycled materials plummeted in the wake of China’s decision to ban nearly all U.S. imports of recycled paper and plastic in 2018, making recycling more cost-prohibitive. Still, several communities, including Boulder and Longmont as well as Boulder County, have created models other municipalities can replicate to boost waste diversion.
“Other countries refusing our trash is making us take responsibility for our own consumption,” Marlon Reis, first gentleman of Colorado, said outside the Boulder County Recycling Center as part of the report’s release and in anticipation of Governor Jared Polis proclaiming Nov 11 through 15 as Colorado Recycles Week. “Now it’s time to move forward and look towards the future of recycling in Colorado.”
The first and most simple solution suggested in the report is for cities and counties to offer curbside recycling as part of their waste collection programs.
Since 2016, when the Boulder City Council enacted its Universal Zero Waste Ordinance, which requires all businesses, apartment complexes and home to have recycling and compost collection, Boulder increased its recycling rate by from 40% to 57%, the highest rate in the state.
Nevertheless, despite similar results for curbside recycling programs around the country, only three of Colorado’s 10 largest cities currently offer curbside recycling.
Kate Bailey, the director of Eco-Cycle Solutions, noted there are several ways communities can go about achieving this standard.
In Longmont, which recycles 36% of its waste, the city provides curbside recycling through its municipal garbage collection. In Boulder, all garbage collectors are required to provide curbside recycling and compost to receive a license. Lafayette, which recycles 38% of its waste, and Louisville, which recycles 53%, requires curbside recycling as part of the garbage collection contracts it puts out for bid.
“Just because you have these programs, doesn’t mean it makes garbage collection more expensive,” she said. “There is an economy of scale having everyone in the community on the same program because the truck hits every home on every street and make it very efficient.”
Curbside recycling programs are made more effective when communities also offer financial incentives, like volume-based pricing that charges more for larger trash cans.
The proliferation of these kinds of programs around the state has slightly improved Colorado’s recycling, increasing the state’s recycling rate from 12% to 17%.
While curbside recycling program could help Colorado reach it’s goal of recycling 28% of its waste by 2021, to reach the zero waste the report suggests Colorado must create a closed-loop recycling system where recycled materials are re-used by in-state manufacturers.
Currently, according to the report, there are a handful of such companies in Colorado — Rocky Mountain Bottle Company, Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel, Applegate Insulation and Spring Back Colorado, which uses recycled mattresses to make green dog beds.
However, due to a lack of recycling facilities around the state, and in rural areas in particular, Rocky Mountain Bottle Company ships glass from Michigan to use in its bottles, while Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel is only able to source about 60 percent of its scrap metal from in-state.
In response, Governor Polis’ and the state legislature created the Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Grant Program. That will provide up to $15 million per year in grants to help cities, haulers, schools and businesses in the Front Range, where 85% of the state’s waste is generated, implement new waste diversion programs.
As more materials are collected through these programs, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s NextCycle program is working to incubate businesses working to divert waste.
The state legislature’s Zero Waste and Recycling Interim Committee, which toured Boulder’s recycling facilities in September, is also set to introduce two bills to help recycling-oriented businesses in Colorado.
The first will outline a plan for developing a recycling end-market development center that will assist businesses by providing market analysis, identifying financial incentives and advocating for pro recycling policies.
The second bill will aim to develop composting facilities and the usage of compost to restore soils and store carbon.
Locally, the City of Boulder is hosting a circular economy visioning workshop at the Open Space and Mountain Parks Hub on Nov. 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. During the event, Metabolic, an industry leading sustainability consultant group based out of Amsterdam, will work with attendees to develop a holistic picture of material waste streams in Boulder and find more ways to close the recycling loop locally.
Countywide, Commissioner Deb Gardner noted the County’s newly approved sustainability tax will help to fund the development of a composting facility. Further down the line the tax is expected to fund a construction and demolition center capable of recycling construction materials, a key gap in services in Boulder County according to Kate Bailey of Eco-Cycle.
If successful, Eco-Cycle and Colorado Public Interest Research Group Foundation, estimates Colorado could eventually divert 95% of its waste from landfills and significantly reduce our state’s carbon footprint.
“We want Colorado to be a leader in fighting climate change brought on by human industry and proper recycling is such an important piece in working towards that success,” Reis, said. “We must disentangle ourselves from the single-use mindset.” | <urn:uuid:72998376-63f8-476b-aa08-80d0a48c4933> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.coloradodaily.com/2019/11/12/boulder-county-communities-used-as-model-for-increasing-colorados-dismal-recycling-rate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.943609 | 1,266 | 2.734375 | 3 |
July 8, 2022
The Indian government has taken a bold step towards sustainable living by deciding to ban the use of plastic in India by 2022. The plastic ban in India 2022 is expected to have a significant impact on the environment, as the country will be reducing its carbon footprint from the production and transportation of plastics.
In this section, we will see how plastic ban in India 2022 is expected to affect its economy, health, and environment.
The Indian government has announced a complete ban on the production and use of plastics by 01st Jul 2022.
The plastic ban in India 2022 was spurred by the concern over the environmental impact of plastic. The government is also worried about how plastic affects public health, such as water contamination and air pollution.
Plastic is one of the most common man-made materials in the world, with an estimated 300 million tons being produced each year. It’s not just a problem for India, but for many other countries as well.
It is important to understand the effects of a plastic ban in India 2022 and how it will affect your business.
A lot of people are unaware of the effects of a plastic ban in India. All plastics will be banned from being used in the country. This means that you need to be more eco-friendly with your packaging and products.
Many companies are already switching to alternative materials like paper bags or eco-friendly packaging. If you want to keep your business running smoothly, you need to take action now before it’s too late!
Plastic bags are a major problem for the environment. They are not biodegradable, so they take a long time to break down and they can be harmful to animals and plants. We need alternatives to plastic bags, and paper is one of them.
Paper bags are an alternative to plastic bags that can be used in many situations. They can be used as a replacement for plastic shopping bags or you could have them on hand if you ever need to pack your lunch or carry something home from the store that is too large for a reusable bag. Paper bag making machines make it easy to create paper bags at home or in bulk quantities at a low cost.
Some companies have already started to use paper bags for their packaging needs and this will become more popular in the future as people become more aware of the environmental impact of plastics. There is tremendous opportunity because of the plastic ban in India 2022 , for people to start a new venture using paper bag making machines for the large-scale manufacturing of paper bags.
Powertek Enterprises is a leading manufacturer of paper bag making machine in south India.
The company has been in the manufacturing business for over three decades, and it is one of the leading manufacturers of paper bag making machine in south India. The company offers an extensive range of products, including paper bag making machine, packaging machines and industrial equipment.
To explore the business opportunities associated with the plastic ban in India 2022, Contact Us Now | <urn:uuid:d6346cac-2d59-4140-8d5c-8a5b2b8de9b8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://powertekenterprise.com/the-risks-of-plastic-ban-in-india-2022/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.962646 | 599 | 2.828125 | 3 |
(Minghui.org) May 13 is World Falun Dafa Day and the 30th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the world. Mark Levine, Manhattan Borough President, sent a letter to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. County Executive Steven Neuhaus of Orange County proclaimed May 13 as Falun Dafa Day in the county.
President Levine stated in his letter, “The tens of millions of people who practice Falun Dafa around the world, including many New Yorkers, have found peace through this meditative movement practice. Falun Dafa’s tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance have transformed the lives of its many participants. I stand in solidarity with you in the face of tyranny as Falun Dafa practitioners are persecuted in China, and like you, I rejoice that Falun Dafa can be practiced in New York.”
The proclamation states, “Falun Dafa transcends cultural and racial boundaries and contributes to the universal dream of a peaceful, tolerance, and more compassionate society.
“More men and women of the USA are learning the practice and purifying their hearts, energizing their bodies, and striving to create virtuous communities.
“Falun Dafa practitioners’ determination and courage to stand up for Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance while facing severe persecution from the Chinese Communist Party has shown the world the value of life and the preciousness of human dignity.”
Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?
Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.
Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, issued an order to ban the practice.
Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.
There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.
Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.
All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions. | <urn:uuid:fcb607f0-23eb-46a8-99d4-c220178fad37> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2022/5/14/200947.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.935371 | 622 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Reading levels - students' ability to understand and evaluate texts - have improved, but are still significantly lower than they were at the start of the millennium.
The new PISA figures for the 36 countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, show that ten are performing better than Scottish pupils in reading.Maths and science
However maths and science have continued to decline, and Scotland now sits 25th and 24th respectively when compared to the other OECD countries. It is below both the English and UK average in both.
The figures also suggest that the closure of the attainment gap has stalled since the last round of PISA tests in 2015. The report states an 86 point gap between the reading scores of the poorest and wealthiest pupils - equivalent to three years' schooling - up slightly from 83 points the last time the tests were carried out. The attainment gap in maths gap has fallen from 87 to 83 points in the same period, with science up slightly from 97 to 98 points.
The random testing of Scottish pupils took place between last October and December and involved 107 secondary schools across state and private sectors, with a total of 2969 students taking part.
It is the seventh time Scotland has taken part in the three-yearly PISA analysis, which shows the mean scores for every country. Reading was at its highest level in 2000 when Scotland scored 526 compared to today's figure of 504 - although that is a rise from the 2015 result which saw it hit its lowest point of 493.
In maths, Scotland's high point was in 2003 with a score of 524, which has now fallen to 489; in science the high water mark was in 2006 at 515, with today's figure standing at 490.
Today Education Secretary John Swinney welcomed the improvement in reading, and said it was the result of the government's literacy attainment challenge which was introduced in 2015 when the PISA reading score had fallen to 493. He said that maths and science were also being "being tackled".
“These are very encouraging results and the latest sign that our education reforms are working," he said. "Scottish schools are improving and this international study confirms that.
“Reading underpins all learning, and the sharp rise in performance is good news."
He said the improvement had been "driven by great teachers and well-supported pupils" and the government's "unrelenting focus on improving literacy through the Scottish Attainment Challenge and Pupil Equity Fund. Those efforts are now paying dividends, with only five countries scoring higher than Scotland at reading."
Despite the figures for maths and science showing steady decline, Mr Swinney described the scores as "stable" and at the OECD average. However he added: "We need to see the kind of improvement that we now see in literacy in these areas too. That is the challenge.
“An inspection of maths and numeracy published by Education Scotland shows what is working and how we can improve. It will help as we move on the next phase of driving up standards in Scotland’s schools.
“And, in science, good progress has been made with delivery of our five-year STEM strategy, with the roll-out of career-long professional learning grants and new online resources for teachers. The impact of it will only just be beginning to be felt on the ground and we will continue to push for the improvements that we know can be made.
“There is plenty of work still to do to improve Scottish education but today’s report should give people a strong sense that we are on the right track, making substantial progress and seeing results where it counts – in the classroom.”'Failing schools and children'
However, the PISA scores were described as proof the government was "failing schools and children". Scottish Labour’s education spokesperson Iain Gray said: “While Nicola Sturgeon tours the TV studios and election debates boasting of her supposed achievements, the reality is that her so-called priority of education continues a slow decline.
“The small improvement in reading is welcome, but further falls in maths and science are alarming. John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon have been warned again and again that we have a problem with STEM subjects being squeezed out of the curriculum but they refuse to listen. These are the critical skills our next generation need for the jobs of the future."
He added: "John Swinney persists with unwanted and unhelpful “reforms” like his standardised tests while failing to ensure that our schools have enough resources and enough teachers with enough time and support to do the job we know they can.
“The SNP have abolished most measures of performance in our schools, but they cannot hide from these figures which show they have failed our schools and our children.”
And Liz Smith, Scottish Conservative education spokesperson, said: “This is damning evidence revealing the full extent of the SNP’s shameful 12 years running down Scotland’s schools.
“Nicola Sturgeon asked to be judged on education. This summer saw the fourth consecutive year of decline in Higher pass rates and now the SNP is presiding over the worst ever PISA results in both maths and science. In reading, where it should be acknowledged that there is encouraging improvement since 2015, the score is still lower than the 2012 result and considerably lower than the score in 2000.
"Performance in maths and science is absolutely vital for the future of Scotland's economy and for industries such as engineering and IT. These results are a humiliation for the SNP and they also mean that the potential of Scotland’s economy has been tarnished.
“After the last set of poor PISA results, the SNP said that the curriculum had to change. Yet these results are a new low and we know there have been many failings within the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence. It is not just time to change the curriculum but also to change the government in Scotland.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie added: "John Swinney can't hide from these appalling results.Scotland used to have one of the best education systems in the world, but under the SNP its now just average.
"Scottish teachers have been messed about for too long. John Swinney has refused to listen to them. Support in their classrooms has been cut to the bone and they simply don't believe in the policies being imposed on them, not least the national testing of four and five-year-olds.
"Nicola Sturgeon once claimed education was her top priority, but nobody is now in any doubt that the SNP will always put independence first no matter the cost."
Scottish Greens Education Spokesperson Ross Greer MSP said that international comparisons "should rarely be taken at face value" and that while PISA was "useful in context" it wasn't required "to tell us what the problems are in Scottish education."He added: "Years of budget cuts, thousands of lost teaching and support staff and a near total failure to support children with additional needs are at the root of many of the problems our still relatively robust education system now faces.
"The major barrier now is an SNP government unwilling to address these problems and which is instead still pursuing governance reforms so unnecessary, unwelcome and unhelpful they couldn't even get them through Parliament." | <urn:uuid:edfc7df3-aa91-4d83-8efa-f2d92c8e3386> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/pisa-performance-scottish-pupils-maths-and-science-record-low-1400806 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.975338 | 1,514 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Where There Is No Doctor: A Village Health Care Handbook is a healthcare manual published by Hesperian Health Guides. Based on David Werner’s experiences at his Project Piaxtla in western Mexico, it was originally written in 1970 in Spanish as Donde No Hay Doctor. It has since been revised multiple times, sold over one million copies, and been translated into over 100 languages. The book is available for purchase, in either book form or on CD, at Hesperian’s bookstore. All chapters can also be downloaded individually free of charge in PDF format.
Its distribution is worldwide. The US Peace Corps has distributed it in The Gambia. In Uzbekistan, a United States Agency for International Development grant enabled a team under Dr. Donald Elsworth and Robert Graves of Central Asian Free Exchange to translate the book into Uzbek.
In 2012 Hesperian Health Guides launched their Digital Commons, and health manuals, including Where There Is No Doctor can now be downloaded in 26 different languages, including Arabic, Filipino, Khmer, Lao, Portuguese, Spanish, and Urdu. The Commons also makes available images from the book, and the Health Materials Workshop enables people to make flyers and posters based upon it. The new Where There Is No Doctor is currently in development as an entirely new book. This project takes on the health demands of the 21st century, with entirely new information on diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDs, first aid, and various other topics
The book covers all aspects of people’s health ranging from diarrhoea to malaria, bone fractures and ringworm. Special emphasis is placed on hygiene, a healthy diet and vaccinations, and the book explains to readers what they can do themselves and how to prevent, recognise and treat many common sicknesses. It also shows them how to recognise problems they are unable to cope with and need to refer to a health worker. This new revised edition includes information about some additional health problems such as AIDS, dengue fever, complications from abortion, drug addiction and covers in detail both childbirth and family planning. | <urn:uuid:b6acbe46-9f33-4814-9931-d9cdcd6ab946> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://booktree.ng/where-there-is-no-doctor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.948049 | 421 | 2.640625 | 3 |
With millions of people today worldwide understanding about the advantages of health supplements, the market has grown tremendously. Sadly, that has meant that providers of substandard items have put supplements on the market place that could not provide on their promises. If you are interested in making use of dietary overall health supplements, there are several measures you can take to assistance ensure you are getting the best item for your cash.
Initial, you need to take a look at the expiration date on the label of the vitamins or supplement bottle. Out of date solutions in all probability will not hurt you, but they may well not be as effective as a fresher item, based on what sort of supplement it is.
For picking nutritional overall health supplements such as fish oil capsules or omega-three fatty acid supplements, you need to look for items that are certified not to have mercury in them. Other substances that can affect how protected a supplement is and how your body reacts to it include wheat, corn, and dairy goods in the filler ingredients. Allergies to these are pretty widespread.
Look at the label and confirm that the solution has been tested in a laboratory to make certain that the stated amounts of nutrients printed on the label are correct. Other label info you ought to appear at when picking out well being supplements contains irrespective of whether the ingredients are organic and do not contain pesticides.
Speaking with your wellness care provider, a dietitian, nutrition expert, fitness trainer, or health meals shop operator can assistance you learn about which supplements are best for your particular age, gender, wellness status, and way of life.
Whilst some buyers thoroughly investigation the unique kinds of supplements, which includes vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs, other individuals just want to guarantee that they are having sufficient of the nutrition that is suggested for them. For this purpose, you can discover high top quality multi-vitamin supplements, some of which contain significant minerals like iron and calcium.
If you decide that you have a particular nutritional deficiency, you can often get a supplement that only consists of that unique product. Single vitamin supplements are usually offered for vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C, and the numerous B vitamins. You can also uncover supplements that contain just a collection of the different B vitamins.
Wellness supplements like omega-three fatty acids typically come in gel capsules and do not include other supplements. swellnomore.com/blogs/swellnomore/natural-home-remedies-for-swollen-feet-swollen-ankles include vitamin D. Iron supplements could come as single-product supplements or combined with other minerals and vitamins. In brief, what ever single supplement or mixture you seek is practically definitely readily available in a health meals retailer or on the web. | <urn:uuid:630409f3-2dd1-4517-bbd1-5e839383a4cb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nhituongsite.com/what-to-look-for-in-health-supplements/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.947293 | 574 | 1.859375 | 2 |
For the bankruptcy procedure, this new court commonly procedure your order from automatic stay. This is why creditors do not just be sure to contact your or collect away from you when you look at the procedures. Even if the student loan loans remains ultimately following the personal bankruptcy might have been accomplished, you will find a period of time in which you don’t need to shell out. Once complete, although not, you are going to need to resume your payments when they just weren’t released. This period provide particular temporary relief, letting you look at your position and you can accept your almost every other debts.
In the course of time, don’t intend on using case of bankruptcy to produce education loan costs. It is sometimes complicated so you can predict precisely what the bankruptcy courtroom tend to decide on your side. The choice to apply for a section 7 case of bankruptcy is to as an alternative be employed to get rid of almost every other expenses; discharging student loans in the act is a welcome incentive.
Student loans as a choice
You may be reluctant to loans the bach knowledge or master’s in debt that could scuttle your lifetime requires. If you are student loans can come for the handy, they aren’t for everyone. While you are contemplating playing with college loans to cover your college education, there are numerous secrets payday loans by phone Hawaii which you’ll need thought.
Choices to College loans
Prior to taking out that loan, find out if your qualify for almost every other investment solutions. It’s going to be a complete waste of possible opportunity to go into expense for knowledge you will get gotten for free.
Generally, you should take all new has and scholarships and grants you could qualify getting before credit money. Observe how far currency you get from their website. Are they adequate to cover all costs? When you find yourself lucky, you get your studies at no cost. Even although you cannot, you still slow down the amount of student education loans you will want. It saves your money and you may relieve your future debt burdens.
Of the provide is scholarships. If you have got a premier amounts point mediocre in senior high school and you may did really with the college or university position tests including the Act otherwise Sat, you’re qualified to receive a scholastic scholarship. Most colleges also offer scholarships to have recreation and you may extracurricular activities like ring and you can argument. Have a look at other sites of colleges of choice and view whenever they promote scholarships you qualify for.
As well as scholarships and grants out-of colleges, you’ll be able to submit an application for those individuals out-of private communities. Most nonprofit organizations bring grants for college students whom fulfill particular certificates. In other cases, you simply need submit an application for the brand new scholarship becoming believed because of it.
Bodies and personal Has
Several other source of finance try offers. These are figures of money you can found on federal government, state, otherwise private company. Just as in scholarships and grants, it’s not necessary to pay the money because of these software sometimes.
One of the most popular is the Pell Offer, a national give that is provided considering financial you prefer. After you make an application for almost any school funding, you should complete the 100 % free Software to own Federal Student Support (FAFSA). Government entities spends the latest financial information regarding this file to decide whether or not you would like financial help. When you have the grant money, you can use it to cover tuition, courses, charges, or any other costs associated with the studies.
Certain nonprofit organizations and private causes likewise have offers to help you pupils. You will want to make an application for him or her and you will meet up with the qualifications that are prepared onward by individual providers. Understand as many of them has as you can and you will make an application for those individuals you think you qualify for. A lot of them possess a restricted quantity of ports, thus work easily. | <urn:uuid:cc82b85d-f745-4e04-9d54-b99d91cede31> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://psycogotcha.com/you-ve-got-sufficient-money-to-make-their-student/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.959343 | 830 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Public safety agencies globally will increasingly adopt mobile technologies to continuously improve workflows and community relations within the next five years according to a study by Zebra Technologies Corporation.
The final of Zebra’s three-part Future of Field Operations: Public Safety vision study shows that 86 percent of public safety respondents have indicated their agencies are taking a mobile-first approach in their technology strategies, and workflows are designed around first responders and their mobile devices. However, seven in ten agencies are still concerned that they are not investing quickly enough in new mobile technologies to keep pace with the speed of change, especially with the availability of faster 4G and upcoming 5G wireless networks.
In India, Zebra Technologies launched TC26 Touch Computers, which is the ultimate cost-effective solution for public safety front-line workers who need to capture and access data faster and more efficiently without stepping up in price. The Android 10-powered TC26 Touch Computer features a large 5-inch high definition advanced touchscreen that is easy to view both indoors and outside in bright sunlight.
“Mobile technology is critical to keeping communities safe and secure,” said Deep Agarwal, Regional Sales Director – Indian Sub-Continent, Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific .“Public safety agencies around the world are already realizing a performance edge by using rugged mobile devices across various use cases including communications, situation awareness, disaster and emergency management, identity management, e-citations, and asset management. With the availability of faster wireless networks coinciding with the implementation of robust mobile technology strategies, police, fire and emergency medical first responders can improve their productivity, effectiveness and relations with the communities they serve and protect.”
“In India, up to 2,000 units of Zebra’s TC75 touch computers were deployed by the Uttar Pradesh Police as part of UP-112 Emergency Management System. The TC75 is an enterprise-class handheld computer that enables communication and enables access to real-time information. Such rugged mobile devices offer reliable everyday usage which is crucial for the police officers who are always out on the field,” added Agarwal.
Within the next year, 88% of respondents to Zebra’s study say they expect increased productivity and efficiency by using mobile technologies – up from 52% today. Similarly, 84% say saving more lives will be another key benefit of using mobile devices within a year, jumping from 45% today. Deploying mobile devices and mobile printers will also lead to reduced operating costs within the next year, according to 79% of those surveyed – and notably, almost all respondents (98% ) say they will achieve savings within five years. Another advantage highlighted in the study is improved community relations, which 99% say will be realized by 2025, up from 38% today.
While many public safety organizations will continue to rely on a responsive model in their workflows, there will be a rapid growth of agencies that will adopt a predictive model that is able to assign the right asset to the right issue at the right time. This will more than double by 2025.
Among the most common applications used by public safety officers in the field today are email (53% ), mapping and navigation (51% ), and location-based services (50% ). Other applications not used by most agencies today that are rated as “extremely important” by those who currently use them include biometric monitoring (63% ), collision reporting (59% ) and situational awareness (59% ).
Mobile device adoption will see rapid growth over the next three years as rugged tablets without keyboards will be implemented by 95% of respondents’ agencies, rugged 2-in-1 tablets by 90% , rugged smartphones by 95% , and mobile printers by 91% of them. Like other institutions and businesses whose critical work takes place primarily in the field, public safety decision makers rate ruggedness of mobile devices in their fleet as a key differentiator, with 96% saying they will implement rugged devices by 2025. Among those currently using these devices, rugged tablets with attachable keyboards (52% ) and rugged smartphones (51% ) are the top devices for emergency response use cases.
- Zebra’s study indicates that seven in ten public safety agencies see an urgent need to invest more quickly in mobile solutions to keep up with technological advancements and to serve their communities better.
- Mobile devices offer public safety agencies a strong performance edge to boost productivity, save lives, reduce cost, and better engage their communities over the next five years, the study found.
- Adoption of mobile devices will increase quickly over the next three years, as 95 percent of agencies will deploy rugged tablets without keyboards, 90 percent will use rugged 2-in-1 tablets, 95 percent will invest in rugged smartphones, and 91 percent will have mobile printers on the field.
- Ruggedness of mobile devices scores highly with public safety leaders, as 96 percent of them will choose to deploy rugged devices by 2025. | <urn:uuid:55c85f60-0b11-47b6-8aa2-23dedb976edc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.crn.in/news/7-in-10-public-safety-agencies-see-need-to-speed-up-mobile-technology-adoption/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.95108 | 1,014 | 2 | 2 |
Have science fun as a family! Complete activities with parental supervision.
- A one-meter long, 3 inches wide strip of paper (we used wrapping paper)
- What planets are in our solar system? Make a list from the sun out: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune! There’s also two asteroid belts – one beyond Neptune and another between Mars and Jupiter.
- At one end of your paper, draw a very thin Sun – this is your center of the solar system. At the opposite end, put some dots representing the Kuiper Belt – the asteroid belt where we find the dwarf planet Pluto.
- Fold the paper in half and crease firmly. Open it up – what planet would you put on this crease? Draw and label the planet Uranus.
- Let’s look at the right side of the fold. Take the Kuiper Belt side and fold it to the Uranus line. Crease and open up. At this line, draw and label the planet Neptune.
- Now to the left side of Uranus. Fold the Sun to the Uranus line and crease sharply. At this line, draw and label the planet Saturn.
- Fold the Sun to the Saturn line and crease sharply. On this line, draw and label the planet Jupiter.
- Fold the Sun to the Jupiter line – this line doesn’t represent a planet. Draw a bunch of dots on the line to represent the Asteroid Belt.
- Look at how much space you have between the Sun and the Asteroid Belt. You have to fit four planets in that space!
- Fold the sun to the Asteroid belt. At this line, draw and label the planet Mars.
- Fold the sun to Mars. Then, fold the crease to Mars. This should result in three new lines.
- On these three lines, finish out your planets – starting from the line closest to Mars, draw and label Earth, Venus and Mercury.
- Step back and admire your solar system model! Be sure to take a picture and share your results in the Facebook comments on the Buffalo Museum of Science or Tifft Nature Preserve pages!
What’s it all about?
It’s hard to visualize just how big our solar system is. Orbiting the sun, our solar system is made up of eight planets, moons, comets, asteroids, dust, gas and more. In this model, it shows all the planets lined up – this does not happen as they are at different points around their orbits. So, the distances between planets are often much greater!
This model shows why many space missions to outer planets take so long. Many missions can last decades! For example, the Juno probe that is currently orbiting Jupiter traveled for nearly five years before reaching the giant planet.
- Explore the different planets in our solar system! Pick a planet to focus on and research it. What is it made of? How big is it? How is it different from Earth?
- Scientists estimate that it would take about 9 months to travel to Mars. How long would it take to go to Jupiter? Saturn? Make an estimate and plan for your trip. What would you bring? | <urn:uuid:42bf673f-fd79-42bd-b4aa-206a718779e4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sciencebuff.org/scienceactivity/givingtuesday2020/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.909337 | 694 | 3.890625 | 4 |
Ixora is said to be native to Asia and whose name derives from an Indian deity. This plant which blooms throughout the year is easy to grow. The flowers are found in a wide range of colours. Plants are of two types- large; with height around 1 meter and dwarf or miniature plants. Miniature ones have small leaves and are bushy. Ixora flowers last well when picked and put into a vase with water, making an attractive home arrangement. Ixora flower has traditionally been associated with enhanced sexuality and the re-kindling of passion. | <urn:uuid:96073574-3d0b-42b4-a3cd-05dbbe29e4f2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.natureweb.net/taxa/flowers/ixora | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.974898 | 116 | 2.296875 | 2 |
More Than 1.76 million people have been affected by severe flooding in China’s northern Shanxi province, according to local media.
Torrential rain last week led to houses
collapsing and triggered landslides across more than 70 districts and cities in the province.
Heavy rainfall is hampering rescue efforts, officials said.
The flooding comes less than three months after extreme rains in Henan province left more than 300 dead.
In neighbouring Hebei province, a bus fell into a flooded river. State media said three people had died, and 11 of the 51 on board were missing.
In Shanxi, China’s Meteorological Administration also told local media that heavy and prolonged rainfall and storms had hampered rescue efforts.
Shanxi is also home to a number of ancient monuments which are at major risk from the severe rainfall.
More than 120,000 people have been urgently transferred and resettled, and 17,000 homes have collapsed across Shanxi province, authorities told the Xinhua news agency.
Four police officers died as a result of a landslide, according to the state-run Global Times, although information about other casualties has not been released.
The Shanxi flooding may have been worse than the floods in Henan earlier this year, it added. -BBC | <urn:uuid:4cc60925-c735-495e-94e7-fa5ca7a1335a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh/chinese-floods-displace-2m-people/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.970818 | 265 | 2.265625 | 2 |
On Friday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) found Germain Katanga guilty of war crimes but has acquitted him of sexual offences. He has been found guilty of complicity in a 2003 massacre and becomes just the second person to be convicted by the court since it was set up in The Hague in 2002. If he had been convicted of sexual offences, he would have been the first to be convicted of sexual crimes.
On Friday, the ICC was due to deliver its verdict in the trial of Congolese ex-militia boss Germain Katanga, who has been accused of using child soldiers in a 2003 attack on a village in the central region of the African country, killing 200 people. Judge Bruno Cotte read out the verdict at 0830 GMT in the case against Katanga, the one-time commander of the ethnic-based Patriotic Resistance Forces in Ituri (FRPI), operating in the DR Congo’s mineral-rich north-eastern region.
Katanga, 35, went on trial more than four years ago, facing seven counts of war crimes and three of crimes against humanity, including murder, sexual slavery and rape, for his alleged role in the attack on the small village of Bogoro on 24 April 2003. During the trial, prosecutors alleged that the man and his forces of the Ngiti and Lendu tribes attacked villagers of the Hema ethnic group with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and machetes, murdering around 200 people. According to the prosecution, “the attack was intended to ‘wipe out’ or ‘raze’ Bogoro village…” Child soldiers were used while women and girls were abducted afterwards and used as sex slaves, forced to cook and obey orders from FRPI soldiers. In 2004, as part of a policy to end the civil strife, Katanga was made a general in President Joseph Kabila’s army, a post he held until he was arrested in 2005. In October 2007, he was transferred to The Hague while his trial, together with that of his co-accused Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, began two years later. In November 2012, judges split the trials and a month later, Ngudjolo was acquitted after judges in that case indicated that the prosecution had failed to prove that he had played a commanding role in the Bogoro attack. This was the first time that the ICCC had acquitted a suspect. Katanga, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, has consistently maintained that he had no direct command or control over the FRPI fighters at the time. He also denied ever being present at the time of the attack on Bogoro, which is located 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Ituri province’s administrative capital Bunia, near Lake Albert. The Hague-based ICC has so far only convicted one other suspect, former Congolese rebel fighter Thomas Lubanga, who was sentenced in 2012 to 14 years for recruiting and enlisting child soldiers.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has released an arrest warrant for Ivorian ex-minister Charles Ble Goude pertaining to charges over war crime allegations. According to the ICC, he is wanted for alleged crimes against humanity which occurred during the violence that erupted following the 2010 disputed elections in the Ivory Coast. Meanwhile in Guinea, the country’s President has called on the opposition to accept the results of Saturday’s vote. While the provisional results have yet to be announced by the country’s electoral commission, security in the capital city has increased as the atmosphere has been tense.
ICC Makes 2011 Arrest Warrant Public
While the Ivory Coast’s Charles Ble Goude, 40, has denied leading pro-Laurent Gbagbo militias in the violent attacks that occurred shortly after the 2010 elections, the ICC has indicated that Mr. Ble Goude, who is currently detained in the Ivory Coast, is suspected of murder, rape, persecution and other inhuman acts that were committed between December 2010 and April 2011. During that time, some 3,000 people lost their lives in the crisis after ex-President Laurent Gbagbo refused to accept defeat. Judges in The Hague have stated that forces loyal to former President Gbagbo targeted civilians who backed his opponent, the Ivory Coasts current President Alassane Ouattara. Although the arrest warrant for Mr. Ble Goude was issued in December 2011, it has only now been made public and it describes the Ivorian ex-minister as a member of Mr. Gbagbo’s “inner circle.”
Following the post election violence, Mr. Ble Goude spent more than eighteen months in hiding. He was arrested in January 2013 in Ghana and extradited to the Ivory Coast, where he also faces war crimes charges. He has previously stated that as head of the Young Patriots group, he had only organised rallies and meetings and that he never ran a militia. Mr. Ble Goude, who was placed under United Nations sanctions in 2006 for allegedly inciting attacks against UN personnel, has indicated that he is prepared to go in front of the ICC in order to clear his name.
Ex-president Laurent Gbagbo, 67, was arrested in 2011 and is currently awaiting trial, on four charges of crimes against humanity relating to the election violence, at The Hague. The former president’s wife, Simone Gbagbo, has also been indicted by the ICC however the Ivory Coast’s ministers have voted to dismiss the ICC warrant and have instead indicated that they will try her in the country’s own courts.
Tensions Increase as Guineas Await Election Results
On Wednesday, in the midst of security being increased throughout the capital city amid fears of violence, Guinean President Alpha Conde urged party leaders to accept the results of the September 28 legislative polls. While the results have not yet been confirmed, the President has praised the vote, calling it the dawn of democracy in the West African state which has been chronically hit with instability. During Conde’s speech, which marked the 55th anniversary of Guinea’s independence from France, the President stated “I would like to say how proud I am…of your amazing mobilization to make these legislative polls a real success.” The 75-year-old added that the election “has allowed us to take another step on the path to democracy.” However while the president has urged for calm as the election results begin to trickle in, the country’s main opposition parties have already stated that the elections were rigged. On Tuesday, Guinea’s electoral commission released some partial and provisional results. Although full provisional results had been due to be released on Wednesday, officials indicated late on Tuesday that tally sheets were still being transported from polling stations.
On Wednesday, police and military reinforcements were visible on the streets of Conakry, with barricades being set up around the headquarters of the electoral commission. Despite the independence day bank holiday, an increased number of shops and market stalls remained shut as the atmosphere continued to be tense. | <urn:uuid:a022af69-5647-46cd-aa8a-f522d1aa25ba> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://msrisk.com/tag/the-hague/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.985205 | 1,454 | 1.539063 | 2 |
“Ragazzo di Vita or The Young Man as Political and Erotic Savior” by Katharina Sykora
Thomas Mann Fellow and art historian Katharina Sykora states that “we become witnesses of a blatant gender inversion.“ In her text, she takes a closer look at the homoerotic desires and sexual implications in the novella.
Sergio Citti in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s first feature film “Accattone” (1961), which was losely based on his novel “Ragazzi di Vita” (1955).”
The young man as erotic object of the novel’s main character is a central figure in Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. It has inspired a number of authors to reflect on both Mann’s personal homoerotic predilections (which he has written about in his diaries) and the way he transformed them into literature. The question of connecting or disconnecting biography and text have been part of these discourses.
In Mario and The Magician, Thomas Mann explicitly describes the first-person narrator as one who is analyzing his own ambiguous response to the magician as being both disgusted and seduced. His response to the young men Torre di Venere is no less ambivalent, but in another realm: They appear to him as physically strong, in an unrefined way beautiful, but culturally ‘raw’ and socially ‘brutal.‘ Mario as one of them is a partial exception having close contact with the civilized world of the summer guests by serving them as a waiter in the café named ‘Esquisito.‘ Thomas Mann creates the relation of the narrator to these people as getting close to them through thorough observation, and distancing himself from them by negative characterizations from a superior point of view. Thereby the narrator puts himself into a position of self-control through self-reflection quite similar to that of the author. Immerging himself into the uncanny hypnotic atmosphere of Cipolla’s human circus by describing it minutely and then withdrawing from it by coldly dissecting the scene is a rhetoric that creates the very thrill for us readers. This is especially the case in the last scene, when Mario becomes the central figure.
Mario had been casually mentioned earlier in the novel but is characterized by Thomas Mann and his narrator extensively only in the moment when Cipolla calls him to the stage. By then the magician’s power has seemingly reached its climax letting a group of somnambulants dance wildly without pause. The description of Mario starts with the aversion of the young man against the demand of the magician to join him, followed by reluctant giving in; an obedience that the narrator interprets as a deformation professionelle of the waiter following the calls of his clientele. Thus, the contamination with the civilizing guests of Torre di Venere make Mario susceptible to Cipolla’s seduction. This psychologically subtle comment stays in sharp contrast to the subsequent drastic description of Mario’s features with the low front, thick lips, heavy eye lids but surprisingly fine hands. It creates at first a physical repulsion and then a tactile closeness to the figure when the narrator ends his characterization of Mario by remembering that he had liked being served by his hands.
When Mario enters Cipolla’s stage, the magician approaches him in the same manner as the narrator. He is telling him that he had observed him from a distance since a long time and acknowledged his admirable features and excellent qualities. This gaze from a distance is accompanied by addressing Mario as “Ragazzo mio,” a notion that expresses familiarity if not intimacy and possessiveness. The gesture of his forefinger with which Cipolla allures Mario to come physically closer and closer until he is in the reach of his touch is emblematic for the evil sorceress in German fairytales trapping her victims. It turns the gesture of pointing out a faraway desired object into snagging a subject that finally submits to the willful wish of the one that calls him.
This is not only a submission that can be interpreted politically (Cipolla shows the Fascist salute each time Mario loses a part of his sovereignty) but also an erotic submission: At the culmination of his seduction we become witnesses of a blatant gender inversion that Cipolla performs when he detects that Mario is caught in an unfortunate love to a young woman named Silvestra. First, he announces being her accomplice reassuring him that she truly loves him back (“Wir wissen es besser, der Cipolla und sie”), then he uses the notion of ‘putting himself into her shoes,’ enabling him to speak in the third person ‘in her place.’ The last and crucial change, however, occurs when he turns to speaking in the first person as if he would be Silvestra herself, now addressing Mario directly. This role change from advocate and representative of Mario’s adored one to a surrogate of her shows the victory of his hypnotic and erotic power over Mario. This finds its proof when the young man becomes ‘his boy’ (“ragazzo mio”) by giving him a kiss that was meant for Silvestra.
In this scene Cipolla shows that he can peel off his crippled body and become any love object in the eye of the person in front of him if only he or she submits totally to his or her passionate imagination. A diabolic succubus, Cipolla not only makes Mario into a puppet of his political demonstration but also a victim of his sexual desire.
But Thomas Mann turns the leave at the end of his novel. Mario does not return to the group of village youngsters in the audience that had brutally commented on his disgrace, but – in an action of powerful masculinity (“in voller Fahrt warf er sich mit auseinandergerissenen Beinen herum, schleuderte den Arm empor“) – he kills both his seducer and his own imagination of a loving Silvestra that the magician had offered him as her impersonator.
This ending allows us to read Mario and the Magician in a threefold way: Cipolla and Mario being the mirrors of the narrator’s and Thomas Mann’s undecided political attitude, ambivalent homoerotic inclination and suggestive (hyper)realism; which all three are put into question at the same time. The novel is at once: an allegory and analysis of seductive dictatorship, a reflection on Mann’s poetic and poetolocial experiment with a ‘hallucinating realism,’ and both a homoerotic camouflage and a homoerotic confession. And like at the end of a fairytale, Mario is the savior. He kills the dictator, frees the hallucinating mind, and replaces ‘feminine’ passivity through ‘male’ action.
Two decades earlier young Tadzio in Death in Venice had remained a static figure: the perfect imago of the eternal ephebe. Twenty five years later Pier Paolo Pasolini‘s Ragazzi di vita became the successors of the young men of Torre di Venere. For the Italian author, they were the saviors of an archaic moral and an unconscious (homo)erotic ambiguity as Thomas Mann had described it in Mario and the Magician, only that they had moved to the suburbs of Rome and were now submitting to the dictatorship of consumerism.
See among others: Karl Werner Böhm: Zwischen Selbstzucht und Verlangen. Thomas Mann und das Stigma Homosexualität, Würzburg 1991. Heinrich Detering: Das offene Geheimnis. Zur literarischen Produktivität eines Tabus von Winckelmann bis Thomas Mann, Göttingen 20132. Eric Engel: Thomas Mann: Homoerotik in Leben und Werk,Berlin 2015). | <urn:uuid:af292ab0-2f49-490b-b108-876c41e35368> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mutuallymann.vatmh.org/ragazzo-di-vita-or-the-young-man-as-political-and-erotic-savior-by-katharina-sykora/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.957566 | 1,703 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I would like to bring my pets to your clinic, but how do I get my records from my previous veterinarian?
A: This is easy! We can take care of contacting your previous veterinarian, and obtain your pet's records prior to their appointment.
Q: What types of animals do you see?
A: We are a small animal practice, working with primarily dogs and cats.
Q: How often should I bring my animal in for a visit with the veterinarian?
A: It is recommended that pets be seen for a wellness exam at least once every 12 months. As they get older, pets may need to be seen every 6 months to maintain their care.
Q: We just found a stray pet, what do we do?
A: As a hospital, we are not equipped to take in stray pets. We can, however, scan the pet for a microchip and use social media as a means to help locate the pets home. In the instance that the pet would need to be kept elsewhere, we recommend calling your local no-kill shelter, so that they can be safely housed until the owner is found or the pet is re-homed.
Q: How do I know when my pet needs a dental performed?
A: This can be determined at your pet's wellness exams. Some signs that your pet may need to be seen sooner than later would include redness or swelling along gums and/or difficulty eating. Please call us if you think your pet may have a dental related concern.
Q: How often should my pets be vaccinated?
A: There are different protocols for each vaccine and these protocols are individual to your pets needs. Please contact us prior to your pet's appointment if you have questions about the recommended vaccines for your pet.
For additional questions and to make an appointment for your pet, please contact a Woodlands Animal Care Center associate at 724.329.2838. | <urn:uuid:c7836484-fc91-4784-9282-f547f2417426> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://nemacolinwooflands.com/woodlands-animal-care-center/frequently-asked-questions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.963943 | 401 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Relieve those tense muscles and back aches
The term “massage therapy” includes many techniques, and the type of massage given usually depends on your needs and physical condition.
Neuromuscular Massage uses static pressure on specific myofascial (pertaining to a muscle and its sheath of connective tissue) points to relieve pain.
Deep-tissue massage concentrates on the deep layers of muscle and fascia in the body. The therapist uses deep finger pressure and slow, firm strokes.
Also known as relaxation massage, Swedish massage is the best-known type of bodywork performed today. One of the primary goals of the Swedish massage technique is to relax the entire... | <urn:uuid:c5032b1f-05c8-422f-ac30-6b31d5b205d1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://rsvpmassagebodyworksllc.webstarts.com/services.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.920802 | 145 | 1.992188 | 2 |
"One of the biggest challenges the U.S. contends with is how foreign nationals are using the legal immigration system to embed themselves in the country. While not every person who commits immigration fraud is a terrorist, those who intend to do this country harm will likely engage in some form of immigration fraud or seek to evade immigration laws in order to gain admission into or remain in this country in an immigration status. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the reality that foreign terrorists seek to exploit loopholes in the international travel system to facilitate the planning and implementation of attacks has become clearer. This thesis explores the interconnected relationship between immigration and terrorism. It will illustrate how border security can be strengthened if terrorists' access to immigration benefits is denied. In order to ascertain how terrorist have been able to successfully manipulate the immigration system and avoid detection, this study analyzes the immigration histories of terrorists involved in four case studies. This analysis shows that rather than focus on one benefit category or manner of entry, terrorists will utilize all means available in order to gain admission into or remain in the country. The recommendations provided based on this analysis focus on all facets of the immigration system and apply a holistic approach to immigration reform."
Naval Postgraduate School, Dudley Knox Library: http://www.nps.edu/Library/index.aspx | <urn:uuid:2279db65-46b4-4e47-9697-b382b023460c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=30822 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.929965 | 332 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Data for Wellbeing: Using assessment data to help secure positive wellbeing in schools
Faciliator: Matthew Savage
This brand-new course will be delivered virtually over 3 separate sessions, with intersessional learning tasks:
26 September 2022 10:00-11:30
03 October 2022 10:00-11:30
10 October 2022 10:00-11:30
(All times are shown in London time)Course facilitator, Matthew Savage, loves data and believes passionately in the need for a paradigm shift towards greater student agency and healthier student wellbeing. He loves helping schools to join these dots – using student-level data to put wellbeing first.
To develop greater competence and confidence in using the appropriate assessment data to enhance student and staff wellbeing. Matthew Savage is a well-known educational leader, data and assessment expert and trainer, and host of The Data Conversation podcast. There is a growing appetite worldwide for using data differently in our schools, and for shifting the assessment paradigm so that it focuses on #wellbeingfirst. In this course, Matthew will explore with participants how best we can use assessment data to measure, monitor and maximise student (and indeed, staff) wellbeing in our schools. He will explore what he calls the ‘Wellbeing Data Wheel’, focusing on five different approaches to wellbeing data and how to bring them to life in your school. Finally, he will share his vision of data as ‘the great leveller’, necessarily and inextricably linked to #deij at all times.
About Matthew Savage
Formerly Principal of an award-winning international school in the Middle East, Matthew is now an educational consultant and trainer, speaker and writer, content creator and coach, architect of #themonalisaeffect®, and host of The Data Conversation podcast. In recent years, he has worked face-to-face or remotely with thousands of educators across hundreds of schools in more than 60 countries, helping them to use a triangle of assessment data to maximise student wellbeing and, as a result, student outcomes.
Most recently, he was selected by ISC Research to contribute to their pivotal Future of Assessment report and the corresponding webinar panel discussion, was part of an assessment ‘double bill’ at the Outstanding Schools Europe conference with Professor Dylan William, has written for all four issues of Wellbeing in International Schools Magazine, and will join Diana Osagie, Priya Lakhani and Lord Jim Knight on the main stage at the COBIS Annual Conference.
Matthew is an Associate Consultant for LSC Education, in which role he coaches senior leaders in the UK and internationally, and also leads governance training with international school boards; and he is a passionate advocate for and ally of #deij worldwide, a member of the Diverse Educators network and the ECIS #deij team, and host of the “Jack and Me” podcast. | <urn:uuid:6140b459-8b19-4dd9-a4c2-36841f64cd75> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ecis.org/events/data-for-wellbeing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.945489 | 597 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Lugaid Riab nDerg
Lugaid Riab nDerg ("the red-striped") or Réoderg ("Red Sky"), son of the three findemna, triplet sons of Eochu Feidlech, and their sister Clothru was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland.
He was conceived of incest. The night before the three findemna, Bres, Nár and Lothar, made war for the High Kingship against their father in the Battle of Druimm Criaich, their sister Clothru, concerned that her brothers could die without heirs, seduced all three of them, and a son, Lugaid, was conceived. His epithet came from two red stripes around his neck and waist, dividing him into three: above the neck he resembled Nár; from the neck to the waist he resembled Bres; and from the waist down he resembled Lothar. Incest features further in Lugaid's story: he slept with Clothru himself, conceiving Crimthann Nia Náir.
Rise to power
The Lebor Gabála Érenn says he came to power after a five-year interregnum following the death of Conaire Mór (six years according to the Annals of the Four Masters). His foster-father, the Ulster hero Cúchulainn, split the Lia Fáil (coronation stone at Tara which roared when the rightful king stood or sat on it) with his sword when it failed to roar under Lugaid. It never roared again except under Conn of the Hundred Battles.
The wizared of Ethne, daughter of Eochaid Feidlech, prophesied that the son of Ethne's sister Clothru would kill her (Ethne). Therefore Ethne fled to Cruachan in the East to give birth to her son, but Lugaid chased her there and drowned her; he then cut her son, Furbaide Fer-benn (described as having two horns on his temples) from her womb. Later at the age of 17 Furbaide sought revenge against Lugaid for his mother's death, and killed Clothru, for which Lugaid killed Furbaide on a mountain top called Sliab Uillean. Certain elements of this story bear a resemblance to the prophecy of Lugh Lamhfhada, son of Ethniu, who was predicted to kill his grandfather Balor of the Evil-Eye.
His wife was Derbforgaill, a daughter of the king of Lochlann (Scandinavia), who had fallen in love with Cúchulainn from afar and come to Ireland with a handmaiden in the form of a pair of swans, linked by a golden chain, to seek him out. Cúchulainn and Lugaid were at Loch Cuan (Strangford Lough) and saw them fly past. Cúchulainn, at Lugaid's urging, shot a slingstone which hit Derbforgaill, penetrating her womb, and the two women fell on the beach in human form. Cúchulainn saved Derbforgaill's life by sucking the stone from her side, and she declared her love for him, but because he had sucked her side he could not marry her – evidently he had violated some geis or taboo. Instead he gave her to Lugaid. They married, and she bore him children.
Deaths of Derbforgaill and Lugaid
One day in deep winter, the men of Ulster made pillars of snow, and the women competed to see who could urinate the deepest into the pillar and prove herself the most desirable to men. Derbforgaill's urine reached the ground, and the other women, out of jealousy, attacked and mutilated her, gouging out her eyes and cutting off her nose, ears, and hair. Lugaid noticed that the snow on the roof of her house had not melted, and realised she was close to death. He and Cúchulainn rushed to the house, but Derbforgaill died shortly after they arrived, and Lugaid died of grief. Cúchulainn avenged them by demolishing the house the women were inside, killing 150 of them.
For Lugaid Réoderg, an alternative tradition exists that he met his death at the hands of the Trí Rúadchinn Laigen, the "Three Reds of the Laigin" also involved in the death of Conaire Mór. Lucius Gwynn suggested that what may have happened is an earlier King of Tara known as Lugaid Réoderg may have become confused with a separate and minor character from the Ulster Cycle associated with Cúchulainn. T. F. O'Rahilly, on the other hand, believed the epithet Riab nDerg to simply be a corruption of the earlier Réoderg, meaning something like "of the red sky", and does not believe them to be distinct legendary figures (see below).
The view advanced by O'Rahilly was that Lugaid Riab nDerg is yet another emanation of the heroic mytho-dynastic figure Lugaid, closely associated with the prehistoric Érainn, a population of late Iron Age Ireland who provide Irish legend with its earliest known Kings of Tara. One of their most notable representatives in that office is Lugaid's immediate predecessor, Conaire Mór.
Specifically, O'Rahilly believed Lugaid Riab nDerg to be the double of Lugaid mac Con Roí, whose alternative epithet was mac Trí Con "son of Three Hounds", and who himself is to some extent identical with Lugaid Mac Con. The last, usually known simply as Mac Con "Hound's Son", is an Érainn king matching Conaire Mór in importance in Irish legend. Another is Cú Roí mac Dáire, or simply Dáire, father of Lugaid mac Con Roí. A 'fourth' Lugaid and 'ancestor' of Mac Con was Lugaid Loígde.
He had ruled for twenty, twenty-five or twenty-six years. The Lebor Gabála synchronises his reign with that of the Roman emperor Claudius (AD 41–54). The chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar Éireann dates his reign to 33–13 BC, that of the Annals of the Four Masters to 33–9 BC.
|High King of Ireland
LGE 1st century AD
FFE 33–13 BC
AFM 33–9 BC
| Succeeded by|
- Joseph O'Neill (ed. & trans), "Cath Boinde", Ériu 2, 1905, pp. 173–185; Edward Gwynn (ed. & trans.), The Metrical Dindshenchas, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1906, Vol 4, Druimm Criaich Poem 13: Druimm Criach, pp. 43–57; Vernam Hull, (ed. & trans.), "Aided Meidbe: The Violent Death of Medb", Speculum v.13 issue 1, Jan 1938, pp. 52–61
- Whitley Stokes (ed. & trans.), "Cóir Anmann", Irische Texte series 3 vol. 2, 1897, p. 22
- R. A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland Part V, Irish Texts Society, 1956, p. 301-303
- Annals of the Four Masters M5165-5191
- Lebor Gabála Érenn §57
- Carl Marstrander (ed. & trans.), "The Deaths of Lugaid and Derbforgaill", Ériu 5, 1911, pp. 201–218
- T. F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. 1946. p. 119
- Lucius Gwynn, "De Sil Chonairi Móir", in Ériu 6 (1912): 130–43.
- O'Rahilly, p. 486
- O'Rahilly, p. 201-2
- O'Rahilly, pp. 486–7, 79–80
- O'Rahilly, p. 49
- Geoffrey Keating, Foras Feasa ar Éireann 1.37 | <urn:uuid:3cc2b637-dd17-4848-a711-2627d0d762ef> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://gateway.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Lugaid_Riab_nDerg.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.929602 | 1,854 | 2.734375 | 3 |
El martes, 1 de enero de 2013 09:09:32 UTC, Krzysztof Kowalczyk escribió:
By all means go for it.
However, from the point of view of Go developer who needs such
functionality, there are plenty of such libraries in C that can already be
used from Go and some of them have Go wrappers today:http://go-lang.cat-v.org/library-bindings
1. Those C libraries have different licenses and some of them are no
suitable to be used in some projects, i.e. OpenAL is using GNU LGPLhttp://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/OpenAL%20Wiki/Platforms.aspx
2. They have been built by different people. The advantage of building a
SDK from scratch is that you have a consistent API for all libraries, the
same license, and the same rules for all documentation. Just like you can
see in the Go's standard library.
Even when there is a Rust code that can be exposed as a dll (and I don't
think it's possible today), it won't be a good solution on technical
Rust, just like Go, needs its own runtime. Even the smallest Rust code
will need that runtime and just like doing fmt.Printf() in Go baloons the
executable size because it pulls a big part of Go's standard library, doing
anything non-trivial in Rust will do the same, so you'll end up with a huge
overhead of Rust runtime for relatively small functionality.
They need to make that libraries that aren't dependent on the rust
scheduler can be written independent of it. This is somewhat tricky because
that basically means that they become vulnerable to security
vulnerabilities resulting from stack overflow, but they can probably come
up with some solution to that.
And you'll double function call overhead. I assume Rust code will just wrap
existing C code on each platform (unless you plan to rewrite OpenGL in
Rust) so Go code will call a Rust function which will call C function
instead of just calling C function.
I'm not going to wrap C code, else all those libraries will be built from
scratch in Rust. I know it is a lot of work but I'm very perseverant to get
what I want.
Also, to quote your post: "the libraries will be developed in Rust because
its memory model provides a lot more power and flexibility than Go which is
necessary for libraries of low level" implies that such code cannot be done
in Go, which is false. Go has unsafe and ability to write assembly code for
the pieces that cannot be written in Go, so there's everything you need for
low-level bindings and plenty of such bindings exist.
To get the same kind of fine-grained memory management in Go, you have to
manually allocate and manage byte slices. This gets tedious, and you end
up losing most of the benefits of static typing as well.
Finally, Rust is developed by Mozilla with the explicit goal of using it
to develop a cross-platform web browser. What does a moder web browser
needs? A performant graphics, sound and ui libraries. Those kinds of
libraries will be the first ones to be written by Mozilla itself and they
already have plenty of developers that are experts in those domains.
They're interested in that too, in that it'd obviously be good if
components of Firefox could be written in Rust someday. But today, to
create its browser engine, Servo, they are using bindings to C libraries. | <urn:uuid:b160c691-fa57-485f-8fa6-674bfdf1b07d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://grokbase.com/t/gg/golang-nuts/12czzyxn3z/go-nuts-offtopic-multimedia-low-level-library | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.937788 | 810 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Well being Insurance is one of smartest financial strikes an individual or a household could make. After the needless dying of his father, the writer, a enterprise executive, began a private exploration of a well being-care industry that for years has delivered poor service and irregular quality at astonishingly high price. In a latest IRS survey of just about 500 nonprofit hospitals, almost 60 percent reported offering charity care equal to lower than 5 p.c of their complete revenue, and about 20 percent reported offering lower than 2 percent.\n\nCoverage limits: Sure insurance coverage corporations pay for a specific service only to a particular dollar amount. A very important aspect of healthcare management is to understand the key regulatory surroundings. Neither of the dominant payment models in health care—international capitation and fee-for-service—directly rewards bettering the value of care.\n\nNonetheless, measuring the complete set of outcomes that matter to sufferers by situation is important in meeting their wants. There are methods by which you’ll be able to earn reductions and save, while at the similar time receiving quality and reliable services out of your insurance supplier.\n\nKnow-how is driving up the cost of health care for a similar purpose each other factor of care is driving up the fee—the absence of the forces that self-discipline and even drive down prices in the rest of our economic system. One government statute that results affected person healthcare is the Anti-Kickback Statute.
A evaluation on Healthcare consent yielded outcomes which might be straight ahead in nature. This requires understanding the sources utilized in a affected person’s care, including personnel, gear, and services; the capacity price of supplying […] | <urn:uuid:9b3ecc6f-df24-452b-aa8d-f3f40b916665> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://myownperfectsite.com/well-being-article-2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.955406 | 348 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Epidemiologic measures and policy formulation: lessons from potential outcomes.
- Author(s): Greenland, Sander
- et al.
Published Web Locationhttps://doi.org/10.1186/1742-7622-2-5
This paper provides a critique of the common practice in the health-policy literature of focusing on hypothetical outcome removal at the expense of intervention analysis. The paper begins with an introduction to measures of causal effects within the potential-outcomes framework, focusing on underlying conceptual models, definitions and drawbacks of special relevance to policy formulation based on epidemiologic data. It is argued that, for policy purposes, one should analyze intervention effects within a multivariate-outcome framework to capture the impact of major sources of morbidity and mortality. This framework can clarify what is captured and missed by summary measures of population health, and shows that the concept of summary measure can and should be extended to multidimensional indices. | <urn:uuid:c974e204-93e9-46c8-94fe-d9452a8615e7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8kt428x1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.901643 | 195 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Corning schools wants public help to shape policy
Residents in the Corning-Painted Post School District have a chance to help shape future district policy, but the window of opportunity will come to a close soon.
The school district is currently undertaking its largest public information-gathering process since before the major facilities project that realigned several schools.
School officials want to gauge public opinion about changes that have taken place in recent years and where the school district should go next.
"The reality is, the last 10 years have been filled with change in this district, and it's time to see how we're doing," Superintendent Michael Ginalski said. "I personally feel like we're doing a lot really well, but like any organization, there are always areas that need improvement."
The first step of the process is an online survey that is broken up by different stakeholder groups — community (for people who live in the district but don't have children enrolled), parents, students and faculty/staff. There are separate surveys for students in grades 5 through 8 and those in grades 9 through 12.
The surveys take about 10 minutes to complete and are anonymous, school officials said. Typical questions include satisfaction with communications received from the school district, responsiveness to questions or concerns, and the voting process, among others.
The survey will close by the end of November. After that, the school district will hold focus groups with each stakeholder group to analyze the results.
Information and themes gathered through the survey and focus groups will be presented to the board of education in February.
“We feel this effort will result in addressing areas of concern while continuing to support areas where we are doing well," Ginalski said. "We’re covering almost every operation in the district with these questions.”
To take the survey, visit corningareaschools.com.
Follow @SGJeffMurray on Twitter.
Take the survey
- Stakeholders in the Corning-Painted Post School District can find and fill out the survey by going to corningareaschools.com. | <urn:uuid:d354f855-75a9-419c-802a-02ebdbb22c96> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2016/11/22/94274340/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.966311 | 430 | 1.625 | 2 |
- 1 What does a government background check include?
- 2 What does a local background check consist of?
- 3 What are the three background checks?
- 4 What is the most common background check?
- 5 What is a Level 4 background check?
- 6 What causes a red flag on a background check?
- 7 How far back does a background check go?
- 8 Can you fail a background check?
- 9 What background check do most employers use?
- 10 What does Level 1 mean on background check?
- 11 What Cannot be included in a background check?
- 12 What would make you fail a gun background check?
- 13 How can I check my background?
- 14 How do I know if I passed my background check?
- 15 What is the best site for a background check?
What does a government background check include?
The check usually involves confirming the candidate’s current department and role, employment status and a brief comment on their conduct and services.
What does a local background check consist of?
The most common background checks consist of criminal history, education, previous employment verifications, and reference checks. These reports could also include results of pre-employment drug testing. The goal is for an employer to feel confident a new hire will not bring foreseeable trouble to the workplace.
What are the three background checks?
It consists of screening criminal history, education, previous employment history, and reference checks. The level three background check reports could also include the results of pre-employment drug testing if requested.
What is the most common background check?
Pre-Employment Background Screening The most common background screening products for employment background screening include: SSN Verification and Address History, Criminal Records, Civil Records, Professional/Resume Verifications, Drug and Alcohol Testing, and Medical Registries and Sanctions.
What is a Level 4 background check?
Level 4 – Executive. Our Level 4 background check is a key component in evaluating executive hires, promotions from within and financial service employees. Includes all services from Level 3 plus a federal criminal search, federal bankruptcy and media search.
What causes a red flag on a background check?
Common background report red flags include application discrepancies, derogatory marks and criminal records.
How far back does a background check go?
Different types of background checks look for different results and cover different lengths of time in a candidate’s personal history. In general, background checks typically cover seven years of criminal and court records, but can go back further depending on compliance laws and what is being searched.
Can you fail a background check?
There are several reasons a background check might fail, including having incorrect dates or missing key information. Sometimes, background checks fail because of false information. Some reasons a background check may require additional information may include: If the identification information is forged.
What background check do most employers use?
Most Common Background Checks for Employers
- Which employment screens are best for your organization?
- Criminal History Checks (National, Federal, County, etc.)
- Social Security Number Trace + Address History.
- Education and Employer Verification.
- Other Common Background Checks for Employers:
What does Level 1 mean on background check?
Level 1 generally refers to a state only name based check AND an employment history check. Level 2 generally refers to a state and national fingerprint based check and consideration of disqualifying offenses, and applies to those employees designated by law as holding positions of responsibility or trust.
What Cannot be included in a background check?
Civil suits, civil judgments, and records of arrest, from date of entry, after seven years; Paid tax liens after seven years; Accounts placed for collection after seven years; Any other negative information (except criminal convictions) after seven years.
What would make you fail a gun background check?
What at the Most Common NICS Denial Reasons?
- Felony Convictions: As we mentioned, having a felony conviction on your record is the most common NICS denial reason.
- Drug Convictions or Addiction: Most drug convictions can cause you to fail a NICS check, as can documented evidence of a drug addiction.
How can I check my background?
Start by using these basic methods:
- Online databases. Search online public records databases to see your information.
- Social media. Google yourself and look at your social media profiles.
- Court records.
- Credit report.
- The right background check company.
How do I know if I passed my background check?
How do I know if I pass my background check? They will either call or email you to let you know that the background has cleared. You may not even receive a notification that you passed the background check – you may just receive an offer.
What is the best site for a background check?
Best Background Check Services
- Truthfinder – Best Overall Background Check Online.
- Intelius – Best Social Media Background Check Tool.
- Instant Checkmate – Best Criminal Background Check.
- Spokeo – Top Reverse Phone Number Background Check.
- Infotracer – Best Site for Targeted Background Searches. | <urn:uuid:51caa81c-68a9-42ac-8ea7-b29ab0a10ddb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://gmcfoa.com/municipality/question-what-kind-of-background-checks-does-a-municipality-do.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.873703 | 1,075 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Thematic Week: Role of Culture for Building Self-confidence and Empowerment to (re)Enter the Job Market
Role of Culture for Building Self-confidence and Empowerment to (re)Enter the Job Market
Dr.Marilena Vecco & Mrs.Nicole McNeilly (in Workshop for the experts on Culture for Social Cohesion. Outcomes and lessons learned - 26-27 November 2020)
Empowerment through cultural activity
The arts are a vehicle to address a lack of much-needed soft-skills, and the ‘intra- and inter-personal skills essential for personal development, social participation and workplace success’ strongly associated with life and employment success. We see that the arts are tools commonly used to address, or work beyond, challenges of social exclusion and intersectional and other contributory factors of unemployment or underemployment (e.g. mental or other illness, disability, ethnic minority background, economic and social deprivation, career gaps due to parenthood). While the reviewed evidence has its shortcomings, the arts, in their history of working in both therapeutic and employability settings, may be effective and inclusive tools that support confidence-building and empowerment and lead to increased employability.
Employability and empowerment
“Employability can be seen as empowerment in matters of career”, Pruijt & Yerkes (2014)
The concept of (re-)entering the workforce requires a discussion of employability. This research identifies numerous stakeholders concerned with issues of employability. Marginalised young people and those in prison or justice settings are common benefactors of non-formal creative learning or development programmes. So too are older people and the elderly, though there is an unequal focus on healthy aging and the maintenance of cognitive skills rather than the skills needed for the ‘silver workforce’ to re-enter or thrive in the workforce. There are various projects helping young people develop competences essential to the process of entering the labour market. Those that proved to be successful are ostensibly those which pay enough attention to the development of soft skills and certain attitudes, which are of equal or more importance to a focus on professional competences. More broadly, economic growth, change and instability has had an impact on employment and underemployment, leading to increased competition in the labour market. Employability and any attempts to improve this must therefore be discussed in parallel with an analysis of the labour market context, the availability of resources, and the competition for labour.We now consider two aspects of employability and skills acquisition, found most commonly in the literature and case studies relating to young people. First, the acquisition of skills that allow employment in the creative industries, and secondly, the inclusion in the wider workforce. This distinction is seen by Campbell (2019) as a distinction between the ‘incubation of the arts or creative industries career’ and the ‘youth engagement model’.
Arts and culture for learning
Creativity is not an exclusive skill of those in creative employment or the creative sectors. In the documents analysed, we find an explicit link between a soft-skills agenda, the arts and culture, and employability. The arts are reported to give access to ‘forms of knowledge which have been largely flushed out of vocational education’.85 In 1999, the UK’s National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education noted the need for the development of human capital in its future workforce through the improvement of cultural and creative education. Museums and non-standard learning spaces can ‘help to make adult learning attractive and accessible’. Museums can be a ‘natural place for educational and lifelong-learning programmes’; their content can also enliven and stimulate learning in other spaces.
Incubating future creative workers - creative (hard or technical) skills outcomes
In addition to an overall lack of jobs, it is perceived that there is a shortage of creative or innovative jobs. The challenges to a creative career (competition, barriers to progress, precarity) are frequently referenced in the literature. Ashton (2015), for example, notes ‘the tensions and complexities of higher education to creative economy talent pathway’ for creative graduates. If this is the case for creative graduates, then a graduate of an employability or skills programme using the arts and culture is even more disadvantaged.
There is also a need to discuss the acquisition of creative skills through arts and cultural initiatives and their application in non-creative sectors. Though graduates boast creative skills, many are likely to find (the majority of) their work in other industries.
Engagement through the arts - transferable (soft) skills acquisition
“People may learn new skills and feel more confident as the result of participating in community arts activity, and this, in turn, may increase their employability”, Jermyn, 2001
This concept considers ‘engagement and personal development from a broader and often remedial perspective’95 . Learning programmes may equip their participants with creative skills, but few consider employment within the creative industries as an outcome. Yet a note of caution emerges about the unquestioned assumption about the transferability of the skills provided by a creative education.
The arts and culture ‘can offer a way to engage young people in practical and conceptual learning where other forms of pedagogy may prove less fruitful’. Employability programmes using the arts and culture can deliver significant learning, skills development and social and cultural capital generation outcomes when used in suitable ways. However, in the case of marginalized young people, structural barriers to employment remain. Tackling youth unemployment is “not only about job creation, but especially about enhancing the quality of jobs for youth”. Involving young, marginalised people in creative education programmes has the potential to cultivate their interest in and redress existing exclusion from the formal arts and cultural sector, a priority of many cultural policies.
Dr. Marilena Vecco is full professor in Entrepreneurship at Burgundy Business School, Dijon. She holds a PhD in Economic Sciences at University Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne, and a PhD in Economics of Institutions and Creativity at University of Turin. Between 1999 and 2010 she was head of research of the International Center for Arts Economics (ICARE) and Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor of Cultural Economics and Art markets at the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice. From 2011 to 2016 she was assistant professor in Cultural Entrepreneurship at ESHCC at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Her research focuses on cultural entrepreneurship and management with a special focus on cultural heritage (tangible and intangible) and art markets. Marilena has over 17 years of academic and professional experience as a researcher, lecturer, and consultant. She has researched and consulted for several public and private organisations, including OECD, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development, World Bank, and The European Commission. She is the author of several books (recently published: The power of partnerships: Necessity or luxury in the cultural and creative sectors? With E. Konrad, Creative industries and entrepreneurship: paradigms in transition from a global perspective with L. Lazzeretti), book chapters and articles published on different journals. | <urn:uuid:7785d2e6-b3a7-48cb-b387-c88f3c0bfa7b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://epale.ec.europa.eu/et/node/306764 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.943247 | 1,495 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Now that Betsy DeVos is settled in as America’s new Secretary of Education she holds the reins of the U.S. Department of Education and, with it, the future of America’s 55.6 million students.
An advocate of school choice, Secretary DeVos is poised to bring major policy changes to our country’s lagging education system. Despite Bush and Obama-era revamps to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, America still struggles to create equitable, high-quality education, accessible to all students.
According to the last World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, in terms of quality and enrollment of primary education, the United States is ranked 46th in the world. This low scoring is not a new trend — from 2011 to 2016, our global rank has ranged from a high of 34 to a low of 58.
It’s evident that change in America’s education system is needed. But as Sec. DeVos works to reform education policy, and the minutiae of her every move is debated by the American public, one thing we should all be able to agree upon is that the education of minority and low income students in America cannot be an afterthought. Should we continue to ignore this issue, our country is likely to pay a high price.
Take a short overview of the educational realities of Hispanics, for example.
At 56.6 million strong, Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority in the U.S. According to Pew Research, one in four babies born in America today is Hispanic, and The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics projects that by 2050 Hispanic children will constitute approximately one third of all American children. When it comes to school participation, Hispanic public school enrollment has increased by 25 percent in the past decade-and-a-half, while enrollment for white and African American students has decreased and is projected to continue decreasing. The National Center for Education Statistics also estimates that, currently, one out of five high school graduates is Hispanic and that, in less than a decade, this could become one out of three.
Yet, despite this exponential growth and recent positive strides in retention and enrollment, clear disparities still exist for Hispanics in the classroom.
At 12 percent, Hispanics still retain the highest dropout rate in the nation. And although their enrollment keeps increasing, their academic achievement in subjects like reading and mathematics has remained basically unchanged for the past two decades. By grade four, only 26 percent of Hispanic students are proficient in math and 21 percent in reading; by senior year, only 12 percent are proficient in math and 25 percent in reading. Of those who reach high school graduation,only one in four is college prepared, and less than half of those who make it to college graduate.
For African Americans — another group that has lagged in enrollment and academic achievement — some of these statistics are bleaker still: only 7 percent of African American high school seniors are proficient in math, and one in 10 is college prepared.
Education is the responsibility of all community stakeholders. It’s the responsibility of all of us. We all need to work together to craft a vision that truly – finally – leaves no child behind and ensures every student succeeds.
In a few decades, the United States will become more diverse, with the combined population of Hispanics, African Americans, Asian and mixed-race students representing the majority. It is high time every child in America — regardless of race, income or zip code — has access to high-quality, equal-opportunity in education.
Secretary DeVos must make marginalized children her first priority.
Originally posted at foxnews.com. | <urn:uuid:b35a227e-6dc4-4297-9c11-0e3def6d3075> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://thekcompany.co/news-release/op-ed-the-christian-post-secretary-devos-make-education-of-minority-children-no-1-priority/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571950.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813111851-20220813141851-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.96148 | 742 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Standard bank student loans: Education is the greatest asset anyone can ever own. This is because it allows individuals to prosper in their careers and achieve financial stability in their lives, which is in short the definition of being successful. Unfortunately, quality education has become a luxury good unavailable to even the most intelligent person and can strain the pocket of an average individual.
Ease the burden on your family by applying for an educational loan through Standard Bank. This loan will not only cover your fee, but also other costs like books, accommodation, equipments, etc. The interest rate will be set depending on your qualification and year of study. If you are a full-time student, the interest will have to be paid monthly, with the total amount of loan being paid only once your studies are complete.
However, part-time students will have to repay the loan during the course of studies, along with the monthly interest charges. Apply today and get the required amount into your Standard Bank transaction account! | <urn:uuid:f479b8d4-006f-4d8d-ba9d-9cdb646a4199> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://loansza.co.za/standard-bank-student-loans/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.975884 | 199 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has announced the recall of some batches of milk products (Ideal and Carnation Milk) from Nestle Ghana Limited off the market.
It follows consumers’ complaints to the FDA about the products being coagulated.
The food regulatory body in a statement disclosed that several batches of the products were recalled after a “comprehensive regulatory action” and a microbial laboratory analysis of samples of the product at the factory.
The affected batches of ldeal Milk are 12651489, 12951489, 12961489, 13001489, 13031489, 13131489, 13161489, 13171489, 13341489, 13351489.
For Carnation Milk the affected batches are 12901480, 12911489, 12931489, 12941489, 12951489,12591489, 12601489, 12611489, 12651489, 13061489, 13071489, 13081489, 13091489, 13101489.
According to the FDA, a total of 57,938 cans of the products have been retrieved by Nestle across the country as of January 9, 2022.
The FDA said results from the analysis indicated that there was no microbial contamination of samples and therefore no food safety issue with the said coagulated milk products from Nestle.
The analysis also confirmed that there was no leaching of dangerous chemicals from the inner (lacquer) lining into the milk product.
“So far, the root cause analysis indicates that the skimmed milk powder (raw material) used to produce the milk complained of has poor heat stability. This results in the denaturing of the protein, leading to the coagulation of the milk. Denatured protein, however, poses no health risk”, the FDA statement disclosed.
The process according to the FDA, is being monitored and urged persons in possession of ldeal and Carnation milk with the batch numbers listed above to return them to Nestle or any FDA offices nationwide.
The Authority further assured the public that its Industrial Support Department continues to work with Nestle to ensure that the quality defects would not recur.
“The FDA wishes to commend consumers for their alertness and to encourage them to continue reporting issues observed with any of its regulated products for the appropriate regulatory measures to be taken to ensure the health and safety of the public”, the statement added.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri | <urn:uuid:2c38ceca-b231-413b-9548-e2460dd5575c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dailyguidenetwork.com/fda-recalls-coagulated-nestle-milk-products/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571950.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813111851-20220813141851-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.94203 | 528 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Welcome to the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Services
The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Clinical Research Program is part of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Department of Psychiatry. Through our research, we aim to improve understanding of the symptoms, course, underlying neurobiology, and treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder in order to ultimately improve the lives of young people with bipolar disorder and their families. We invite you to learn more about our work!
For more information about outpatient services at the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Spectrum Services clinic, please visit our clinic webpage at
We are located at
100 North Bellefield Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 | <urn:uuid:131503fd-969c-4e57-a07e-98a0ddb91fb4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.cabsresearch.pitt.edu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573744.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819161440-20220819191440-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.893081 | 156 | 1.546875 | 2 |
NO PLAIGARISM WILL BE TOLERATED. WILL RESULT IN A WITHDRAWAL.
For this discussion forum, let’s make some connections. What, if any, effect does climate change have on terrorism? In the first three links, take a brief look at the recent news on ISIS and then the last two links discuss how climate change is connected to terrorism. If there is indeed a connection between war, terrorism, and climate change – what are the current solutions? Are they working? Can you think of better solutions? USE SOCIOLOGICAL TERMS.
ISIS a greater threat than al Qaeda? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-al-qaeda-steroids-terrorrism-attacks-islamic-state-warning-lahur-talabany-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-a7844491.html (Links to an external site.)
Female Suicide Bomber kills self and her baby — http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/826491/islamic-state-isis-mosul-suicide-bomber-woman-baby-iraqi-soldiers-battle-latest (Links to an external site.)
Global Warming and the Refugee Crisis of Syria – http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/a-major-contributor-to-the-syrian-conflict-climate-change/ (Links to an external site.)
Climate Change exacerbates threat of terrorism – https://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/news/climate-change-exacerbates-threat-of-terrorism/ (Links to an external site.)
In addition to this, after you have completed the task and send it it, you will need to respond to three other students responses to this. | <urn:uuid:48f43eda-bec2-4f56-b233-435d088d8f1a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://advancednursingtutors.com/video-response-very-easy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.867313 | 407 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Feedback is important to us. It helps us improve our services. You can report a problem online if you’ve spotted something wrong with:
- a bus shelter or stop
- a park and ride site
- an electronic display or printed information
You can also report anti-social behaviour online.
Buses, trains and trams in our region are run by different operators. You can contact an operator directly to feed back on any of their services.
You can also join a passenger feedback group:
The user testing group helps us improve the way we communicate with you. If you join, you’ll help us improve our digital services like websites and apps.
If you’re interested, sign up to find out more. Anyone in the West Midlands can join this group.
We’re looking for young people to join our Youth Forum. If you’re aged between 12 and 24, you could help shape the future of public transport in the West Midlands.
The youth forum meets once per term. You’ll visit public transport operators and learn about the trams, trains and buses. You’ll be invited to give your views on transport decisions and campaigns.
Email firstname.lastname@example.org for an application form.
We’re working with local authorities to make cycling and walking easier. The government is funding more than 45 temporary projects to do this. This is called the Emergency Active Travel Fund.
These projects include:
- cycle lanes
- pavement widening
- redesigning public spaces to encourage more walking and cycling
You can find out more and have your say on the West Midlands Emergency Active Travel Fund website. | <urn:uuid:54d0976f-6fe1-4ecd-8b8c-7f2da6209fca> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://staging.tfwm.org.uk/get-help/give-feedback/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.906684 | 351 | 1.835938 | 2 |
During the course of complex contract negotiations, the last thing we want to think about is the possibility that a serious disagreement or contract breach will arise during the implementation stage. Yet we also know that such conflicts are common.
When involved in contract negotiations, we need to imagine a range of possible scenarios—including the possibility that a dispute may arise that could escalate into a lawsuit. Because no one wants to battle it out in court, there are a number of safeguards you can take to improve your odds of resolving disputes quickly and amicably.
In contract negotiations, the following five measures can help you ward off a dispute or lessen its ill effects:
1. Include a dispute-resolution clause.
In the event of an alleged contract violation, a dispute-resolution clause might require both sides to continue to meet their contractual obligations while a third party investigates the matter. Your dispute-resolution clause might also require parties to engage in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation and/or arbitration, before filing any lawsuits.
When drafting a dispute-resolution agreement, consider stipulating that mediation should be used to attempt to resolve relatively straightforward misunderstandings. In mediation, a neutral third party help disputants come to consensus on their own. Rather than imposing a solution, a professional mediator works with the conflicting sides to explore the interests underlying their positions and encourages them air their grievances. Mediators try to help parties hammer out a resolution that is sustainable, voluntary, and nonbinding.
By contrast, you might agree to reserve arbitration for more serious contractual disputes. In arbitration, a neutral third party serves as a judge who is responsible for resolving the dispute. The arbitrator listens as each side argues its case and presents relevant evidence, then renders a binding decision. Arbitrators hand down decisions that are usually confidential and cannot be appealed.
2. Negotiate liquidated damages.
Include liquidated damages clauses in your contract that specify the amount to be paid if the contract is breached, advises Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School professor Guhan Subramanian. Consider that if you sue the other side for breach of contract, you will typically be awarded monetary damages rather than the specific goods or services that you lost. Therefore, if you negotiate up front that a supplier will pay you $1,000 for a missed shipment, for example, this liquidated damages clause will make any future dispute-resolution effort or court hearing much more straightforward.
3. Try a dispute prevention clause.
A negotiation tool known as dispute prevention can also help business partners deal with their differences more productively, writes Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Lawrence Susskind in his book Good for You, Great for Me: Finding the Trading Zone and Winning at Win-Win Negotiation (PublicAffairs, 2014). Though such clauses are not yet used widely in business contracts, the construction industry has relied on dispute prevention for decades, writes Susskind. Because companies entering into construction contracts are eager to avoid delays, the project’s developer, financiers, architects, and any other interested parties typically sign an agreement in which they vow to meet and communicate regularly, monitor progress jointly, and consult with mediators to quickly resolve minor disagreements. Such carefully designed dispute-prevention systems have proven highly effective at warding off serious conflicts and delays—and can be quite useful in any long-term business relationship.
4. Consider a contingency agreement.
In contract negotiations, it’s common for parties to reach an impasse because they have different beliefs about the likelihood of future events. You might be convinced that your firm will deliver a project on time and under budget, for example, but the client may view your proposal as unrealistic. In such situations, a contingent agreement—negotiated “if, then” promises aimed at reducing risk about future uncertainty—offers a way for parties to agree to disagree while still moving forward. Contingent commitments often create incentives for compliance or penalties for noncompliance, writes Susskind. You might propose paying specified penalties for turning your project in late or agree to significantly lower your rates if you go over budget, for example.
To add a contingent agreement to your contract, begin by having both sides write out their own scenarios of how they expect the future to unfold. Then negotiate expectations and requirements that seem appropriate to each scenario. Finally, include both the scenarios and the negotiated repercussions and rewards in your contract.
5. Combine dispute prevention and a contingent agreement.
This combination approach can be an effective remedy, Susskind advises. For example, you might negotiate a provision to your contract that promises a financial bonus to the other side if they avoid litigation for the life of the contract. Such a clause could give both sides the incentives they need to stay in touch throughout the implementation stage and involve a mediator at the first sign of trouble.
When negotiating an agreement, raising the possibility of a future dispute can feel uncomfortable. But by including some or all of these dispute-resolution and prevention mechanisms in your contract, you can greatly increase your odds of sustaining a harmonious business relationship.
Have you ever had to agree to disagree? How has this affected your contract negotiations? | <urn:uuid:cf6a3ff1-34a9-4c3d-be32-9509c6a9ee07> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/dispute-resolution/in-contract-negotiations-agree-on-how-youll-disagree/?amp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.943796 | 1,053 | 1.789063 | 2 |
In this second of our series on re-vegetative design, we’ll look at the fascinating subject of native grasses for landscaping.
Plumed or spiked, tall and graceful or tufted patches, native grasses can be the accents that produce a glissando or staccato note in the landscape. Watching them sway—or rustle—at the wind’s caress can be soothing or stimulating and, in addition to their great looks, this is one of the characteristics for which they are valued in the symphony we orchestrate with plant life.
Wild in the City
Poor Perth, no grass—or at least none that grows sprig-to-sprig like other grass. There are “grass trees” that look rather not-like-grass. These grass trees have an interesting profile and can no doubt be an accent or feature, but that’s about all there is to talk about when it comes to grass in Perth. There is something though…oh, yes, it’s called Bentonite Clay. This, when mixed with Perth’s sandy soil, will create a substance that makes the soil behave better…more like dirt. With a little of that, we can import some lovely grasses from elsewhere, but not native to Perth. Is that cheating on our original objective? Perhaps we just go with “native” sand as the substitute for native grass in Perth.
But wait. Well would you look at that now. Dune grass. Native to Perth? Yes. Grows in sand? Yes. Translates to poor sandy soil? Let’s see—seems to grow in tufts. How great is that! It would be kind of fun to see if we could re-vegetate dune grass for lawns, wouldn’t it? (Or at the very least, design with drifts of it.) Once it got used to the idea of being a lawn, though, we might even try mowing it—neaten it up a bit. In the meantime, it could serve as an accent element in a fine design. It has a graceful way about it and grows to about 48 cm. or so. Something to think about in your flights-of-fancy design-moments.
In folk lore, fairies dance in mushroom rings. Who do you suppose dances here? This is the tough spiky tussock grass, spinifex, that grows all over and holds the desert down in the Central Australia area and can Alice Springs claim it as a native? Of course. And think of the designs its very unusual growth pattern might inspire. Thick and stiff, the leaves contain a lot of silica— and imagine: their roots can go down 3 meters! They also carry their own water supply. No wonder they can withstand those desert temperature extremes.
With an embarrassment of riches, Sydney is home to several native grasses for landscaping. Topping the list, however, is the graceful Lomandra Tilga, defining paths and weeping over them with leaves that grow to 70 cm. They’re a nice medium green, if there’s a color theme that needs to be observed, and it’s one of those, mentioned earlier, feather-like and soft to the touch. A luscious addition to any design makes it a popular Sydney native.
How we use native grasses for landscaping, then, is a test of our ability to recognise what is so wonderful about them in the first place.
Do you like the article? Feel free to share this with your friends and family. | <urn:uuid:30132a55-3213-4c51-8367-947923416bc9> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://iotagarden.com.au/using-native-grasses-for-landscaping/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.956565 | 757 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Smartphones have become a necessity nowadays. We all carry sensitive data on our smartphone so what if your smartphone gets stolen or you somehow manage to lose it? Can you imagine how this could affect you? The idea itself is terrifying and that is why the big players in the mobile world are pledging to make ‘kill switch’ a standard in phones by 2015.
The kill switch is a system capable of remotely disabling your smartphone wiping it clean of any data present on it. Microsoft, Apple, Google and Samsung along with the five biggest cellular carriers have voluntarily signed on a program, which was announced by the trade group that is leading the industry; CTIA – The Wireless Association.
Those who are in favour of this program support the idea by arguments that refer towards the theft of smartphones or people losing their smartphones. In both cases; the top most priority is to protect the sensitive information and to render the smartphone useless to deter thieves from stealing smartphones. Even law personals are worried about how the trend of smartphone theft is increasing. Steve Largent, CEO and President of CTIA says; ‘We appreciate the commitment made by these companies to protect wireless users in the event their smartphones are lost or stolen. This flexibility provides consumers with access to the best features and apps that fit their unique needs while protecting their smartphones and the valuable information they contain.’
This feature will enable a phone owner to take control of the phone and erase all contacts, emails, photos and any other information present on the phone wirelessly while locking the smartphone so that it cannot be unlocked without a password. The feature will come free of cost and will not allow the phone to be reactivated without the original owner’s consent. If the owner recovers the phone then the data and information can be retrieved without any difficulty. Although some mobile companies already allow for such actions to be taken but declaring it a standard will obviously improve things a lot.
Industry representatives say that they have been afraid of the hackers exploiting this kill switch option whereas critics have blamed the industry that it doesn’t want to let go of the revenue which it earns when people replace smartphones after they have been stolen. A mandatory switch kill bill might be passed by state legislature in Minnesota by next week. According to Bruce Starr, Oregon State Senator and President of the National Conference of State Legislatures said that his group ‘applauds today’s announcement unveiling the wireless industry’s commitment to reduce the number of smartphone thefts each year by providing anti-theft tools on future devices. This voluntary effort serves as another positive illustration of the wireless industry adapting to address consumer needs through self-regulation.’ Another Senator from California, Mark Leno, said; ‘The wireless industry today has taken an incremental yet inadequate step to address the epidemic of smartphone theft. Only weeks ago, they claimed that the approach they are taking today was infeasible and counterproductive.’
“The wireless industry today has taken an incremental yet inadequate step to address the epidemic of smartphone theft,” said California State Sen. Mark Leno, who represents parts of San Francisco, in a statement. “Only weeks ago, they claimed that the approach they are taking today was infeasible and counterproductive.”He further said ; ‘While I am encouraged they are moving off of that position so quickly, today’s ‘opt-in’ proposal misses the mark if the ultimate goal is to combat street crime and violent thefts involving smartphones and tablets.’
We believe this is a crucial advancement and will prove really useful to decrease smartphone related crime | <urn:uuid:8abd5ef1-3e81-4f0a-a206-c66fb5f29d16> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wonderfulengineering.com/all-smartphones-in-us-will-come-with-a-kill-switch-by-2015/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.943944 | 734 | 1.976563 | 2 |
1. This is where you post your creative illustration of the National Archives organization system. Please have fun with this!
2. Also, you need to write a citation for the following document and send it to me at email@example.com .
- Let's pretend you walked into the National Archives in Washington DC. You tell them you want to hold the records for the purchase of Alaska in your hands.
- The archivist hands you a finding aid entitled "Record Group 217: Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, 1775-1978."
- You find several sub-headings in the finding aid, including one called "Notes, Coupon, Currency, and Files Division. (ca. 1797 - ca. 1921) "[hint ... this is not geographic, but it IS a subdivision of the agency]
- Under this sub-heading is a list of SERIES something like the ones you saw in the National Archives at Anchorage series list. One is a series titled Warrants, compiled 03/1801 - 12/1921 .
- The archivist happens to have list of boxes and their contents for this particular series. On the list you find the ITEM you are looking for, "Treasury Warrant in the Amount of $7.2 Million for the Purchase of Alaska, 08/01/1868."
- You fill out a form and wait a little while for the archivist to bring you the box in question. You look through the box and find the warrant. | <urn:uuid:efcf9fdd-f061-4649-9305-5f81577ab589> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ak-css.ning.com/groups/research-basics-with-the-national-archives/forum/topics/lesson-3-discussion?commentId=13831424%3AComment%3A6135 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.906088 | 317 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Human behavior is responsible for some of the best and worst moments in history. So, how can we use science to make sure humans act in ways that are beneficial to society and the planet? How can we influence and manipulate human behavior? Using the Humans Understanding Behavior (HUB) research lab, Dr. Jordan Belisle, associate professor of psychology at Missouri State … [Read more...] about What makes a choice bad or good?
Answering 10 questions to determine which woodland creature you most identify with can be fun. But how accurate are what we consider to be more in-depth personality tests? Some of the most popular ones are the Myers-Briggs test, the 5 Love Languages quiz and the Enneagram test. “I’m all for people taking assessments, but they must know what the assessment is primarily used for, … [Read more...] about Should I base my personality off a Buzzfeed quiz?
In a world with instant access to an infinite amount of information, do you have common sense? Do you: Eat fruits and vegetables? Exercise? Engage in habits that are good for you? If you answered yes to these questions, you have common sense, according to Drs. Norman Shealy and Amber Abernathy. Conscientiousness equals common sense Abernathy, the Mary-Charlotte … [Read more...] about Common sense: Are you born with it?
Missouri State University and Burrell Behavioral Health are planning to begin a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program in Springfield. The partners signed a memorandum of understanding today (Feb. 10) at Burrell Administrative Center. “With a nationwide workforce shortage and an ongoing mental health crisis made worse by COVID-19, there has never been a greater need for … [Read more...] about Partnership seeks to bring Doctor of Psychology program to Springfield
Recently, Dr. Leslie Echols, associate professor of psychology at Missouri State University, worked with Dr. Jerreed Ivanich of the University of Colorado to conduct a Fast Friends study. It looked at using questions and answers to foster friendships among middle school students. This research was featured in the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley’s recent list of … [Read more...] about Professor’s work featured in ‘Top 10 Insights from the Science of a Meaningful Life in 2021’ list | <urn:uuid:7a334bc2-9baf-42d3-9e7b-829fafb24973> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://blogs.missouristate.edu/bearbulletin/tag/psychology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.92824 | 481 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from:
a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings
There were numerous reports government forces and ethnic militia groups committed arbitrary and unlawful killings of civilians in connection with the conflicts in Darfur and the Two Areas. Unlike previous years, abuses in Abyei were mostly the result of intercommunal violence.
Security forces used fatal excessive force against civilians, demonstrators, and detainees, including in the conflict zones (see section 1.g.).
On January 31, NISS agents detained Salah Gamar Ibrahim, a Darfuri student aligned with a Sudan Liberation Army-Abdel Wahid (SLA/AW)-affiliated student political organization, following a political forum. According to family members, NISS agents “dumped [him] in a critical state” outside his family’s home that same day. His family immediately took him to the hospital, where the next day a doctor recommended transferring him from Darfur to Khartoum for further treatment. NISS rejected the request, and Ibrahim died the same day. As of year’s end, the government had not released results of an investigation.
There were numerous abuses reported similar to the following examples: On April 20, the administration of Kordofan University ordered the closure of the university indefinitely due to the killing of student Abu Baker Hashim reportedly by the NISS during April 19 university student elections in El Obeid, North Kordofan. The school remained closed until July 31, when it reopened with a heavily armed police presence. On April 28, al-Ahlia Omdurman University ordered the school’s indefinite closure due to the killing of student Mohammed al-Sadig in April 27 clashes between progovernment and opposition students on campus. No investigations were made public.
In 2014 security forces used force and live ammunition to disperse students at the University of Khartoum protesting escalating violence in Darfur. One student, Ali Abakar Musa Idris, died of injuries. As of year’s end, the government had not released any report on the incident.
In August 2015 the government announced it would compensate families of the victims of the September 2013 protests. The Sudan Advisory Council for Human Rights reported that 81 of 85 families had agreed to accept financial compensation, while four requested authorities to open court cases. Observers estimated 200 deaths resulted from the protests. According to the government, families not initially identified for compensation were eligible for compensation if a court so decided. It was not clear this decision was publicly known. In November 2015 media reported that the Ministry of Justice had allocated three million Sudanese pounds (SDG) ($450,000) to compensate the families of the 85 identified victims killed in the protests, equivalent to 40,000 SDG ($6,000) for each victim. In addition 35 million SDG ($5.3 million) would go toward compensating victims who suffered property damage. Some members of parliament recommended postponing compensation until perpetrators of the crimes were brought to justice. Other members suggested that neither compensation nor criminal prosecutions were needed because the security forces were acting in official capacities. As of August the government had not released a report on the events of September 2013, and no lawyers representing the victims’ families reported that any of the claimants had been compensated. A prominent activist published an article challenging the government to publish the name of one compensated family member. The government gave no response. A lawyer for one family reported that most families preferred justice and accountability for perpetrators rather than compensation.
During the year President Bashir continued to have two outstanding warrants for arrest against him based on International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments in 2009 and 2010 for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Nonetheless, Bashir still traveled by invitation to countries including Ethiopia, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Chad, Rwanda, Mauritania, Djibouti, Morocco, Equatorial Guinea, and the United Arab Emirates.
There were reports of politically motivated disappearances. As in prior years, this included disappearances in non-conflict (as well as conflict) areas.
On May 5, nine University of Khartoum student protesters were seeking legal counsel at the office of lawyer Nabil Adeeb when NISS personnel forcibly entered, severely beat Adeeb’s staff and clients, and took the students and one staff member to unknown locations, later revealed to be NISS facilities in Khartoum and Omdurman. NISS arrested six more student protesters from their and their friends’ homes. Following domestic and international pressure, all 14 students were released. They all reported suffering physical and verbal abuse while in NISS custody, and some showed visible signs of torture. As of November, a 15th student, Asim Omer, who was arrested separately on the University of Khartoum campus, remained in custody and had been charged with murder of a police officer. Trials were underway, although delayed considerably.
According to the government, NISS maintained public information offices to receive inquiries about missing or detained family members. Families of missing or detained persons often reported that such inquiries went unanswered. In November and December, the government detained dozens of persons in front of witnesses but later refused to confirm that it had custody of any of them. In some instances, national police admitted arrest and transfer of persons to NISS custody, but NISS later would not admit custody.
There were no developments in the alleged NISS abduction of political activist Sandra Kadouda in April 2015.
Government forces and armed criminal elements were responsible for the disappearance of civilians, humanitarian workers, and UN and other international personnel in conflict areas (see section 1.g.).
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
The 2005 Interim National Constitution prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, but security forces, government-aligned groups, rebel groups, and ethnic factions continued to torture, beat, and harass suspected political opponents, rebel supporters, and others.
In accordance with the government’s interpretation of sharia (Islamic law), the penal code provides for physical punishments, including flogging, amputation, stoning, and the public display of a body after execution, despite the constitution’s prohibitions. With the exception of flogging, such physical punishment was rare. Courts routinely imposed flogging, especially as punishment for the production or consumption of alcohol.
The law requires police and the attorney general to investigate deaths on police premises, regardless of suspected cause. Reports of suspicious deaths in police custody were sometimes investigated but not prosecuted. For example, in November authorities detained a man upon his return from Israel. He died while in custody, allegedly from falling out a window, although the building had sealed windows.
The president called on the chief prosecutor and chief justice to ensure full legal protection of police carrying out their duties and stated that police should investigate police officers only when they were observed exceeding their authority.
Government security forces (including police, NISS, and military intelligence personnel of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)) beat and tortured physically and psychologically persons in detention, including members of the political opposition, civil society, religious activists, and journalists, according to civil society activists in Khartoum, former detainees, and NGOs. Torture and other forms of mistreatment included prolonged isolation, exposure to extreme temperature variations, electric shock, and use of stress positions. Some female detainees alleged NISS harassed and sexually assaulted them. Some former detainees reported being injected with an unknown substance without their consent. Many former detainees, including detained students, reported being forced to take sedatives that caused lethargy and severe weight loss. The government subsequently released many of these persons without charge.
Government authorities detained members of the Darfur Students Association during the year. Upon release, numerous students showed visible signs of severe physical abuse. Government forces reportedly used live bullets to disperse crowds of protesting Darfuri students. There were numerous reports of violence against student activists’ family members.
Security forces detained political opponents incommunicado, without charge, and tortured them. Some political detainees were held in isolation cells in regular prisons, and many were held without access to family or medical treatment. Human rights organizations asserted NISS ran “ghost houses,” where it detained opposition and human rights figures without acknowledging they were being held. Such detentions at times were prolonged.
Journalists were beaten, threatened, and intimidated (see section 2.a.).
The law prohibits (what it deems as) indecent dress and punishes it with a maximum of 40 lashes, a fine, or both. Officials acknowledged authorities applied these laws more frequently against women than men and applied them to both Muslims and non-Muslims. Courts denied some women bail, although by law they may have been eligible.
There were numerous abuses reported similar to the following example: On June 25, the Public Order Police arrested several young women and men in Khartoum under the Public Order Act for “indecent dress.” During the sweep, all women who did not have their hair covered were taken into custody. The Public Order Police further arrested two young men for wearing shorts. According to NGO reports, the Public Order Police released the young women and men later the same day without charges.
Security forces, rebel groups, and armed individuals perpetrated sexual violence against women throughout the country; the abuse was especially prevalent in the conflict areas (see section 1.g.).
As of year’s end, no investigations into the allegations of mass rape in Thabit, Darfur, had taken place (see section 6).
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
The Ministry of Interior generally does not release information on the physical conditions of prisons. Information about the number of juvenile and female prisoners was unavailable.
Physical Conditions: Prison conditions throughout the country remained harsh, overcrowded, and life threatening. The Prisons and Reform Directorate, a branch of the national police that reports to the Ministry of Interior, oversees prisons. According to human rights activists and released detainees, military intelligence officials also detained civilians on military installations, especially in conflict areas.
Overall conditions, including food, sanitary and living conditions, were reportedly better in women’s detention facilities and prisons, such as the Federal Prison for Women in Omdurman, than at equivalent facilities for men, such as Kober or Omdurman Prisons. In Khartoum juveniles were not held in adult prisons or jails, but they were reportedly held with adults elsewhere.
Prison health care, heating, ventilation, and lighting were often inadequate. Some prisoners did not have access to medications or physical examinations. Authorities generally provided food, water, and sanitation to prisoners, although the quality of all three was basic. Whereas prisoners previously relied on family or friends for food, families were no longer allowed to provide food or other items to family members. Most prisoners did not have beds. Ventilation and lighting conditions differed between prisons. Overcrowding was a major problem.
There were reports of deaths due to negligence in prisons and pretrial detention centers, but comprehensive figures were not available. Local press reported deaths resulting from suspected torture by police (see section 1.a.). Human rights advocates reported that additional deaths resulted from harsh conditions, such as extreme heat and lack of water, at military detention facilities.
In March the Sudan News Agency reported the Ministry of Justice would release 1,749 inmates to alleviate overcrowding. The releases included 431 inmates from Dabak Prison, 70 from Kober Prison, 84 from Omdurman Men’s Prison, 521 women with 107 children from the Omdurman Women’s Prison, 479 from Sob and Jeriaf Prisons, and 164 from al-Huda Prison. Whether those released included political prisoners or captured rebels was not known.
In March media reported that Nyala Prison, built to accommodate 650 inmates, held more than 1,000 inmates.
Authorities regularly denied prisoners held in NISS facilities visits from family and lawyers and, in the case of foreign prisoners, from foreign government representatives. Some former detainees reported security forces held them incommunicado; beat them; deprived them of food, water, and toilets; and forced them to sleep on cold floors.
Political prisoners were held in special sections of prisons. The main prison in Khartoum, Kober Prison, contained separate sections for political prisoners, those convicted of financial crimes, and others. NISS holding cells in Omdurman prisons were known to local activists as “the fridges” due to the extremely cold-controlled temperatures and the lack of windows and sunlight.
The number of deaths in prison was unknown. On August 18, the Sudan Tribune newspaper reported five Justice and Equality Movement/Debajo (JEM/D) faction rebel detainees died of tuberculosis due to neglect, overcrowding, and prison authorities’ refusal to send prisoners for treatment.
Detainees reported physical violence by guards. Political detainees reported facing harsher treatment. One former detainee recounted being forced to beat a fellow-detainee while both were blindfolded. He stated he did not know who he was beating until the other detainee screamed in pain. Other former detainees recounted hours-long beating sessions during which NISS agents reportedly rounded up multiple prisoners, moved them to a large room, beat them with closed fists, and struck them with weapons.
Rebel groups in Darfur and the Two Areas reportedly detained persons in isolated locations in prison-like detention centers.
Administration: It was difficult to confirm prison administrative records were complete and accurate, as the government considered such information confidential and did not release it. Prison officials reportedly did not always know how many inmates NISS held in prisons.
Police reportedly allowed some visitors, including lawyers and family members, while prisoners were in custody and during judicial hearings. Political detainees and other prisoners held in NISS custody seldom were allowed visits from lawyers or family members, despite repeated requests for access. Visitors generally were not allowed access to prisoners held in NISS custody, however.
Christian clergy held services in prisons, but access was irregular and varied across prisons. Imams were granted access to facilitate Friday prayers.
There was no ombudsman or inspector general specifically designated for prisons. The police inspector general, the minister of justice, and the judiciary are authorized to inspect prisons.
Independent Monitoring: The government did not permit unrestricted monitoring by independent nongovernmental observers such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC was not allowed to visit prisons during the year and was required to get permits to travel to conflict areas. The majority of its work comprised tracing missing persons and reuniting families separated by conflict.
The government denied unrestricted access to diplomatic missions for consular visits. Diplomatic missions rarely were notified when nationals from their countries were arrested. When embassies were notified of arrests, representatives were allowed to speak to detainees’ families and lawyers but never allowed to visit inmates. There was no access to NISS or military intelligence detention facilities.
The Ministry of Justice occasionally granted the UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) access to government prisons in Darfur, but with restrictions. The government in most cases denied access to specific files, records, and prisoners. As such, UNAMID was unable to verify inmates who reportedly were held illegally as political prisoners brought in by NISS, after having undergone no judicial process. The human rights section had unfettered physical access to general prisons (with the exception of NISS and Military Intelligence detention centers) in South, North, East, and West Darfur, but in Central Darfur (where most of the conflict occurred during the year), UNAMID had no access to any prison or detention center.
During the year the government granted the UN independent expert for the human rights situation in Sudan access to the Omdurman Men’s and Women’s Prisons, where he was briefed on detention conditions.
The state of detention facilities administered by Sudan Liberation Movement–Abdul Wahid (SLM/AW) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N) in their respective rebel-controlled areas could not be verified due to lack of access.
d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention
The Interim National Constitution prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and requires that individuals be notified of the charges against them when they are arrested. Arbitrary arrests and detentions, however, remained common under the law, which allows for arrest without warrants and detention up to four and one-half months. Authorities often released detainees when their initial detention periods expired but took them into custody the next day for an additional period. Authorities, especially NISS, arbitrarily detained political opponents and those believed to sympathize with the opposition (see section 1.e.).
ROLE OF THE POLICE AND SECURITY APPARATUS
Several government entities have responsibility for internal security, including the Ministries of Interior and Defense and NISS. The government attempted to respond to some interethnic fighting, and, in a few instances, was effective in mediating peaceful solutions. The government had a poor record, however, in preventing societal violence. Numerous residents in Darfur, for example, routinely complained of a lack of governing presence or authority that could prevent or deter violent crime.
NISS is responsible for internal security and all intelligence matters. It functions independent of any ministry. Constitutional amendments passed in January 2015 expanded NISS’s mandate to include authorities traditionally reserved for the military and judiciary. Under the amendments, NISS may establish courts and is allowed greater latitude for making arrests; its officers are shielded from normal prosecution. The Ministry of Interior oversees the national police, including security police, Special Forces police, traffic police, and the combat-trained Central Reserve police. There was a police presence throughout the country. The Ministry of Defense oversees all elements of the SAF, including the Border Guards and military intelligence units.
In 2013 the government created the RSF, a new element of the security apparatus. A former SAF general commanded the RSF, but NISS oversaw its operations. The RSF continued to play a significant role in the government’s campaigns against rebel movements and was implicated in the majority of reports of human rights violations against civilians. The government tightly controlled information about the RSF, and public comment critical of the RSF often resulted in arrest or detention (see section 2.a.). In June the president decided the RSF would report directly to him. In at least one case in October in White Nile State, the RSF clashed with SAF after the RSF caused a disturbance in a nearby settlement resulting in several casualties. Afterward, the SAF commander (not the RSF commander) was summoned to Khartoum for reprimand.
While the law provides NISS officials with legal protection for acts committed in their official capacity, the government reported NISS maintained an internal court system to address internal discipline and investigate and prosecute violations of the National Security Act, including abuse of power under the act. Penalties included up to 10 years in prison, a fine, or both for NISS officers found in violation. During the year, however, the government gave no access to information regarding how many cases it had closed. In October a key national dialogue recommendation was to rescind unilateral additions to the constitution that exempt NISS from the national jurisprudence system. Despite promises to implement all national dialogue recommendations, as of December the government did not include NISS reforms as part of the national dialogue package of laws it presented to the National Assembly.
NGOs reported that clashes between protesters and government forces in September 2013 caused more than 185 deaths (see section 1.a.). The government announced the Ministry of Justice would investigate the government’s use of force. The government provided its conclusions to the UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan in 2014. Contrary to the independent expert’s recommendations, the government did not make its full report public. Lawyers representing the affected families stated that most of the families did not want compensation but wanted apprehension and trial of the perpetrators. Lawyers stated that only a minority of families settled for compensation, and the government had not compensated any families who had opted for such compensation. Government officials asserted only 85 families were eligible for compensation. Of the 85 families, the government claimed it had already compensated 81. Opposition figures denied any compensation had been made and challenged the government to publish names of those who had been compensated, but the government refused.
Following a July visit to Darfur by a foreign government official, 15 Darfuri internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had spoken with him in Nertiti and Sortoni were arrested as was a UNAMID worker who had aided in arranging the meetings. By September, eight were released, including the UNAMID staff member; seven others remained detained and were transferred to a central location in Zalengei, Darfur. When pressed about these cases in August, Human Rights Advisory Council rapporteur Yassir Ahmed Alhassan stated that the council could not respond to every human rights abuse reported by media. By November, six more detainees had been released, and one remained in detention in Zalengei.
Corruption among police and other security forces continued to be a problem. Security forces including police harassed suspected government opponents. On June 1, the Ministry of Justice announced it had closed the case of the 2012 deaths of three students of al-Jazeera University. The general counselor reported the investigation confirmed the involvement of some police, and the prosecution ordered the lifting of their immunity as a step toward taking them to court. The ministry reportedly contacted the three students’ families afterward and offered financial compensation of an unknown amount, which the three families reportedly accepted.
Impunity remained a serious problem throughout the security forces, although crimes involving child victims were prosecuted more regularly. Aside from the inconsistent use of NISS’ special courts (see above), the government infrequently lifted police immunity or pressed charges against SAF officers. The government also generally failed to investigate violations committed by any branch of the security forces.
ARREST PROCEDURES AND TREATMENT OF DETAINEES
Under the National Security Act, warrants are not required for an arrest. The law permits authorities to detain individuals for three days for the purpose of inquiry. The magistrate can renew detention without charge for up to two weeks. The superior magistrate may renew detentions weekly during investigation for up to six months for a person who is charged.
The law allows detentions for up to 45 days before individuals are charged. The NISS director may refer certain cases to the Security Council and request an extension of up to three months, allowing detentions of up to four and one-half months without charge. Authorities often released detainees when their detentions expired and rearrested them soon after for a new detention period, so that detainees were held for several months without charge.
The constitution and law provide for an individual to be informed in detail of charges at the time of arrest, with interpretation as needed, and for judicial determination without undue delay, but these provisions were rarely followed. Individuals accused of threatening national security routinely were charged under the national security law, rather than the criminal code, and frequently detained without charge.
The law allows for bail, except for those accused of crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment. There was a functioning bail system; however, the cases of persons released on bail often awaited action indefinitely.
The law provides for access to legal representation, but security forces often held persons incommunicado for long periods in unknown locations. By law, any person may request legal assistance and must be informed of the right to counsel in cases potentially involving the death penalty, imprisonment lasting longer than 10 years, or amputation. The government was not always able to provide legal assistance, and legal aid organizations and lawyers partially filled the gap.
Arbitrary Arrest: NISS, police, and military intelligence arbitrarily arrested and detained persons. Authorities often detained persons for a few days before releasing them without charge, but many persons were held much longer. The government often targeted political opponents and suspected rebel supporters (see section 1.e.).
NISS officials frequently denied holding individuals in their custody or refused to confirm their place of detention. In lieu of formal detention, NISS increasingly called individuals to report to NISS offices for long hours on a daily basis without a stated purpose. Many human rights observers considered this a tactic to harass, intimidate, and disrupt the lives of opposition members and activists, prevent the carrying out of “opposition” activities, and prevent the recording of formal detentions.
In November and December, hundreds of persons were detained without charges, including several prominent human rights activists and the leadership of registered political parties, some for weeks without visits from families or counsel. Most of the arrests were part of a general crackdown that followed calls for civil disobedience over government austerity measures. For example, NISS agents arrested prominent human rights activist Mudawi Ibrahim Adam on December 7. He remained in detention without charge at year’s end.
Authorities also arbitrarily arrested and detained foreign nationals without charge. In some cases authorities used intimidation and financial pressure to force foreigners to leave the country.
The government sometimes sought to get Sudanese citizens living abroad deported from their countries of residence. In July 2015 Waleed al-Hussein, the creator of critical online news outlet al-Rakoba, was arrested in Saudi Arabia, where he had been residing with his family. He was subjected to interrogations about his work with al-Rakoba, held in solitary confinement without charge for more than two months, and threatened with deportation to Sudan. In November 2015 he was transferred to a general holding cell. Family members believed he was arrested at the request of the Sudanese government, which had targeted Hussein for his work in the past and was seeking to have him extradited to Sudan. The government, however, denied having anything to do with the journalist’s detention. Al-Hussein was released from prison in March, but Saudi authorities did not give him an exit permit to depart Saudi Arabia until September.
There were reports of individuals detained due to their actual or assumed support of antigovernment forces, such as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and Darfur rebel movements. Local NGOs reported that some women were detained because of their association with men suspected of being SPLM-N supporters (see section 1.g.).
Pretrial Detention: Lengthy pretrial detention was common. The large number of detainees and judicial inefficiency resulted in trial delays. In cases involving political defendants accused of subverting national security, the accused may be held for as long as four and one- half months, with the possibility of further extended detention periods, before being formally charged. In his report to the Human Rights Council, the UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan expressed concern about several reports received of prolonged detentions and persons held without access to legal aid. He called on the government to release all detained persons or charge them with a recognizable offense in accordance with the law.
A number of pastors arrested in December 2015 remained detained during the year. Some were released but required to report daily to NISS. In December 2015 Kowa Shamal, Hassan Abdelrahim, and Christian activist Talahon Nigosi Kassa Ratta were arrested. Yamani Abraha, Filmon Hassan, Ayoub Talian, and Yacoub Naway were arrested and released later the same day. NISS arrested Christian activists Peter Jasek (a Czech citizen), Ali Omer, and Abdelmoneim Abdelmaula in December 2015 in connection with the pastors. Shamal, Abdelrahim, Jasek, and Abdelmaula were held without charge until August, when they were charged with eight crimes, including espionage and warring against the state, crimes that carry the death penalty. As of year’s end, all remained in custody and trials continued. In late December, Sudanese Church of Christ Pastor Kuwa Shamal was released after charges against him were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Detainees’ Ability to Challenge Lawfulness of Detention before a Court: Persons arrested or detained, regardless of whether on criminal or other grounds, were not entitled to challenge in court the legal basis or arbitrary nature of their detention and, therefore, were not able to obtain prompt release or compensation if unlawfully detained.
Amnesty: In September 2015 the government granted general amnesty for leaders and members of the armed movements taking part in the national dialogue. The amnesty covered “all words and deeds that constitute crimes during the period of the participation in the national dialogue.” Many observers considered the amnesty a government incentive to encourage opposition members living abroad to return to the country for participation in the dialogue without fear of arrest or reprisal. As of November there were no known reports of arrests of opposition members who participated in the dialogue, although NISS detained and seized the travel documents of opposition members who met abroad (see section 2.d.). Leading opposition members living in exile who had called for more freedoms as a condition to their participation in the dialogue had not taken advantage of the general amnesty. The decree also called for the release of political prisoners whose parties participated in the dialogue. There were no known reports of such releases.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
Although the constitution and relevant laws provide for an independent judiciary, courts were largely subordinate to government officials and the security forces, particularly in cases of alleged crimes against the state. On occasion courts displayed a degree of independence. Political interference with the courts, however, was commonplace, and some high-ranking members of the judiciary held positions in the Ministry of Interior or other ministries in the executive branch.
The judiciary was inefficient and subject to corruption. In Darfur and other remote areas, judges were often absent from their posts, delaying trials.
A state of emergency in Darfur, Blue Nile, and Southern Kordofan allowed for arrest and detention without trial.
The constitution and law provide for a fair and public trial as well as a presumption of innocence; however, this provision was rarely respected. Trials are open to the public at the discretion of the judge. In cases of national security and offenses against the state, trials are usually closed. The law stipulates that the government is obligated to provide a lawyer for indigents in cases in which punishment might exceed 10 years’ imprisonment or include execution. Accused persons may also request assistance through the legal aid department at the Ministry of Justice or the Sudanese Bar Association.
By law criminal defendants must be informed promptly of the charges against them at the time of their arrest and charged in detail and with interpretation as needed. Individuals arrested by NISS often were not informed of the reasons for their arrest.
Defendants generally have the right to present evidence and witnesses, be present in court, confront accusers, and have access to government-held evidence relevant to their cases. Some defendants reportedly did not receive legal counsel, and counsel in some cases could only advise the defendant and not address the court. Persons in remote areas and in areas of conflict generally did not have access to legal counsel. The government sometimes did not allow defense witnesses to testify.
Defendants have the right to appeal, except in military trials, where there is no appeal. Defendants were sometimes permitted time and facilities to prepare their defense, although in more political cases, charges could be disclosed with little warning and could change as the trial proceeded. Defendants in common criminal cases, such as theft, as well as in politicized cases were often compelled to confess guilt while in police custody through physical abuse and police intimidation of family members.
Lawyers wishing to practice are required to maintain membership in the government-controlled Sudanese Bar Association. The government continued to arrest and harass lawyers whom it considered political opponents.
Military trials, which sometimes were secret and brief, lacked procedural safeguards. For example, a defendant’s attorney could advise the defendant but could not address the court.
A 2013 amendment to the 2007 Sudanese Armed Forces Act subjects any civilians in SAF-controlled areas believed to be rebels or members of paramilitary group to military trials. NISS and military intelligence officers applied this amendment to detainees in the conflict areas. In 2013, SPLM-N forces attacked and captured Abu Karshola, South Kordofan. The government launched an intensive campaign to liberate Abu Karshola from the SPLM-N. Afterwards, seven civilians who supported SPLM-N were arrested and charged in a military court with treason and waging war against the state, which carries the death penalty. The court-martial concluded in June; charges against one defendant were dropped, and the remaining six awaited the final verdict as of September.
Three-person security courts deal with violations of constitutional decrees, emergency regulations, and some sections of the penal code, including drug and currency offenses. Special courts composed primarily of civilian judges handled most security-related cases. Defendants had limited opportunities to meet with counsel and were not always allowed to present witnesses during trial.
Due to long distances between court facilities and police stations, local mediation was often the first resort to try to resolve disputes. In some instances tribal courts operating outside the official legal system decided cases. Such courts did not provide the same protections as regular courts.
While Islamic jurisprudence (sharia) strongly influenced the law, sharia was generally not applied to Christians in civil domestic cases such as those concerning marriage, divorce, inheritance, and other family matters.
POLITICAL PRISONERS AND DETAINEES
The government continued to hold political prisoners and detainees, including protesters. Due to lack of access, the numbers of political prisoners and detainees could not be confirmed. Human rights monitors reported political prisoners as being in the hundreds; the government claimed it did not have political prisoners.
The government severely restricted international humanitarian organizations’ and human rights monitors’ access to political detainees. The government allowed UNAMID extremely limited access to Darfuri political detainees in Khartoum and Darfur.
The government also arbitrarily detained and otherwise targeted numerous Darfuri students on university campuses. On June 28, the Criminal Court in Khartoum North locality sentenced Ahmed Baggari to death by hanging in April, following legal proceedings after Baggari was accused of the April 2015 killing of Mohamed Awadelkarim, a fellow student and the secretary general of the ruling NCP Party-aligned Islamic Movement in East Nile College in Khartoum. Baggari’s defense team appealed the case to the Court of Appeals. In December the Court of Appeals cancelled the death sentence and ordered his imprisonment for five years and a payment of SDG 40,000 ($6,000) in compensation to the relatives of Awadelkarim.
Government authorities detained Darfuri students and political opponents throughout the year, often subjecting them to torture (see section 1.c.).
The government continued to arrest or temporarily detain opposition members. In November, following the government’s announcement of fuel subsidy cuts, NISS “preventatively” detained 29 political opposition leaders, primarily from the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), the Communist Party, and the National Consensus Forces. There were numerous examples similar to the following: On November 27, NISS agents followed the vehicle of Dr. Galal Yousif, a member of the SCoP, before intimidating, forcefully abducting, and taking him to an unknown location. As of December, Yousif remained in detention without access to his family or his lawyer.
In April authorities detained more than 25 University of Khartoum graduates after they participated in a protest against the reported selling of the university’s main campus. Numerous university students were also arrested and released in May and again detained after a raid on their lawyer’s office (see sections 1.b. and 1.f.). The length of their detentions varied.
CIVIL JUDICIAL PROCEDURES AND REMEDIES
Persons seeking damages for human rights violations had access to domestic and international courts. The judiciary, however, was not independent. There were problems enforcing domestic and international court orders (see section 5). According to the law, individuals and organizations may appeal adverse domestic decisions to regional human rights bodies. Individuals, however, reported they feared reprisal (see section 2.d.).
f. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence
The Interim National Constitution and law prohibit such actions, but the government routinely violated these rights. Emergency laws in Darfur, Southern Kordofan, and Blue Nile states legalize interference in privacy, family, home, and correspondence.
Security forces frequently conducted searches without warrants and targeted persons suspected of political crimes. NISS often confiscated private property, especially electronic equipment. During a May raid on the legal office and home of prominent human rights lawyer Nabil Adeeb, NISS agents entered without judicial authorization and confiscated Adeeb’s personal laptop, hardcopy files, and mobile phone. The authorities never returned Adeeb’s laptop and files, although they returned his mobile phone shortly afterward.
The government monitored private communication and movement of individuals and organizations without due legal process. A wide network of government informants conducted surveillance in schools, universities, markets, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Under sharia a Muslim man may marry a Jewish or Christian woman. A Muslim woman may not marry a non-Muslim man. This prohibition was not universally enforced. Non-Muslims may adopt only non-Muslim children; a comparable restriction does not apply to Muslim parents.
In May 2014 a local court sentenced Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag to 100 lashes and death by hanging for committing apostasy and adultery by marrying a Christian man. Ishag identified herself as a Christian. The government released Ishag from custody in June 2014 after the Court of Appeals overturned her conviction, citing mental health issues. Following significant international pressure, authorities allowed her to leave the country the following month but did not officially rescind the charges against her. In December 2015 Ishag’s defense panel appealed the court decision to the Constitutional Court in an effort to challenge the constitutionality of apostasy. As of September the case remained pending.
g. Abuses in Internal Conflict
Killings: From January to September, military personnel and paramilitary forces committed numerous killings in Darfur and the Two Areas. In mid-January the government launched an aerial and ground offensive to dislodge the SLA/AW from its strongholds in the mountainous areas of Central, North, and South Darfur.
According to press and NGO reports, RSF personnel under NISS command committed numerous killings, often after barrel bombs were dropped by Antonov An-26 aircraft during government offensives in Darfur and the Two Areas. Human rights groups reported such aerial bombardments disproportionately hurt civilians. Most reports were difficult to verify due to continued prohibited access to conflict areas, particularly Jebel Marra in Darfur and SPLM-N-controlled areas in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States.
In late September, Amnesty International issued a report alleging that, during the first nine months of the year, the government engaged in scorched earth tactics and used chemical weapons in Jebel Marra, Darfur, resulting in deaths. UN monitors were unable to verify the alleged use of chemical weapons, due in part to the lack of access to Jebel Marra from rebel commanders loyal to Abdel Wahid. At year’s end the OPCW had not been presented with sufficient corroborating evidence to conclude chemical weapons had been used.
Clashes between government forces, government-armed militias, and rebel movements, notably the SLA/AW in Darfur and the SPLM-N in the Two Areas, resulted in casualties on all sides. Sudan Liberation Army/Minni Minawi and Justice and Equality Movement/Gibril were generally inactive during the year. Intercommunal conflict and societal violence continued to be the most deadly consequences of the conflict in Darfur. The continued utilization and arming of local militias as proxies and the continued influence of these groups in part due to their heavy armament, coupled with widespread impunity, allowed the conflict to spread systemically as clashes over land, cattle, and other resources intensified. Clashes between heavily armed communal groups, particularly in East, South, and North Darfur, resulted in significant casualties (dead and injured) on all sides.
Many deaths continued to be attributed to the SAF and militia groups. Security deteriorated in North Darfur. Violence in the Jebel Marra area of East Darfur, including indiscriminate SAF aerial and artillery bombardments, continued, although this largely ceased by September.
On May 1, the SAF bombed Heiban, South Kordofan, killing six children. The incident drew widespread protests in Khartoum following the sharing of their pictures via social media. On May 23, during the memorial service for the six children, an SAF jet dropped two bombs in the area, injuring four more children and killing a six-month-old baby. On May 27, two parachute bombs were dropped onto the compound of St. Vincent Primary School in Kauda, injuring a Kenyan teacher and damaging classrooms and a library. Casualties were limited, as the attack did not take place during school hours. Reports of such aerial attacks in South Kordofan and Blue Nile State ceased by September.
SAF air raids resulted in civilian deaths and the destruction of fields and impeded the planting of crops throughout Darfur and the Two Areas. Throughout the year the SAF repeatedly bombed cultivated land, disrupting planting cycles, which, coupled with forced displacements and the denial of humanitarian assistance, resulted in near famine-like conditions. There were also numerous reports of the SAF using cluster bombs in both Darfur and the Two Areas. NGOs accused the government of using the denial of food as a weapon of war.
On June 9, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda reported to the UN Security Council that aerial bombardments had resulted in more than 400 civilian deaths and up to 200 villages destroyed. She also reported that air raids on January 21 on an East Jebel Marra village reportedly killed 48 women and destroyed six houses. The UN Security Council’s Panel of Experts on Darfur stated it had evidence the country’s air force had RBK-500 cluster bombs at the weapon-loading area at the Nyala Forward Operation Base. On March 25, the SAF shelled al-Habel village in Um Dorein County of South Kordofan and injured two girls, 11 and 10 years old.
In April, SAF raids killed five children and injured 22. Multiple schools were reportedly bombed and others closed due to the fighting, particularly those near the front line. The Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO UK), a UK-based human rights monitoring organization with sources on the ground in conflict areas, also reported that aerial bombardments in Darfur and the Two Areas killed 391 persons and injured 417. Various reports corroborated a minimum of seven aerial bombardments in Darfur in August alone, focused on the Jebel Marra region, Central Darfur, with two raids in North Darfur and one in South Darfur. There were numerous abuses similar to the following example: On August 29, in the North Darfur village of Kator, government-aligned militias attacked a group of displaced civilians, killing three and injuring four. The IDP’s were fleeing earlier bombardments on their home village of Qabas.
In Darfur clashes between the government and rebel factions continued, as did attacks by the government’s RSF forces on unarmed civilians in South, North, and East Darfur and in the Two Areas.
Ground attacks targeting civilians were also serious problems in both Darfur and the Two Areas. There were numerous abuses similar to the following example: On June 12, an SAF soldier shot and killed Amna Adam Kuku in Elfaid Um-Abdalla because he reportedly suspected her brother was a sympathizer of the SPLM-N.
The following incident involving NISS is illustrative of abuses taking place in West Darfur: On January 8, the body of a shepherd for the Arab Bani Halba tribe was found near the Massalit village of Moli, approximately six to 12 miles south of El Geneina. According to UNAMID, the Bani Halba demanded compensation, but the Massalit denied involvement and refused. On January 9, Bani Halba tribesmen, many or all of whom served as border guards–supported by fellow border guards from the Arab tribes of Maharia, Awlad Janoub, Awlad Marni, and Sheigerat–attacked Moli with up to 200 men and 20 Toyota Land Cruisers in retaliation. Reportedly five to 10 Massalit were killed, and many IDPs fled to El Geneina. On January 10, the displaced Massalit from Moli protested in front of the governor’s offices. Protests reportedly turned violent when no one acknowledged their complaints. The demonstrators forcefully entered the governor’s office and residence, set afire a tent and offices (reportedly the residence of the governor’s security guards), and burned or upended multiple vehicles.
The protesters put up barricades of burning tires in front of the governor’s compound. Police and NISS subsequently clashed with the protesters and opened fire with live ammunition, killing six. There were also unconfirmed reports that either Arab tribesmen or Massalit protesters killed a NISS officer during the protests, taking his weapon, in addition to seven to eight NISS officers injured. On January 11, while Massalit protesters were still occupying the governor’s compound (although confrontation had ceased), shots were fired into the funeral procession of those who were killed on January 10, killing at least three additional Massalit IDPs and wounding six others. The shots were reportedly fired while the procession was passing NISS offices, and reportedly security forces had mistaken the large group of mourners for protesters. In all, at least 13 persons were killed, while many more were wounded.
There were also numerous abuses of detainees reported similar to the following: On February 16, NISS in Tadamoun locality arrested Elnour Mohammed Elfadeel at his house following accusations he possessed a gun without a license. On February 17, he arrived at Damazine Military Hospital in critical condition and died in the hospital that same day. Medical sources stated the cause of death was fractures to the neck and skull.
According to the ICC prosecutor’s June report, in both Darfur and the Two Areas, there were reported attacks on humanitarian aid workers and peacekeepers, with one peacekeeper killed in Darfur.
In Abyei, the security situation remained unpredictable but generally calm. Most human rights abuses were due to tribal conflict between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya, with several major security incidents occurring in and around the marketplaces. On May 8, UN Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) troops disarmed a Misseriya and an Ngok Dinka found with a rifle and hand grenade, respectively, at the Noong common market. On June 21, in the Kolom area, unknown assailants armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades opened fire on a commercial pickup vehicle transporting traders from Twic County in Warrap State, South Sudan, to the common market at Noong. The attack left three persons dead and two seriously wounded. On June 21, UNISFA reported that unknown armed men shot at a civilian vehicle with seven persons on board travelling from Agok to Noog, Abyei, killing three persons and injuring two others.
Abductions: International organizations were unable independently to verify reports of disappearances due to lack of access to the region. Humanitarian actors reported unverified cases of government-aligned forces abducting or detaining civilians, including women, due to their suspected affiliation with the SPLM-N.
There were numerous abuses similar to the following: According to the Human Rights and Development Organization, a monitoring organization with sources on the ground in the Two Areas, Musa Aabdein Ali, a government employee, was found alive but in poor health in military intelligence custody on March 15 after five years of detention. He was abducted in 2011 soon after hostilities erupted in South Kordofan. Ali reportedly had no political affiliation. Military intelligence, NISS, and political authorities denied knowing his whereabouts. Ali reported he was detained incommunicado and faced physical abuse and poor health and sanitary conditions.
SUDO UK reported 86 abductions throughout the conflict areas from January to August, 45 in May alone. UNAMID reported 55 abductions in Darfur from January to September 15. While government or government-aligned entities perpetrated the majority of these abductions, some were carried out by unknown armed criminal groups. One such incident in January included a carjacking, two robberies, and the abduction of a World Food Program (WFP)-contract driver and his truck. The driver was released in the Kutum area several days later.
UNAMID reported that abduction remained a coercive method adopted by the various tribes in Darfur to obtain the payment of diya(“blood money” ransom) claimed from other communities.
Physical Abuse, Punishment, and Torture: Human rights organizations accused government forces and rebel groups in Darfur and the Two Areas of perpetrating torture and other human rights violations and abuses. Government forces abused persons detained in connection with armed conflict as well as IDPs suspected of having links to rebel groups. There were continuing reports that government security forces, progovernment and antigovernment militias, and other armed persons raped women and children.
In Darfur, fighting involved government forces, rebels, and ethnic militias, and it was often along communal lines. These armed groups, including the RSF, which NISS controlled, killed and injured civilians, raped women and children, looted properties, targeted IDP camps, and burned villages in all of Darfur’s five states. Multiple sources reported the RSF also destroyed and plundered water wells, food stores, and community resources, including livestock. A September Amnesty International report alleged the government used chemical weapons to target civilian areas in Jebel Marra, Darfur from January to September. UN monitors were unable to verify the alleged use of chemical weapons, due in part to lack of access to Jebel Marra and insufficient corroborating evidence. The report that also alleged the government engaged in scorched earth tactics was corroborated by multiple sources from Darfur.
These acts resulted in approximately 80,600 newly displaced persons by September, but, nevertheless, a decrease from 243,000 reported during the same period the previous year. An increase in criminality and banditry also contributed to a deterioration of overall security in Darfur. UNAMID continued to document hundreds of cases of human rights abuses, including unlawful killings, other abuses of the right to physical integrity, and arbitrary arrest and detention.
Sexual and gender-based violence continued throughout Darfur and the Two Areas. The ICC prosecutor in her June report to the UN Security Council noted 107 reported incidents of sexual crimes affecting 225 victims, indicating that 70 per cent of these incidents involved gang rape, of which 19 per cent victimized minors. Authorities often obstructed access to justice for rape victims. IDPs reported perpetrators of such violence were often government armed force or militia members. SUDO UK reported the confirmed rape by RSF agents of 125 persons, mostly IDP’s, including 32 minors, from January to August in both Darfur and the Two Areas.
Widespread impunity remained a major challenge, aggravated by government’s limited capacity, the absence of a security environment conducive to civilian safety across Darfur, and use of excess force by security forces. For example, on March 24, NISS agents reportedly arrested a female student on her way to the University of El Geneina and assaulted her. Seven students from Nyala University who were arrested on April 26 for demonstrating against the increase in public transport fees reported having been similarly beaten in detention. Neither case had been investigated by year’s end.
The government prosecuted some crimes involving government officials. Although rare, prosecutions were most common in cases involving violations against minors. On May 10, a court in El Geneina convicted and sentenced a soldier to 20 years’ imprisonment for the rape of a seven-year-old girl. The UN Independent Expert for the human rights situation in Sudan expressed concern about nine rapes of women from the Zam camp in April, when they were outside the camp engaged in livelihood activities.
The SAF and government-aligned forces also reportedly burned and looted villages in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. There were reports of physical abuse and violent interrogations of SPLM-N-affiliated individuals in Kadugli Prison and military installations.
Human rights groups continued to report that government forces and allied militias raped, detained, tortured, and arbitrarily killed civilians in government-controlled areas of Blue Nile. SUDO UK reported 269 cases of arbitrary arrest, 56 of which involved civilians detained in containers in Damazine, Blue Nile.
On March 31, Radio Tamazuj reported shelling by the SPLM-N of civilian areas in Kadugli town, specifically Sama, Saraf, and Um Bataha neighborhoods. Reported claims by “local sources” that “nobody was hurt” were difficult to verify.
In July and August, the government accused the SPLM-N of attacking a Chinese-run gold mine bordering South and North Kordofan. The attacks were difficult to verify due to lack of access.
There were varying reports in July of violence that affected civilians in Lima, Southern Kordofan, including reports that eight Misseriya tribesmen were killed during an altercation with an SPLM-N soldier over a reported cattle theft. It was unclear, however, whether the Misseriya killed were civilians or part of the government-aligned militia Popular Defense Forces.
Unexploded ordinance killed and injured many innocent civilians in the country’s conflict zones. There were numerous examples similar to the following: On November 27, in Singa, north of Damazine, Blue Nile, the explosion of an undetonated remnant of war injured five children.
On March 27, the Radio Dabanga online newspaper reported six gold miners died in an explosion in Tawila locality of Darfur when their vehicle drove over and detonated unexploded ordinance. Apart from the six miners who were killed, three others were reportedly seriously injured.
Child Soldiers: The law prohibits the recruitment of children and provides criminal penalties for perpetrators. Allegations persisted, however, that armed movements, government forces, and government-aligned militias had child soldiers within their ranks.
According to several reports, the government provided material and logistical support in the country to the South Sudan opposition group, Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition, which was widely reported to recruit and use child soldiers.
Many children lacked documents verifying their age. Children’s rights organizations believed armed groups exploited this lack of documentation to recruit or retain children. Due to problems of access, particularly in conflict zones, reports of child soldiers were limited and often difficult to verify. The government denied allegations it recruited or used child soldiers within its armed forces. During the March 27 to 30 visit of the UN special representative for children and armed conflict, the government signed an action plan to end and prevent recruitment and use of children by its security forces. The special representative documented 21 children detained by NISS since April and August 2015 for their alleged association with the rebel group JEM. The children had allegedly been recruited in South Kordofan and South Sudan and used in combat in Darfur and South Sudan. In September the government pardoned and released the children to a reintegration program. JEM representatives claimed the children did not belong to their faction. In addition, the United Nations documented the recruitment of six children by JEM from refugee settlements in Unity State, South Sudan. In September the country’s Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) Commission reported that 169 child soldiers, all from the Liberation and Justice Movement, had been assembled in South Darfur for DDR procedures.
In September, UNAMID reported that concerted efforts to curb the recruitment of child soldiers in Darfur had led to significant progress, but the potential use of children in ethnic clashes remained a major concern.
Representatives of armed groups reported they did not actively recruit child soldiers. They did not prevent children who volunteered from joining their movements. The armed groups stated the children were stationed primarily in training camps and were not used in combat.
There were reports of the use of child soldiers by the SPLM-N, but numbers could not be verified, in part due to lack of access to SPLM-N-controlled territories. On November 23, in Geneva, Malik Agar of the SPLM-N and Leila Zerrougui, the representative of the UN secretary-general on children and armed conflict, signed an action plan to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. In her remarks, Zerrougui said the government, nonstate actors, and everyone involved in armed conflict must cooperate and acknowledge that the rules of law “apply to children two times over.” She noted that Sudan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 and is party to other international agreements, meaning the legal framework is in place and the main focus should be implementation.
Also see the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/.
Other Conflict-related Abuse: All parties to the conflict in Darfur obstructed the work of humanitarian organizations, UNAMID, and other UN agencies, increasing the displacement of civilians and abuse of IDPs. The government also continued to deny access to humanitarian organizations and UN agencies in Darfur, the Jebel Marra region in particular, and all government-controlled areas of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile (the SPLM-N also denied access to areas in their control), isolating an estimated 800,000 IDPs and severely limiting access to life-saving humanitarian assistance. Violence, insecurity, the delay and denial of visas and travel permits, and refusal of access to international organizations reduced the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide needed services. As of December 20, 30 visas requested in January by UNAMID remained pending.
Government forces frequently harassed NGOs that received international assistance. The government restricted or denied permission for humanitarian assessments, refused to approve technical agreements, changed operational procedures, copied NGO files, confiscated NGO property, questioned humanitarian workers at length and monitored their personal correspondence, restricted travel, and publicly accused humanitarian workers of aiding rebel groups. Unidentified armed groups also targeted humanitarian workers for kidnapping and ransom.
Fighting, insecurity, bureaucratic obstacles, and government and rebel restrictions reduced the ability of peacekeepers and humanitarian workers to access conflict-affected areas. Armed persons attacked, killed, injured, and kidnapped peacekeepers and aid workers. Humanitarian organizations often were not able to deliver humanitarian assistance in conflict areas, particularly in Jebel Marra, South Darfur. According to the UN secretary-general’s report on UNAMID on March 22, the SLA/AW faction attacked UNAMID forces with heavy weapons near Kutum on January 1, injuring one South African peacekeeper. In November armed men abducted three staffers of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): two Nepalese and one a Sudanese national. During the same week, five armed masked men in a Land Cruiser without license plates abducted three Sudanese employees of UNAMID in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, while they were traveling to the mission’s headquarters, which is 13 miles southeast of Nyala.
All states in Darfur were under varying states of emergency. Between December 2015 and September, there were 1,626 cases of criminality and banditry, which included 384 killings. The attacks included rape, armed robbery, abduction, ambush, livestock theft, assault/harassment, arson, and burglary and were allegedly carried out primarily by Arab militias, but also by government forces, unknown assailants, and rebel elements.
Security in Darfur continued to deteriorate due to the rise in criminal activity and intercommunal conflict. The independent expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan noted with concern that, during the year, the size and scale of intercommunal clashes over cattle rustling and control of natural resources in Eastern Darfur had been unprecedented, as were the sophisticated firearms used by the combatants.
Large-scale displacement continued to be a severe problem in Darfur and the Two Areas, and government restrictions and security constraints continued to limit access to affected populations and impeded the delivery of humanitarian services (see section 2.d.).
Throughout the year the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) obstructed the work of NGOs and international humanitarian actors in the country’s conflict zones (see section 5).
Following meetings between UNAMID and the government, food-ration containers were released from Port Sudan, while, as of September, 59 shipments (101 containers) were still pending clearance. A total of 367 shipments of UN-owned and contingent-owned equipment, some of which had been there since April 2015, remained at Port Sudan and Khartoum, pending Ministry of Finance approval and customs clearance. The resulting shortages severely hampered the ability of UNAMID troops to communicate, conduct robust patrols, and protect civilians; they incurred demurrage charges and additional costs for troop- and police-contributing countries and the United Nations.
Attacks on humanitarian and UNAMID convoys continued. Bandits obstructed humanitarian assistance, regularly attacked the compounds of humanitarian organizations, and seized humanitarian aid and other assets, including vehicles. Instability forced many international aid organizations to reduce their operations in Darfur. The UN secretary-general stated, however, that the number of attacks against UN agencies and humanitarian organizations continued to decline. On March 27, a national staff member of the WFP was robbed in Nyala, South Darfur. On April 5, three local staff members of an international nongovernmental organization were robbed near El Geneina, West Darfur. Humanitarian organizations regularly reported encountering challenges in their humanitarian action and protection activities owing to access restrictions, interference with program administration and implementation by authorities, and the negative effects of continuing hostilities and incidents of violence and intimidation.
There were several reports of government forces, and armed militias and individuals, raiding IDP camps. On April 18, IDPs at the North camp, Central Darfur, reported that authorities had instructed them not to release any information to UNAMID. Moreover, the government did not allow civil society groups operating health-care centers to deal with cases involving conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, especially in Central Darfur.
Largely unregulated artisanal gold-mining activities continued to expand in all of the Darfur states and to be a source of tension between communities. Claims to land rights continued to be mostly ethnic and tribal in nature. Clashes sometimes resulted from conflicts over land rights, mineral ownership, and use of gold-mining areas, particularly in the Jebel Amer area in North Darfur. Observers believed those clashes resulted in significant numbers of deaths and displacement.
Although the government made public statements encouraging the return of IDPs to their homes and the closure of camps in Darfur since “peace” had come to Darfur, IDPs expressed reluctance to return due to lack of security and justice in their areas of origin or elsewhere.
In the Two Areas there continued to be reports that SAF air raids destroyed homes, schools, churches, mosques, other civilian structures, and farms, and that humanitarian aid workers and centers, including hospitals, were targeted (see section 1.g.).
Restrictions imposed by the government in Abyei on NGOs limited the implementation capacity of humanitarian and development actors, especially in the northern parts of Abyei. Additional problems included inadequate funds, high implementation costs owing to security and logistical constraints, delays in the issuance of travel permits, and government restrictions on the movement of personnel and supplies.
The United Nations reported that during the year it received two allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by a civilian and by a UN volunteer deployed to UNISFA. One incident allegedly took place in 2015; the date of the other alleged incident was unknown. Because the allegations were against a UN civilian staff member and volunteer, the United Nations did not provide the nationalities of the accused. Both allegations were being investigated by the United Nations at year’s end.
UNISFA regularly conducted sensitization and awareness raising activities with staff members of all components. UN personnel carried out similar campaigns with the local population during which they highlighted and explained the UN policy on zero tolerance of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel.
Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
The Interim National Constitution provides for freedom of thought, expression, and of the press “as regulated by law,” but the government heavily restricted these rights.
Freedom of Speech and Expression: Individuals who criticized the government publicly or privately were subject to reprisal, including arrest. The government attempted to impede such criticism and monitored political meetings and the press. In July the government arrested Imam Yousif Abdullah Abaker following an Eid al-Fitr sermon in Aljenina in West Darfur, during which he criticized the central and state governments and blamed them for deaths in Darfur and throughout the country. He was reportedly transferred to Khartoum and sentenced to nine months in prison.
In March, NISS summoned and interrogated Rokaya al-Zaki, a journalist at al-Ray al-Aam newspaper, after publication of a financial corruption article relating to the Workers’ Union. NISS confiscated the independent daily al-Jarida’s press runs for unknown reasons on May 9, 10, 12, 13, and 16. In addition, journalists reported that security officers interrogated and harassed them. In November there were almost daily suspensions or confiscations of newspapers and radio stations by NISS for reporting on the nationwide civil disobedience that took place November 27 to 29 following the announcement of new austerity measures. Similarly, NISS seized newspapers on an almost daily basis throughout December, amid calls for large-scale protests. For example, NISS seized copies of daily al-Tayyar at least five times in December.
Throughout the year, more than 16 journalists were arrested, nine were subjected to legal actions against them by the government, at least 14 were summoned by NISS, and more than seven were suspended at some point. Throughout the year NISS detained more than 41 opposition party members, in some cases following meetings or symposiums during which attendees discussed politics.
The government also curtailed public discussion of a religious nature if proselytization was suspected and monitored religious sermons and teachings (see the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/).
Press and Media Freedoms: The Interim National Constitution provides for freedom of the press, but authorities prevented newspapers from reporting on problems deemed sensitive. In December 2015 President Bashir 2015 criticized his government’s inability to “control the media” in an address to the ruling NCP parliamentary caucus. He warned that he personally would take “decisive measures.” Those measures included regular and direct prepublication censorship, confiscation of publications, legal proceedings, and denial of state advertising. Confiscation in particular inflicted financial damage on newspapers already under financial strain due to low circulation. The government verbally ordered newspapers throughout the year about “red line” topics on which the press could not report. Such topics included corruption, university protests, the national dialogue, political negotiations in Addis Ababa, the conflict in South Sudan, the doctors’ nationwide strike, the weak economy and declining value of the Sudanese pound, power outages, outbreak of cholera, the security services, and government action in conflict areas. Authorities ordered the confiscation of newspapers that reported on these topics.
The government influenced radio and television reporting through the granting or denial of permits, as well as offering or withholding government payments for advertisements, based on how closely affiliated they were with the government.
On November 27, authorities issued a cease-and-desist order, closing indefinitely the privately owned satellite television channel Omdurman TV, which until then had seemed to be progovernment. According to its owner, the move likely came after a talk show the station aired in which ruling NCP party members discussed corruption as one of the possible factors in the country’s continuing budget crisis. The government, however, claimed that the channel’s license had expired.
The government controlled the media through the National Council for Press and Publications (NCPP), which administered mandatory professional examinations for journalists and oversaw the selection of editors. The NCPP had authority to ban journalists temporarily or indefinitely. In November the NCPP estimated there were 4,000 registered journalists in the country, a significant decrease from 7,000 in 2015. The council stated that registration of journalists was now handled primarily by the Sudanese Journalists Union, which may have more journalists on file with their organization. Of the 4,000 registered journalists in the country, approximately 600 were actively employed.
During the year authorities lifted restrictions on one journalist who had been temporarily banned from writing. As of December 2015, seven other journalists remained banned from writing, including four journalists for al-Jarida newspaper. As of November NISS had banned at least 16 journalists from publishing articles or suspended their newspapers from publishing.
Violence and Harassment: The government, including NISS, continued to arrest, harass, intimidate, and abuse journalists and vocal critics of the government. NISS required journalists to provide personal information, such as details on their tribe, political affiliation, and family.
According to Journalists for Human Rights, in early November NISS beat and arrested Mohamed al-Amin Abdel-Aziz, a journalist collaborator of al-Jarida newspaper. Also in early November, NISS allegedly beat and detained journalist Amal Habani after she left the premises of a courtroom in Khartoum where she attended the trial of several civil society activists. In December, NISS agents also arrested and allegedly beat a number of journalists, amid calls for large-scale protests against the lifting of fuel subsidies.
In late December 2015, lawyers referred to the Constitutional Court the case of Osman Mirghani, editor and chief of al-Tayar newspaper, who was attacked by unknown assailants in 2014 and whose newspaper’s publication had been suspended as of December 2015. Some human rights advocates suspected the government instructed the court to delay its ruling. On May 1, the Constitutional Court issued an order allowing al-Tayar to resume publishing after more than four months of “indefinite suspension” by NISS (without compensation) and following a hunger strike/protest by the staff of the newspaper, in which other journalists and activists also participated. After its reopening, NISS continued to intimidate and harass al-Tayar, and confiscated print runs of the daily on a regular basis.
On July 27, al-Tagheer newspaper suspended its own publishing indefinitely following multiple consecutive confiscations.
On September 14, the Press and Publications Council ordered suspension of four newspapers (Ilaf, al-Mostagil, al-Watan, and Awal al-Nahar).
In January 2015 the Ministry of Culture revoked the Sudanese Writers Union’s registration. The union had been registered since 2006 to hold intellectual forums, cultural nights, movie screenings, and other activities. The union filed a case against the Ministry of Culture. In October 2015 a judge ruled in favor of the union, disallowing justifications used by the ministry to close the group. In late 2015, however, the court reversed its judgment. The group was reportedly able to reregister on December 1.
Censorship or Content Restrictions: The government continued to practice direct prepublication and prebroadcast censorship of all forms of media. The government increased confiscations during the May aftermath of April protests by students that were sparked by reports of the government’s alleged sale of the University of Khartoum to foreign investors. During the protests two students were killed, many were injured, and many were arrested. Confiscations of print runs was the censorship method most frequently used by NISS, having utility in terms of censoring material, incentivizing future self-censorship, and causing high financial losses to the publisher that could lead to the newspaper’s eventual closure.
In 2014 the government announced it would suspend exceptional measures, including prepublication censorship, imposed by NISS on print media; however, such censorship continued unabated. According to the National Council for Press and Publications, in November 2015 a court specializing in media issues and “newspaper irregularities” was established under the existing Press and Publications Act. By August the Press and Publications Court was functional.
The government confiscated print runs of at least 12 newspapers on at least 49 occasions between March and November, mostly in May, following the widespread April student protests and in November following nationwide civil disobedience strikes and protests in response to government austerity measures. For example, in one week from November 25 to December 2, NISS confiscated 16 print runs of nine newspapers.
On November 30, the Sudan Journalist Network organized a one-day strike to protest the confiscations of print runs of five dailies (al-Tayar, al-Watan, al-Jarida, al-Yom al-Taali, and al-Ayaam) for four days in a row, from November 28 to December 1. Local journalists suspected the seizures were for publishing articles critical of the subsidy cuts made by the government on November 3. More than 100 independent journalists participated in the strike.
National Security: The Press and Publications Act allows for restrictions on the press in the interest of national security and public order. It contains loosely defined provisions for bans for encouraging ethnic and religious disturbances and incitement of violence. The act holds editors in chief criminally liable for all content published in their newspapers. The criminal code, National Security Act, and emergency laws were regularly used to bring charges against the press.
NISS initiated and continued legal action against journalists for stories critical of the government and security services.
In February, Ibrahim Baggal, a digital journalist and online activist, was arrested for criticizing the governor of North Darfur in a Facebook post and charged under the Information Technology (IT) Crime Act. Baggal spent 55 days in detention before his release on bail, but he was reportedly detained again days later and held for another week, for seemingly arbitrary reasons. The public prosecutor later dropped some of the charges against Baggal, namely undermining the constitutional order, waging war against the state, and contempt for authority; however, Baggal still faced charges of spreading false information, disclosing military information, and breaching public safety.
In Khartoum the state health minister also took legal action against al-Watan after the newspaper accused the minister of misappropriating public funds to enhance al-Zaitona Hospital, one of three hospitals privately owned by the state health minister.
The government regulated licensing of telecommunications companies through the National Telecommunications Corporation. The agency blocked some websites and most proxy servers judged offensive to public morality, such as those purveying pornography. There were few restrictions on access to information websites, but authorities sporadically blocked access to YouTube and “negative” media sites. According to the International Telecommunication Union, approximately 27 percent of individuals used the internet in 2015, an increase from 25 percent in 2014.
Reporters without Borders reported NISS established a cyber-jihadist unit with a mandate to crack down on “internet dissidents” in 2011. According to outside reports, the unit continued to monitor social media accounts and electronic communications, especially of those believed to be regime critics.
Freedom House continued to rank the country as “not free” in its annual internet freedom report. According to the report, arrests and prosecutions under the IT Crime Act grew during the year, reflecting a tactical shift in the government’s strategy to limit internet freedom. The report noted that many journalists writing for online platforms published anonymously to avoid prosecution, while ordinary internet users in the country had become more inclined to self-censor to avoid government surveillance and arbitrary legal consequences.
In November 2015, for example, Seraj al-Naeem, the founder of the online news outlet Awtar al-Aseel, was arrested and charged with libel under the IT Crime Act for sending a WhatsApp message that accused a doctor of medical malpractice. Al-Naeem was detained for hours and released on bail, but not before he was asked to surrender his smartphone to the police as evidence. Al-Naeem was subsequently charged for inquiring about the legality of surrendering his phone. He was acquitted of all charges in May.
In November an activist was broadcasting live on Facebook, showing empty streets in downtown Khartoum as evidence of a successful civil disobedience campaign when security services confronted and detained him for several days.
In January the administrator of a WhatsApp group for journalists was charged with libel under the IT Crime Act for a message that criticized the minister of health. He was detained and questioned for several hours along with the individual who sent the original message; both were subsequently released on bail and as of October still awaiting trial.
Cybercafes lacked privacy and were subject to intrusive government surveillance. In February, NISS and Ministry of Interior special cybercrime units raided 130 internet cafes in Khartoum in search of content threatening “public morals.”
ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND CULTURAL EVENTS
The government restricted academic freedom at cultural and academic institutions. It determined the curriculums and appointed the vice chancellors responsible for administration. It continued to arrest student activists and cancel or deny permits for some student events. Youth activists reported some universities discouraged students from participating in antigovernment rallies and showed favorable treatment towards NCP students. Some professors exercised self-censorship. Security forces used tear gas and other heavy-handed tactics against largely peaceful protests at universities or involving university students. The Public Order Police continued to monitor public gatherings and cultural events, often intimidating women and girls, who feared police would arrest them for “indecent” dress or actions.
Following widespread unrest on college campuses across the country in April, many universities indefinitely suspended student activities (political, cultural, and social) on university premises and required approval before events could be held.
On April 30, NISS prevented the Sudanese Journalists’ Network from holding a conference in Khartoum and provided no explanation. On September 13, NISS prevented the Sudanese Congress Party from holding a public event commemorating the third anniversary of the September 2013 protests, during which 185 to 200 protesters were killed.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY
Although the Interim National Constitution and law provide for freedom of assembly, the government severely restricted this right. The criminal code considers gatherings of more than five persons without a permit to be illegal. Organizers must notify the government 36 hours prior to assemblies and rallies.
In February, NISS dispersed a peaceful protest against the construction of new dams in Northern State, arrested a number of protesters, and later released them.
In April NISS arrested 27 students, including five female students, who were involved in protests at the University of Khartoum. The students protested April 11 to 14, following reports the government planned to sell the main campus to foreign investors. NISS released the 27 students without charge on April 16. An additional University of Khartoum student arrested separately but in conjunction with the protests, Asim Omer, remained detained and was charged after three months with the murder of a police officer, a capital offense, during campus protests. Human rights observers and classmates of Omer insisted the charges were based on falsified evidence, asserting the student was not present during the campus protests. As of year’s end, trials of the students continued.
On November 20, NISS arrested without charge 28 college students who demonstrated on Africa Road against the government’s austerity measures (fuel subsidy cuts) and subsequent price increases. The judge released all 28 students on bail November 21, and the students faced trials on November 22 and 23. On December 4, cases of all 28 students were dismissed. The arrests of the students were concurrent with a large-scale NISS arrest campaign, during which NISS detained 22 leading figures from the Sudan Congress Party (see section 1.e.) and several members of the National Unionist Party (NUP), Sudanese Communist Party, Arab Ba’ath Party, National Consensus Forces, and the Reform Now Movement, as well as civil society activists and journalists.
The government continued to deny permission to Islamic orders associated with opposition political parties, particularly the Ansar (Umma Party) and Khatmiya (Democratic Unionist Party), to hold large gatherings in public spaces, but parties regularly held opposition rallies on private property. Government security agents occasionally attended opposition meetings, disrupted opposition rallies, or summoned participants to security headquarters for questioning after meetings.
Authorities reportedly took only limited, if any, action against security force members who used excessive force. In November 2015 media reported the Ministry of Justice agreed to pay diya (blood money) totaling 35 million SDG ($5.3 million) in compensation to families of identified victims of the September 2013 protests and lift the immunity of four security officers. As of year’s end, cases against the security officers remained pending (see section 1.a.).
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
The Interim National Constitution and law provide for freedom of association, but the government severely restricted this right. The law prohibits political parties linked to armed opposition groups. The government closed civil society organizations or refused to register them on several occasions. Government and security forces continued arbitrarily to enforce provisions of the NGO law, including measures that strictly regulate an organization’s ability to receive foreign financing and register public activities.
Throughout the year, according to the Sudanese Confederation of Civil Society, authorities either rejected or failed to approve applications to reregister more than 40 registered organizations and began investigations into their activities.
Under the government’s “Sudanization” policy, many organizations reported they faced administrative difficulties if they refused to have progovernment groups implement their programs at the state level. In Blue Nile, for example, HAC authorities prevented one humanitarian organization from implementing a food security program for several months until it agreed to collaborate with CORD, a local organization selected by the state government.
Organizations reported delays in obtaining permits to hold general assembly meetings. In the absence of general assemblies, the government prevented some organizations from holding elections or filling vacant positions. Some civil society activists believed the government delayed these approvals to disrupt the organizations’ work or force them out of compliance with government regulations.
On February 29, NISS officers raided the Khartoum Center for Training and Human Development (TRACKS), a civil society capacity-building organization, for the second time in less than a year. The officers confiscated five laptops and nine telephones belonging to staff, trainees, and visitors. They collected documents, publications, flip charts, passports, and car keys belonging to the TRACKS directors, Khalaf-Allah al-Afif Muktar and Midhat Afifaddin Hamadan. Before departing the officers returned the equipment belonging to trainees and allowed them to leave. They also instructed Midhat, as well as Abuhrira Abdelrahman, another TRACKS staff member, and Adam Finun, an artist who happened to be visiting TRACKS at the time, to report to NISS headquarters in central Khartoum on March 3 before they were later released. In March NISS agents detained Director Khalafalla, Office Supervisor al-Shazali Ibrahim al-Sheikh, and Mustafa Adam, director of sister organization al-Zarqaa who was visiting TRACKS, and interrogated them separately before releasing them in intervals. One detainee who suffered from diabetes was deprived of food during his daylong detention.
Between March 3 and 13, NISS summoned and interrogated multiple activists associated with TRACKS, questioning all about their activities and relationship with the al-Khatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment and Human Development, an organization forcibly shut down by the government in 2012. Multiple activists were arrested and released in association with TRACKS through May.
On May 21, NISS arrested Khalaf-Allah al-Afif Muktar, Mustafa Adam and Midhat Afifaddin Hamadan from their homes and held them in cells with reported dimensions of 13 feet by 13 feet, which held over 26 prisoners, and had no ventilation. Due to the harsh conditions, Khalafalla, who had a heart condition, fainted on August 14 after being refused medical care three weeks previously. On August 15, the three detainees were transferred to al-Huda Prison in Omdurman North to face capital charges, including Article 50 (Undermining the Constitutional System), Article 51 (Waging War against the State), Article 53 (Espionage), and Article 65 (Criminal and Terrorist Organizations). In addition to these charges, Mustafa Adam and Midhat Afifaddin Hamadan faced charges related to the Information Crimes Law.
Three additional TRACKS associates, Arwa al-Rabie, Imany-Leila Ray, and al-Hassan Kheiry, who were arrested and released on bail after 10 days of detention in May, faced the same four charges as above. As of year’s end, trials continued for all six individuals related to the TRACKS raid on February 29, three of whom were still in custody.
On May 5, a group of armed NISS officers raided the offices of prominent human rights lawyer Nabil Adeeb in Khartoum. At the time of the raid, Nabil Adeeb, chairperson of the Khartoum-based Sudanese Human Rights Monitor, was meeting with a group of students, some of whom had recently been dismissed or suspended from the University of Khartoum following the April protests. NISS arrested 10 students at the office, together with two lawyers and two female employees.
During the armed raid, NISS officers seized legal files and equipment, including Adeeb’s personal laptop, without a warrant. With the exception of Adeeb’s cell phone, none of his property was returned.
Two National Umma Party (NUP) members, brothers Emad and Erwa al-Siddiq, were arrested and detained by NISS on December 14, 2015 and January 6 respectively. NISS charged the brothers with capital crimes and other charges, including undermining the constitution, warring against the state, affiliation with terrorist organizations, defamation, and criminal plotting. The charges were prompted by the brothers posting statements online critical of NISS, to include GPS coordinates of reported “ghost-houses” where NISS agents reportedly detained and physically abused human rights activists. Observers believed NISS sought to make an example of the case to discourage subversive political activities from both the Umma Party and the broader opposition. Emad al-Siddiq was convicted on September 5 and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, which he had already served. As such, he was released the day of the ruling and fined 10,000 SDG ($1,500). Erwa al-Siddiq was also convicted and sentenced to one year in prison; he was released in September. Erwa was also fined 20,000 SDG ($3,000).
In November and December, authorities arrested the entire senior leadership of the Sudan Congress Party, and detained them without charges and, with one exception, without visitation. NISS released the opposition members in late December with no charges.
c. Freedom of Religion
See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.
d. Freedom of Movement, Internally Displaced Persons, Protection of Refugees, and Stateless Persons
The Interim National Constitution and law provide for freedom of movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, but the government restricted these rights for foreigners, including humanitarian workers.
The government impeded the work of UN agencies and delayed full approval of their activities throughout the country, particularly in the Two Areas. NGOs also alleged the government impeded humanitarian assistance in the Two Areas.
Abuse of Migrants, Refugees, and Stateless Persons: Asylum seekers and refugees were vulnerable to arbitrary arrest and harassment outside of camps because they did not receive identification cards while awaiting government determination of refugee or asylum status. Refugees and asylum seekers in urban areas were also subject to arrest because the government’s encampment policy makes it illegal to move from assigned camps without authorization. On average 150-200 refugees and asylum seekers were detained in Khartoum each month and assisted with legal aid by the joint UNHCR and commissioner for refugees legal team. Although the Asylum Act makes naturalization possible for refugees, it was not fully implemented.
There were some reported abuses, including gender-based violence, in the camps. The government worked closely with UNHCR to provide greater protection to refugees. There were government impediments relating to access to refugees, including delay or denial of travel permits and visa approvals.
According to human rights advocates, the delay in granting legal status was partly the reason some new refugees left the camps before registering with UNHCR. Refugees often relied on human trafficking and smuggling networks to leave camps. Traffickers routinely abused and tortured refugees if ransoms were not paid.
See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/.
In-country Movement: The government and rebels restricted the movement of citizens as well as UN and humanitarian organization personnel in conflict areas (see section 1.g.). While the government claimed refugees had freedom of movement within the country, it required they formally register and be granted travel permits before leaving refugee camps. According to authorities, registration of refugees helped provide their personal security. Refugees faced administrative fines once they returned to their camp, if they left camps without permission and were intercepted by authorities.
Internal movement was generally unhindered for citizens outside conflict areas. Foreigners needed travel permits for domestic travel outside Khartoum, which were often difficult to obtain. Foreigners were required to register with the Ministry of Interior’s Alien Control Division within three days of arrival and were limited to a 15.5-mile radius from Khartoum. Once registered, foreigners were allowed to move beyond this radius, but travel outside of Khartoum State required official approval.
The government delayed issuing humanitarian visas to UN and NGO staff and generally denied access to conflict areas, with some exceptions made for Darfur IDP camps. The government also delayed issuing travel permits to nonconflict areas.
The country maintained a reservation on Article 26 of the UN Convention on Refugees of 1951 regarding refugees’ right to move freely and choose their place of residence within a country. The government’s encampment policy requires asylum seekers and refugees to stay in designated camps. The government allowed for the establishment of two camps for South Sudanese refugees in East Darfur. The government increasingly referred to “holding sites” in White Nile as refugee camps.
Foreign Travel: The government requires citizens to obtain an exit visa if they wish to depart the country. Issuance was usually without complication, but the government continued to use the visa requirement to restrict some citizens’ travel, especially persons of political or security interest. To obtain an exit visa, children must receive the permission of both parents.
In March, five civil society representatives (Faisal Mohamed Salih, Siddig Yousif, Muawia Shaddad, Sawasan Alshoaya, and Salih Mahmoud) were stopped by plainclothes security officials at Khartoum International Airport traveling to Geneva, where they were to participate in UN presession meetings of the universal periodic review (UPR) for Sudan. Their passports were confiscated, and they were told to report to NISS headquarters for further information to reclaim them, thereby preventing them from attending the Geneva meetings.
On November 19, NISS agents again prevented Siddig Yousif of the Solidarity Committee from traveling to Geneva to participate in civil society/political meetings. According to Yousif, this incident was the fifth time within two years that NISS imposed a travel ban on him.
Exile: The government observed the law prohibiting forced exile. It warned political opponents of their potential arrest, however, if they returned. Opposition leaders and NGO activists remained in self-imposed exile in northern Africa and Europe; other activists fled the country during the year. In September 2015 a presidential decree granted general amnesty for opposition members and rebel leaders living abroad who agreed to return to Sudan to participate in the national dialogue. As of year’s end, prominent opposition members had not returned to the country under the amnesty, some expressing concern about their civic and political rights even with the amnesty (see section 1.d.).
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS
Large-scale displacement continued to be a severe problem in Darfur and the Two Areas, and government restrictions and security constraints continued to limit access to affected populations and impeded the delivery of humanitarian services.
According to the United Nations and partners, during the first 11 months of the year, an estimated 97,500 persons were reported newly displaced across Darfur. Up to an additional 88,775 persons were also reported displaced, but the United Nations reported its inability to verify these figures due to lack of access to the relevant locations. In addition, approximately 38,150 persons reportedly returned, of which 25,564 (in Golo) were verified by the WFP. UN OCHA reported the vast majority of the displacement during the year was triggered by the conflict in the Jebel Marra area, which ignited in January. The United Nations and partners reported during the year through December, 3,026 individuals were newly displaced in Southern and Western Kordofan and Blue Nile, although the number was largely unknown due to lack of access to those areas. Other reports placed the number of displaced at 12,468. Many IDPs faced chronic food shortages and inadequate medical care. Significant numbers of farmers were prevented from planting their fields due to the conflict, leading to near-famine conditions in parts of Southern Kordofan. The government and the SPLM-N continued to deny access to humanitarian actors and UN agencies in areas controlled by the SPLM-N; these areas contained approximately 800,000 of the IDPs and severely affected persons in 2015. UN agencies could provide no estimates citing lack of access as a hindrance.
Government restrictions, harassment, and the threat of expulsion resulted in continued interruption of gender-based violence programming. Reporting and outreach were limited (see section 5). Some UN agencies were able to work with the Darfur governor’s advisers on women and children to raise awareness of gender-based violence and response efforts.
There were numerous reports of abuse committed by government security forces, rebels, and armed groups against IDPs in Darfur, including rapes and beatings (see section 1.g.).
Outside IDP camps and towns, insecurity restricted freedom of movement, and women and girls who left the towns and camps risked sexual violence. Insecurity within IDP camps also was a problem. The government provided little assistance or protection to IDPs in Darfur. Most IDP camps had no functioning police force. International observers noted criminal gangs aligned with rebel groups operated openly in several IDP camps.
As in previous years, the government did not establish formal IDP or refugee camps in Khartoum or the Two Areas, and UNHCR did not make any formal requests to establish such new camps during the year.
The United Nations did not have a presence in SPLM-N-controlled areas and was unable to assess the scope of civilian displacement in the area.
PROTECTION OF REFUGEES
As of November UNHCR reported approximately 403,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the country, including 106,000 Eritreans, 15,000 Ethiopians, and 8,000 Chadians. Unlike in previous years, Chadian population numbers considered only those in camps, and not those spontaneously settled along the border and among the population. As of November more than 262,000 South Sudanese had arrived in the country since fighting erupted in December 2013, including a new influx in East Darfur.
New Eritrean refugees entering eastern Sudan often stayed in camps for two to three months before moving to Khartoum, other parts of the country, or on to Libya in an effort to reach Europe. The government continued to restrict access in eastern Sudan for international humanitarian NGOs, as it did throughout the country.
According to UNHCR, the government hosted approximately 67,000 refugees in Khartoum as of October.
From January to June, an estimated 7,500 persons fled Southern Kordofan to become refugees in South Sudan, nearly 3,000 of whom arrived in May alone. Nearly 90 percent were women and children, with one child in 10 arriving alone or without a family member.
As of November UNHCR estimated 350,000 persons of South Sudanese origin remained in the country following South Sudan’s independence in 2011. Approximately 250,000 of them lived in Khartoum, many integrated into the urban population. An estimated 40,000 lived in shantytowns, informal settlements known as “open areas” until August. The government did not officially recognize this population as refugees or IDPs and restricted access to these areas by humanitarian organizations. Many open areas lacked basic services such as water, electricity, and sewage systems. In August authorities relocated more than 6,000 South Sudanese from three open areas in Ombeda locality to a new site in Nivasha. UNHCR, which was not informed in advance about the relocation, expressed concern over how the relocation was carried out. Access to basic services in the new site remained limited.
UNHCR reported 40,000 persons of South Sudanese origin who had remained in the country following South Sudan’s independence had obtained nationality documents from the South Sudan Consulate in Khartoum as of December. The governments of Sudan and South Sudan signed a framework agreement (known as the “four freedoms” agreement) as part of a broader bilateral agreement in 2012 which provides for citizens of both states to enjoy freedom of residence, movement, economic activity, and property ownership, but it was not fully implemented during the year.
The government did not recognize individuals fleeing from South Sudan as refugees under the 1951 Refugee Convention but essentially treated them as such under the Arab/Islamic regime of asylum following December 2013 fighting in South Sudan, and it allowed some national and international organizations to assist them. In 2014 UNHCR and the Ministry of Interior’s Commission for Refugees and Directorate General of Passports and Immigration signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the registration and documentation of approximately 500,000 South Sudanese in Sudan, including those that fled the conflict in South Sudan in December 2013.
On March 17, the government directed that South Sudanese were to be treated as foreigners. In April UNHCR reported on the arrests of 189 South Sudanese refugees mostly around the Alsog al-Markazee area in Khartoum for alleged lack of documentation or nonrecognition of the documents issued by the Department of Passports and Immigration Police. The individuals incurred fines of approximately 1,112 SDG ($167). The government released approximately 300 South Sudanese following intervention by UNHCR, but many remained in detention, per UNHCR reports. UNHCR successfully challenged convictions based on nonrecognition of the Immigration Police-issued documents before the Fourth Circuit of the Supreme Court.
On September 1, UNHCR and the Office of the Commission for Refugees signed a MOU designed to regulate how the two entities would manage South Sudanese refugees. UNHCR noted that although the government desired to distinguish among South Sudanese refugees based on refugees’ date of arrival in the country, the agreement itself contains no such distinctions. In December the government allegedly confirmed the content of the MOU, lifting the previous position of a cut-off date based on arrival in the country.
Access to Asylum: The government generally provided first asylum/temporary protection to individuals who might not qualify as refugees. In 2014 the government adopted asylum legislation that provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status and requires asylum applications to be nominally submitted within 30 days of arrival in the country. This time stipulation was not strictly enforced. The government granted asylum to many asylum seekers, particularly from Eritrea, Syria, Somalia, and Ethiopia, but it sometimes considered individuals registered as asylum seekers or refugees in another country, mostly in Ethiopia, to be irregular movers or migrants. Government officials routinely took up to three months to approve individual refugee and asylum status, but they worked with UNHCR to implement status determination procedures in eastern Sudan and Darfur and attempted to reduce the case backlog. The law requires asylum seekers to register both as refugees with the Commission for Refugees and as foreigners with the Civil Registry (to obtain a “foreign” number).
In August security officials told reporters that 816 African migrants (and Sudanese intending to emigrate) and a group of smugglers were arrested near the country’s border with Libya between June and August. The officials said the migrants were attempting to cross into Libya with plans to proceed to Europe. Among those arrested were 347 Eritreans, 130 Ethiopians, and 90 Sudanese; the remainder were mostly Somalis. Foreign individuals were charged, convicted, and deported to their countries of origin. The status of the Sudanese who were apprehended was unknown. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, more than 40,000 Syrians have arrived in Sudan, according to government sources, of whom 6,990 have been registered with UNHCR. The government did not require visas or residency permits for Syrians out of Arab solidarity. The Sudanese Commission for Refugees, however, restarted registration of Syrian nationals in November 2015 to better account for their number and needs.
The government waives regular entry visa requirements for Yemenis. As of November, more than 1,600 Yemeni refugees had registered in Sudan.
Refoulement: The country is a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and generally respected the international principle of nonrefoulement with a few notable exceptions. According to UNHCR incidents of refoulement decreased significantly during the year. In early May authorities arrested 377 individuals in Dongola, Northern State, as they attempted to cross the country’s northwest border into Libya. The group included 313 Eritreans and 64 Ethiopians. Six were already registered refugees within Sudan. All faced charges of illegal entry and were tried in court. On May 22, the authorities deported all Ethiopian refugees and Eritrean refugees, which included 14 children.
In February 2015 authorities in the east disclosed they followed a practice of returning “recyclers”–Eritrean asylum seekers presumed to be previously registered as refugees in Ethiopia.
With UNHCR’s intervention, authorities were trained on referral procedures to prevent refoulement, including of refugees who previously registered in other countries.
Employment: The government in principle allows refugees to work informally but rarely granted work permits (even to refugees who have obtained higher degrees in the country). In 2015 and during the year, UNHCR signed a project partnership agreement with the Commission for Refugees to issue over 1,000 work permits to selected refugees for a livelihood graduation program implemented in Kassala and Gadaref. In 2015 some refugee beneficiaries were selected, but the issuance of permits was still pending at year’s end.
Some refugees in eastern states were able to find informal work as agricultural workers or laborers in towns. Many women in camps reportedly resorted to illegal production of alcohol and were subjected to arrest and harassment by police. In urban centers the majority of refugees worked in the informal sector (for example, as tea sellers, house cleaners, and drivers), leaving them at heightened risk of arrest, exploitation, and abuse.
Temporary Protection: The government generally maintained an open border with South Sudan. The government position on the status of South Sudanese in Sudan, however, changed on multiple occasions based on improvements or contentious points in the Sudan-South Sudan relationship. Before signing a September MOU with UNHCR, which officially recognized South Sudanese in Sudan as refugees, there were statements by the government both that South Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict in their country would enjoy the same status as Sudanese citizens, and that they would be treated as foreigners when relations encountered setbacks. As of November, UNHCR estimated 263,425 individuals had crossed into the country from South Sudan since December 2013, with more than 110,000 refugees having arrived since January. The majority sought refuge in White Nile State.
Since December 2013 more than approximately 35,000 South Sudanese also traveled to Khartoum.
The 1994 Nationality Act was amended in 2005 not only to apply to child with a father of Sudanese decent but also to allow a child born to a Sudanese mother to acquire Sudanese nationality by birth by following an application process. The Interim Sudanese Constitution, however, provides “every person born to a Sudanese mother or father shall have an inalienable right to enjoy Sudanese nationality and citizenship.” After the creation of the independent State of South Sudan, the Republic of Sudan amended its nationality law in 2011 but has yet to amend the relevant sections of the 1994 Act. The Interim Sudanese Constitution remains in force until Sudan adopts a permanent constitution.
Persons of South Sudanese origin who lived for many years in the Republic of Sudan were stripped of their Sudanese nationality by law, irrespective of the strength of their connections to the new state of South Sudan or Sudan and their views on which state to which they wished to belong. Other populations who risked being adversely affected included individuals with one parent from Sudan and one from South Sudan; members of cross-border ethnic groups; and persons separated from their families by war, including unaccompanied children.
Some persons of South Sudanese origin living in Sudan risked ending up stateless, without either a Sudanese or South Sudanese nationality, and losing their basic rights.
Section 6. Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women, and Child Affairs is responsible for matters pertaining to women. The Violence against Women Unit oversees branches in 14 of the 18 states and the National Action Plan for Combating Violence against Women. It monitors and reports on women-related issues and works with civil society and other stakeholders on issues of sexual and gender-based violence.
Rape and Domestic Violence: From January to December, UNAMID documented 100 cases involving 222 victims of conflict-related sexual violence compared with 80 cases and 105 victims in 2015. The victims included minors comprising 119 girls and one boy, whose ages ranged between eight and 17 years old. UNAMID received the cases from all five Darfur states. Underreporting remained prevalent, however, and UNAMID reported the figures were not representative of the reality on the ground.
There were no reliable statistics on the prevalence of such violence in other areas. The government rejected UNAMID figures on the basis that the cases had not been reported to state authorities, but observers concurred that the government needed capacity building in how to track cases. The international expert on the human rights situation in Sudan in his September report again cited a need for building government capacity for protection of women and children (see section 1.g.).
The UN special rapporteur on violence against women visited the country in May 2015 and determined violence against women and silence around the issue was of concern in both conflict and nonconflict areas. She urged the government “to set up a commission of inquiry, consisting of both national and international persons, to look into the reports of allegations of mass rapes in different regions, including recent allegations regarding the village of Thabit.” As of year’s end, no such investigation had taken place.
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): FGM/C traditionally was practiced in the country. The government launched a national campaign in 2008 to eradicate FGM/C by 2018. The government, with the support of the first lady, continued to prioritize the saleema(uncut) campaign, which raised public awareness about FGM/C throughout the year. The government agreed to a three-year program with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to seek to end FGM/C. As a result of the programming, 86 new communities declared keeping their girls saleema/uncut in North Kordofan, South Kordofan, South Darfur, Northern States, River Nile, and Blue Nile States, bringing the cumulative number of communities that have declared collective abandonment of FGM/C to 995 communities. On the household level, 10,437 parents committed to leave their daughters uncut in Khartoum and Northern States and Blue Nile.
FGM/C remained a problem for women and girls throughout the country. No national law prohibits FGM/C. Since 2008, however, five states have passed laws prohibiting FGM/C: South Kordofan, Gedaref, Red Sea, South Darfur, and West Darfur. In its October 2015 report, UNESCO expressed concern that the provisions criminalizing FGM/C were removed from the Child Health Act.
According to UNICEF and UNFPA, the national prevalence rate of FGM/C among girls and women between 15 and 49 years old was 86 percent, a 2 percent decrease from 2014. Prevalence varied geographically and depended on the local ethnic group. The 2010 Sudan Household Health Survey indicated prevalence rates of FGM/C varied from 99.4 per cent in Northern State to 68.4 per cent in Western Darfur.
Girls generally were cut when they were five to 11 years old. Comprehensive figures were not available. The government and UNICEF reported a shift in attitudes towards FGM/C and observed downward trends in its prevalence between the household health surveys in 2006 and 2010. The 2010 survey concluded 34.5 percent of girls between the ages five and nine years old were cut, compared with 41 percent in 2006. A 2015 survey showed 63.7 percent of circumcised women were cut between the ages of five and nine years old.
Of girls and women ages 15-19, 37 percent favored FGM/C in 2010, compared with 73 percent in 2006.
The government attempted to curb the prevalence of FGM/C and made public-awareness campaigns a top priority. In 2008 the National Council on Child Welfare, with support from UNICEF, launched the National Strategy to Abolish FGM/C in Sudan (2008-18).
In Geneva in March, the government accepted the Human Rights Council’s UPR recommendations, including reforms on FGM/C and child marriage.
In October the Council of Ministers at the national level endorsed an amendment to the 1991 Criminal Act introducing a new article on FGM/C, which was under review in parliament. If passed, the new law would reportedly add a punishment of three years’ imprisonment, along with fines and potential revocation of workplace licenses for offenders. The text had not been made available publicly.
Other Harmful Traditional Practices: The Interim National Constitution obligates states to combat harmful customs and traditions that undermine the dignity and status of women. Nonetheless, harmful traditional practices, such as early and forced marriages, continued (see section 6, Children).
Sexual Harassment: No law specifically prohibits sexual harassment, although the law prohibits gross indecency, which is defined as any act contrary to another person’s modesty. Authorities generally enforced the statute. The penalty for gross indecency is imprisonment for up to one year and 40 lashes. There were frequent reports of sexual harassment by police. The government did not provide any access to information on the number of sexual harassment reports made. Most documentable efforts to curb sexual harassment were made by NGOs.
Reproductive Rights: Although awareness of reproductive rights was lacking in some communities, couples were generally able to decide the number, spacing, and timing of their children; manage their reproductive health; and have access to the means and information to do so, free from discrimination, coercion, or violence. Contraception, skilled medical attendance during childbirth, and obstetric and postpartum care were not always accessible in rural areas. The UN Development Program estimated that 13 percent of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 years old used a modern method of contraception in 2015. WHO estimated in 2013 that the maternal mortality rate was 360 deaths per 100,000 live births and that skilled healthcare personnel attended 31 percent of births. The high maternal mortality rate stemmed in large part from lack of access to reproductive health and emergency obstetric care, particularly in rural areas, lack of access to family planning services, poor sanitation, and chronic undernourishment in poorer areas, as well as infection, malaria, anemia, and hemorrhage.
Discrimination: The law, including many traditional legal practices and certain provisions of Islamic jurisprudence as interpreted and applied by the government, discriminates against women. In accordance with Islamic judicial interpretation, a Muslim widow inherits one-eighth of her husband’s estate; of the remaining seven-eighths, two-thirds goes to the sons and one-third to the daughters. Depending on the wording of the marriage contract, it was often much easier for men than women to initiate legal divorce proceedings. In certain probate trials, the testimony of women is not considered equivalent to that of men; the testimony of two women is required. In other civil trials, the testimony of a woman equals that of a man.
A Muslim woman cannot legally marry a non-Muslim man. This prohibition usually was neither observed nor enforced among certain populations.
Various government institutions required women to dress according to Islamic or cultural standards, including wearing a head covering. In Khartoum, Public Order Police occasionally brought women before judges for allegedly violating Islamic standards. One women’s advocacy group estimated that in Khartoum, Public Order Police arrested an average of 40 women per day.
Islamic standards for dress generally were not enforced for non-Muslims.
In addition to housing and education discrimination, women experienced economic discrimination in access to employment, equal pay for substantially similar work, credit, and owning or managing businesses.
Birth Registration: The law grants citizenship to children born to a father who is a Sudanese national by descent. The Interim National Constitution states persons born to a Sudanese mother or father have the right to citizenship. Although the constitution eliminated gender discrimination in conferring nationality on children, the law does not grant gender equality in the passing of citizenship to children.
Most newborns had access to birth certificates, but some in remote areas did not. Registered midwives, dispensaries, clinics, and hospitals could issue certificates. A birth certificate does not automatically qualify a child for citizenship. Failure to present a valid birth certificate precludes enrollment in school. Access to health care was similarly dependent on possession of a valid birth certificate, but many doctors accepted a patient’s verbal assurance that he or she had one.
Education: The law provides for tuition-free basic education up to grade eight, but students often had to pay school, uniform, and examination fees to attend. Primary education is neither compulsory nor universal. In Darfur few children outside of cities had access to primary education due to its high cost. In public schools boys and girls are educated separately in urban areas but often together in rural areas, where resources are more limited.
In 2013 the government reported that overall female enrollment increased to 69 percent, as the result of a national education strategy focused on girls.
A September 2015 Ministry of Education/UNICEF report estimated that 15 percent of primary school children were at risk of dropping out before the final grade of primary school; the report identified girls, IDPs, children in rural areas, and members of certain ethnic and religious groups as being at particular risk of being excluded from school. In addition to gender discrimination and poverty, early marriage was also indicated as a factor that negatively affected education levels.
In October, for the first time in six years, the government allowed UNICEF access to Golo, Jebel Marra in Central Darfur, to assess education needs. UNICEF reported 3,739 children in five schools and 9,000 out-of-school children needed urgent assistance, as the area had been inaccessible to humanitarian interventions since 2010.
Child Abuse: Child abuse and abduction for ransom were widespread in conflict areas and less prevalent in nonconflict areas. The government tried to enforce laws criminalizing child abuse and was more likely to prosecute cases involving child abuse and sexual exploitation of children than cases involving adults. Some police stations included family and child protection units that were “child friendly” and provided legal, medical, and psychosocial support for children. NGOs reported social stigma and lack of cooperation from some families prevented cases from being referred to police authorities.
Local NGOs reported an increase in street children and expressed concern that children working in public transportation and public markets were particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and subsequent extortion. Due to shame and social stigma associated with sexual abuse, abused children often remained with their patrons out of fear of blackmail and were often too afraid to seek help. Early in the year, several newspapers were confiscated after they published a report highlighting the sexual abuse of minors on public buses.
Early and Forced Marriage: The law establishes the legal age of marriage at 10 years old for girls and 15 years old or puberty for boys. There were no reliable statistics on the extent of child marriage, but child advocates reported it remained a problem, especially in rural areas. According to UNICEF estimates, 12 percent of women between the ages 20 and 24 years old were first married or in a union before they were 15 years old, and 34 percent were married before reaching 18. The government adopted in December 2015 a draft national strategy to promote the abandonment of child marriage. The president’s wife also launched an initiative in December to end child marriage. Throughout the year there continued to be consultative processes on the strategy between religious and political leaders.
Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C): Information on girls under 18 is provided in the women’s section above.
Sexual Exploitation of Children: Penalties for offenses related to the sexual exploitation of children vary and can include imprisonment, fines, or both. Sexual exploitation of children was less prevalent in nonconflict areas. The government tried to enforce laws criminalizing sexual exploitation of children; NGOs reported, however, that social stigma prevented many families from pursuing legal cases against perpetrators. Some police stations included protection units that were “child friendly” and provided legal, medical, and psychosocial support for children.
There is no minimum age for consensual sex or statutory rape law. There were occurrences of nonconsensual sex with children who were forced into early marriage. Pornography, including child pornography, is illegal. Statutes prescribe a fine and period of imprisonment not to exceed 15 years for offenses involving child pornography.
Child prostitution also remained a problem, although the government denied the phenomenon existed in the country.
Child Soldiers: Armed groups continued to recruit and deploy child soldiers in internal conflicts (see section 1.g.).
Displaced Children: Internally displaced children often lacked access to government services such as health and education due to both security concerns and an inability to pay related fees. In October UNICEF reported approximately 70 percent of IDPs were children. In Darfur more than 200,000 persons were thought to have been internally displaced during the year, of whom at least 120,000 were estimated to be children. Of the 161 children recorded as unaccompanied IDPs, 11 were reunited with their families. According to UNHCR reports in November, more than 70 percent of the 263,245 total arrivals from South Sudan, who arrived after the outbreak of conflict in December 2013, were children (see section 2.d.). Children represented 60 percent of the 90,516 refugees who arrived from South Sudan since January.
Institutionalized Children: Police typically sent homeless children who had committed crimes to government camps for indefinite periods. Health care, schooling, and living conditions were generally very basic. All children in the camps, including non-Muslims, had to study the Quran. The government granted international and domestic humanitarian NGOs access to the camps. NGOs sometimes assisted the government with certain aspects of camp operations.
International Child Abductions: The country is not a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. See the Department of State’s Annual Report on International Parental Child Abduction at travel.state.gov/content/childabduction/en/legal/compliance.html.
A very small Jewish community remained in the country, predominantly in the Khartoum area. While there were no reports of anti-Semitic acts, societal attitudes were not tolerant of Jewish persons.
Trafficking in Persons
See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/.
Persons with Disabilities
Although the law, including the Interim National Constitution, provides protection for persons with disabilities, social stigma and a lack of resources hindered the government’s enforcement of disability laws. The law does not specifically prohibit discrimination against persons with disabilities, but it stipulates, “The State shall guarantee to persons with special needs the enjoyment of all the rights and freedoms set out in the Constitution, access to suitable education [and] employment, and participation in society.”
In 2013 the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women, and Child Affairs and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities launched an initiative to improve access to public-sector jobs and encourage respect for the constitutional rights of persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Education also established a special education department. Children with disabilities attended public schools, and there were some other educational institutions for persons with disabilities, including two schools for persons with visual disabilities. In 2013 the Ministry of Education initiated a national education strategy for 2013-16, which included specific provisions for children with disabilities.
Social stigma and lack of resources often prevented government and private entities from accommodating persons with disabilities in education and employment. Appropriate supports were especially rare in rural areas.
The government has not enacted laws or implemented effective programs to provide for access to buildings, information, and communication for persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities reported it was difficult to access or afford necessary equipment, such as wheelchairs.
Several NGOs continued to advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities.
The population includes more than 500 ethnic groups, speaking numerous languages and dialects. Many of these ethnic groups self-identify as Arab, referring to their language and other cultural attributes. Other tribes self-identify, or are identified by the broader society as African. Northern Muslims traditionally dominated the government. Interethnic fighting in Darfur was between Muslims who considered themselves either Arab or non-Arab and between different Arab tribes. “National Identity” is one of the six discussion committees of the national dialogue.
Some ethnic groups, such as the Beja in the eastern region, promoted a hierarchical social structure within their own ethnic groups that discriminated against persons of certain tribes. The Zaghawa ethnic group in Darfur maintained a caste system that discriminated against persons of lower castes.
The Muslim majority government continued to discriminate against ethnic and some religious minorities in almost every aspect of society. Citizens in Arabic-speaking areas who did not speak Arabic experienced discrimination in education, employment, and other areas (see section 7.d.).
The government announced that persons fleeing the conflicts in South Sudan should be considered “brothers and sisters” and thus not subjected to discrimination. Some South Sudanese returning to Sudan were able to reintegrate into their old Sudanese communities, but many reported it difficult to find employment. Most South Sudanese returnees settled in East Darfur and White Nile States. In conflict areas there were reports persons of South Sudanese origin experienced societal discrimination. Security forces often suspected persons of South Sudanese origin of supporting antigovernment forces in Abyei and the Two Areas.
Acts of Violence, Discrimination, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons are not considered a protected class under antidiscrimination laws. The law does not specifically prohibit homosexuality but criminalizes sodomy, which is punishable by death. Antigay sentiment was pervasive in society. LGBTI individuals expressed concern for their safety and did not identify themselves publicly. There was at least one confirmed case of an individual detained, beaten, and harassed by authorities because of his suspected affiliation with LGBTI-friendly groups. LGBTI organizations increasingly felt pressured to suspend or alter their activities due to threat of harm. Several LGBTI persons felt compelled to leave the country due to fear of persecution, intimidation, or harassment. Because unmarried women usually remained in the home of their parents until marriage, LGBTI women who were disowned by their families generally faced severe social stigma.
There were no reports of official action to investigate or punish those complicit in LGBTI-related discrimination or abuses.
HIV and AIDS Social Stigma
In August 2015 the Sudanese Society for HIV Victims disclosed there were 3,443 persons with HIV/AIDS in the country, including 1,693 men, 1,514 women, and 236 children. The organization reported it facilitated income-generating projects to support children of HIV-positive parents who could not afford school fees.
There was societal discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS. The conservative nature of society made discussion of sex out of wedlock and related issues difficult, particularly for activists and members of the international community addressing these topics.
Promotion of Acts of Discrimination
The government, government-supported militias, and rebel groups reportedly promoted hatred and discrimination, using standard propaganda techniques. The government often used religiously charged language to refer to suspected antigovernment supporters.
The government did not take measures to counter hate speech.
Section 7. Worker Rights
a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining
The law provides that employees of companies with more than 100 workers can form and join independent unions. Other employees can join nearby, preexisting unions. The law establishes a single national trade union federation and excludes police, military personnel, prison employees, legal advisers in the Justice Ministry, and judges from membership. In some cases membership in international unions was not officially recognized. The Sudan Workers’ Trade Union Federation, a government-controlled federation of unions that consisted of 18 state unions and 22 industry unions, is the only official umbrella organization for unions. While there were no NGOs that specialized in broad advocacy for labor rights, there were “shadow unions” for most professions, although not recognized by the government. For example, the government recognized only the Sudan Journalists Union, whose membership included all journalists, including the spokesperson of the Sudan Air Force, as well as NISS media censorship officials. Most independent journalists, however, were members of the nonregistered Sudan Journalist Network, which organized advocacy activities on behalf of journalists.
The law denies trade unions autonomy to exercise the right to organize or to bargain collectively. It defines the objectives, terms of office, scope of activities, and organizational structures and alliances for labor unions. The government’s auditor general supervised union funds because they are considered public money. The law provides unions the right to conduct legal strikes. Some unions have by-laws that self-restrict their right to strike. Labor observers believed some of these self-restrictions were imposed to maintain favor with the government. The law does not specifically prohibit strikes in nonessential sectors, but it requires all strikes to receive prior approval from the government after satisfying a set of legal requirements. Specialized labor courts adjudicate standard labor disputes, but the Ministry of Labor has the authority to refer a dispute to compulsory arbitration. Disputes also may be referred to arbitration if indicated in the work contract. The law does not prohibit antiunion discrimination by employers.
The government restricted the right to strike. Police could break up any strike conducted without prior government approval. In October and November, NISS detained 12 and summoned approximately 30 to 37 doctors participating in a strike to improve working conditions, protections, and training for doctors. As of December all but one doctor had been released. None was charged with any crime.
Bureaucratic steps mandated by law to resolve disputes within companies may be lengthy. Additionally court sessions may involve significant delays and costs when labor grievances are appealed.
The government did not effectively enforce applicable laws. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining were not respected (see section 1.e.). There were credible reports the government routinely intervened to manipulate professional, trade, and student union elections.
According to the International Trade Union Confederation, in oil-producing regions police and secret service agents, in collusion with oil companies, closely monitored workers’ activities.
b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
The law prohibits all forms of forced or compulsory labor. The government, however, did not effectively enforce the law. Resources, inspections, and remediation were inadequate, and penalties for violations in the form of fines were rarely imposed and were insufficient to deter violations. Most of the violations existed in agricultural and pastoral sectors. Enforcement proved difficult in rural areas and areas undergoing conflict.
The government stated it investigated and prosecuted cases of forced labor, but it did not compile comprehensive statistics on the subject. Some government officials claimed that forced labor had been eradicated and denied reports that citizens engaged in this practice.
The forcible recruitment of persons into armed groups continued (see section 1.g.).
There were reports some children were engaged in forced labor, especially in the informal mining sector. Some domestic workers were believed to work under forced conditions or without pay. Women refugees were especially prone to labor violations. Also see the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/.
c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment
The Interim National Constitution mandates that the state protect the rights of children as provided in international and regional conventions ratified by the country. The law defines children as persons younger than 18 years old but does not explicitly prohibit child labor. According to the Child Act, 12 years old is the minimum age children can be engaged in “light work.” The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women, and Child Affairs is responsible for enforcing child labor laws.
The law prohibits the employment of young persons in hazardous industries and jobs, in jobs requiring significant physical effort, or in activities harmful to their morals. The law also prohibits the employment of young persons between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., although authorities may exempt persons ages 15 and 16 years old from this restriction. It is illegal to employ children under age 12 years old, except in state vocational training schools and training workshops and jobs performed under apprenticeship contracts. Work supervised by family members that does not include nonfamily members, such as on family farms, is also excluded from these provisions.
The law allows minors to work for seven hours a day broken by a period of one paid hour of rest. It is illegal to compel minors to work more than four consecutive hours, work overtime, or work during weekly periods of rest or on official holidays. The law prohibits employers from waiving, postponing, or reducing annual leave entitlements. The government did not always enforce such laws due to inadequate resources to monitor work areas or overcome societal complicity.
Child labor was a serious problem, particularly in the agricultural and pastoral sectors where the practice was common. Most child labor occurred in the informal sector, including in menial jobs for which the government lacked the resources to monitor comprehensively. Children were engaged in shining shoes, washing and repairing cars, collecting medical and other resalable waste, street vending, begging, agricultural work, construction, and other menial labor. In January 2015 the National Council for Child Welfare reported that 22 percent of the country’s children were engaged in child labor; as of August that number was still approximately 22 percent.
The International Labor Organization monitored the use of forced child labor in gold mining. UNICEF received unverified reports revealing the dangerous conditions children were working in gold mining, including the requirement to carry heavy loads, work at night and within confined spaces, and be exposed to mercury and high temperatures. There were reports children as young as 10 years old were used in artisanal gold mining throughout the country. According to multiple reputable sources, thousands of children worked in artisanal gold mining throughout the country, particularly in River Nile, Blue Nile, West Darfur, and North Darfur States, resulting in large numbers of students dropping out of school.
There were reports of the use of child soldiers by the SPLM-N, but numbers were difficult to verify. Also see section 1.g. and the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/.
d. Discrimination with Respect to Employment and Occupation
Law and regulations prohibit discrimination regarding race, sex, gender, disability, tribe, and language, but they do not protect classes according to sexual orientation or gender identity, HIV-positive status or other communicable diseases, political opinion, social or national origin, age, or social status. Labor laws apply to migrant workers with legal contracts, but foreign workers who are not considered to have legal status also are not provided legal protections from abuse and exploitation.
The government did not effectively enforce labor laws and regulations, and penalties in the form of fines were rarely imposed and were insufficient to deter violations. Discrimination in employment and occupation occurred based on gender, religion, and ethnic, tribal, or party affiliation. Ethnic minorities often complained that government hiring practices discriminated against them in favor of “riverine” Arabs from northern Sudan. Ethiopians, Eritreans, and other refugees or migrants were often exposed to exploitative work conditions. There were reports that some female refugees and migrants working as domestic workers or tea sellers were not compensated for their work, required to pay “kettle taxes” to police, sexually exploited, or trafficked. Due to their uncertain legal status, many refugees and migrants did not report cases of discrimination or abuse due to fear of imprisonment or repatriation.
Migrant workers and some ethnic minorities were unaware of their legal rights, suffered from discrimination, and lacked ready access to judicial remedies. The International Organization of Migration established a migrants’ reception center in Khartoum that included workshops on workers’ rights and the hazards of migration.
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work
The minimum monthly wage for public sector-workers was 425 SDG ($64). Normally the High Council of Salary in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs sets the minimum wage for the public sector. The minimum monthly salary in the private sector is set by agreements made between individual industries and the High Council of Salary, and it varied among industries. Citizens whose monthly wages are below 700 SDG ($105) pay no personal income tax. An estimated 46 percent of citizens lived below the poverty line of 12 SDG ($1.80) per day.
The law limits the workweek to 40 hours (five eight-hour days, which does not include a 30-minute to one-hour daily break), with days of rest on Friday and Saturday. Overtime should not exceed 12 hours per week or four hours per day, although some persons worked longer than this limit on occasion. The law provides for paid annual leave after one year of continuous employment and paid holidays after three months.
The laws prescribe occupational safety and health standards. Any industrial company with between 30 and 150 employees must have an industrial safety officer. A larger company is required to have an industrial safety committee that includes management and employees. Committees and officers are required to report safety incidents to the Ministry of Labor. The law requires the owner of an industrial company to inform workers of occupational hazards and provide means for protection against such hazards. Management is also required to take necessary precautions to protect workers against industrial accidents and occupational diseases, but the law does not recognize the right of workers to remove themselves from dangerous work situations without loss of employment. Some heavy industry and artisanal mining operations, notably gold extraction, reportedly lacked sufficient safety regulations.
Safety laws do not apply to domestic servants; casual workers; agricultural workers other than those employed in the operation, repair, and maintenance of agricultural machinery; enterprises that process or market agricultural products such as cotton gins or dairy-product factories; jobs related to the administration of agricultural projects, including office work, accountancy, storage, gardening, and livestock husbandry; and family members of an employee who live with the employee and who are completely or partially dependent on him for their living.
Representatives of the Eritrean and Ethiopian communities in Khartoum stated undocumented migrants in the capital were subjected to abusive work conditions. They also reported many undocumented workers did not report abuse due to fear authorities might deport them to Eritrea because of their illegal status.
The Ministry of Labor, which maintained field offices in most major cities, is responsible for enforcing these standards. Various types of labor inspectors included specialists on labor relations, labor conflicts, and vocational, health, and recruitment practices. They operated on both federal and state levels.
Standards were not effectively enforced. Although employers generally respected the minimum wage law in the formal sector, in the informal sector wages could be significantly below the official rate. Since enforcement by the Ministry of Labor was minimal, working conditions generally were poor. Inspection efforts and enforcement were generally minimal in both the formal and informal sectors.
More than 10,000 women depended on selling tea on the streets of Khartoum State for their livelihoods after having fled conflict in Darfur and the Two Areas. Through her activism, Awadeya Mahmoud confronted government authorities, who often confiscated the women’s belongings and fined them for working without permits. In response Mahmoud created the Women’s Food and Tea Sellers’ Cooperative of Khartoum State in 1990, which helped advocate for economic empowerment for women in Sudan’s informal sector. In March, as a result of Mahmoud’s advocacy, she received international recognition and was awarded by a foreign government and, in May, by the office of the vice president. The cooperative reported a significant decrease in harassments of tea ladies and confiscation of their belongings in the months following the awards, which shed light on the situation of tea ladies and raised awareness of harassment against them by authorities. By year’s end, however, media reported that harassment incidents had increased to preaward levels.
Wage, overtime, and occupational safety and health standards violations were common in the industrial and informal labor sectors, especially in the areas of agriculture and pastoral work. Foreign migrant workers, youth, and female workers typically faced the most exploitative working conditions. An estimated 60 percent of the workforce worked in the informal sector, according to the 2012 Africa Economic Outlook. There was no credible data on workplace fatalities and accidents. | <urn:uuid:d081a083-ab4d-4e5d-8d38-1bf92cff5937> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.state.gov/reports/2016-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/sudan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.969347 | 28,830 | 2.109375 | 2 |
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has headed out to sea after nearly two months in Guam, where almost a quarter of the 4,800 sailors aboard the ship were infected with the novel coronavirus, the Navy said in a statement.
The ship will remain in the waters off the coast of Guam so that its pilots and air crews can be recertified for flight operations. The nearly 1,800 sailors who remained on Guam to complete their self-quarantine will reboard the ship when it returns.
The carrier's departure comes seven weeks after the carrier first arrived in Guam following the first positive tests of COVID-19 among the ship's crew of 4,865 sailors.
The Navy soon began a process to quarantine and test the ship's crew in Navy facilities and hotels on Guam but ultimately more than 1,110 sailors, or close to a quarter of the ship's crew, contracted the virus. There was one sailor who died.
Eventually, 4,000 sailors were quarantined for 14 days on Guam as the remaining 800 continued to carry out essential functions and disinfect the entire ship. The idea was that as sailors cleared quarantine and tested negative for COVID-19, they would swap places with the sailors who were still aboard the ship.
To ensure that there would not be any new outbreaks aboard the carrier, all returning sailors had to test negative twice after completing their quarantine. Social distancing and rigorous cleaning and disinfecting procedures were also put in place aboard the ship.
That process appeared to be going smoothly until last week when it was discovered that 14 sailors who had previously tested positive for the virus were once again testing positive.
A defense official says the tests may be detecting remnants of the virus still in the sailors' system because they do not appear to be contagious.
Officials said the Navy decided that the ship could head out to sea without waiting for the entire ship's crew to clear the quarantine and the two rounds of tests. The focus was on having an appropriate number of sailors responsible for the jobs essential to keep the ship running and maintain its flight operations.
After carrying out the re-certification of its air wing the ship will return to Guam to pick up the rest of the ship's crew. It is likely that the ship will then continue with its deployment in the western Pacific.
The carrier and its crew became embroiled in controversy as Capt. Brett Crozier, the ship's commanding officer requested in a letter that the Navy do more to stem the spread of the coronavirus among the crew. The letter was later published by a newspaper.
Then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly fired Crozier as commanding officer, but later resigned himself following his controversial comments to the ship's crew in Guam, where he blasted Crozier as being "naive" or "too stupid" not to have known that his letter would become public.
After an initial review Adm. Michael Gilday, the chief of naval operations, recommended the unprecedented move to reinstate Crozier to his command.
The Navy has launched a broader review of its actions to combat the virus, which has left in doubt whether Crozier's reinstatement would be carried out. That review is to be completed and submitted to Gilday by May 27. | <urn:uuid:a0a0a1ea-3eac-4f84-86c0-a368436bb467> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/coronavirus-stricken-aircraft-carrier-leaves-port-guam/story?id=70796348 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.983474 | 671 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The small quarterly increase in personal insolvencies in Newcastle, identified in the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) quarterly statistics for September, should not be cause for concern.
There’s no doubt an increase in personal insolvencies is usually followed by an increase in business failure. This is because businesses facing difficult times tend to restructure their human resource needs first, to match declining activity and HR is often a key often expense driver. Following on, most bankruptcies are a result of unemployment, followed closely by an excessive use of credit, which go hand in hand.
However, the regional quarterly statistics can be quite confusing, possibly misleading, due to the small numbers included and also regional idiosyncrasies impacting on the statistics. It’s therefore worthwhile looking also at the national trend.
In the last three full financial years, personal insolvencies fell from 30,822 in 2013 to 28,820 in 2015. And so too have corporate insolvencies in the same period.
Furthermore, unemployment figures fell from 6.2% to 5.9% nationally in the October 2015 statistics, a trend reflected in recent data published by the Hunter Research Foundation. Therefore we would expect this improvement in employment conditions to translate to a lower personal insolvency count in following quarters.
Our domestic economy seems to be smoothly transitioning from the mining boom on the back of strong housing construction and investment, and now a lower exchange rate is assisting export and import-competing industries.
While our interest rates stay low and the remains at a competitive exchange rate, the trend in declining bankruptcies nationally should continue for this financial year.
So, even though these latest statistics identify a 0.6% increase in personal insolvencies across the state on the same quarter for 2014, is this cause for concern? Not just yet; but it’s not time for complacency.
There are some counterproductive forces at work in the economy such as the slow-down in China, low consumer confidence and sluggish business investment, which will could adversely affect bankruptcy numbers next financial year, so watch this space.
Paul Gidley is a Director at Shaw Gidley Insolvency and Reconstruction and has more than two decades of experience in corporate and personal insolvency and reconstruction across a broad range of industries and commercial sectors.
He holds has a Bachelor of Commerce, a Masters of Business Administration, and is both a Chartered and Certified Practicing Accountant. Paul is also a member of the Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association. | <urn:uuid:074500de-f923-48a0-8f27-749d00a2d43f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://hunterheadline.com.au/blog-post/bankruptcy-figures-no-cause-for-concern/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.942835 | 521 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Are You Interested in Knowing the time when a Slot Machine Company Is Making Money?
A slot machine, also referred to as a slot, piggyback, slots or pugs, is a machine in a casino that plays the chance to win for its players. Slot machines come in all sizes and shapes, and are used either for gambling or for recreation. They can also be used to pay for bills or make deliveries. In order to maximize the benefits of slot machine games, it is crucial to understand how they work and what they are designed to accomplish. These tips will help you free video poker games increase your chances of winning more when you play slot machine games.
Slot machines are classified into three different categories: traditional, electronic, and progressive. Traditional slot machines have mechanical reels, which cause the machine to continue to spin by pulling the lever. Electronic gambling machines generate odds for each game by using random number generators or electronic circuits. Progressive slot machines are the most modern electronic gaming machines. These machines let players win real money by placing bets.
It is important to know that there are three reels to play the slot machine. They are located either the top or center of the slot machine. The reels, revolving in a vertical direction is known as the payline or black box. There are two kinds of mechanical operations that can be found in these reels. One type of operation consists of a continuous pull pulled by the lever of the machine back towards the player. This pulls the levers backwards toward the player, which means they stop when they reach them.
Another type of operation is when the lever pulls back enough that the machines stop completely. This is similar to pulling a rubber band around an old toy. Although this may seem surprising however, slot machines actually have moving components, and they are equally likely to cease working as toys that have been pushed into the hole by too much pressure. Both of these operations can result in real money being paid from your winnings.
The third set of motions in slot machines happens when the lever is pulled away from the reels. The end of the first set of movements is signalled when the lever is pulled away and the handle comes into contact with the reels. This is referred to as “jigging” by slot machine experts. A different way to describe this same set of movement is when the final tooth on the handle comes into contact with reels after the lever has been pushed all the way out and this signifies the end of the second set of movement. Slots that utilize a two or three channel system are not recommended for play with suitmarks on cards.
If the slot reels are misaligned and the playing card suitmarks are not visible, three or two-channel system are relatively secure. The majority of slot machines have reels approximately 2 inches in diameter. The slot reels spin around four times per inch. This means that the machine can spin twice as many times than it did when the lever was first moved towards the handle. Important to note is that you’re probably secure if you are hit with this type of hit and have won on the machine in the past.
Some people may opt to play on machines that have suitmarks because they believe that there will be less loss than if they use their own judgment. They might be right, but you should also factor in the chance that you’ll misjudg the line to bet on and which reels to pull. There is no way to completely eliminate the chance of randomness however, you free classic mahjong can drastically reduce your losses by being aware of the reels on the machine you are playing on and the symbols on the machines themselves.
Some slot machine companies don’t make money from the machines they sell. Instead, they make money from the licenses they sell to slot machine owners. The chances of a slot machine business making profits from you is if you play on a slot machine. If you’re trying to win a slot machine using third-party methods, like a subscription with a rental company for slot machines, the chances of them paying you are slim. There is also a chance that they’ll allow you to test their slot machines out for a certain amount of time before deciding whether you’ll rent them out. | <urn:uuid:1fab60d9-042e-4c5f-b3e7-13dc91ed7249> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.istitutocampanoresistenza.it/2389-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.964338 | 874 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.
Ruling in a pair of cases challenging the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses by the City and County of San Francisco, the California Supreme Court held that San Francisco officials exceeded their authority. The Court also held that the approximately 4,000 same-sex marriage licenses issued by San Francisco were void from the inception. The California ruling resolved — for now — questions facing employers concerning whether these same-sex marriage licenses were valid. Nonetheless, employers still face issues on several fronts concerning same-sex marriage and domestic partner rights. The landscape keeps shifting rapidly. The following is an update for employers on these issues.
The California Supreme Court's Decision
California law, as it stands, does not allow same-sex marriage. San Francisco issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples, arguing that California's marriage laws violate the equal protection guarantees of the California Constitution. No California court has ruled on that question.
On August 12, the California Supreme Court ruled in Lockyer v. City and County of San Francisco and Lewis v. Alfaro. The Court held, 7-0, that San Francisco officials exceeded their authority by issuing same-sex licenses in the absence of a judicial determination that California 's marriage laws are unconstitutional.
In a 5-2 vote, the Court further held that the same-sex marriage licenses issued by San Francisco “are void and of no legal effect from their inception” because city officials had no authority to issue them.
Although challenges to California's marriage laws are pending, the Court held “it would not be prudent or wise to leave the validity of these marriages in limbo for what might be a substantial period of time” because of the uncertainty that would result for several parties, including employers. It also held that the licenses would not be revived later, because same-sex couples would be free to enter into marriages when, and if, same-sex marriage is allowed in California.
Other Same-Sex Marriage Efforts in California
The California Supreme Court emphasized that it was not deciding whether California 's marriage laws are constitutional and that its decision “is not intended, and should not be interpreted, to reflect any view on that issue.” Several cases challenging California 's marriage laws as unconstitutional have been filed and consolidated in San Francisco Superior Court. The California Legislature also is expected to consider whether to legalize same-sex marriage again next year. This year, a bill to do so passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee, but did not receive a vote in the full Assembly.
Same-Sex Marriage Outside of California
In May, Massachusetts began issuing same-sex marriage licenses as a result of a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that denying such licenses violated the Massachusetts Constitution. The federal Defense of Marriage Act provides that a state may choose not to recognize same-sex marriages from another state. No state except Massachusetts allows same-sex marriage, and 38 states have laws refusing to recognize same-sex marriages from elsewhere. Massachusetts has refused to issue licenses to same-sex couples from outside the state, citing a 1913 law barring marriages in the state that would not be recognized outside the state. A trial court in Massachusetts recently upheld that law and the state's decision.
Beyond California, other same-sex marriage challenges have been pursued recently, with varying results. Earlier this year, local officials in New Mexico and Oregon issued same-sex marriage licenses. The validity of those licenses remains unclear, and court challenges are pending in those states. In Washington state, two trial courts recently held that denying same-sex marriage licenses is unconstitutional; those rulings are on appeal. In Indiana and New Jersey, trial courts have rejected similar challenges; those rulings have been appealed. Cases also are pending in trial courts in Connecticut and Maryland. In 2003, the Arizona Court of Appeal rejected a challenge, and the Arizona Supreme Court declined to review the case.
California's Domestic Partnership Law Survives Legal Challenge
On September 8, a Sacramento County Superior Court judge cleared the way for California 's expanded domestic partnership law, AB 205, to go into effect January 1, 2005. It rejected challenges in two cases. The plaintiffs argued that AB 205 and an earlier law, AB 25, violate Proposition 22, a 2000 initiative statute that provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. They claimed that domestic partnership is same-sex marriage by another name, and that these laws are invalid unless approved by the voters. The court concluded that Proposition 22 does not restrict the grant of rights and benefits to persons who have registered as domestic partners, “even if those rights closely parallel the rights enjoyed only by married persons.”
California employers will need to get ready for AB 205, which will give state-registered domestic partners essentially all of the rights of married couples. Among employment issues, it will give employees the right to family and medical leave for a domestic partner. (The new paid family leave program, which became effective January 1, 2004, already covers domestic partners.)
The law also will require that some legal relationships created outside of the state be recognized on the same basis as state-registered domestic partnerships. To be recognized in California, such relationships must be a “legal union of two persons of the same sex, other than a marriage” that is “substantially equivalent” to a California domestic partnership. The only such relationship that appears to meet this standard is Vermont 's “civil union,” which gives same-sex couples the same rights and responsibilities as a married couple. It remains open to question whether relationships recognized under New Jersey 's new domestic partnership law or Hawaii 's “reciprocal beneficiaries” law might qualify; neither provides rights as extensive as California and Vermont. Same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions ( Massachusetts or foreign countries) will not trigger any rights under California 's domestic partnership law. Individuals in lawful marriages — even those not recognized in California — are excluded from California's domestic partnership law.
New California Legislation Requires Health Care Insurers to Sell Domestic Partner Coverage Equal to Spousal Coverage
On September 14, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law AB 2208, requiring health care service plans ( HMOs) and insurers providing hospital, medical or surgical benefits or coverage to provide coverage for state-registered domestic partners equal to that provided to spouses. The act applies to HMO contracts and health insurance policies that are issued, amended, delivered or renewed effective on or after January 2, 2005 (HMO contracts) or January 1, 2005 (health insurance policies).
AB 2208 expands existing law, which, beginning January 1, 2002 required HMOs and insurers to offer coverage to domestic partners equal to the coverage provided to dependents. Under AB 2208, an HMO or insurer must enroll domestic partners of employees on the same terms and conditions that apply generally to all spouses under the plan or policy. The HMO or insurer may require proof of the domestic partnership, and notification of termination of the domestic partnership — but only if verification of marital status and notification of dissolution of marriage are also required.
AB 2208 applies to insurers and HMOs, but not directly to employer-sponsored health plans. While AB 2208 requires HMOs and insurers to sell coverage for domestic partners that is equal to coverage for spouses, it does not require employers to provide health benefits to their employees' domestic partners. As under current law, insurers and HMOs are required to enroll domestic partners only upon application of the employer or group administrator. The legislation does not apply to self-funded arrangements under which employers reimburse the medical expenses of covered individuals. AB 2208 specifically provides that it is not to be construed as expanding COBRA continuation coverage rights under federal law.
Nancy L. Ober is a shareholder and Paul R. Lynd is an associate in Littler Mendelson's San Francisco office. If you would like further information, please contact your Littler attorney at 1.888.Littler, firstname.lastname@example.org, or Ms. Ober at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:a9513df1-f41b-4cd6-aa30-e31cac0e93fe> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.littler.com/wedding-cake-falls-update-same-sex-marriage-and-domestic-partner-issues-after-san-francisco-marriage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.953774 | 1,672 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Australian house prices are falling at their fastest pace since the global financial crisis, and market conditions are likely to “worse” as interest rates continue to rise, the research firm says CoreLogic real estate.
Economists predict Australian house prices could fall by 12 to 20 per centThe average property value fell by 8.5% during the GFCRents have increased by 9.8% in the past year
The latest data shows the country’s median property value has fallen 2 percent since the start of May, to $747,182 (a figure that includes houses and apartments).
“Although the housing market has only fallen for three months … the pace of decline is comparable to the start of the global financial crisis (GFC) in 2008 and the steep decline of the 1980s,” he said Tim, Director of Research at CoreLogic. without law
But it noted that, on average, prices had risen 28.6 percent from mid-2020 (the low point of the housing market during the COVID-19 pandemic) to April 2022 ( when domestic prices peaked).
Regional Australia saw an even bigger increase, with prices up 41.1% in two years, as smaller cities outside the capitals saw a huge influx of city dwellers looking for better lifestyles (as remote working became the new normal).
“In Sydney, where the decline has particularly accelerated, we are seeing the steepest fall in value in almost 40 years.”
Property prices in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart fell sharply in July.(CoreLogic)
The average price in Australia’s most expensive city fell 2.2 per cent in July (bringing its quarterly loss to 4.7 per cent). Despite this, an average house in Sydney still costs around $1.35 million, while an average unit can fetch around $806,000.
Melbourne and Hobart also saw sharp declines, with prices in both cities falling 1.5% last month, while Canberra’s fell 1.1%.
Prices in Brisbane and regional Australia fell 0.8 percent (their first monthly decline since August 2020).
At the other end of the spectrum, Darwin, Adelaide and Perth were the only capital cities where prices actually rose in July (between 0.2 and 0.4 per cent). However, it has been a sharp deceleration since May, when the Reserve Bank began aggressively raising the cash rate from record lows.
“short and sharp”
“I think this slowdown will be similar to the global financial crisis in that it will be quite short and sharp,” Lawless told ABC News.
According to CoreLogic, Australia’s average property price fell by around 8.5 per cent over an 11-month period during the GFC.
Adelaide property prices rose by 3.6% in the past three months.CoreLogic)
Lawless said the property downturn was “accelerating” and he would not be surprised if “the current downturn is worse than what we saw during the GFC”.
He noted that the main difference is that governments and central banks are currently determined to withdraw trillions of dollars worth of stimulus, in a desperate attempt to reduce inflation (rather than injecting it into the global economy, as they did after the 2008 crisis).
Many analysts predict that Australian property prices will, on average, fall by 10 to 20 per cent (high to low), with the two most expensive cities Sydney and Melbourne likely to suffer the biggest falls.
But even if the worst-case scenario happens, it won’t dramatically improve housing affordability.
“If we saw a 15 percent fall in national house values, prices would be back to where they were by April 2021.”
How quickly (and by how much) prices fall will depend on how aggressively the RBA decides to lift its cash rate target in the coming months.
Tenants in Brisbane and Adelaide are experiencing the strongest rent increases.CoreLogic)
Since May, the RBA has raised its cash rate target from 0.1 to 1.35 percent.
If the central bank delivers another double-sized rate hike on Tuesday (0.5 percentage point), as widely expected, that would push the new cash rate up to 1.85 percent.
Buyers market and rising rents
“The market has gone much more in favor of buyers than sellers, particularly in markets like Sydney and Melbourne,” Lawless said.
“Buyers are back in the driver’s seat. They have more options and less urgency.
“But for sellers, it means that they have to be much more realistic about their price expectations and should expect that there will be more negotiation.”
Renters are also at a disadvantage in today’s housing market. As home owner mortgage payments rise (and more foreign workers and students) return to Australia, rents have risen rapidly.
“Rental markets are extremely tight, with vacancy rates around 1% or less in many parts of Australia,” Lawless added.
“If you look at the history of rents, it’s very rare to see house rents increase at more than 3-4% a year.”
But in the last quarter, the national average rent rose 2.8 percent, and has risen nearly 10 percent in the past year.
Looking ahead, Mr Lawless said tenants may be under increasing pressure to rent spare rooms to more roommates, seek cheaper rents in apartments (rather than houses) or “stay at home with mom and dad more time.”
“There are definitely going to be some negative social outcomes from such high rents, which show no sign of abating at the moment.” | <urn:uuid:c589929a-2fbb-44aa-9747-caf50e09e859> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://financialnewsarticles.com/australian-house-prices-fall-at-fastest-pace-since-2008-financial-crisis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.963309 | 1,201 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Mini Design Challenge
We are launching an exciting series of activities in our Mini Design Challenges. All of the challenges will have a digital component and the alternative to complete the Mini Design Challenge off line. All of the digital tools will be free of charge.
So what are we planning? The Mini Design Challenges will have a common thread of Digital Storytelling.
Let’s get started! First up is to create a digital comic strip or graphic novel.
So what’s the difference between a graphic novel and a comic strip? We wondered too. It’s all in the name, kind of.
A graphic novel is a novel that tells a complete story with illustrations. A graphic novel is longer and more substantial than a comic book.
A comic strip is more like an excerpt and part of a series from a larger story.
How are they similar? Both comics and graphic novels use extensive illustrations or graphics. Both are stories with complex characters, backstories and inner conflict. As you can see from the lists below both can be made into movies.
What’s an example of a graphic novel? Here are a few:
- Black Panther
- Paper Girls
- New Kid
- Ghost World
Examples of a Comic Book?
- Wonder Woman
- The Amazing Spider-Man
- The Sandman
What great tools are available? For a digital tool we love Canva.com drag and drop design tools. Canva includes templates to explore themes, style and layout. You can include illustrations or upload your own. Of course speech bubbles. You can even collaborate with friends.
Paper, markers and a fun idea is all you need to start. StoryboardThat.com has storyboard templates, or you can draw one yourself. | <urn:uuid:a5c78d23-c1a9-4f86-b7af-ddd931476104> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://girlstakethelead.org/blog/new-digital-challenge-series/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.916048 | 368 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Permaculture has inspired the owners since 1998. Having passed for several Permaculture Design Courses (Lea Harrison, Geoff Lawton) the design of Aarde-Werk de Stegge is built on these principles: caring for the Earth, caring for people and share the surplus. Since 2006 volunteers from all over the world have contributed to the biodiversity and health of the soil. We started with only one produce (corn), even not edible for people, now we eat and enjoy year-round from the lands abundance in vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs and medicinal plants. We can provide our own firewood for 2 small-sized woodburners for heating the Tiny House and Stroyurt and their is a lot of wood, willow branches and bambu for our construction-needs yearround.
Powered by Froala Editor | <urn:uuid:5409009d-c2cd-41c1-982b-426e009a963a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://aarde-werkdestegge.nl/permaculture/show | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.941442 | 172 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Posting: School Social Worker - Brighton Area Schools
July 6, 2022
Provides a problem-solving service to children and their families.
Serves as a member of diagnostic teams and members of educational planning and placement committees and provides biological, and sociological assessment information.
Note: These duties and responsibilities are judged to be "essential functions" in terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The statements below are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by a person in this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties that may be performed by such a person.
- Identifies problems and situations interfering with the ability of children to make appropriate use of the educational experience.
- Provides a problem-solving service to children and their families through individual, group and community social work methods so as to enable those served to cope with problems adversely affecting the ability of children to make appropriate use of the education experience.
- Serves as liaison between the school, home, and community in building and maintaining positive relationships.
- Coordinates and develops resources within and outside the school system for use by children, their families, and school personnel.
- Collaborates with principals, teachers, and other school personnel to improve use of existing school programs and procedures related to the education, social and emotional needs of children.
- Coordinates or serves as a member of diagnostic teams and individualized education program committees and providing biological, psychological, and sociological assessment information related to planning for children with adjustment problems.
- Provides the IEP comprehensive, diagnostic evaluations of children suspected of being emotionally impaired, and collaborating with the IEP in the determination of eligibility of persons for programs and services for the emotionally impaired in accordance with R340.l706 and R340.l722 of the Michigan Administrative Code.
- Serves as consultant to basic classroom program personnel for the emotionally impaired and providing direct therapy and intervention services for children identified as emotionally impaired.
- Participates with school staff in altering situations adversely affecting the personal, social-emotional, and academic development.
- Fosters professional growth through in-service education of local district staff, paraprofessionals, and volunteers.
- Complete record keeping for Medicaid.
- Performs other related tasks as assigned.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE
- Master’s degree from a graduate school of social work program.
- Satisfactory completion of 1 year as a school social worker with direction from a fully approved school social worker.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
School social worker approval by the Michigan Department of Education
- Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
- Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
- Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
- Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference.
- Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
- Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
- Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
OTHER SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory to instructional program
- Ability to plan and implement lessons based on division and school objectives and the needs and abilities of students to whom assigned.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, peers, parents and community
- Ability to speak clear and concisely in written or oral communication.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee will regularly sit, walk and stand. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.
The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
The employee is directly responsible for the safety, well-being of students.
The Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and transgender identity), disability, age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic, (collectively, "Protected Classes") in its programs and activities, including employment opportunities.
Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies should be directed to the Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services.
Primary Location: Brighton Area Schools
Salary Range: $47,371.00 - $89,736.00 / Per Year
Shift Type: Full-Time | <urn:uuid:b947d12e-010c-454b-943c-032120378d58> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://socialwork.wayne.edu/career-resources/postings/95627 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.922808 | 1,107 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Biryani is an aromatic, flavorful and mouthwatering dish popular not only in India but all around the globe. It belongs to Indian Mughlai cuisine as it was introduced by the Mughals. This luscious treat is enjoyed on special occasions. This delicious Indian dish is known for its succulent meat (goat or chicken) layered with long grain basmati rice. In this blog we will learn how to make Chicken Biryani at home.
Chicken biryani is a delicacy which is made on special events. Exceptional preparations are taken to make this luscious dish. Though making biryani looks like a daunting task, but here it’s my job to simplify the chicken biryani recipe for the readers. Now you can make chicken biryani at home with this simple yet authentic recipe. Here is the list of ingredients used in chicken biryani.
To make chicken biryani at home it’s very important to use the best quality basmati rice. The aged basmati rice gives the flavor and aroma to the dish. The golden hue color in the extra-long grain basmati rice is the proof that rice is of the best quality. Soaking the raw rice before partially boiling it is also very important as it helps in puffing up the rice. Many recipes on the internet says about marinating the chicken with the spices, but I prefer not to marinate. I lean towards adding the spices one by one.
Here I am going to share the step by step recipe of chicken biryani. Don’t get intimidated by the list of spices and the steps involved. Once you start cooking, it’s the most phenomenal experience.
Step 1 – In a large pot add 1 cup oil, I use canola oil. Add the whole spices mentioned above. Once the whole spices starts to crackle, add thinly sliced onions in it. Keep stirring them so that they don’t burn.
Step 2 – Once the onions are beautiful brown in color, add chicken pieces in it. Keep frying them on high flames as chicken will release moisture. Also add ginger garlic paste and keep on stirring the chicken. As chicken turns light golden pink, add thinly sliced tomatoes and whole green chilies in it and mix them well. Close the lid of the pot and put the flames on medium high. Let it cook till the tomatoes are tender. Don’t forget the stirring part, as we don’t want the chicken to get burnt.
Step 3 – In a bowl mix the yogurt well. Now when the tomatoes are tender and mushed up completely, add whisked yogurt, and all the ground spices mentioned above. Mix them well and also add the dried plums here. Once the oil starts to separate from the mix, add enough water in it. Put the lid back on and simmer the flames on low. Let the chicken cook for another 20-30 minutes. Keep the stirring going on during regular intervals as this won’t let the chicken spices stick to the vessel. In about 30 minutes the chicken will become tender and one part of our biryani will be ready.
Now is the time to prepare the rice for the simple chicken biryani recipe at home.
Ingredients needed for this part are as follows:-
Soak rice in enough water for at least half an hour. Wash it, and now transfer the rice in a deep pot, add at least 12 cups of water OR enough to boil them partially and put the above mentioned ingredients in it. Boil the rice to partially cooked (3/4th cooked) and now drain the excess water. At this point remove and discard the bay leaf, cloves and garlic cloves and also ginger. They were added to enhance the flavor and aroma to the rice. The aromatic Indian spices are perfect as a flavor enhancers to any dish.
This is the best step in preparing the chicken biryani. In a thick bottom pot, preferably the wide open mouth pot, layer it with half of the rice. Now add the prepared chicken over it, add chopped fresh coriander leaves on it and now cover it with the remaining rice. Add saffron infused milk over the rice for the color and also aroma. Add melted ghee at this point. Cover the pot with the lid and put in on low flames for 20-25 minutes. This steaming of biryani is called “Dum”.
Now your tasty chicken biryani is ready to be served.
Right now the markets are flooded with tons of readymade spice mixes. They have all sorts of spice mixes. There are options available for biryani masalas also. My personal favorite is Chicken biryani masala from Lucky Masale. It has the right concoction of ground and whole spices in it. The color and flavor are unforgettable. So if you don’t want to make the chicken biryani from scratch, you can always try it with this Masala packet. The chicken biryani recipe is easy to follow and the taste is authentic.
Here are some tips for making chicken biryani at home.
Though a Persian dish, Biryani was introduced by Mughals in India. Every region has its own version of biryani. Today Chicken Biryani is found on every restaurant menu list around the world. This dish is a delight to eat. The reason why Biryani is so popular is that it is a complete meal in itself. The succulent meat pieces infused with spices and herbs and layered with rice, is a perfect meal anybody could want. The flavors are very engaging and biryani is a favorite meal in every age group. The long grain basmati rice enhances the flavor. When the chicken gravy and the rice are layered together it satiates the taste buds. The best part is, now you can make it at home with the above mentioned chicken biryani recipe.
Today, healthy lifestyle is a big concern for the people. More and more people are turning towards the healthier options. They take care of what they are eating and keep a check on the calorie intake. Everyone needs a healthy diet to keep them fit, but once in a while, one needs to indulge and refresh. Chicken biryani is a good option to replace the healthy meal without unhealthy effects on your body. The above mentioned Chicken biryani recipe is a healthy option to get indulged. Biryani is a calorie and nutrient rich complete meal. It is best served with Raita, a condiment made with yogurt and cucumbers. | <urn:uuid:087935ff-923b-4752-b1b4-3563968298db> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.luckymasale.com/chicken-biryani/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571584.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812045352-20220812075352-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.951057 | 1,357 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Could a sugar addiction be making you feel icky?
Did you know studies show sugar is more addictive than heroine? How can that be possible?
Sugar is one of the most widely consumed products in America. And it’s no wonder – it’s in everything! Don’t believe us? Check the nutrition labels of your favorite snacks and condiments.
To make matters worse, every time you consume a sugar-filled product, you feed the habit, making you crave sugar even more.
And you can thank your brain and gut for caving into those cravings. Over time, you become dependent on sugar. This means that if you try to refrain from it (like when you go on a diet) your body freaks out, sending cravings out of control and making you feel icky.
So how can you detox from sugar without feeling like you’re dying?
It starts in your gut. The bacteria in your gut is used to feeding and thriving on sugar. When you take this away from them they can get quite awry, making you feel bad and sending SOS craving signals to your brain.
To overcome this, you need to reset the bacteria in your gut and feed them healthy things. To do this, you should focus on 3 things: probiotics, high fiber-low carb-low sugar, and intermittent fasting.
Probiotics are a great way to reset your gut. They channel good, healthy bacteria in, pushing the bad ones out.
Eating foods high in fiber and low in sugar in carbs will ensure these newly replenished good bacteria stay nourished and feeling good. When your gut feels good, your brain feels good!
Lastly, intermittent fasting (eating all of your meals within an 8 hour window) will allow your gut to heal and reset. Good bacteria will be able to thrive and the bad bacteria will starve. Within 4 weeks, your sweet tooth should be cured! | <urn:uuid:afb7819a-2319-47ea-a80c-fb6d25eeefd1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://modenahair.com/sugar-addiction-making-feel-icky/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.911052 | 399 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Lemons are a citrus fruit that drops when the leaves of lemon trees are destroyed or decay naturally.
Lemons can be obtained by breaking the leaves off lemon trees. They can be bought from Near Harad Farmers, from travelling Harad merchants, or from the Gondor Greengrocer. Occasionally, they can be found in chests of Near Harad buildings.
Food of Middle-earth
Banana Bread • | <urn:uuid:25544005-adcf-416a-93ed-4cd3ea92f3ac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lotrminecraftmod.fandom.com/wiki/Lemon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.900636 | 127 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The forecast is made with the intention of not only providing an overall figure for population, but also to provide a forecast that divides the Danish population by gender, age, origin and reason for residence in Denmark. The model is of particular interest when assessing future socio-economic challenges such as the aging-population and increasing life expectancy.
In addition to providing DREAM’s education forecast and socio-economic forecast with demographic based data, the population forecast is also used in assessing the future population of Denmark’s 98 municipalities.
Changes in the size and composition of the population are generally determined by the changes in the number of births and deaths as well as immigrants and emigrants. If the number of births and immigrants are higher than the number of deaths and emigrants, the population growth is positive, which in recent times, has characterised historical developments in Denmark. The difference between births and deaths is known as the birth surplus and the difference between immigrants and emigrants is known as net migration. The current positive population growth is derived from both a positive birth surplus and a net migration. This is expected to continue to be positive.
Overall population movements, such as those mentioned above, cover a considerable amount of variation across the underlying characteristics of the population. For example, immigration and emigration propensities are typically higher amongst individuals in their early to mid-20s, western immigrants have a higher tendency to emigrate than non-western immigrants and women have lower mortality rates than men in the same age groups.
There is a considerable uncertainty associated with the forecast of these population movements. This is obvious in the estimates of the number of future immigrants. This is attributable to the fact that immigration is largely controlled by policy and subject to developments in international conditions, both of which are hard to estimate and forecast. The abnormal numbers for immigration in 2015 are an example of the difficulties surrounding migration forecasting. The number of births also varies from year to year and highlights another source of challenge when estimating population. Developments in mortality rates have been relatively stable for a number of years, however, it is nevertheless possible to underestimate the actual mortality, especially in the case of extraordinary circumstances such as disease epidemics and extreme climatic conditions.
The forecast provides estimates for the difference between people inside and outside of working age, a factor crucial to assessing the fiscal challenges that future generations can expect to face. The overall pattern observed in the forecast is one that shows a decreasing proportion of the population within the working age.
The national population forecast provides the various other models built by the DREAM-group, such as the education and socioeconomic models, with future forecasted demographics. These models utilise the forecasted demographics to further forecast the population by highest completed education, labour market status and more. In particular, the socioeconomic forecast employs the forecasted changes to the mortality rate and life expectancy to evaluate the effect of a reform-driven increase in retirement-age which was initiated in 2011 by the retirement reform.
The population projection informs DREAM’s microsimulation model SMILE with overall demographic changes.
The model is also used to evaluate changes in the size of the population in relation to changes in demographics such as immigration, fertility, and mortality; the consequences of which can then be evaluated in socioeconomic forecasts and our economic models.
Statistics Denmark constructs a population forecast by evaluating population developments in Denmark’s 98 municipalities.
An important input for DREAM’s long-run economic forecasts is the labour force forecast, which in itself is dependent on a population forecast with a long time horizon. This, combined with the desire to be able to evaluate the effect of changes to demographics on the economy, has motivated the development of the national population forecast, beginning its development in 1999.
Since 2010, DREAM has collaborated with Statistics Denmark to develop the official population forecast for Denmark. Prior to this, DST developed both the regional as well as the national population forecasts. The result of the unification of forecasts not only removed confusion, but also allowed for more fruitful collaboration with other research institutes, especially in the Nordic countries. DST has maintained their role in estimating the regional population forecasts in Denmark.
The population forecast is continuously being developed. In 2018 it became possible to identify the children of descendants of immigrants in the model and recently the numbers of immigrants have become nuanced with the reason for residence. The latter allows for further description and variation in education behaviour and labour market status.
In the model, the population is forecasted year by year based on changes in demographics i.e. births and immigration increase the population whilst deaths and emigration decrease the size of the population. The starting point of the projection is a starting population divided by gender, age, origin and reason of residence. Demographic changes are distributed by the same dimensions and are typically determined by the product of a probability and a so-called risk group. For example, the number of deaths in a given year is given by the probability of death multiplied by the number of people at the start of the year.
The probabilities are both assumed to be constant assumed to vary over the forecast period. Immigration and emigration probabilities are assumed constant, whereas mortality and fertility rates are dynamic. Whether they are constant or not, all probabilities are based on historical evidence and trends. | <urn:uuid:d3a6d867-3c19-4b34-bde7-2b2b542e96b1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://dreamgroup.dk/demographic-projections/population-projection/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.951856 | 1,082 | 2.765625 | 3 |
STEM Students Visit Hetech HQ
Hetech welcomed more Park Ridge school students to our head again office this week. A smaller group than the last visit, Mark got to spend some time explaining the world of electronics.
The students are part of the school’s specialist STEM program and planning their career options with a visit to Hetech to see firsthand how advanced manufacturing works.
It was an absolute pleasure to spend the afternoon with the students and show them around our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
It’s exciting to see more and more electronics students emerging in schools, all enthusiastic, and keen to learn about the exciting world of technology and the opportunities available to them.
As your electronics, design and manufacturing partner, Hetech is committed to supporting young people and the opportunities available to them in STEM fields, which increase young people’s choices and chances through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. | <urn:uuid:29472026-1a2c-4030-8498-a75a8d809d5a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.hetech.com.au/stem-students-visit-hetech-hq/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571950.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813111851-20220813141851-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.944874 | 193 | 1.6875 | 2 |
"Fishing prohibited" is only one of the prohibitions listed on the board on the shore of the Prokoško Lake Nature Monument near Fojnica. Right next to the board, three fishing rods are immersed in the lake. One of the "fishermen" explains that "each fish has its own requirements".
We ask them if they often fish at the lake.
- Here and there - he says.
- But this sign says that fishing is prohibited?
- It is forbidden for those who make a massacre - he smiles.
He says he didn't see the board and continues talking about the baits he puts on the hook:
- They don't want bread, I'm fishing with ham... Sarajevo ham!
Besides him father and son. And they too with fishing rods. We also ask them if they know that fishing is prohibited on the lake:
-Professional fishing is prohibited, but recreational fishing is not - the father makes up in an instant:
- Although it should be, because there are Olm and Triturus, a protected species.
He is not afraid that he will take out a specimen of a protected species from the lake:
- No, no, they don't like this - he points to the balls they made from bread.
One of them even says that he has his own small lake, and the fish he catches with nets in Lake Prokoški are then transferred to his own lake.
It's a weekday and there aren't many local tourists on the lake. But in the days before that, they left a lot of garbage and clear traces of campfires. This is another prohibition that is violated every day in the Prokoško Lake Nature Monument. Although it is stated that lighting fires and grilling is allowed only in designated places, the circles of burnt earth testify that no one respects this rule.
There are not too many locals, but there are many tourists from Arab countries. In addition to nature, they are also attracted by the food here.
If you thought it was all about pie and cheese, this time you were wrong. Two men are negotiating with a shepherd in the meadow around the lake. They look around his flock of sheep and point their finger at one animal:
- Haruf, Haruf! (Eng. Lamb! Lamb!)
- Smell it, smell it... Drink milk... - the shepherd offers them.
They like it, they ask about the price - 300 KM. Tourists want to check that everything will be according to the agreement:
- You eat, baba... - the young man passes his finger over the door, to show that his father will slaughter the animal. Everyone looks very pleased.
Together they drag the animal to the car in which the father has also arrived in the meantime. They put it in the trunk, and the young man helps the customer with a cane to get into the front seat so that they can drive to the house where food will be prepared for his family.
When the tourists leave, we ask him if there are many customers:
- Every day - he tells us.
- We slaughter it, prepare it and bake it while they stay at the lake and come for lunch in a few hours.
Lake Prokoško was declared a natural monument in 2005. Seventeen years later, happy tourists in the first protection zone can rent quads and off-road motorcycles every day. As we talk to the people who live on the lake, the noise of different types of motor vehicles can be heard continuously. You can get to the very shore of the lake by car. Vehicles are charged ten KM, pedestrians two KM. Garbage is everywhere, but there are no trash cans. At the entrance to the monument, there is a full container with a pile of garbage around, there are even old mattresses. The waste collection vehicle comes only once a week - on Fridays.
Numerous new wooden houses were built around the shore of the lake. The owner of one of them tells us:
- All this is illegal here, only a small number of people who previously owned land and built houses have permits.
The municipality of Fojnica collects tax from illegally built buildings every year. Our interlocutor pays the annual land tax, tax for the cottage, garbage collection, and entrance to the monument area - the annual ticket per cottage is 80 KM.
Lake Prokoško has been far from a protected zone for years, even decades. The Law on Proclamation, as we have already written, was passed back in 2005, but how it was applied and implemented is best explained by the current state of the monument. At the end of April this year, the Assembly of the Central Bosnia Canton adopted amendments to the law from 2005. These amendments give the Ministry of Spatial Planning SBK the supervision over the implementation of the provisions and specify the legal regulations by which the cantonal inspectors should be guided when monitoring compliance with the measures.
The manager of the Nature Monument is PUK Šćona from Fojnica. Logically then, our first interlocutor should have been Šćona director Abas Nišić. In a casual tone, he invited us to breakfast in Fojnica "where we will solve everything". We weren't going to eat, but we wanted to talk. The breakfast was cancelled, and we were unable to arrange a new meeting. He didn't even have time for a phone conversation.
Minister of Spatial Planning Amir Šečibović (Democratic Action Party) is also very busy. He couldn't even find time for a short phone conversation either. And he would have to, because his ministry is in charge of supervising the Prokoško Lake Nature Monument, and because thanks to him and his colleagues, construction will soon be legalized.
Attached to this ministry is the Department for Environmental Protection, where inspectors are in charge of controls on the lake work. We asked them how often they go to that area, if they have observed any illegalities, and if they issue fines... we did not get an answer. While the inspectors are on annual leave, Prokoško Lake is falling apart.
The law on declaring Lake Prokoško a natural monument is clear: there are three protected zones and, depending on the zone, any kind of construction, grazing of animals, entry of motor vehicles, fishing, and lighting of fires is prohibited…
Instead of at least trying to protect what is left of this area now, the authorities will very likely legalize all the buildings built so far:
- To be honest, it's hard to say that someone will demolish it. Here, the law did not define it either. Any demolition and new procedure would lead to putting the soil in an unfavourable position. So I have to admit, I don't think anyone is going to tear it down. It can go in the direction of legalization. We in the Ministry have a prepared version of the law on legalization, we are looking for certain opinions to start a further procedure in order to put all illegal facilities under supervision and introduce them into the category of legal facilities - said Minister Amir Šečibović after the adoption of the amendments to the law. | <urn:uuid:f409c494-0f6f-42e7-a368-b9321c537a32> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://zurnal.info/clanak/illegal-construction-garbage-fishing-and-motors-bikes-inside-the-natural-monument/25210 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571950.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813111851-20220813141851-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.973407 | 1,507 | 1.578125 | 2 |
St. Andrew’s School of Medicine, Tobago
Become a First Class Physician
Our lecturers present the material in a clear and logical sequence helping to
make the material accessible, intelligible and meaningful.
The subject matter is covered in its entirety and adequately.
The lexturers are trained to be constructive and helpful in their criticism.
Our lecturers ensure to pace the lecture appropriately and
include material not readily accessible in textbooks.
The practical applications of the theory are highlighted.
By showing enthusiasm for the subject they
generate curiosity about the lecture material early in the lecture, which aids the learning process.
Scholarship applicants will be considered on a case by case basis, for students of exceptional and outstanding academic records.
Book Library & Store
Our medical library is developed to assist students in finding health and scientific information to improve, not only their understanding, but also the application of Medical knowledge in the real world. The library will have institutional access to MEDLINE for eg. as well as other digital libraries,a range of electronic resources, hard and soft journal collections, and reference books.
Welcome To Professional Education Teaching and Training
The school aims to ensure the all-round success of each student, making individual provisions which will allow each student to learn and succeed.
The school is located on the lovely island of Tobago with it’s main campus run from the teaching facilities at the Scarborough General Teaching Hospital.
The St Andrew’s School of Medicine is currently in the process of finalizing Registration with the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago.
The school will run two programs, the Premed program and the Doctorate of Medicine program. | <urn:uuid:ddc14bff-0b54-4430-a1ed-6b7584f67bea> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://sasm.education/sasm-homepage/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.935411 | 357 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Unlike C, an instance of a
struct in C++ is an object in exactly the same way as an instance of a
class. From the point-of-view of the compiled code, they are identical. Memory usage, alignment, access times etc. are exactly the same (i.e. there are no overheads).
From the programmer's point-of-view, there is a very minor difference. Members of a
struct have public visibility by default, whereas members of a
class have private visibility by default. Otherwise, all language features work the same on both, such as constructors/destructors, inheritance, polymorphism, templates, and operator overloading. You can even derive a
struct from a
class, and vice versa.
Despite the similarity, it's quite common to see people deliberately using a
struct in C++ for very simple structures, e.g. where it only consists of a few data members, but no functions. A
class would be used for anything more complex. This is purely a matter of convention or personal preference though, and can be used as a subtle indication of the structure's intended complexity. | <urn:uuid:b17bd061-04e4-4e8b-8213-84d7a2745122> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://arduino.stackexchange.com/questions/658/what-overheads-and-other-considerations-are-there-when-using-a-struct-vs-a-class | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.944574 | 237 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Sat Prep Black Book 2Nd Edition Pdf. In addition to extensive and effective training on every aspect of the sat. Select files or add your book in reader.
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The sat prep black book, second edition, completely updated, offers sat and effective strategies of mike barrett, a sat tutor with customers from all over the world who pay hundreds of dollars per hour. Scopenitout.com to watch the free video demonstrations, and— the “blue book” that goes along with this black book is the second edition of the. Flag for page 6 for free sample video demonstrations, go to donkeytime.org check out the sample videos at donkeytime.org sat prep black book, second edition. | <urn:uuid:be8215b8-6cf4-4bc4-936a-90097fcacdbc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://northportlandinggallery.com/sat-prep-black-book-2nd-edition-pdf/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.901938 | 523 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Someone has just knocking on your door. On checking through the keyhole, you notice it is your uncle who stays nearby standing at your doorstep. You open the door and politely usher him in away from the pouring rain outside. He walks straight to the nearest couch and sinks in. He never bothered to remove his shoes, which have muddy clay, before walking on your crisp clean carpet. After an hour of chatting he announces suddenly that he has to leave because the rain has subsided. You escort him to the door, say bye and close the door as he walks away.
Unfortunately, in his wake he has left you with a large ugly clay stain on your carpet. You are too tired after a day’s work and because it is late, you decide that you will deal with the clay stain in the morning and you go to bed.
In the morning, you have two options: do-it-yourself or call professional carpet cleaners like Mvir Cleaning.
Attack it immediately
The easiest and fastest way to deal immediately with a clay stain on a carpet is to attack it. For instance, immediately your uncle left, you could have tried washing spot of the carpet soiled by the clay with cold water and soap or detergent. Apply the same process if in the morning the stain has not dried.
Brush it off
If, however, it has dried, to remove it you need to brush the clay or mud stain with a stiff bristled brush. Brush hard enough and, using a dust collector, gather the large chunks of mud and any other dust for disposal to avoid spoiling your vacuum cleaner. Then using a vacuum cleaner, vacuum the carpet area where the clay stain was until it is pristine clean.
Even after vacuuming thoroughly, you notice that the clay had left a stubborn ugly stain on your beautiful carpet. It is time now to wash the spot of the carpet where the clay stain is. You need to apply some warm water and dishwashing soap in a liquid form in ratio 2 cups of water to 1 table spoon of soap.
With the aid of a clean towel or cloth, apply some soapy water directly on the stain without scrubbing or rubbing, lest you spread the stain to other areas of the carpet. Try and clear as large part of the clay as possible with the detergent and water.
Using clean water, rinse the carpet’s spot with the clay stain use a dry towel in light color to pat it dry. It is worth noting that if the stain is light, you can use a carpet shampoo to remove it.
But if after washing or shampooing the clay stain does not go away, try and wash the carpet a number of times. If after all this effort the stain refuses to go away, mix one cup of white vinegar with two cups of water and soak the stain. With the help of an absorbent towel, blot heavily until the area is completely dry.
Once you clean and notice the stain has not gone away, using a sponge, apply a few drops of water mixed with some white vinegar and soak the stain with an absorbent cloth, which you must change as it gets stained.
If after trying all these, the clay stain stubbornly resists to disappear, you may need to call in professional carpet cleaners such as Mvir Cleaning. | <urn:uuid:3d55efc5-4d56-456b-869e-2cfad75487fa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://mvir-cleaning.co.uk/news/clean-clay-off-carpet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.961719 | 689 | 1.546875 | 2 |
TEXAS — Parents and educators across the state are pushing the Texas Legislature to pass a bill allowing school districts to continue offering virtual learning next year, and receive the same level of funding from the state.
But they’re worried that it might not make it to the governor’s desk before the end of the session.
“We were really hoping to keep both of my kids safe until they can get vaccinated," said Heather Roell.
At 11 and 9 years old, Heather Roell’s two kids are both too young to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Her younger child also has a heart condition, and now that the governor issued an executive order prohibiting school districts from issuing and enforcing masks requirements, she wants to keep them learning virtually next school year.
“Those two coupled together, make things very dangerous for our kids," said Roell. "I would love for my kids to be back in school. Absolutely. Just, it needs to be safe for them to do that.”
“The vast majority of requests for virtual learning are in that that kinder through fifth grade span," said Brian Woods, superintendent of Northside ISD and president of the Texas Association of School Administrators. "Those families are sending a clear message that, that they really want to wait until a large majority of the population, and their own child is vaccinated before they return to a more normal setting in the building.”
More than 40 Texas school districts recently sent a letter to the Lt. Governor and the Senate Education Committee asking them to pass House Bill 1468, which would allow school districts to continue offering virtual learning next year for grades three and up, and receive the same level of funding from the state.
“I’ve heard school districts that are willing to kind of dip into other funds in order to provide remote instruction. Some school districts out there just won't be able to find those funds available to continue the programs," said Bob Popinski, director of policy at Raise Your Hand Texas.
“While in building, learning is the best option for most students. There are circumstances where students either because of a medical condition for themselves or their family, or students who have just found themselves really successful in the virtual environment, want to stay there. And we want to serve those families," said Woods.
“The thing that I am seeing [from other parents] is 'my kid is doing a lot better than they did when they were in that building, and I don't know if I can go back to the way it was before'…my senior who's all about the tech is all about 'just give me my work and leave me alone' did fantastic," said Austin ISD parent Candace Hunter.
But not everyone thinks that continuing to offer virtual learning is a good idea.
“We'll be in the same boat that we're in right now, where children and students of all ages are not doing what's asked of them, and parents are upset with teachers, with the school districts because kids are falling behind," said Sherri Foster, a special education teacher in Austin ISD.
The Senate Education Committee heard public testimony on the bill on Friday, but at the moment the bill is left pending in committee.
With just over one week left in the legislative session, it’s uncertain whether HB 1468 will make it to the governor’s desk.
Heather Roell is crossing her fingers that it does.
“I’m hoping that virtual can be an option for parents and families, next year," said Roell. | <urn:uuid:c9304446-5ebf-49b0-b502-c58211f3ffbf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/education/2021/05/23/parents--education-advocates-worry-about-future-of-bill-extending-state-funding-for-virtual-learning-in-public-schools | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.976828 | 744 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Turkey's ambassador to Australia faces expulsion and Australia's envoy to Ankara could be recalled in protest over Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's inflamatory threats anti-Muslim Australians who visit his country will return home in coffins like their "grandfathers" who fought at Gallipoli.
Diplomatic relations between Australia and Turkey have soured and other forms of protest remain under consideration, with a furious Scott Morrison warning Australians planning to visit Gallipoli next month for Anzac Day commemorations to exercise "common sense" while security officials review travel advice for Turkey.
Anger on both sides of the Tasman exploded at Mr Erdogan for exploiting Friday's Christchurch mosque massacre as evidence of anti-Muslim sentiment during campaign rallies ahead of local elections in less than a fortnight.
Australia's ambassador to Turkey Marc Innes-Brown was overnight due to meet senior Turkish government officials seeking a response to Mr Morrison's demands for Mr Erdogan to withdraw the comments and Turkish state-run broadcasters stop airing livestreamed footage of the massacre, which left 50 worshippers dead, including three Turkish citizens.
Mr Morrison hauled in Turkey's ambassador Korhan Karakoç to Parliament House on Wednesday morning for a dressing down and rejected the envoy's excuse the comments had been made in the heat of an election campaign.
Mr Morrison said he considered the comments "highly offensive to Australians, and highly reckless in this very sensitive environment".
"They are offensive, because they insult the memory of our Anzacs and they violate the pledge that is etched in the stone at Gallipoli, of the promise of Ataturk to the mothers of our Anzacs. So I understand the deep offence Australians would be feeling about this," he said.
"I believe the comments also completely misrepresent the very strong position taken by the Australian and New Zealand Governments in our response to the extremist attack in New Zealand that was committed by an Australian, but in no way, shape, or form, could possibly be taken to represent the actions, or any policy or view of the Australian people."
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her deputy and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has been sent to Turkey to "confront" the comments: "He is going there to set the record straight, face-to-face.”
Mr Erdogan has seized on the massacre as proof the west "hates" Muslims, repeatedly showing at rallies footage of the murders the alleged Australian-born shooter Brenton Tarrant livedstreamed on Facebook.
"Your grandparents came, some of them returned in coffins. If you come like your grandfathers... you will be gone like your grandfathers."
— Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
In his manifesto, Tarrant referred to the Ottoman Empire, the Islamic caliphate precursor to modern-day Turkey; he said his attack was aimed at Muslim "invaders".
On his ammunition clips Tarrant also wrote the names of eastern European soldiers who had resisted Ottoman rule.
During a visit to Cannakkale province, where Gallipoli is located, Mr Erdogan denounced anti-Muslim Australians and New Zealanders, comparing them to the soldiers who landed at Anzac Cove in 1915.
"Your grandparents came, some of them returned in coffins. If you come as well like your grandfathers, be sure that you will be gone like your grandfathers," Mr Erdogan was reported as saying.
Mr Morrison said he wanted to see the Turkish reaction to his call for a retraction said "all options are on the table" in terms of a diplomatic response.
Mr Morrison did not elaborate on what that might entail but it is understood to include expelling Mr Karakoç, and less likely recalling Mr Innes-Brown.
However, other options are limited. Two-way trade between Turkey and Australia is worth just $2 billion annually. The two countries have a strong bilateral relationship, including an agreement of military cooperation work closely on counter-terrorism. They also belong in an informal alliance of middle power democracies along with Mexico, Indonesia and South Korea known as MIKTA.
The Department of Foreign Affairs currently advises visitors to Turkey to "exercise a high degree of caution" because of the threat of terrorist attack.
Mr Morrison said that advice was now being reviewed in light of Mr Erdogan's comments but told planned Anzac Day travellers should wait for further updates before deciding to go.
Veterans Affairs Minister Darren Chester said the government was continuing to make plans for Anzac Day events to go ahead at Gallipoli.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten said Mr Erdogan's remarks were "foolish and offensive" at a time when New Zealanders were mourning.
"Intemperate and regrettable remarks like this only play into the hands of those who seek to divide. They do not protect the peace and security of any nation," he said.
Fetching latest articles | <urn:uuid:28aa76e4-3932-4464-b7e4-cd5f9499134c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/turkey-s-envoy-hauled-in-over-deeply-offensive-massacre-comments-20190320-p515oh | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572215.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815235954-20220816025954-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.972543 | 993 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Planning for pangolins and pandemics
Whether it be siting dog parks, creating urban farming zones, or planning for the public health, Planning Matters in how human and nonhuman animals share cities.
Humans have never been the only animals to live in cities. The connection between pangolins and COVID-19 is a critical case in point. Novel coronavirus is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it can be passed from animals to humans; likely from bats to pangolins or ferret badgers to humans. Pangolins are a delicacy sold in Chinese wet markets for their meat and scales.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have emphasized the importance of One Health, the reality that the health of human and nonhuman animals is connected.
Pangolins may have contributed to making humans sick, because they carry the virus but do not get it themselves, and they are now being studied to aid in treatment and prevention.
What Does This Have to do with Urban Planning?
Infrastructure planners must consider the presence and movement of nonhuman animals when designing streets and parks and siting public facilities, such as animal shelters. Environmental and sustainability planners need to consider the interactions of multiple species in cities—native, invasive, predatory—and impacts on biodiversity.
Economic developers address the contribution of animals to tourism and branding; swallows and butterflies of San Juan Capistrano, California; cattle drives in Fort Worth, Texas; and sea lions in San Francisco.
“San Francisco – Fisherman’s Warf: Sea Lions at Pier 39” by Wally Gobetz (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
Cultural Conflicts around Animals Sharing the Places Where We Live
Cultural diversity in cities creates conflicts over views of animals as food or pets leading to legal and moral divides that are mediated in the public sector. The Yulin dog meat festival has engendered global protests.
Conflicts in U.S. cities range from dog eating practices of Cambodian immigrants in Los Angeles, to class and religious differences about eating muskrat during Lent in the Detroit area, to protests over serving chicken at McDonalds in New York City.
Sporting events, such as dog racing and cock fighting, and circuses have similarly enjoined cultural conflicts that are mediated at the local level.
The ongoing saga in Toronto over raccoons and the mythical “raccoon-proof garbage can lid” highlights the need for planning to accommodate animal and human interactions in urban areas and their inevitable conflicts.
Many cities in the U.S. have begun to welcome livestock back into the urban space. The American Planning Association has highlighted the benefits of urban livestock: Food security; healthier and fresher food; pollination from beekeeping; and the companionship of such animals.
Planners work with city officials to establish codes and zoning to accommodate and promote urban livestock. While chickens and goats are the most allowed livestock in U.S. urban areas, some cities also permit horses and cows.
Austin, Seattle, Chicago, and Boston have been noted for: Allowing slaughtering and sales of chickens; the keeping of goats, cows, horses and sheep; and for clarifying exactly what can be raised, under what conditions, and in which areas of the city.
“Goat on rough walkway near unrecognizable tailor in old building” by Memet Turgut Kirkgoz from Pexels.
In short, whether it be siting dog parks, creating urban farming zones, or planning for the public health, Planning Matters in how human and nonhuman animals share cities.
Urban & Regional Planning Program at Michigan State University
Urban and regional planning investigates the connection between our physical spaces, communities and the individual. Through the combination of data, environmental research, creative design and community outreach, planners have the potential to positively impact the way we exist with our environment.
As our society grapples with issues of the environment, social justice, culture, economic development and sustainability, Planners are at the forefront of developing creative and inclusive solutions to the ongoing demands of the economic, social and environmental development of our communities at varying scales (from the local to the regional/national).
The MSU Urban & Regional Planning program was established in 1946 and offers a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and a Ph.D. in Planning, Design and Construction with a concentration in Urban and Regional Planning. | <urn:uuid:9319e11e-f1b6-4ea2-8468-9bfa2ed66e04> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/planning-for-pangolins-and-pandemics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.922921 | 928 | 2.578125 | 3 |
What is Binary Trading? What are the key terms used in binary trading? These include Up/Down (High/Low) foreign exchange rate pairs, stock price and Crude oil. The term Binary Trading refers to all financial instruments that depend on price movement. It is usually the most profitable method of trading. This article will give a basic overview of the different types of financial instruments. Once you have a basic knowledge, you can practice with a demo account. Allfxbrokers Products Binary-optionsbinary Options Trading Brokers Allfxbrokers
The most basic binary option is called Up/Down (High/Low) also known as Call/Put options. It determines if an underlying’s price will be greater or lower when the contract. This option is only profitable when the forecast is right. If the option is in cash at the time of expiration, the trader will be compensated the premium as well as the payout ratio. This ranges from seventy- to ninety percent.
Binary trading is a well-known type of trading. This kind of trade is offered by a majority of brokers. The principle behind it is simple: forecast the value of an asset by analysing market trends. When the price is rising or falling, you’ll earn an amount or lose some amount. Before you can enter your trade, you will need to identify the expiry date. Allfxbrokers Products Binary-optionsbinary Options Trading Brokers Allfxbrokers
Options that fluctuate between up and down can be very profitable. Traders can earn money on an investment by analyzing the direction of the price of a stock. The value of the stock could fluctuate or rise on the same day an announcement is made. However, it could fall in value, too, making it a high-risk trade. If you’re not familiar with binary trading, you can check out the up-and-down chart on the EUR/GBP currency pair.
If you are new to binary options, it’s a good idea to research licensed brokers and licensed brokers. A top broker is the best choice. Most brokers have demo accounts available for newbies to try out their trading platform. It is recommended to read reviews from others before signing up with a broker. This will allow you to see if the strategy works. If you’re unsure, create a demo account and see the results for yourself. Allfxbrokers Products Binary-optionsbinary Options Trading Brokers Allfxbrokers
If you’re looking to make money from trends and breakout patterns you should consider the High/Low option. The disadvantage of this option is that you are unable to select the expiry time. However, this is rectified by using an builder. Option Builder is utilized by many traders to set their expiry times. This strategy lets you profit from multiple trading opportunities within the same asset.
Foreign exchange rate pairs
If you’re considering investing in the forex market, you should know that there are numerous ways to earn money in this currency trading market. In the forex market, there are different stakeholders including banks as well as retail investors. These investors can leverage leverage to increase their trading volume. One of the best ways to leverage is to purchase more of the currency you wish to purchase than you are able to afford to lose. For example, you can buy six euro bills instead of one dollar bill.
Currency pairs used in binary trading are typically traded on the forex market, and most online brokers will offer more than 80 currency pairs that are traded daily. The most popular currencies are EUR/USD and GBP/USD. The most commonly used currency pairs used for binary trading are the USD/USD and EUR/USD. Allfxbrokers Products Binary-optionsbinary Options Trading Brokers Allfxbrokers
The most commonly used currency pair is EUR/USD. It tells you how many US Dollars it takes to buy one Euro. EUR/USD is not as closely related to other currencies like the JPY/AUD. The Euro is considered the most stable of the major currencies. The Japanese Yen is second in popularity and is utilized by financial institutions as a reference for Asian economies’ performance.
The market for foreign exchange is a complex market and forex isn’t an exception. Forex trading pairs are risky, and the capital staked may not be well-known. There are many ways to earn money on the forex market. Forex is an excellent way to diversify your investment portfolio, regardless of whether you wish to invest in just one currency or in several currencies. Currency trading is not for novices. If you’re not familiar with the market, you should think about studying fundamentals of forex prior to making a decision.
To get the most value from your forex trading, be aware of the currency pairs with which you are trading. Make sure you choose the right currency pair that is compatible with your financial capacity and strategy. Whether you choose to trade in stocks or forex it is important to know which currency pairs are. Binary traders love forex pairs, but it can be confusing to know how to choose the most effective currency pair. It isn’t easy to pick the best currency pair, especially with the many options. Allfxbrokers Products Binary-optionsbinary Options Trading Brokers Allfxbrokers
In the world of binary trading, you have the option to trade crude oil in USD or other currencies that are traded. There aren’t any changes planned yet, but many analysts believe that the USD will eventually lose its status as the currency of choice. In any case, there are things to consider when you decide to trade oil in binary form. Continue reading to learn more about trading crude oil in binary format. If you’re not sure where to start Here are some helpful resources.
Investors should first review the US Department of Energy’s crude oil inventories report. This report, which excludes the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, shows changes in the supply and demand balance. Prices fluctuate based on these numbers, but it is not the only factor affecting oil prices. To make the most accurate predictions it is necessary to utilize many data points and combine them with the EIA statistics. The quantity of barrels available at the date of publication determines price of oil.
The price of crude oils fluctuates significantly on different markets. The price of crude oil is directly affected by natural disasters, political events and deviations from currency markets. There are two types of crude oil contracts that are spot and futures. Spot contracts reflect current prices on the market, whereas futures contracts indicate prices that buyers and sellers will pay on a later date. Crude oil is traded in both spot and derivatives markets throughout the world.
Global economic conditions have a significant influence on the price of crude oil. When oil prices increase, it is because of the demand for energy. Even with fluctuations in demand the global economy is still a major exporter of energy-related products. As such, any change in energy prices will have an impact on the value of the Canadian dollar. Despite the volatility in crude oil prices, there are many factors that could affect the price. Weather can have a major impact on the price of oil, and it is also able to change quickly.
Crude oil, as with all commodities is subject to fluctuation. It is essential to predict the price in the near future in order to earn an income. Traders can generally forecast the price of a commodity by the use of a chart. With this tool, you can create multiple trading strategies and make a substantial turnover. Like trading in stock markets trading in crude oil will also allow you to diversify your portfolio. Allfxbrokers Products Binary-optionsbinary Options Trading Brokers Allfxbrokers
Binary options are a term you may have heard of if ever traded stocks. These contracts permit you to place a bid or offer on the basis of the price of an underlying assets. Profits from binary options are the difference between the value of the contract and the amount of premium you pay. These contracts are great to lock in profits since they are useless if the asset fails to reach the exercise threshold before the expiration date.
The UK financial regulator regulates binary options as well as contracts for difference which are both forms of binary options. Binary trading is controlled by CySEC and FCA, but the Australian Securities and Investment Commission is the one who oversees it. Although binary options were recently banned in the UK The law is not legally binding in Australia or the United States. This law is designed to protect traders, not discourage them. Binary trading is a great tool for both traders and investors.
The main difference between binary trading and stock trading is that stocks are traded on the stock exchange. Both require you to predict price fluctuations and have a sound risk management system. There are many frauds in both of these areas, therefore it is crucial to choose a licensed broker to limit the risk. You can reduce the risk of trading in stocks. You’ll also have more options in regards to the brokers you choose to work with.
It is crucial to conduct extensive research prior to trading in binary trading. Although you can use the same strategies for binary trading like traditional options, it’s best to conduct a market analysis prior to making any trades. The goal is to make money by choosing the right direction for the value of the asset that is the basis. If the underlying asset moves in the direction you anticipate the trader is paid all of the fixed payoff. Allfxbrokers Products Binary-optionsbinary Options Trading Brokers Allfxbrokers | <urn:uuid:2c15e03e-ca8d-49c9-9c99-3e028103adc2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://litecoinrain.org/allfxbrokers-products-binary-optionsbinary-options-trading-brokers-allfxbrokers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572870.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817062258-20220817092258-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.940877 | 1,974 | 1.898438 | 2 |
I Vitelloni Jonathan Dawson August 2007 CTEQ Annotations on Film Issue 44 I Vitelloni (1953 Italy 103 mins) Prod Co: Peg-Film, Roma/Cité Films Dir: Federico Fellini Scr: Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano Phot: Otello Martell Ed: Rolando Benedetti Prod Des: Mario Chiari Mus: Nino Rota Cast: Franco Interlenghi, Franco Fabrizi, Alberto Sordi, Leopoldo Trieste, Riccardo Fellini, Eleonora Ruffo Federico Fellini made I Vitelloni before he became a cinematic institution. This is a film that crackles with rebellious energy and yet is also shot through with a sort of melancholy for Fellini’s own formation as a young artist: it marks both the central and the end point of his apprenticeship as a great filmmaker. In his documentary Mio viaggio in Italia (2001), Martin Scorsese refers endlessly to the profound effects on his growing sensibility of neo-realist movies from Italy that he watched again and again on television and in the fleapits of his corner of New York (1). No films were to influence him more significantly and the traces of this can be found throughout his entire oeuvre. In his voiceover narration, Scorsese observes that I Vitelloni was a powerful influence on his own Mean Streets (1973). It shows. I Vitelloni was a film made before Fellini let loose the surreal tendencies that drove his work towards a kind of cinematic magic realism after La Dolce Vita (1960). He had begun his career in movies as a writer: left-leaning (who wasn’t at that time in the post-World War II period?) and in thrall to the possibilities of neo-realism before deciding that it was a dead-end considering his more furious and poetic energies. I Vitelloni is a film about leaving youth behind. Its opening shot focuses on a gang of young men walking arm-in-arm through a sleepy Adriatic town: ironically these confident youths look a bit like a group of fascist street toughs from Mussolini’s Italy of barely twenty years before. While its final swooping sequence (dreamlike and anything but “realist”) moves like a modern crane shot through the bedrooms of the four sleeping vitelloni that Moraldo, the only character to ultimately move away the town, leaves behind. It’s a vision of Moraldo’s escape from the confines of old friendship, and his trip to the Big Smoke. I Vitelloni –“young bulls” or “slackers” (my translation) – is above all a story about friends mired in a seaside town. Fausto (Franco Fabrizi) is the flash Don Juan of the group, Leopoldo (Leopoldo Trieste) a wannabe playwright, Alberto (Alberto Sordi) a mummy’s boy (momoni) who lives with his mother off the wages of his sister, and Moraldo (Franco Interlenghi) is the group’s moral centre and (we guess) the voiceover narrator. Seaside towns have an intrinsic drama of their own: the revolving arrival and departure of summer visitors; the sense of young people on the edge of nostalgia and loss. For Fellini, growing up in Rimini, which is very like the (nameless) towns in I Vitelloni and Amarcord (1973), summers offered the chance to come into contact with snazzy city folk on holiday, to hear about the latest fashion, movies, or just plain gossip. The most powerful influences on the young Fellini are less classical than those of many other writers and directors of the time. He loved Italian popular culture of the period. Cartoons, caricatures, and radio comedy were the populist art forms that brought him to the cinema as a gagman and scriptwriter. Novelist Italo Calvino also noted the influence of mass culture on Fellini’s style as a “forcing of the photographic image… from an image of caricature toward that of the visionary” (2). For the post-war Left, a film’s critical value was mostly judged on whether it depicted Italy’s social problems and offered a socialist (ideally, Marxist) remedy. Old school directors, however anti-establishment, were labelled conservative. As a recent veteran of the scripting team responsible for two seminal works of Italian neo-realism, Roma città aperta and Paisa (Roberto Rossellini, 1945 and 1946), Fellini was well-placed and interested in moving toward a “cinema of Reconstruction”. After Paisa, he redefined his artistic credo as “looking at reality with an honest eye” (3). Although far less overtly dreamlike than Fellini’s later work, I Vitelloni has the feeling of a daydream, of memories strung together. The backdrop for the film is the selection of “Miss Siren”, a local beauty contest that marks the official end of the summer season. These lads are obsessed with girls! Fausto attempts to avoid marrying Moraldo’s sister when he discovers she is pregnant, has a string of affairs after their marriage, and is bullied into a sort of temporary decency by the film’s end. Alberto’s sister elopes, leaving him flat broke. For his part, Moraldo hovers on the edge of his friends’ failures and, finally, he takes a dawn train to Rome, saying goodbye to home, his fellow vitelloni and, symbolically, an older, more traditional Italy. The whole story is like a classic bildungsroman: a vision of Moraldo’s escape from the confines of old friendship and into maturity. So, when Moraldo hops on the train for the big city, it is the younger Fellini we really see, ready for the international challenges of a less regional cinema, and unafraid to try himself against the cinematic universe. Half a century on, with Fellini’s films now viewed down the long end of the telescope, I Vitelloni seems, like its young protagonists, the first edgy stirrings of a young artist, confident, ready for anything, but also profoundly, disturbingly modern. Loosely structured and eccentrically narrated, I Vitelloni sometimes seems like an early pitch for Fellini’s “breakthrough” movie, La Dolce Vita. It is also a clear eyed snapshot of Italy in the immediate post-war period, full of references to the tidal social changes underway and a seminal film in Italian cinema: one of the first to detail the effects of technology, celebrity and mobility on Italian life (4). Endnotes Part Two of Scorsese’s documentary deals with the stylistic advances made by such filmmakers as Luchino Visconti, Michelangelo Antonioni and Fellini, with the latter’s works, most notably I Vitelloni, having a particularly important impact on Scorsese’s work. Peter Bondanella, The Cinema of Federico Fellini, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1992, p. 9. Peter Bondanella and Manuela Gieri (eds), Federico Fellini, Director, Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, NJ, 1987, p. 217. Other works consulted in the writing of this essay include: Federico Fellini, Fellini on Fellini, trans. Isabel Quigley, Delacorte Press, New York, 1976; Stuart Rosenthal, The Cinema of Federico Fellini, A.S. Barnes, South Brunswick, 1976; John Caldwell Stubbs, Federico Fellini: a Guide to References and Resources, G.K. Hall, Boston, 1978. | <urn:uuid:0cc7bc5c-6ef1-4ce7-8c1f-be7fb523520e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2007/cteq/vitelloni/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571950.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813111851-20220813141851-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.942882 | 1,668 | 1.59375 | 2 |
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