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__label__cc	0.730506	0.269494	8 Bridges Hudson River Swim - 2019 rondi Member April 24 edited June 7 in Event Announcements Swimmers, NYOW’s ninth 8 Bridges will run from June 8 to 15th in 2019 and we still have single race availability for several stages. 8 Bridges is a unique opportunity to experience the Hudson River in all her glory, from her fjords, to her great bridges, to swimming past Lady Liberty herself. If you have been hesitant because of early season temperatures in NY, have no fear - we are already seeing temps into the 50s with 6 weeks to go, aka: ideal marathon swimming conditions. Additionally, our kayak registrations are at an all-time high, which means you will have world class support on the river. Our paddlers are one of a kind: skilled, hardy, devoted, and there for the love of the event. Most of these folks spend the entire week on the river, camping along the way and living out of a kayak. They are eager to support swimmers again in 2019, so take advantage of this opportunity to join one of the marquee open water events of the year. For more information, please visit: https://nyopenwater.org/8-bridges-hudson-river-swim/ 8bridges Stage 1 starts tomorrow (Saturday June 8). Live tracking at https://track.rs/NYOW/ aafairman New York, NYMember June 8 edited June 8 The first stage of the 9th Annual 8 Bridges Swim was a success, with all 11 swimmers completing the 18.3 mile course from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge to Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge. Chad Schneider of New South Wales, Australia set a new men’s course record with a time of 4:38:49 and both 7-stagers (John Bachelder of Littleton, CO swimming butterfly and Andrew Wells of Oxfordshire, Great Britain) were successful. Swimmers and kayakers enjoyed near perfect conditions today with clear skies, a light wind from the north, fast currents and an average water temperature of 68.5. Complete results follow. Chad Schneider (NSW, AUS) 4:38:49 (New Men's Record) Steve Gruenwald (Faribault, MN) 5:22:07 Dana Page (Washington, DC) 5:23:40 Lauren Byron (Rumson, NJ) 5:24:32 Joseph Kaufman (Scarsdale, NY) 5:25:13 Andrew Wallace (Ocean Grove, NJ) 5:27:00 John Batchelder (Littleton, CO) 5:27:30 Edward Riley (New York, NY) 5:28:03 Andrew Wells (Oxfordshire, GBR) 5:29:36 Jim Chiudioni (Needham, MA) 5:29:49 Mary Stella (Plains, PA) 5:52:45 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim, the longest marathon swim in the world, continues tomorrow with Stage 2. Swimmers will splash at 8:06 AM at the Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge and continue 19.8 miles to the Mid-Hudson Bridge. STAGE 2 OFFICIAL START LIST (June 9, 2019) * John Batchelder (Littleton, CO) Lauren Byron (Rumson, NJ) Judy Caves (Pittsburgh, PA) Jim Chiudioni (Needham, MA) Dongho Choi (Princeton, NJ) Rondi Davies (New York, NY) Erica Flickinger (Phoenixville, PA) Ryan McCabe (Washington, DC) Mary Stella (Plains, PA) Andrew Wells (Oxfordshire, GBR) Andrew Wallace (Ocean Grove, NJ) Dana Page (Washington, D.C.) Janice Burton (Frostburg, MD) Steve Gruenwald (Faribault, MN) All 8 Bridges swimmers can be tracked via GPS during the swim at https://track.rs/NYOW. SuddethB Member Is Batches swimming his stages all butterfly? He had been thinking about it. Ryan McCabe posted the fastest time ever for Stage 2 of the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim, completing the 19.8 mile course in 5:21:37. Swimmers enjoyed another day of near perfect conditions: sunny, little wind, fast currents and flat water. 10 of 14 swimmers finished the swim, including John Batchelder and Andrew Wells, who are attempting the full 7-stage event. Full Results: Ryan McCabe (Washington, DC) 5:21:37 New Course Record Jonah Meyer (New York, NY) 6:18:30 Erica Flickinger (Phoenixville, PA) 6:24:23 Judy Caves (Pittsburgh, PA) 6:30:49 Janice Burton (Frostburg, MD) 6:42:42 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim continues tomorrow with Stage 3. Swimmers will splash at 8:24 AM at the Mid-Hudson Bridge and swim 13.2 miles to the Beacon Newburgh Bridge. All 8 Bridges swimmers can be tracked via GPS during the swim at this link: https://track.rs/NYOW STAGE 3 OFFICIAL START LIST (June 10, 2019) Jacqueline Broner (New York, NY) Craig Dunbar (Midlothian, VA) Heather Fairbanks (Midlothian, VA) ) Ozlen Luznar (Catonsville, MD) Charles Van Der Horst (Chapel Hill, NC) Ali Hall (San Francisco, CA) Leslie Hamilton (New York, NY) Amy Frick (Chester, VA) June 10 edited June 10 Stage 3 started on a peaceful Monday morning with little commercial traffic and calm conditions on the Hudson River as an influx of new swimmers arrived from NC, VA, MD, PA and CA. Patchy clouds turned to overcast, and gusts arrived near the finish, but the rain held off until the swimmers had cleared the water. In her longest career swim, Leslie Hamilton of New York, NY won the stage, followed by Heather Fairbanks and John Batchelder. Batchelder switched from his usual butterfly to freestyle approximately 1 hour into the swim and even did a little backstroke under the bridge. Full Results: 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim continues tomorrow with Stage 4. Swimmers will splash at 9:30 AM at the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and swim 15.2 miles to the Bear Mountain Bridge. All 8 Bridges swimmers can be tracked via GPS during the swim at this link: https://track.rs/NYOW STAGE 4 OFFICIAL START LIST (June 11, 2019) Hannah Borgeson (New York, NY) Adrienne Groccia (Eastchester, NY) John Hughes (Stamford, CT) Steven Spiegel (Amherst, MA) Andrew Wells (Oxford, GBR) Abigail Bergman (Culver City, CA) Records continue to fall in the 2019 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim. On Tuesday, Adrienne Groccia, Abigail Bergman and John Batchelder all raced the entire distance to finish under the previous record set by 7-stager Cheryl Reinke in 2016. Groccia ultimately took first place in a new course record time of 4:07:45. The rest of the field also did extremely well with all 11 swimmers finishing. Stage 4 started out cloudy with NNW winds building to 15 mph with gusts above 20 mph. The tail winds pushed the swimmers along a fast flowing ebb, though the choppy waters were a challenge. The tight bend in the river at World's End blocked the wind and the second half of the swim, from West Point to the bridge, was calm and fast. The sun came out, swimmers found their groove, and all pushed hard to the finish. Full results follow: Tomorrow the swimmers and crew will enjoy a rest day. 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim will resume on Thursday with “The Beast”, a 19.8 mile swim from Bear Mountain Bridge to the New Tappan Zee Bridge. All 8 Bridges swimmers can be tracked via GPS during the swim at this link: https://track.rs/NYOW Spacemanspiff Dallas, TexasSenior Member Looks like it was a successful day on the Hudson... "Lights go out and I can't be saved Tides that I tried to swim against Have brought be down upon my knees Oh I beg, I beg and plead..." I'm gutted for Charlie - by all accounts a wonderful and impactful human being - and those who loved him and will miss him. And I'm sick for David, Rondi, Alex, and our friends at New York Open Water. They are leading lights of our sport and I know they'll lead us through this, too. It's a sobering reminder of how quickly things can go wrong in open waters, even with the most experienced organizers with the most sophisticated safety protocols. (New York, NY) - On behalf of New York Open Water, it is with great sadness that we report the loss of a swimmer today on Stage 6 of the 8 Bridges Open Water Swim. Our thoughts are first and foremost with the swimmer’s family and in respect for their privacy, we are declining to name the swimmer at this time. The New York Police Department is continuing search efforts in the Hudson River and the Stage 7 swim scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled. We can confirm that all swimmer safety protocols were in place and that the NYPD was escorting the field. We will continue to work closely with the authorities and will provide updates as they become available. https://www.apnews.com/a314c63236b1450c8d397f522c09cc93 More on Charles: NPR interview: https://www.wunc.org/post/doctor-who-loves-patient-care-meet-charlie-van-der-horst Guest article in Herald Sun (NC): https://www.heraldsun.com/opinion/article208792949.html USMS profile article: https://forum.marathonswimmers.org/uploads/editor/wf/3qzlpe680924.pdf and 15 others. Pasquale Antwerp (Belgium)Member I am very sad.. I was following his swims on Facebook and we had exchanged messages few days ago. I never met him but I had immediately a good impression of him and he was really motivated and training long for this swim. He was a source motivation. Really a sad loss. ViveBene Member This is hard news indeed. Thank you, evmo, for linking information on a principled humanitarian and force for good in many people's lives. curly Issaquah, WAMember I really liked his guest article in the Herald Sun. He sounds like a great guy. Thanks @evmo for posting those articles to give us a good sense of the person behind the name. ruth New Jersey, USAMember His obituary is posted here. His family requested donations to the progressive cause of your choice--I made a donation to the Open Door Clinic in Raleigh, NC, where he volunteered. Thanks for the information Ruth. I made a donation in Charlie's honor to the Open Door Clinic. Copelj26 ChicagoMember Thanks Ruth, followed suit on Open Door Clinic in his honor. EOD Member They recovered Charlie’s body. He was discovered yesterday at Dyckman St. the NY side of the Hudson, believe it’s not far from the GW Bridge. This will be so helpful in giving his family closure. I connected with Charlie on Instagram about a month ago, was following his training. Traded messages with him and he seemed a friendly and enthusiastic person, and from what we read was well respected by those who knew him... I am happy he got to finish the stage 6 swim. RIP Charlie, you definitely stepped into the arena and lived life to the fullest. Thank you 8 Bridges swimmers Lauren Byron and Heather Gold for writing these blog posts about Stage 6: https://8bridges.org/it-takes-an-ocean-not-to-break/ https://8bridges.org/swimming-in-the-shadow-of-the-clouds-and dpm50 PA, U.S.Senior Member @JustSwim said: Me too! Thanks, Ruth, for the link. I'll have more to say in a later post or comment. I never met him in person but I feel as if I did through Facebook and Messenger. So encouraging and friendly.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1167
__label__wiki	0.82432	0.82432	Manchester To Host UK SuperCasino Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:01 PM GMT143 By Pete Harrison LONDON (Reuters) – Manchester unexpectedly won the fight to host the first Las Vegas-style supercasino on Tuesday, beating challengers including nearby Blackpool and London’s Millennium Dome. Most industry analysts had predicted that either Blackpool, the Dome in London or Glasgow would win. Parliament must now rubber-stamp the decision by the independent Casino Advisory Panel before companies start bidding to develop and operate the Manchester casino, and 16 smaller venues. “Manchester represents a good place to test social impact,” said panel Chairman Stephen Crow. He emphasised the importance of the casino fuelling regeneration in the region. “Manchester … is an area in need of regeneration at least as much as any of the others we observed,” he added. Local MP Graham Stringer said he was “astonished” but delighted that Manchester had won the bid. “It’s going to bring a lot of jobs and regeneration to a part of the city that really needs it,” he told BBC television. READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE AT REUTERS	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1172
__label__cc	0.741199	0.258801	Home / News / Business News / Rhonda Halstead Named President of PH Clearfield Rhonda Halstead Named President of PH Clearfield Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2018 by Gant Team in Business News, Health News, Local News, Top Stories Rhonda Halstead (Provided photo) CLEARFIELD – Rhonda Halstead, MSM, has been named president of Penn Highlands Clearfield. She will be responsible for the overall operations and growth of the hospital. Halstead comes to Penn Highlands Clearfield from Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio, Texas, where she was chief operations officer as well as ethics and compliance officer since 2015. She has also served as vice president and assistant administrator and administrative director at Rideout Regional Medical Center in Marysville, Calif. Halstead also has had leadership roles at HCA Gulf Coast Medical Center in Panama City, Fla.; Therapeutic Health Center in Destin, Fla.; and Vencore Hospital in Tampa, Fla. She received her Associate’s degree in respiratory care from Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla.; her Bachelor’s degree in social sciences from The Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla.; her Master’s degree in management, health administration from Troy University in Troy, Ala.; and Major Field Test Master’s in business administration from Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. She also attended an American College of Healthcare Executive Development program in 2012. Halstead is a member of the American Association of Respiratory Care, the California Society of Respiratory Care and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is a certified College of American Pathology Inspector and is licensed in several states as a licensed respiratory therapist. Halstead was awarded the 2005 North Florida Division Certificate of Excellence for her contribution in Ethics, Compliance and Corporate Responsibility. She comes to PH Clearfield not just with experience, but also a solid philosophy. “What has driven me during my career is the belief that you should show up to work with your true self, not only your knowledge and expertise, but also your values,” she said. She likes to use the quote: “Stay true to who you are and have the courage of your convictions; you will be a genuine and courageous leader.” Halstead and her husband, Wayne, are both natives of Panama City, Fla. They are both very excited to make their home in Clearfield and become an integrated part of the community. They look forward to their three children, Shannon, Zac and Katie visiting with their six grandchildren. The family is already planning a trip to see the snow. Halstead and her husband love the outdoors, fishing, hunting and golfing and feel Clearfield is the perfect place to call home. Sportsmen's Club Holds Annual Fishing Derby Blood Drive Slated for June 14 in DuBois Clearfield Penn Highlands Penn Highlands Healthcare Rhonda Halstead Gretchen Carlson: ‘Every damn woman still has a story’ about harassment This pill could make your dog (and maybe you) live longer Are Chinese hackers dialing back attacks on the U.S.? Landfill Gas Use Supported by DEP, PennDOT	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1173
__label__wiki	0.604443	0.604443	Board index Discussion Forums Strategic Issues & International Relations Forum Islamism & Islamophobia Abroad - News & Analysis (9-8-2014) The Strategic Issues & International Relations Forum is a venue to discuss issues pertaining to India's security environment, her strategic outlook on global affairs and as well as the effect of international relations in the Indian Subcontinent. We request members to kindly stay within the mandate of this forum and keep their exchanges of views, on a civilised level, however vehemently any disagreement may be felt. All feedback regarding forum usage may be sent to the moderators using the Feedback Form or by clicking the Report Post Icon in any objectionable post for proper action. Please note that the views expressed by the Members and Moderators on these discussion boards are that of the individuals only and do not reflect the official policy or view of the Bharat-Rakshak.com Website. Copyright Violation is strictly prohibited and may result in revocation of your posting rights - please read the FAQ for full details. Users must also abide by the Forum Guidelines at all times. Re: Islamism & Islamophobia Abroad - News & Analysis (9-8-20 Postby Singha » 26 Dec 2015 08:26 the more rapid spread of islam compared to christianity is because islam came along at a time when its leading peer competitors like persia, mongol khanates, carthage and rome were in serious decline and it could fill the power vacuum rapidly...more rapidly than christianity which had a long period of struggle before being accepted as the state religion of the eastern roman empire in constantinople and spread across the 5 patriarchies from alexandria to rome. there was none strong enough at the time to persecute muslims as a minority faith in a bigger state religion. Theo sir iirc was speculating that just two decisive victories gave them the levers to unlock the gates east and west. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Yarmouk (in syria) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of ... 81disiyyah (iraq) Postby shiv » 26 Dec 2015 15:44 Link via Tarek Fatah on Twitter - article by Srinagar woman on Hijab. Excerpts - click link to read it all http://nation.com.pk/blogs/24-Dec-2015/ ... -oppressed It was then that I started reading about Stockholm Syndrome, white guilt, etc. I started to realize then that the women who were advocating the veil the most were the ones who found meaning in the approval of the Islamist frat boys that they earned through subjugating themselves with the 'penguin dress'. Muslims opposing the hijab have to face arguments about personal choice from hijabi women, but it’s not about freedom of choice at all. It’s about hijabi women wanting to preserve the roles, responsibilities, obligations and limitations of women in Muslim society. That this results in pressure on all women to fall into line is not a problem for the hijabis because they think it perfectly right for women to know and occupy their proper place. So the millions of women who are forced into the hijab, face not just the men who command it, but also the women who agree with those men, and dress it up as “freedom of choice”. Postby Lisa » 26 Dec 2015 16:36 From an old link to show how an idea can imbed itself http://freshpics.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07 ... 1960s.html Afghanistan before the taliban, images by Mohammad Qayoumi imo it would be more fair to say kabul in the 50s and 60s. their village society was and is remains very conservative though in due course with spread of soviet style universal education and industrialization, I am sure that would have changed for the better. just as in india mumbai and pune were decades ahead as places where women could wear whatever they wanted without censure, drive, go to work, take up any career to earn a living ... but that is still not universally true of india even today. Falijee Postby Falijee » 26 Dec 2015 19:30 Brunei Bans Christmas - Part II How the Sultan of Brunei Stole Christmas He kept his own harem, and believes gays should be stoned to death. Now the hypocritical sultan has banned all manner of festive merriment. He should set an example and single out his "playboy brother" for this Non-Sharia Compliant behaviour ! The “Playboy Prince” grew up in unparalleled luxury in a gilded palace that looms over the tiny kingdom of Brunei on the northern shores of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Behind the palace gates, his lavish and lascivious lifestyle—think harem of international models—stands in sharp contrast to the strict religious control he has imposed upon his people. Last year, the Sultan’s Religious Enforcement Division raided businesses and demanded that Christmas trees be destroyed and store clerks take off their Santa costumes. This year, the kingdom’s imams(trained in Saudia?) are concentrating on Muslims who might join the end-of-year celebrations. This year, the kingdom’s imams are concentrating on Muslims who might join the end-of-year celebrations. The latest crackdown comes as Christmas-lovers all over the Middle East take to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to proclaim their freedom to erect Christmas trees in their homes against the wishes of hardline clerics. Many of those featured on the My Treedom Facebook page come from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria, where Christmas parties are wisely kept below the radar. Lisa Daftari, who edits the Foreign Desk website, has even had a submission from Brunei, where a secret party was held in a restaurant that boasted a wreath, a couple of Santa’s hats, and magnificent, star-topped Christmas tree. Fatwa Ruling On E-Cigarettes Contested In Malaysia E-cigarettes declared HARAM in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR (Web Desk) – Malaysia’s National Fatwa Council has declared smoking electronic cigarettes ‘haram’, citing religious and ‘dangerous’ health concerns. Local e-smokers are incensed, calling on the council to reconsider its strict edict, Russia Today reported on Saturday. Have the Malsi watchdogs made a ruling on "regular" cigarettes; enquiry minds want to know- Haram or Halal? “From the syariah [the Malay spelling of ‘Sharia’] aspect, it is detrimental to health. Islam forbids its followers from using things that can harm them directly or indirectly; immediately or gradually that can lead to death, damage the body, result in dangerous illnesses or harm the mind,” the council’s chairman, Dr. Abdul Shukor Husin, stated, according to the New Straits Times. “E-cigarettes and vapes are categorized as repulsive due to its harming effects and bad smell. They also have an element of wastage, which is by spending money on things that are harmful and non-beneficial,” he added. “We are seeing women and school children showing interest in vape. The decision is made to prevent an unhealthy culture from spreading to future generations,” Husin said. However, the Malaysian E-Vaperisers and Tobacco Alternative Association (Mevta) has called on the National Fatwa Council to review its ruling. Electronic cigarettes are currently banned for Muslims in four Malaysian states. The Fatwa Council has called on the rest of the country to follow their example.“Tonight’s decision is also in line with the opinions of several other Muslim countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates,” Husin said. So, Malaysia along with the brotherly nation of Brunie, has also opted for the "greener path" on it's road to salvation. One positive way of looking at this absurd discussion is to take comfort in the fact that these so-called Sharia experts are "peacefully employed" instead of venting their anger and rousing the Aam Abduls of Malaysia to do the "violent Jihad" like as in the other "brotherly" state of Pakistan Last edited by Falijee on 27 Dec 2015 02:41, edited 1 time in total. Postby member_19686 » 27 Dec 2015 01:23 Mehdi Hasan the Al Jazeera mullah whose discussion with Ram Madhav is doing the rounds: You can hear him saying it here (0:50): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzUb0OG ... e=youtu.be So could someone else on the panel or in the audience please point out that Mehdi Hasan has expressed similar contempt for us infidels as Isis have? Here is a reminder of a sermon he gave in 2009: ‘The kuffar, the disbelievers, the atheists who remain deaf and stubborn to the teachings of Islam, the rational message of the Koran; they are described in the Koran as “a people of no intelligence”, Allah describes them as not of no morality, not as people of no belief – people of “no intelligence” – because they’re incapable of the intellectual effort it requires to shake off those blind prejudices, to shake off those easy assumptions about this world, about the existence of God. In this respect, the Koran describes the atheists as “cattle”, as cattle of those who grow the crops and do not stop and wonder about this world.’ http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2015/11/on ... -infidels/ You can listen to this audio clip at the link He is a Shia BTW. Postby arun » 27 Dec 2015 12:18 From Hyderabad a case of Love Jihad with Mā malakat aymānukum? “Muslim engineer kidnapped his female colleague and raped her for five days 'to convince her to convert to Islam'” Mail On Line BRao Postby BRao » 27 Dec 2015 16:52 Watch this - https://t.co/CrM6fKQxH8 Warning: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC VISUALS Faithful in Afghanistan lynch a 27 year old Woman for burning the holy pook. This is the Religion of Peace. Spread it in your circles, let people vomit at the sheer gore and realise what a beast we're dealing with. A_Gupta Contact A_Gupta Postby A_Gupta » 28 Dec 2015 00:03 Work in progress. 1. Islam is a "religion of peace". - This is a theological claim, not a claim based on empirical evidence - observation of current events or of history. 2. There is a "true Islam" - This is a theological claim. It is true that Islam derives from three primary sources - the Quran, the Hadith, and the biography of the Prophet. That does not mean that Islam is a single, coherent set of doctrines with no internal contradictions. Rather, from the primary sources, a number of different sets of doctrines can be derived, and in practice, these result in Muslims being divided into various sects that are involved in friendly as well as deadly competition. - Our division of Muslims into "moderates" and "extremists" buys into the theological myth of a "true Islam", i.e., one side has moderated their practices with respect to the "true Islam" . No, both sides have true beliefs as per which their practices are true, where the standard of truth is the Islamic primary sources. They are incompatible because there is no single, coherent set of doctrines in Islam. 3. A "true Islam" can be established by peaceful means - via debate, etc. - Nothing in history suggests this. Moreover, some of the "there is a true Islam" factions explicitly feel they are justified in jihad - violent actions - to establish "true Islam". All such violent factions will have to be squashed - violently - in order to enable a peaceful debate among the rest. 4. A peaceful within-Islam pluralism is possible. - Some thinkers say that the very basis of faith in Islam is undermined if even theologically there is no "true Islam". - Various Muslim factions will always be in competition for the theological "true Islam". This competition will not necessarily be violent, but will always be a cause for tension that could erupt into violence, until all versions of Islam prohibit violence. Peace, when it has existed, has always been imposed by a strong ruler, not by popular acclaim. - The status of non-Muslims, even within some factions of the "peaceful within-Islam" pluralists is dubious. The non-believer, even if one of the "People of the Book", is profoundly immoral and unclean, like animals in letting his desires guide his actions. In the words of Maulana Mohammed Ali, a lying, thieving Muslim, by being a Muslim, has a higher moral standing than a Mahatma Gandhi. However, these beliefs need not bother anyone as long as their practical impact is limited - i.e., there is a separation of religion and state, religion and law, religion and legislation. 5. Islamic rules regarding apostates are not relevant. On the contrary, it is very relevant. Not mainly for leaving Islam, but even just for moving between the various "true Islam" factions. The charge of apostasy and the penalties for apostasy play a big role in the inter-faction rivalries and violence. JE Menon Postby JE Menon » 28 Dec 2015 00:32 BRao wrote: Watch this - Satya_anveshi Postby Satya_anveshi » 28 Dec 2015 10:18 600 copies of Koran burnt in French island of Corsica Dec 27, 2015 An Islamophobic attack rocked the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on Thursday night, when a large, angry crowd stormed a Muslim prayer room, chanting hateful slogans. Around 600 people smashed glass and burnt copies of the Koran. RT: How strong is Islamophobic sentiment in France and Europe at the moment? Cecile le Roux: It can only get stronger with the policies that are being put in place by [French] President, Francois Hollande, and his prime-minister, Manuel Valls. And you can see a result here with what happened. I mean obviously it’s absolutely awful, the event that happened in Ajaccio, but the reaction is just so full of anger and so obvious that it’s been built up by a feelings of Islamophobia, which is very-very sad to see in a country that’s supposed to be a pioneer of universal rights and of liberty and equality. I just finished reading the book "a forgotten empire - vijaynagar" by robert sewell . visiting hampi next weekend. will post some details on the fights of the kingdom with the bahmani and its successor 5 deccani sultanates . reading time after time of the large scale atrocities and massacres by these rivals - there seems no limit to the ambition, ferocity and intolerance of mussalman elites and their camp follower foot soldiers. there is also a interesting chapter on mohd bin tughlaq who preceded the bahmani sultan and did his own share of ravaging from gujarat to orissa. I will post in details tomorrow. some lessons can be learnt from it and I will post my takeaways too after the details from the book. our country is faced with the same existential threat today only it has shifted north of the border to TSP and afghanistan, with ever hungry pocket hordes in places inside india also acting as sympathizers...waiting and watching. Mohammadden religion motivated group Boko Haram on a Green on Green Intra-Mohammadden killing spree of co-religionists using female suicide bombers in Nigeria’s Mohammadden majority Adamawa State and Borno State where a Mohammadden place of worship i.e. a Mosque, among others, was targeted . Nigeria: Adamawa Government Says 17 Dead, 41 Injured in Madagali Suicide Attack Female Suicide Bomber Attacks Nigerian Mosque X Posted from the STFUP thread. In the Land of the Pure aka Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Green on Green Intra-Mohammadden violence takes the form of Mohammadden Clerics scuffling with each other in the Council for Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional body that advises the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s legislature whether or not a certain law is repugnant to Mohammaddenism. This is scuffle between Mohammadden Clerics is certainly not behavior that will send Non-Mohammaddens the message that claims by Mohammaddens that theirs is “The Religion of Peace” deserve to be even cursorily considered: Maulana Sherani, Ashrafi fight it out over 'Ahmadi issue' at CII meeting AbhiJ Contact AbhiJ Postby AbhiJ » 29 Dec 2015 17:34 Can anyone compare the below Islamic rulings of ISIS on treatment of captured booty women in Allah's fight in light of the Quran, surah and Islamic history: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/doc/slaves_fatwa.pdf The back-story of the Afghan lynching of Farkhunda Malikzada is instructive as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/world ... woman.html Farkhunda first visited the Shah-Do Shamshira shrine — named for a foreign warrior who is said to have helped bring Islam to Afghanistan — four weeks before her death. Farkhunda was appalled at the way the women’s superstitions were being exploited, her brother Mujibullah recalled. She confronted the custodian, Zainuddin, and the fortuneteller, Mohammad Omran, saying: “You are abusing the women. You are charging them money for something that is not Islamic, that is not religious.” As the atmosphere at the shrine became tense, Mujibullah said, “The custodian said to Farkhunda: ‘Who the hell are you? Who are you to say these things? Get lost.’ ” Farkhunda turned out to be right: There was something amiss at the shrine. Investigators from the police and the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence service, learned later that the fortuneteller, almost certainly with the assistance of the custodian, was trafficking in ** and condoms, said Shahla Farid, a member of the investigating committee set up by President Ashraf Ghani after the murder. ** is popular and easily available in Afghanistan. Some men see it as an aphrodisiac; others as a remedy if they are nervous on their wedding night. The investigators also found pregnancy test strips and sweet-smelling body wash in the fortuneteller’s bathroom, suggesting that women might have used it. Ms. Farid and police investigators said it was possible that the fortuneteller moonlighted as a pimp. The last thing the fortuneteller wanted was a young woman, fired with religious faith, disturbing his means of making a living. On March 19, the last day of her life, Farkhunda returned to the shrine. After lecturing the women about the uselessness of the amulets, she gathered up some used ones and may have set them on fire in a trash can, said Ms. Farid, who is also a law professor at Kabul University. “The custodian, Zainuddin, was illiterate, and he took the burnt papers and added to them some old pages of a burnt Quran, and that’s what he showed people outside the mosque as proof that she had burned the Quran,” Ms. Farid said. That is a charge almost guaranteed to bring a violent reaction in Afghanistan, where even the rumor of a Quran burning can bring hundreds into the streets, calling for blood. Muhammad Naeem, who sells pigeon feed across the road from the shrine, said he had heard the custodian calling out to people walking by: “A woman burned the Quran. I don’t know if this one is sick or mentally disturbed, but what kind of Muslim are you? Go and defend your Quran.” Mr. Naeem said that a police officer had tried to lead Farkhunda away, but that, mindful of Afghan custom as well as strict Islamic teachings, she had asked the officer to bring a policewoman. The crowd broke through. In cellphone recordings, more than one person can be heard shouting, “Kill her!” PS: The manifold ironies in the story need to be explicitly pointed out. The shrine in question is dedicated to a brutal colonizer, likely slaughterer of this woman's ancestors. The woman is upset over the non-Islamic nature of what going on in the shrine. The educated woman has turned green, not liberal. The custodian of the shrine uses the green violence over a burnt Quran to get rid of the green threat posed by the woman. The woman loses crucial moments that perhaps might have saved her life insisting on an Islamic police escort. The New York Times story meta-narrative is how western rule-of-law has not come to Afghanistan despite billions invested, one can only ask w.t.f. do they expect? vishvak BR Mainsite Crew Postby vishvak » 30 Dec 2015 00:01 The true believers of sect, to which the shrine belongs, claimed that God is one even while attacking woman of the same sect though questioning something ongoing. [God is one + true believer] is a deadly combo even for people in the same sect apparently, even though for kufr it would be the other way around ie true believer claim first, followed with passing reference to God is one and prophet is the only messenger. WND is a publication with an obvious bias, but still interesting: http://www.wnd.com/2015/12/this-muslim-defines-courage/ In the interview, Ziedan explains that the al-Aqsa Mosque is not the holy site modern-day Islam believes it to be, that the mosque is actually illegitimate and that Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is not a Muslim holy city. Ziedan tells the interviewer that after Muhammad was harassed into leaving Mecca, he journeyed to the city of Ta’if . “On the road to Ta’if [west of Mecca ] there were two mosques, Al-Adna Mosque (the nearest) and Al-Aqsa Mosque (the farthest).” So, he says, according to early Islamic historians such as al-Waqidi and others, “these two mosques were on the road from Mecca to Ta’if.” Looking at a map it is plain to see that Jerusalem is a no where close to either Mecca or Ta’if. He explains that the al-Aqsa Mosque did not even exist in Jerusalem at that time, nor was the city ever specifically referenced in the Quran. At that time, Jerusalem was known as Aelia, which was a Christian name, not al-Quds and in fact had no mosques at all. Ziedan then explains that the al-Aqsa Mosque was constructed by the fifth caliph, Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, 73 years after the founding of Islam as a purely political tool, “in order to infringe on the prestige of Mecca , which at the time was controlled by his political enemies. Al-Aqsa Mosque was a pawn in a political game, led by ibn Marwan,” said Ziedan. So it could not have been the mosque spoken of in the Quran. This is why, when the “Farthest Mosque” is referenced in verse 17.1 of the Quran, which depicts Muhammad’s journey out of Mecca, the name Jerusalem is placed in brackets, denoting that the name was added. Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/12/this-muslim- ... M64It5Z.99 Hindu mum: When will this end? Published on2015-12-30 12:12:232859 views M. Indira Ghandhi was distraught by the The Court of Appeal's move to overturn a lower court’s order quashing the unilateral conversion of her three children to Islam. http://m.kinitv.com/video/27343O8 Civil courts have no jurisdiction over conversions, defer to Shariah Court BY V. ANBALAGAN, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Published: 30 December 2015 10:52 AM \| Updated: 30 December 2015 2:17 PM The Court of Appeal, in a majority ruling today, held that the validity of conversion of three children by their Muslim father could only be determined by the Shariah Court. The appellate court, saying that the Ipoh High Court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the conversion, reversed a lower court’s order quashing the unilateral conversion of the three children to Islam. The three-man bench, headed by judge Datuk Balia Yusof Wahi, said taking the subject-matter approach, the conversion has to be decided by the religious court. Concurring with Balia was Datuk Dr Badariah Sahamid. Judge Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Bakar in his dissenting judgment said that the conversion was purely an administrative matter. He said the conversion was done by the Registrar of Conversion but did not comply strictly with the law. “The law states that the child must make the application and the father must consent,” he said. Here, he said, the father made the application. “So the entire exercise was a nullity from the beginning,” Hamid added. The judge also remarked that the conversion issue would not be settled as long as judges did not appreciate the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution. On July 25, 2013, then High Court judge Lee Swee Seng held the conversion certificates of the children – Tevi Darsiny, Karan Dinish and Prasana Diksa – were null and void. Lee cited provisions under Perak Shariah law where the children must be present to utter the affirmation of faith or the “syahadah”. He said the Perak state enactment required a child to be present before a certificate of conversion could be issued. This matter arose after the children’s father, Muhammad Riduan Abdullah, whose original named was K. Patmanathan, converted them without the knowledge and consent of his wife, kindergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi. The Perak Religious Department, the state and federal governments, Registrar of Conversions, Education Ministry and Riduan then challenged a High Court decision to quash the children’s conversion certificates. In 2009, Riduan went to the Shariah Court and obtained custody of the children but last year, the High Court ordered Riduan to return the children to his ex-wife. However, Riduan, who is said to be living in Kelantan, is still holding on to Prasana Diksa, now seven years old. Senior Federal Counsel Shamsul Bolhassan told the bench during submission in May that Riduan could unilaterally convert the children and the civil court has no jurisdiction to hear the case. “Only the Shariah Court is the right forum as the subject matter is about conversion.” He said the civil court could not adjudicate the matter even if the registrar who facilitated the conversion did not follow procedures. He added that it was legal for the father to convert the children because the Federal Court had pronounced that a parent could do so without the consent of the other spouse. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/mala ... XsATB.dpuf Postby saip » 30 Dec 2015 20:16 Not burning it is 'by FALSELY ACCUSING her of burning' This is a video made by the Great Satan. Muslims don't kill Muslims. Islam is a religion of peace. For does it not say in the Koran (IX:252) that to kill a human is like killing all of humanity. A_Gupta wrote: The New York Times story meta-narrative is how western rule-of-law has not come to Afghanistan despite billions invested, one can only ask w.t.f. do they expect? Rule of law is there all right. Not American law that's all. From Levant crisis thread, fatwas issued by Islamic Sultanate viewtopic.php?p=1957878#p1957878 A rape fatwa, religious decree to rape, infidels in step by step manner should be an eye opener to anyone trying to cover up barbarians in mob under one form or another. Fatwa No. 64, dated Jan. 29, 2015, and issued by Islamic State's Committee of Research and Fatwas, appears to codify sexual relations between IS fighters and their female captives for the first time, going further than a pamphlet issued by the group in 2014 on how to treat slaves. Among the fatwa's injunctions are bans on a father and son having sex with the same female slave; and the owner of a mother and daughter having sex with both. Joint owners of a female captive are similarly enjoined from intercourse because she is viewed as "part of a joint ownership." So what happens if a gang of barbarians do not follow even this fatwas/edicts? Are they going to hell for sure, or is there a pass given, for this too, by conscious keepers of mob. Ashok Sarraff Postby Ashok Sarraff » 31 Dec 2015 04:22 ^And to imagine great-great grandmothers of the current-day Pakistanis had to undergo all this at the hand of these barbarians! ^^Not just Pukis but many in India have faced the same atrocities at the hands of Islamists in India for centuries. You may know that in the deccan region of south (deccan itself is corrupt form of dakshin) there is/was a practice wherein a woman, after the death of her husband, shaves her head, wears only white sari, no bangles or sports a bindi/kumkum....this is more prominent among Brahmin widows. It turns out that this was because Islamists soldiers used to lift 'unclaimed' women out of towns/villages to be brought to their harems. By shaving head etc women made themselves look ugly so as to discourage islamists from taking them away. This was so common that it became a social practice and followed till about a generation ago. Select such women still live but thankfully this practice can be said to have died now. There are thousands of such stories from all across India from J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, to Delhi, UP, Bihar, Bengal. There is hardly any effort to educate the public about how our ancestors also faced very similar atrocities committed by ISIS. If anti-semitism or denial of holocaust is crime and subject of millions of articles all over the world, why not these atrocities that we have faced too? If I were PM of India, I will use this single issue to educate public, say that we cannot let this happen ever again not just to ourselves but even to others, and go bomb the shit out of these mofos. This will make entire women folks even among muslims to back such efforts. This will successfully divide the minority and enable ghar wapsi at the roots. We would also be the first country to wage a modern war to protect the honor of women and garner un-matchable soft power. Location: (IT-vity && DRDO) nagar Postby sum » 31 Dec 2015 06:27 Saar, in a country where even trying to critisize a guy like Aurangzeb or Tipu leads to "peaceful protests" all over the country, that seems a tall order. IIRC, the "minority" have turned the corner and gone past point of no-return and it is seen in their behaviour in personal conversation and online chatter ( region of country, education, wealth level etc doesnt matter). This should have been done immediately in 47-71 timeframe when the iron was hot. I believe the horse has long bolted and grim tidings are ahead as attitudes harden on both sides. I don't disagree. But that is precisely why we should find an external enemy and drive home the pt. Doing anything internally is difficult. Try to find provocateurs and manufacture consent if need be to achieve the goals. Postby KJo » 31 Dec 2015 08:10 Satya_anveshi wrote: ^^Not just Pukis but many in India have faced the same atrocities at the hands of Islamists in India for centuries. I am told that in North India weddings are held at night in order to avoid attention from Islamist forces who would kidnap the bride. Postby Arjun » 31 Dec 2015 08:13 sum wrote: IIRC, the "minority" have turned the corner and gone past point of no-return and it is seen in their behaviour in personal conversation and online chatter ( region of country, education, wealth level etc doesnt matter). This should have been done immediately in 47-71 timeframe when the iron was hot. I believe the horse has long bolted and grim tidings are ahead as attitudes harden on both sides. If it is true that Abrahamics have a strong tendency to develop victimization complex & deliberate denigrating attitude towards non-Abrahamic host societies where they are present as minorities - we need a term to be popularized for this phenomenon. Like Islamophobia, also a disputed term, both viewpoints can at least be debated in public. Any thoughts on what this term can be? Virendra Postby Virendra » 31 Dec 2015 10:44 KJo wrote: Don't know about past, but definitely not true for these days. Similar crap theories float around for vermilion on women's forehead as sign of consummated married life, to lower chances of Islamist rape during medieval era. Firstly the pandits pick wedding time and our people have been very disciplined in not pushing the pandits too much. Secondly even if there is discretion to some extent; it is because in day everybody is busy and wouldn't turn up at wedding except the two immediate families. Though if you thnk retrospectively, saves a lot of money on food and tent Aditya_V Postby Aditya_V » 31 Dec 2015 13:04 A_Gupta wrote: WND is a publication with an obvious bias, but still interesting: It will never be accepted, See Ayodhya or Ram Janmabhoomi is of no value to Muslims, yet Muslims and Seculars don't want to give up the and, just to spite Hindus? saip wrote: In fact, many people classifying themselves as virulently secular in India are so uneducated, they make causual statements crossing Islamic redlines, the same guys regularly diss Hinduism. These guys don't how much trouble they will get thier loudmouths into one day. It doesnt take much to get you killed in some situations. Mohammaddens target neighbourhood occupied by fellow Abrahamic Christists in the Syrian city of Qamishli. Wire service Associated Press via Egyptian newspaper Al Haram reports that 13 of the 16 victims were adherents of Christism and that the Mohammadden religion motivated group ISIS aka Islamic State has taken responsibility for the attack: ISIS bombings of restaurants in Syria kill 16 in northern city Satya_anveshi wrote: This will make entire women folks even among muslims to back such efforts. This will successfully divide the minority and enable ghar wapsi at the roots. Wishful thinking sir. Not going to happen. Islamic women are the forefront of abusing other non-covered infidel women & those in India hold young Hindu girls in special contempt for their 'loose morals'. You have to see their attitude towards Hindu women in the cities to believe it. Indian Muslims - including those in Pakistan & Bangladesh are over the point of no return. Just visit any Indian Islamic page on social media or talk to any Indian Muslim. Their loyalty to Islam trumps loyalty to the country by a large, large margin. There are many gullible Hindus who buy their talk of 'India is our country. Nobody can throw us out. We live here and die here. Etc etc'. What these gullible Hindus don't understand is this is typical of Islam - put a foot in the door and then out-populate the region driving all non-Muslims out. Blind Hindus think this is Muslim's deshbhakti. Location: Weighing and Waiting 8T Yconomy Postby Prem » 01 Jan 2016 06:33 Postby arun » 01 Jan 2016 08:07 X Posted from the “Pakistani Role In Global Terrorism” thread. Joh Lahore mein Ganu woh London mein bhi Ganu. Mohammadden couple by name of Mohammed Rehman and Sana Ahmed Khan with origins in the terrorist fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan “found guilty of plotting a massive terror attack in London ahead of the 10th anniversary of the July 7 bombings this year”: Pak-origin ‘Silent Bomber’ couple jailed for life over London terror plot A bit more from the UK’s Daily Mail on Mohammaed Rehman’s links to the terrorist fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan: ………… Rehman, who was already a heavy cannabis user, walked out on an arranged marriage in Pakistan when his wife was four months pregnant and returned to Britain. The child died six weeks after she was born, without Rehman ever seeing her or bothering to return for the funeral. He had worked at Tesco until he was fired for stealing a chocolate bar and then went to work as a delivery driver for Dominos Pizzas but after returning from Pakistan he never worked again and was constantly borrowing money from his parents to pay his drug debts. ……………. From here : Clicky Narrative of Mohammadden victimhood goes awry. Christmas day fire in a Mohammadden place of worship in Houston which Mohammaddens said that “We don't have anything here high tech, cooking or kitchen, anything that can cause this kind of fire. The only thing is pointing to is it could be hate or something” (Clicky) turns out to have nothing to do with “hate” or “Islamophobia” or any such thing. It now turns out that a “devout attendee” at the Mosque set off the fire at the Mosque making this a Green on Green Intra-Mohammadden incident of arson : Houston Mosque Fire Set by 'Devout' Muslim Attendee The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) must also be feeling hoist by one’s own petard after urging “investigators to consider bias as a possible motive” (Houston Chronicle). Return to “Strategic Issues & International Relations Forum”	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1175
__label__wiki	0.678111	0.678111	The Overlooked Pilot Season PRIMETIMER Forums FAQs and Guides Manage Topic Follows Manage Forum Follows TV Show Index S01.E21: The Kill List By thewhiteowl, April 20, 2015 in Madam Secretary thewhiteowl 7.8k As Elizabeth prepares for the arrival of Iranian President Shiraz to sign a nuclear treaty, she uncovers a top secret plot to assassinate him on United States soil. At the same time, she must deal with a massive protest by the Human Rights Campaign in response to Iran’s plans to stone a gay citizen to death. Also, Elizabeth sees a therapist (Marsha Mason) to deal with her PTSD. sinkwriter 7.3k Such a painful episode to watch. I figured they weren't going to be able to save that Iranian citizen, but I kept hoping they might pull it off, especially when Jay got so involved. It brings me to tears, the very thought that anyone out there, any country's government, would be okay with doing such a thing. It upsets me and pisses me off. I hate watching episodes like this because I know these things happen and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. And I understand Elizabeth's argument, I do, but I'm with Jay -- at what point do we not even notice the line anymore? And why do business with them at all? I get all the arguments, so I know it's a futile question to even ask, but I just wish things were different. This is one of the times when I get so frustrated with the world at large, and I find myself thinking that politics (not government, politics) and religion and all the agencies that condone this kind of hate-filled viciousness do more harm than good. I just don't understand people who are okay with stoning another human being. I'm at a total loss. Dowel Jones 5.7k Well, that treaty is going to have a tough time in the Senate. Actually, I thought the episode did a pretty fair job of showing the tradeoffs sometimes made at the highest levels. I was waiting for that woman to trigger a suicide bomb as the FBI was walking up on her. Fortunately, I was wrong. betsyboo 2.9k I know these type of choices happen all the time, but i can't imagine an idealogy (or such strong belief in saving the "republic") that I would choose over my kids. As in, as soon as Juliet (Julia?) agreed to this path, she had to know she was giving them up for good either because she'd be exiled/on the run, or in jail. Xantar 2.0k A lesser show would have found a last minute miracle to save the gay Iranian guy. And a lesser show might have portrayed Juliet as a misguided soul who got bamboozled by a charming mastermind. But this episode did neither. Juliet is somebody who participated in the assassination of a sitting Secretary of State and attempted to overthrow the Iranian government. That makes her a fanatic and an extremist, even if she is on the side of right (which I wouldn't argue that she is). The word "treason" gets thrown around in our political discourse too much, but Juliet would be an actual traitor who deserves to be on the kill list. As for the treaty, I think the episode did an excellent job showing the tradeoffs we have to make. For me, it wouldn't even be a close call. A gay man is dying horribly, and he will not be the last. But I believe nuclear non-proliferation is an absolute good that is worth almost anything (as long as the nuclear deal is actually enforceable). And the US cannot meddle in another country's internal affairs any more than Iran could try to influence our investigation of Freddie Grey's death. It's just not the place, as horrible as the poor man's stoning is. That said, I hope the show continues to portray Iran in a nuanced and complex way. Yes, their treatment of homosexuals is horrible, but that doesn't necessarily reflect much on the people who have a limited say in their government at the end of the day. I'd hate for Iran in this show to turn into a bunch of backwards savages because that's not what they are. Finally, I was kind of surprised to see Human Rights Campaign featuring prominently in this episode given that they are a real organization. Shows usually fictionalize the names of activist groups like that. It was good to see BD Wong, too. Edited April 27, 2015 by Xantar candall 17.9k Tough show. Made me cry. dshgr 114 Delurking to say - I love how the writers show the world how it really is. Nothing is truly black or white, but shades of gray. A lesser show would have found a last minute miracle to save the gay Iranian guy. And a lesser show might have portrayed Juliet as a misguided soul who got bamboozled by a charming mastermind. But this episode did neither. As painful as this episode was to watch, I think that's what impressed me most, that they were unflinching in their presentation of all sides of the arguments and story. I only wish the sorts of people who make the choice to stone a person to death were actually watching this kind of show and would be emotionally affected by its clear presentation of how truly awful and wrong that kind of treatment is. Because otherwise the writers are pretty much preaching to the choir, so to speak. CathinAZ 966 Great episode. Agree with above posters comments. I am really enjoying this show . . . Which probably means the network will cancel it in the near future. . . CooperTV 1.8k This episode was so hard to watch at times. But I appreciate the show's ability to make hard argument seem real and earned. Ethics clash with politics and sometimes it's a zero sum game you just can't escape because there's actually no clear solution. I liked that Jay and Elizabeth both were driving forces of the episode. And the nice telling detail: Russel made the argument against putting Juliette on the kill list but was supporting the POTUS 100% when Elizabeth said the same. He was "a good soldier". And Elizabeth did the same thing with Jay about that poor gay man: she knows Jay's opinion has merit but there's party line she cannot cross and that there's some form of greater good that outweighs individual lives. I liked like Elizabeth's revelation that she's "a good soldier" too, and the fact that she starts to resent it. Great use of recurring and new female characters, as usual. Fear not! it had been renewed for season 2 already! Edited April 27, 2015 by CooperTV 33kaitykaity 2.2k My one gripe would be that I thought whoever wrote the Jay scene with the gross details about stoning by death must've just come off of a Scandal binge-a-thon. That was some Scandal-esque speechifying. Loved seeing Hill Harper, a favorite of mine from the now-canceled Covert Affairs. Edited April 28, 2015 by 33kaitykaity They used to do that on The West Wing sometimes, too. I don't think it's anything particularly unique. But it does serve a purpose to drive home the brutality of such a behavior. It's not just a concept or something someone far away does to someone else, not after hearing such details. Oh, they had me at hello on the merits, sure. But then again, I thought Elizabeth's parry about the 13-year-old girls being stoned, if she's old enough to marry, she's old enough to stone, said in that sort of arch tone of like oh, yeah, you care now. Where the eff have you been? was almost more effective at chopping Jay's knees out from under him. I just thought it was too screechy. It's probably me on Scandal overload and I'm projecting. Yeah, I've never seen Scandal so I have no idea what that one is like, but I can certainly understand show "overload." LOL. I thought Elizabeth made a very good argument (like you said, essentially "girls have been tortured in this way for a while, what took you so long to get on board with doing more?"), but yeah, in the moment I thought she came off more harsh than effective, especially because even though her argument pointed out the many people being subjected to such cruelty, her decision still stood - there was nothing she could do about it. So I just felt defeated, probably not unlike Jay in the moment. Part of me hoped that Elizabeth would take a non-verbal stand at the signing, by taking a step backward instead of stepping up when they all moved to sign the treaty (especially because they had made such a big deal out of the procedure Elizabeth was supposed to follow in the ceremony), but I knew it probably would cause more harm than good so I understood why she didn't do it. And she did passive-aggressively but very pointedly make comments to them in private right before the signing, which was pretty bold given that they hadn't signed anything yet. I suppose I just have to take very small comfort in Jay's presence at the rally instead. It's not much, but it's something. Edited April 27, 2015 by sinkwriter Yeah, it was a show that made me think, had a lot of meat to it, shades of gray as people have been saying. I love it when there's an episode of one of my shows that I can watch again and again and again. This was one of those except for my one gripe. kwnyc 1.5k Excellent episode, did some really hard work. (And MY quibble is that HRC doesn't have the guts to pull off a protest like that...they are perceived as mostly A-gays who lobby and attend galas). Also: Marsha Mason! Always good to see her. Bess is a tough, tough lady (tears & shrink notwithstanding). She was in a dirty business for a long time, and the President knew he could count on her. Netfoot 7.4k Regretfully, I doubt the people in question would be swayed from their stance one iota, by the arguments and sentiments presented in this show. You can be sure that they have a political, religious, or moral axe to grind, and are just fine with someone suffering horribly to help make their point -- so long as that someone isn't them. A martyr is willing to die for their beliefs. A fanatic is willing to let someone else die for their beliefs. Athena5217 834 I agree. As much as I wanted the guy to be saved, it was more realistic that he wasn't. I loved Elizabeth's comment at the end about not wanting to interrogate Juliet because Juliet might give her reasons that the treaty is a farce. I find myself comparing this episode to the Scandal episode from a few week can'ts go when the Veep and Fitz tried to fix a bill. In addition to all the practical issues with that episode (ever heard of separation of powers, Shonda Rhimes?), it was just so predictable and superficial. This is TV show--Scandal is a series of video clips. HurricaneVal 5.2k Are you a show killer too? Sometimes if I hear a show is really good, I hold off watching it until it really catches on so I won't jinx it... And thank you kwnyc for identifying Marsha Mason as the psychologist, it was killing me that I couldn't think of who that was. Great show, very complex issues handled interestingly, and I like that the writers don't always taking the easy way out. This shit is hard, it should look hard. Superficial observation: When the show opens with Bess sitting in the psychologist's office, and behind her you can see the open spiral staircase going up and down, all I can think of was "what a terrible space to have high level politicos discuss their deep seated fears and insecurities while dealing with their PTSD issues--all that open access right behind them must feed right into their paranoia!" Then later on, the psychologist says something like "Go ahead...this is a safe space." and all I could think was "<snort> Shows what you know! No, it's not." Jeebers, if I sat there, my shoulderblades would be constantly crawling. shapeshifter 18.3k 10.5k posts While this may have been a "good" episode, it was also kind of a downer for a show that tries to include a fair amount of light stuff. I did appreciate at the end that Bess said she expected to be drawn into the viewpoint shared by Julliet while interrogating her. Russell burying his true feelings about the stoning of the gay Iranian and then Jay unburying his feelings to take a stand at the rally further emphasized the theme of the episode, which I guess was sort of: The bitter ends will not justify the means. It was good to see B.D. Wong in a role perfect for him that flowed easily into the story rather than being shoehorned in as a PSA, which might have happened on SVU or another show. myril 618 Was wondering for a moment as well, despite that I prefer even this kind of open space, having more of a problem with closed rooms and feeling cornered. Still with such stairs in the back would have a hard time stopping to think, that someone could be down there and listen in quite easily. But I am someone masking my computers built-in webcams or disconnect the extra ones, just in case. Wondering though just for a moment, because Tea Leoni's acting took me all in then. What an intense moment with her slight deflection asking about Russell, couldn't help but grin for a second, but then it was even more heartbreaking to see Bess cry over the betrayal and loss. Tough to watch this episode. I think they did a good job with letting Jay give a graphic picture of what stoning means, considering that showing it would have been hardly an option, while at the same time it was needed IMO to give an impression of the suffering - to contrast even more the talks about "optics". They were asked about it at the Paley Fest panel on Monday eve, and Barbara Hall said, they had some discussion about it, they decided confronted people this way with the brutal image, to show the world as it is. But maybe a good thing I'm not watching Scandal (Shonda Rhimes' shows are just not my cup of tea), so couldn't be distracted with comparing that scene with whatever they're doing on that show. CheshireCat 1.8k Caught last Saturday's re-run - when Bess and Conrad walk into the room to greet for Iranian President and foreign Minister, Bess waits before entering. I always assumed that it's because she's giving Conrad a moment but this Saturday it occured to me that there's no real reason for her to wait that long and that she might be waiting so long because she needs to collect herself before facing the Iranian. Go To Topic Listing Madam Secretary Recent Replies Topics S05. E20. Better Angels Spoilers and Speculation Madame Secretary In The Media S05. E19. The Great Experiment S05. E18. Ready Light: Medium Type Light: Large Type Light: X-Large Type Dark: Medium Type Dark: Large Type Dark: X-Large Type Copyright © 2019 Snugglefish Media. All rights reserved. Powered by Invision Community	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1176
__label__cc	0.578505	0.421495	About Finance Durham Business Support Directory Maven managed funds leads £1.95m investment in Dyer Engineering The largest independent engineering business in County Durham secures funding package from the North East Development Capital Fund and Finance Durham to fuel growth plans and create 100 new jobs Maven has, through its management of two regional funds, provided £1.95 million of capital to Dyer Engineering, the largest independent engineering business in County Durham. The North East Development Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Finance Durham Fund, established by and using funds from Durham County Council have respectively invested £1 million and £750,000, with an additional £200,000 sourced from a local private investor. The investment will support the company’s growth plans to exploit new opportunities in multiple industries and will create up to 100 new jobs in the region. Dyer Engineering specialises in the machining and fabrication of complex metalwork and components for the rail, marine, power, automotive and offshore sectors. The Company’s three distinct divisions offer a full suite of services, from initial design to product manufacture. BatchLine manufactures high-integrity metal components for the automotive and rail sectors; TechProjects fabricates complex, larger structures, from design concept to production for the oil and gas and renewable energy sectors. JobShop provides repair and maintenance engineering services to support clients with their in-house manufacturing and process operations. Several of the markets that Dyer Engineering serves are experiencing growth with Rail in particular being a very active sector underpinned by government funding. Dyer Engineering’s client base includes a number of large companies, including Hitachi Rail, Siemens, BAE Systems, Cummins and Nexus. The seven individuals who form the senior management team have more than 150 years’ combined experience across a range of relevant businesses and industries. Graeme Parkins, Managing Director of Dyer Engineering, said “We are absolutely delighted to have received this investment into our company. We have a vision to create a world class engineering business here in the heart of County Durham providing world class metal components and structures to our customers and world class jobs to our employees. Our ethos of SmarterStrongerTogether™ is all about who we are and how we do things on our journey to becoming a world class company. This investment is a rubber stamp of our plan and will allow us to turbo charge the business’ progression over the next few years towards our goals.” Jamie Fraser, Investment Manager of Maven, said, “Dyer Engineering is a leading manufacturing business serving a number of high growth markets, driven by a strong management team with real vision and dedication. The joint investment is a fantastic example of how Maven’s regional funds can work together effectively to provide a local business with a substantial funding package to enable it to grow significantly. We look forward to working with the team and supporting their vision of becoming a world class engineering business.” Sarah Slaven, Operations Director at Business Durham said: “The Finance Durham Fund was created to support business to achieve their ambitions. We are confident these investments in Dyer Engineering will position them for growth into the next decade. County Durham has a significant engineering and manufacturing sector of which Dyer Enginee ring is an important part, we look forward to continuing to work with them as they expand and create new jobs. I hope this news will encourage other businesses in Durham to consider applying for funding to enable them to reach their potential.” Cllr Carl Marshall of Durham County Council said: “We are delighted to be able to support another County Durham business in its efforts to grow through our Finance Durham Fund. The money we have given along with that provided by other agencies is allowing the company to create jobs which will in turn boost the local economy. Dyer Engineering has a proud history in County Durham from its early days servicing the mining industry to a business which has really adapted and innovated as it has grown. We wish the firm well in playing its part in making County Durham a truly great place to live, work and visit.” The Finance Durham Fund can provide the financial resources to back business growth for ambitious companies. If your business is based in County Durham, or you are relocating to the County, it may be eligible for investment. Contact our local team today to help your business access the finance or support it needs to unlock its growth potential. Maven funds invest a further £750,000 in honcho Maven leads £1m investment in water technologies business G2O Maven leads £825,000 investment in Parsons Containers Subscribe to Finance Durham News Keep up-to-date with all the latest news and insights from Finance Durham, including new investments, events and our blog. The Finance Durham fund is backed by Risk/Terms and Conditions Copyright © Maven Capital Partners UK LLP 2019. MAVEN CAPITAL and MAVEN logo are the registered trade marks of Maven Capital Partners.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1185
__label__cc	0.67247	0.32753	Booking.com Pilots a New, Smarter, Mobile-Based In-Destination Experience Booking Experiences With the newly launched ‘Booking Experiences’ your smartphone will soon be all you need for a highly curated, frictionless experience wherever your travels take you AMSTERDAM – July 13, 2016 – So you’ve found the perfect destination and booked an amazing place to stay…but what do you do while you’re there? Today Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, announced the pilot release of its new Booking Experiences product. The ultimate technology response to take the friction out of the in-destination experience, Booking Experiences will allow travellers to discover the best a destination has to offer, all through a mobile device. Booking Experiences is a first-of-its-kind, highly curated, mobile-led experience that will ultimately harness Artificial Intelligence technology and powerful machine-learning to predict individual traveller intent and create a truly convenient, personalised in-destination experience—all on demand, with hassle-free payment and priority queueing. Booking Experiences is available today on both the Android and iOS versions of the Booking.com app for Amsterdam. The pilot launches for Booking Experiences Paris, London and Dubai will go live at the end of this month, with New York city set to go live in the autumn of 2016. Unlike other experience-seeking tools, Booking Experiences is managed entirely within the Booking.com app without having to rely on or redirect to 3rd-party websites. Once travellers have booked a stay in one of the first cities to offer Booking Experiences, via a single QR code in the Booking.com app a traveller can get instant booking access to all of the participating venues and attractions in that destination. Booking Experiences eliminates the need to book in advance or wait in lines to buy tickets— simply show up to the attraction you’re interested in, scan the code from your smartphone and enjoy. The QR code is automatically linked to your credit card of choice. Travellers can view the full list of available things to do and visit for their destination in advance and/or simply explore on the go once they arrive. Booking Experiences provides the ultimate in flexibility and convenience, as travellers only pay for those experiences they choose to take advantage of, with the freedom to decide on the go and the peace of mind knowing that there’s always a spot reserved. Booking.com has leveraged insights from its millions of travellers about what they liked (and didn’t like) about various destinations and the experiences they had there. Combining this endorsement data with a customer’s previous travel preferences, where that person is at the moment in a specific destination, as well as third-party data like the current waiting time at the most popular museum, the Booking Experiences technology will eventually learn over time to provide a traveller with increasingly personalized, relevant and timely suggestions to personalize the in-destination experience. “With Booking Experiences, our passion for data-driven insights, our deep knowledge of travel and our ambition to smartly infuse Artificial Intelligence technology into our product are all coming together to create a new, uniquely mobile travel experience that’s curated, seamless and personal,” said David Vismans, Chief Product Officer at Booking.com. “The technology behind Booking Experiences will continuously learn from your travel preferences, as well as other travellers like you, to eventually present you with increasingly curated options that are just right for you. Our ultimate goal is to keep you inspired, regardless of whether it’s your first—or fifth time visiting a particular location.” About Booking.com: Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don’t pay booking fees – ever. The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers over 975,000 hotels and accommodations including more than 475,000 vacation rental properties and covers over 93,000 destinations in 224 countries and territories worldwide. It features over 97M reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 19 years of experience and a team of over 11,000 dedicated employees in over 176 offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience. Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com. Booking.com Media Relations mediarelations@booking.com Visit our Pinterest page (opens in new window) From the Big Screen to Big Travel Plans Booking.com Creates the Avo-Condo, the World’s First Avocado-Shaped Accommodation Rock the Runway: Alternative Fashion Weeks Around the World From Ambitious Bucket Lists to Travel Itineraries Packed with Adventure, Gen Z Travelers Can’t Wait to Experience the World Delicious Destinations to Celebrate Ice Cream Day Sensational Sustainable Travel Experiences to Ignite Your Wanderlust About Booking.com \| Car hire \| Add your property \| Become an affiliate \| Customer Service \| FAQ \| Careers \| Terms & Conditions \| Privacy and Cookies \| Copyright © 1996– Booking.com B.V. All rights reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1189
__label__cc	0.60941	0.39059	What is Hubzilla? Hubzilla is a free and open source set of web applications and services running on a special kind of web server, called a "hub", that can connect to other hubs in a decentralised network we like to call "the grid", providing sophisticated communications, identity, and access control services which work together seamlessly across domains and independent websites. It allows anybody to publicly or privately publish content via "channels", which are the fundamental, cryptographically secured identities that provide authentication independently of the hubs which host them. This revolutionary liberation of online identity from individual servers and domains is called "nomadic identity", and it is powered by the Zot protocol, a new framework for decentralised access control with fine-grained, extensible permissions. Right... so what is Hubzilla? From the practical perspective of hub members who use the software, Hubzilla offers a variety of familiar, integrated web apps and services, including: social networking discussion threads calendar and contacts (with CalDAV and CardDAV support) webpage hosting with a content management system While all of these apps and services can be found in other software packages, only Hubzilla allows you to set permissions for groups and individuals who may not even have accounts on your hub! In typical web apps, if you want to share things privately on the internet, the people you share with must have accounts on the server hosting your data; otherwise, there is no robust way for your server to authenticate visitors to the site to know whether to grant them access. Hubzilla solves this problem with an advanced system of remote authentication that validates the identity of visitors by employing techniques that include public key cryptography. Software Stack The Hubzilla software stack is a relatively standard webserver application written primarily in PHP/MySQL and requiring little more than a web server, a MySQL-compatible database, and the PHP scripting language. It is designed to be easily installable by those with basic website administration skills on typical shared hosting platforms with a broad range of computing hardware. It is also easily extended via plugins and themes and other third-party tools. An instance of this software running on a standard web server The global network of hubs that exchange information with each other using the Zot protocol. The fundamental identity on the grid. A channel can represent a person, a blog, or a forum to name a few. Channels can make connections with other channels to share information with highly detailed permissions. Channels can have clones associated with separate and otherwise unrelated accounts on independent hubs. Communications shared with a channel are synchronized among the channel clones, allowing a channel to send and receive messages and access shared content from multiple hubs. This provides resilience against network and hardware failures, which can be a significant problem for self-hosted or limited-resource web servers. Cloning allows you to completely move a channel from one hub to another, taking your data and connections with you. See nomadic identity. nomadic identity The ability to authenticate and easily migrate an identity across independent hubs and web domains. Nomadic identity provides true ownership of an online identity, because the identities of the channels controlled by an account on a hub are not tied to the hub itself. A hub is more like a "host" for channels. With Hubzilla, you don't have an "account" on a server like you do on typical websites; you own an identity that you can take with you across the grid by using clones. The novel JSON-based protocol for implementing secure decentralised communications and services. It differs from many other communication protocols by building communications on top of a decentralised identity and authentication framework. The authentication component is similar to OpenID conceptually but is insulated from DNS-based identities. Where possible remote authentication is silent and invisible. This provides a mechanism for internet-scale distributed access control which is unobtrusive. This page lists some of the core features of Hubzilla that are bundled with the official release. Hubzilla is a highly extensible platform, so more features and capabilities can be added via additional themes and plugins. Affinity Slider When adding connnections in Hubzilla, members have the option of assigning "affinity" levels (how close your friendship is) to the new connection. For example, when adding someone who happens to be a person whose blog you follow, you could assign their channel an affinity level of "Acquaintances". On the other hand, when adding a friend's channel, they could be placed under the affinity level of "Friends". At this point, Hubzilla Affinity Slider tool, which usually appears at the top of your "Matrix" page, adjusts the content on the page to include those within the desired affinity range. Channels outside that range will not be displayed, unless you adjust the slider to include them. The Affinity Slider allows instantaneous filtering of large amounts of content, grouped by levels of closeness. Connection Filtering You have the ability to control precisely what appears in your stream using the optional "Connection Filter". When enabled, the Connection Editor provides inputs for selecting criteria which needs to be matched in order to include or exclude a specific post from a specific channel. Once a post has been allowed, all comments to that post are allowed regardless of whether they match the selection criteria. You may select words that if present block the post or ensure it is included in your stream. Regular expressions may be used for even finer control, as well as hashtags or even the detected language of the post. When sharing content, members have the option of restricting who sees the content. By clicking on the padlock underneath the sharing box, one may choose desired recipients of the post, by clicking on their names. Once sent, the message will be viewable only by the sender and the selected recipients. In other words, the message will not appear on any public walls. Access Control Lists may be applied to content and posts, photos, events, webpages, chatrooms and files. Access Control Lists work for all channels in the grid due to our unique single sign-on technology. Most internal links provide an identity token which can be verified on other Hubzilla sites and used to control access to private resources. You login once to your home hub. After that, authentication to all Hubzilla resources is "magic". WebDAV enabled File Storage Files may be uploaded to your personal storage area using your operating system utilities (drag and drop in most cases). You may protect these files with Access Control Lists to any combination of Hubzilla members (including some third party network members) or make them public. Store photos in albums. All your photos may be protected by Access Control Lists. Create and manage events and tasks, which may also be protected with Access Control Lists. Events can be imported/exported to other software using the industry standard vcalendar/iCal format and shared in posts with others. Birthday events are automatically added from your friends and converted to your correct timezone so that you will know precisely when the birthday occurs - no matter where you are located in the world in relation to the birthday person. Events are normally created with attendance counters so your friends and connections can RSVP instantly. You may create any number of personal chatrooms and allow access via Access Control Lists. These are typically more secure than XMPP, IRC, and other Instant Messaging transports, though we also allow using these other services via plugins. Webpage Building Hubzilla has many "Content Management" creation tools for building webpages, including layout editing, menus, blocks, widgets, and page/content regions. All of these may be access controlled so that the resulting pages are private to their intended audience. Apps may be built and distributed by members. These are different from traditional "vendor lockin" apps because they are controlled completely by the author - who can provide access control on the destination app pages and charge accordingly for this access. Most apps in Hubzilla are free and can be created easily by those with no programming skills. Page layout is based on a description language called Comanche. Hubzilla is itself written in Comanche layouts which you can change. This allows a level of customisation you won't typically find in so-called "multi-user environments". Share and save/manage bookmarks from links provided in conversations. Private Message Encryption and Privacy Concerns Private mail is stored in an obscured format. While this is not bullet-proof it typically prevents casual snooping by the site administrator or ISP. Each Hubzilla channel has it's own unique set of private and associated public RSA 4096-bit keys, generated when the channels is first created. This is used to protect private messages and posts in transit. Additionally, messages may be created utilising "end-to-end encryption" which cannot be read by Hubzilla operators or ISPs or anybody who does not know the passcode. Public messages are generally not encrypted in transit or in storage. Private messages may be retracted (unsent) although there is no guarantee the recipient hasn't read it yet. Posts and messages may be created with an expiration date, at which time they will be deleted/removed on the recipient's site. Service Federation In addition to addon "cross-post connectors" to a variety of alternate networks, there is native support for importation of content from RSS/Atom feeds and using this to create special channels. Plugins are also available to communicate with others using the Diaspora and GNU-Social (OStatus) protocols. These networks do not support nomadic identity or cross-domain access control; however basic communications are supported to/from Diaspora, Friendica, GNU-Social, Mastodon and other providers which use these protocols. There is also experimental support for OpenID authentication which may be used in Access Control Lists. This is a work in progress. Your Hubzilla hub may be used as an OpenID provider to authenticate you to external services which use this technology. Channels may have permissions to become "derivative channels" where two or more existing channels combine to create a new topical channel. Privacy Groups Our implementation of privacy groups is similar to Google "Circles" and Diaspora "Aspects". This allows you to filter your incoming stream by selected groups, and automatically set the outbound Access Control List to only those in that privacy group when you post. You may over-ride this at any time (prior to sending the post). We provide easy access to a directory of members and provide decentralised tools capable of providing friend "suggestions". The directories are normal Hubzilla sites which have chosen to accept the directory server role. This requires more resources than most typical sites so is not the default. Directories are synchronised and mirrored so that they all contain up-to-date information on the entire network (subject to normal propagation delays). For Hubzilla hubs that use TLS/SSL, client to server communications are encrypted via TLS/SSL. Given recent disclosures in the media regarding widespread, global surveillance and encryption circumvention by the NSA and GCHQ, it is reasonable to assume that HTTPS-protected communications may be compromised in various ways. Private communications are consequently encrypted at a higher level before sending offsite. Channel Settings When a channel is created, a role is chosen which applies a number of pre-configured security and privacy settings. These are chosen for best practives to maintain privacy at the requested levels. If you choose a "custom" privacy role, each channel allows fine-grained permissions to be set for various aspects of communication. For example, under the "Security and Privacy Settings" heading, each aspect on the left side of the page, has six (6) possible viewing/access options, that can be selected by clicking on the dropdown menu. There are also a number of other privacy settings you may edit. The options are: - Nobody except yourself. - Only those you specifically allow. - Anybody in your address book. - Anybody on this website. - Anybody in this network. - Anybody authenticated. - Anybody on the Internet. Public and Private Forums Forums are typically channels which may be open to participation from multiple authors. There are currently two mechanisms to post to forums: 1) "wall-to-wall" posts and 2) via forum @mention tags. Forums can be created by anybody and used for any purpose. The directory contains an option to search for public forums. Private forums can only be posted to and often only seen by members. Account Cloning Accounts in Hubzilla are referred to as nomadic identities, because a member's identity is not bound to the hub where the identity was originally created. For example, when you create a Facebook or Gmail account, it is tied to those services. They cannot function without Facebook.com or Gmail.com. By contrast, say you've created a Hubzilla identity called tina@Hubzillahub.com. You can clone it to another Hubzilla hub by choosing the same, or a different name: liveForever@SomeHubzillaHub.info Both channels are now synchronized, which means all your contacts and preferences will be duplicated on your clone. It doesn't matter whether you send a post from your original hub, or the new hub. Posts will be mirrored on both accounts. This is a rather revolutionary feature, if we consider some scenarios: - What happens if the hub where an identity is based suddenly goes offline? Without cloning, a member will not be able to communicate until that hub comes back online (no doubt many of you have seen and cursed the Twitter "Fail Whale"). With cloning, you just log into your cloned account, and life goes on happily ever after. - The administrator of your hub can no longer afford to pay for his free and public Hubzilla hub. He announces that the hub will be shutting down in two weeks. This gives you ample time to clone your identity(ies) and preserve yourHubzilla relationships, friends and content. - What if your identity is subject to government censorship? Your hub provider may be compelled to delete your account, along with any identities and associated data. With cloning, Hubzilla offers censorship resistance. You can have hundreds of clones, if you wanted to, all named different, and existing on many different hubs, strewn around the internet. Hubzilla offers interesting new possibilities for privacy. You can read more at the <<Private Communications Best Practices>> page. Some caveats apply. For a full explanation of identity cloning, read the <HOW TO CLONE MY IDENTITY>. Multiple Profiles Any number of profiles may be created containing different information and these may be made visible to certain of your connections/friends. A "default" profile can be seen by anybody and may contain limited information, with more information available to select groups or people. This means that the profile (and site content) your beer-drinking buddies see may be different than what your co-workers see, and also completely different from what is visible to the general public. Account Backup Hubzilla offers a simple, one-click account backup, where you can download a complete backup of your profile(s). Backups can then be used to clone or restore a profile. Account Deletion Accounts can be immediately deleted by clicking on a link. That's it. All associated content is then deleted from the grid (this includes posts and any other content produced by the deleted profile). Depending on the number of connections you have, the process of deleting remote content could take some time but it is scheduled to happen as quickly as is practical. Deletion of content Any content created in Hubzilla remains under the control of the member (or channel) that originally created it. At any time, a member can delete a message, or a range of messages. The deletion process ensures that the content is deleted, regardless of whether it was posted on a channel's primary (home) hub, or on another hub, where the channel was remotely authenticated via Zot (Hubzilla communication and authentication protocol). Similar to any other modern blogging system, social network, or a micro-blogging service, Hubzilla supports the uploading of files, embedding of videos, linking web pages. Previewing/Editing Posts and comments can be previewed prior to sending and edited after sending. Voting/Consensus Posts can be turned into "consensus" items which allows readers to offer feedback, which is collated into "agree", "disagree", and "abstain" counters. This lets you gauge interest for ideas and create informal surveys. Extending Hubzilla Hubzilla can be extended in a number of ways, through site customisation, personal customisation, option setting, themes, and addons/plugins. An API is available for use by third-party services. A plugin also provides a basic implementation of the Twitter API (for which hundreds of third-party tools exist). Access may be provided by login/password or OAuth, and client registration of OAuth applications is provided.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1191
__label__cc	0.729013	0.270987	Softball Travels to Holy Cross for Midweek Competition Harvard (10-13) 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 4 6 2 Holy Cross (4-22) 1 3 0 0 0 2 X 6 8 1 Photo by: Melissa Duncan 2B: Teagan Shaw; Erin Lockhart HR: Kaitlyn Schiffhauer 2B: Erin Bengston; Sydney Behrens CAMBRIDGE, Mass.- After collecting a series sweep against Brown over the weekend, the Harvard softball team (10-12) travels to Holy Cross (3-22) for an in-state contest on Tuesday, April 2 at 4:30 p.m. with broadcast coverage on the Patriot League Network. How to Follow When: April 2, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. Where: Freshman Field, Holy Cross Broadcast: Patriot League Live Stats: Click Here Twitter: @HarvardSB Senior left-handed pitcher Katie Duncan collected two wins over the weekend against Brown, including a 2-0 shutout. Additionally, Duncan approaches the top-ten in school history in career strikeouts with 192. Senior Meagan Lantz paves the way for the Crimson amassing a team-high 23 hits on the season with two doubles and nine RBI's. Lantz also leads the team with a .413 on-base percentage. The Crimson resumes conference play in a three-game homestand against Columbia this upcoming weekend, April 6-7. Broadcast will air both days on ESPN+.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1193
__label__wiki	0.743795	0.743795	A showbiz blog by & for real professionals GRB Tips Active Bloggers Retired Bloggers Blogger Application Advertise with Green Room Blog #ShowbizChat Lady Plays Podcast The Actors’ Deputy My First Bad Show tags: Getting Started, Industry Relationships, Professionalism, Theatre by Cicero My first year as an actor has been filled with remarkably good experiences. Even the auditions that did not yield a role were positive experiences where I received helpful feedback and left feeling that I had accomplished something in my acting journey. But I did have one bad experience this year, one so comically bad that I cannot even look back on it with anger. Rather, it was an unintentional farce. After two small roles last summer, I wanted to broaden my scope a bit with a larger part. I saw an online ad for roles in a one-act play festival, with the possibility of a major role in the company’s next big production if successful. I thought a one-act would be a good next step, so I contacted the company. I had some hesitation about writing here about a bad experience, since I do not want to get a reputation as a complainer, but absolutely everybody in the D.C. theater community who I’ve discussed this company with had bad things to say, so I feel I am burning no bridges. For the sake of this piece, I’ll call the company Lightningbolt Productions. The artistic director, producer, and all-around poobah of Lightningbolt turned out to be a 60-ish accountant who has been running the company for years but who has next to no interaction with the broader theater community. It took me a while to reach him, since Lightningbolt has a 1998-era website, no Facebook presence, and no Twitter feed. The contact number is his accounting firm, and he has an old answering machine, not voicemail. Once I did reach this guy — I’ll call him Mel — he immediately offered me the lead in one of the three one-act plays to be put up. This seemed very strange. I told him I had very little experience, and that I was just calling to arrange an audition, but he said he did not believe in auditions and just liked to pick people after talking with them. I protested that I was not necessarily the best bet for a lead, and he said the other men who had contacted him had even less experience. All of these were warning signs, but I was naïve and eager to get more experience, so I said I would take the part. Within a couple of days, before we had even had a rehearsal, I was getting emails from him with the header “Call Me!!!” and no other information. It turns out this is just his way of leaving a message; none of these were desperate. The first one assumed that I would also take a major part in a second one-act, and the next that I was certain to sign on with the next major production. I made it clear to him that I was committing only to one one-act, and that I would only reply to his e-mails if they said what it was he wanted to discuss. Mel had no role in the three one-acts. Mine was directed by a first-time director who had appeared in his last show, and the other two by two of his protégés. The three would be performed and judged by a panel of three — of which Mel would be one — and the winner would advance to a regional competition. The rehearsals took place in the director’s living room, with her parents sitting in the next room and a big dog wandering through every so often. The director hesitated to make any real decisions and tended to leave everything up to consensus. The other male actor in the show — who never got off-book and who was using index cards with his lines until tech — would offer advice and criticism of other performers. He wasn’t a bad guy; he just did not know any better. But the director did nothing to stop him. We lost the lead female actor halfway through rehearsals. Mel had invited her to a meeting of the Lightningbolt board to discuss future projects, then ambushed her by announcing her as a “new member of the board” and assigning her projects. She got up, walked out the door, and severed all ties with the company. (This, I learned from others, was pretty standard Mel behavior. At one wrap party, he singled out everyone for thanks except his producer — whose house the party was at. He actually skipped over her while going around the room. Another female actor advised me, “Don’t leave your female friends alone with him.”) The role, intended for a woman in her 30s and originally cast with an actor in her mid-40s, was recast with a very talented high school student. (There were actually a few talented people in the cast, like me working with Mel for the first time.) About two weeks before the show, Mel dropped by for what was promised to be a 10-minute preview of what to expect on the nights of the show. I had told my director that I needed to leave by 8:00, and Mel got there at 7:40. He talked for the better part of an hour, again making all sorts of assumptions about everyone carrying on beyond the show. He made it all sound like a horrible chore — he had a way of making theater utterly joyless. He declined to shake my hand and never addressed me directly, and never did after that — I assume because I had made it clear I was not interested in becoming a Lightningbolt regular. If not for my personal sense of commitment and my respect for my fellow actors, I would have quit on the spot. Mercifully, the show itself was only set to run for two nights — it was about all the company could afford. Outreach efforts were absurd — Xeroxed posters hung up in grocery stores and Laundromats, inviting people to pay $17 a ticket for three short plays they had never heard of, performed by strangers. I asked my director if a Facebook event had been created, and she said no, and asked me if I could make one. I did, and sent the link to Mel and everyone else involved. He refused to use it, and no one else did either, not even adding themselves. I was the only “yes” on the thing for a week, and after that, I decided I did not really want my friends and peers to see this disaster in the making, so I just deleted it. No one noticed. (This was not the only odd Facebook episode related to this show. About midway through the rehearsal process, I sent my director a friend request. She accepted it, then unfriended me about five minutes later, apparently unaware that I would be able to see that she had done that. My name is not a common one, so she knew who I was. It made rehearsals even more awkward.) We had one night of tech in our performance space, and most of that time was spent rigging up an odd curtain apparatus that Mel had designed that cut off about half the useful play space and concealed very little. It was held in place by bricks and free weights that we all had to haul in. We finally convinced him to abandon the thing, which was about the only concession he ever made. The night of the first show was chaotic. The producer was another Mel protégé who had actually written one of the three plays — a 10-minute sketch as compared to ours and the third, which each ran about 45 minutes — and she failed to make any decisions, going through the set-up in panic mode and fussing with lights and wiring. The cast of our show and some of the others were helping, though two women from one production refused to lend a hand, with one saying, “I don’t DO wires.” But time was running short, and as we stood around offering ideas and suggestions, important tasks were not getting done. Whenever anyone would ask the producer for a decision, she’d say, “I don’t know!” as if it were not her job. Finally, I, seething, raised my voice among all the chatter and said, “I think someone in a position of authority needs to make a decision and then we should all do what that person says.” There was silence, and then the chaos resumed. (Mel, meanwhile, was only interested in setting up a concession stand to sell fruit punch and chips at a dollar a pop.) The third show had been abandoned. The young director — another person Mel had anointed without any sort of vetting — had held two or three rehearsals each week, but had failed to get his cast or himself off-book. One actor was actually show-ready; the other four were about as far along as most actors after a week of rehearsal. It was done as a staged reading, but was pulled from the competition. (The director of that show spent all his time backstage making jokes and acting goofy, even though the “wall” was a curtain and the audience — what there was of one — could hear it all.) But here comes the bright side. After all of this mayhem, and with the lack of clear direction, four of the five people in our cast went out and did a good show, and the fifth — index-card guy — was pulled along by the rest of us without major incident. I remembered all my lines, hit my marks, did a bit of physical comedy, and essentially achieved the goals I would have set for my first lead role in a short play. We did two good nights under extremely trying circumstances. Our 45-minute show was easily the favorite of the audience, but none of us were too surprised when the 10-minute sketch by the producer of the festival was awarded the win. Mel sent an e-mail around offering special praise to everyone who had appeared in it — some of them for two minutes — while ignoring everyone in our show, except the young woman who had agreed to work with him again. I hit “delete” and went on to my next role. ← Broadway or Bust…or Not. The Power of Theatre…It Never Ceases to Amaze → The Reflective Artist permalink I have to say, this was a great read, and not only because so much of what you experienced was farce-like. It was also great because it reminded me of all of the theatre I have done that has smacked of this in one way or another, and reminded me to be thankful for the time I’ve spent in the trenches, because now that I’ve done it: I’ll never do it again. I’m happy to see you can laugh at this situation, rather than wallow in bitterness about the experience. The Redheaded Actress permalink* I, too, have been in the trenches on productions like this. Your attitude about it is the most important part, I love how you continued to act like a professional no matter what was thrown at you. Now you know what red flags to look for in the future! We all have to do it at some point. Stratyllis permalink Wow, you’re so much more patient than I would have been. If you’d like to hear it, I also have a story about this company (I think I cracked your code). 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__label__wiki	0.677137	0.677137	Press release Regulatory 2019-04-11 12:00 Vattenfall's Annual General Meeting 2019 Vattenfall AB's Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Wednesday 11 April at Vattenfall's head office in Solna, Sweden. Among other things, the AGM decided on a dividend payout of SEK 2 billion to its owner, the Swedish State. Ann Carlsson was also elected as a new board member. Vattenfall’s owner was represented at the AGM voting by Maurice Forslund, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation. Annual General Meeting decisions: Adoption of balance sheet and income statement The AGM adopted the income and balance sheet for Vattenfall AB and the Vattenfall Group. The AGM decided on a dividend distribution of SEK 2 billion, equivalent to 20 per cent of profit for the year attributable to the owner of the parent company for 2018. Discharge of liability The AGM decided to discharge the members of the board and the CEO from liability. Guidelines for renumeration The AGM approved the board's proposal to retain current guidelines for remuneration to senior executives. The guidelines correspond to the government’s guidelines for terms of employment for senior executives in state-owned enterprises, adopted by the government on 22 December 2016, with a deviation regarding how these are to be applied in Vattenfall's subsidiaries. Election of board members The AGM decided that the number of AGM-elected members should be nine in number. Lars G Nordström, chairman since June 2011, was re-elected as chairman of the board. Fredrik Arp, Viktoria Bergman, Håkan Erixon, Tomas Kåberger, Jenny Lahrin, Fredrik Rystedt and Åsa Söderström Winberg were re-elected. Ann Carlsson, CEO of Apoteket AB, was elected as a new board member. Remuneration to the board The AGM decided on a remuneration fee of SEK 790,000 for the chairman of the board and SEK 370,000 for other board members. For work on the Audit Committee, a fee was set at SEK 99,000 for its chairman and SEK 75,000 for other members. A fee for work on the Remuneration Committee was set at SEK 60,000 for its chairman and SEK 45,000 for other members. No fees will be paid to employee representatives and those who are employed at the Swedish Government Offices. Election of auditors and remuneration The accounting firm Ernst & Young AB was re-elected as auditor, with Staffan Landén as the auditor-in-charge. The AGM decided that the fee for the auditor’s work shall be paid as per approved invoice. The Swedish State’s ownership policy and guidelines for state-owned companies The AGM decided that the Swedish State’s ownership policy, including the government’s guidelines for external reporting in state-owned companies and the government’s guidelines for remuneration and terms of employment for senior executives in state-owned companies, will apply for Vattenfall AB. Vattenfall’s Press Office, telephone: +46 (0)8 739 50 10, email: press@vattenfall.com Copy url https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/news--press-releases/pressreleases/2019/vattenfalls-annual-general-meeting-2019 Vattenfall issues EUR 500 million green bond In line with the company's investments in fossil-free energy and climate-smart solutions, ... #financial Copy url https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/news--press-releases/pressreleases/2019/vattenfall-issues-eur-500-million-green-bond First quarter: Vattenfall's profit rose in spite of Storm Alfrida Strong contribution from fossil-free generation, but Storm Alfrida cost Vattenfall SEK 850... Copy url https://group.vattenfall.com/press-and-media/news--press-releases/newsroom/2019/first-quarter-vattenfalls-profit-rose-in-spite-of-storm-alfrida Related Media Assets See media assets related to this article News Financial press releases Press release language Swedish English I agree with that Vattenfall is handling my personal data. See Vattenfall's privacy policy for handling of personal data. Please choose at least one language. Please choose at least one subscription type. Please provide a valid email address. Please approve GDPR Vattenfall in brief Sustainability at Vattenfall News and press releases on our local websites group.vattenfall.com/se (in Swedish) group.vattenfall.com/de (in German) group.vattenfall.com/uk group.vattenfall.com/dk (in Danish) group.vattenfall.com/fi (in Finnish)	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1208
__label__wiki	0.567012	0.567012	I Forgot To Remember To Forget @ Space Theatre, Adelaide 6/7/2019 on Jul 08, 2019 July 13, 2019 I tried to resist the temptation to say that I Forgot to Remember to Forget is an unforgettable experience. But succumbed. This is an unforgettable show; there are so many layers and stories and experiences in this truly beautiful, uplifting performance presented by No Strings Theatre of Disability. Devised by Alirio Zavarce in collaboration with Michaela Cantwell, Kathryn Hall, Kym Mackenzie, Duncan Luke and Cassie Litchfield this is Verbatim Theatre or “Documentary Theatre” as Zavarce calls it, and brings to the stage raw energy presented by authentic voices. Zavarce is at the top of his game in this performance and brings in a light directorial touch which doesn’t preach, leaving the audience feeling enriched, because they have left the theatre having walked side by side with people who have faced some considerable challenges and witnessed the dignity and humanity inherent in their stories. The scenarios, presented as a series of vignettes, show the power that stories have in looking at the humanity that binds us rather than what sets us apart. Michaela Cantwell, formerly of Brink Theatre makes a welcome return to the stage after her stroke, and talks candidly about memory and re-learning everything she forgot. The vivacious Kathryn Hall flippantly talks about simple experiences like forgetting to ask whether her bus is coming to or going from the city, and how this can change the course of a whole day. These are real and heart-warming stories of survival. We also witness the heart break of lives falling apart as families come to grips with living with someone who develops aggressive tendencies resultant from a bipolar condition. Most importantly, I Forgot to Remember to Forget is about the importance of the memories that shape us as human beings. As Zavarce said in an interview for Hi Fi Way, “It makes something so intangible like memory and forgetting, tangible. It will touch you and it will make people see their own memories and experiences of forgetting and remembering from a new perspective.” These stories are enhanced by some truly inspired lighting by Katherine Kleemann and projection “wizardry”, as it says in the programme notes, devised by Alirio Zavarce, Matt Crook and Brad Thomson. The projections are intelligently conceived and make use of multiple projection surfaces from a cyclorama screen to roll on and off wooden blocks created by Shane Pope to hand held boards devised by Zavarce. The images are evocative, sometimes enhancing the story-line to being fragments of the imagination or memory. Kym Mackenzie shows off how many bus routes he can remember and the projections playfully create a wall of numbers and routes that engulf the storytelling. The hand held boards serve as a close up to guide us through the memories associated with an everchanging Adelaide landscape. To quote from Zavarce’s Hi Fi Way interview again, “At No Strings, we believe in breaking the ‘fifth wall’ – the barriers associated with disability. We entertain while we empower and we celebrate ability while being committed to excellence and innovation.” And this is the best thing about this performance. It reaffirms the power that the Arts have in making a difference, in empowering people, in changing lives. I Forgot to Remember to Forget comes to Adelaide after a sell-out season at the True Colours Festival in Singapore 2018. This is an important play which needs to be seen. Hopefully an opportunity will arise for it to go on tour. Theatre Review By Bob Becker Live Review, Theatre Review Previous: Cog, Osaka Punch, Fyre Byrd @ The Gov, Adelaide 6/7/2019 Next: The Jungle Giants Announce Huge National Tour	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1214
__label__wiki	0.71477	0.71477	Kendall Jenner Bares Naked Butt In ‘Love’ Magazine — Hotter Than Kim? comment 22 Comments February 5, 2015 10:01PM EDT ‘Project Runway All Stars’: Helen’s Breakdown & Finale Finalists Revealed View Gallery View Gallery 128 Photos. Katrina Mitzeliotis The last challenge before the finale is here — and it proves to be the most suspenseful elimination yet. Who got sent home right before the final show? This week’s episode of Project Runway All Stars had me on the edge of my seat, as the designers were treated to a viewing of the trailer of Lifetime’s Marilyn Monroe miniseries trailer before Alyssa Milano announced the competition. The designers would be tasked with creating a Marilyn-inspired gown, or a “timeless look that sparkles and shines” — and the designer’s will be given their biggest budget all season, $500, and one day to get their look together. ‘Project Runway All Stars’ Recap — Finalists Revealed After Marilyn Monroe-Inspired Challenge: Aside from winning a spot in the finale fashion show, the winner will also be hired by Lifetime to design a wardrobe for a leading character for an original movie or event on the network — a costume designer job is up for grabs! Now things are getting serious. When the designers enter the workroom, they see a red carpet down the middle of the floor– something is clearly up! Isaac Mizrahi comes into the workroom and the designers are shocked by his arrival. Sonjia, (and the rest of the designers!), are praying there aren’t any more surprises in store. “Ain’t nobody got time for that,” she says, which sums up the sentiments perfectly — but, of course, there’s a twist. Isaac says he is going to bring in another Hollywood icon — who could it be? It’s Lassie the dog! Isaac gives them all a theme and a bag of supplies and the designers must participate in a mini challenge, crafting looks for their assigned dogs, who were all from the Best Friends Animal Society, for which Lassie is an ambassador. Is it just me or is this the cutest runway ever? “I may be allergic to dogs, but I’m more allergic to losing,” Dmitry says — everyone has their game face on. The dogs are walked down the runway by their respective designers and Lassie announces the winner — it’s Michelle! The doggie fun didn’t end there. Michelle also created a capsule collection for Lassie fans which launches Feb. 6 on www.Lassie.com! OK, back to the dresses and the drama — Helen is getting on everyone’s nerves as she hammers down the beadwork on her chantilly lace, (which many say isn’t sparkly enough for the competition). Although red carpet is totally her go-to, it is obvious that the designer is unraveling. The claws come out in the workroom, as Helen calls Dmitry’s dress a “dirty mop” in her confessional. After Zanna comes in, the pressure only continues to grow. Helen plans on totally changing the top of her dress — can she pull it off? On runway day the designers all receive critique from the judges. Although last week he was way harsh, this time around Isaac is like a proud father — and we cannot get enough of him. “Hey All Stars,” he says. “This was the best.” From the construction to the way the dress moves, Dmitry’s flapper-esque frock is the clear winner. Alyssa calls it her “favorite thing I’ve ever seen on the ‘All Stars’ runway ever.” Wow, tell us how you really feel! Sonjia’s dramatic separates earn her second place — but now there’s only one more spot for the finale show. Personally I thought Michelle’s dress had a very Tom Ford vibe. From the fabric to the bare back, it reminded me of one of the designer’s sexy creations — but not all the judges loved the fabric. Although Michelle spent a fortune on it, the addition of a chain and the material came off a bit cheap and not totally chic. Helen, the red carpet power player, let everyone down with her gown. Although Isaac loved the color, Georgina said it was too safe — and I have to agree. While the dress is just gorgeous, I definitely expected more from her. Eliminated Designer Revealed: The judges can’t decide who to send home, so they call Helen and Michelle out to state their case. After they do, the judges still can’t decide so they give them an hour to make an outfit out of the three looks that sent their peers home — and that’s when Helen totally loses it. The designer begins to sob and can’t fathom ripping up someone else’s work — and in a very sweet, supportive moment Michelle walks over and gives her a comforting hug. At the end of the hour Helen manages to pull together an amazing dress that totally wins over the judges — and I couldn’t be happier. I understand that Michelle’s gown wasn’t enough to send her home, but throughout the season I’ve been more excited by Helen’s designs — not to mention the fact that Michelle totally broke the rules and only used two looks in her right-on-the-runway challenge! What do you think? Are you pleased with the designers that are heading to the finale? Project Runway project runway all-stars More 'Project Runway' News: 'Project Runway All Stars': Sonjia Has A Meltdown Over Bridesmaid Dresses 'Project Runway All Stars' Recap: A Major Twist & A Shocking Elimination 'Project Runway All Stars' Recap: Who Sinks The Avant-Garde Challenge?	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1218
__label__wiki	0.785079	0.785079	Donna Savattere Latest Ed Sheeran Taylor Swift’s Plans For New Music Finally Revealed By BFF Ed Sheeran Ed Sheeran may have just dropped the best news ever! Taylor Swift’s BFF revealed in a new interview that she’s probably going to be releasing new music THIS YEAR! No, this is not a joke. Here’s what Ed had to say about Tay’s new music! Ed Sheeran Transforms ‘Shape Of You’ Into A Classroom Jam With Jimmy Fallon — Watch Um, this is by far the best thing you’ll see all day! Ed Sheeran sang his hit ‘Shape Of You’ like never before with some help from Jimmy Fallon & The Roots — you have to check it out right here! Ed Sheeran Bids For Boyfriend Of The Year As He Cheers Girlfriend On At Hockey Match Dream team! Ed Sheeran sweetly cheered on his longtime girlfriend Cherry Seaborn at her hockey match on Feb. 25, and he was all smiles while showing his support from the sidelines. The crooner continually proves to be the ultimate gentleman! Ed Sheeran Gushes Over Taylor Swift’s Nemesis Katy Perry — Breaking Friend Code? Cover your ears, Taylor Swift! The singer’s longtime BFF, Ed Sheeran, crashed her nemesis, Katy Perry’s, BBC Radio 1 interview on Feb. 22…and he had nothing but great things to say about the 32-year-old. Check out the clip here and let us know if you think Ed is totally breaking friendship code! Ed Sheeran & Surprise Guest Stormzy Perform Edgy Remix Of ‘Shape Of You’ At BRITs And THAT’S why we love Ed Sheeran! Performing a perfect mash up of ‘Castle On The Hill’ and ‘Shape Of You,’ the singer jammed out with special (and surprise) guest Stormzy at the 2017 BRIT Awards in London. Read all about their epic duet, here! Ed Sheeran Makes Us Swoon With Romantic New Song ‘How Would You Feel’ — Listen We’ve just been blessed with MORE new Ed Sheeran music, you guys! On the singer’s own birthday, he gave us a gift by debuting his new song, ‘How Would You Feel (Paean).’ Oh, and he even shared a video of himself singing the track LIVE. You have to hear this! Ed Sheeran Serenades Audience At 2017 Grammy Awards With Sexy Song ‘Shape Of You’ Well this was a pleasant surprise! At the very last minute, Ed Sheeran announced that he would be performing at the 2017 Grammys on Feb. 12 — and he certainly did not disappoint. The English songwriter made our hearts swoon with ‘Shape Of You.’ Previous 6789101112131415 Next	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1219
__label__wiki	0.925238	0.925238	ישראל ▼ > Go back home > BLOG > News Congratulations to the French National Cup winners! Marine Boyer and Julien Gobaux won the senior titles at the French National Cup finals that was held this weekend in Les Ponts-de-Cé, Maine-et-Loire. This competition attracted hundreds of gymnasts in multiple age groups competing in artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. The elite competition featured senior, junior and espoir categories. For the women, gymnasts born in 2000 competed in the senior ranks, as they will be age eligible for senior competition on January 1st. Marine Boyer won the all-around title in Les Ponts-de-Cé by more than 2 points. Her top scores were 14.450 on both vault and balance beam. "I am happy, even if winning wasn't necessarily my goal when I came to Les Ponts-de-Cé,"Boyer said after the competition. "I wanted to have a good competition more. My tumbling was good, even though the floor was a bit hard. It was my last event and I was relaxed. I will continue to work for this routine so it goes better next time." Alison Lepin took second all-around title and had the top score on uneven bars (13.950/6.1D). She was 13th all-around at the French junior championships this year. "We're super happy,"said Lepin's coach, Marc Chirilcenco. "We were hoping to be on the podium but without much conviction. But Alison succeeded with a very beautiful competition. The cherry on top is a training camp with the French team next weekend at INSEP!" Juliette Bossu took third all-around over Grâce Charpy, whose younger sister Lorette Charpy won the junior title. Julien Gobaux, the alternate to France's world team, won the men's all-around title. Gobaux won by nearly 4 points over silver medalist Kévin Antoniotti and Antoine Borello. "I'm really happy, especially on vault,"Gobaux said. "I've increased my difficulty on this event compared with my last competition. This is a great personal satisfaction of having done a competition without a fall. It's the end of a long season without pause. I am going to take a little rest in order to thoroughly prepare for the Test Event." Find your own rhythmic gymnastic leotard! < New collection of covers! Merry Christmas!!! > Our goods figure skating dress Under Leotard More leotards for little gymnasts! Lauren Hernandez's Goals! O'Keefe's Story of Success! Gymnastics Fantastic About us Contacts Blog FAQ Feedback Service and Help Rewiews249 Shipping and returns FAQ Payment information Sitemap	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1236
__label__wiki	0.985295	0.985295	Nawaz Sharif, daughter and son-in-law granted parole to attend Kulsoom’s funeral, reach Lahorehttps://indianexpress.com/article/pakistan/nawaz-sharif-daughter-and-son-in-law-granted-parole-to-attend-kulsooms-funeral-reach-lahore-5351560/ Nawaz Sharif, daughter and son-in-law granted parole to attend Kulsoom’s funeral, reach Lahore Shahbaz Sharif had filed an application requesting five-day parole, but Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar were given a 12-hour parole By PTI \|Lahore \| Published: September 12, 2018 7:25:22 am Pakistani mafia using bribe, blackmailing to put pressure on Judiciary: Imran Khan Islamabad HC to hear pleas of Nawaz Sharif, NAB in Al-Azizia and Flagship cases on Sept 18 Pakistani judge who jailed former PM Nawaz Sharif sacked over blackmail claims Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Sharif were released from Adiala Jail Rawalpindi Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar reached Lahore in early hours of Wednesday after they were released from Adiala Jail Rawalpindi on a 12-hour parole to attend the funeral of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. Kulsoom, the wife of Sharif, died Tuesday in London after a long battle with cancer. She was 68. Her body will be brought back here and buried in Jati Umra Lahore residence of the Sharif family. Sharif and two others were transported to Jati Umra in a special plane from Nur Khan Airbase Rawalpindi in early hours of Wednesday after the Punjab government home department issued their release order for a 12-hour parole. The trio arrived at Lahore at 3.15 am Wednesday. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb told PTI that Shahbaz Sharif had filed an application with the Punjab government requesting to release his elder brother Nawaz, niece Maryam and Safdar for five days on parole so that they could attend the last rituals of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz who died of cancer in London on Tuesday. She said the Punjab government did not entertain Shahbaz’s request for five days and only granted their release for 12 hours. “We are hopeful that the government will extend the parole till the funeral of Begum Kulsoom to be held on Friday in Lahore,” Aurangzeb said, adding Shahbaz Sharif will leave for London on Wednesday to bring Kulsoom’s body back. A senior official of the Punjab government also confirmed to PTI that the parole period would be extended till the last rituals of Kulsoom are performed in Lahore. “Since Kulsoom’ body is scheduled to arrive here on Friday there is no point of not extending the parole period. The government has allowed Mr Sharif to attend the funeral prayer of his wife purely on humanitarian grounds,” the official said. According to a notification of the home department, “In pursuance of rule 545-B of Pakistan Prison Rules 1978, permission granted to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, confined at central prison Rawalpindi, to attend the funeral prayer of Kulsoom Nawaz. The duration of permission granted shall not exceed 12w hours. Police will be responsible for their security and safety. They will not leave the place (Jati Umra) specified in the permission order.” Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered to facilitate the Sharif family regarding bringing back the body of Kulsoom and matters related to their parole. Heavy contingent of police has been deployed at the Jati Umra to provide security to the Sharif family. Kulsoom Nawaz passed away on Tuesday Kulsoom, who had been battling with lymphoma (throat cancer) for over a year, breathed her last at the London’s Harley Street Clinic. “Begum Kulsoom’s condition deteriorated early in the morning on Tuesday. Doctors tried their best but couldn’t save her life,” Marriyum Aurangzeb said. To a question whether her sons — Hasan and Hussain — would return to Lahore to attend her funeral prayer, she said: “No decision has been taken as yet.” It is likely that both sons may not return to Pakistan as they have been declared absconders by an accountability court in the off-shore properties case. The former first lady was diagnosed with lymphoma (throat) cancer in August last and had been in London since, where she underwent multiple surgeries and at least five chemotherapy sessions. She was placed on a ventilator in June following a cardiac arrest. Her family reported a slight improvement in her condition on July 12, a day before her husband Sharif and Maryam were set to return to Pakistan after the accountability court sentenced them to jail. She served as the first lady of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms from 1990-1993, 1997-1999 and 2013-2017. She also served as the president of the PML-N from 1999 to 2002, after her husband’s government was toppled by former military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup. She was also placed under house arrest following Sharif’s ouster by Musharraf in 1999. She led defiant, lonely protests against the Musharraf regime to get her husband freed from prison. More Explained Taking stock of monsoon rain Kulsoom was elected to Lahore’s NA-120 constituency in a by-poll after her husband was disqualified from the seat by the Supreme Court last year. Due to her illness, she was unable to return and formally take oath for the seat. She was born in 1950 in Lahore to a Kashmiri family. She graduated from the Forman Christian College in Lahore and received a Master’s degree in Urdu from Punjab University in 1970. From her maternal side, she was granddaughter of famous wrestler of the sub-continent Gama Pehlwan. Kulsoom married Sharif in April 1971 and they have four children – Hassan, Hussain, Maryam and Asma Nawaz Sharif, daughter and son-in-law granted parole to attend Kulsoom's funeral, reach Lahore 1 Pakistan: Imran Khan govt to auction eight buffaloes kept by Nawaz Sharif at PM House 2 Nawaz Sharif’s wife Kulsoom Nawaz passes away in London 3 Find ways to extradite Musharraf from UAE to face treason: Pak court to Govt	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1240
__label__cc	0.547941	0.452059	Films (real-world) Harry Potter Hogwarts Collection This article is not part of the Harry Potter universe. This article covers a subject that is part of the real world, and thus should not be taken as a part of the Harry Potter universe. Happy Potter Hogwarts Collection The Harry Potter Hogwarts Collection box set is a collection of all 8 films and contains 31 discs. Collection Official Description This comprehensive 31-disc collection contains all eight Harry Potter movies on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet and more than 45 hours of special features including the Creating the World of Harry Potter documentary series on Blu-ray: Part 1: The Magic Begins - Explore the early decisions that impacted the entire series, and follow the search for the young leads. Part 2: Characters - Learn about the casting process and how the actors brought J.K. Rowling’s beloved characters to life. Part 3: Creatures - Meet a new group of wizards: the artists who created the monsters and marvels in Harry’s world. Part 4: Sound & Music - Hear how the composers and sound experts used their craft to magnify the series’ emotional journey. Part 5: Evolution - Join the filmmakers as they discuss how the creative vision for the films evolved throughout the series. Part 6: Magical Effects - Watch how technical wizards conjured up an amazing alternate reality using CGI and practical effects. Part 7: Story - Listen in as J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves discuss how the books were adapted for the screen. Part 8: Growing Up - See how the young stars’ ideas of acting, fame and themselves have changed over ten years. PLUS A Blu-ray BONUS DISC with over 3 hours of features including “The Harry Potters You Never Met” - Meet the stunt doubles for Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as they demonstrate how they balanced major stunt work with seamlessly mimicking the actors they represented and share their favourite moments. “Designing the World of Harry Potter” - Explore how production designer Stuart Craig and his creative team brought J.K. Rowling's imagination to life on the screen. “When Harry Left Hogwarts” (Extended Version) - Hear candid and emotional stories about the final days on set in this extended behind-the-scenes look. “50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments” (Definitive Version) - Take a look back with cast members who share their on and off-screen memories. “Secrets Revealed! Quidditch” – At last, the secrets behind the special effects required for the breathtaking Quidditch scenes are revealed! “Secrets Revealed! Hagrid”- See the camera tricks, towering stand-in and voluminous body suits behind the beloved Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Retrieved from "https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Harry_Potter_Hogwarts_Collection?oldid=1062577"	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1242
__label__wiki	0.555183	0.555183	Bullard Spotlight: Diana Tomback and Foundation Species Loss Diana Tomback, Professor and Associate Chair of Integrative Biology at the University of Colorado-Denver, has had a unique, two-phase Bullard Fellowship. She spent the winter in HF researcher Andrew Richardson's lab on the main Harvard campus, learning new approaches to assessing the impacts of global change at the forest and global scale. This summer, she's at the Forest collaborating with HF Senior Ecologist Aaron Ellison to study the specific impacts of the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid on eastern hemlock ecosystems. The eastern hemlock ecosystem presents a parallel to the system that Tomback regularly studies out west: whitebark pine, and its now-widespread pathogen, white pine blister rust. "The major challenges to global forest health in the 21st century are climate change and ongoing exchange of pests and pathogens around the world," says Tomback. Her recent work has examined the consequences of population declines in whitebark pine in the Rocky Mountains, including reduced likelihood of seed dispersal by Clark's nutcrackers, changes in treeline forest composition and structure, and the loss of ecosystem services and foundation functions. At Harvard Forest, she hopes to work collaboratively to advocate for attention to these declining foundation species and the adverse changes underway in our North American forests. Read a recent article about whitebark pine in the New York Times, with comment from Tomback. Learn more about the Forest's Charles Bullard Fellowship program. (Photo by Marge Meijer shows Tomback's whitebark pine research team at work in Alberta, Canada.) Large Experiments and Permanent Plot Studies Invasive Plants, Pests and Pathogens Bullards Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) Long Term Ecological Research	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1243
__label__cc	0.530453	0.469547	To whom is Theresa May accountable on Brexit ANALYSIS: let’s stop illustrating the mess that is the EU, and start asking who is really running Brexit. Date: September 4, 2018Author: John Ward 33 Comments I doubt if the UK press has covered this, but Emmanuel Macron the “centrist” neoliberal banker is about to introduce automatic withdrawal of funds from citizens’ bank accounts for tax payments in France. Not only is he facing huge opposition to this obvious next bale-in-to-rape step, last Sunday the tabloid Aujourd’hui published leaked documents showing that software trials of the new shovel-in-your-account have revealed an unholy mess. Emmanuel is in a hurry to push this stage of Macronisation through because (a) he is under pressure from Berlin and Frankfurt to do it and (b) summer tax receipts for this year are well below target. Europe is in deep doo-doo, but the UK Government “negotiating” Brexit seems not to care. The Slog asks why this is. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ The latest Italian numbers (and the clear bond spikes that reflect the gravity of the situation there) are clear for anyone to see and nobody to deny. One day there is EC spin about Rome’s promises to ‘respect the budgetary rules from Brussels’, and the next we see more details of overdue plans to expand the economy. It’s hard to think of a better reason for such a course of action than the news that Italy’s economy stalled over the last few months; but the monetarist idiots in Frankfurt will have their way….or in this case, not. It’s almost three weeks now since I posted to predict rising bond yields in Italy. That has duly come to pass – as millions of others knew just as well as I that it would. Five days ago, I blogged to say that the now ‘inevitable’ watered-down Brexit will ensure we ‘remain overdependent on trade with an EU that has insoluble currency, fiscal, migration and economic problems’. And yesterday, I wrote yet another piece pointing out: Shortly after the referendum on EU membership, I posted this piece in October 2016. May followed every word to the letter….but grossly underestimated the stubbornness of the EC and the disgust of the British People. Even before then, on the day after the referendum, this was The Slog’s headline: A fortnight later, I led with this headline: Enough, already. Theresa Mayniac is many things, but she is a cunning manipulator and far from stupid. Like most politicians, she grossly overestimates her abilities. She’s emotionally unintelligent perhaps, but a reasonable chess-player. Yet she is now in a check-mate. Committed to a dead formula nobody in the UK or Brussels wants, dependent on DUP support and facing rebellion from the BoJo Moggies, she nevertheless sees the obvious situation of an EU close to collapse. She could become a hero overnight by walking away from Barnier’s busted bluff. She could reposition herself as the true soul of sovereign Brexit, force Brussels to face reality, and revel in the sight of the Junckernauts frozen in panic. There would be intervention from the Big EU beasts within days. And her position would be assured, because while the Brexit ‘rebels’ just might bring her down, there’s no way the Remainer Tories would. But she isn’t going to do it. And it’s time we all analysed the reasons why much more closely. Consider some parallels. Theresa May jumps when any sensitive electoral issue comes to the fore. 86 Windrush immigrants get deported (why is still far from proven) but within days they are promised compensation. Clearly, she’ll do and say anything to stay in power. But 3.65 million 1950s born UK women campaign for seven years and more….and neither she nor her predecessors are willing to budge an inch. Why? Grenfell Tower burns to the ground with a shocking loss of life. Ignoring the fact that 30% of residents were illegally subletting in the tower (May gives them an immediate amnesty) most survivors are rehoused remarkably quickly (despite the fact that none of the claimant numbers make sense) and a full public enquiry is set up within weeks. Again, she is fearful of the predictable backlash from Labour and bleeds all over the carpet about how saddened she is by the (very real) tragedy. But when faced with the chance to turn a populist referendum result into political advantage, she allows an inexplicable delay in triggering Article 50 and almost a full year to pass before negotiations with Brussels begin. Two problematic opportunities, but she treats them entirely differently. Why? Having missed the opportunity to go balls-out for Brexit and wipe the floor with the Opposition, the Prime Minister has no problem with doing a hugely expensive (and grubby) deal with the DUP which is immediately seized upon by Brussels and the border issue becomes an unlikely deal-breaker. Clearly, there’s nothing wrong with Sister Theresa’s political instincts (they are utterly base) but she’s more than happy to have her hands further tied during the Brexit process. Reversing her stance on SPA reforms and screwing the best deal possible out of a weak Brussels would have annihilated the challenge from Coybynite Labour. But she chose to look the obvious gift-horse in the eye. Why? Not being a Leftist Remainoid – that is, existentially mad – The Mayniac knows perfectly well that she could play up the EU’s myriad problems, engage the now clear UK majority in favour of getting on with Brexit, frighten the Tory Remaindeer into silence, and have a clear run at an isolated (and probably a breakaway suffering) FootLabour2 in 2022. Instead, she comes up with the Chequers Formula to unite the entire spectrum of Brexit opinion against her. She loves power, and yet she demands obedience to an idea that causes the resignation of powerful enemies who directly threaten that power. Why? In 2015, the then popular Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is very close to having Brussels over a barrel. ClubMed bonds are spiking all over the place, and his media-savvy finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has presented a series of requests for debt forgiveness that leave most EU leaders impressed. Varoufakis himself is convinced he has a deal that Muscovichi and Hollande will buy into. But he arrives at the crunch meeting to be surprised by the presence of former Goldman Sachs sociopath Mario Draghi, head of the European Bank. Dismissively rude throughout the session, Draghi tells the Greek to fold or be crushed. Varoufakis leaves the conference and rings Tsipras. They’re bluffing, he says. We can call their bluff. Tsipras rejects this blindingly obvious counsel. Why? It seems to me quite clear that these power-lovers’ fear of other forces is greater than their love of power. Theresa May doesn’t fear Boris Johnson, because she knows that, in the final analysis, he too bows to the forces of ultimate power. Equally, she knows that Jacob Rees-Mogg is also a member of the bourse financialisers. But she – like Tsipras – fears the influence of the CIA, MI5, Texan and Saudi oil barons, the Pentagon, bourses and NATO. Via her experience at the Home Office and her husband in the markets, Theresa May understands precisely who runs the World. She won’t volte face on the SPA embezzlement, because that would give the wrong signal to the élites. Viktor Orban of Hungary has been under similar pressure for several years. But he has stuck to his guns and given the polite FOAD response to the European Commission. And little by little, he has eased the malign George Soros influence out of his country. He has chosen to stick two fingers up to the Alt State élites of NATO, the Pentagon, global central banking, the financial markets, the energy power-brokers, the US State Department, Berlin migration lunacy and the ECB because first, he has more options than most; and second, he is less important than most. By contrast, Greece is central to NATO North African strategy, and had the potential to embarrass US, German and French banks. And Great Britain is a vital ally in the fight to unite Europe against the developing Third Worlds of Russia, China and South America. The last thing the State-Pentagon-CIA-NATO axis wants is a threat to Dollar hegemony. Brexit doesn’t mean Brexit at all. Brexit means play ball with the creators of the European Union, the financialisation of global capitalism and the Generals behind neocon US foreign policy….or else. Brexit – as Kate Hoey so presciently pointed out in 2016 – is about The People versus The Establishment. It is about the Citizen versus Big State. It is about State accountability to the Electorate versus hidden control by speculators, diplomats, soldiers and ideologues. It is about the individual’s desire to be left alone by the snoopers, the tax collectors and the fanatics. That’s why hegemonists based in Washington, Dallas, Tehran, Saudi Arabia, Tel Aviv, Berlin, Paris, Brussels, mosques, the socialist movements, the bourses and the neoliberal tendency legislators are all against it. Theresa May isn’t following her instincts, she is doing as she’s told…..not what We The People want her to do. Ultimately, Brexit about Big versus Small. And that’s why I continue to have this visual at The Slog’s home page: If we lose this fight, then all is lost. And that amounts to far more than Brexit. Brexit means freedomBrexit means more than BrexitDark ForcesTheresa May Previous Previous post: Anecdotage Next Next post: At the End of the Day 33 thoughts on “ANALYSIS: let’s stop illustrating the mess that is the EU, and start asking who is really running Brexit.” Funny how Macron is now adopting a strategy the Tsipras government introduced to reach into bank accounts and just take what the government says you owe them. Our accountant has been saying for years that Greece is the prototype for new strategies that will eventually be adopted by the rest of the EU. I think he’s right and that everything the Tsipras government is getting away with will sooner or later become policy in other EU countries, so beware all. Next thing you know, you will also have “tekmirio”, loosely translated as “having an income–the amount of which the government decides–which justifies your ownership/rental of property, cars, boats etc.” Some friends of ours, who haven’t much income but do have a large house (the wife inherited it from her father; they didn’t build it) have just been hit with a 16,000 euro tax bill because they do not have the 30,000 euro income to “justify” living in that house. How in the name of heaven are they going to pay 16,000 euros without having such an income? They cannot sell the house (no market), the kids don’t want it (no surprise there, they can’t afford the tekmirio either) and they don’t wish to gift it to a rapacious state (why should they?). So they will scramble, and then they will divide the house up so that he can have one bit and she can have the other bit, and that will reduced the tekmirio for next year (though at some considerable cost for something they don’t want or need to do This Alice Through the Looking Glass madness is going to take over the world unless there are loud, persistent and meaningful protests in France or wherever such mad legislation is introduced. But will anyone protest, or will they merely grumble> A Kearsley Lad says: Shieldssage is correct – the next 6 months will tell us who rules the world; fortunately the drama will have to be played out in front of the whole world, there will be no hiding place, cards on the table. You are with the people or against them, better decide now. John Day says: All I can see is that the global casino our owners are running has to burn down. No elegance at all, but I’m just one of the herd who looks up a lot. Brexit is what we voted for, Bricksit (add an h for flavour if you wish) is what we’re getting. This mixture of fear and constipation is likely to prove calamitous for all concerned. dofornow says: I watched Pirate Morgan and his wench on ITV this morning. I channel hop when BBC are being silly. The treated the ex mayer of London and mp, without any respect at all………….They were trying t make him change what he said in the past. Ken Livingstone not my favorite mp or politician ! He gained my respect when he said………. he had no idea how many immigrunts were in London (a few years back this). He said words to the effect that …They would turned up a hospital with an ailment and were then issued with health cards! Opening the system up for them immediately. Bettino Craxi says: @Paul This might help…. https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/ :Paul says: Off topic but I note that two Russian GRU agents have been identified and charged in absentia with the Skripal poisoning. Has this made any difference to your conspiracy theories which you have so elegantly and eloquently constructed? Elegant construction of a theory is not really my thing. My main interest is in means, motive, likelihood and evidence. As we aren’t being told anything at all about the evidence against the accused, my inclination is to ignore it until such time as there is a trial. JW liz727 says: Kieran laffan Excellent comment! Describes it exactly! Oddjob No it isn’t. And it’s all going to come tumbling down real soon please God. unfortunately our paths are well mapped out and there is little apart from the very strongest course of action that can change it. Those you refer to are too powerful, our political leaders too weak and our people too fat and lazy. The USD replaced by the SDR. Russia and China to outsmart the US geopolitically. The UN gaining immeasurable power, its ‘peacekeepers’ maintaining order globally. Religions and cultures merging into one. We are truly fucked, is my considered opinion. Even a ‘revolution’ would fail to unseat those in true power. Only one thing may work, but that would leave very few people left on the planet. Your grasp of the situation is masterful. Have you though of youtube presentations in order to reach a wider audience? malagabay says: I think you’re asking the right questions. “she allows an inexplicable delay in triggering Article 50 and almost a full year to pass before negotiations with Brussels begin. Why?” My guess. The game plan included installing Her Purpleness in the White House. But The Donald upset the plan. So they decided to double down. Invoking Article 50 over here. Unleashing Russiagate, the Dirty Dossier, the media and civil unrest over there. But the Purple Plan is still not back on track. Arguably, the Novachok fiascos demonstrate a degree of blind panic. Interesting times. I found this interesting: Although he’s a communist, some of what he said reminded me of your comments about making life difficult for the pen pushers and elite. He says electing people isn’t the answer, though they can push through the changes once they’ve been forced into it by protests. Funny how we all come at this from different political directions but reach a similar conclusion about what needs to happen. tonyopmoc says: You’ve been rubbish for weeks, since I paid you a back handed compliment whilst offending you re your cognitiive dissonance, which you failed to post, cos you knew it was true and it hit a sore spot. But that was excellent. Some active brain cells left in the old dog yet. Good to see you are still learning. Most people 50 years younger are beyond it. I assume I am permanently banned again, for the next 5 years, so I will wish you a happy 75th in advance. Well Tony, looks to me like all your assumptions were wrong. JW Michael coz says: John should be in charge and Theresa should be making the alternative remarks…… perhaps I live in an opposite universe where madness and the lunatics run the asylum…. I may wake up and everything smells of tulips, dope , helal meat , African bush meat , german diesel high mileage low emission cars , and American aircraft carrier landing game changing aircraft…. I wonder what the poor are up to ? God bless all here. Mine s a pint of Guinness and a Paddy s Whisky chaser please . A combination that has kept me out of hospital for the last 50 years. Tutto bene! JW Juncker- Tusk- Trichet- Von Rompuy- Schultz all committed Federalists all Present or Past Presidents of the various branches of the EU. Merkel the most influential Political figure and touted as next President of the EU. Also all recipients of the Charlemagne Prize awarded by Coudenhove-Kalergi. Add in Barnier and a few others and you have the line up of Team Europe. Team UK May – Fox – Davis – Johnson – Raab. Civil Servants Robbins – Healey – Barrow. If this was a football cup match it would be like Chelsea v Whitehaven. Doesn’t inspire confidence – no hard men in our team – with a good input of original Remain fighting a case which they opposed. I wouldn’t back them to fight their way out of a paper bag!!! Tied in by club rules which you should understand before you sign membership ( Rely on Heath for that have given the Fishing industry away – some hope) No matter how you cut it you can’t play Mr Nice Guy – play to your strengths walk away if necessary and don’t let N Ireland dictate the policy. That is a future issue in which the Republic has an increasing say. There is a distinct lack of logical thought which the population can digest and know what it is that we seek to secure. The members of Parliament are like ferrets fighting in a sack. Has any one carried out a detailed analysis of the exact present state of the E.U. country by country – it is far from rosy. Immigration has yet to be played out and the future population crisis with the consequences for Europe and the UK not yet surfaced but gently warming up to become the major issue of this century. Uk law v Sharia Islam v Secularism Autocracy v Democracy. How are we going to fight that battle when we fail with this one. Great comment. Doubt about what game is being played (and by whose rules) has been the Brexit curse from Day One. My own feeling is that it’s underwater rugby tennis without the balls. JW ExpatLogger says: This is all too depressing John, it makes me want to cut down some more trees, and clear the air of all those Dark Forces out there, that you talk about. Great article! You missed out the Ephraimites, but perhaps that was deliberate. I love coming here and getting things off my chest, all for less than the price of a bag of otters’ noses – which is what they cost me in the first place. Treat people fairly and they’ll come back ;) The Irritating Flea says: Brilliant piece written in plain English for all to see. This needs circulating far and wide. The financialising filth, after centuries of networking, eventually managed to acquire our governance lock stock and both barrels in the latter part of the 20th century. The evidence for this assertion is everywhere to be seen, it’s no secret, hidden in plain sight. Like getting dog excrement off just about anything, regaining our independence from these parasitical gobshites is not a job for anyone with a weak stomach; the alternative, however, is too unhygienic to contemplate and likely to prove fatal for our fundamental freedoms. If that means the destruction of our current political class and their shibboleths, then so be it. Tell you what hiero, if there’s one fing I can’t stand it’s them bloody Shibboleths. Worse than the Canaanites they are, wanderin’ abart an’ refusin’ to eat bacon an’ that and don’ get me started on them Corbynites they give me the ferkin’ pip, even worse than them Phillistines. ;-) JW here’s a link; try 40 seconds in … https://www.ukcolumn.org/ukcolumn-news/uk-column-news-4th-september-2018 Entirely agree and there’s absolutely nobody out there arguing the case – except you and UKColumn – research the issues to do with EU military union – ‘our boys’ are already wearing the EU insignia – i’ll try to find a link pigeonstreet1 says: Hi John, What happened to the paedophile enquiry? Regards, Deryk Hayward Oddjob says: Fight? What fight? As far as I can see no one is fighting for the leavers, and anyone with any ability to fight (J R-M for example) has quickly retreated from any confrontation that might look like, or resemble in any fashion, a fight, because you are quite correct, they know who runs the world, and also, what their chances are after the fight is over of ever being public life again. In some cases, maybe not even taking breath ever again. Washington will not let the EU collapse, it isn’t going anywhere, and nor is the UK. Get over it. It’s the only way. I hope it’s not the only wway Odjob, because it sure as shit isn’t my way. JW ALISON PEEL says: Thank you for putting in to words what I feel but so few say. By trying to get my lost pension back ( I am a woman who has had 7 years added to my SPA as was born in 1961) I have uncovered that it is just a symptom of the dismantlement of the Welfare State. As you say, The People v The Establishment. The people of Britain want their country back. Well said Alison. May doesn’t care about the SPA victims, because their treatment is a sign to our ultimte masters that Britain will do whatever the nutjobs want. JW Andrew Croft says: And so what do you want John? Absolute and immediate clean break from the EU? That there’s no need for a ‘deal’? Do you believe that there won’t be any serious economic implications for the UK or do you believe that any downturn is a price worth paying for our sovereignty? What I would like Andrew is for Brussels to drop its insane federalist nonsense, make the EU bureaucrats servants of the MEPs, and devolve far more UK power down to local level. Call it the EEU, and leave it at that. I do not believe that tying ourselves to an obviously sinking ship is a price worth paying for “safety” – whateverTF that means. I would happily stay in that EEU. JW Kieran laffan says: The eu john, is like quintessential wife beater,gluttonously feeding off the fear he creates.Oblivious to the fact that each beating is driving his wife closer to a no turning back desire for complete freedom.As i see it she’s starting in the mirror touching her latest bruise,no emotion.Her bags are packed behind her, while across town a taxi ploughs its way towards her emancipation. My God Kieran, that was a well written and nail-hitting comment. Thank you. JW Shieldssage says: Marvellous Essay John. Your logic is impeccable. The next 6 months in this Island will be of world significance in either starting the Globalist insurrection or capitulating in dispair. Its much more than British Sovereignty at stake-its the future of western Civilisation and its citizens right to determine their own future. asimong says: Very persuasive analysis, thank you John! rogerglewis says: Link screwed up here it is. http://moneytomadness.blogspot.com/ https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/angela-merkel/verschwoerung-gegen-merkel-und-schaeuble-42739520.bild.html Interesting This from an Ex Investment Banker? at one stage Obama designated the continued presence of Greece in the Eurozone as ‘a matter of National Security’ for the USA. The following is a translation of this article in Das Bild (27/9/2015) by Peter Tiede and Liana Spyropoulou. The EU is a Us Hegemony tool, The EURO is not in Washingtons Plan. I can not figure out at which point the Rug will be pulled from under the EURO also At some point The Rug was planned to be pulled from under the US Dollar too. Of Course Wall Street dislike the City as Much as Frankfurt. Hard to pick a winner right now especially as BRICS stand to score a big win with recent developments with Iraq/Iranian Trade ditching the Dollar. This is a Very Rich and Powerfull CLiques infight John got sweet FA to do with Left or Right and everything to do with very High Stakes Great Game Poker. Brexit is part of a process not an event in itself. If I could write, this is what I would write. Write is a piece on probabilty of success, pinpointing who might have the balls to brexit please.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1245
__label__cc	0.705726	0.294274	Home > IT Blogs > Computer Weekly Editor's Blog Computer Weekly Editor's Blog: Is DWP looking for yet another new chief for Universal Credit? Bryan Glick Profile: Bryan Glick dwp, Universal Credit Is the troubled Universal Credit programme looking for yet another new leader for the project? A good contact of mine has told me that he was approached by two separate headhunters... Does Heartbleed show it is time to ‘corporatise’ open source? Big Data, GDS, Heartbleed, IT security, OpenSource, OpenSSL, Software development The exposure of the Heartbleed bug that causes a major security vulnerability in many websites has handed a gift to the anti-open source lobby. One of... Analysing G-Cloud: A need for wider awareness and promotion? CloudStore, G-Cloud, GDS, Government IT Few could doubt that the government's G-Cloud purchasing framework has been a success so far. More than £100m has been spent through it, opening up the market to SMEs and... Who wants Windows XP to live forever? Apple, Google, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Software licensing, Windows XP And so the most popular PC operating system of all time reaches the final winter of its years. Windows XP goes out of regular support on 8 April, but it is testament to its enduring... Computer Weekly's editor gives a personal perspective on the biggest issues in technology and IT strategy.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1251
__label__wiki	0.784779	0.784779	JB Special Collection JB Classic Spotlights About JB PHYSIOLOGY AND METABOLISM Vibrio fischeri Outer Membrane Protein OmpU Plays a Role in Normal Symbiotic Colonization F. Aeckersberg, C. Lupp, B. Feliciano, E. G. Ruby F. Aeckersberg Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 C. Lupp B. Feliciano E. G. Ruby DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.22.6590-6597.2001 The nascent light-emitting organ of newly hatched juveniles of the Hawaiian sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes is specifically colonized by cells ofVibrio fischeri that are obtained from the ambient seawater. The mechanisms that promote this specific, cooperative colonization are likely to require a number of bacterial and host-derived factors and activities, only some of which have been described to date. A characteristic of many host-pathogen associations is the presence of bacterial mechanisms that allow attachment to specific tissues. These mechanisms have been well characterized and often involve bacterial fimbriae or outer membrane proteins (OMPs) that act as adhesins, the expression of which has been linked to virulence regulators such as ToxR in Vibrio cholerae. Analogous or even homologous mechanisms are probably operative in the initiation and persistence of cooperative bacterial associations, although considerably less is known about them. We report the presence inV. fischeri of ompU, a gene encoding a 32.5-kDa protein homolog of two other OMPs, OmpU of V. cholerae (50.8% amino acid sequence identity) and OmpL ofPhotobacterium profundum (45.5% identity). A null mutation introduced into the V. fischeri ompU resulted in the loss of an OMP with an estimated molecular mass of about 34 kDa; genetic complementation of the mutant strain with a DNA fragment containing only the ompU gene restored the production of this protein. The expression of the V. fischeri OmpU was not significantly affected by either (i) iron or phosphate limitation or (ii) a mutation that renders V. fischeri defective in the synthesis of a homolog of the OMP-regulatory protein ToxR. TheompU mutant grew normally in complex nutrient media but was more susceptible to growth inhibition in the presence of either anionic detergents or the antimicrobial peptide protamine sulfate. Interestingly, colonization experiments showed that theompU null mutant initiated a symbiotic association with juvenile light organ tissue with only about 60% of the effectiveness of the parent strain. When colonization did occur, it proceeded more slowly and resulted in an approximately fourfold-smaller bacterial population. Surprisingly, there was no evidence that in a mixed infection with its parent, the ompU-defective strain had a competitive disadvantage, suggesting that the presence of the parent strain provided a shared compensatory activity. Thus, the OmpU protein appears to play a role in the normal process by which V. fischeri initiates its colonization of the nascent light organ of juvenile squids. Essentially all multicellular eukaryotes normally exist in association with a suite of cooperative microorganisms, many of which have been recognized to play essential, benign roles in the development and health of their hosts (5). Such interactions can be either consortial, being composed of many microbial species, as in the enteric tracts of all animals (6), or monospecific, as in the root nodules of plants (42) and the light-emitting organs of marine squids and fishes (34). In most of these associations, microorganisms are transmitted horizontally to each new host generation when bacteria present in the ambient environment come in contact with and colonize a particular tissue in their animal and plant hosts. Species specificity is important in these relationships, yet remarkably little is known about how each association is established and persists over the lifetime of the host. One common mechanism of cell-cell recognition is specific attachment structures, which provide the bacterium with the ability to first identify and then remain in close contact with the appropriate target tissue. Bacteria utilize a number of external structures to attach to specific host tissues and, in some instances, to bring about changes in the biochemical and cellular activity of the host cells to which they adhere (12). Among the best studied of these adhesive structures are pili (fimbriae) and outer membrane proteins (OMPs, or porins), both of which project into the bacterium's environment. The regulation, structure, and specificity of fimbriae and OMPs have been best described in certain pathogenic bacterial species (23, 29,35), including the human intestinal pathogen Vibrio cholerae (2). In contrast, less is known about the mechanisms by which benign bacteria initiate specific, cooperative, and often obligate associations that can persist throughout the life of the host. The marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri is the specific symbiont of the light-emitting organ of the sepiolid squidEuprymna scolopes (20). The nascent light organ of a newly hatched E. scolopes juvenile is axenic, but cells of V. fischeri present in the surrounding seawater serve as an inoculum that passes through pores on the surface of the organ and proliferates within epithelium-lined internal crypt spaces (27). The colonization process requires that the bacteria migrate past several different host cell types on their way into the organ (26) and then become securely associated with the microvillar surface of the crypt cells (14). Periodic expulsion of over 95% of the symbiotic bacterial population every morning (33) may further select for closely adheringV. fischeri cells, which become increasingly invested in the microvilli during the first few days after colonization (14). In addition, the presence of the bacteria induces both reversible and irreversible stages in the program of normal light organ development (22, 44), suggesting that signaling is occurring between the bacteria and their host. The mechanisms by which V. fischeri cells attach to and colonize the light organ tissues of juvenile hosts are just beginning to be described in detail. For example, aggregation of V. fischeri cells in a host-derived mucus-like matrix is an early event that is required for these cells to find and enter the pores that lead to the nascent light organ crypts (27). In addition, evidence exists that mannose residues present on the cells lining the crypts may function as receptors for the colonizing bacteria (21) and that bacterial fimbriae are involved in this process (B. Feliciano and E. G. Ruby, Abstr. 99th Annu. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol., abstr. 462, 1999). Reports that the OmpU protein of some strains of V. cholerae might serve in attachment of this pathogen to host tissue (38) suggested to us that an examination of the OMPs of V. fischeri might lead to a better understanding of the role of extracellular structures in the symbiotic colonization of the squid light organ. Bacterial strains and media. V. fischeri strain ESR1, a rifampin-resistant derivative of wild-type strain ES114 (8), was used as the parent strain for all mutant constructions (Table 1).Escherichia coli strain DH5α (4) was the recipient for most cloning experiments, and plasmids were passaged through a dam mutant E. coli strain prior to introduction into V. fischeri by electroporation (45). Bacterial strains and plasmids used in this study Unless otherwise noted, V. fischeri strains were grown at 28°C with shaking in one of two nutrient-rich media: SWT (1), which contains 0.5% (wt/vol) tryptone-peptone (Difco, Sparks, Md.), 0.3% (wt/vol) yeast extract, and 0.3% (vol/vol) glycerol in 70% seawater, or LBS (7), which contains 1% (wt/vol) tryptone-peptone, 0.5% (wt/vol) yeast extract, 2% NaCl, and 0.3% (vol/vol) glycerol in 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5). E. colistrains were grown in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth (4). Agar was added to a concentration of 1.5% to solidify media. Antibiotics were added to media when appropriate to achieve the following final concentrations: ampicillin, 100 μg/ml; chloramphenicol, 25 μg/ml for E. coli and 2.5 μg/ml for V. fischeri; erythromycin, 150 μg/ml for E. coli and 5 μg/ml forV. fischeri; trimethoprim, 10 μg/ml for E. coliand 2 μg/ml for V. fischeri. In certain cases, cultures of V. fischeri cells were grown in media that were designed to be growth limiting for either phosphate, nitrogen, or iron. Phosphate-limited growth was achieved in an artificial-seawater-based minimal medium containing 300 mM NaCl, 50 mM MgSO4 · 7H2O, 10 mM CaCl2 · 2H2O, 10 mM KCl, 10 mM NH4Cl, 0.01 mM FeSO4, 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.5), and 20 mM ribose or other carbon source (1) to which no phosphate was added. A nitrogen-limiting variation of this medium had the same composition except that the NH4Cl was omitted and K2HPO4 was added to a final concentration of 0.33 mM. Iron limitation was achieved in a medium containing both NH4Cl and K2HPO4 by the addition of the iron chelator ethylenediamine-di-o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (EDDHA) to a concentration of 30 μM (10). Growth yields were also determined in LBS medium to which sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the antimicrobial peptide protamine sulfate, sodium deoxycholate, or bovine bile (Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.) was added (31). Medium containing bile was sterilized by passage through a 0.45-μm-pore-size membrane filter. Because this medium had a dark brown color that made it impossible to estimate bacterial concentrations by optical density, cell yields were obtained by determining the CFU per milliliter present in the culture after 24 h of growth on SWT agar medium. In the other media, final growth yields were determined by measuring the optical density of the culture at a wavelength of 600 nm (OD600). Protein analyses.Cellular protein extracts were obtained from cultures of V. fischeri cells grown to mid-exponential phase (OD of approximately 0.2) in SWT medium. Cells were harvested by centrifugation and washed with seawater. Total soluble proteins were extracted from washed cell pellets that were resuspended in a cold lysing buffer containing 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 7.9), 50 mM EDTA, 15% (wt/vol) sucrose, and lysozyme (final concentration, 0.5 mg/ml). This suspension was incubated for 30 min on ice and centrifuged for 5 min at 12,000 × g. OMP-enriched fractions were obtained from the resulting pellet using a 1% N-lauroylsarcosine detergent extraction as previously described (19). Soluble proteins were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and visualized by staining with Coomassie brilliant blue. Western blot analyses using a Photobacterium profundum OmpL antibody were performed as described by Welch and Bartlett (47). Cloning procedures. V. fischeri DNA was manipulated using previously described methods (10, 39,46). DNA fragments obtained by restriction endonuclease digestion were separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, and the desired fragments were extracted from gel slices using GeneClean (Bio 101, Inc., Vista, Calif.). T4 DNA ligase was used to join two fragments together, the ligated fragments were transformed into E. coli DH5α cells made competent by CaCl2treatment (4), and plasmid-carrying strains were isolated on selective antibiotic-containing media. Enzymes were obtained from Promega, Inc. (Madison, Wis.) or New England Biolabs (Beverly, Mass.). Squid colonization assays.Juveniles of E. scolopes were inoculated within 4 h of hatching with V. fischeri strains as described previously (32). Briefly, individual squids in vials containing 4 ml of seawater were exposed for 3 h to an inoculum of either the ompUmutant or its parent strain. After this inoculation, the animals were transferred to symbiont-free seawater and maintained for up to 3 days. Measurements of the luminescence of the juvenile squid were performed using a Turner 20/20 luminometer (Turner, Sunnyvale, Calif.) and used as an indication of successful colonization (33). At specific times following inoculation, the juveniles were homogenized, and dilutions of the homogenates were spread on SWT agar medium to determine the number of CFU in the light organ (1). To examine whether the ompU mutant had a competitive disadvantage compared to the parent strain, juvenile squids were inoculated with a 1:1 mixture of the mutant and the parent, and the proportion of the resulting symbiotic population was determined by plating light organ homogenates on antibiotic-containing media that differentiated between the two strains (46). In some experiments, V. fischeri cells were exposed to either preimmune serum or antiserum directed against the P. profundum OmpL protein prior to inoculation (47). The bacterial inoculum was then added to seawater containing the juvenile squids, and the progress of the colonization was monitored as described above. Nucleotide sequence accession number.The GenBank nucleotide accession number for the V. fischeri ompU gene sequence is AY050511. OMPs of V. fischeri.A characterization of the presence and regulation of OMPs in V. fischeri cells was begun by growing the bacteria in media limited for either iron or phosphate, two nutrients that often require transport through specific porins. SDS-PAGE analysis of OMPs present in cell extracts of V. fischeri strain ES114 (or its derivative, ESR1) grown in SWT medium revealed three major protein bands with molecular masses of approximately 34, 40, and 41 kDa (Fig.1). Two additional minor proteins (approximately 74 and 88 kDa) were also present and were significantly induced in cells cultured in medium containing the iron chelator EDDHA, suggesting that they might be in the class of iron siderophore porins described for other Vibrio species (17). Similarly, growth in a phosphate-limited medium resulted in enhancement of the 40-kDa OMP band relative to the 41-kDa band (Fig. 1). There was no indication that growth in any of these media resulted in a significant change in the intensity of the 34-kDa band. SDS-polyacrylamide gel of OMPs isolated from cells ofV. fischeri strain ESR1 grown under different culture conditions. Lane 1, cells grown in nutrient medium SWT (7.2 μg of protein loaded); lane 2, cells grown in SWT under iron limitation (6.5 μg of protein loaded); lane 3, cells grown in a minimal medium under phosphate limitation (8.0 μg of protein loaded). Molecular mass standards (stds) are indicated. The arrow indicates the 34-kDa band. Western blot analysis of V. fischeri OMP gels revealed that a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 34 kDa had epitopes that reacted with antiserum raised against the OmpL protein of P. profundum (data not shown) (48). Experiments were performed to determine whether treatment of V. fischericells with this OmpL antiserum prior to using them to inoculate juvenile E. scolopes squids would affect their efficiency of colonization. Analysis of several trials showed that pretreatment with the OmpL antiserum but not preimmune serum (or an antiserum made to another protein) resulted in an extent of colonization that was approximately 60% less efficient (Fig.2). Together these data suggested that (i) V. fischeri cells had an OMP that was related toP. profundum OmpL, a homolog of the OmpU of V. cholerae (38) and (ii) this V. fischeriOMP might play a role in symbiotic colonization. Inhibition of light organ colonization by V. fischeri cells treated with an antiserum directed againstP. profundum OmpL, a homolog of V. fischeri OmpU. Groups of between 7 and 10 newly hatched, uncolonized juveniles of E. scolopes were individually inoculated by placing them for 3 h in 5 ml of seawater containing approximately 104 cells of V. fischeri ESR1 that were either untreated (●) or treated with OmpL antiserum (▪) or preimmune serum (■). Control animals (○) were incubated in seawater without added V. fischeri cells. The data shown are representative of those obtained in four separate experiments. Isolation of V. fischeri ompU homolog.To identify the presence of a V. cholerae ompU homolog in the genome of V. fischeri, we first aligned the V. cholerae gene (37) and the homologous ompLgene from P. profundum (48). Based on a conserved sequence at the C terminus, two oligonucleotide PCR primers, OMP3 (5′-GACGCTACTTACTACTTC-3′) and OMP4 (5′-AAGTCGTAACGTACACC-3′) that would amplify a predicted 134-bp fragment corresponding to nucleotide positions 928 to 1061 in the V. cholerae ompU gene were designed. PCR amplification using these primers and V. fischeri chromosomal DNA as the target resulted in a 137-bp fragment that, when sequenced, aligned with 80% identity to the expected corresponding region of the V. cholerae ompU sequence. This PCR product was used to probe a Southern blot of a gel of V. fischeri chromosomal DNA digested with one of a number of restriction enzymes, and a BglII band at about 12 kb was detected. A size-fractionated library of BglII fragments ofV. fischeri DNA cloned into the vector pVO8 was constructed, and clones of these plasmids carried in E. coliwere subsequently probed. Two positive clones were obtained, and both produced a 137-bp PCR fragment with the expected DNA sequence. The 11.6-kbp BglII fragment in plasmid pOV2 was further subcloned in pBluescriptII, and a 3.3-kbp HindIII fragment (carried in a plasmid designated pFA3) was found that contained the 137-bp ompU-like sequence. Analysis of the sequence of this fragment revealed the presence of one complete open reading frame (ORF1) and a second, partial one (ORF2). Analysis of the region upstream of ORF1 revealed putative −10 and −35 promoter site sequences, as well as a possible ribosome-binding site (data not shown). Interestingly, repeated attempts to subclone a larger, 8.6-kbpClaI fragment carrying the ompU-like sequence and a larger amount of flanking DNA were unsuccessful, perhaps because this fragment encoded a gene that was lethal to E. coli when carried in the multicopy pBluescriptII vector. Alignment of V. fischeri ompU gene homolog with other OMP genes.As expected, the complete ORF1 aligned well with the V. cholerae ompU and P. profundum ompL genes. There was 50.8 and 45.5% identity between the deduced amino acid sequence of the V. fischeri ORF1 and those of V. cholerae OmpU and P. profundum OmpL, respectively, leading us to propose that ORF1 should be designated theV. fischeri ompU gene. The N terminus of the deducedV. fischeri OmpU protein (Fig.3) contains a 21-amino-acid leader sequence that is 52% identical to the processed 21-amino-acid signal peptide of P. profundum OmpL (48). Based on the assumption that this peptide sequence is also processed in V. fischeri, the mature OmpU protein of V. fischeri would be 300 residues long, with a deduced molecular mass of 32.5 kDa. This molecular mass is consistent with the OMP SDS-polyacrylamide gel band at approximately 34 kDa (Fig. 1). Twenty-eight base pairs downstream of the stop codon of ompU is a putative rho-independent terminator, beyond which is ORF2, which encodes a partial protein sequence with highest identity to the E. colipenicillin-binding protein 4 gene, called dacB. The V. cholerae ompU gene is also located directly upstream of a dacB gene homolog (11). Alignment of deduced amino acid sequence encoded by theV. fischeri (VFIS) ompU gene with those of V. cholerae (VCHO) ompU and P. profundum (PPRO) ompL genes. Residues that are identical to those in the V. fischeri sequence are indicated by an asterisk (*), and gaps that were inserted to optimize alignment are indicated by periods. Expression of OmpU in V. fischeri.Experiments were conducted to determine whether OmpU was differentially expressed during growth in either minimal medium or the tryptone-based SWT medium. Cells of V. fischeri strain ESR1 were harvested at the early, middle, and late phases of exponential growth, and SDS-polyacrylamide protein gels were run to examine the relative intensity of the OmpU 34-kDa band. While generally produced to the same level in all media tested, this band appeared somewhat more prominent in cells grown to late exponential phase in SWT medium (data not shown). Culturing the cells under conditions that were limited for iron, phosphate (Fig. 1), or oxygen (i.e., anaerobic culture) had no significant effect on the intensity of the 34-kDa band. Construction of V. fischeri ompU null mutant.To determine the possible function(s) of OmpU in V. fischeri, we constructed a mutation in the ompU gene by marker exchange. Briefly, a 1.1-kbp PstI/EcoRV fragment from pKV36 (provided by K. Visick), which contains a chloramphenicol resistance (Cmr) gene, was used to replace a 560-bp PstI/HincII fragment within the ompU coding region in pFA3 to form pFA5 (Fig.4, step 1). A trimethoprim resistance (Tpr) gene was obtained as a NotI fragment from pEVS20 (provided by E. Stabb) and inserted into theNotI site in pFA5, creating pFA8 (Fig. 4, step 2). pFA8 was electroporated (45) into V. fischeri ESR1, and Cmr clones were selected. Because the ColE1 origin does not replicate well in V. fischeri, plasmid pFA8 is lost over time in the absence of selection. Clones were passaged several times on medium without antibiotic to select cells that had integrated the plasmid by homologous recombination. Such clones were then serially passaged on chloramphenicol-containing medium and periodically patched onto trimethoprim-containing medium to screen for a second recombinational event that had led to excision of the plasmid (resulting in the loss of Tpr) and replacement of the wild-type copy of ompU with the insertionally inactivated one. One of a few such Cmr and Tps clones obtained was designated V. fischeri strain OM3. Gene replacement in OM3 was confirmed by PCR amplification of the ompU locus from chromosomal DNA. Only a single band was produced, and it had the size expected for the disrupted ompU gene rather than the full-length wild-type gene. Two-step scheme for constructing an insertional mutation in the V. fischeri ompU gene. In step 1, a Cmr cassette is used to replace an internal portion of theompU gene in pFA3, resulting in pFA5. In step 2, to facilitate screening of recombinants, a Tpr cassette is also added to pFA5, yielding pFA8. This plasmid was then introduced into V. fischeri to produce an ompUmutation by double recombination. Abbreviations: lacZ, β-galactosidase gene; ColE1 ori, ColE1 origin of replication; F1 ori, F1 origin of replication; Apr, ampicillin resistance gene; Cmr, chloramphenicol resistance gene; Knr, kanamycin resistance gene; Tpr, trimethoprim resistance gene. When proteins extracted from strain OM3 were separated by SDS-PAGE, the normally present 34-kDa band was missing (Fig.5). As predicted, this defect could be complemented in trans by introducing pFA9 into strain OM3, which restored a wild-type copy of ompU to the mutant strain and resulted in the reappearance of the 34-kDa band (Fig. 5). SDS-polyacrylamide gel of proteins isolated from different strains of V. fischeri. Cultures were grown at room temperature in SWT medium for 14 to 18 h with shaking. Lane 1, KR-tox1 (toxR omp +); lane 2, ESR1 (parent strain,ompU +); lane 3, OM3 (ompUgene replacement mutant); lane 4, OM3 pFA9 (OM3 complemented with pFA9,ompU +). Positions of molecular mass standards (stds) are indicated. The arrow indicates the 34-kDa OmpU protein. Unlike in V. cholerae (32), expression ofompU in V. fischeri appears normal in atoxR null mutant strain (Fig. 5). However, the V. fischeri toxR mutant does seem to have reduced expression of its 41-kDa OMP relative to the 40-kDa one. Interestingly, this response is similar to that observed in wild-type cells that are grown under conditions of phosphate limitation (Fig. 1). Growth characteristics of V. fischeri ompU mutant in culture.When grown in either SWT or LBS, which are rich nutrient media containing tryptic peptides and yeast extract, OM3 and its parent ESR1 grew at the same rate and to about the same cell yield (Fig.6 and data not shown), suggesting that the absence of OmpU creates no significant defect in general bacterial metabolism. However, growth of strain OM3 is restricted by a significantly lower concentration of bile salts, the antimicrobial peptide protamine sulfate, or SDS compared to theompU+ parent strain (Fig. 6). A similar growth defect was observed with cells of OM3 grown in the presence of deoxycholate (data not shown). This defect in OM3 could be complemented by pFA9, which carries an intact ompU gene (Table 1), but not by the vector control, pVO8 (Fig. 6C). Perhaps the apparently increased SDS resistance of the complemented OM3 strain reflected the increased gene dosage of ompU resulting from carriage of the multicopy pFA9 plasmid. Taken together, these data suggest that OmpU is required to maintain normal cell integrity. Effects of bile, protamine, and SDS on the growth of strains OM3 and ESR1. Cultures of the ompU mutant strain OM3 (hatched bars) or its parent, ESR1 (solid bars), were inoculated into LBS medium containing different concentrations of bovine bile, protamine sulfate, or SDS. (A) After 24 h of growth at 28°C, dilutions of the bile-containing cultures were spread on LBS agar medium, and the numbers of CFU in the cultures were calculated. The value of each bar is the average of two separate experiments. Similarly, LBS cultures containing either protamine sulfate (B) or SDS (C) were incubated for 24 h at 28°C, and the resulting relative cell density was estimated spectrophotometrically. Cultures of strain OM3 carrying either a wild-type copy of ompU on pFA9 (gray bars) or the vector control, pVO8 (open bars), were also tested on SDS-containing LBS medium. Error bars indicate standard errors of the means. Colonization characteristics of V. fischeri ompUmutant.Experiments were conducted to determine whether the mutation in ompU resulted in a symbiotic defect in V. fischeri. A comparison of the light organ colonization efficiency of strain OM3 relative to its parent, ESR1, indicated that when presented at a concentration of between 1,000 and 2,000 CFU/ml of seawater, the mutant strain was less effective at initiating the symbiosis (Fig. 7). Specifically, while about 70% of the animals exposed to strain ESR1 were colonized at 14 h postinoculation, fewer than 30% of the animals exposed to the ompU mutant were infected. Similarly, by 38 h about 90% of the ESR1-exposed animals were colonized, while only 65% of the mutant-exposed animals were. Colonization efficiency of V. fischeri ompU mutant strain. Groups of newly hatched, uncolonized juvenile squids were placed into seawater containing between 700 and 1,500 cells of either the ompU mutant, OM3, or its parent strain, ESR1, per ml for 3 h. In each experiment the OM3 inoculum was determined to have at least as many cells as the ESR1 inoculum. Starting 14 h after inoculation and continuing at different intervals, the animals were assayed for the production of luminescence, an indication of successful colonization. The percentage of animals in the OM3-inoculated group (○) and the ESR1-inoculated group (●) that produced luminescence was determined. Data points are the means of three separate experiments, and error bars indicate the standard errors of the means. In another set of experiments, the extent of colonization was determined in the animals that had become symbiotically infected with either strain ESR1 or strain OM3 (Table2). In all cases, the ompUmutant strain was able to maintain only about one-quarter as many bacteria in the light organ as ESR1. Interestingly, experiments in which animals were exposed to an inoculum containing equal numbers of both ESR1 and OM3 did not support the notion that the mutant was at a competitive disadvantage. Specifically, in four trials in which animals were examined at 24 and 48 h postinoculation, the average proportion of mutant cells in the symbiotic colonization was not significantly different from the proportion in the inoculum (Table3). Comparison between light organ colonization levels achieved by V. fischeri ompU mutant OM3 and its parent ESR1 at different times after inoculationa Colonization effectiveness of ompU mutant strain in competition with the wild typea Bacterial OMPs constitute a class of cell envelope proteins whose members are involved in an array of diverse surface-mediated phenomena that include attachment, nutrient acquisition, and host-cell signal transduction (13, 35). In the genus Vibrio, OMPs function as porins in iron, phosphate, and sugar accumulation (15, 19, 41) and in attachment to inanimate and animate surfaces (37, 40). Considerable emphasis has been placed on understanding the role of Vibrio OMPs in pathogenesis, yet important issues have remained unresolved. For instance, inV. cholerae strain O1, OmpU has been reported to be involved in bacterial adhesion to host tissue (37), while other evidence suggests it is not required for adherence to the intestinal epithelium of rabbits (24). We report here the presence inV. fischeri of an ompU homolog that encodes a 32.5-kDa OMP. A V. fischeri ompU null mutant grew normally in both complex and minimal nutrient media; however, it was more susceptible to growth inhibition in the presence of either anionic detergents or the cationic antimicrobial peptide protamine. In addition, the mutant had a decreased ability to colonize the light organ of juvenile E. scolopes squid except when it was presented together with its ompU+ parent. This work constitutes the first report that ties the presence of a specific bacterial OMP to the initiation of a successful cooperative association with an animal host. The V. fischeri ompU gene has a number of characteristics in common with its homologs in V. cholerae and P. profundum, including a putative N-terminal processing site and similar adjacent genetic loci. However, there are several differences as well. First, while these two other bacterial species express a second OMP whose abundance is regulated in an inverse manner (e.g., when V. cholerae OmpU expression is depressed, OmpT is increased, and vice versa) (30, 48), no analogous protein was detected in V. fischeri (Fig. 5). A second difference is that the regulation of expression of the V. fischeri OmpU was distinct from that reported for either OmpU inV. cholerae or OmpL in P. profundum. For instance, unlike these two OMPs (30), expression of theV. fischeri OmpU protein is not significantly affected by a null mutation in the porin regulatory protein ToxR (Fig. 5). This difference may not be too surprising, since other Vibriospecies have also shown variations in OMP numbers and regulation (16, 17, 19, 31). Similarly, during the evolution of some but not all Vibrio species, a porin regulon has even been recruited to control the expression of horizontally transferred virulence determinants (30). Taken together, these findings suggest that there has been considerable functional and adaptive divergence in the biology of OMPs within theVibrionaceae. The fact that the expression of certain Vibrio OMPs responds to physiological changes in the environment has long been recognized (3, 24) and has indicated a role for these proteins in (i) the transport of specific nutrients and (ii) protecting the bacterium from disruptive chemical agents. An examination of the growth of theV. fischeri ompU mutant in media of different compositions did not identify any nutrients (e.g., peptides, inorganic iron, or phosphate) whose transport required OmpU. In contrast, the V. fischeri ompU mutants expressed an increased sensitivity to bile and other detergents (Fig. 6) that was similar to what has been reported for a V. cholerae ompU mutant (31). The absence of an obvious chemical or structural similarity between the anionic detergents and the cationic protamine further suggests that the effects of these agents may not be due to a change in the mutant of a specific structure in the outer membrane. Thus, while the functional basis for the V. fischeri ompUmutant's increased sensitivity to cell membrane-disrupting agents remains unclear, it may simply indicate that this protein plays a significant role in the integrity of the outer membrane. The fact that 30 to 60% of the OMPs in V. cholerae are OmpU (2) indicates the potential importance of this protein and provides support for this hypothesis. Perhaps the most intriguing phenotype of the V. fischeri ompU mutant is its inability to colonize the squid light organ normally. The process by which juvenile E. scolopes become infected is typically a well-programmed and predictable one (22). If they are present in the ambient seawater,V. fischeri cells become aggregated on mucous strands emanating from the nascent light organ of newly hatched squid (27). After a period of 2 or 3 h, these cells begin to move out of the aggregates and towards the pores that lead to epithelium-lined crypts inside the nascent light organ. Only V. fischeri cells are able to survive and complete this process, and within 5 h they have begun to proliferate into a symbiotic population of several hundred thousand (44). The progression of this process is remarkably consistent and is reflected in the onset and level of luminescence emitted by the squid (33). The ompU mutant, while able to colonize the light organ, is defective in at least two aspects of the process. First, it initiates the colonization significantly more slowly and with less than 70% of the effectiveness of itsompU+ parent (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the delay they exhibit is similar to that seen when wild-type cells are treated with an antibody that reacts with OmpU (Fig. 2), suggesting that the inability of the cell to present this protein on its surface is responsible for this initiation defect. The second defect expressed by the mutant is that, on average, the population level it can achieve in the light organ is only 20 to 25% of that of the parent strain (Table 2). The reason for this reduced colonization effectiveness is unknown, but it may indicate either that the cells have a diminished capacity to survive some condition within the crypts or, alternatively, that the host reacts to the mutant by providing fewer nutrients to support the proliferation of the bacterial population (9). A method that has proven useful for examining the basis of symbiotic defects in V. fischeri mutants has been to determine their ability to compete with wild-type cells in mixed-colonization experiments. Previous work has suggested that such competition assays reveal subtle defects in mutants that, as a monoculture, would otherwise colonize to normal levels (43, 46). Thus, it was surprising to see no evidence of a competitive disadvantage in theompU mutant. Instead, when it was coinoculated with its parent, there were twice as many cells of the mutant present in the light organ (average = 3.4 × 105) than when it was the sole strain in the inoculum (average = 1.6 × 105; Table 2). This result suggests that the presence of the parent strain provided an activity that complemented the ompU defect in the mutant, i.e., both the mutant and parent shared the benefit resulting from the activity. The basis for this effect is as yet unknown, but we hypothesize that one way in which OmpU may function in the symbiosis is to attach to a receptor on the host epithelium. This attachment may initiate a host response, such as provision of nutrients, that is required to support a normal level of symbiotic colonization. Support for this hypothesis comes from reports of bacterial OMPs that bind to host tissue and specifically modify its activities. Examples of such OMPs include Opa and Opc ofNeisseria spp. (18) and OmpA-like proteins inAcinetobacter spp. (28) and members of the family Enterobacteriaceae (36). Future investigations will be focused on testing the hypothesis in V. fischeri and identifying the mechanism(s) underlying the role of OmpU in promoting benign colonization by V. fischeri. Early stages of this work were performed with the help and guidance of T. Welch and D. Bartlett. We also thank D. Bartlett for providing P. profundum OmpL antiserum and J. Kaper for providing V. cholerae OmpU antiserum. K. Reich donated the toxR null mutant of V. fischeri ESR1, and J. Sanders provided technical assistance. Data on outer membrane protein patterns in V. fischeriwere generously provided by S. Hensey and M. McFall-Ngai. D. Millikan, E. Stabb, and K. Visick provided insightful comments on both experimentation and the manuscript. This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grant RR-12294 to E.G.R. and M. McFall-Ngai and by National Science Foundation grant IBN-9904601 to M. McFall-Ngai and E.G.R. F.A. was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Received 9 May 2001. Copyright © 2001 American Society for Microbiology Boettcher K. J., Ruby E. G. (1990) Depressed light emission by symbiotic Vibrio fischeri of the sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes. J. Bacteriol. 172:3701–3706. Chakrabarti S. R., Chaudhuri K., Sen K., Das J. (1996) Porins of Vibrio cholerae: purification and characterization of OmpU. J. Bacteriol. 178:524–530. Davey M. L., Hancock R. E., Mutharia L. M. (1998) Influence of culture conditions on the expression of the 40-kilodalton porin protein of Vibrio anguillarum serotype O2. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64:138–146. Davis R. W., Botstein D., Roth J. R. (1980) Advanced bacterial genetics. (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y). Douglas A. E. (1994) Symbiotic interactions. (Oxford Science Publications, Oxford, England). Duncan H. E., Edberg S. C. (1995) Host-microbe interaction in the gastrointestinal tract. Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 21:85–100. Dunlap P. V. (1989) Regulation of luminescence by cyclic AMP in cya-like and crp-like mutants of Vibrio fischeri. J. Bacteriol. 171:1199–1202. Graf J., Dunlap P. V., (1994) Effect of transposon-induced motility mutations on colonization of the host light organ by Vibrio fischeri. J. Bacteriol. 176:6986–6991. (1998) Host-derived amino acids support the proliferation of symbiotic bacteria. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:1818–1822. 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(1988) A novel suicide vector and its use in construction of insertion mutations: osmoregulation of outer membrane proteins and virulence determinants in Vibrio cholerae requires toxR. J. Bacteriol. 170:2575–2583. Nakasone N., Iwanaga M. (1998) Characterization of outer membrane protein OmpU of Vibrio cholerae O1. Infect. Immun. 66:4726–4728. Nyholm S. V., (1998) Sampling the microenvironment of the Euprymna scolopes light organ: description of a population of host cells with the bacterial symbiont Vibrio fischeri. Biol. Bull. 195:89–97. Stabb E. V., Ruby E. G., (2000) Establishment of an animal-bacterial association: recruiting symbiotic vibrios from the environment. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:10231–10235. Ofori-Darko E., Zavros Y., Rieder G., Tarle S. A., Van Antwerp M., Merchant J. L. (2000) An OmpA-like protein from Acinetobacter spp. stimulates gastrin and interleukin-8 promoters. Infect. Immun. 68:3657–3666. Payne S. H., Lawlor K. M. (1990) Molecular studies on iron acquisition by non-Escherichia coli species. in Molecular basis of bacterial pathogenesis. eds Iglewski B. H., Clark V. L. (Academic Press, New York, N.Y), pp 225–248. Provenzano D., Klose K. E. (2000) Altered expression of the ToxR-regulated porins OmpU and OmpT diminishes Vibrio cholerae bile resistance, virulence factor expression, and intestinal colonization. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:10220–10224. Schumacher D. A., Barker J. L., (2000) The virulence regulatory protein ToxR mediates enhanced bile resistance in Vibrio cholerae and other pathogenic Vibrio species. Infect. Immun. 68:1491–1497. (1996) Lessons from a cooperative, bacterial-animal association: the Vibrio fischeri-Euprymna scolopes light organ symbiosis. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 50:591–624. Asato L. M. (1993) Growth and flagellation of Vibrio fischeri during initiation of the sepiolid squid light organ symbiosis. Arch. Microbiol. 159:160–167. Lee K. H. (1998) The Vibrio fischeri-Euprymna scolopes light organ association: current ecological paradigms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64:805–812. Soto G. E., Hultgren S. J. (1999) Bacterial adhesins: common themes and variations in architecture and assembly. J. Bacteriol. 181:1059–1071. Soulas C., Baussant T., Aubry J. P., Delneste Y., Barillat N., Caron G., Renno T., Bonnefoy J. Y., Jeannin P. (2000) Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) binds to and activates human macrophages. J. Immunol. 165:2335–2340. Sperandio V., Bailey C., Giron J. A., Silveira W. D., Vettore A. L., (1996) Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding the OmpU outer membrane protein of Vibrio cholerae. Infect. Immun. 64:5406–5409. Giron J., (1995) The OmpU outer membrane protein, a potential adherence factor of Vibrio cholerae. Infect. Immun. 63:4433–4438. Reich K. A., (2001) Vibrio fischeri genes hvnA and hvnB encode secreted NAD+-glycohydrolases. J. Bacteriol. 183:309–317. Tarsi R., Pruzzo C. (1999) Role of surface proteins in Vibrio cholerae attachment to chitin. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:1348–1351. Tashima K. T., Carroll P. A., Rogers M. B., Calderwood S. B. (1996) Relative importance of three iron-regulated outer membrane proteins for in vivo growth of Vibrio cholerae. Infect. Immun. 64:1756–1761. van Rhijn P., Vanderleyden J. (1995) The Rhizobium-plant symbiosis. Microbiol. Rev. 59:124–142. Visick K. L., Foster J., Doino J., McFall-Ngai M., (2000) Vibrio fischeri lux genes play an important role in colonization and development of the host light organ. J. Bacteriol. 182:4578–4586. (2000) An exclusive contract: specificity in the Vibrio fischeri-Euprymna scolopes partnership. J. Bacteriol. 182:1779–1787. (1996) Construction and symbiotic competence of a luxA deletion mutant of Vibrio fischeri. Gene 175:89–94. (1998) The periplasmic, group III catalase of Vibrio fischeri is required for normal symbiotic competence and is induced both by oxidative stress and by approach to stationary phase. J. Bacteriol. 180:2087–2092. Welch T. J., Bartlett D. H. (1998) Identification of a regulatory protein required for pressure-responsive gene expression in the deep-sea bacterium Photobacterium species strain SS9. Mol. Microbiol. 27:977–985. (1996) Isolation and characterization of the structural gene for OmpL, a pressure-regulated porin-like protein from the deep-sea bacterium Photobacterium sp. strain SS9. J. Bacteriol. 178:5027–5031. Journal of Bacteriology Nov 2001, 183 (22) 6590-6597; DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.22.6590-6597.2001 Thank you for sharing this Journal of Bacteriology article. You are going to email the following Vibrio fischeri Outer Membrane Protein OmpU Plays a Role in Normal Symbiotic Colonization Message Subject (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from Journal of Bacteriology Message Body (Your Name) thought you would be interested in this article in Journal of Bacteriology. Follow #Jbacteriology	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1261
__label__cc	0.542188	0.457812	UMBC Atmospheric Scientists Use New Instrumentation To Study Cloud and Aerosols in Recent NASA Aircraft Campaign Aerosol-cloud interaction continues to puzzle climate scientists. It is among the most significant contributors to our climate but least understood. Aerosol-cloud processes are poorly represented in climate models and measurement requires high accuracy, narrow resolution, and cooperation between different instruments. While clouds are bright, aerosols reflect little to the top of the atmosphere where satellites measure. Molecular scattering, ice and desert cover, and land surface reflectance all complicate the retrieval of aerosol properties from this vantage point. Aerosol are also well-known cloud condensation and/or ice nuclei, and their presence in a moist environment can drastically impact the extent of cloud or ice crystal growth, compared to a clean, unpolluted scene. Radiometric satellites, with global coverage, wide spectral range, and long lifetime in space, advance the way we attack this problem. Strides made in the past two decades in data interpretation produced new ways to understand the atmosphere by comparing the signal from two different wavelengths. Information about the same scene, viewed from different perspectives, helps constrain how well we perceive the distribution and thickness of aerosol over land and ocean. From 1999 onward, advancements in sampling both the intensity and orientation (or polarization) of light revealed differences in the scattering properties between ice and liquid water, improving radiometric estimates of cloud phase. Several studies converge on the idea that a multi-angle imaging polarimeter, with high accuracy and narrow spatial and angular resolution, is the strongest candidate to sample cloud and aerosol properties at the level required for climate study. The Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP) is a wide field-of-view camera, designed and developed by J. Vanderlei Martins and the Laboratory for Aerosol and Cloud Optics (LACO) Group at UMBC, to fill this role. HARP images the intensity and polarization of reflected sunlight from clouds, aerosol particles, land, and ocean. Polarization encodes small-scale information about cloud droplet size and distribution, refractive index, particle sphericity, and optical depth beyond and complementary to what current satellites can measure. Flying HARP in tandem with current satellites improves the ability of those instruments to characterize the atmosphere; this is further emphasized by HARP’s versatile CubeSat size and seamless integration on a variety of research aircraft. Over the past year, AirHARP, a HARP instrument adapted for aircraft, flew on two NASA research campaigns: the Lake Michigan Ozone Study (LMOS) and the Aerosol Characterization from Polarimeter and LIDAR (ACEPOL). The LMOS campaign was a joint NASA-NOAA-EPA effort to explore the connection between lake breezes and high ozone exceedance levels on the eastern coastline of Wisconsin in the summer months. AirHARP took data on many B-200 flights alongside the NASA LaRC GeoTASO instrument, a trace gas experiment that measures ozone pre-cursors, such as NO2, through the entire atmospheric column. Brent McBride, a Ph.D candidate in Martins’ group, operated AirHARP on-board the B-200 and led field operations on the ground throughout the campaign, while LACO group members engaged remotely from UMBC. While AirHARP does not have trace gas sensitivity, measurements of convective clouds and low aerosol levels over eastern Wisconsin will be compared to co-incident observations made by AERONET sun photometer sites and the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on the GOES-R geosynchronous satellite. AirHARP’s role during ACEPOL was more prominent, as three other polarimeters and two LIDAR instruments on the NASA ER-2 took co-incident measurements for inter-validation over Southern California and the Pacific Ocean. This region is popular for polarimeter experiments due to the many California AERONET sites for ground validation, stable marine stratocumulous clouds for calibration, and high wildfire smoke potential. LIDAR instrumentation was included as part of ACEPOL to better capture the vertical extent of aerosol, juxtaposed with the spatial coverage provided by the polarimeters. One of the instruments, AirSPEX from Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON), is an airborne prototype of the SPEXone polarimeter that will fly on-board the Plankton-Aerosol-Clouds-ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission alongside a heavily modified version of AirHARP, HARP-2, in the 2020s. The ACEPOL mission served as their first joint venture and data analysis is underway to assess how well SPEXone, AirHARP, and the other polarimeter and LIDAR instruments observe the same scenes. This effort is particularly important for preparation of the upcoming 2018 launch of the HARP CubeSat satellite instrument to the ISS orbit. The CubeSat is a stand-alone payload with a mission lifetime of one year. Martins and McBride form the leading science team for the analysis of HARP instrument datasets from these two aircraft campaigns and beyond. The LACO team hopes to continue participating on future exploratory missions like ACEPOL, to increase the visibility and utility of polarized remote sensing measurements. The LACO team is analyzing AirHARP datasets to (1) infer surface and ocean properties, (2) retrieve cloud and aerosol microphysics (cloud droplet effective radius, variance, refractive index, cloud thermodynamic phase, AOD, and particle size distributions, (3) validate and compliment assumption-limited retrievals from radiometers, and (4) help extend retrievals from vertically-resolved LIDAR instruments. The versatility of the HARP instrument suite, in both science output and physical size, provides an attractive platform to explore the toughest questions about how clouds and aerosols interact and their impact on climate evolution. Adapted from: McBride, B. A., J. V. Martins, R. F. Borda, H. M. J. Barbosa, and L. Remer (2018): Hyper-angular imaging polarimetry for microphysical retrievals of aerosol and clouds. SOLAS Workshop in Remote Sensing for Studying the Ocean-Atmosphere Interface Event Report (submitted)	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1262
__label__cc	0.624348	0.375652	Erin Stutland: Manifesting Through Movement BY Lisa Klug \| Jan 2, 2019 \| Just Asking Photo by Mary Carol Fitzgerald If your New Year commitments need buttressing, mantras can help. So says fitness expert, coach and TV host Erin Stutland. A former professional dancer and actress who appeared in “Sex and the City,” “Mad Men” and “The Sopranos,” Stutland is releasing her first book, “Mantras in Motion: Manifesting What You Want Through Mindful Movement,” just in time for the new year. The book is the culmination of 15 years of study and teaching. Her online and live programs, “Soul Stroll” and “Shrink Sessions,” incorporate positive affirmations into workouts to not only help clients reach their goals, but they’ve also helped Stutland reach 100,000 people in more than 155 countries. Jewish Journal: What is the magic of mantras? How do they work? Erin Stutland: The Pauli Exclusion Principle states no two things can occupy the same thing at the same time. If you are moving while repeating positive statements aloud, there is no space for negative statements to exist. You can’t think, “Oh, this is so hard!” and also, “I am a magnet for success.” It’s either one or the other. The more you repeat mantras in conjunction with movement, the deeper these thoughts move into your subconscious. They become a part of you. You’ll walk around during the day and these mantras will just pop up into your mind when you least expect it. That is the magic. JJ: How do you create an effective mantra? ES: Write down what you are afraid of or what your negative beliefs may be. Then flip it. For example, “I am not talented enough” can flip to “I am connected to my innate talents. I have everything I need to create whatever I want.” You may not believe it right away, but this is where using movement with these words can help. JJ: What is one of your favorite mantras? ES: “I am a magnet for success. I attract the very best.” JJ: Your book aims to help readers achieve their best selves by unearthing “desires, releasing resistance and taking inspired action.” What is inspired action and why is that important? ES: Inspired action is action you feel called to take. Something inside of you says, “Yes, this is what I must do.” It doesn’t mean you won’t be afraid. And fear may try to stop you but when you are taking inspired action, you are in a state of flow and it feels exciting and good. JJ: How do suggest transforming negative beliefs, releasing resistance and telling yourself a new story? ES: We start by recognizing which of our current beliefs are not in alignment with what we want most. Once we uncover these conscious and subconscious beliefs, we can begin to transform them. Moving your body while saying positive mantras aloud helps us do this quickly so new beliefs infuse every single cell in your body. This is how you begin to create a new story. JJ: How does telling yourself a new story create movement in your life? ES: We all struggle with self doubt and insecurity. And we all strive to want more for ourselves and our families. If your old story is, “I’m not good enough to get that job” or “I don’t deserve happiness,” you may never take action. Or it may feel like pushing a boulder up a hill. If you create a new story about who you are and what you deserve, you will feel inspired to take action. And it will require less effort. I love the inherent sense in Judaism that we question things, investigate them and not take anything at face value. We are a people of thinkers and philosophers. This is what manifesting is all about. JJ: You grew up in a Conservative synagogue and attended Hebrew school outside of Chicago. How do you and your husband share Jewish traditions with your daughter? And how do Judaism and manifesting mash up? ES: Jewish prayers are a part of my being, a way I slow down and connect to myself. We try to observe Shabbat in our own ways by sitting down for dinner as a family on Friday nights and being off our phones. Shabbat is a way to clear the slate and call my soul back to me. It’s the groundwork for a beautiful life. I love the inherent sense in Judaism that we question things, investigate them and not take anything at face value. We are a people of thinkers and philosophers. This is what manifesting is all about. You have to question your beliefs about why you are where you are today. You have to do the introspective work. JJ: How does flow feed into manifesting? ES: To me, flow means you lose track of time and feel a sense of ease and forward movement. When I am doing my best work, I am in the flow. I talk about the importance of getting into flow as often as possible in “Mantras in Motion.” I usually feel most in flow writing or coaching. JJ: How does celebrating milestones support further growth? ES: We are so future oriented. We take little time to celebrate our accomplishments. We do one thing and we are already on to the next. But a series of things likely needed to happen in order for you to accomplish a goal. Perhaps you developed a new skill. Maybe you had to take some really hard actions. The person you have become as a result of accomplishing something deserves to be celebrated. The good feelings generated from celebration are what propel you forward to accomplish even more. For more about Erin Stutland visit her website. Lisa Klug is a widely published freelance journalist and the author of Cool Jew and Hot Mamalah: The Ultimate Guides for Every Member of the Tribe.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1271
__label__wiki	0.921717	0.921717	Silver Goodbye Free Fall To Black Maroon Rising Second Chance Gold Green To Go Red Right Return Listen: The Ballad of Buck Reilly by Matt Hoggat and John H. Cunningham HomeNews & EventsListen: The Ballad of Buck Reilly by Matt... February 2, 2017 jc-admin Books, Motivation, Travel 0 Comments Listen to “The Ballad of Buck Reilly” release by Mailboat Records recording artist, Matt Hoggatt. Before becoming a national songwriting awards winner, viral YouTube subject, bourbon street performer and the focus of a Jimmy Buffett song, he was an Army soldier and a police detective from the Gulf Coast town of Gautier, Mississippi. Sound good so far? His sharp wit and talent as a singer song writer led to his debut album, “Hotter Than Fishgrease” on Jimmy Buffett’s record label, Mailboat Records. Matt and John connected through social media, struck up an immediate friendship, which led his appearing as a tequila wielding hero in John’s third Buck Reilly novel, Crystal Blue. They have also co-written the “Ballad of Buck Reilly”—one of the songs on Matt’s new CD—produced by legendary songwriter, and all around great guy, Keith Sykes. John had the pleasure of hanging with Matt, Keith and the fantastic musicians in the studio in Memphis while they recorded the new CD, which features several Coral Reefers, and Nadirah Shakoor and Tina Gullickson — the Reeferettes — on the “Ballad of Buck Reilly.” Tags: Books, Motivation, Travel About jc-admin Author John H. Cunningham has a background as eclectic as his literary subjects. Once the editor in chief of The Pro Review, a magazine for professional photographers, he has also enjoyed a long career as a commercial real estate professional. John H. Cunningham © 2017 All Rights Reserved Terms of Use and Privacy Policy	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1273
__label__wiki	0.539806	0.539806	Sherwood, Oregon Portland, Oregon - Seeking an excellent BC/BE Family Medicine physician for Summer 2020. Full-time position, outpatient only with phone only call. Welcoming environment for new graduates. Join a collegial team focused on collaborative, team-based care at Providence Medical Group's growing Sherwood Primary Care clinic, a robust practice including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics along with integrated behavioral health, case management, and clinical pharmacy. Enjoy a health work/life balance in Sherwood, a welcoming and affluent Portland suburb. Where You'll Work Providence Medical Group is our organization of employed physicians in Oregon, with more than 70 clinics across this diverse, sprawling state. Our 1,500-plus providers in Oregon have a wide range of clinical expertise, including Family and Internal Medicine, Women's Health, Dermatology, General Surgery, Neurology and Hospital Medicine. We receive clinical and operational support from a number of centralized Providence programs such as Quality and Research, Medical Management and Information Services. Where You'll Live Sherwood is a suburb about 17 miles southwest of Portland. Portland has a metro population over two million, but maintains strong local neighborhoods and a close connection to nature. Consequently, the city consistently ranks high in national "livability" contests. Popular Science magazine named Portland the greenest city in America. No city of comparable size offers residents cleaner air and water and an all-around healthy environment, according to Earth Day Network. Portland has been named the most bicycle- and dog-friendly big city as well. With high urban culture and easy access to vast evergreen forests, the Pacific Ocean and sun-drenched central Oregon, it's easy to see why Portland is so popular. Who You'll Work For Providence Health & Services (PH&S) is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, more than 600 clinics and hundreds of locally driven programs across five western states: Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Providence is committed to improving the health of the communities it serves, with a special emphasis on its mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. PH&S is a partner organization of the Providence St. Joseph Health family and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity organization. Job ID Number: 9910 Facility Name: Providence Medical Group - Oregon Location Name: Sherwood, OR (Portland Metro Area) Brand Name: Providence Health & Services Provider Profession: Physician/Surgeon Medical Specialty: Family Medicine Job Setting: Medical Clinic Type of Role: Clinical Email: Robyn.Pryor@psdrecruit.org Schedule: Full Time CP: Yes CB: Yes NP: No PA: No HC: Yes IS: No YM: No You've got questions? I've got answers! Reach out today, and together, we'll find a job that checks all your boxes. Express Interest Robyn Pryor Provider Recruiter Robyn.Pryor@psdrecruit.org About Providence Health & Services Provider Solutions + Development creates healthier communities by forging lasting partnerships between providers and not-for-profit health systems. For 20+ years, we’ve helped thousands of physicians and advanced practice clinicians achieve their practice potential by consulting, mapping and managing their career moves. Founded within Providence Health & Services, we’re now a clinical career navigation group with a purpose-driven culture. Some of the nation’s preeminent health systems entrust us with finding the right providers – not just any providers – for mutual, long-term success. We’re here to help you discover, select and manage the next step in your career journey. Where would you like to go?	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1276
__label__wiki	0.831216	0.831216	Milo Hall Decides to Leave Cowboy Football Team David Settle Seneca Riggins, Townsquare Media The Wyoming Cowboy football roster will feature one less “Hall,” after junior Milo Hall announced his decision to transfer via Twitter Thursday. A few hours after the news became public, Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl released the news through the university. Bohl said in a released statement from UW, “Milo (Hall) has been a true team player during his time here at Wyoming, playing running back, wide receiver and special teams for us. We wish Milo all the best in his future.” Hall was a standout running back at Cherry Creek High School in the Denver area. He was the Colorado 5A Player of the Year in 2014 after leading the Bruins to a state championship. After he redshirted in 2015, Hall played in three games during the 2016 season. He carried the ball 24 times for 90 yards and caught five passes for 21 yards in 12 games last year. Hall started four of those. Hall moved from running back to receiver during spring practice at UW. He was majoring in business. There was no word on where Hall plans to transfer. More Wyoming Football News To Read Filed Under: College Football, Craig Bohl, Milo Hall, transfer, Wyoming Cowboys, Wyoming Football Categories: News, Sports, Wyoming News	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1284
__label__wiki	0.591906	0.591906	With Ramirez Away From The Team, It's "Pile On Hanley" Time Did a bell go off in the Red Sox press room, triggering some Pavlovian response from the writers who cover the team? Over the course of three days, five different sportswriters weighed in on what a horrible teammate Hanley Ramirez is and has been - and how important it is for the Red Sox to get rid of him this winter. All five articles appeared as soon as Ramirez left the team (with the club's permission) to continue rehabbing his right shoulder in Florida. It is beyond question that Ramirez was a huge disappointment this season. He had a poor season at the plate (.291 OBP) and was atrocious in left field. But these five stories - which paint a clear picture of a lazy clubhouse cancer who may be faking his injuries - suggest something much more odious. I expected to read the usual hatchet jobs, but because these stories come mostly from writers who aren't gossipy shit-flingers, I'm left wondering if all this smoke means there actually is a fire burning somewhere. In the case of Ramirez, it doesn't seem necessary for these writers - with a nod from management - to grease the wheels to run yet another player out of town, not that the player needs to be universally loved to get that treatment. Gordon Edes, ESPNBoston, September 28, 2015: "Hanley Ramirez Goes Home; Will He Ever Come Back?" There has been nothing about Ramirez's late-summer injury saga that can be easily explained. The injury to his left shoulder? We all witnessed his early-May collision with the side wall in Fenway and the subsequent drastic drop in power. But the right shoulder? No one, by my reckoning, has ever pinned down its cause, with cumulative wear and tear a dubious candidate. It was described as day-to-day for some time, and then the Sox put him on the disabled list, something you don't even have to do in September because rosters expand. Ramirez continued to work out at first base and had some batting-practice sessions that were epic -- balls crushed with ferocious power in Fenway Park. He told at least one reporter he expected to play as soon as he was eligible to come off the DL. But then? Nothing, soon to be followed by word that Ramirez was being shut down for the season. The shoulder wasn't coming around. Not to mention Ramirez wasn't exactly acing his classes at first base. ... Perhaps there are some of you who believe this is much ado about nothing, piling on a guy who isn't playing anyway. Perhaps what it really represents is a meeting of the minds: Ramirez thinks he has nothing left to give, and there's nothing the Sox want from him. Best, then, to go home. And plan on a change of address in 2016. Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe, September 29, 2015: "Sending Hanley Ramirez Home Is Best For Red Sox" If there was ever a player who didn't fit the chemistry, the approach, or the future of the Boston Red Sox, it's Hanley Ramirez. There is no positive that could come from Ramirez being around his teammates in the final few days of the regular season. In fact, it's a good thing that he is away. Why would you want the highest-paid player on the team — who has exhibited no leadership, who has been out of the lineup for extended periods with injuries, who has exhibited "I don't care" body language on the field and off it, who by my count spent two days working on his left-field play during the regular season and really never got better — around the team? ... Ramirez has carried this reputation wherever he's been. The Marlins loved his talent, but when it came down to deciding whether to center their team around him, the answer was no way. The Dodgers were awed by the offensive ability, signed him, then couldn't wait to see him go. ... There's $68.25 million left on his deal through 2018. That's a lot of money the Red Sox need to have go away. But really, it's money well eaten. ... And he's only 31. Even though he plays like 41. ... Nothing that has happened this season has changed the perception of him. In fact, everything has been right on cue. I don't think there's a player on the Red Sox who misses him, other than Ortiz, who seems to be friends with him, but obviously has had very little influence on him. Michael Silverman, Boston Herald, September 30, 2015: "Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez Missing And No One Cares" It's one thing to disappoint from a production standpoint, which both Ramirez and Sandoval did, but it's stunning that the pair of high-priced imports now feel irrelevant to the present and especially the future of the Red Sox. ... Since Red Sox doctors advised Sandoval to stay in Boston until he got past his pneumonia, there's no reason to second-guess that call. ... Ramirez feels like a different story. ... [T]here is still some disconnect about the urgency to have Ramirez return home rather than stick it out with the team and its trainers for just one more week. First of all, if Ramirez wanted to be with his teammates, he could have squawked about the decision and he'd be here. Second, if the decision was not left in Ramirez' hands, it speaks pretty loudly and clearly to the Sox seeing little value in having him around as they play out the string. You can almost hear echoes of what one uniformed member of the team mentioned as an aside in the middle of the summer about how he worried if Ramirez' lack of hustle was going to be a negative influence on all the impressionable young players in the clubhouse. ... Chad Finn, Boston.com, September 30, 2015: "It's Time For Hanley Ramirez To Go" The player and club agreed Monday that it would be best for him to rehabilitate his mysterious right shoulder injury at his home in Ft. Lauderdale rather than with the Red Sox. He is not coming back this year. If he comes back next year, it must be in a visiting uniform. The current scenario would seem odd for pretty much any player other than the enigmatic Ramirez. The Red Sox are saying all the right things about beginning his rehab process, but ... The No. 1 priority this winter – perhaps other than finding a No. 1 starter – is getting him out of here for good. ... The concept of a coach-killer in professional sports is a familiar and timeless one. The superstar player who is so talented that the all me-first peccadilloes and team-splintering behavioral issues are tolerated is an archetype. It will remain a mainstay so long as a premium – financial and otherwise – is put on victory. ... Ramirez was once a superstar. A slugger rather than a slug. ... The decision to move Ramirez to left field should have worked. But Hanley didn't do the work – the commitment wasn't there, ever. Alex Speier, Boston Globe, September 30, 2015: "How Did The Red Sox Salvage Something From A Lost Season?" On Aug. 25, the Red Sox announced that Ramirez would start working at first base with an eye toward a possible move there by the end of the season. Ramirez played that night in left field in a 5-4 loss to the White Sox, and hasn't spent a day in left since. (Ramirez served as designated hitter on Aug. 26 and has been sidelined since by a shoulder injury.) ... Thus ended a failed experiment whose harm extended beyond the field. Ramirez was, of course, a disaster in left, exceeding any worst-case assumptions. When it signed him, the team hoped he would be serviceable in left for perhaps a season or two, then transition to first base or DH. But serviceable never happened. At a time when a staff expected to produce tons of ground balls instead ended up having a bunch of pitches belted in the air, the consequences of Ramirez’s deficiencies were severe. Yet the ripples from Ramirez's defensive struggles had more far-reaching implications, straining clubhouse relations between Ramirez and the coaching staff due to his unwillingness to work to improve. That dynamic contributed to Ramirez being "ostracized" from his teammates, in the words of one source familiar with the situation. ... The tension was palpable and counterproductive. ... But the shift to Dombrowski accelerated the timetable. With a new voice willing to state the obvious – Ramirez wasn't an adequate left fielder – and no prior history with Ramirez, Dombrowski could commit to an immediate move, diluting a clot of tension that had restricted the Sox for much of the year. I should note that Finn has backed away from his column a bit. In a post at the Sons of Sam Horn message board, he wrote: "I was too harsh. Not my best stuff. I actually like him more than most, though you sure as hell couldn't tell from that." With the Red Sox's outfield set for 2016 - Rusney Castillo, Mookie Betts, and Jackie Bradley - and David Ortiz still producing as the team's DH, there is no room for Ramirez on next year's team. The only possible place for him is first base, but his chances of success at that position are questionable, at best. Maxwell Horse said... Starting pretty early on in the season there's been a meme floating around that Hanley hasn't really put much (or any) effort into improving his game in left (or eventually, at first). Yet a lot of people have seemed reluctant to buy into the negativity. I can't help but wonder if that reluctance is based at least in part on the fact that to call him lazy veers a little too close to cultural and racial stereotypes for comfort. Unfortunately, I think in Hanley's case, the charges of his non-committal attitude are possibly true. There have been multiple people throughout the season attesting to how he simply hasn't been out there on the field much to improve his game--putting even less time than a "normal player" should be out there, let alone someone like him who was obviously terrible. I didn't get the impression that these were people lazily jumping on a meme as in, "Well, everyone knows..." These all seemed to be people who've been around Fenway a lot and were just relaying what they've observed first-hand. I'm talking about people like Edes, Lou Merloni, Mike Mutnansky (who works the post and pre-show on the radio broadcasts now). I have no doubt that the piling on is somewhat lazy and probably will get unnecessarily nasty (as all media is these days). But when it comes down to the core issue of whether I think Hanley really tried to improve or cared--I definitely have my doubts. If even Speier is saying this ("straining clubhouse relations between Ramirez and the coaching staff due to his unwillingness to work to improve. ... "ostracized" from his teammates ... tension was palpable and counterproductive"), we should give it serious consideration. He's the best reporter on the Sox beat and he engages in zero bullshit. laura k said... What is with this team and its lapdog writers. Geez. Unless he says this publicly, what good is it. hrstrat57 said... f even Speier is saying this ("straining clubhouse relations between Ramirez and the coaching staff due to his unwillingness to work to improve. ... "ostracized" from his teammates ... tension was palpable and counterproductive"), we should give it serious consideration. He's the best reporter on the Sox beat and he engages in zero bullshit. Agree 100% I was in favor of Hanley....I liked Renteria too. I can't get "em all right I guess. Now that you mention it, I heard a few minutes of EEI today, and there was a caller on with, I don't know, I think it was those yahoos who sound like the "Car Talk" guys, and this caller, who was oddly intelligible, said, "we were all excited about Gonzalez and Crawford, but NO ONE was excited about Panda and Hanley," and the hosts didn't correct him, and even noted it was a "good phone call." Now I'm thinking this was all part of the...thing. Actually, it wasn't the Car Talk guys, it was Bradford and the guy he's paired with. And another guy. I think. 2015 World Series Contest Entries Happy 44th Birthday, Pedro Martinez! Everyone Loves A Contest #19: 2015 World Series Fox Posts World Series Match-Up In 7th Inning Of A... NY Times Presents Mets Sweep of Cubs In 1908-Style... Toronto And Kansas City Libraries Send ALCS Messag... Royals and Mets Could Win Pennants Today Fun Shane Victorino Postseason Facts Joe Posnanski and Michael Schur, On ALDS Game 5 Bryce Harper Turned 23 Today ALCS/NLCS Schedules, And Postseason Contest Update... More Bautista Bat Flip Fun If You Thought Ortiz's Bat Flips Were Extreme ... Dombrowski Addresses Some Offseason Concerns The Cubs Have Never Clinched A Postseason Series A... Ortiz, Dombrowski Excited For 2016 David Ortiz & The Hall Of Fame Postseason Quadrupleheader Today 2015 Postseason Contest Entries Terry Francona, TV Critic Everyone Loves A Contest #18: 2015 Postseason Red Sox Players Salute Don Orsillo At End Of Game 2015 Postseason Schedule John Farrell Will Return As Manager In 2016 "Selfie Girls" & MLB's Ongoing Alienation Of Its A... With Ramirez Away From The Team, It's "Pile On Han... G159: Yankees 4, Red Sox 1	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1293
__label__wiki	0.725172	0.725172	Graphene makes low-dimensional spintronics viable at room temperature “Graphene Flagship researchers produced graphene-based spintronics devices that utilise both electron charge and spin at room temperature. Demonstrating the spin’s feasibility for bridging distances of up to several micrometres, results open up new possibilities for integrating information-processing and storage in a single chip. From its very inception, the Graphene Flagship programme saw the potential of spintronics devices made from GRMs. Researchers from different universities successfully showed that it is possible to manipulate graphene’s spin properties in a controlled manner at room temperature. These results inspire new directions in the development of spin-logic devices and quantum computing. “With miniaturisation a major driving force behind the electronics industry, graphene opens new possibilities for compacting spin-logic operations with magnetic memory elements in a single platform,” notes Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) Research Professor Stephan Roche, who has been leading the Graphene Flagships Spintronics Work Package since its inception. Material imperfections are not to blame any more Graphene extends the area of spintronics inter-device communication from nanometres to micrometres at low energy cost. Although initial theoretical predictions estimated spin lifetimes of around a microsecond in the material, previous experiments have shown a few nanoseconds at best. This puzzling discrepancy initially suggested that the material’s impurities and defects are primarily responsible for spin relaxation. However, Flagship researchers have challenged these conventionally conceived mechanisms of spin relaxation, and proposed several new ones that are unique to graphene. In particular, they observed that the rate at which spins relax in systems composed of graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) strongly depends on whether they are pointing in or out of the graphene plane. “Graphene interfaced with a TMDC could serve as a spin filter, since the transfer of spin information depends on the initial spin polarisation of the injected electrons, enabling new low-power spin-transistor concepts,” explains Prof. Roche. Importantly, experiments were carried out at room temperature and are particularly important for externally manipulating electron spins in graphene. The ultimate switch Given that graphene can maintain spin coherence over sufficiently long distances, integrating it with another layered material in which spin is maintained for considerably lesser time can result in fabrication of a spin field-effect transistor-like device. Combining graphene with molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) (where spin lasts for picoseconds), Flagship researchers demonstrated that it is possible to control where the spin can go by using a gate voltage. “This combination of graphene with another thin 2D material with contrasting spintronic properties enables the creation of a spin switch,” observes Prof. Roche. Researchers have chosen MoS2 due to its low-spin lifetime stemming from its strong spin-orbit coupling. Importantly, this material mix worked at room temperature. Increasing spin signals From studies of the literature, conductance mismatch has been identified as a key factor that could substantially reduce spin injection from ferromagnets into semiconductors. The Flagship team showed that they could greatly improve the efficiency of the injection and detection of spin electrons into graphene, by using a sandwich of materials. This consisted of a boron nitride insulator in-between the graphene layer and the ferromagnetic spin injector/detector electrodes. In the device produced, polarisation increased up to 70 % with voltage, challenging textbook wisdom that only ferromagnets can influence spin polarisation. Instead, quantum tunnelling was found to affect spin polarisation in the devices. In particular, spin bridged a distance of 10 micrometres in more than 3 nanoseconds at room temperature. “The use of graphene and other 2D materials for advancing next-generation spin torque-based memories (such as STT-MRAM and SOT-MRAM) is also extremely appealing, and has stimulated imec to take the lead of the consortium and work on their large-scale integration in the fab environment,” says Kevin Garello, WP leader and imec researcher leading the emerging magnetic advanced memory concepts research.”	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1294
__label__cc	0.695439	0.304561	10 Weird Insurance Facts February 22, 2019 CommunityAmerica Insurance Agency February 22, 2019 In Blog When you hear “insurance,” funny or interesting may not be the first words to spring to mind. But these 10 examples, though totally outrageous, can also show how powerful insurance can be. Throughout history, people have invested a lot to save the things that are most important to them, and insurance has impacted big decisions. Actress America Ferrerra’s smile is insured for $10 million and Gene Simmons insured his tongue for $1 million. Alien abduction coverage exists and has since 1987. In 2010, Starbucks spent more on health coverage for its employees than it did on coffee. When movies in theatres were just becoming popular, people took out policies in case they died of laughter. Hole-in-one insurance policies cover lavish spending, grand prizes and over-the-top parties after a golfer gets a hole-in-one. It’s particularly popular in Japan. Jackie Chan has paid his stuntmen’s medical bills because his stunts are too risky for insurance agencies to underwrite. Steven Spielberg has the most expensive life insurance policy in the world at $1.2 billion. The idea for GPS was born in an MIT lab, but wasn’t patented there because it was believed insurance companies wouldn’t ever let people drive with a device navigating them. Astronauts aboard the Apollo 11 weren’t offered life insurance, so instead they left behind hundreds of autographed posters for their families to sell if anything happened to them. The rolling green hills and blue sky featured as the background of every Microsoft computer (pictured below) is an actual photograph Microsoft purchased—a photograph so valuable that the insurance to ship it was too high, so Microsoft paid to have it retrieved and delivered by hand instead. Image source: Newegg.com While we’re not in the business of insuring celebrity smiles or alien invasions, we can help you protect what’s most important to you and keep you feeling secure in the face of scary situations. To get started on how you can protect what matters most, contact one of our advisors today. CONTACT AN INSURANCE ADVISOR	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1300
__label__cc	0.519938	0.480062	How do I trust thee NZ Herald? Let me count the ways Yesterday, David left a comment that made me go and look at the latest NZ Herald editorial relating to domestic violence. It was titled: Never any excuse for a man to hit a woman The number of responses that took issue with the sentiment expressed was surprising. Now, at the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist, I know for a fact that NZ Herald's current modus operandi is achieving website hits. For example, they set up minimal word (for the attention deficit readers) contrasting views to provoke debates readers will repeatedly return to. Regarding their anti-domestic violence campaign, I'd accepted their anti-male bias as sincere if misguided. But I may be a muggins. Perhaps this entire campaign has been set up to antagonize and enrage, thus setting up a flurry of website hits. Or maybe I am over-thinking it. It's bad enough not trusting their so-called facts. It's worse not trusting their motivation. Flaxmere (updated) Flaxmere is the 'benefit baby' capital of New Zealand. The regional DHB does not breakdown births by centre. But if the numbers of babies born in 2015 who were benefit-dependent by year-end are calculated as a percentage of all beneficiaries at that Work and Income Centre, Flaxmere is the highest in the country. In all of Hawkes Bay DHB region there were 2,215 babies born in 2015. The region encompasses Work and Income Service Centres Flaxmere (96), Hastings East (155), Napier (170), Taradale (47), Waipukarau (26) and Wairoa (49). A quarter of all babies born in the Hawkes Bay DHB region - 543 - were on welfare directly or shortly after their births. Update: Here is a man who has drawn his. He says (having fostered 200 children in Flaxmere) that the govt rewards children for having children, that govt has "legitimised" it. NZ Herald's domestic violence campaign is not sound The bias against males proliferating the NZ Herald's campaign against domestic violence was stated blankly by one contributor this morning: "Domestic violence is a male problem, and women are the victims." I disagree. Yes, men are more likely to resort to physical abuse but women either provoke or react with their own methods. Here is data from the NZ Crime Survey . It doesn't understate the incidence of interpersonal crime in the way that reported crime statistics can. The graph shows the % of adults who were a victim of interpersonal violent offences in 2013: (Right click to enlarge) The commentary reads: Overall, we find that women (6%) were more likely than the men (4%) to be the victim of a violent interpersonal offence by an intimate partner in 2013. - The percentage of women experiencing 1 or more physical offences committed by an intimate partner was 3% in 2013 down from 5% in 2008. - The percentage of men experiencing 1 or more threat and damage offences committed by an intimate partner was 3% in 2013 down from 4% in 2008. There is a growing body of belief and advocacy that demands we accept women are beyond reproach. I don't know what world these people live in. Foreigners are taking Kiwi jobs!! According to Bernard Hickey, writing in today's HOS: New Zealand created 120,000 new jobs in the past two years, but the number of unemployed and underemployed rose. How did that happen? Essentially New Zealand imported a net 123,900 people to do those jobs. Hickey has added together the net migration gain for the two years to March 2016. From Stats NZ: Unadjusted figures showed a record net gain of 67,600 migrants in the March 2016 year. The balance, 56,300 was the net figure for the previous year What he omits to add is that in the March 2016 year: 1/ New Zealand citizens returning to live in New Zealand accounted for one-quarter of all migrant arrivals 2/ 27,700 arrivals were on student visas 3/ 36,000 arrivals had New Zealand or Australian visas This idea of foreigners taking Kiwi jobs is another gaining currency (with a good flogging from the they're-taking-our-houses NZ Herald.) There are certainly more immigrants coming to NZ to work and settle. But to talk about "importing" 123,900 workers when many of them are New Zealanders is misleading. Hickey says that social, justice and educational policy settings are failing to turn out employable Kiwis, or that employers won't pay them enough to make it worth their while. We all know that welfare is to blame for the situation whereby some New Zealanders have gotten "lazy" (the word a refugee recently used to me to describe people who sit on benefits when he had managed to get himself work with virtually no English and no help from WINZ). Hickey concludes, "Simply opening up the doors for more migrants is not the answer in the long run." Actually it just might be. The kind of people who will make up NZ's population in the future will not tolerate the sort of welfarism which was never a feature of their birth countries. They know how damaging it can be. How do I trust thee NZ Herald? Let me count the wa... NZ Herald's domestic violence campaign is not soun...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1312
__label__wiki	0.647961	0.647961	Why are employers bearing responsibility for family violence? It's refreshing to see National MP Mark Mitchell talking about unintended consequences. Jan Logie's family violence bill makes employers provide leave for employees to take time off work if they need to leave a relationship. RNZ reports: When the bill first came up at Parliament it had a strong National Party backing, but following a select committee process in which amendments were made to reduce an employer's say in the matter, the party got cold feet. Justice spokesperson Mark Mitchell said that was mostly because of the impact it could have on small-to-medium sized businesses which, he said, could end up in arbitration or strained for time or finance. National now plans to introduce a SOP and the Employers and Manufacturers Union supports them. Small enterprises account for 29% of all employees. But beyond these concerns I am somewhat befuddled by the need for this legislation. We know that extricating oneself from a violent relationship can be extremely difficult and dangerous. Assuming the violence is on the male side, just after leaving him is when she is most vulnerable. He is insanely jealous at the idea he can't have her and control her any more and this is when he is most likely to harm her. The RNZ article alludes briefly to a particular typical case of this. He will try to hunt her down. And her workplace is a target. If she is not there, having been granted leave, all well and good (though her colleagues may be exposed to danger when he turns up and is thwarted). But why would she ever feel safely able to return there? Or how long before she can feel safely able to return? Weeks, months? Surely it is better to deal with the threatening ex? Isn't that why the nature of protection orders was changed, to allow police greater powers of arrest? And I'm no fan of an over-empowered police force but find myself arguing for it when faced with unpalatable alternatives.(I could go into a complete rant here about the expanding welfare state; the undermining of stable two parent families and the advent of young males being raised in single mother, serial 'fathers', abusive environments that render them thugs in turn, but will refrain). It seems manifestly unjust that employers are having to bear this level of responsibility for family violence. Left to me I would oppose the bill. Why more mothers and babies die in the US Political left-wing commentator Gordon Campbell writes a column in my local paper, the Hutt News. Last week's (I can't find it on-line) was essentially about the Royal and Jacinda babies; the price of maternity care in the United States and despite the cost, the "dire"quality of care resulting in extraordinarily high infant and mother deaths. A typical anti-capitalist making the numbers tell his story. Gordon Campbell, Hutt News, May 8, blames "dire" quality of care for the relatively high US infant mortality and maternal death rates. It is my experience that whenever statistics diverge strongly from the 'norm' there are sound reasons why, often based on how they are derived. In 2016 Science Daily pointed out that some countries treat babies born after a very low gestation period and with very low odds of surviving as 'stillbirths'. In the United States these babies would be considered 'born' despite their high chances of death. Accordingly, "These premature births are the biggest factor in explaining the United States' high infant mortality rate." Similarly, maternal deaths are also measured differently. According to the Economist, 2017, standard definitions used to make international comparisons are not used in the US. The World Health Organisation mandates a measurement based on a maternal death from pregnancy complications from when the mother becomes pregnant to six weeks after the birth (or termination of pregnancy). New Zealand adheres to this. The US, however, measures deaths up to one year after the birth. As suicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant and new mothers in NZ and the US, extending the period of measurement to one year would make a significant difference to the recorded death rate. Additionally, The Economist explains:"In rich countries, [maternal] deaths are tallied from vital-registration systems which in turn compile data from death certificates. These, however, are known to undercount maternal deaths, partly because doctors must select a cause of death from thousands of codes. They are more likely to consider the subset reserved for medical problems caused by pregnancy when the form has a checkbox asking whether the woman had been pregnant. America added this checkbox to its standard death certificate in 2003, though it took more than a decade for all states to adopt it. It has been a mixed blessing, says Andreea Creanga of Johns Hopkins University. A recent study found that its growing use accounted for 80% of the steep rise in maternal mortality recorded in 2000-14." The United States generally outperforms other countries in the collection and dissemination of rigorous data. Its information systems produce exhaustive, accurate and accessible statistics through which a proper understanding of matters can be achieved. They cannot though control a critic's lack of comprehension about comparability across countries. Paying the Pipers Just published at NZCPR: According to the Dominion Post, April 25, ” … the Government is setting up a welfare overhaul ‘expert advisory group’ supported by a secretariat of officials from different departments.” 1 Labour has promised the Greens an overhaul. The ghost of Metiria Turei hovers. Lest we forget, the ex Green co-leader pleaded poverty as a sole parent student to vindicate fraudulent claims to WINZ. Her eventual replacement, Marama Davidson played rear-guard soon after Turei’s resignation (at a South Auckland rally attended by both) saying, “… the party would raise benefits by 20 percent – including student allowances and all core living payments – if elected.”2 But back to 2018. “The agreement between Labour and the Greens … commits the Government to overhaul the welfare system with the aim of lifting families out of poverty and ensuring that ‘everyone has a standard of living … that enables them to live in dignity and participate in their communities’.”3 No kudos for originality here. This is exactly the sentiment expressed by the 1972 Royal Commission on Social Security. That commission gave us the DPB, which was followed by an explosion in unmarried births (but wasn’t enough for Turei to live on.) Now in government, albeit with a muddled mandate, Labour has a long list of Pipers to pay beyond just the Greens: they are beneficiary advocates, unionists, academics, and even government agencies like the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, all of whom have sought benefit reforms along the following lines: Suicide patterns vary dramatically The following graph (P60) depicts the worst of statistics - suicide among young people. The ethnic/age information is new to me however and is exercising my brain. The peak for Maori suicide is much younger than for European. And the differences are inverse and large before and after age 16. I understand that some suicides are due to broken relationships. Does the variation reflect the tendency for Maori and Pacific youngsters to enter intimate relationships earlier? What else is behind these variances? (Bearing in mind they span 14 years so may mask differences between what was happening in 2002 compared to 2016). Why are employers bearing responsibility for famil...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1313
__label__cc	0.689958	0.310042	CODE4LIB July 2018 Job: Digital Libraries Programmer at University of North Texas Libraries Code4Lib Jobs <[log in to unmask]> The Digital Libraries Division supports the UNT Libraries with guidance, software development, digital preservation, and other digital services. Through collaborative efforts such as The Portal to Texas History (http://texashistory.unt.edu/) and the UNT Digital Library (http://digital.library.unt.edu/) we freely provide digital content to a worldwide audience. Our software development team builds these products with open source components and open, standards-based protocols and formats. The Library Department at the University of North Texas is seeking to hire a Programmer to join our team. Working with the Django framework and other open source components, you will contribute to the feature development and upkeep of the content delivery system in use for The Portal to Texas History (http://texashistory.unt.edu/) and related products. In addition, you will provide programming support for our metadata creation and editing systems. You will work collaboratively with other programmers and technologists in the UNT Libraries to address software problems and to add and customize features for our products. Responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to: * Writing programs in a variety of server-side languages including Python/Django * Applying the division's software testing and version control practices * Developing and documenting deployment procedures and automated deployment scripts * Identifying functional requirements, application scope, and hardware limitations to inform application design The successful candidate will possess a Bachelor's Degree with coursework in computing or information systems and one year of related computing or programming work experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience. The following knowledge, skills, and abilities are required: * Knowledge of the methods and equipment used in electronic data processing. * Skill in writing programs for computer applications. * Ability to analyze problems and develop solutions. The preferred candidate will possess the following additional qualifications: * Demonstrated desire to learn new tool sets and programming languages * Working knowledge of the Linux operating system * Working knowledge of open source tools and environments * Working knowledge of version control systems * Working knowledge of XML, Apache, MySQL * Proficiency in Python, Ruby, or PHP Please note, this is an entry level position for which we are currently unable to offer H-1B sponsorship. Brought to you by code4lib jobs: https://jobs.code4lib.org/jobs/30034-digital-libraries-programmer	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1314
__label__cc	0.66556	0.33444	What is What in FotoWare? User types in the FotoWare solution Depending on your choice of FotoWare SaaS package, you will have a number of different user types in the solution. This document explains what the different user types are. A user who can log on to the system and download and use content that has been made available to him/her. Depending on the chosen plan, consumers may have access to mobile applications and the Microsoft Office plugins to allow easy adding of published assets to documents and presentations. Users who are allowed to upload new content to the system, but who are otherwise restricted to consuming content in the system in the same way as the Consumer user type. Editors are managers of the system. They can upload and manage content and have full access on the system. Depending on the plan, they also have access to the FotoWare InDesign Plugin. The difference between POOLs and Archives What are Albums for? user types	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1317
__label__wiki	0.574135	0.574135	Home » Analysis Launch analysis: The Chivas Brothers’ Blend Published: 01 October, 2012 Joe Bates talks to global brand director James Slack about Chivas Regal’s biggest duty free exclusive launch in the brand’s history It’s been a strange time of late for Pernod Ricard. The French multinational has, of course, been mourning the sudden death this August of its CEO and chairman of 34 years Patrick Ricard, the man who oversaw the transformation of his father’s company into the world’s second largest wines and spirits producer. Yet, at this time of sorrow, the group’s enviable roster of premium brands is flying higher than at any time since the onset of the credit crunch, thanks in main to the seemingly unquenchable thirst of consumers for premium spirits in emerging markets. Chivas Regal, with its enviable global following in 150 countries, stretching from China to Venezuela, and its reputation as the first luxury whisky, is undoubtedly one of Pernod’s brightest stars. For proof look no further than the company’s latest annual results. In the year ending this June the 4.9m-case brand enjoyed global volume growth of 7% and higher value growth of 11%. As Alexandre Ricard, the Ricard family member who will take the helm from 2015, knows well, duty free has been one of the main drivers of growth for Chivas Regal in recent years (Alexandre ran the company’s booming Asian travel retail operations from 2006 to 2008). Indeed, almost one purchase of Chivas Regal in every five is made in duty free, and that ratio rises to one bottle in three for the higher-priced, super-premium Chivas Regal 18 Year Old. “Travel retail is vital for us,” says James Slack, Chivas Regal’s genial global brand director. “Within the travel retail arena we have recently hit the 1m-case milestone. We are pleased with that, but it is also important we innovate, create energy and support the travel retail category by making our products available in different formats.” At Cannes this month Chivas Brothers will do just that, reaffirming the significance of this channel of distribution to the brand by launching arguably the most important Chivas Regal travel retail exclusive to date. The Chivas Brothers’ Blend is a permanent 12-year-old exclusive addition to the brand family, created to honour the legacy of John and James Chivas – the Victorian-era brothers who, in the 1850s, famously started to blend high-quality, smooth-tasting whiskies for the affluent clientele of their grocery shop on Aberdeen’s King Street. Slack says the new whisky intensifies Chivas Regal’s trademark flavour profile. “The Chivas Brothers’ Blend is a rich, soft flavour profile with lots of fruit flavours, and a very creamy texture. The Chivas Regal house style has always been strong on [the brand’s signature malt] Strathisla, but we wanted to accentuate that so we dialled up the proportions of both Strathisla and Longmorn. This helped [master blender] Colin Scott create what we believe is an ultra-smooth whisky.” Although it is no older than the entry-level Chivas Regal 12 Year Old, the higher malt content of the Chivas Brothers Blend means it lands on the shelf with a 20% higher price tag. The bottle and packaging will also help set it apart from its celebrated sibling. “The outer carton is purple and finished with gold and silver writing,” says Slack. “The style and shape of the bottle is in keeping with the Chivas Regal family, but we have really stripped it down. The heavy ornate crest is still there, but the real hero is the name ‘Chivas Brothers’ Blend’. Chivas launches Masters bartender competition Glen Keith distillery re-opens Ballantine's space glass Chivas expands Glenlivet Nàdurra Pernod’s interims	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1324
__label__cc	0.529163	0.470837	Tag Archives: fifth columns You aint no realist bruv December 10, 2015 – 10:48 pm The latest Muslim atrocities in the West (Paris, USA and London) has been met with the frantic recitation of the liberal internationalist’s favourite mantra to explain away such terrorism, namely, it is not committed by Muslims. The attack in the Leytonstone tube station in outer London set the ball rolling in Britain when the lone black attacker shouted “This is for Syria” prompting the response “You ain’t no Muslim bruv” from an onlooker, a black Londoner judged by his accent and the fact that he addressed the attacker as “bruv”, a term only common amongst blacks in Britain. The context also suggests that the man is a Muslim. The hashtag “You ain’t no Muslim bruv” was soon alive on twitter and lavishly lauded by the politically correct as an example of how to respond to someone claiming to be a Muslim who had stabbed someone and tried to behead them. The British PM David Cameron aka NuTory Boy embraced the twitter tag using the cry while in the US Thomas Friedman came up with the all too predictable tag of “You ain’t no American bruv” to describe Donald Trump after Trump had called for a temporary halt (note the temporary) to Muslims visiting the USA. To see how absurd it is to insist that that any person who commits a violent act in the name of Islam is not a Muslim apply a few cases of X cannot be a Y because X has committed a violent act to non-Muslims: – Christianity from the time it became the official religion of the Roman Empire was forced on people whether or not they wanted to be Christians. Hence, none of the enforcers or the coerced were Christians. – The crusaders were not Christians because they engaged in religious war against Muslims. – The Catholic Church cannot be Christian because (1) for the vast majority of its existence it conducted or supported war against pagans and (2) for the vast majority of its existence it persecuted mon-Catholics , most notably through the Inquisition. – Protestants of almost all colours (pacifists like the Quakers are an exception) cannot be Christians because they have persecuted and fought against other Christians, both Protestant and Catholic. Similar judgements could be made against those who behaved in an immoral way in the context of other religions, for example, Buddhists who are wilfully violent, and Confucians who rebel against rightful authority. In fact there is not a religion or secular system of morality whose practitioners have not in huge numbers breached the beliefs of their professed religious or ethical position. This is so because the history of human beings is predominantly a history of aggressive (as opposed to defensive) war, everything from the vendetta to formal warfare. Then there is the question of the historical behaviour of Muslims. Islam from its beginnings was often , if not invariably, spread by the sword. If Muslims today are not Muslims if they engage in violence other than in self-defence against non-Muslims, or Muslims of a different stamp whom they consider to be non-Muslims, logically it must follow that all those who have called themselves Muslim in the past were not Muslims if they had committed similar offences. In short, it is literally absurd to claim someone is not a true believer of any creed, whether sacred or profane, because no ideology is without its heresies, schisms or the complications of a range of permitted belief. There is also the ticklish problem that religions or secular ideologies often have concepts of what is moral which clash with other religions and ideologies. Those societies with the vendetta will view revenge killings as a matter of honour and entirely moral, while those without the vendetta will see such killing as a murder. The claim that Muslims engaged in terrorist acts are not true Muslims is made doubly absurd by the fact that the Koran gives plenty of support to Muslims to engage in violence against non-Muslims, something which for groups such as ISIS includes huge numbers of Muslims of the “wrong” stamp. Absurd or not the politically correct politically correct will continue to use the “they are not Muslims” because they desperately wish to avoid acknowledging the frightening truth: that there are now tens of millions of Muslims in the West who are there because of the immigration policies of the politically correct elites over the past 50 or 60 years . There are nearly three million Muslims in the UK , an increase of 45% since the 2001 census. The figure for the EU including Britain is 44 million. The USA has 2.75 million. It would be no comfort if 99.9% of these people would not dream of engaging in terrorist acts for if even a tiny proportion of such populations is willing to become terrorists that would mean large numbers of terrorists. If one Muslim in a thousand in Europe is willing to become a terrorist that would mean 44,000 Jihadis. That is what the politically correct are hiding from and which increasingly terrifies them. By Robert Henderson \| Posted in Philosophy, Politics \| Also tagged immigration, internationalism, Islam \| Comments (4) By Robert Henderson \| Posted in Europe, Politics \| Also tagged Islam, liberal bigotry, nationhood, NWO, patriotism \| Comments (2) Politically incorrect film reviews – Four Lions UKCert (UK): 15 Directors: Chris Morris Cast: Adeel Akhtar, Arsher Ali, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Preeya Kalidas, Riz Ahmed Bafta nominated (2011) for best British film At the heart of this film lies a terrible cowardice. Four Lions has been promoted as a brave satire on Islamic fundamentalism, but it is the liberal equivalent of a schoolboy testing out a teacher to see how far he can go. Morris has a very good sense of what will be tolerated in these pc times. The story is inspired by the London bombings of July 2005, the 7/7 explosions. But instead of exploding bombs on the underground and buses, these terrorists intend to go ballistic during the London Marathon. The film follows their preparations to become suicide bombers and their actual attempt. The cowardice is seen in the ethnic make up of the wannabe bombers – the Four Lions of the title – and the way they are depicted. One of the bombers Barry ( Nigel Lindsay) is white and English and the others are Asian – Omar (Riz Ahmed), Waj (Kayvan Novak), Hassan (Arsher Ali). A fourth Asian member of the group Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) blows himself up accidentally before the attack on London. Blacks are conspicuous only by their absence, an omission which I suspect is indicative of an unconscious association of Islam with Asians, especially those of sub-continental origin, in the white liberal mind. Compare that fictional group with the reality of Islamic terrorism in the UK. No native white Muslim has been convicted of actually trying to bomb any target within or outside Britain’s border or perpetrated a successful attack. Those who have died in a successful suicide attack or been apprehended during an attempt have been either Asian or black – one of the 7/7 bombers – Jermaine Johnson was black , as was the “shoe bomber” Robert Reid who failed to explode a bomb on a plane bound for the USA. The purpose of making one of the bombers white and English is clear: to defuse the us- and-them nature of Islamic terrorism, the message of the character being that Islamic terrorism is not a matter of race or ethnicity, but of belief and that such terrorists can be drawn from any part of the population, including those who are unequivocally indigenous. However, this effect is somewhat lessened by the failure to include a black amongst the bombers, Having slanted the story through the ethnicity of the characters, Morris then reduces the seriousness of the subject matter to a Keystone Cops burlesque by making the bombers appear terminally stupid and grotesquely incompetent. The white convert Barry is essentially a football hooligan who has found a new interest (Islam) and transferred his desire for mayhem to that. He is constantly belligerent in the most asinine way suggesting amongst other things that the group bomb the local mosque to politicize “their Islamic brothers”. Of the Asian characters , Waj is the type who in real life would be described as having learning difficulties and the others are just routinely thick or naïve. The nearest any of them come to normality is the group leader Omar who has a wife and child. Their incompetence is relentless. They all seem incapable of simply living independent lives, let alone organizing a co-ordinated suicide bomb attack. Whether they are at a training camp in Pakistan , testing out bombs in Br itain or engaged in the attack on the London Marathon they make slapstick errors. They move explosives and Faisal trips over and accidentally sets off a bomb which kills him. Omar and Waj go to terrorist training camp in Pakistan and fire a rocket at what they presume is the enemy. The “enemy” turns out to be some of their fellow Islamic terrorists whose numbers are considerably trimmed by the resulting explosion, which also brings enemy drones in to attack the camp. When they finally go to London to explode their bombs, they manage to do so but in the most farcical fashion. Hassan loses his nerve and goes to hand himself into the police only to be blown up remotely by Barry using a phone. Barry then fights with Omar to prevent him contacting Waj because Omar is going to tell Waj not to kill himself. To prevent this Barry swallows Omar’s SIM card. This makes Barry begin to choke. A passer-by seeing him choking begins the Heimlich maneuver on Barry and whilst doing this sets off Barry’s bomb. And so it goes on . Omar gets hold of another phone and attempts to talk Waj into giving himself up , but the line is lost as the police charge the kebab shop Waj has retreated to where he takes hostages. Waj panics and detonates his bomb . Finally, Omar in despair, goes into a chemist shop and explodes his bomb. This representation of the bombers as fools and incompetents is dangerous. It implies that such people are so idiotic that the threat they represent is, in the larger scheme of things, negligible. Not only that, but the film says look, only really stupid and inadequate people with an incompetence bordering on cretinism would engage in this type of activity. The problem with this message is that the 7/7 bombers did manage to carry out a coordinated attack on London,. They had the wit to construct effective bombs (even the bombers in the film were given that ability which rather clashed with their general incompetence ) and the organizational abilities and discipline to carry out the bombing. Four Lions is attempting to do with Islamic terrorists what was done with Hitler, represent the object of danger as a figure of fun. That is a dangerous thing to do because it sanitises the enemy. If Morris had wanted to make a truly courageous and honest film about Muslim terrorists in Britain, he would have left the indigenous population out of it, had a mixed group of Asians and blacks as the bombers, shown the terrorists as something more able than blundering blockheads and, most importantly, included in the screenplay the type of fanatical hatred of this country and its people which can be found on so many Islamic websites and not only on those sites commonly viewed as extremist. By Robert Henderson \| Posted in Conquest by other means, Film reviews \| Also tagged internationalism, security services \| Comments (0)	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1329
__label__cc	0.521273	0.478727	The 10 most fun things to do on the South Side of Chicago Photo: WTTW Benjamin Schaye The South Side of Chicago brings up some negative connotations for a lot of people. It’s true that there are some pretty dangerous parts there, but the South Side is huge, and to write the whole area off because of a few high-crime parts would be a huge mistake. Some of Chicago’s best architecture, parks, beaches, restaurants, and cultural institutions are located south of the Loop, and missing out on them is to miss half of the city. Here’s our list of the top 10 fun things to do on the South Side of Chicago. 1. Museum of Science and Industry Photo: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago/Facebook Probably the best-known South Side attraction is the classic Museum of Science and Industry. MSI is beloved by Chicagoans and no local can forget traveling deep down into the super-realistic coal mine or exploring the inside of a real World War II German U-boat in their youth. The rotating exhibitions are always worth it, and the area around it is perfectly safe. You can easily reach the museum from downtown by car or bus, and Lake Shore Drive gets you there really quickly. 2. Jackson Park Photo: Hank Erdmann/Shutterstock Located directly behind the Museum of Science and Industry, Jackson Park is probably the city’s most beautiful green space. In 1893 it was the site of the Columbian Exhibition and the museum is actually set in the one remaining building from the exhibition. The highlight of the park is the Garden of the Phoenix which was previously the Osaka Garden. This wonderful garden is set on an area called Wooded Island and will transport you out of Chicago and into Japan. The park also includes beaches, harbors, lagoons, sports fields, a gym, an indoor fieldhouse, and a golf course and driving range. 3. Frederick C. Robie House Photo: Marek Lipka-Kadaj/Shutterstock Robie House is probably the single best example of Chicago architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie-style architecture. The house is stunning both inside and out, and it’s definitely worth visiting. The inside has been largely restored to how it looked on completion in 1910 with furnishings, stained-glass windows, and interior details designed by Wright himself. The tours are absolutely worth doing, but if you’re in the area and don’t have the time, you should still stop by to admire it from the outside. 4. The Midway Plaisance Photo: Jannis Tobias Werner/Shutterstock The Midway Plaisance is a mile-long, 220 yard-wide stretch of park space between 59th and 60th streets. The Midway connects Jackson Park to the east with Washington Park to the west. Essentially part of the campus of the prestigious University of Chicago, the English Gothic buildings of the university stand regally over the Midway and make for a very nice place for a stroll or a picnic. 5. Pilsen murals Pilsen is a neighborhood on the near-Southwest Side that’s the heart of Mexican-American Chicago. The food there is fantastic just about anywhere you go, and the neighborhood has the best street art scene in the city. The mural movement in Pilsen dates back decades and today they’re still at it creating huge public works of art that draw from and celebrate the vibrant Mexican and Chicano culture of the neighborhood. You can find an interactive gallery of Pilsen murals with the locations for each one at this great website. 6. Vito and Nick’s Pizzeria Photo: Vito and Nick’s/Facebook Yes, deep-dish Chicago-style pizza is good. Yes, Chicagoans sometimes eat it. But it’s not our favorite pizza. What we eat is ultra-thin crust tavern-style pizza, with a crispy crust that’s almost like a cracker and can’t be folded without cracking. And we cut it into squares, not pie slices. And we don’t call it a pie. A lot of the best places to get Chicago tavern-style pizza are on the South Side and you can’t go wrong with Vito and Nick’s. Get a pizza, order a few Old Style beers on draught, and enjoy. It’s the best pizza in the country and we doubt you’ll disagree after the experience. 7. Pier 31 Restaurant Photo: Pier 31 Restaurant/Facebook Located at 31st Street Beach and showing off some of the city’s best skyline views, Pier 31 is perfect South Side destination when the weather is nice. This bar and restaurant has great food, a full bar, daily live music and DJs, and weekly dance events. Best of all, Pier 31 is located just steps away from a nice sandy beach and boat docking facilities, plus nearby rentals of kayaks, paddleboards, and jet skis. It’s got pretty much everything you could need for a truly perfect summer day. 8. Calumet Fisheries Photo: Calumet Fisheries/Facebook Down in Calumet on the industrial far South Side, Calumet Fisheries has been frying and smoking seafood since 1948. The late, great Anthony Bourdain was a fan, and Calumet Fisheries has won prestigious James Beard awards, but don’t let that fool you. This place has no seating, no bathrooms, and is strictly takeout only. Don’t let that put you off, the seafood here is probably the best in the city. 9. Chinatown Photo: Blanscape/Shutterstock Unlike cities like New York and San Francisco with diminishing Chinatowns, Chicago’s Chinatown is actually booming. The sights, sounds, and smells of this vibrant community where Chinese is often the first language of shops and restaurants can transport you. Excellent restaurants serve up classics like dim sum and American Chinese, but you’ll also find cuisines from regions all over China. While solidly on the South Side, Chinatown is easily reached from downtown on the expressway, the Red Line train, or by Chicago River Taxi during warmer months. 10. Sox Park Photo: Richard Cavalleri/Shutterstock When most people think of Chicago baseball they probably think of classic Wrigley Field and its Chicago Cubs, but the South Side is also a great place to catch a game. South Siders cheer for the Chicago White Sox and, as the city’s often-overlooked team, they keep a chip on their shoulder and are always ready to wisecrack about their crosstown rivals and their fans. Seeing a game at Sox Park (and that’s what you should call it, not whatever financial institution is currently paying to put its name on the stadium) is a fun place to watch baseball. The team does a lot more promotions than the Cubs do to get fans in, so there are fun themed nights like bring-your-dog-to-the-park day, and there are fireworks on weekends and after home runs. More like this: 10 ways to make friends if you’re new to Chicago More on Chicago You can spend the night in the Wienermobile. Seriously. 10 best vegetarian and vegan places to eat at in Chicago Chicago’s 8 coziest bars for a winter drink 6 free or inexpensive things to do in Chicago this winter The 12 best Chicago breweries to hide out in this winter 10 ways to make friends if you’re new to Chicago The best coffee shops in Chicago right now 7 distilleries making great booze in Chicago This Chicago bar is the ultimate ‘Game of Thrones’ drinking hole The 11 best films set in Chicago to inspire your visit 7 Chicago venues to listen to music outdoors The 10 best pizza places in Chicago 9 trip-defining food and drink experiences to have in Prince Edward Island Ellen Egan	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1339
__label__wiki	0.821513	0.821513	Both Coasts: An Interview with Geoffrey G. O'Brien Adam J. Fitzgerald interviews Geoffrey G. O'Brien Fatigue and anger, vitamins, of being born at some remove from Sunday, leaving any world untouched, I guess I sing. But many other things show up. The safety of the ports, large gulls improperly inland, that rip within a point of sale; and lunch beforehand where we wondered whether forms detach from prior eras reappear as Morris Louis veils or if an accident is king of how museum shadows thicken into middle distances. Wrong to think of day as falling up and out of bed — from “Metropole” GEOFFREY G. O’BRIEN’S TWO PREVIOUS BOOKS, The Gun and Flags Project and Green and Gray, have raised the bar in contemporary poetry with their sui generis fusion of political conscientiousness and formal mastery. O’Brien writes with a supreme music and a targeted lock on the materials of daily life, the hefty minutiae of our collective subjective experience; reading him, we soon find that the boundaries have dissolved between prescription medicine, American imperialism, fabricated dreams, and the workweek calendar. Call it an existentialism of enjambment: Why shouldn’t poetry contain as many simultaneous disjunct realities as a web browser with multiple open tabs, comprising everything from BBC Breaking News to a Gchat with a friend to an insurance bill to translations of Schubert’s Lieder? O’Brien’s third and latest volume, Metropole, is a work radically engaged with our polysemous, vacuous age, a work where redigested news reports emerge from an archly constructed musicality. He is acutely sensitive to the void underlying our rhetorical fabrics (pleasing, horrifying, autobiographical, topical). Often the poems in Metropole feel so vibrantly tense because you can’t uncover how much O’Brien has determined the poem, or how much it has determined him. The radioactive, steely language of Metropole appears to be contained, and an ever-cooling intellectual temperature prevails. More than the poem feels about to buckle from such understated torque and meticulous restraint: Isn’t it our whole society that’s at this constant breaking point? (Exeunt pursued by hurricanes, terrorist attacks, economic collapses, the next Cheney-Palinesque “tell-all.”) In O’Brien’s hands, the American lyric receives a dry, mischievous reassembly; mundanity must testify as itself (though the Court of Public Opinion is thankfully never in session). Everydayness becomes the imagination’s detour towards something like an authentic, integrated way to be awake, to be alive in our time, using the very language that has been so smudged by lawyers, politicians and ad-men. But how to make it sing? Here’s one way: a kind of slashed leaf or wheel added to the litany, one of those things you start off without and over the week restore — from “Folie A Deux” Poetry being our closest and most ambitious ally within our indifferent, chaotic and — yes — seductive Disinformation Age, it takes something as artful and intelligent as Metropole to restore us. — Adam J. Fitzgerald ADAM J. FITZGERALD: How long have you been working on Metropole? How does the process of building a “book” differ from merely collecting together miscellaneous lyrics after a period of a few years and saying, “Hey, it’s time to put out another book?” GEOFFREY G. O’BRIEN: Well, it’s usually four or five excruciating years, but my first two books were the product of exactly this uninteresting quantitative reckoning: It’s time. I can, however, briefly defend that passivity. While wanting to think of the book as an aesthetic opportunity, I also worried about it as a marketplace fact and convenience: the gathering of poems, of poetry, under an optional name in a portable material form. It often seemed to me a thing for sale I didn’t want to opportunize or misrecognize as primarily aesthetic. A less principled but related defense has to do with the psychic life of reception: The poem pre-publication is an actual poem but its readership is potential or virtual. With the poems in that state — made but unavailable — the composing ego can fantasize that the poem is for all potential readers, no matter how much she knows about poetry’s actual contemporary minority as an art in the shadow of corporatism, its wars and distractions. When the poems are collected for sale within the three dimensions, you suddenly feel hard what you already knew about poetry’s market share, and it’s painful both because you wanted more and you didn’t want a market at all. So an abstention from the aesthetic possibilities of the book form was my hypocritical hygiene; I participated, I published, but only to a point, refusing in one minor way to abet poetry’s commoditization by seriously inhabiting that book-structure. But it can’t be avoided. You’re still choosing the order in which the poems will appear; you’re still naming the book as though it were a poem itself. So it was as much a doomed aesthetic hygiene as it was hypocritical or inconsistent. While working on Metropole, that inevitability of ordering and my inconsistencies about publication weighed on me as much as the book-form itself (and let me say that I’m a fan of the physical thing, I love its non-glowing, hard-to-destroy portability, and how the independent stores that specialize in selling it, and of which there are therefore fewer and fewer, feel less store-like than other stores). It seemed like there had to be a way to use the form rather than only disguise its non-formality. John Ashbery developed several strategies for simultaneously dodging and inhabiting the demands of the book-form, often arranging his poems in alphabetical order (pitting one logic against another while he watches from the sidelines) or naming a book after one of the poems it hosts. Another way poets have learned to confront the book is via seriality, extending a form or a single poem to the scale of an entire book (Ben Lerner’s three books are great examples of composing on that scale, especially the last, Mean Free Path). With about half a book’s worth of freestanding lyrics, I decided the second “half” (already thinking within book-logic) would not be more of the same, but something massive and serial that would approach but deny the scale of the entire book and would do so knowingly. In short, I’d write a poem that knew its fate was the book, that wouldn’t be surprised to find itself there. So I wrote a 40-page prose poem in iambic meter, setting poetry’s hard-to-monetize metrical past within the prose that makes the week go round, and titled the whole book after that poem. To work a serial form congenial to the book-scale but stop short of rendering the poem as entire book expressed a ratio of acknowledgment/resistance about the facts of publication that I could live with. You wake only afterwards as though on days protected from musical speech — from “Restricted Palette” I see the body as a gun not yet pointed at anything worth mentioning — from “Street Cry” FITZGERALD: Your poetry emerges against a consciousness of social reality, but still seems to me to embrace art as possible. Reading your new work I’m reminded of George Oppen, another poet of the vatic lyric who honors the eruptions of political philosophy and social awareness inside the poem. O’BRIEN: For Oppen, everything is political because we have chosen the problems and opportunities of “being numerous.” He wanted that polis, that being-multiple, to be a conscious commitment and to host an actual life in common rather than only the self-interested interactions of billions of “shipwreck[s] of the singular” where each person is a Robinson Crusoe free to act as if alone. When Oppen ends “Giovanni’s Rape of the Sabine Women at Wildenstein’s” by asserting that the aestheticization of brutality requires more faith than he possesses “in songs,” he’s chastising any art willing to forget about actual human misery even as it ostensibly treats it. Sharing the impulse behind Adorno’s famous interdiction on lyric after Auschwitz (later mostly recanted), Oppen wants no art that shirks responsibility to persons or omits the conditions in which it and they are made. There’s also the opposite peril, that of overstating art’s ability to intervene in material conditions, fantasizing it can make something, rather than Auden’s “nothing,” happen. In either case it lets itself off the hook and risks ending up an empire’s cosmetic. When poetry neither ignores immiseration nor purports to solve it, I think it can teach a nonspecific care for the actual world and contribute purposive but purposeless language to that world; but it has to be a language Crusoe and Friday invent together and speak as equals, and it can’t pretend England and the slave trade don’t exist. Claudia Rankine’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely and Juliana Spahr’s This Connection of Everyone with Lungs come to mind as recent examples of this refusal-to-deny; they don’t pit private experience against global damage but insist on scaling and shuttling back and forth between them until the double inventory of disaster and personal attachments can become a kind of joyous responsibility of form; they find a poetry that can accommodate the bad world and the good house. In Rankine’s case via a set of stunned prose paragraphs set so narrow they feel as pressured from without as verse lines; in Spahr’s case a house-that-jack-built structure of repetition that tells the structure of the physical universe while also capturing the relentless stream of “news” from multiple war fronts (including the war with nature). In my own poems, Metropole‘s “Bohemian Grove” for instance, I try to make the kinds of responsibly ecstatic forms those poets do, but it’s a permanently mutating task. FITGERALD: Tell me about “Bohemian Grove”: what it is, and what it means to the architecture of the book. O’BRIEN: The Bohemian Grove is an encampment set among redwoods in Northern California where male politicos and captains of industry go for two weeks every summer to relieve some of the tension accumulated while despoiling the world the other 50 weeks of the year. The Grove’s motto is “Weaving spiders come not here” and its members kick off the two weeks with a “Cremation of Care” ceremony under the 40 foot concrete owl pictured on my book’s cover and then proceed to get drunk and put on plays that often require cross-dressing. So it’s a sealed, ritualistic space cleaned of the complexity (cares and the “weaving” of schemes) of the rest of the world: multiple genders, races, class stratification, regional conflict should “come not here.” In other words, it’s a kind of political pastoral, a simple green world, a private California, in which song and pageant can take place: a pastoral with an electrified fence and a guarded perimeter. “Bohemian Grove” is a poem about the dangers and absurdities of conceiving of art as happening elsewhere or of capturing the world via a falsifying simplicity. It moves around in time in the 20th century, the syntax with which one decade is treated melting into the syntax of another (“in leaves, in the 70s I sang a song of we / became ourselves again as women, specifically”) to show this protected space’s blithe passage through history: they just keep staging plays year after year while Rome continues to burn. Putting an image of that ridiculous, sinister owl on the book’s cover was a way of admitting my poems happen in the same world as the rituals of the Bohemian Grove, albeit with an entirely different concept of the function of artifice: to incur responsibility rather than relieve it. Like Oppen, my faith in song is limited but my desire to sing isn’t, so my solution is to try to sing the false pastorals of the actual world rather than flee to them. November dream: to walk like a feeling would and then become the fear of finding it whitely merging in a corner of a store, the evening before last becoming huge. — from “Three Years” FITZGERALD: Pastoral is a genre you seem to be continually modernizing, making contemporary, in your last two books especially. “Three Years” – one of the longest poems in Metropole – is a miracle of prosaic daily life becoming ritualized in a montage of seasons, times of day, and scenes of waking and working. O’BRIEN: “Three Years” came out of my engagement with Kafka’s diaries: grim, early 20th century Eastern European writers have a way of turning the diary form, and the dailiness it supports, into a satiric meditation on labor (writing’s relation to vocation/occupation distinctions). Beyond Kafka’s real office miseries and worries about literary production, I’m thinking of Witold Gombrowicz’s famous opening to his own diaries: And so on: the ordering of time into days and days into the work week, resulting in the first person as a lonely direct-object consequence of work. In my poem I intended to cycle through the days of the week and the months of the year often enough and unsituatedly enough that they ceased to measure anything particular and reappeared as absurd abstractions, hopefully thereby separating the measurement of time from the recording of lived experience, which at its best might not have much to do with the proper names of the calendar. Time doesn’t have to be the false passage between labor and leisure, and poetry has always felt to me like the place where another kind of time faintly beats. The poem ends, after 16 pages unrelieved by stanza break, on the lines “Thursday and Friday are enough the same / I remember the game of features again.” I hope, while revealing that game and destroying time’s familiar names, to provide another experience of time as formal time, as poetic rhythm, so the four- and five-beat accentual verse makes constant use of November and Thursday and all the other terms to build the poem’s streaming semi-regularities of beat distribution. FITZGERALD: Speaking of prosody, let’s get technical. One of the most distinct features on every page of Metropole (excepting the eponymous prose poem) is the radical enjambment of the poems; in the sense that each line is its own unit; that the poems could almost be read forward or backwards (as the title “To Be Read In Either Direction” signals). Tell me about this formal feature and how it relates to what you’re up to. O’BRIEN: Well, poetry gets most of its charge from its distance from instrumental speech and most of that distance from its formal features, the determination of line being particularly crucial because it interrupts syntax for rhythmic reasons (meter or syllabics, rhyme, or even a visual intuition) but produces new syntactic entities (the autonomous syntax of a line “within” the sentence of which it’s a part) by that interruption. You thus can’t talk about enjambment except as the interaction of syntax and form: all the reasons and methods the poem has for breaking a line. I’ve become increasingly interested in how an aggressive prosodical character to the line, when coupled with line-initial capitalization and an absence of terminal punctuation, can produce a kind of formal parataxis within the hypotaxis of a continuing sentence, an assertion of line against or over sentence, and how that can in turn disturb a readerly certainty that syntax is continuing at all. For example: He observed of clouds they represent What else could have happened In half-worked fields the painting is — from “The Other Arts” These three lines can be read as a single syntactic movement, or as three disjunctive propositions, or, more quietly and just as importantly, as two connected lines and one freestanding statement, or as a stand-alone statement followed by two connected lines. Producing all these possibilities for enjambment and its absence doesn’t leave the poem indeterminate so much as multiply determinability. As you imply, this capacity to be read in either direction (to which neighboring line does “What else could have happened” attach itself?) has conceptual and critical consequences. For me poetry at its right margin offers the capacity to move among readerly emphases without forgetting any of them, a powerful non-choice I’d contrast with the real choices between meaningless differences that one makes when one buys one brand of jeans rather than another though both are only denimized money. In other words, I see poetry’s enjambments as offering an alternative experience of consumption in which the reader is an active optional participant who thinks in chords rather than a set of economic decisions. The index crashed between the pillars of the week. You’ll find a massive game of solitaire in progress underneath the window cops were laughing with the doorman in the dusk. I’m thinking of a statue going shopping in New York but stopping somewhere privately forgetting to perform. Each task contains this threat: you print the boarding pass invades the house. But he remembers holidays instead, decides to draw between all wounds a line when walking past the calendar, beginning with parked cars emitting outlines under snow FITZGERALD: “Metropole,” the ambitious prose poem that closes the book, begins: “Inaudibly, technologies lament their falling into parts have everywhere scattered anywhere a world extends.” The sentence breaks and bends together (as “Metropole” does continually) in the clutch of a medial word (“parts”) almost the way Milton uses a caesura to nip-tuck his epic onward. Tell me how “Metropole” developed stylistically: its constraint of iambic prose and these pivot-shifts mid-sentence. (I would add that I can’t recall reading a longish prose poem so regimented, “versified” in a sense; even its stanzaic-like shape on the page is so assuredly, calmingly formal.) O’BRIEN: Your parenthetical was the heart of the ambition here: to place a lineated verse feature, in this case iambic rhythm, where one would least expect to find it sustained: in prose. This ghosting of the metrical also provides a technology of capture for the rhythms of daily experience: humming regularities interrupted by the soft shock of substitution. The pivot-device you mention, in which a word occupies two syntactic fields at once (e.g., “The sun revolves around the EARTH revolves around the sun” or “Get thee HENCE they do”) is another submerged lineation phenomenon: enjambment, here imported into the middle of a lineless sentence but full of the same power to orchestrate two experiences of syntax nearly simultaneously. It’s no different from, say, the second and third lines of William Carlos Williams’ “Spring and All” (“under the surge of the blue / mottled clouds) where a reader first takes “blue” as noun and then as adjective. “Metropole” records the falling of meter and other verse capacities into prose for several reasons: I wanted to prove to myself that meter and emphatic enjambment (like that you noted above in the first part of the book) could be viable, non-nostalgic resources for contemporary poetry, and I wanted to make an argument that prose poetry should not abjure pattern and system complexity when it claims prose for another genre. I’m interested instead in testing the very limits of pattern apprehension, producing a faintness of measure the reader must work to recover but can’t exactly ignore; the last line of the book I wrote before Metropole reads, “It’s like twilight to be alive now.” So my commitment to incomplete or unexpected prosodies stems from a desire to capture the experience of the ungraspable: a system-experience in which we are constantly encountering rules unknowable in their totality but felt all the same in each local moment of attention. This poem’s embedding of strict pattern within prose and its dislocating mid-sentence shifts of syntax speak to a sense of structure that’s palpable even when the structure’s too complex or submerged to hold explicitly in mind. And I hope those formal choices give onto large concerns: The poem ends “I thought both coasts,” and I mean this in several ways. Formally, it serves as a description of the poem’s integration of traditional East Coast form with the much more recent West Coast form of the New Sentence, and Language Poetry’s effort to make the prose sentence a formal unit disjunct with the sentences before and after it; I’m grateful for the Language Poets’ commitment (post-Vietnam doublespeak and mid-post-structuralism) to breaking open a well-wrought urn model of the poem and its speaker because of their ideological freight. I wanted to see what happened when the verse features Language Poets opposed for their history of use reappeared right in the midst of prose disruptions of a presiding lyric ego. Experientially, the phrase “both coasts” also records the proximity of New York and California on the internet; it’s much easier to keep up with the writers and shibboleths and innovations of any region virtually now. On Facebook people even choose to “attend” poetry readings thousands of miles away as a way of saying they wish their bodies were there. And that virtual ubiquity or mobility is also an argument about the psychogeography of empire; rather than the old center and periphery model of the metropole, we now have a kind of everywhereness, mostly because the dominant political entity is the multinational corporation rather than a single nation-state. FITZGERALD: Finally, I wanted to ask you about thinking and writing that went into your new book that might not be apparently citable, or knowable, but helped formulate this book. I’m thinking of nonliterary, or perhaps even non-textual sources, as much as anything else. Invariably, much of what goes into our heads before/during/after writing is a perishable history; but maybe there’s something to reflect on, reveal or credit parenthetically? O’BRIEN: To stick with both the long poem and the web a little further, I’d say the internet itself, as both a source and a form of life. While writing “Metropole” I found myself constantly throwing open a browser window to educate myself quickly and irresponsibly in subjects like Caesar’s invasion of Gaul (“All Gaul is divided in three parts” just like the three prose stanzas on each page of “Metropole,” which was written during the endless middle of the occupation of Iraq) or how the cathode-ray technology of the TVs of my childhood worked. I wanted the poem to be kitchen-sink, an autobiography of an era that happens to coincide with my conscious lifetime (1970-now) rather than the story of a distinct person, and it required deep but brief “occupations” of lots of little facts (the Hudson River dredging projects, invasive species on the California coast, transit worker strikes, and so on) that resemble, no are, our itinerant, peripatetic link-to-link travel through websites and social media; that intense brevity also marks how crises dominate news cycles then disappear from them. The pivot feature in the sentences of “Metropole” is another attempt to capture these abrupt shifts of environment, shifts I think we experience as both rough and smooth. Maybe we could say that the internet too is prose that’s full of verse form, no one’s and everyone’s. The Matter With Kansas: Ben Lerner Talks to Cyrus Console By Ben Lerner Find Yourself A City To Live In By Peter Campion Thoroughly Modern Elsa By Brian Kim Stefans Weaving Spiders Come Not Here By Ed Skoog By Stan Apps We Revolt Ourselves By Daniel Tiffany Confronting the Unwatchable By Maggie Hennefeld, Nicholas Baer States of Desire: On Lisa Taddeo’s “Three Women” By Helena Duncan Identity Shaping on Social Media: On Jia Tolentino’s “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion” By Maggie Levantovskaya Tackling Three-Letter Words — LSD, Sex, and God: An Interview with T. C. Boyle By James Penner Saying Something: Trans Characters in YA Fiction By Clarence Harlan Orsi ADD TO YOUR BOOKSHELF ADD TO BOOKSHELFCANCEL	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1341
__label__cc	0.698196	0.301804	You are at:Home»Career»Invitation to join National Agenda Forum as Part Time Associates : I-PAC Invitation to join National Agenda Forum as Part Time Associates : I-PAC By LawLex Team on Jun 20, 2018 Career, Career Opportunities, Lex Bulletin Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) (est. April 2015) is India’s first cross party advocacy group, which endeavours to support the election of visionary, progressive and inclusive leaders to public offices. With our members previously organized under the banner of Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) (est. 2013), we have been operating in the socio-political domain for the last five years and have been lauded as the Powerhouse that changed [election]campaigning in India forever. Set up with the ambitious goal of re-inventing the socio-political space, I-PAC provides a platform for young professionals to meaningfully associate with electoral politics and contribute to policy making and governance by setting the agenda for incoming governments Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) espouses similar values and embraces the fact that every individual, makes a contribution that can change the face of electioneering in India. It is this mentality that has helped us drive election campaigns for the biggest leaders of India, such as Mr. Narendra Modi (In 2014), Mr. Nitish Kumar (2015), Capt. Amarinder Singh (In 2017). But now, I-PAC would like to create a platform for the grandest and the smallest ideas to be heard with equal importance. That platform, is the National Agenda Forum (NAF). National Agenda Forum (NAF), a platform for educated youth of the country to set the people’s agenda for upcoming Indian General Elections in 2019. We are looking for college students to registers with us as Part Time Associates (PTA) to be a core part of NAF. As a PTA, you get to be, An active member in shaping the key political discourse in India A partner in I-PAC’s decision making Considered in internship and job opportunities at I-PAC Involved in a forum of like-minded people Mentored on On-ground Leadership by I-PAC’s professionals Connected with national and state-level political leadership You will be instrumental in helping I-PAC choose the right leader for delivering this agenda set by NAF (National Agenda Forum) and will help leader adopt the agenda as his/her key priority in the 2019 General Elections. If you feel the need for change and if you would want to drive that change by yourselves, please enroll yourselves and encourage your friends (College Goers) to enroll in the same. Registration link : http://www.indianpac.com/pta/ Referral id : [email protected] Indian PAC IPAC Previous Article3rd Edition of National Moot Court Competition [email protected] College Dehradun Faculty of Uttaranchal University; 5-7th October 2018 Next Article Uttarakhand HC Orders Creation Of National Law University in the State Within 3 Months	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1345
__label__wiki	0.534472	0.534472	In Conversation Series Reading Group with Julia Barbosa Landois They Who Sound They, Who Sound Add to Google Cal Nameless Sound and Lawndale present . . . . experimental sound-making, improvised music, noises, the sounding of art, the performance of art and . . . Different Artists and Performers Every Monday at Lawndale Two distinct sets each night For each Monday’s updated lineup, go to www.namelesssound.org. 7:30 – 9:30 PM Doors open at 7 PM Donations to They, Who Sound welcome. In 2008, trombone player David Dove organized a short series of concerts as a personal DIY project, independent from his work as Founding Director of Nameless Sound. Held at a mid-town Houston bar, Dove had minimal expectations for They, Who Sound. It was casually organized as an opportunity for friends, colleagues, and various Houston experimental musicians to perform with each other and for each other (and for who ever else happened to show up on a Sunday evening). On the afternoon of the third concert, Dove and friends arrived to locked doors. The bar had cancelled They, Who Sound without notice Shortly after this auspicious beginning, the series was moved to Avant-Garden, a Montrose mainstay for diverse crowds and eclectic programming. Under the generous hospitality of owner Mariana Lemesoff (and key bar staff), the weekly series that was meant to last only a few months carried on for 9 years. In those 9 years They, Who Sound not only became the sounding ground for a growing circle of local and regional experimental musicians. It also developed a reputation outside of Houston, as many well-known international artists would play They, Who Sound for their Houston tour stop, often collaborating with local artists. Sometimes They, Who Sound featured seasoned veterans, immediately following a young artist performing their first ever gig. Conversations after concerts were often as important as the performances themselves, and They, Who Sound became a place where new projects and collaborations were born. Though free improvisation might have been the most typical form of experimental music-making featured, there was plenty of space for jazz, noise, spoken-word, performance art, dance, film and sound art. It wouldn’t be fair to say that Houston didn’t have an active and creative scene of experimental musicians before They, Who Sound. But the scene in Houston does feel different than it did 10 years ago. In 2018, Nameless Sound officially took on They, Who Sound as a weekly series of concerts in partnership with Lawndale Art Center. For Nameless Sound, it is an opportunity to provide a stage and shed light on Houston’s diverse, vibrant, and totally unique experimental music scene. We hope it will continue to be a meeting place for Houston listeners and experimental musicians, and we expect it to be a lab for new developments. You will continue to hear well-known national and international artists sharing the stage with vital regional and local talent. For Lawndale, it represents something of a return to roots. In the 1980’s, Lawndale’s original location was the site for some of the most memorable experimental music and underground rock events in Houston. Anthony Braxton, Pauline Oliveros, Cecil Taylor and the Art Ensemble of Chicago all performed there, as did Black Flag, The Minutemen and the Replacements. So join us at Lawndale, where every Monday you’ll hear two distinct performances of experimental sound-making, improvised music, noises, the sounding of art, the performance of art and . . .	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1346
__label__cc	0.705733	0.294267	Category: Gamification Gamification of training is the process whereby game-like features are added to training. For example, some companies might have contests or point systems applied to training, and others might even develop computer based games to assist with training. DuoLingo Uses AI and Gamification to Boost Language Skills By Lin Grensing-Pophal Feb 1, 2019 AI In a previous post, we made the case for encouraging employees to learn a second or third language. There are benefits to both individual employees and the organization driven by increasingly interconnected global markets, as well as a diverse population within the United States itself. By Lin Grensing-Pophal Aug 27, 2018 Gamification A Brief Guide: Video Games and Learning and Development in the Workplace (Part 2) By Kelly Creighton Mar 16, 2018 Gamification [Part 1 of this article appeared in yesterday’s Advisor.] Elements Workplace Video Games Should Have (continued) Challenging levels that require work—Don’t simply have your learners follow an avatar around, but have them complete tasks that require them to think and use their reasoning skills via their avatar. Place them in unexpected situations that require them […] A Brief Guide: Video Games and Workplace L&D (Part 1) The gamification market is anticipated to reach $11.1 billion by 2020. And according to Pew Research, 53% of 1,021 technology stakeholders claimed that gamification would be widely used by 2020, especially in the workplace. Video games are particularly becoming more and more popular in the workplace, as many industries adopt gamification strategies and techniques. But […] How Video Games Can Make Your Employees More Effective Learners By Kelly Creighton Feb 9, 2018 Gamification Do you think video games are effective only for the influx of Millennial males in the workplace? If so, think again. According to research by Entertainment Software Association, 29% of gamers are over the age of 50, and the average gamer is 37 years of age. In addition, women make up 41% of gamers in […] How to Boost Workplace Performance with Gamification By Lin Grensing-Pophal Jan 19, 2018 Gamification Gamification has become a popular way to help boost employee productivity. Despite the name, gamification doesn’t mean putting fun ahead of work. Rather, gamification refers to the practice of using incentives, points, rewards, and other game concepts to incentivize and motivate employees. How Can Gamification Improve Your Employee’s Brains? By Becky Jacoby Dec 19, 2017 Gamification Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Why Gamification Works By Annette Young Dec 4, 2017 Gamification Does your company use gamification as part of its training and development processes? If not, it may be losing out because gamification applies the elements and mechanics as used in gaming but in a nongaming manner. Up Your Productivity with Gamification By Jennifer Xue Nov 15, 2017 Gamification According to a 2015 Gallup poll, only 31.5% of U.S. workers are engaged in their jobs—less than one-half. The good news is, gamification has gone mainstream, and the trend is moving upward as Millennials are becoming a more dominant force in the workplace. In 2030, they will count for 75% of the workforce. The Kinesthetic Learner: Something New By Robyn Travis Nov 8, 2017 Gamification A kinesthetic learner needs to be actively doing other activities while learning. These learners require physical activity to learn. Their bodies do not make the connection that sedentary activities, including listening to lectures.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1348
__label__wiki	0.85847	0.85847	Recently unemployed journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) gets a big break when he reunites with his first crush, and former babysitter, Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) - the U.S. Secretary of State who's about to make a run for the presidency. She hires Fred as her speechwriter. Not exactly a snappy dresser, he doesn't fit in with Charlotte's staff or her upscale lifestyle. But this mismatched pair somehow connect during a global trip to advance the rising politician's agenda. Romance blossoms and problems arise. Chemistry between the stars and a humorous script make this predictable romantic comedy a lightweight pleasure. The screenplay by Dan Sterling (who also wrote the story) and Liz Hannah is the perfect vehicle for the inspired teaming of Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron. The new comedic duo manages to make the unbelievable believable. This is absolutely a male fantasy film, so it's not for everyone. Crass sex and drug gags interrupt the good clean fun. A raunchy Rogen? Go figure. Admittedly, some of these jokes are funny - including a high Charlotte trying to diplomatically negotiate a hostage release after partying too hard. Director Jonathan Levine ("The Night Before") keeps things breezy and fast-paced while briefly touching on today's issues. A good supporting cast backs up the stars. Alexander Skarsgård plays the handsome Canadian Prime Minister who sets his sights on Charlotte and O'Shea Jackson Jr. is Fred's best friend Lance. June Diane Raphael and Ravi Patel play Field's key staffers who reluctantly must work with Flarsky. In another nearly unrecognizable role, Andy Serkis portrays ruthless media mogul Parker Wembley - the cause of Fred's unemployment. The prize for scene-stealer goes to Bob Odenkirk as President Chambers. A former television actor, he wants to leave office for a shot at becoming a movie star. Boyz II Men makes a singing appearance and Lisa Kudrow is seen briefly. The enjoyable odd-coupled "Long Shot" has a slight chance of succeeding. (3/5 CAMS) Rated R (for strong sexual content, language throughout and some drug use) #LongShot Charlize Theron Comedy Seth Rogen	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1351
__label__wiki	0.902765	0.902765	By Roger Tennis - June 20, 2019 Relegated to the closet of his kid Bonnie (voiced by Madeleine McGraw), Woody (the voice of Tom Hanks) is feeling left out. Hiding in her backpack at school orientation, he sneakily gets her a spork and other materials from the trash to make a craft toy. The result is Forky (the voice of Tony Hale), Bonnie's beloved homemade toy who thinks he's trash and is drawn to garbage cans. Woody suddenly has a purpose in life: convince Forky he's a toy and protect him. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family's road trip, Woody and Forky get separated from the group and must find their way back to the family camper. On this adventurous journey, Woody unexpectedly reunites with his long-lost, and now independent, friend Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts) and also makes some new friends. The ideal series' ending of "Toy Story 3" gets upstaged by a satisfying and heartfelt charmer. There's a required rescue mission, but a witty screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom keeps this venerable series from getting stale. Stanton and Folsom are also credited with the original story along with John Lasseter, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe and Martin Hynes. Making an impressive animated feature directorial debut, Josh Cooley (director/writer of the cartoon short "Riley's First Date?") stuffs this delight with laughs and emotion. Equally entertaining for young and old alike, humor only occasionally takes a back seat to serious moments about purpose in life and what can happen to toys. Double-meaning jokes for adults are plentiful - with the perfect cast to deliver the lines. Most of the character voices return from the previous entries. Once again, Tom Hanks is the voice of reason as Woody and Tim Allen is the dimwitted Buzz Lightyear - who hilariously listens to his "inner voice" box to save his cowboy friend. The list of stars providing vocals is enormous - too many to mention here. Most notable among the newcomers are Tony Hale as the trash-obsessed Forky and a terrific Keanu Reeves as Canadian daredevil Duke Caboom with a fear of crashing and now residing in an antiques store. Christina Hendricks brings store resident Gabby Gabby, a defective doll with no voice box, to life. The element of danger: she's targeting Woody's pull-string vocal device for a chance to be a kid's toy. Her henchmen are creepy ventriloquist dummies, reminiscent of "The Twilight Zone". On a lighter note: Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele are appealing as Ducky and Bunny, plush carnival prizes with overactive imaginations. For bittersweet nostalgia, the late Don Rickles is heard as Mr. Potato Head - courtesy of archival recordings. Randy Newman returns with familiar music and a couple of new tunes, including "The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy" sung by Chris Stapleton over the closing credits (extra scenes and a creative take on Pixar's logo at the very end are included - so don't leave early). This is a cinematic series rarity where the sequels are equal to or better than the original. "Toy Story 4" is no exception. Toying with us again, Disney/Pixar applies another fresh coat of paint. (4/5 CAMS) #toystory4 Animation Disney/Pixar Tim Allen Tom Hanks ECHO IN THE CANYON	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1352
__label__wiki	0.674767	0.674767	appropriations, California, Channels, Congress, Dredging, Fuel Tax, Harbor Maintenance Tax, Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, Inland Waterways Trust Fund, Obama, Ports, USACE, WRDA Two Trust Funds in Search of a Solution In Infrastructure, MTS Policy, Ports, Water Resources on October 25, 2012 at 3:31 pm Yesterday Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander (R) stood near Chickamauga Lock in Chattanooga and said, “We have two trust funds to deal with waterway infrastructure like the Chickamauga Lock, and neither of them works.” He tells the truth. The senator and former governor convened a presser to preview legislation–the American Waterways Act–that he and others will introduce when Congress resumes its session after the November election. The still in draft bill would tackle some financially challenging issues because the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (river system) and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (for the most part coastal ports) are both at the center of current navigation infrastructure problems and the ultimate solutions to those problems. The IWTF fund, with collections from a fuel tax on commercial vessels operating on the inland system, raises insufficient funds for what is a large, backlogged demand for lock and dam construction and rehab work. The users of the system have proposed changes in cost-sharing as well as increases in the fuel tax. As has been discussed elsewhere in MTS Matters the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is a problem of a different kind. The ad valorem tax on cargo raises sufficient funds to cover the nation’s channel maintenance requirements but the Administration and Congress do not spend O&M funds at a rate commensurate with collections. The crafters of the planned bill are said to be working on how to assure annual appropriations at full-use levels as well as to free the accumulating surplus–now above $7 billion–for port projects. The greatest challenge in drafting the legislation is the high hurdle presented by congressional budget rules. Based on what we have heard, the drafters intend to enable the spending of tens of billions of dollars for construction and maintenance work over a 5 to 10 year period. Even if the existing and future collections from the fuel and cargo taxes can handle that, as is the plan, Congress would have to effectively waive budget rules to get past procedural barriers. That doesn’t happen often. Moreover, it would require consensus among the key actors and probably a majority in the House and a super-majority in the Senate. And while there has been significant growth in the ranks of advocates on these issues, solutions to the IWTF and HMTF problems have yet to achieve that kind of consensus. The AWA–if it isn’t premature to assign an abbreviation to a measure not yet introduced–would have other provisions. Senator Alexander identified these: address regulatory and permit process streamlining projects by adopting the MAP-21 approach to speeding projects; shift the 50/50 cost-sharing requirement for coastal channel maintenance from 45 feet to apply to those channels deeper than 50 feet; open the HMTF to now ineligible port projects, to include landside projects (especially to satisfy ports like Los Angeles that don’t have much in the way of O&M dredging needs); authorize a 5-year construction program to advance projects to deepen ports to accommodate post-panamax ships needing around 50-foot depths (to include Charleston and other planned deepenings that meet the present 3.0 benefit/cost test); make the increasingly expensive Olmsted Lock project on the Ohio River a fully Federal responsibility, which would free IWTF resources to start other waiting construction projects; and require the Federal government to follow the Inland Waterways Capital Development Plan developed by the industry and Corps of Engineers for an increase in the fuel tax and a 20-year schedule for projects. The guts of the Inland Waterways Capital Development Plan were put into legislative language found in HR 4342, the WAVE 4 Act, introduced earlier this year byRep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY). Worth noting, the Administration put forward a different proposal to address the ITWF problem and had been at loggerheads with the industry with no agreement in sight. The likely sponsors of AWA are from both parties and will include principal sponsors Lamar Alexander and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), plus others who may include Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Feinstein and Alexander are the lead senators on the appropriations subcommittee that funds the civil works program. Why are senators talking about introducing a controversial reform bill soon before the 112th Congress comes to a close? There are several answers, one of which is that the House and Senate are preparing to tackle major fiscal and revenue decisions (see “fiscal cliff“). Resolving the navigation trust fund problems could be made easier as part of the larger debate. Also, as I mentioned in The WRDA Mantra post, an effort may be made to move water resources legislation (WRDA) during lame duck. The AWA is squarely in WRDA territory and Alexander needs to be ready to jump on-board even if the odds of WRDA advancing are slim to none. Push come to shove, the senators who introduce the AWA bill this year will be staking claim to the issue in the next congress. Let’s face it. The American Waterways Act, as it has been developing in the months leading up to Senator Alexander’s announcement, is an extremely ambitious package. It will entail getting Congress to approve significant hikes in commercial navigation project spending, increase the fuel tax, venture into the touchy subject of expanding uses of the HMTF, and streamline permitting on some water resource projects that have been a favorite target of environmental conservation organizations…none of which are reasons to put a halt to such ambitious foolishness. Said Lamar Alexander yesterday, “The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund collects a lot of money, but doesn’t spend it well. The Inland Waterways Trust Fund doesn’t collect much money, but spends it well. This bill would fix the way our ports and waterways are funded so that we can meet the challenges they face…” Here’s a challenge for a do-something Congress. Pbea ▶ View 4 Comments Competition, Congress, Federal Maritime Commission, Harbor Maintenance Tax, Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, NAFTA, Prince Rupert, Puget Sound, Trade Policy, user fee, Vancouver, WRDA FMC on HMT: Unintended Consequences In Congress, Federal Government, Infrastructure, Ports, Water Resources on October 18, 2012 at 11:52 am In July the Federal Maritime Commission released a study that claims a relationship between the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) charged in U.S. ports and logistics decisions that result in some imports bypassing U.S. gateways and moving through Canadian ports to American destinations. Concerns at the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma that the HMT are tilting the competitive field prompted the study. These are long standing concerns that predate the cargo fee. In the mid-80s Congress eventually acceded to the Reagan Administration’s insistence that the cost of maintaining Federal coastal channels be recovered through a new user fee. The main question was how to collect the fee, which at that time was proposed to cover 40 percent of channel O&M. It is now 100 percent. The issue of maintenance fees and cost-sharing on improvement projects—another Reagan demand—prompted a split among port authorities. A “small port coalition,” consisting of ports of all sizes, many of which handled cargo that made it easy to find political allies, wanted to avoid a fee that would burden low margin cargo such as export grain and coal. Some of those ports with outsize channel maintenance requirements fought any suggestion that the new policy require their dredging costs to be supported by fees collected in their ports. If a port had to rely on its cargo volume to cover its dredging costs the New Yorks, Norfolks, and Oaklands would have an advantage, not to mention those ports with naturally deep water. Notwithstanding the efforts of the “large port coalition” that dominated the container trade and favored a charge on cargo tonnage, the small port coalition had success in defining the revenue mechanism. Key committee leaders, most notably Chairman Bob Packwood (R-OR) of the Senate Finance Committee, settled on a fee that would go easy on American export commodities and, as it happens, raise a tidy sum for the new Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. The new HMT would be applied to cargo value, not tonnage. Seattle and Tacoma (members of the large port coalition, for the curious reader) opposed the HMT provision. They sought to be exempt from the cargo fee, fearing the advantage it would create for nearby Vancouver, B.C. in the container trade. (Did they even imagine a Prince Rupert was in their future?) Their objections to the HMT won them only a section in the new WRDA ’86 law that tasked the Treasury Department, where the Customs Service was located, to study and report to Congress on any effect the HMT had on diverting cargo from U.S. ports. A year or so later Customs reported back with its conclusion: no effect of diversions. With no formal report to refer to one wondered how Customs arrived at that determination. In the 25 years that passed since the HMT became law we have seen the tax increase from 0.04% to 0.125%, the Supreme Court quickly came to a 9-0 decision and voided the HMT on exports, and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund’s unexpended and seemingly untappable balance has ballooned to over $7,000,000,000. Through those years, and with the addition of Prince Rupert to American West Coast woes, the Sea-Tac ports have pressed the argument that the HMT contributes to the loss of cargo. The fact that those ports benefit little by the HMT revenues—they require little in the way of dredging—is salt in the wound. Enter the Federal Maritime Commission. Washington State senators asked the FMC for analysis of the extent to which the “HMT and other factors impact container cargo diversion from U.S. west coast ports to west coast Canadian and Mexican ports.” The FMC was fertile ground for such a request. In the 1980s Maryland Port Administration attorney Richard Lidinsky energetically fought “Canadian diversion.” Today he chairs the FMC. The FMC inquiry commenced in late 2011, public comments were received, and the resulting “Study of U.S. Inland Containerized Cargo Moving Through Canadian and Mexican Seaports” was released in July 2012. The conclusion: no FMC related law or regulation is violated in the use of the Canadian ports but the HMT plays a role to the extent that it adds to the cost of transportation. The FMC study noted that ports compete on “a wide variety of variables.” (Such was the essence of the shipper and carrier comments–easily the most detailed and responsive comments submitted in the public process–that didn’t confirm the report’s presumption that the HMT is a factor in decisions to use Rupert.) The study found no significant difference in cargo transit times moving through the U.S. and Canadian gateways. It acknowledged that the rates through Prince Rupert are lower but stated that other factors in the supply chain make it “difficult to conclude that transportation costs are significantly lower.” The study employed a ports elasticity model developed years before by Dr. Robert Leachman. The FMC concluded that if the HMT (estimated to average $109 per FEU) were eliminated in the Sea-Tac ports, or if an equivalent charge were put on the U.S. bound cargo when crossing the land border, “up to half” of the containers “could revert to using U.S. west coast ports.” The report concluded that the HMT “does appear to be one competitive force that is not based on natural competition, but may indeed be a legislative disadvantage on some U.S. ports” i.e., an unintended consequence. What is one to make of the study? It is not conclusive in the way we like to have questions settled. The FMC document has its critics within the agency, with two commissioners voting against its release. One called it “a political policy paper to justify a predetermined conclusion.” The other wondered why, if the HMT is such a discouragement, does Canada-bound cargo use U.S. ports? After 25 years do we yet know the extent of the problem, assuming it is a problem? If anything, the study gives Sea-Tac and their advocates in Congress something to quote as they lobby for a fix. One such fix, an exemption from the HMT, is not in the cards. (Why would other ports go along with that?) Legislation has been drafted to apply an equivalent charge on U.S. cargo when it crosses the land border (a “land border loophole”?), the revenue from which might be put to making freight improvements. But is the FMC study enough to convince Federal policy makers to slap a fee on cargo entering through Canada or Mexico? Dress it up to look like a user fee to support infrastructure improvements but it still will come off as a penalty for not using an American gateway. The cargo interests will fight it, probably the railroads, too. And don’t expect the Commerce and State Departments and the White House Trade Representative to be mute on the question. The valuable but imperfect HMT (title for another blog entry?) continues to create problems while feasible solutions elude us. Meanwhile, look to the east. There on the horizon are Nova Scotia ambitions to establish a Rupert-on-the-Atlantic. The fight against the HMT is 25 years long and counting. Pbea Channels, civil works, Congress, Dredging, Ports, stakeholders, USACE, water resource projects, WRDA The WRDA Mantra In Congress, Infrastructure, Water Resources on October 16, 2012 at 7:28 pm Perennial Question: Will there be a WRDA? Perennial Answer: Eventually. The WRDA question is one of the more predictable queries heard over the course of every two-year Congress. It is legislative Zen among the water resources community in Washington where mind-and-body is focused on achieving “WER-da.” Likewise, that focus is found in the hinterland where flood control, navigation, shore erosion and environmental restoration projects are the infrastructure of economic stability and survival. The Water Resources Development Act and its ancestral statutes dating back to the early years of this country are the bases for the civil works program conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the Nation, States, municipalities, ports and communities. For the better part of the 112th Congress WRDA has been missing inaction (pun intended). But at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing just weeks ago WRDA was anything but dead. The urgency to get a bill done was the message of the day that Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) wanted everyone to know. Her witnesses, requiring no prompts, were on-message. The U.S. Chamber, International Union of Operating Engineers, Cargill, the American Association of Port Authorities, and the American Society of Civil Engineers said for the record why it is important for Congress to produce water resources legislation. As the absent Ranking Minority Member James Inhofe (R-OK) said in his printed statement, “Our witnesses are here to further demonstrate the case for passing a WRDA bill.” And so they did. They talked about infrastructure integrity, jobs, trade, economic growth, competitiveness, etc. There were no hard questions, only ones to elicit a single response. {We want WRDA.} “I hear you,” said Chairman Boxer. Everyone including those committee members present talked toward the same goal of producing a WRDA bill to address various economic, infrastructure and public safety needs. One senator, observing that the one key witness not present for a hearing on this subject, the Corps of Engineers, made the point that significant reforms in the Corps civil works process are needed in the next WRDA. The witnesses also said reforms and process streamlining are needed. In her opening statement Barbara Boxer said “there’s no reason why we can’t get WRDA done.” She held up as a model the bipartisan MAP-21 surface transportation bill that the committee produced earlier in the year and now is law. Senator Boxer spoke in fully bipartisan terms. Pointing to how the labor and business witnesses were sitting side-by-side at the table before her she said that was purposely done: “I want to make the point that we are united.” The chairman said the hearing was to lay the groundwork for action in the lame duck session after the election. She told her colleagues that in the next weeks she will send around a draft bill and wanted their comments and suggestions. It’s going to be a bipartisan and “strong” bill. Senator Inhofe‘s statement referred to how the lead senators already are “working hard to negotiate a WRDA bill.” Senator Boxer asked the witnesses if they would be ready to work to get WRDA done much as stakeholders worked to see MAP-21 made law. They said they will. The supporting statements of other trade groups were added to the hearing record. No doubt they are unanimous in their views. {[We want WRDA.} Congress adjourned a few days later for the final campaign stretch. The House and Senate will return for what promises to be a contentious lame duck session to address some unfinished items not the least of which is the looming “fiscal cliff.” We’ll see then if Chairman Boxer is able to form a water projects and policy bill with her party opposites on the committee. I’m not clever enough to thrive in Vegas but I can handle this odds analysis. It’s not a good bet that a WRDA bill will become law this year. In a short amount of time Boxer and Inhofe will have to get committee consensus on what can be the politically, and sometimes environmentally, touchy subject of water projects back home. The civil works process itself has been a particular target of senators who know the problem but lack agreement on a solution. Assuming the Boxer-Inhofe committee comes to agreement on detailed legislation the bill will have to be good enough to pass muster in the full Senate where one senator’s objection in the last weeks of Congress can kill a bill. Then there is the House where the no-earmarks rule has chilled even the thought of a WRDA bill escaping from the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Then there is the White House, which continues the long tradition of executive disinterest in the civil works program. It’s a bumpy road ahead. Chairman Boxer, who along with others of her colleagues genuinely want to move WRDA through Congress, put a good face on things at the hearing. Alas, there is little time left. After the election who knows how much interest legislators will have in the hard work of producing a projects and policy bill when some of them are packing up to leave Congress and others just want to get home for the holidays. Then again, as Senator David Vitter (R-LA) said in noting it has been five years since WRDA 2007 was made law, the committee should start now even if their efforts have to extend into the new Congress that convenes in 2013. Eventually. Pbea	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1357
__label__wiki	0.87194	0.87194	European Parliament President Martin SCHULZ (C) visits the National Library of Ireland with Minister of Arts and Heritage Dinny McGinley (L) and Gerry Long Assistant keeper of manuscripts (R) in Dublin, Ireland on October 4, 2012. European Parliament President Martin Schulz (L) and Library Director Fina Ross (R) are silhouetted against a Yeats poem as he visits the Yeats gallery in the National Library of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland on October 4, 2012. < Vend tilbage til billedserie Official visit of Martin SCHULZ - President of the European Parliament to Dublin SCHULZ, Martin	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1359
__label__wiki	0.515003	0.515003	Al-Shabab: Christian Organisations Closed In a press release distributed to the media today, Al—Shabaab, the Islamist force controlling much of Southern Somalia, have closed down at least three organisations working inside the country, stating that they were ‘found to be actively propagating Christianity in this Muslim country’ and that ‘the propagation of the Christian faith is unacceptable in Islam as well as in the Muslim society.’ The press release stated that: The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) was started by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a way to follow Christ’s example. Diakonia is an organization founded in 1966 by five Swedish churches and the members of these congregations form Diakonia’s support base. The primary goal of this organization is to spread the Christian faith. World Vision is a Christian organization motivated by what they call ‘their faith in Jesus Christ’ and dedicated to spreading the message of Christianity to the children, families, and the communities they work with. I checked up these claims and looked up the websites of the organisations and here is what I found: Filed under Al-Shabaab, Islam, Islamists, Media, Mogadishu, Somalia Tagged with 9/11, ADRA, Al-Shabaab, Al-Shabab, Al-Shabab Media, Christian, Christianity, Diakonia, Islamists, Jewish, Media, Mogadishu, Press Release, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, World Vision Quotable Quotes: I am optimistic that these numbers will be raised now – especially now – because these people have provoked the world more than before. And I can assure you they have invited a lot of problems for themselves,” he told journalists in Uganda Yoweri Museveni on his decision to send up to 20,000 troops to Somalia to “eliminate” the hardline Islamist group, Al Shabaab The president did not answer critical questions like: What are our objectives in Somalia? What are the key success indicators? What is the timeframe of our intervention? What is our exit strategy? Without answers to these questions, I am inclined to believe that we have deployed blindly into a troubled country, a factor that is likely to vitiate against success. TMC News on Museveni’s intervention in Somalia African leaders are daydreaming. You can’t solve Somalia’s problems by sending in more troops. With its devastating effects, the culture of using military might has been tried but failed. Now it is the time to nurture the culture of dialogue. Zakaria Mohamud Haji Abdi, the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, on the solution to Somalia’s crisis. Military approaches have only helped to radicalize more youths and exacerbate fundamentalism in Somalia. The international community needs to realize that its current and previous policies on Somalia have largely strengthened religious extremism and Somalis’ distrust of the West. Kisiangani Emmanuel, a researcher at the South Africa-based Institute for Global Dialogue, said the international community needs to signal a willingness to accept any government that is acceptable to Somalis — including insurgents — regardless of the affiliations of its leaders. Filed under Al-Shabaab, AMISOM, Islamists, Kampala, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, War, War on Terror Tagged with Al-Shabaab, Al-Shabab, AMISOM, Insurgents, Islamists, Kamapala, Mogadishu, Terrorism, Terrorists, Uganda, War, War in Terror Missiles Rock Mogadishu Mogadishu is under attack. Dozens of BM rockets, as they are called here, fired by the AMISOM forces have crippled the busy Bakara market and brought the entire business hub of Mogadishu into a complete standstill. Just as worshipers exited the mosques, after noon prayer today, the rockets fell. Hundreds of people in the market scrambled for safety, some hiding under concrete buildings and others rushing back into the mosques. I had just left my apartment and decided to meet a journalist, Keyse, for lunch when the shelling began. Squeezing through the riotous crowds of shoppers, hawkers, tea ladies and past the tightly crammed stalls whose fetid odour assaulted our senses, medicine shops and juice bars, we made our way to Tawakkal Restaurant, a fairly clean and quiet place compared to the other noisy eating places in Bakara. But just before we could enter the restaurant, the sound of a rocket fired caught Keyse’s attention. Being still fairly new to this war-torn city, my senses were not quite alert yet, though I am now slowly becoming attuned to the music of mortars. The frenzied look on my friend’s face explained it all. Without a second spared, we dashed into the nearest building, hurdling past donkey carts, screaming kids and stumbling women. Though it becomes the natural instinct to help the elderly and the weak when in need, but during times like these, and in Mogadishu’s mayhem, it is every man for his own. Several rockets, whose whistling noise was enough to send fear running through your veins, fell a few streets away from where we were. Filed under Al-Shabaab, AMISOM, Islam, Islamists, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Sheikh Sharif, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, TFG, Uganda, War Tagged with Al-Shabaab, Al-Shabab, AMISOM, Insurgents, Islamists, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Sharif, Sheik Sharif, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, TFG, Uganda, War Exclusive Pics: Al-Shabaab & the BBC I’ve gained these exclusive pictures of Al-Shabaab confiscating BBC equipment through a local journalist. Click on the images to enlarge. Filed under Al-Shabaab, Islam, Islamists, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists Tagged with Al-Shabaab, Al-Shabab, BBC, Insurgents, Islamists, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists Al-Shabaab Silences The BBC April 9, 2010 3 Comments Al-Shabaab has banned the BBC from operating in Southern Somalia. In a press release read out this morning here in Mogadishu, the Islamic Administrations in Mogadishu, Marka, Kismayo, Jowhar and Bidoa have taken all of BBC’s FM transmitters off the air and seized all their property. The statement described the organisation as a ‘vile western mouthpiece’ propagating ‘a barrage of depraved Western views’ to the unsuspecting Muslim population. The air seems somewhat strange and silent here in Mogadishu. The renowned BBC tone is no longer on the radios and the public is buzzing with discussion and debate. HornAfrik radio which used to air the Somali Service apologised to the public on newshour. Al-Shabaab have also issued an order to HornAfrik, the only radio station that airs VOA news, to stop airing its programs. Al-Shabaab’s daring display of authority comes at a time when majority of the Somali listeners have been expressing great concerns about the BBC’s management and editorial content. The BBC Somali Service has been riddled with complaints from the Somali media and the public alike. Al-Shabaab, which has been banned as an organisation in Britain has struck back fiercely and banned the BBC, accusing it of inaccuracy, impartiality, lack of objectivity, propagation of Western views and fanning the flames of enmity among the Somali population. Some of these accusations, however, are coming not only from the Islamists but some professional and journalists have also voiced somewhat similar opinions. Filed under Al-Shabaab, Islam, Islamists, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Sheikh Sharif, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, TFG, War, Warlords Tagged with Al-Shabaab, Al-Shabab, BBC, Bidoa, Insurgents, Islamists, Jowhar, Kismayo, Marka, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Sharif, Sheik Sharif, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, VOA, War, Warlords, Yusuf Garaad Al-Qaeda in Somalia It may sound plausible; Yemeni Alqaeda would perhaps be welcomed by the thousands of Al-Shabaab fighters eager to receive them and they may even be garlanded with wreaths by Al-Shabaab’s unwavering local supporters. But when Somalia’s Treasury Minister, Omar Osman, tells the world that according to the TFG’s superb ‘intelligence’ (who can’t seem to locate or capture even one of the thousands of Al-Shabaab youths by the way), 12 members of Al-Qaeda have crossed from Yemen into Somalia, what was the implication of his message? Perhaps it was to distract the world’s attention away from the failing government and point the beacon away from the chaotic situation of the Somali parliament. Parliamentarians have been at loggerheads with each other lately – particularly with the parliament speaker, Adan Madoobe, whom more than 75 MPs are forcefully urging to step down. But of course, he refused. And soon we might witness another classic parliament brawl The MPs have also criticized the embattled government for doing nothing to improve the security situation of the country and also accused Shekh Sharif of spending his time jet-hopping instead of tending to the affairs of the country. The government did not sit idly too as it was reprimanded but instead retaliated and banned the MPs today from holding any meetings. So with a country in such a mess, it is only a wonder how the Treasury Minister got his information! Good detective work, Mr. Osman, but though this story of yours may sell in Western publications, even the young shoe shiners of these ruthless Mogadishu streets will laugh at you when they hear your tale. Regurgitating old Al-Qaeda tales is only fit for western consumption. Here in Mogadishu, the TFG has become but a laughing stock. But since Osman and his ministry are quite accustomed to taking bribes, perhaps he aims to point out that either Somaliland or Puntland is an accomplice in helping the Al-Qaeda fighters to cross into Southern Somalia. And with the long awaited offensive now turning out to be simply a gradual push, and Kenya denying the TFG’s request for some troops, perhaps Osman’s attempt was to titillate the ears of the West once again with some poorly crafted Al-Qaeda fables. Filed under Al-Shabaab, Islam, Islamists, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Sheikh Sharif, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, TFG, United States, War Tagged with Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Al-Shabab, Insurgents, Islamists, Kenya, Mogadishans, Mogadishu, Sharif, Sheik Sharif, Somalia, Terrorism, Terrorists, TFG, U.S., United States, US, War, Yemen	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1361
__label__wiki	0.661443	0.661443	Christmas Fund: ‘There are hard days,’ says student with a toddler and 3-year-old “There are months that I’m okay, and then there are months that (money is) tighter,” Karina says. Kelsey Litwin, Special to the Montreal Gazette Twenty-three-year-old single mother Karina’s days revolve around her children. She said on a typical morning she wakes up early to prepare herself before turning to her two- and three-year-olds. After getting them fed and dressed, she brings them to daycare, after which she will hop on a bus to get herself to school. Karina is a full-time student, working to complete her high-school education through a program with Emploi-Québec. Because of her studies, she’s unable to work. “There are months that I’m okay, and then there are months that (money is) tighter,” she said. Between school and her kids, Karina doesn’t have much free time. She explained that two days a week her classes begin later in the afternoon, but due to her numerous responsibilities it’s still not enough time for her to relax. “I don’t have a lot of time for myself,” she said. “But I can clean and prepare meals for the week.” Parenting her two young children on her own can be strenuous, she continued, saying, “There are hard days.” Karina also no longer speaks to her family, with the exception of her brother. Because he lives out of town, she said she sees him infrequently, either once a week or every other week. To ease a little bit of pressure this holiday season, Karina will be receiving a $125 cheque from the Gazette Christmas Fund. Like many of the funds recipients, Karina said she plans on using the money for a nice Christmas meal. This year, she said, will be the first year she can truly celebrate the holidays with her kids. The year before they had been with their father and they had been too young to participate the year prior. With most of the presents already purchased and tree decorated, Karina said she now looks forward to celebrating with a quiet evening of fondue and friends. Donate online: www.christmasfund.com. Mail or drop off donations to Montreal Gazette Christmas Fund, 1010 Ste-Catherine St. W., Suite 200, Montreal, Quebec H3B 5L1. Donate to the Christmas Fund Read more Christmas Fund stories In these tough times, the Gazette Christmas Fund lends a hand Yves-François Blanchet launches Bloc Québécois leadership campaign Montreal weather: Skies will turn blue, but you won't Dorval creates topiary map of its flowery creatures Savvy Barber & Tattoo is all about breaking down barriers — and punk rock Researchers take stock of how Canada's urban forests protect our health	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1366
__label__cc	0.520704	0.479296	Thank Sen. Harris Thank Rep. Huffman What Are Wild & Scenic Rivers? Click here to download a pdf version of this page. The National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act is the nation’s primary river conservation tool. Congress passed the Act in 1968 to specifically balance our existing policy of developing rivers for the water, power, and flood control resources by building large dams, with a new policy of protecting some free flowing rivers with outstanding natural and cultural values for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. How does Wild & Scenic designation protect rivers? Wild & Scenic protection explicitly prohibits the federal government from licensing, permitting, or funding new hydroelectric dams or major diversions on protected stream segments. The federal government may license or approve new water resource projects upstream or downstream of protected segments as long as the projects do not unreasonably diminish the stream. Federal public lands within an average quarter mile wide corridor on both sides of designated Wild & Scenic Rivers are managed to protect their outstanding scenic, recreational, historical/cultural, fish, wildlife, ecological, geological, and hydrological values. How are Wild & Scenic Rivers protected on public lands? Federal public lands (National Forests, BLM lands, National Parks, etc.) within a river corridor averaging 320 acres per mile (about 1/4 mile on each side of the river) are managed to protect the river’s free flowing character and outstanding values. Federal agencies that administer public lands are responsible for the management of designated rivers and are required to develop a plan within three years of designation to guide future management of the protected stream. What does Wild, Scenic, or Recreational classification mean? In addition to protecting a river’s free flowing character and outstanding values, federal agencies are also required to manage the public lands along protected segments according to their Wild, Scenic, or Recreational classification. Classification is based on the existing level of development along the river. The following guidelines are used to establish and manage for classification: • Wild – These segments are wild, unroaded and undeveloped. Logging, road building, new mining claims, developed campgrounds, and motorized access are generally prohibited on Wild segments. All other activities associated with public lands such as grazing, mining of valid existing claims, hunting and other forms of non-motorized recreation are permitted provided that the river’s free flowing character and outstanding values are protected. • Scenic – These segments are generally undeveloped, but may have occasional road crossings and riverside structures that are visually screened from the river. Motorized use on trails may or may not be permitted based on existing use and resource protection needs. All other activities normally associated with public lands are permitted, as long as the river’s visual quality, free flowing character, and outstanding values are protected. • Recreational – These segments are generally developed, with parallel roads, bridges and structures. All activities normally associated with public lands may occur provided that the river’s free flowing character and outstanding values are protected. River segments may be classified as Wild, Scenic, and/or Recreational in the designating legislation or the managing federal agency may classify segments within one year after the designating legislation is passed. How is a stream protected as a Wild & Scenic River? Rivers are protected through an act of Congress signed by the President. Federal agencies may study and make recommendations to Congress as to whether certain rivers should be protected, but Congress makes the final decision. In relatively rare cases, the Governor of a state with a river conservation system similar to the federal system may request that a state river be added to the federal system upon the approval of the Interior Secretary, but most rivers are added to the federal system by an act of Congress. How does a stream become a candidate for Wild & Scenic River protection? Congress may protect rivers outright through legislation or it may direct federal agencies that manage public lands to conduct studies and make recommendations concerning designation. The Forest Service, BLM, and other federal agencies that manage public lands are also required to identify, study, and recommend candidate Wild & Scenic Rivers in the land and resource planning process. To be eligible, a candidate river must be free flowing and possess one or more outstanding values. Once a river is determined eligible, the agency provides interim protection of the river’s free flowing character and outstanding values until Congress acts in response to the agency study. Does Wild & Scenic protection affect private property? No. The National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act confers no federal authority over private land use or local zoning of private lands. There is no practical impact on private property, except that federal protection typically increases private property values and contributes to the local economy by attracting tourists and recreational visitors. Can private land be condemned on the Wild & Scenic Rivers? The National Wild & Scenic Rivers Act prohibits fee title condemnation of any private lands along a protected river if 50% or more of the designated river segment is already under public ownership. As a practical matter, condemnation of private land on Wild & Scenic Rivers is quite rare, particularly in the west. No private land has ever been condemned in fee title on any of the more than 2,100 miles of National Wild & Scenic Rivers in California. Does Wild & Scenic protection affect existing water rights? No, the state’s authority to regulate water rights remains unaffected by designation. There is a federal water right conferred by designation, but it begins at the date of designation and is junior to all other existing rights. To assert this right, the managing federal agency must apply to the appropriate state water rights agency and any decision would follow existing state water rights procedures and established rule of law. To acquire water rights, federal agencies would have to pay fair market value. As a practical matter, federal protection will not affect downstream water projects and are unlikely to affect any upstream water projects. None of the Wild & Scenic Rivers in California have affected the operation of upstream and downstream dams and other water facilities. Which California rivers enjoy federal protection? More than 2,100 miles on 25 California rivers and streams have been included in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System since the system was established in 1968. For more information concerning National Wild & Scenic Rivers in California, contact Steve Evans, Wild Rivers Consultant for the California Wilderness Coalition and Friends of the River, Phone: (916) 708-3155, Email: sevans@friendsoftheriver.org. Proposed Wild & Scenic Rivers By County Mountains & Rivers Proposed Wilderness Areas Proposed Wild & Scenic Rivers © 2019 Mountains & Rivers \| \| Contact Us \| Designed by Winter Street Design Group \| Admin	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1369
__label__wiki	0.725608	0.725608	msgeek July 10 C# or Java? TypeScript or JavaScript? Machine learning based classification of programming languages GitHub hosts over 300 programming languages—from commonly used languages such as Python, Java, and Javascript to esoteric languages such as Befunge, only known to very small communities. Figure 1: Top 10 programming languages hosted by GitHub by repository count One of the necessary challenges that GitHub faces is to be able to recognize these different languages. When some code is pushed to a repository, it’s important to recognize the type of code that was added for the purposes of search, security vulnerability alerting, and syntax highlighting—and to show the repository’s content distribution to users. Linguist is the tool we currently use to detect coding languages at GitHub. Linguist a Ruby-based application that uses various strategies for language detection, leveraging naming conventions and file extensions and also taking into account Vim or Emacs modelines, as well as the content at the top of the file (shebang). Linguist handles language disambiguation via heuristics and, failing that, via a Naive Bayes classifier trained on a small sample of data. Although Linguist does a good job making file-level language predictions (84% accuracy), its performance declines considerably when files use unexpected naming conventions and, crucially, when a file extension is not provided. This renders Linguist unsuitable for content such as GitHub Gists or code snippets within README’s, issues, and pull requests. In order to make language detection more robust and maintainable in the long run, we developed a machine learning classifier named OctoLingua based on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) architecture which can handle language predictions in tricky scenarios. The current version of the model is able to make predictions for the top 50 languages hosted by GitHub and surpasses Linguist in accuracy and performance. The Nuts and Bolts Behind OctoLingua OctoLingua was built from scratch using Python, Keras with TensorFlow backend—and is built to be accurate, robust, and easy to maintain. In this section, we describe our data sources, model architecture, and performance benchmark for OctoLingua. We also describe what it takes to add support for a new language. The current version of OctoLingua was trained on files retrieved from Rosetta Code and from a set of quality repositories internally crowdsourced. We limited our language set to the top 50 languages hosted on GitHub. Rosetta Code was an excellent starter dataset as it contained source code for the same task expressed in different programming languages. For example, the task of generating a Fibonacci sequence is expressed in C, C++, CoffeeScript, D, Java, Julia, and more. However, the coverage across languages was not uniform where some languages only have a handful of files and some files were just too sparsely populated. Augmenting our training set with some additional sources was therefore necessary and substantially improved language coverage and performance. Our process for adding a new language is now fully automated. We programmatically collect source code from public repositories on GitHub. We choose repositories that meet a minimum qualifying criteria such as having a minimum number of forks, covering the target language and covering specific file extensions. For this stage of data collection, we determine the primary language of a repository using the classification from Linguist. Features: leveraging prior knowledge Traditionally, for text classification problems with Neural Networks, memory-based architectures such as Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) and Long Short Term Memory Networks (LSTM) are often employed. However, given that programming languages have differences in vocabulary, commenting style, file extensions, structure, libraries import style and other minor differences, we opted for a simpler approach that leverages all this information by extracting some relevant features in tabular form to be fed to our classifier. The features currently extracted are as follows: Top five special characters per file Top 20 tokens per file Presence of certain special characters commonly used in source code files such as colons, curly braces, and semicolons The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model We use the above features as input to a two-layer Artificial Neural Network built using Keras with Tensorflow backend. The diagram below shows that the feature extraction step produces an n-dimensional tabular input for our classifier. As the information moves along the layers of our network, it is regularized by dropout and ultimately produces a 51-dimensional output which represents the predicted probability that the given code is written in each of the top 50 GitHub languages plus the probability that it is not written in any of those. Figure 2: The ANN Structure of our initial model (50 languages + 1 for «other») We used 90% of our dataset for training over approximately eight epochs. Additionally, we removed a percentage of file extensions from our training data at the training step, to encourage the model to learn from the vocabulary of the files, and not overfit on the file extension feature, which is highly predictive. Performance benchmark OctoLingua vs. Linguist In Figure 3, we show the F1 Score (harmonic mean between precision and recall) of OctoLingua and Linguist calculated on the same test set (10% from our initial data source). Here we show three tests. The first test is with the test set untouched in any way. The second test uses the same set of test files with file extension information removed and the third test also uses the same set of files but this time with file extensions scrambled so as to confuse the classifiers (e.g., a Java file may have a ".txt" extension and a Python file may have a ".java") extension. The intuition behind scrambling or removing the file extensions in our test set is to assess the robustness of OctoLingua in classifying files when a key feature is removed or is misleading. A classifier that does not rely heavily on extension would be extremely useful to classify gists and snippets, since in those cases it is common for people not to provide accurate extension information (e.g., many code-related gists have a .txt extension). The table below shows how OctoLingua maintains a good performance under various conditions, suggesting that the model learns primarily from the vocabulary of the code, rather than from meta information (i.e. file extension), whereas Linguist fails as soon as the information on file extensions is altered. Figure 3: Performance of OctoLingua vs. Linguist on the same test set Effect of removing file extension during training time As mentioned earlier, during training time we removed a percentage of file extensions from our training data to encourage the model to learn from the vocabulary of the files. The table below shows the performance of our model with different fractions of file extensions removed during training time. Figure 4: Performance of OctoLingua with different percentage of file extensions removed on our three test variations Notice that with no file extension removed during training time, the performance of OctoLingua on test files with no extensions and randomized extensions decreases considerably from that on the regular test data. On the other hand, when the model is trained on a dataset where some file extensions are removed, the model performance does not decline much on the modified test set. This confirms that removing the file extension from a fraction of files at training time induces our classifier to learn more from the vocabulary. It also shows that the file extension feature, while highly predictive, had a tendency to dominate and prevented more weights from being assigned to the content features. Supporting a new language Adding a new language in OctoLingua is fairly straightforward. It starts with obtaining a bulk of files in the new language (we can do this programmatically as described in data sources). These files are split into a training and a test set and then run through our preprocessor and feature extractor. This new train and test set is added to our existing pool of training and testing data. The new testing set allows us to verify that the accuracy of our model remains acceptable. Figure 5: Adding a new language with OctoLingua As of now, OctoLingua is at the «advanced prototyping stage». Our language classification engine is already robust and reliable, but does not yet support all coding languages on our platform. Aside from broadening language support—which would be rather straightforward—we aim to enable language detection at various levels of granularity. Our current implementation already allows us, with a small modification to our machine learning engine, to classify code snippets. It wouldn’t be too far fetched to take the model to the stage where it can reliably detect and classify embedded languages. We are also contemplating the possibility of open sourcing our model and would love to hear from the community if you’re interested. With OctoLingua, our goal is to provide a service that enables robust and reliable source code language detection at multiple levels of granularity, from file level or snippet level to potentially line-level language detection and classification. Eventually, this service can support, among others, code searchability, code sharing, language highlighting, and diff rendering—all of this aimed at supporting developers in their day to day development work in addition to helping them write quality code. If you are interested in leveraging or contributing to our work, please feel free to get in touch on Twitter @github!	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1370
__label__cc	0.678084	0.321916	हिन्दीं CBSEUP BoardBihar BoardMaharastra BoardRajasthan BoardMP BoardSchool LifeJEE Prep SGT University CURRENTS AFFAIRS Exam Specific Current Affairs World Day for Safety and Health at Work observed; US places India on ‘Priority Watch List’ – Current Affairs The day has been observed every year on April 28 to stress on the prevention of accidents and diseases at work. Sangeeta Nair World Day for Safety and Health at Work observed Story 1- World Day for Safety and Health at Work observed The World Day for Safety and Health at Work was observed across the globe on April 28, 2019. The day is observed annually to promote safe, healthy and decent work. This year, the world day attempts to take stock of a 100 years of work in improving occupational safety and health and looks to the future for continuing these efforts through major changes such as technology, demographics, sustainable development including climate change and changes in work organisation. The World Day celebration on April 28 will be only the beginning of worldwide events and activities to continue throughout the rest of the year. The annual day promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. The day is an awareness-raising campaign, which aims to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries. The new and emerging occupational risks may be caused by technical innovation or by social or organizational change such as: • New technologies and production processes such as nanotechnology, biotechnology • New working conditions like higher workloads, work intensification from downsizing, poor conditions associated with migration for work and jobs in the informal economy • Emerging forms of employment such as self-employment, outsourcing, temporary contracts The day has been observed every year on April 28 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 2003, in order to stress on the prevention of accidents and diseases at work. The observance is an integral part of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of the ILO, as documented in the Conclusions of the International Labour Conference in June 2003. One of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health. Why April 28? The date also commemorates the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers, which has been organised worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996. A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the right to a safe and healthy working environment is respected at all levels, where governments, employers and workers actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities and duties and where the highest priority is accorded to the principle of prevention. Story 2- US places India on ‘Priority Watch List’ The United States on April 25, 2019 yet again placed India on its ‘Priority Watch List’, alleging lack of sufficient measurable improvements to its Intellectual Property (IP) framework on long-standing and new challenges, which has negatively affected American right holders over the past year. The office of the US Trade Representative identified 11 countries, including India, in its ‘Priority Watch List’. The list topped by China also includes Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Besides this, the US Trade body has placed 25 countries, including Pakistan, Turkey and the UAE, on the watchlist. • In its report, the US said that these countries will be the subject of increased bilateral engagement with the USTR to address Intellectual Property (IP) concerns. • Over the coming weeks, the USTR would be reviewing the developments against the benchmarks established in the Special 301 action plans for countries that have been on the ‘Priority Watch List’ for multiple years. • For countries that fail to address US’ concerns, the USTR will take appropriate actions, such as enforcement actions under Section 301 of the Trade Act or pursuant to World Trade Organisation or other trade agreement dispute settlement procedures, necessary to combat unfair trade practices and to ensure that trading partners follow through with their international commitments. Why is India on the list? India, in the past year, has taken steps to address intellectual property challenges and promote IP protection and enforcement. However, many of the actions have not yet translated into concrete benefits for innovators and creators and long-standing deficiencies persist. India remains one of the world’s most challenging major economies with respect to protection and enforcement of IP. The Report’s observations for India • In its India section of the report, the USTR said that long-standing IP challenges facing US businesses in India include those which make it difficult for innovators to receive and maintain patents in that country, particularly for pharmaceuticals, insufficient enforcement actions, copyright policies that do not properly incentivise the creation and commercialisation of content, and an outdated and insufficient trade secrets legal framework. • In addition to these long-standing concerns, the report alleged that India also further restricted the transparency of information provided on state-issued pharmaceutical manufacturing licenses, and expanded the application of patentability exceptions to reject pharmaceutical patents. • India also missed an opportunity to establish an effective system for protecting against the unfair commercial use, as well as the unauthorised disclosure, of undisclosed test or other data generated to obtain marketing approval for certain agricultural chemical products. • According to the USTR, last year it engaged with India to secure meaningful IP reforms on long-standing issues, including patentability criteria, criteria for compulsory licensing and protection against unfair commercial use, as well as unauthorised disclosure, or test of other data generated to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceutical products. • In a warning to India and various other countries, the USTR said that to maintain the integrity and predictability of IP systems, governments should use compulsory licenses only in extremely limited circumstances and after making every effort to obtain authorisation from the patent owner on reasonable commercial terms and conditions. • Further, USTR stated that such licenses should not be used as a tool to implement industrial policy, including providing advantages to domestic companies, or as undue leverage in pricing negotiations between governments and right holders. • It added that it is also critical that foreign governments ensure transparency and due process in any actions related to compulsory licenses. • The report revealed that the United States will continue to monitor developments and to engage, as appropriate, with trading partners, including India. • It also stated that in India, rulings by government agencies are attempting to extend the scope of mandatory collective management of rights and statutory license fees for certain types of digital music services. • It also added that the collection and distribution of royalties to US and other right holders should be carried out on a national treatment basis. • At the same time, the report also notes some of the best practices by India in the IP sector in 2018. For instance, India’s Cell for Intellectual Property Rights Promotion and Management (CIPAM) organises and spearheads the government’s efforts to simplify and streamline IP processes, increase IP awareness, promote commercialization and enhance enforcement. • The USTR said India has yet to take steps to address long-standing patent issues that affect innovative industries. In the pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical sectors, India continues to lack an effective system for protecting against the unfair commercial use, as well as the unauthorised disclosure, of undisclosed test or other data generated to obtain marketing approval for such products. Despite India’s justifications of limiting IP protections as a way to promote access to technologies, the nation maintains extremely high customs duties directed to IP-intensive products, such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, information communications technology products, solar energy equipment and capital goods. Download our Current Affairs & GK app from Play Store/For Latest Current Affairs & GK, Click here Merger of PSU Insurance Companies announced: National Insurance, Oriental India & United India Anshula Kant appointed World Bank MD and CFO Titan shares sink 12%, BSE Sensex slumped 207 points Union Budget 2019-20 & Economic Survey 2019: Detailed Analysis & Highlights Income Tax Budget 2019: Know what Budget holds for taxpayers! Union Budget 2019 Highlights: PAN card and Aadhaar card made interchangeable वेस्टइंडीज दौरे पर सेंचुरी जड़कर इस बल्लेबाज ने ठोका टीम इंडिया में नंबर 4 दावा सोनभद्र में भूमि विवाद को लेकर फायरिंग, दस की हत्या; 25 गंभीर रूप से घायल Sonbhadra news अपनी धाकड़ कार लेकर जब रात में सड़कों पर उतरीं Sapna Chaudhary- देखें Video श्रीलंका की टीम बस पर लाहौर में हुआ था आतंकी हमला, फिर भी खेलने जाएगी पाकिस्तान लालू के लाल तेज प्रताप ने फिर सबको चौंकाया, भाजपा एमएलसी से मांगा फाेन नंबर Karnataka Floor Test LIVE: विश्वासमत पर हंगामेदार बहस, सिद्धारमैया से मिले CM कुमारस्वामी Ebola outbreak as global health emergency: All you need to know! Current Affairs in Short: 18 July 2019 Ayodhya dispute: SC allows mediation on Ram Mandir to continue till July 31 Karnataka floor test: 20 MLAs skip trust vote, Kumaraswamy govt on verge of collapse Do you know who has replaced Bill Gates as a second richest person? Chandrayaan 2 launch: ISRO reveals new date and time Jagran Prakashan Ltd @ 2019	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1372
__label__wiki	0.784973	0.784973	Marcus Beach Peregian Springs Sunshine Beach Tewantin HELP WANTED: Road train drivers are desperately needed in drought-stricken regions of Australia. Qld road train operators struggle to fill $130,000 roles 17th Jun 2019 1:41 PM \| Updated: 6:58 PM TRANSPORT boss Mike Bailey hasn't seen a drought in the Northern Territory's Barkly Tableland region this bad in all his 32 years in the industry. After two failed wet seasons, farmers there are destocking at record levels. One report suggests between 500,000 and 750,000 head of cattle may have been or are being uplifted out of the region as feed runs out. Exasperating the problem for Mike, Queensland manager for Road Trains Australia, is that he can't find drivers to help with the massive demand, despite the role offering up to $130,000 per year. "We have 12 trucks without drivers at the moment, and it's not just us; everybody's chasing drivers," said Mt Isa-based Mike. "We've had this problem for the last couple of years of not being able to fill our seats. It's an on-going issue. "We're all working in together at the moment and we've all got the same problem." Although the driver shortage has put added strain on stock movements, Mike said they are still able to help farmers before any cattle loses occur. "They're moved in the right time with plenty of warning. All the farmers are doing the right thing by the cattle." Beef Central reports that cattle coming off the Barkly and other parts of northern Australia are moving in a number of directions, including: Direct to slaughter in Queensland's east coast beef plants Feedlot placements, mostly on grower/maintenance rations Internal relocation onto other pastoral company-owned properties, either further east in Queensland areas including the Gulf region (responding after February/March rain), parts of the Channel Country region which has received some beneficial flooding, and other parts of the NT, such as around Katherine Agistment on other owner's properties Placement on the long paddock (stock routes) in western Queensland, and placement on Queensland properties with grass, purchased specifically for drought relief by Barkly cattle operators As for the reasons behind the driver shortage in the region, Mike concedes that stiffer logbook penalties in Queensland, as opposed to WA and the NT, are a deterrent for many drivers considering the move north. "If you're out on your logbook by a quarter of an hour it's $600." But on the upside, the RTA offers all the latest gear and creature comforts for in-cab living for their drivers who can be away from home for much of the year. "The trucks have everything in them; air-conditioned bunks, fridges, converters so they can run frying pans and toasters, microwave, all that sort of stuff." "Plus we pay a retainer, a kilometre rate and a night away from home allowance." drought affected areas drought affected farmers editors picks road train drivers road trains truck drivers Striking gold in the Mary Valley trails News Endurance ride in Mary Valley tests the best © APN News & Media Ltd 2019. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited under the laws of Australia and by international treaty.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1373
__label__wiki	0.814037	0.814037	Man reportedly seen masturbating near Olympic Plaza Police Briefs: Washington teen prank calls cops following friends' arrest; Lions Bay Theft by Brandon Barrett Police were unable to locate a man who was seen allegedly masturbating near Olympic Plaza last week. At around 8 p.m. on March 3, a man called Whistler RMCP to say that his daughter and niece had just been followed by an unidentified male who had exposed himself near the plaza's outdoor ice rink. The suspect was seen leaving towards Blackcomb Way. He was described as being Caucasian, in his late 30s or early 40s, 1.8 metres (six feet tall), with a slim build, medium-length brown hair and scruffy beard, wearing a grey toque, grey ski jacket and baggy dark blue jeans. Only 15 minutes later, a woman reported that she had just been grabbed from behind in the buttocks by a man on the Valley Trail near Day Lot 5. Although the clothing he was wearing did not match the original suspect, R. Const. Steve LeClair said the physical description did. Seeking vengeance for friends' arrest, Washington teen cries wolf Whistler RMCP let a 19-year-old Washington man off easy last week after he tried to pull a prank on police following his friends' arrest. On the night of March 3, three men were ejected from a Whistler nightclub after one of the males allegedly punched a bouncer in the nose. After the doorman went inside, two of the suspects got into an argument with another staff member. Officers attended and arrested all three for assault before they were taken back to the detachment. As the doorman did not wish to press charges, the 20- and 21-year-old brothers from Idaho and the 21-year-old Washington male were eventually released once sober with bylaw tickets for public intoxication. Then, at roughly 3:15 a.m., police received a phone call from someone "breathing heavily and claiming someone was being shot" in the village, LeClair said. The caller hung up before phoning back, this time alleging that multiple people were being shot at. "He sounded heavily intoxicated," LeClair said of the mystery caller. When officers called the cellphone number back, they heard a voicemail with a surname that was the same as one of the males involved in the nightclub dustup earlier in the night. Police tracked the group to a hotel where the 19-year-old brother of the Washington male who was previously detained was arrested. Officers considered recommending charging the teen with the criminal offence of public mischief, but ultimately issued him a bylaw ticket for obstruction. Couple sought following Lions Bay break-in. Squamish RCMP is seeking help in locating two suspects following a significant theft from a Lions Bay home. Brenden Eslick and Samantha Pelletier allegedly stole over $500,000 in expensive items, including Palhavi gold coins, Persian rugs, 24-carat gold old Persian kingdom earrings, a necklace, ring and bracelet set, and personal documentation. The suspects are also wanted in connection with theft of the homeowners' vehicle, a 2003 Grey Toyota Camry with B.C. licence plate 602 JEP. Eslick and Pelletier may be in British Columbia, but also have connections to Alberta. Those with any information about the whereabouts of Eslick, Pelletier, or the missing items, should contact the Squamish RCMP at 604-892-6100 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1374
__label__wiki	0.844239	0.844239	Report: NBA asked Drake not to attend games in Oakland By Kurt HelinJun 16, 2019, 12:00 PM EDT Emotions were running high during the NBA Finals among the fan bases: The Raptors were on their way to their first-ever title and their fans were loud even on the road; In Oakland, there was a part-owner of the team shoving Kyle Lowry. Drake giving Nick Nurse a shoulder massage on the sidelines at Oracle would not have gone over well. So the NBA encouraged Drake not to come to the games in Oakland, according to a report from TMZ. The NBA reached out to Drake and asked him not to travel to Oakland for any of the NBA Finals games at Oracle Arena due to “security concerns,” multiple sources tell TMZ Sports. We’re told the league expressed concern about potentially angry Warriors fans doing something stupid like taunting Drake or throwing stuff at him … which wouldn’t just put Drake at risk, but also other people sitting near him. In the end, they all agreed it was best for Drake to stay in Toronto for the away games — with Drake ultimately leading the Raptor fan watch party at Jurassic Park during Game 6. They chose… wisely. I have no doubt the NBA encouraged this move, it only makes sense. Besides, the last thing these Finals needed was more Drake.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1379
__label__cc	0.672876	0.327124	Aberdeen Lord Provost to face his greatest fear The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett will come face to face with his greatest fear when he holds a tarantula, to help raise funds for UCAN Urological CANcer charity, at 11.30am on Sunday 02 September at Wynford Farm Park. The ‘Face Your Fears’ weekend has been organised by Wynford Farm Park as part of its ‘ICAN, WECAN, UCAN!’ fundraising activities for the urological cancer charity. Other participants will snuggle a snake, rendezvous with a rat, sidle up to a scorpion or cuddle a cockroach, in a bid to raise money for UCAN, which is dedicated to raising awareness of urological cancers and aims to improve support and quality of life for people and families who are affected. The weekend also features fun-packed activities for all the family to enjoy including stalls, a treasure hunt, face painting and henna tattoos, ferret racing, guess the giant tortoise weight, and much more. The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett said: “I really don’t like the idea of holding a great big tarantula, but I’m determined not to get in a spin and help raise some money for UCAN Urological CANcer charity. Hopefully, I’ll get my photo taken with the tarantula and it will appear on the web. “Good luck to everyone taking part in the different challenges and remember if I can, we can, UCAN.” George Hogg, owner of Wynford Farm Park, said: “This weekend at Wynford Farm we are having a charity fundraiser for UCAN, the Urological Cancer Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. It’s called ICAN WECAN UCAN Face Your Fears and we’re challenging individuals to raise cash for UCAN by getting sponsored to hold the beast that scares them the most. We’re thrilled the Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett is going to be our charity champion and has agreed to face the Tarantula Tickle challenge.” Anyone who would like to support the Lord Provost to raise funds for UCAN can do so by donating on the I Can, We Can, UCAN Just Giving page. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/IcanWecanUCAN?utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_launched&utm_content=6bf4a93b-b333-408b-9251-37c5149e05f5&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postoffice&utm_term=1534947397664 Alternatively, visit www.justgiving.com then click on the search icon and type I Can We Can UCAN to open the Wynford Farm Park fundraising page. There are five urological cancers: prostate / bladder / kidney / testicular / penile. Urological cancers can affect both men and women, although more common in men. They account for one in three of all cancers in men, and one in five of all cancers in men and women. For more information visit www.ucanaberdeen.com I CAN! WE CAN! UCAN! weekend 10am-4pm on Saturday 01 September and Sunday 02 September 2018 Wynford Farm Park, Kingswells, Aberdeen, AB15 8RG www.wynfordfarm.com	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1384
__label__wiki	0.578874	0.578874	Spectra stuns with over 11,000 visits SPECTRA 2018 has opened in a blaze of colour and creativity. The opening night of SPECTRA 2018 saw record numbers with over 11,000 visits to over 30 installations across three stunning sites in the city, topping the 7500 that enjoyed the opening night of the 2017 festival. BAFTA award-winning artist Seb Lee-Delisle’s Lightning Strikes and Lightbombing by SOLA wowed the crowds at Marischal College; while St Nicholas Kirk was transformed into an ethereal and contemplative space by the beautiful and hypnotic OctopusGarden by RaumZeitPiraten and Sun at Night by David Henkel inside the Kirk itself. Union Terrace Garden is the location of the eagerly anticipated installations Wave-Field by Lateral Office and Light Battle by Venividimultiplex, as well as Aberscreen by local art collective, STACK and the incredible Lightweight by Impossible. This year sees His Majesty’s Theatre bathed in light with King Orpheo by Illuminous, and the welcome return of arts space The Anatomy Rooms behind Marischal College hosts Felix’s Machines with Compositional Automata. Aberdeen City Council Deputy Leader Councillor Marie Boulton said: “The opening evening of SPECTRA 2018 has been tremendous. Each of the sites has been packed with families and friends enjoying the installations and the new additions of His Majesty’s Theatre and the return of The Anatomy Rooms have been very well received. “Each installation is so unique and it is such a thrill to see these installations by internationally renowned artists here in Aberdeen. Year-on-year SPECTRA gets bigger and better.” SPECTRA, supported through Aberdeen City Council’s Culture Programme, demonstrates the Council’s ongoing commitment to recognise the city’s cultural aspirations to deliver a major step change in perception, opportunities and legacy. SPECTRA is also celebrating Scotland’s 2018 Year of Young People, which showcases the amazing young personalities, talents and achievers that make up Scotland. Thursday 8 February was also the opening night of this year’s music programme – a new edition for SPECTRA 2018. Venues across the city were brought to life with a smorgasbord of UK and Nordic Talent including Lindstom, Steve Cobby, Science of the Lamps, and Plaid, to name just a few of the artists playing over the weekend. The music programme is funded by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate. Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “Scotland is the perfect stage for cultural events and in SPECTRA, we are proud to host one of the world’s most innovative light festivals, especially as it celebrates Scotland’s Year of Young People through its theme ‘Play the Night’. EventScotland is delighted to be supporting the festival to enhance their music programme. The exciting mix of Nordic and UK talent set to perform will no doubt capture the imagination of locals and visitors alike.” SPECTRA runs until Sunday 11 February 2018, with three festival sites in the City – Marischal College, St Nicholas Kirkyard, and Union Terrace Gardens. More information can be found at: www.spectraaberdeen.com	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1385
__label__cc	0.718234	0.281766	Community Service News JCU STAND Donates €10,000 to Italian Red Cross John Cabot University is proud to announce that the STAND student club recently donated €10,000 to the Italian Red Cross (IRC). Service Learning and Croce Rossa Meet Italian High School Students Professor Andrea Lanzone held a seminar on the JCU Service Learning Project – Combining Fieldwork and Education for Italian high school students. Volunteering Across Borders: Student Cristina Di Leva Cristina Di Leva is a degree seeking student from Lavello, Basilicata, in southern Italy. She majors in Communications and has a minor in Political Science. John Cabot University Announces 2017 Student Award Winners On Tuesday, April 18, 2017, John Cabot University students, faculty and staff gathered in the Aula Magna for the annual Student Awards Ceremony. Alumnus Adam Samowitz Joins the Peace Corps JCU alumnus Adam Samowitz recently began an assignment as a volunteer for the Peace Corps as a Health, Hygiene, and Water Sanitation Specialist in Vanuatu A Stand Against Gender Inequality: History Major Kiriko Mechanicus Kiriko Mechanicus is a History major and Communications minor from Amsterdam, Netherlands. She is the President of the Women's Leadership Initiative (JCU's student organization promoting women's rights) and she is involved in the JCU Community Service Program. JCU STAND Donates to Jordanian Civil Rights Organization In December 2016, John Cabot University’s chapter of STAND (Students Taking Action Now, Darfur) donated € 400 to Nashama Alwatan, a Jordanian civil rights organization that Omar Abdel Latif, President of STAND, has been friends with for many years. JCU Alumna Alessandra Gargiulo Holds Lecture “We Care, We Share with Uyolo” Alessandra Gargiulo, class of 2013, graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs, and holds a M.A. in International Development from SciencesPo, Paris. She co-founded and is president of the Uyolo Fund, a non-profit startup venture. Stanlake Samkange and Ryan Anderson Present the WFP at JCU The JCU Universities Fighting World Hunger Club (UFWH), with the support of the Guarini Institute for Public Affairs, hosted an event featuring presentations by Ryan Anderson and Stanlake Samkange, from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Learning Outside of the Classroom: JCU Community Service Through the Community Service Program, JCU students of all majors have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the local community while cultivating a sense of social responsibility, and experiencing personal growth. JCU 2016 Student Awards Winners On Tuesday, April 19, 2016, John Cabot University students, faculty and staff gathered on the Secchia Terrace for the annual Student Award Ceremony. The awards, presented by President Franco Pavoncello and by the Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs Mary Merva, are in recognition of academic and service excellence. La Ronda della Solidarietà: A Weekly Meeting With the Less Fortunate Every Tuesday and Thursday students from John Cabot University volunteer with the Community Service Program at La Ronda della Solidarietà, an organization that provides food for homeless people at Piazza Mastai, in the heart of Trastevere. United Nations Women’s Guild Offers Advice to Students Volunteers at Community Service Forum On November 9th 2015, John Cabot University hosted a Community Service Forum with speakers from the United Nations Women's Guild (UNWG) Rome. JCU Community Service Program Donates to Palestinian Refugees The Community Service Program delivered fifteen large bags of donations from JCU students to the Associazione Kim where a group of Palestinian refugees are currently being housed. STAND Members Attend Vigil Commemorating Migrant Lives Lost at Sea Every Friday, John Cabot University’s STAND club members spend their morning volunteering at the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center. JCU IN THE NEWS Roma Daily News Cambiare si può ma non basta: occorre trasformare (Social Change Day at JCU) Soufrafilm.com Praise for JCU Institute for Entrepreneurship view all JCU in the News » MORE FROM JCU The Matthew (student newspaper) Athletics blog	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1388
__label__wiki	0.964328	0.964328	Welcome to the United Nations UN Art and Gifts History Corner UN Affairs Law and Crime Prevention Culture and Education The Lid is On UN Gender Focus UN and Africa Podcast Classics All Statements Selected Speeches Press Encounters UN Video UN Photo UN officials remember fall of Berlin Wall, 20 years on The fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago today is a reminder of the difference that ordinary people can make for the greater good, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging the world to salute those fighting to enhance human rights and freedoms. Mr. Ban issued a statement through his spokesperson in which he said the Wall’s tearing down “changed the course of history and came to symbolize the triumph of ordinary people in their quest for freedom. We owe it to all of those who fought for their fundamental rights and freedoms to never forget their struggle. Their story still inspires today.” The Secretary-General said the anniversary offers “a reminder of the difference people can make for the greater good, whether it is fighting for human rights in 1989 or working in the 21st century to end poverty, feed the hungry and combat climate change.” The incoming head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a separate statement, said world leaders cannot afford to be complacent in the quest for freedom, human rights and diversity. Irina Bokova, Director-General-elect of UNESCO, used the anniversary to stress that the battle for universal values has not yet been won. “Today we live in a globalized world, but too many walls remain,” said Ms. Bokova. “UNESCO’s task is to break through these walls, wherever they may be and whatever form they take.” Ms. Bokova, who succeeds Koïchiro Matsuura as UNESCO chief on 15 November, served as foreign minister of Bulgaria during the 1990s. She described the fall of the Berlin Wall as “an event of immense historical importance for world peace and the advance of democracy. It was the start of a new era, giving rise to hopes, not just in Eastern Europe but around the world, for a better life. A page has been turned.” But she also noted that while globalization could be “a liberating force, it also carries the risk of creating a more uniform world, eroding the incredible diversity that is the real source of human creativity, economic and social development, and opening the way for new forms of repression, exclusion and poverty.” ♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic. ♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices. UNESCO chief condemns yet more murders of journalists UNESCO urges teaching from earliest age in indigenous mother languages UNESCO secure $112 million to loan to pay for renovation of headquarters News Tracker: Past Stories on This Issue New UNESCO chief pledges to promote ‘knowledge, tolerance and equal opportunity’ The new head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Agency (UNESCO) pledged today to work closely with Member States to promote societies “based on knowledge, tolerance and equal opportunity for all” after she was formally approved as Director-General. Navigate the News Information for Broadcasters UN System Links UN Journal Meetings Coverage Audiovisual Library SG Twitter Spokesperson's Office Latest Statements Briefing Highlights Briefing Transcripts Notes to Correspondents UN News App Contact UN News	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1391
__label__wiki	0.598574	0.598574	Digital Art and Interactive Media Tiffany Carbonneau helps bring the light to Louisville Ballet collaboration « Back to 2017 By Steven Krolak (NEW ALBANY, Ind.)—When the dancers of Louisville Ballet move through the complex choreography of “Human Abstract” this week, they will inhabit a space suggested in large measure by the work of Tiffany Carbonneau, assistant professor of art, digital art and interactive media at IU Southeast. Carbonneau and fellow artists Andrew Cozzens and Ezra Kellerman worked alongside the performance group to create a world premiere that lives and breathes with passion and psychological intensity. Experimentation and daring were as evident in the workshop as on the boards. The production is the brainchild of choreographer Lucas Jervies. It involves seven dancers, a composer (Adam Ster) and three artists from Louisville Visual Art, including Carbonneau. Louisville Visual Art is a nonprofit that seeks to improve lives in the region through visual art education, community outreach and artist support. The team of visual artists contributed stage elements that reflected and underscored the production’s thematic dualities of interior and exterior, love and war, freedom and structure. They constructed frames from LED tubing to represent human-built architecture, fabricated a rectangular dining table and ordered up a large ornate crystal chandelier, both signifying domestic space. These rigid elements play against the movement of the dancers and a stage carpeted in artificial grass that stands for boundless free space. Visual artists install lighting structures that define space on the stage of “Human Abstract” at Louisville Ballet. Photo by Tiffany Carbonneau. This was a collaborative work, not something conceived by individuals in isolation and then executed. It literally evolved in concert with all the other pieces of the creative puzzle. Visual artists took cues from the dance team, and the dance team developed the performance based on the thoughts of the artists. For example, Carbonneau initially envisioned using projection and video, but the complexity of the choreography required a more minimal, yet still powerful environment, hence the LED frames. Within the groups there was also a good deal of idea-sharing. Carbonneau enjoyed the opportunity to expand her repertoire into the area of dance. She was especially intrigued by the interplay of creative lighting and stage lighting, and gained a new appreciation for the cueing process and how electronics function in a stage setting with fly-ins. “As a video projection artist, I have always been enamored by the power of light to change the way an audience experiences and interprets space, and it has been really interesting to work with Michael Ford, the lighting designer, and thinking through his process of lighting a performance,” Carbonneau said. Tiffany Carbonneau assembles the grand chandelier for the production of “Human Abstract.” Photo by Andrew Cozzens. For Carbonneau, who has projected her work onto levies, container ships and the sides of buildings, working on an enclosed stage, within the confines of a production, was a new experience. “Theater is magical in the way it creates the illusion of time, site and space, and it has been a positive creative challenge and a very rewarding experience exploring the possibilities and boundaries of ‘the stage,’” Carbonneau said. Working with live performers was another new challenge for Carbonneau, who is accustomed to projecting moving images on static two-dimensional surfaces. Here, she was called upon to provide solid three-dimensional structures that either facilitate or inhibit the movement of dancers. Learning the choreographer’s unique style of dance, and knowing how to respond, were necessary aspects of her tsk. “I hoped to learn about choreography as an art form, how the human body moves to create visual and time-based compositions while acting as a moving sculpture in space,” Carbonneau said. “I was excited to create work that the choreographer and dancers could interact with physically as well as create a dialogue between body and image.” Carbonneau’s involvement with Louisville Visual Art and the Louisville Ballet are experiences that not only enrich her as a creative professional but also deliver new perspectives to her students. “In today’s world, it is important to realize and activate the potential of collaborations in professional, creative and academic contexts,” Carbonneau said. “Because each person brings their own unique experience and perspective, successful collaborative projects end up becoming much more than the sum of their parts.” “Human Abstract” will be performed from Wed., Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 26 at The Kentucky Center, Bomhard Theater, 501 W. Main St. in Louisville. For more information please visit the Louisville Ballet website or call 502-584-7777 or 800-775-7777 (toll free). Homepage photo by Andrew Cozzens. TAGS: Digital Art and Interactive Media, fine arts, homepage, school of arts and letters	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1395
__label__wiki	0.856508	0.856508	It’s a cool spring night in San Jose, California, but heat levels are spiking inside the City National Civic. K-pop superstars NCT 127 have earned their first break during an aggressive show opener filled with sharp choreography and smoldering looks. Each member of the Seoul-based boy band takes a turn addressing the crowd. Mark, who has bleached blonde hair and Vancouver roots, explains the “Neo City: USA – The Origin” tour’s meaning: “‘Origin’ means, from this moment on, it’s a new beginning. This is just the start.” NCT 127 is certainly evolving. Where past recordings employed a forceful mix of hip-hop and EDM balanced with swoonable moments, there’s an enhanced level of accessibility on their fourth mini-album WE ARE SUPERHUMAN. The inspirational lead single “Highway to Heaven” leans on feel-good synths rounded out by raps, chorus, and hook. “Superhuman” and “FOOL” recall 20/20 Experience-era Justin Timberlake, all airbrushed pop with playful electronic touches. Meanwhile, “Jet Lag” is a supple piano ballad and “Paper Plane” merges soft guitar pop with dance beats. WE ARE SUPERHUMAN looks beyond the hyperkinetic larger-than-life illusion and embraces a more sophisticated, down-to-earth style that fans can hold close. It’s a transitional mini-album from one of K-pop’s elite groups, one they hope their fans (a.k.a. “NCTzens”) will ride with. During their visit to Apple Music's Beats 1 studio, Jaehyun told host Brooke Reese that SUPERHUMAN was the dream album they'd always wanted to make. “I think we matured as people,” added Johnny. “I think [NCTzens] are gonna feel that in the music as well.” If the San Jose concert served as any indication, NCT 127 will need a bigger bandwagon. During the two-and-a-half-hour show, the nine members confirmed why NCT 127 is one of the most popular K-pop groups in the world: breathtaking showmanship, sweet harmonies, and a dose of self-effacing modesty. To the NCTzens in attendance—predominantly young and female, but ethnically diverse—the concert felt like a global K-pop group hug, as well as a turning point for the boys from Seoul. “We're doing Korean songs as well, but everyone is singing along,” Johnny explained to Brooke Reese. “And you just notice that that barrier has been broken, and that just really talks a lot about the music.” NCT #127 WE ARE SUPERHUMAN - The 4th Mini Album NCT 127 Highway to Heaven OUTRO: WE ARE 127 amoureZora , 05/27/2019 💚💚 They never fail to disappoint me just love how they grow musical and continue to improve Moo, the flying sea pig , 05/27/2019 Quite snazzy I really enjoyed this more than I expected! All of the the songs are amazing!! Jet Lag and Fool are my favorite songs from it _icdc , 05/30/2019 Pop music doesn’t get better than this. More By NCT 127 NCT#127 LIMITLESS - The 2nd Mini Album - EP NCT #127 CHERRY BOMB – The 3rd Mini Album NCT #127 – The 1st Mini Album NCT #127 Regular-Irregular - The 1st Album Up Next Session: NCT 127	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1396
__label__wiki	0.953421	0.953421	It only took a single or two before Faith Hill entered the top echelon of female country artists, and she grew in artistic range and substance as time went on, developing a self-confidence and aplomb to rival that of her mentor Reba McEntire. Faith Hill – The Hits traces her recording career from her feisty 1993 single “Wild One” onwards. After keeping her profile high with yearning ballads like “It Matters to Me,” she made her first foray into crossover pop terrain in 1998 with the playfully passionate “This Kiss.” The ultra-sensuous “Breathe” was an even bolder move, encouraging her to depart further from her country roots with full-throttle ballads like “Cry.” In 2005, she tacked back towards the Nashville mainstream with “Mississippi Girl,” a loving invocation of her native state. Two newly-recorded tracks included here — the inspirational “Red Umbrella” and the romantic “Lost” — find Faith combining her country and pop leanings. Whatever direction she chooses to take, Hill combines a diva-like sense of drama with a down-home sweetness and vulnerability. This collection offers a fine overview of her ongoing evolution. The Hits Faith Hill Red Umbrella Stronger (Live) I Need You (With Tim McGraw) Mississippi Girl The Way You Love Me Let Me Let Go This Kiss It Matters to Me ℗ 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007 Warner Records Inc.; 2007 Curb Records, Inc. More By Faith Hill The Rest of Our Life Deep Tracks 5th Gear (Bonus Track Version) Jo Dee Messina	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1397
__label__wiki	0.977015	0.977015	Image: Supplied The First Lyric In Arctic Monkeys’ New Album Is About The Strokes Written by Jackson Langford on April 20, 2018 Arctic Monkeys‘ highly-anticipated sixth studio album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is coming out next month, and we finally have a juicy detail about its opening song. Following the release of an album bio on an event listing, Pitchfork — after confirming with the band’s representatives — has reported that the opening line of the album’s first song, ‘Star Treatment’, clearly references The Strokes. The song begins, “I just wanted to be one of the Strokes, now look at the mess you made me make / Hitchhiking with a monogrammed suitcase, miles away from any half-useful imaginary highway.” In an interview with Mojo, frontman Alex Turner delved into what the self-reflective meant to him, and why he kept it in the song. “That’s me writing about writing. Did the Strokes line feel too close to home? Yeah, absolutely. But you can’t let that stop you,” he said. References to The Strokes are nothing new for Arctic Monkeys, as they’ve previously covered ‘Take It or Leave It‘ and Turner has professed his love of The Strokes’ album Is This It? to NME. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is out on Friday, 11th May. Did Slipknot Just Confirm A New Album For 2019?Splendour Sidekick Festival ‘Spin Off’ To Return With “Biggest Lineup” Yet	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1399
__label__cc	0.548661	0.451339	Pertinent Information for All Upper School Students and Families COLLEGE GUIDANCE NEWSLETTER THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF COLLEGE ADMISSIONS The College Admission process is one that changes year to year based on a number of factors. The topic of diversity has been of note lately with many big news stories headlining it as a focal point. One such recent story announced a 1.8 billion dollar donation to Johns Hopkins in order to support a need-blind admissions policy. Creating Diversity Within the College Admission Process US NAVAL ACADEMY VISIT US MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY US MILITARY ACADEMY WEST POINT US AIR FORCE ACADEMY SUMMER ALREADY?!! A reminder that the College Guidance classroom and Naviance both have a plethora of information about ways to spend your summer. Don't forget to check! One such opportunity is shared below: GUIDE TO COMPLETING THE FAFSA SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Parent College Guidance Evening 7:00 pm in the de Csepel Theater PSAT-10 This year sophomores will take the PSAT-10 in school on Thursday, March 28 th . The PSAT-10 is a practice SAT specifically designed for sophomores allowing students to experience the format of the SAT. In December, College Guidance will meet with the Freshmen class to introduce them to Naviance, our career and college planning platform. Counselors will provide information on setting up accounts in Naviance and instruction on using Naviance to explore opportunities for summer academic and pre-college programs. PORTFOLIO INSIGHTS HELPFUL PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION SPOTLIGHT ON......... Xavier University is fourth oldest Jesuit Catholic University situated on a 190-acre campus right outside downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The university boasts 6285 students on campus with 4572 undergraduates. The core curriculum, including first year classes, opens multiple fields of studies and interests in a challenging environment. The University houses the College of Arts and Sciences, the Williams School of Business and the College of Professional Studies. 98% of students have a job, are accepted into graduate school or volunteering with 6 months of graduation. All Xavier students have the chance to apply to become a University Scholar which enables them to study any major in small, specialized classes that promote deeper exploration and close faculty support and to take special honors sections of core courses including the humanities, sciences and social sciences, while also completing requirements for their major. Among its over 90 undergraduates programs, Xavier offers several signature programs. The Business Profession Program is the cornerstone of career preparation for undergraduate students in the Williams College of Business and is designed to provide a structured way in which students can gain knowledge, skills and networking contacts to complement their education and to educate them on the fundamentals of the working world. Offering programs that go above and beyond typical career workshops, the Business Profession Program gives Williams College of Business undergraduates a competitive edge in entering the labor market. Required for graduation, the Business Profession Program has become an integral piece of the academic preparation that students receive. Within the College of Professionals Studies, students can engage in such programs as Nursing, which also incudes an Accelerated BSN program, Health Services Administration, Criminal Justice, Special Education, Early Childhood and Middle Childhood Education. In addition to traditional liberals arts studies, the College of Arts and Sciences also offers majors in such areas as Communication Studies, Sustainability Economics and Management, Biomedical Sciences and Digital Innovation, Film and Television. The Philosophy, Politics and the Public Honors Program is an innovative and rigorous undergraduate program that focuses on the unifying concept of “the public sphere” in democratic societies. The approach taken by this honors program is expressed in the meanings of the several conceptions identified in its very name. The program is highly selective, with 30 to 35 freshman students enrolling each fall. The PPP curriculum creates an interdisciplinary investigation into the past, present, and future of democratic institutions in theory and in practice. It teaches students to see the world in a connected way, through the intersection between history, politics, philosophy, and language. The program provides students with conscience (philosophy), tools (politics), and the setting in which they can use what they have learned (the public). The program does not favor philosophy or politics. The flexible nature of the curriculum allows students to dive deeper into whichever field(s) they choose. More importantly, the program highlights the ways in which philosophy and politics interact. Xavier offers all of its students access to the Professional Mentor Program that links students with leading executives and career professionals offering an innovative approach by providing students practical application of networking skills, personal and professional growth over an extended period of time, as well as the Jesuit values of service to others and cura personalis . Since its inception in 2003, the nationally known Mentor Program has matched over 2,500 students with executives and career professionals in the Cincinnati area and throughout the United States. The Program serves Xavier students of all majors and collaborates with Mentors from more than 560 different organizations. The Xavier Professional Mentor Program is part of the Career Development Office, whose mission is to “connect, educate and empower” students. The Xavier Musketeers field 18 Division I sports teams who compete in the Big East Conference along with 26 Club teams. There are over 160 clubs and organizations on campus in which to become involved. Community service is a strong presence on campus and Xavier students log an average of over 80,000 hours of community service per year helping more than 160 local, national and international organizations.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1402
__label__cc	0.738573	0.261427	Home BUSINESS Appolonia city rewards loyal customers Appolonia city rewards loyal customers Appolonia City recently held a fun-filled event to appreciate its clients for their investment in the city-scale development, and to launch a new members club that provides special benefits to buyers. More than 125 clients took part in networking and a range of activities during the evening event. Appolonia City gave prizes to clients in categories such as first tenant, first plot buyer, first home buyers and client with the most referrals. Matthew Ansah, marketing and communications manager for Appolonia City, revealed the new name of the city’s clients – “Appolonians” – explaining that the company sees its clients as members of a prominent community of like-minded individuals. “Appolonians are defined as people who choose a lifestyle of inclusivity, people who understand the value of living, working and playing in one community, like Appolonia City,” Ansah said. “We will shortly be introducing an Appolonian loyalty card with a range of rewards available.” The Appolonia City community has over 500 homes completed, under construction or in development, offering houses and apartments for all incomes. The inclusive city will be home to over 80,000 residents on completion, meaning that the Appolonians will become a distinct community. Appolonian Philip Cobbinah expressed delight at the opportunity to meet new neighbours. “It is wonderful to meet like-minded people and exciting to think that these people are also my neighbours,” Cobbinah said. “We are all Appolonians, and I’m looking forward to the community growing over the next few years. Thank you, Appolonia City!” Business Development Manager Kwabena Owusu-Adjei said Appolonia City is a company that cares and seeks to foster cordiality with clients and nurture the sense of community through interaction and networking. He urged clients to start their home construction, because the necessary infrastructure is in place. “For landowners who have completed payments, it’s time to start preparing building plans or use our in-house plans,” Owusu-Adjei said. “We hope to see you all soon on site and living your dream at Appolonia City.” About Appolonia City Appolonia City is a 2,325-acre (941-hectare) mixed-use and mixed-income urban development in the Greater Accra area. The development is a seamless live-play-work satellite city complete with residential, retail, commercial, educational, healthcare and recreational facilities. World-class infrastructure is in place that includes water, electricity and tarred roads with storm water drains. Appolonia Industrial Park is a 200-acre, modern industrial park with world-class infrastructure and estate management services. The park is designed to accommodate a range of uses including manufacturing, processing, storage, logistics and service companies. Previous articleIMANI reiterates concerns over Aker Energy oil agreement Next articleInterpol: 157 children rescued from West Africa trafficking ring Fabewoso: Contractor locks up new classroom; pupils study in rickety structure[video] Mahama says election petition, power crisis created gap between his gov’t and NDC Ethereum crashes to a 16-month low – Finance When Calls the Heart Returning to Hallmark in May, But What About Lori Loughlin's... South Africa’s rand flat in early trade ahead of trade balance... My Peace FM - December 29, 2018	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1405
__label__cc	0.599079	0.400921	Math with Bad Drawings Lover of math. Bad at drawing. A Fight with Euclid Ben Orlin Math July 4, 2013 February 21, 2014 3 Minutes I had a fight with Euclid on the nature of the primes. It got a little heated – you know how the tension climbs. It started out most civil, with a honeyed cup of tea; we traded tales of scholars, like Descartes and Ptolemy. But as the tea began to cool, our chatter did as well. We’d had our fill of gossip. We sat silent for a spell. That’s when Euclid turned to me, and said, “Hear this, my friend: did you know the primes go on forever, with no end?” I took a napkin to my face, to wipe the tea and shock. At length I said, “The primes don’t end? My friend, that’s crazy talk.” In general, the integers have factors we can find. Take 12. That’s 4 times 3. Or 54. That’s 6 times 9. But certain numbers can’t be broken down in any way. Take 17. It has no factors. So it’s “prime,” we say. At first, the primes are plentiful. There’s 2, 3, 5, and 7. There’s 31 and 43. But as our sights climb higher, the primes start thinning out. Long gaps pass without one – throwing Euclid’s claim in doubt. So when he held his ground and said, “It’s true. The primes don’t end.” I laughed and told him, “Euclid, boy, you’ve gone around the bend!” Then Euclid mused, “Suppose you’re right. Suppose they hit a max. In that case, there’s a largest prime. Do you accept these facts?” I nodded my acknowledgment, and felt a speck of pride that Euclid, proud and lauded Greek, had come to see my side. “This largest prime must have a name,” he pressed. “Let’s call it p. The biggest prime of all the primes,” he said. “Do you agree?” Once again I nodded, with a smile on my face, for I was putting Euclid, mighty Euclid, in his place. “Now, let’s gather all the primes, from 2 on up to p, and multiply them all together,” Euclid said to me. “Fine,” I said, a note of worry ringing in my thoughts. What was Euclid plotting? Had he given up or not? “Multiply out all those primes,” he said, “and when you’re done, take that final product, and simply add on 1.” My confidence was fading. I was swiftly feeling dumber. I could not see the reason Euclid conjured up that number. “Let’s call this number q,” he said, “this newly minted figure. And notice that, compared with p, our q is much, much bigger.” I could not disagree with this. His argument rang true. After all, we’d multiplied by p to get to q. “Since q is larger than the largest prime,” old Euclid said, “our q cannot be prime itself. It factors out instead.” I felt a trap was being sprung, but I could not resist. A prime that’s larger than our p could simply not exist. “Now, q has factors,” Euclid said. “What can those factors be? We can’t divide our q by 2. We can’t divide by 3. We can’t divide by 5 or 7. Can’t divide by p. We can’t divide by any prime,” he said, “Do you agree?” I saw his logic, blinding now. It scorched me like the sun. Divide our q by any prime; you’ll get remainder 1. That means it has no factors. That means it must be prime. But already, we’ve said it’s not. And if that’s true, then I’m… “You’re wrong!” he cried. “You see the flaw?” I felt like such a dunce. “You say q’s prime, then say it’s not. It can’t be both at once! “So take your claim that ‘primes must end,’ and stick it on a shelf. I’ve shown you now. That stance is flawed. It contradicts itself! “That only leaves one option. And now, you see the light. The primes must never, ever end.” I sighed. The man was right. We poured another cup of tea, and smoothed our ruffled shirts. I said, “Your argument hit hard, and I confess, it hurts. I thought you had conceded, but the whole charade was fake. You only took my side so you could show me my mistake.” Euclid sipped his teacup with a twinkle in his eye. “The proof by contradiction,” he agreed, “is rather sly. You stand upon the sidelines. Your opponent takes the field. You let him play against himself, until his flaw’s revealed.” “The truth wins out then, I suppose.” I glumly drained my cup. “The truth will win out even when it seems it’s given up.” “So it is,” said Euclid, “and so may it always be.” And then he kindly offered up another cup of tea. proof by contradiction Published July 4, 2013 February 21, 2014 Previous Post Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe Next Post Learning is a Fluorescent Light 71 thoughts on “A Fight with Euclid” themodernidiot says: Loved this 🙂 How can we claim that P is prime if we don’t know where it stops? Ben Orlin says: Good question. Basically, it’s like pointing to the sky and saying, “One of those stars must be the farthest away. Sure, we don’t know which one it is. But whichever one it is, let’s call it ‘Star P.'” Similarly, we’re saying, “Suppose that, somewhere out there, the primes end. If they do, there must be a biggest prime. We don’t know where it is, or exactly how big, but we know it’s out there somewhere. So we can give it a name – and that name is ‘p’.” But he didn’t just pick a prime. He got P by adding primes. That’s kind of a big difference, right? Not a math major, here, just having a bit of a problem with his argument. It seems to force an acceptance of impossibilities to work. Trying to figure it out what I’m missing. 🙂 Well, text explanations of math are always tricky, but I’ll give it another shot: He’s not adding primes. (In fact – could you point me to the line that gave you that impression? I could try to make a clarifying edit.) Basically, he’s saying that we know some primes: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13…. and so on. Now, the question is: How long is that list? Does it go on forever, with bigger and bigger primes (Euclid’s view)? Or does it eventually hit some end, some largest prime, after which there are no more (my incorrect view, which Euclid disproves)? And so what Euclid says is, “Suppose you’re right. Suppose the primes DO end. Well, in that case, let’s call the largest prime P.” (You’re right, though, that there is an “acceptance of the impossible” here. Euclid temporarily accepts a false idea, so that he can show me WHY it must be false.) Oops, sorry about that, he multiplied them not added (my memory is just as bad as my math), “”“Now, let’s gather all the primes, Multiply, add, doesn’t matter. It’s just his argument that fails not the overall concept. There is no need to argue once the concept of infinity is established. Silly, silly Euclid. 🙂 Right – although I wouldn’t say that his argument fails. This is exactly how it succeeds! He pretends to let me win (“Suppose you’re right” he says), then shows how such a view would lead to chaos and contradiction. Once he’s established that my view is impossible, we know that his view must be the right one. So it’s not Euclid who’s being silly. It’s me. (Or the poem version of me, anyway.) Euclid only PRETENDS to agree with me to reveal my silliness. Well, my word, who doesn’t get infinity? haha Pingback: Math That Is Fun: Infinite Primes \| Let's Play Math! John Cowan says: I note echoes of “Casey At The Bat”. Beyond the meter and rhyme scheme, your couplet “Once again I nodded, with a smile on my face, / for I was putting Euclid, mighty Euclid, in his place” echoes Thayer’s “There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place / There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile lit Casey’s face”. We also find “Casey, mighty Casey” elsewhere in the original poem. Nice catch! I love Casey at the Bat. A few years ago I was working on committing it to memory… might take the challenge back up. Marius Kempe says: teachbarefoot says: This is one of the greatest things you have ever written! I love it! You need to make it into a children’s book and sell it. I am completely serious. Thanks! One day, perhaps… when the children of the world are clamoring for some insight about the distribution of the primes. Payter says: I have two girls (at least, others not quite old enough, yet) who would devour this proof, especially in this poetic/conversational format. I agree w/tbf! willo says: I concur! I bet you could make some kind of digital comic book pretty easily (Adobe Spark apps or something?) with the content already here. It would be more enjoyable to share with my kids that way than just scanning down the usual blog post format. I would absolutely buy this as a picture book, and at least one of my kids would enjoy it. Have you seriously considered this suggestion? Please do! 🙂 groupact says: Amazing! That is one of the best explanations I’ve seen of Euclid’s proof together with an engaging story, in couplets AND bad, but hilarious drawings. Bravo! “bad, but hilarious” – awesome! I’ll take it! Taylor Buscher says: Nice job setting Euclid’s reductio ad absurdium to verse! Loved it! Math On Track says: Brilliantly written! Thoroughly enjoyed the journey… atjesse says: Reblogged this on ParParAway and commented: And math is more fun this way! 🙂 Brilliant piece! Math Education Concepts says: Reblogged this on Math Education Concepts. Maybe I’m not understanding, I tested the first 10 primes and only the first 5 worked out? Prime Prime Product +1 2 3 prime 5 31 prime 7 211 prime 11 2311 prime 13 30031 not prime divides by 59 17 510511 not prime divides by 19 19 9699691 not prime divides by 347 23 223092871 not prime divides by 317 29 6469693231 not prime divides by 331 That’s an interesting pattern, although it’s a little different than the number q that we’re considering, which is defined like this: q = (2 * 3 * 5 * 7 * 11 * 13 * 17 * 19 * … * p) + 1. q is just one number, formed by multiplying ALL the primes together (not just a pair of primes), and then adding 1. (Of course, “multiplying all the primes together” isn’t actually possible, because there are infinite primes. In fact, that’s what we’re proving. But in order to prove it, we temporarily pretend that there are only finitely many primes.) thanks for responding, but I’m just not getting the circular logic. when you say “multiplying ALL the primes”, you are saying we temporarily pretend this is a finite number, but when I test that with a finite list of primes, the proof is false? when it says”Divide our q by any prime; you’ll get remainder 1. I agree that it is true you can’t get a factor of a prime, but that doesn’t prove there isn’t a non-prime factor. That was what I set out to test with my multiplying out the primes. Hopefully G.G.’s reply is helpful – I think that’s a good explanation. There’s one more point I should elaborate on, because I didn’t do a good job of explaining it in the original poem: “I agree that it is true you can’t get a factor of a prime, but that doesn’t prove there isn’t a non-prime factor” Actually, if a number has no prime factors, then it must have no factors at all. Imagine that a number N has a non-prime factor (like 14). Well, that factor has factors of its own (in this case, 2 and 7). So our original number N isn’t just divisible by the non-prime factor; it’s also divisible by the factors OF that factor. In other words: Saying “a number has factors” is the same, essentially, as saying “a number has prime factors.” G.G. says: You’re right that 30031 is divisible by 59. We’re temporarily assuming that the largest prime is 13. Remember, we’ve temporarily defined all primes in the universe as {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13} and no more. That means we’re temporarily assuming that 59 is composite! And composites by definition can be factored into primes. Every composite can be broken down into primes. So, if 59 is composite, then it can be factored into some combination of {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13}. By definition. We both know 59 can’t be factored like that, but that’s not the contradiction we’re interested in right now. So 30031 should be divisible by either 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, or 13. Which, obviously, it isn’t — and that’s the real Contradiction. Max Ray (@maxmathforum) says: The version of this proof that I’ve heard is not the contradiction about whether p is really prime or not, but the contradiction about whether p is really largest or not. This way, Dan’s observation is really helpful. If you multiply all the primes 1 through p and add 1, you get a number q that’s definitely bigger than p and not divisible by any number less than or equal to p (try it with Dan’s numbers — 30031 is not prime, but it’s not divisible by 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, or 13 either). Either q is prime, in which case p is NOT the largest prime, or q is composite, in which case it has at least two prime factors… BOTH of which must be greater than p. So there can’t exist any such largest prime. Paul Hartzer says: (I know it’s been a few years, but…) Technically, the poem does not accurately present Euclid’s proof. A better modern version of the actual proof is: Let us assume that the set of primes is finite. Then P exists as a finite set of all primes. Let q be the product of all elements of P, plus 1. q has no factors in P, so either q is a prime, or it has prime factors not in P. This means that there is at least one prime number not in P. Euclid’s original proof: Let A, B, and C be prime numbers. Let DE be a segment that is A * B * C long, and let EF be one unit long. Let G be a prime number which divides DF. If it is A, B, or C, it also divides DE. If it divides DE, it also divides EF, but nothing greater than 1 divides 1. So G is not A, B, or C, and therefore there exists a prime number other than A, B, and C. We can generalize to any finite set of primes. Edward Welbourne says: One can get rid of the reductio step entirely. Consider any finite set of primes; take the product of its members; add one; the result can be prime-factorised and its prime factors aren’t in the set you started with, so there are primes not in your finite set. Therefore, no finite set of primes is exhaustive. Therefore the set of primes is not finite. Here’s an idea – build a set of primes by iterating this procedure: product({}) +1 = 2 is a prime not in {} product({2}) +1 = 3 is a prime not in {2} product({2, 3}) +1 = 7 is a prime not in {2, 3} product({2, 3, 7}) +1 = 43 product({2, 3, 7, 43}) +1 = 1807 = 13 * 139 product({2, 3, 7, 13, 43, 139}) +1 = 3263443 product({2, 3, 7, 13, 43, 139, 3263443}) +1 = 10650056950807 = product({1033, 31051, 547, 607}) product({2, 3, 7, 13, 43, 139, 547, 607, 1033, 31051, 3263443}) +1 = 113423713055421844361000443 = product({29881, 67003, 9119521, 6212157481}) (No, I didn’t work that out in my head; python helped me – and got rather slow on the last one (my code to search for primes and factorise numbers is a bit clunky, TBH), so I stopped there. Here: https://github.com/ediosyncratic/study.py/blob/master/maths/primes.py is the module whose factorise() I used. My attempt to replace it with something better foundered on a bad case of the second-system effect.) Notice that some back-filling happens; prime factors of the product+1 may be less than some of the primes we multiplied together. Open question: will this set of primes, eventually, fill in all the gaps ? Guess: no. Hence secondary question: is there a way to determine whether a given prime is in the limiting union from this sequence, without having to iterate this sequence infinitely many times ? (If anyone is wondering why product({}) = 1, notice that the product of a union of disjoint sets of numbers is the product of the united sets’ respective products; which requires that, if {} is to have a product, it must be 1. Likewise, sum({}) = 0.) This is a great math poem! Good job to the author. Bonus points for the “are eu clidding me” caption! Thanks! I was happy with that one. (Disappointed to find Ian Stewart already used “Game, Set, Math” as a book title.) Hong Ming says: This is a brilliant way of explaining the proof of infinite primes with a poem. Love it! 🙂 Nathaniel Hoffman says: “q” is not necessarily prime. There could be a prime larger than “p” that is a factor of “q”. For instance, (2 x 3 x 5 x 7 x 11 x 13) + 1 = 30031. 30031 = 59 x 509, so it’s not prime. However, even if “q” isn’t prime, it still proves that there is a prime factor of “q” larger than “p”, which still proves that the number of primes is infinite. Ahh ha! I finally get it, 59 > 13. My fluorescent light turned on! Thank you. Yeah – that explanation is more faithful to Euclid’s proof (which simply said, “Take any finite list of primes,” and showed that there must exist at least one prime not on the list). And I’m glad it clicked, Dan! Slick Boston tee. Where’d you get it? Fictional, alas, although I’ve got some Bruins gear and an old Vinatieri jersey. Michael Hardy says: This is the standard misrepresentation of Euclid’s method of proving the infinitude of primes. Euclid’s actual proof was not by contradiction; it was simpler. See my joint paper with Catherine Woodgold in the autumn 2009 issue of the Mathematical Intelligencer, where we refute this erroneous account of history. Here’s Euclid’s actual proof: Suppose you have any finite set of primes (don’t assume they are all the primes that exist). Multiply the and add 1. The resulting number must be divisible by some prime. Then prove (and _this_ part, at least, was by contradiction) that that prime cannot have been among those in the set you started with. Thus every finite set of primes can be extended to a larger finite set of primes. Right. I’ve seen that last step of Euclid’s original argument presented more as casework: Either your product-plus-one is prime, or, if not, then the prime that divides it must be missing from your list. When it comes to elegant math, I suppose I slightly prefer Euclid’s original version. But when it comes to teaching proof by contradiction to students, I strongly prefer the standard “misinterpretation” (which is, of course, still a valid proof – just a modified one). It’s easier to learn the technique when the proof-by-contradiction structure encompasses the whole argument, not just a piece of it. Newcomb Greenleaf says: The verse is wonderfully done. But such a shame that it perpetuates a false version of history. There is a controversy over proof by contradiction, with intuitionists and constructivists restricting its use to decidable propositions. Euclid gave a simple algorithm. Input: any finite set of primes. Output: a prime not in that set. This gives a nice algorithmic definition of infinity: to prove a set S is INFINITE, provide an algorithm that, given a finite subset of S, outputs an element p not in that set. The verse hides the algorithmic nature of the concept of infinity. The 2009 paper of Hardy & Woodgold documents the shocking extent to which the algorithmic nature of infinity has been obscured by the compulsion to wrap Euclid’s algorithm in an irrelevant proof by contradiction. But I would disagree slightly with Michael Hardy’s assertion that the proof that p is not in S is by contradiction. You don’t need to assume that p is in S and then derive a contradiction. You simply show that for each q in S, p is different from q. Well, among ‘falsehoods’ I’m perpetuating here, I’d rank Euclid’s speaking English and talking to a guy in a Red Sox shirt as more dire than my restructuring of his proof to make it more accessible to the casual reader. I’ll check on the Hardy & Woodgold paper; sounds like a fun read (and certainly a rigorous notion of ‘infinity’ in its various contexts is one of the hardest things to acquire as a student). Thanks for the tip. Enjoying the paper (or the two pages that aren’t paywalled, in any case), though it acknowledges that the lemma in Euclid’s original proof also works by contradiction. Their complaints about the proof seem to be less historical than pedagogical, for what it’s worth. I do think they provide some nice warnings about possible student misconceptions. Pingback: A Fight with Euclid \| Stem4kids.info Jason Crawford says: Just discovered this, loved it, thanks a lot! I especially like the little philosophic epilogue. DanManEllen says: “The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family…” Shiv Gaur says: Read this in At Right Angles magazine(Nov 2013 issue). Loved it! Pingback: Fun Recreational Math Games \| Drawalot.com Abhijat Verma says: Sheer genius Mr. Orlin. I love all of the content you have on your corner of the Internet. It is some really high quality stuff! I’ve seen your stuff come up on other websites too. I especially liked the “Math experts split the cheque” post. I hope you keep this blog going. I have read every post, there aren’t enough! dohit patel says: nice post….i loved the explanation… NemoAtMcDonalds says: It was aight. best creatine pills says: Good info. Lucky me I recently found your blog by chance (stumbleupon). the hypnotist says: I love what you guys are usually up too. This sort of clever work and coverage! Keep up the amazing works guys I’ve you guys to our blogroll. Pingback: Math That Is Fun: Infinite Primes \| DeniseGaskins.com malcolmthecynic says: I’m missing something. Why can’t q be an even number? Pouncer says: Hi Malcom, For q to be even either there must be a way to (a) multiply two odd numbers to create an even product, or to (b) multiply an odd number by two and still obtain an odd product or (c) add one to an even number to get an even sum. castcastblogger says: Friendship leads to tea, apparently dalblog says: Really nicely illustrated the concept of prime with awesome poetry Maths with bad comments says: Whoa, I understand Q can’t be a multiple of any of the primes but why can’t it just be a multiple of some other number like 4 or 6? I think I’m missing something here… But I love this poem so much nevertheless man! Shailesh Shirali says: Greetings. I had written to you many months back (years?) requesting permission to reproduce in my magazine At Right Angles a piece of yours – A Fight With Euclid (such a lovely little piece!). Subsequently we had indeed published the piece. We would like now to make use of some of the beautiful and appealing stick figures which you so often have in your posts. May I request your permission to do so? I do not have a precise list of which figures we would like to use; but of course, we will give full attribution to your blog on all the pages where the figures are used. I have an additional request for you, for consideration a little later in the year or early next year. I will write to you about this after hearing from you. Shailesh Darren Irvine says: VgAcid says: I would like to criticize that q is not proven to be prime. Rather instead, it is either a prime, or a composite number comprised of prime numbers not on the list. But that’s the beauty of the argument. The initial assumption is that there is a finite number of primes and therefore a largest prime. q is all of primes multiplied together plus 1. The list of primes given (from smallest to largest) is the entire list of all of the primes there are. This leads us to a contradiction because we made a new prime that isn’t in the list–we know it isn’t in the list because it’s bigger. So, whether you frame the contradiction as “Aha! We found a prime that wasn’t on our list of all of the primes!” or “Aha! We found prime bigger than the biggest prime!”, the contradiction stands. Pingback: Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe \| Math with Bad Drawings Bob Saget says: Haha that was amazing! Aarian D says: I really liked the drawings! Leave a Reply to castcastblogger Cancel reply Math with Bad Drawings on Facebook Join the mailing list! (No spam, just the good stuff) Let me know about new posts! 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__label__wiki	0.898111	0.898111	You are here: Home / News / Business / As the sun sets on Maui sugar, we ask what the closing of A&B’s plantation means for us As the sun sets on Maui sugar, we ask what the closing of A&B’s plantation means for us January 13, 2016 by Anthony Pignataro 6 Comments Like most reporters in Hawaii, in the hour or so after Alexander & Baldwin’s Jan. 6 announcement that they would shut down their Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar (HC&S) mill in Pu‘unene by the end of this year, I watched with growing fascination as my email inbox quickly filled with statements from public officials wanting to weigh in. Reading through them, I kept seeing the word “sad.” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz said the news “deeply saddened” him. Hawaii House Speaker Joe Souki called it “a sad day indeed.” Governor David Ige said he received the news “with sadness.” State House member Justin Woodson (who represents Central Maui, where many cane workers live) said he was “saddened” by how the decision would affect the mill’s nearly 700 employees. HC&S has grown, harvested and processed sugar cane into molasses on Maui since 1870. Their 36,000-acre sugar plantation is the last such operation in Hawaii, but it’s fallen on hard times; has for some years now. A few months ago, HC&S also lost a potentially big power-sharing deal with Maui Electric Co. that would have given it about $19 million in revenue, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported on Jan. 10. But in their own official statement on the mill closure, A&B officials blamed it all on agribusiness losses. “A&B’s roots literally began with the planting of sugar cane on 570 acres in Makawao, Maui, 145 years ago,” A&B Executive Chairman Stanley M. Kuriyama, said in his company’s Jan. 6 announcement. “Much of the state’s population would not be in Hawaii today, myself included, if our grandparents or great-grandparents had not had the opportunity to work on the sugar plantations. A&B has demonstrated incredible support for HC&S over these many years, keeping our operation running for 16 years after the last sugar company on Maui closed its doors. We have made every effort to avoid having to take this action. However, the roughly $30 million Agribusiness operating loss we expect to incur in 2015, and the forecast for continued significant losses, clearly are not sustainable, and we must now move forward with a new concept for our lands that allows us to keep them in productive agricultural use.” The news seemed to surprise many. Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui found the announcement “hard to believe.” “Personally, I was shocked,” ILWU President Donna Domingo told KHON 2 news. Others, like anthropologist Carol MacLennan, who has written extensively about Hawaii’s sugar industry, had a different reaction. “I wasn’t surprised,” MacLennan told me. “I knew it was coming. They’ve been hinting at it.” Indeed, though The Maui News consistently buried the most dire revelations in their accounts, they did report over the last year or two that A&B was moving away from sugar, perhaps soon rather than later: • Aug. 11, 2014: A second quarter report shows that A&B’s agribusiness posted a profit of just $400,000–down from $8.3 million in the same quarter the previous year. Sugar production as a whole is down, blamed on wet weather. • Nov. 6, 2015: “Significant” third quarter losses for HC&S show a $9 million operating loss for the July-September quarter. Sugar production comes in at 42,500 tons, down from 67,000 tons during the same period of 2014. What’s more, company officials say that they’re looking at “diversifying the crop grown on its 36,000 acres” and will make an announcement on the future of the plantation “by its next earnings call,” which would take place no later than early March 2016. • Dec. 4, 2015: HC&S announces that it is conducting a grass-fed beef experiment on 29 of its acres over by old Maui High with 15 head of cattle. One A&B official tells the paper that since November, the company has been seeking an “alternative business model,” and is trying out various other ag plans. Then on Jan. 4 of this year, Insider Trading Report noted that A&B stock had fallen rather sharply: “2.16% during the past week and dropped 7.2% in the last 4 weeks.” Forty-eight hours later, A&B officials announced that they were ditching sugar entirely. The mill had simply become unprofitable. It’s why all the other mills in Hawaii closed, too. Wet weather hurt, but sugar crop yields have been falling in Hawaii for decades. The question was never if the Pu‘unene mill would close, but when. As a result of this decision, most of the 675 or so people who work in the Pu‘unene mill will lose their jobs. If the last 45 years of mill closures in Hawaii are any guides, the transition won’t be easy–there just isn’t enough ag around to pick up the slack, leaving many workers with no other option than to try to move over to the service industry. This, as would be true for any news of mass layoffs, is undeniably sad. But how much should we mourn for a company that every year churned out thousands of tons of a substance doctors say is bad for us? How many tears should we shed for a plantation that for well over a century ran Maui like a gigantic factory, depleting the island’s soil, diverting its streams and filling its skies with smoke? Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa called A&B’s announcement “the end of an era,” but is it even truly that? Michigan Technological University anthropologist Carol MacLennan has studied every one of Hawaii’s sugar mill closures, dating back to the late 1960s. Her 2014 book Sovereign Sugar: Industry and Environment in Hawai‘i (published by University of Hawaii Press) is a sweeping look at the tremendous ecological changes sugar brought to the state. “[A closure] can be traumatic,” she told me by phone. “Most of the Big Five dwindled as they diversified their holdings. But A&B has this unusual power on Maui. Because A&B has such a local identity, there’s an assumption of loyalty.” Sugar production spans 150 or so years of Hawaii history, but it’s greatest years stretched from 1840 (when the Hawaiian kingdom reigned supreme) to 1940 (when the Territory of Hawaii was converting into a massive military bastion for the U.S). In that century, sugar plantations had transformed the islands in ways so deep that they’ll be with us forever. “By 1920, sugar had remolded the islands into a production machine that drew extensively on island soils, forests, waters, and its island residents, to satisfy North America’s sugar craving,” MacLennan wrote in Sovereign Sugar. “Native communities–human, plant, and animal–adapted, disappeared or found niches in which to survive on a small scale. Imported and transplanted peoples, plants, and animals largely replaced them.” The plantations were sprawling–covering a quarter-million acres by 1920–and required thousands of workers. Because diseases introduced by contact with Europeans in the late 1700s had devastated Native Hawaiians (their numbers dropping from between 279,000-800,000 in 1780 to a mere 30,000 by 1900), the plantations imported huge numbers of workers of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Puerto Rican and Portuguese workers, forming the “mixed plate” ethnic makeup that largely populates Hawaii today. Such massive change occurred throughout Hawaii’s ecology. Thirsty sugar depleted the soil of nutrients and demanded huge quantities of water through rainfall and irrigation, according to MacLennan. The plantations also harvest whole forests for planting and fuel (though quickly learned that preservation also served a vital role). In an attempt to control rats, plantation owners imported the mongoose in the 1880s. It “proved environmentally unsound,” according to MacLennan, and led to the wholescale slaughter of Hawaii’s ground-nesting birds. By the the late 1880s, the plantation owners–who were intertwined with the missionaries who’d grown so powerful after the destruction of the old kapu system in the early 1800s–had grown so powerful that they forced the notorious Bayonet Constitution on King Kalakaua. Its mandate that only property owners could vote meant that two/thirds of Native Hawaiians no longer had a voice over the governing of their islands. That, thankfully, is in the past. But sugar’s ecological influences over Hawaii are still here, will likely always be here. “The resulting erasure of what remained of the Hawaiian landscape by sugar’s class of businessmen has serious consequences for sustainability in the islands,” MacLennan wrote. “The faith in the human power to manipulate nature and re-create new landscapes of production continues environmental change and, when not checked, degradation.” This is why MacLennan told me that sugar will still exist on Maui “in ghost form.” “Sugar production is ceasing, but A&B is still there,” she said. “You still have a major company with say over the acreage.” One group that certainly isn’t looking at the demise of sugar harvesting on Maui in romantic terms is the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. Founded in 1974, the NHLC is a nonprofit public interest law firm that’s spent the last decade and a half petitioning the state–on behalf of the East Maui residents who make up Na Moku ‘Aupuni o Ko‘olau Hui–to restore flows in 27 Maui streams diverted by East Maui Irrigation (a subsidiary of A&B) to Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar (another subsidiary of A&B). It’s a tedious legal process, given that HC&S uses so much water that it’s long been loathe to give up. In a March 2015 hearing, NHLC attorney Alan Murakami gave a pretty good reason why: They’re paying the State of Hawaii $160,000 a year for the rights to the streams, but receive 164 million gallons per day from them, according to a Mar. 22, 2015 Maui News article. Murakami noted that that comes out to less than a penny per 1,000 gallons of water–a helluva deal, considering that county water rates can be in excess of 75 cents per 1,000 gallons. Historically, plantation owners like A&B have typically retained their water rights when they close mills, MacLennan told me. But it’s unclear how the mill’s closure will affect NHLC’s fight, since A&B has said it still wants some agricultural uses on its land. Murakami didn’t return a phone call for this story, but he told Civil Beat on Jan. 6 that A&B’s decision to stop growing sugar will certainly impact the case. “The question is how much,” he said. “There’s clearly nothing more thirsty than sugar cane.” Earthjustice attorney Isaac Moriwake, an attorney agreed. In 2014, Earthjustice helped bring about a settlement agreement with HC&S and Wailuku Water Co. on behalf of Hui O Na Wai Eha and Maui Tomorrow to restore the Waihee, Waiehu, Waikapu and Iao Streams. “Bottom line, it’s a game-changer,” Moriwake told me. Because sugar requires so much more water than diversified agriculture, Moriwake said that even if A&B keeps all of HC&S’ 36,000 acres in ag, they’ll still require far less water than they do so now. “Now that HC&S is closing, we need to reset the fundamental assumptions,” he said. “If you don’t have a use, then the water needs to stay in the rivers and streams right now.” What will also stop are the cane burns. The method of harvesting sugar by burning the cane in the fields–the subject of considerable controversy and the first ever lawsuit in Hawaii’s new Environmental Court–will cease by the end of 2016. The mill itself could be pretty dirty as well. In 2014, the state Department of Health slapped a $1.3 million fine on HC&S for 400 (!) air quality and reporting violations at the mill from 2009 to 2013. HC&S is still in discussions with the DOH over the fine and violations. The plantation could also be an extremely dusty place. In our Nov. 29, 2015 issue, we explored one fugitive dust complaint in depth–one that led to a $3,300 violation against HC&S. Workers were working on a windy day in December 2014 over by the Maui Humane Society, and the dust cloud they kicked up caused one resident to complain. That Central and South Maui could become even dustier once A&B stops growing sugar is a very real fear. “I’ve read accounts from the 1800s of dust clouds hundreds of feet high and sandstorms so thick a rider could not see the ears on her own horse,” historian Jill Engledow posted on her Maui Then and Now blog on Jan. 6. “I live downwind, and I’d rather have occasional cane smoke.” For their part, A&B officials insist that they will take steps to keep Central Maui from becoming even more of a dust bowl. “As the lands are harvested, they will be replanted in a cover crop, transitioned to a replacement crop, or be allowed to return to their natural state with native ground cover,” A&B spokesperson Tran Chinery told me. The use of the term “native ground cover” is ironic, given how much of Maui’s native ground cover vanished when the sugar plantation came in. A huge array of questions remain over the future of the HC&S plantation. Will A&B sell off some or all of that land to homebuilders? Will the “task force” recently set up by the Arakawa Administration help laid off HC&S workers find new work? Will Monsanto sweep up more land? Both are too early to say. But another question could be problematic: what will become of the power-sharing agreement between HC&S and Maui Electric Co. (MECO) once the mill shuts down? “The amount of power we currently receive from HC&S is a small percentage and since October of last year, HC&S has not exported any power to Maui Electric,” MECO spokesperson Kaui Awai-Dickson told me (their agreement stipulates that the mill provide MECO four megawatts of power from March to May and October to December). That’s good, but there’s a snag. “However, over the years, HC&S has provided reserve or backup power that was available almost immediately to support Maui’s electrical system during extenuating circumstances,” Awai-Dickson added. “Such examples include severe storms or hurricanes where electrical infrastructure is severely damaged or a large generator is lost. Under these conditions, Maui Electric may not have a sufficient amount of reserve capacity to serve all customers at times when the demand for electricity is high. We are exploring possible options to replace this generation support including Demand Response programs, distributed generation, additional utility scale generation, and emergency generators.” Throughout Hawaii, former sugar lands have given way to a variety of uses–homes, resorts, mac nut fields. It’s likely some or all of that will end up here, though it’ll be some time before we know for certain. In 1971, according to Sovereign Sugar, the Kohala Sugar Co. on the Big Island announced that it would close, putting 500 people out of work. Transition there was rough and took seven years. On Jan. 6, A&B released some details about three “diversified agriculture” test projects they intend to implement on their 36,000 acres: • Energy crops: “HC&S has initiated crop trials to evaluate potential sources of feedstock for anaerobic conversion to biogas,” stated the company’s press release. The statement added that HC&S has entered into “preliminary, but confidential, discussions with other bioenergy industry players to explore additional crop-to-energy opportunities.” • Cattle: As noted above, HC&S is “working with Maui Cattle Company to conduct a grass-finishing pasture trial in 2016.” • Food crops: “A&B plans to establish an agriculture park on former sugar lands in order to provide opportunities for farmers to access these agricultural lands and support the cultivation of food crops on Maui.” Former company employees would get preference in leasing lots. “A&B is committed to looking for optimal productive agricultural uses for the HC&S lands,” A&B President and CEO Christopher J. Benjamin said in his company’s Jan. 6 announcement. “Community engagement, resources stewardship, food sustainability and renewable energy are all being considered as we define the new business model for the plantation. These are leading us toward a more diversified mix of operations.” While all this sounds great to most residents, they also struck anthropologist MacLennan as very familiar. “It’s seen as a good thing to get away from monocrop production,” she told me. “People expect that these will keep wages up, but they’re always experimental. Diversified agriculture has been proposed since the 1920s, ‘30s. There’s a long history of it in my research, but it doesn’t always succeed.” Cover photo: Tamara McKay Cover design: Darris Hurst Filed Under: Business Tagged With: A&B, Alan Arakawa, Alexander and Baldwin, Brian Schatz, cane burning, David Ige, EarthJustice, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar, HC&S, ILWU, Joe Souki, Maui Tomorrow, Puunene, Shan Tsutsui, Stanley Kuriyama, Sugar Cane Maui	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1410
__label__cc	0.550167	0.449833	You are here: Home / HockeyBlog / LA Kings 2017 Mid-Season Prospect Rankings – Honorable Mentions LA Kings 2017 Mid-Season Prospect Rankings – Honorable Mentions January 20, 2017 By John Hoven Your patience is about to be rewarded. After sitting on pins and needles, waiting to get an update on the LA Kings top prospects, we’re back. Fear not, oh loyal readers; we haven’t let you down in the past and our staff is not about to start now. That’s right, it’s finally time for our highly anticipated look at the LA Kings Top 10 Prospect Rankings. If you’re unfamiliar with this list, for nearly seven seasons now this content has become a vital source of player information, as nobody outside the Kings organization talks to more coaches, scouts, and General Managers about the LA’s top prospects on a regular basis than MayorsManor. From listing Martin Jones and Jake Muzzin as the team’s top two prospects way back in 2011 – ahead of more heralded guys like Andrei Loktionov and first round pick Thomas Hickey – to being spot on with the early information we shared about Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, Kevin Gravel, Brayden McNabb and dozens of others, this process isn’t always about who is the most skilled or has put up the most points. It is also about where – or if – each player fits into LA’s future plans. As such, our bi-annual rankings of players in the Kings pipeline has become some of the most popular content we produce each year because of the amount of effort that goes into gathering and preparing the write-ups. Additionally, the final slotting of players is influenced by hundreds of hours of game action and debating the team’s prospects with a myriad of well-respected hockey people, including our key sources inside the Kings organization. In a little more than 12 months, a plethora of changes have taken place throughout the Kings system – including prospects moving up, sliding down, and a few being traded (Jordan Weal and Valentin Zykov); not to mention those whose have graduated to full-time NHL status (Gravel and Derek Forbort), as well as goaltender Patrik Bartosak returning to Europe. Of course, this has led to a massive shakeup in the rankings. As we always do, we’ll begin with a list of six Honorable Mentions before kicking off our countdown of the Kings top 10 prospects in subsequent articles. HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order, no ranking assigned) ERIK CERNAK: Defenseman, OHL Erie Otters (2nd round pick in 2015, Slovakia) He received some valuable exposure in the 2017 World Junior Championship, one of the rare players to suit up for the tournament four straight years. While Slovakia didn’t have a great showing in the annual winter event, Cernak being named captain speaks well of his development. The hulking bluelliner sports seven assists and a plus-11 rating thus far in this season and will be looking to help the Otters go on another deep playoff run this spring. Down the road, the big Slovak is still a big-time contender for an eventual roster spot with the Kings. The more immediate question is he will make a big jump to the AHL next season or stay for an over-age season in the OHL. From past scouting reports: On paper, and standing still, he looks like the real deal. Physically, think of Kyle Clifford when he came to his first training camp with the team – ripped and cut, with a hard body, far beyond his actual years. Still as a teenager, Cernak is a physical freak, as big and strong as someone twice his age. ZAC LESLIE: Defenseman, Ontario Reign (6th round pick in 2013, OHL) Leslie’s OHL career didn’t end on a highnote, as he needed shoulder surgery. For some players, it can take at least a full season before they completely put that behind them, sometimes even just mentally. Last year proved to be that rebound season for the two-way defenseman, as he often found himself bouncing in and out of the Reign lineup. By contrast, Leslie has secured a more stable role in Ontario this season, skating in 32 contests, missing just two games thus far. He is also takes regular shifts on the Reign powerplay and his increased playtime has led to more production. At 16 points, he has already more than tripled his total from last season. Overall, he has taken huge strides, largely thought the additional playing time he is receiving following Forbort and Gravel moving up to the Kings. More importantly, Leslie is getting the consistent playing time he needs to properly develop in Ontario. In a nutshell, this 22-year-old defender does a solid job in the offensive zone and is still working on his defensive zone play. From past scouting reports: He isn’t necessarily great in any aspects, but is good in many of them. ALEX LINTUNIEMI: Defenseman, Ontario Reign (2nd round pick in 2014, OHL) This Finnish defender would likely be higher on this list had a wrist injury not kept him out for nearly half of last season, where he was a member of the ECHL Manchester Monarchs. Lintumiemi’s development has continued this year in Ontario, yet he still needs to show people that he has a future in the Kings organization and not allow other people to pass him over on the depth charts. The towering 21-year-old has showed his range and skating ability in 19 contests thus far, notching just three points. The injury bug has bit him a few more times this season, yet it hasn’t been substantial. As one of his coaches put it to us, ‘Lintu works hard and has made progress when it comes to being a pro. He’s in a very similar boat to many young players, in that they need to figure out what it takes mentally and physically to make the NHL. Some do and some don’t.’ We’ll lean toward an optimistic angle here, stating he’s starting to get it and should break out of the Honorable Mention pack the next time rankings are published. From past scouting reports: He hasn’t bought into the Kings workout program as quickly and with as much conviction as we would like. You only have to look around the LA locker room and see how guys like Toffoli, Pearson, and Carter have transformed their bodies to understand the huge impact it can have on a player’s game. Unfortunately, Lintuniemi just hasn’t gotten the message yet. … Lintuniemi skates well for his size, has an underrated transition game, and can play a physical game. One of the key reasons his on-ice game is so appealing is that there aren’t any glaring deficiencies. … Offensively, the potential isn’t great, but his all-around game suggests the possibilities of him developing into a regular, top-4 defenseman in the NHL are still very good. CHAZ REDDEKOPP: Defenseman, Victoria Royals (7th round pick in 2015, WHL) Although this is a name that might surprise some to show up here, several in Kings management commented on his play this season. He has done what every 7th rounder needs to do if they want to ever dress for an NHL game – progress. Currently in his fourth season of junior hockey, Reddekopp has improved his scoring each year, and has already topped his 2015-16 numbers despite having over 30 games left to play in the year. In fact, he has been on quite a tear this season, notching 35 points in just 40 games. Earlier in the season, Reddekopp went on a run where he produced 14 points in 11 games. This offensive growth is a good sign for his development. Tremendous size continues to be his biggest asset; listed at a whopping 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. The young defender’s growth will likely continue next year as he turns pro, however don’t be surprised if that growth means a pit stop in the ECHL along the way. DAMIR SHARIPZYANOV: Defenseman, Ontario Reign (free agent signing, OHL) Somehow, he slipped through the NHL Draft unclaimed, much to the delight of the Kings staff. Sharipzyanov played for the Owen Sound Attack (Mike Futa’s former team), so to think he wasn’t on the Kings radar all along would likely be a bit foolish. LA brass was so impressed with the kid they signed him to a three-year Entry Level Contract in 2015. Not many undrafted prospects earn that kind of commitment. Now a first-year pro, he has split time between ECHL Manchester and AHL Ontario. Sharipzyanov is a defenseman who makes few mistakes in his own zone, while having a good first pass. His offensive game will likely never be anything to write home about, yet Sharpie – as he is commonly known throughout the organization – is just 20 years of age, leaving him plenty of time to mature on and off the ice. Additionally, he should benefit from being in Ontario, where he will get coaching and development support; plus a valuable education from Mike Stothers, which should help him immensely. Most nights, Sharipzianov has also had the luxury of spending time next to Vinny LoVerde, Ontario’s captain and veteran leader. SPENCER WATSON: Right Wing, Mississauga Steelheads (7th round pick in 2014, OHL) Some people in Dean Lombardi’s inner circle really light up when talking about this London, Ontario native. At first glance, you wouldn’t think a 5-foot-11 winger (listed as 5-foot-9 not that long ago) taken near the end of the Draft would have a shot at being mentioned here. However, after missing the first two months of the season due to injury, he is putting up about a goal per game since returning to the lineup. This isn’t just some short-term burt either. Watson is coming off of a big season – posting 89 points (43 goals) in 64 games – and is posted to make the most of his final year in juniors. On the ice, he is creative, shifty, and knows how to score. He hasn’t notched less than 40 points in any of his previous OHL seasons. The Kingston Frontenacs moved him to the Mississauga Steelheads (where he is now teammates with another Kings prospect, Jacob Moverare) earlier this year, receiving four draft picks in return. Who knows how much higher up our rankings he would have been able to make it had it not been for starting the first half of the season on the shelf. Like the Kings front office, we’ll -reevaluate over the summer and see how is game has rounded out. Watson will likely start next season with AHL Ontario. As always, many thanks to the numerous hockey sources who contribute to this series – especially Andy Tonge, our longtime correspondent, and Cody Warner, who has been covering the Ontario Reign since the AHL arrived in California. Their ongoing input regarding players at the AHL level continues to be invaluable throughout this process. Do yourself a favor and give them both a follow on Twitter right now. If you missed any of the previous articles in this series, click here to catch up. Filed Under: HockeyBlog, Kings, NHL, Prospect Profile, Spotlight Story Tagged With: AHL, Cernak, hockey, Kings, Leslie, Lintuniemi, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mayor, MayorsManor, Monarchs, NHL, Ontario, Reddekopp, Reign, Watson Brian S says: Watson is 5-11 standing on his tippie toes. Seriously, I spoke with him in person at the Reign preseason meet the players event. He looked like a little kid. 5-9 or 5-10 at the most. This is not a knock on him, because he is tenacious near the goal mouth. Look forward to seeing him next season on the Reign. LA Kings 2017 Mid-Season Prospect Rankings: Players No. 6-10 says: […] LA Kings 2017 Mid-Season Prospect Rankings – Honorable Mentions […] LA Kings 2017 Mid-Season Prospect Rankings: Players No. 4 and 5 says: LA Kings 2017 Mid-Season Prospect Rankings: Players No. 3 says:	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1414
__label__cc	0.501	0.499	Justin Bieber Reportedly Releasing a New Song Very Soon It looks like a Lil Dicky feature is coming next week Tiana Timmerberg You may be asking yourself: didn’t Justin Bieber just officially announce a hiatus after a four-year gap since his last album? He sure did, but that’s not the point here! Related: Justin Bieber Shares He’s Stepping Away From Music to Focus on “Deep-Rooted Issues” The only news that truly matters today is that reports are surfacing that the Biebs is coming back next week. The rumored track is set to be a feature on a Lil Dicky song. One of his very few recent Tweets is a retweet of Lil Dicky’s announcement that a new song and video are coming soon, a sign that seems to confirms TMZ’s reports of Justin’s involvement. New song and video next week — LD (@lildickytweets) April 9, 2019 While we’re not counting it as his official comeback since he seems to just be featuring on the track and it was likely recorded before the announcement, we are stoked to hear his voice again. Justin recently took to Instagram to reveal that he’s been struggling with his mental health and is planning on continuing his break from music to focus on himself and wife Hailey. The duo took their longtime friendship to the next level when they confirmed they were married in winter of 2018, and have been each other’s rocks during a difficult start to their lives together. Hailey has been incredibly supportive of Justin's break and has continually provided encouragement during his journey to treat "deep-rooted issues."	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1423
__label__cc	0.517243	0.482757	Archive for the traditional heavy metal Category NIGHT DEMON – Self-titled EP Releasing Via Shadow Kingdom Records Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, Metal, metal music, Music, rock music, rock music news, traditional heavy metal, traditional metal with tags heavy metal news, metal albums 2013, Metal News, night demon, night demon ep, traditional metal on June 21, 2013 by Metal Odyssey On August 6th, Shadow Kingdom Records will release the self-titled four-song EP from NWOBHM-inspired upstarts NIGHT DEMON. This California trio, featuring members of THE FUCKING WRATH, first started making noise in 2011. It didn’t take long for the band to make a name for themselves with Trad-Metal maniacs from across the globe. In fact, shortly after establishing an online presence via Bandcamp, the organizers of Germany’s Keep It True Festival offered NIGHT DEMON a place on the fest’s 2014 line-up. British metallic stylings reminiscent of Angel Witch, Raven and Iron Maiden are kicked into overdrive with an edgier and grittier dose of American Venom. Consider NIGHT DEMON mandatory listening for any NWOBHM fan. The Shadow Kingdom Records CD release is remastered from the digital version and offers an undeniably superior sound. Pre-orders are available at http://www.store.shadowkingdomrecords.com. “Look out for this band; they have something special…” – AveNoctum.com Listen to and watch below the video for the song Night Demon. This video was filmed, directed and produced by the band. NIGHT DEMON – Track Listing: The Chalice Ancient Evil NIGHT DEMON: Jarvis Leatherby Brent Woodward John Crerar (Source: ClawHammer PR) * For more info on NIGHT DEMON, click on the links below! Facebook: Night Demon http://www.nightdemon.net SHADOW KINGDOM RECORDS: Facebook: Shadow Kingdom Records http://shadowkingdomrecords.com LONG LIVE NIGHT DEMON. NIGHT DEMON KICKS SERIOUS METAL ASS. METAL BE THY NAME. WITCH CROSS – “Rocking The Night Away” Music Video: Stone’s Metal Pick Of The Day! Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, rock music, rock music news, traditional heavy metal with tags classic metal, heavy metal news, Metal, rocking the night away music video, traditional heavy metal, witch cross on April 29, 2012 by Metal Odyssey WITCH CROSS – Here is some vintage video footage of the Danish Metal band – WITCH CROSS. From 1984, their debut album (Roadrunner Records) Fit For Fight features Rocking The Night Away. Both album and song are Metal classics! A tried and true Metal blast from the Metal past! Check out Rocking The Night Away below for yourself; then let the old school Metal of WITCH CROSS flow through your Metal lovin’ veins! Fit For Fight – 1984 (Roadrunner Records) * Wanna see what WITCH CROSS is up to in 2012? Check out current WITCH CROSS vocalist Kev Moore and his very cool WITCH CROSS journal by clicking below! http://mooremusic.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/witch-cross-still-fit-for-fighting-16 * For more info on WITCH CROSS, click the link below! http://www.witchcross.dk LONG LIVE WITCH CROSS. MARTA GABRIEL of CRYSTAL VIPER – A Metal Odyssey Interview! Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, rock music, rock music interviews, rock music news, traditional heavy metal with tags crimen excepta, crystal viper, crystal viper interview, heavy metal news, marta gabriel interview, Metal, traditional metal on April 26, 2012 by Metal Odyssey CRYSTAL VIPER – Recently, the forever Rockin’ HARD ROCK NIGHTS and Metal Odyssey teamed up for an exclusive interview with Marta Gabriel of Crystal Viper. Besides being the lead vocalist, Marta also is a guitarist, songwriter and lyricist for Crystal Viper, to name a few. Her knowledge of music and of course, Metal, is exemplary and radiates the skies from Crystal Viper’s recent release on AFM Records: Crimen Excepta. Originating from the great country of Poland, Crystal Viper was founded in 2003 and plays Traditional Metal with potent relevance. After the success of 2010’s critically acclaimed Legends album (their first with AFM Records), Crystal Viper has become an international player in the world of Metal. Marta is surrounded by: Andy Wave (guitars), Tom Woryna (bass) and Golem (drums). Marta talks about the band’s dynamic new album Crimen Excepta and songwriting to the worst moments her band has experienced on tour. Here is what Marta had to say: Can you describe how the new album “Crimen Excepta” conceptually evolved? Marta: “Before I started composing music, I wrote a story; a lyrical theme for the album. I was inspired by history, especially holy inquisition issues, and books such as “Malleus Maleficarum”, “The Name Of The Rose”, and others. After that I started composing the actual music, and that’s really why the whole album is so different in comparison to the previous ones we’ve put out; it’s darker, heavier; there’s more real feeling in the music. It all happened, because I had the whole story in front of my eyes whilst writing the actual songs; I was able to imagine situations described in the lyrics? I would say that this album is like a movie, but instead of pictures, it is told by music.” What has been the turning point or momentum push thus far in the Metal career of Crystal Viper? Was it the (excellent) “Legends” album or something prior? Marta: “Thank you first of all for the compliment; I’m glad you like “Legends”! I can say you’re right in some way, and that was a turning point, because “Legends” was our first album for AFM Records. It was a huge step for us, joining a bigger label.” “Being part of good record company means better promotion for any band, which is very important, because, except for playing live, there are then so many more opportunities for new fans to discover your band. Joining AFM was, without doubt, a huge and important step, but I would say also, that every single live show, and every single album or single release is important too, as we truly enjoy what we do.” I find “Ghosts Of Sherwood” to be an amazingly powerful song, both lyrically and musically. With “Ghosts Of Sherwood being the theme song for the 3D horror movie “Robin Hood”, how did this all come to pass? Marta: “Well, we’d known the German company called Digidreams Studios, which is doing this movie, for quite a while; just through the scene and through video production. It turned out that Crystal Viper’s image and music for this record was going to fit perfectly to the atmosphere of the movie, so we started cooperating and it went from there.” “I received the screenplay, wrote the song and the lyrics, and we were off. It’s worth mentioning that this song is quite different to the usual Crystal Viper stuff; it’s heavy but really melodic. I’m very, very glad that I composed a song for a movie; the film stars the great Tom Savini, and “Robin Hood: Ghosts Of Sherwood” (to give it it’s full title) will have its premiere during the Cannes movie festival, which is really a huge honour.” What was the chemistry like between you and Andy writing the guitar parts for this new album? For that matter, the chemistry of the entire band while recording? Marta: “Well, the chemistry was as good as always really; I wrote all the guitar parts and all the initial music, then we were all working on it, all together. I mean, the band, our producer, everyone gets involved.” “We produced this album in a little bit of a different way though; everything was produced like in the ’80s; you know, Flying V guitars, tube amps, and real drums all the way, no copying or corrections? Everything you hear on the album was sung or played truly. I’m very proud of the final result, and I can’t wait to hear these songs on the vinyl release!” “Crimen Excepta” shows an enormous musical strength through its balance. How difficult is it to not stray too far on either the heavy or the light side of the Metal sound? Marta: “Again, thank you for the compliment. But we never plan or think like that really… To say, “All right; this needs to be heavier” or something like that would be fake in some way. A good song is a good song; everything is very natural and real. What you hear on the album comes out from our hearts and soul. We play the music that we love and I compose music I would like to listen to, all the time…… We don’t want to record the same album again and again; that’s why each Crystal Viper album is a little bit different. “Crimen Excepta” is definitely the heaviest and darkest, but they’re all very different.” Which song on “Crimen Excepta” proved to be the largest challenge for you to sing? I feel “Medicus Animarum” is a shining moment (among many), but this song certainly must push the envelope for vocal execution? Marta: “There are many songs that are less and many more difficult than that on this album, but before entering the studio, I had a lot of time to practice, for sure – we rehearsed everything a million times. We basically always do a strong pre-production before entering the studio, so we know what to expect; what sounds good and so on.” “We don’t like to waste time in the studio. Everything that you hear on the album was sung; we didn’t use any tricks or corrections! It wouldn’t have made sense to do that, as later, I wouldn’t be able to sing moments like that live on stage.” “There are many bands that sound totally different on the album to on stage, or bands who re-arrange the songs to make them easier to play or sing? Of course, if they are happy with doing something like that, then fine; but it’s not our way.” Chris Moyen created an absolutely brilliant cover for “Crimen Excepta”. How important is it to convey the music of Crystal Viper through the album artwork? Marta: “Very… Chris Moyen did a great cover for us again – but, he’d already painted cover artwork for our second single and 3rd album, and so, now with “Crimen Excepta”, he is like part of the family. Of course, it is very important to have the right album artwork, and I would say it’s important in the case of every single band and album? The front cover artwork is like the face of the album, telling you what you can expect, so it should be chosen or painted wisely. In the case of “Crimen Excepta”, everything is one, solid piece: album artwork, lyrics and music!” What can you attribute to the strong success of Traditional Heavy Metal in Europe over the years? Besides a dedicated and large fan base, could it be the variety of Metal festivals and ease of touring within Europe? Marta: “The strong success of Traditional Heavy Metal, you mean? I wouldn’t say so, as some Metal genres are surely more popular these days than it; but the truth is, Heavy Metal has been here for many, many years; trends come and go, but Traditional Metal stays. I think this genre simply deserves that respect – even bands, who play more modern genres of Metal, have their roots in Heavy Metal. Old-School Heavy Metal, as well as classic rock, is a base for all genres of heavy music.” “There’s also lately a kind of New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal going around; young bands playing Old School Metal, and it’s really, really great.” Okay, what is the worst thing that ever happened to Crystal Viper while out on tour? Marta: “Well, there are many stories to tell, and every band has some stories to share, don’t they? The one that comes to my mind, right now, sounds quite funny now, but back then it wasn’t.” “We were playing on a small open air festival (doesn’t matter in what country…); the stage had no roof, and it started to rain. We basically had a lot of special effects on stage (guitar peddles, that kind of thing…), and as the stage got wetter, there were sparks everywhere; the stage was soaked. My guitar amp suddenly exploded because it got all wet! The roadies brought another one on, but it also exploded! It was truly a weird show, but we did our best!” “We also once played on an open air festival in winter; it was like -10 degrees, and the organizers “forgot” to put heaters on stage? And forgot to organize any dressing room for us, as well? Pretty interesting experience, I can tell you!” If Crystal Viper could perform at a “Metal Dream Festival”, which other bands (past or present) would be on the bill? Marta: “There are many great acts we would love to play with, but if I could choose, then the bill would be like this: King Diamond, Nifelheim, Hell, Immortal, Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Iron Maiden, Virgin Steele, Judas Priest, the list goes on!” “Thanks for the interview!!” Thank you Marta for giving your time! * For more info on CRYSTAL VIPER, click on the links below: http://www.crystalviper.com https://www.facebook.com/crystalviperofficial http://www.afm-records.de LONG LIVE MARTA GABRIEL. LONG LIVE CRYSTAL VIPER. KATANA – New Album ‘Storms Of War’ Coming Soon On Listenable Records Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, rock music, rock music news, traditional heavy metal with tags heavy metal albums 2012, heavy metal news, katana, Metal, storms of war, traditional heavy metal on March 9, 2012 by Metal Odyssey KATANA – Guitarist/songwriter Tobias Carlsson has issued an update about KATANA’s new album Storms of War to be released in May on Listenable records. “It was once again recorded, mixed and mastered at Sonic Train Studios by King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque. We were very focused and determined right from the beginning to create a sound that no one had heard on an album since the 80s. To accomplish this, we and Andy listened a lot to albums produced by Martin Birch when mixing and setting the sound. Mostly Rainbow, Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath, Killers by Iron Maiden and Assault Attack by MSG. It became almost our motto in the studio to ask “How would Martin have done it?” whenever we had doubts about something. The songs are mostly completely new, mixed in with some very old ideas and stuff that weren’t finished in time for the last recording. ” “The band has been around for nearly ten years now, and for the first album we had that long to write the material. This time, most of the songs were written and rehearsed over a period of a couple of months. This has been a challenge, but a positive one that has forced our song writing to its best, and beyond.We have broken new ground with this album and played around with things that we have never done before, thus widening the range of what we are capable of musically. But at the same time, we feel that we have come a long way in defining a unique style and sound for KATANA. I would say the album is as diverse as the first one musically, yet more uniform.” ” The Japanese influences are there, especially in the epic song about the great Mongolian emperor Kubilai Khan who twice tried to invade Japan, and failed miserably both times. It is a grand story of Japanese history and mythology. But we are not limited by the Japanese influences and there are songs on this album that explore both other mythological subjects as well as themes taken from popular culture and everyday life.” Tobias confirmed that musically, a fan of early 80s Heavy Metal will feel at home in this album as much as the previous one, and the influences are still very much early Saxon, early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Rainbow, Grim Reaper, Manowar and so on. But more than anything, this album represents 100% KATANA. STORMS OF WAR ARE DRAWING SOON!! Patrik Essén – Guitars Tobias Karlsson – Guitars Johan Bernspång – Vocals Susanna Salminen – Bass Anders Persson – Drums 2011 was a busy year for Sweden-based Traditional Heavy Metallers KATANA. Since the release of their debut album “Heads Will Roll” last spring, KATANA not only found time to tour with both the likes of Where Angels Suffer, featuring Chris Holmes and Stet Howland (ex-W.A.S.P.) and American metal legends Lizzy Borden. They also entered the studio to record their second album, entitled Storms of War. Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, KATANA has been around for several years and has already made a great name for themselves in the underground Metal scene of Sweden and Europe. In 2010, the band won the prestigious Wacken Metal Battle which earned them a slot at the Wacken Open Air, as well as the Sweden Rock Festival. Their debut album has been critically acclaimed all over the world, and Malcolm Dome of Classic Rock Magazine wrote: “This quintet will make a significant mark. This debut is only the beginning of what should be a thrilling march”. With the new album, Storms of War, produced by King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque, KATANA means to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Classic Heavy Metal in the veins of early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon is here to stay! * For more info on KATANA, click on the links below: KATANA – Official facebook KATANA – myspace music LONG LIVE KATANA. NIGHTQUEEN – X-Mas Wonderland (Official Video) Posted in christmas, christmas songs, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, heavy metal videos, metal music, metal odyssey, rock music, rock music news, traditional heavy metal with tags christmas, christmas music videos, christmas songs, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, nightqueen, rock music news, x-mas wonderland on November 19, 2011 by Metal Odyssey NIGHTQUEEN – Since everyone and their cousin’s uncle’s, best friend’s neighbors are starting to celebrate Christmas earlier with each passing year, Metal Odyssey has decided to do the same. Metal be thy name. I couldn’t find or think of any better way than to have NIGHTQUEEN usher in the Christmas season on Metal Odyssey, than with their X-Mas Wonderland (official video). I hope you enjoy NIGHTQUEEN and X-Mas Wonderland as much as I do. Merry Christmas to all… and to all Metalheads worldwide! * Check out more NIGHTQUEEN music videos at: Nightfairyful’s Channel – YouTube NIGHTQUEEN: Keely Larreina – vocals Rex Zeco – guitar Alan Rawson – guitar Daniel Kells – keyboards Steven Steele – bass William Blodyn – drums * For more info on NIGHTQUEEN, click on the links below: NIGHTQUEEN – myspace MASSACRE RECORDS LONG LIVE NIGHTQUEEN. Happy Thanksgiving Week America. Let’s Get This Christmas Season Started… W.A.S.P. 30 YEARS OF THUNDER – Part One & Part Two: Posted On The Official W.A.S.P. Nation Website Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, traditional heavy metal with tags Blackie Lawless, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, rock music news, W.A.S.P., w.a.s.p. nation on October 26, 2011 by Metal Odyssey W.A.S.P. – The legendary Blackie Lawless is currently celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Heavy Metal band he founded, nurtured and made into a dominating force, a band known across the globe as W.A.S.P. and the celebration is called: W.A.S.P. 30 Years Of Thunder. Fans can go directly to W.A.S.P. NATION and read both Part One and Part Two of W.A.S.P. 30 Years Of Thunder. Blackie Lawless has written, in detail, the early beginnings of W.A.S.P. in Part One, (which was posted on W.A.S.P. Nation in September) and Blackie continues on with the early stages of W.A.S.P. history with Part Two (which was posted up this month of October). In the coming months, Blackie Lawless will serve up more W.A.S.P. history, as he writes about the evolution of his band and more amazingly cool stories and facts. Best Metal buddy/Metal Odyssey’s Metal Researcher Scott Coverdale came across Part One and was ecstatic about this W.A.S.P. anniversary, bringing it all to my Metal attention… I too share in the same Metal excitement. Scott and I both congratulate Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P.! Here’s to another 30 Years Of Thunder! Metal be thy name. “There are those who play Heavy Metal, there are Heavy Metal legends and then there are Champions of Heavy Metal. Blackie Lawless is a Champion of Heavy Metal”. – Stone * Visit The Official W.A.S.P. Nation website by clicking the link below: W.A.S.P. NATION LONG LIVE W.A.S.P. LONG LIVE BLACKIE LAWLESS. DARK FOREST: Anticipated Sophomore Full-Length From NWOBHM Influenced Band – Due In November 2011 Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, traditional heavy metal with tags dark forest, dawn of infinity album, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, nwobhm, traditional heavy metal on October 11, 2011 by Metal Odyssey On Tuesday, November 8th, 2011, Cruz del Sur Music will release Dawn Of Infinity, the sophomore full-length offering from recent label signing, UK traditional Metallers DARK FOREST, onto North American soil. Featuring ten triumphant NWOBHM-styled compositions, Dawn Of Infinity soars with over 50 minutes of glorious, unfiltered, heartfelt Traditional Heavy Metal fans of DARK FOREST throughout the underground have embraced since the band’s formation in 2002. Two tracks from Dawn Of Infinity are now available for streaming via the label’s official Facebook page. Check out the tracks “Light Years On” and “Under The Greenwood Tree” at this location. Cruz del Sur Music signed DARK FOREST in June of this year as the band entered the studio to record Dawn Of Infinity, after watching the young Birmingham, England-based outfit evolve over the last few years. Bearing a strong appreciation for the forefathers of the genre, and producing the full-blooded sound of a distinctly English brand of Heavy Metal, the new album fulfills the expectations placed on one of the most interesting bands in the UK’s contemporary Traditional Metal scene, infusing British folklore and Celtic inspiration into their craft. Dawn Of Infinity Track Listing: Light Years On Green Knight The Tor Through The Glass Darkly The Stars My Destination Under The Greenwood Tree Black Delta * For more info on DARK FOREST, click on the links below: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Forest-UK/155861227763625 http://www.myspace.com/darkforestrealm http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com LONG LIVE DARK FOREST. Contact Stone: If you’re a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the “ALBUM REVIEWS ARCHIVES” section below! Follow Metalodyssey on Twitter Follow @metalodyssey Metal Odyssey Subscription Enter your email address to subscribe to the Metal Odyssey blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Metal Odyssey – STONE VENOM PRISON – Announce September/October North America Tour HELLYEAH – A Celebration Of The Life Of Vinnie Paul – Tour Dates, Cities And Venues Listed! SANCTUARY – North American Tour 2019 – Dates, Cities And Venues Listed! 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__label__wiki	0.749861	0.749861	Intruder breaks into Buckingham Palace while the Queen sleeps James HockadayWednesday 10 Jul 2019 10:27 pm The intruder has been arrested and remains in custody (Picture: Getty) A 22-year-old man scaled the fence of Buckingham Palace in the early hours of the morning and got just metres away from the Queen. The intruder was banging on doors in an attempt to get inside the palace as the head of state slept in her bedroom. Police on site took around four minutes to detain him as they tried to assess if he was armed, sources say. Doors to the 93-year-old monarch’s home are locked up in the early hours of the morning, so the trespasser was unable to get inside. The royal standard flag was flying at the palace, which could have given the invader a clue that the Queen was at home. A royal insider told The Sun: ‘This intruder got into the Palace almost 37 years to the day since Michael Fagan ended up getting inside the Queen’s bedroom. The Queen was understood to be the only senior royal sleeping in the palace (Picture: Getty Images) ‘There is a genuine theory and very real fear that he could have been launching a copycat operation. ‘How is it possible all these years later that someone can climb the fence and get right inside the grounds without being stopped immediately? ‘What about heat censors and CCTV? The Queen’s safety should be paramount.’ It is understood that the Queen was the only senior member of the royal family sleeping at the palace because of ongoing refurbishment work. Scotland Yard say the man was arrested on suspicion of trespass and was held at around 2am by officers from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command. The man was not found in possession of any offensive weapons and the incident is not being treated as terrorism-related. Concerns have been raised over Buckingham Palace’s security procedures (Picture: Heritage Images/Getty) He remains in custody at a central London police station. It is is not the first time Buckingham Palace’s security team have had to deal with an embarrassing breach. On the morning of July 9, 1982, unemployed labourer Fagan, scaled the palace walls and got into the Queen’s bedroom. The monarch pushed the panic button by her bed but got no response while the 31-year-old schizophrenic began talking about his family problems. Michael Fagan spoke to the Queen in her bedroom in 1982 (Picture: PA) She phoned the switchboard but the operator thought it was a prank and couldn’t have been the Queen herself. Fagan smashed a glass ashtray and threatened to cut his wrists with it as he sat on the end of the Queen’s bed. The monarch’s long-time aide Paul Whybrew eventually arrived and began talking to Fagan to calm him down. At the opportune moment, he began wrestling with him and pushed him outside where a maid got the attention of a policeman. More: London White woman tells black Tinder date she doesn't like going to 'black places' Woman injected healthy girl, 4, with insulin leaving her severely disabled A free 'wonky picnic' is coming to London to highlight food waste Buckingham PalaceLondonQueen Elizabeth IIRoyal Family	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1431
__label__cc	0.603773	0.396227	January 28, 2019 January 28, 2019 by chloeanneking One Billion Trees Programme set to become workers rights nightmare climate change, low-waged work, worker exploitation, workers rights I’ve been following the government’s One Billion Trees Programme since it was proposed in 2016, by co-leader of the Green Party, James Shaw. He pitched the programme as a tactic in mitigating climate change and assured us it would create meaningful, living wage jobs. At first I was optimistically naive about the scheme. I wanted to believe in Shaw’s lofty words and considerable promises. But as a workers rights advocate and activist that optimism has faded and been replaced by deep concerns. Concerns that include how workers who plant the trees will be treated by agricultural employers and how they will be paid. First up, the government has subcontracted these jobs out to agricultural employers who are notorious for underpaying workers and exploiting them (I’ve spoken out about this issue many times in the media). I spent most of last year traveling up and down Aotearoa, speaking with rural workers on farms, and picking fruit on orchards, who had horror story after horror story of exploitation, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions. Unless the government ensures labor inspectors check on the workers planting the trees on a weekly basis, these so called ‘amazing’ tree planting jobs will become hotbeds of exploitation — on the governments watch. Moreover these tree planting jobs have no base rate, instead, workers will be paid at most 00.60cents per tree but the bottom rate sits at around 00.20cents. In other words, these tree planting jobs are piecemeal seasonal work which is great if you are just after a summer or winter gig to tide you over. But horrible if you are desperate for work and this is all you can find. Piecemeal wages are often presented by employers as if workers could maintain absolute peak efficiency over sustained hours. But maintaining peak efficiency isn’t sustainable for any human being. Unless, you happen to have newly acquired superpowers that mean you can relentlessly work in manual labor for 12-hrs solid without food or water. The government has also offered ‘Direct Landowner Grants’ to farmers and landowners which ‘provide incentives and reduce the barriers to planting trees’. There are two types of grants farmers can apply for and the funds total $238million. But there are no grants offered to potential workers from lesser means who are considering taking tree planting jobs under this scheme. They will have to find the money and the means to upsticks and move to a rural location for 3-4 months without any form of governmental grant or support. When the planting season ends they will either have to scamper and find other low waged seasonal work, or pray they can find accomodation in the middle of a housing crisis and attempt to find a more permanent job in a casualised work economy. All of this is massively worrying. But what really kicked my concerns into overdrive was a recent Stuff Media article that ran with this title, $400 a day to plant trees but no-one wants the job BULLSHIT. This was misreporting at its finest and showcases exactly what I meant about employers presenting piecemeal work as a great deal while omitting the finer print. I spoke out about the article and why the governments tree planting scheme was going to become a workers rights nightmare. A few days later I was interviewed by a journalist at Stuff, and a new counter article ran: Here’s why no-one wants to plant trees for $400 a day I pointed out the following, “To make the $400 a day you’d have to plant 83 trees an hour over an eight-hour work day, without taking a break, to make this kind of cash. I’ve spoken with seasoned tree-planters who say this would be nearly impossible as the work is back-breaking, especially in rugged terrain and varying temperatures and weather conditions. They should pay a base living wage and then 30c or 60c per tree on top, I don’t think that’s asking too much.” I’ve spoken to dozens of people who have worked tree planting jobs who said it would be nearly impossible to make $400 a day on piecemeal wages. One such worker had this to say, “It would depend on the size of seedling planted and I can’t find that information anywhere. If they’re standard pb3 seedlings then I don’t think it’s possible to do 670 per day. We reckon 300 would be a commendable effort, and that would be back breaking. And at 60c per tree thats $180, or $18 per hour for a 10 hour day which is my exact situation now without having to move to the sticks for seasonal work.” Shortly after this article ran I was invited on the a RadioNZ Panel with Michelle Boag, to discuss my reservations over these tree planting jobs: Too good to be true: why people don’t want seasonal jobs Many commentators including Boag, believe these jobs are a great deal and that students and people who are unemployed should just take them, and shut up. But the reality is the government’s One Billion Trees Programme, seems driven by corporate profit, incentivising land owners, and relying on cheap labor. This is a far cry from what was initially promised; a scheme that would deliver meaningful living wage jobs and mitigate climate change and preserve our environment. December 14, 2018 December 17, 2018 by chloeanneking Working hospo is hard mahi: ‘we get groped, harassed, and spoken to like worthless trash by customers’ exploitation, hospitality, hospo voice, workers rights Exploitation, wage theft, and harassment, is rife in the New Zealand hospitality industry. So, when I read articles by journalists who care more about the most trivial things like prices not being displayed in cafes, I have to check myself and try not to lose my shit. One such trifling article on the hospo industry recently ran on The Spinoff, and here is my right of reply because perspective, matters: Kia ora Kerryanne I read your short article on the lack of pricing in some cafes and restaurants and how annoying it is for you. I get it: If you have never worked hospo long-term then perhaps such a thing could be very upsetting for you. In response to your article I thought I’d lay out some real and more pressing issues within this industry that are a bit more important than a lack of visible pricing… First up I am a well known workers rights activist who has 14-years coalface experience in the hospitality industry. Throughout my time working in hospo I’ve witnessed exploitation and illegal behaviour at the hands of my employers. In response I began advocating for hospo workers and fighting for our rights. As such I’ve got license to call bullshit on some of the stuff you wrote such as, ‘I asked a waiter the other day if there was a reason behind it (lack of visible prices) and he said he’d never really thought about it. This seems unlikely to me’. I can assure you it’s very likely the waiter you spoke with hadn’t overly thought about the lack of visible pricing – he wasn’t lying to you. I always find it gobsmacking that us hospo workers serve journalists, such as yourself, your barista level coffee each morning and pour your pints and glasses of vino during your Friday drinks, yet, mostly y’all know so little about our lives and working conditions. Exploitation is happening right in front of your eyes but few seem to notice this. Let me break down my industry for you: hospo is often gruelling, underpaid, and humiliating mahi. More often than not our employers pay us minimum wage or just above or sometimes less – which breaches employment law. Our industry is unregulated and we have no Union and the MBIE and ERA do little, to nothing, to enforce employment law in hospo. Which means we face these grave injustices, alone. We are rarely guaranteed shifts and employers will chop and change our shifts/hours with no notice or good faith negotiating which breaches the zero hours act. This type of shift precarity means we can’t budget because we never know what our pay-check will be week to week. All of this is exhausting and creates something which I’ve come to label ‘chronic precarity fatigue’. Loosely what this means is that workers such as me are constantly exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically because of flexible wages, no guarantee of a job or shifts, and often our workplaces are dangerous and unsafe (more on this soon). On top of this we work long and hard shifts while being paid fuckall to smile at rude customers and work at inhuman speeds while multitasking like no one’s business. To add insult to injury we often end up having to grudgingly apologise to people like you when they bemoan dumbshit like prices not being displayed. Spare me. What compounds all of this is that we get groped, harassed, and spoken to like worthless trash by customers and sometimes our employers. Hospo Voice which is a Melbourne based hospo union, released a survey which said 89% of all female hospo workers in Victoria, have been sexually harassed on shift. I recently had a collective meeting with Auckland based hospo workers who painted a bleak picture of our industry which included rife wage theft and dangerous working conditions which should be considered a national shame. The number one concern that wahine hospo workers’ had who attended the meeting was sexual harassment on the job. They told me horror story after horror story of customers groping and objectifying them with hyper sexualised comments about their bodies. I’ve personally been outright sexually assaulted on shift on multiple occasions. I still have flashbacks to when I was pushed into a toilet cubicle by a customer who then jammed his tongue down my throat and forcefully felt me up. I’ve previously written about harassment in the industry and vocally called for hospo workers to join the #MeToo Movement. Traumatising incidents within our industry are almost a give-in if you work hospo for long enough. That waiter you spoke to probably hadn’t given much thought to food and drink items having no visible pricing because he’s likely more worried about how he’s ganna pay rent and survive rising living costs. Frankly, we don’t have time for some random customers pet peeve. We have bigger things to worry about like how we can avoid being violently assaulted on shift. In your article you also wrote, ‘This may seem like a dull and grinchy thing to write about, but 2018 has become the year of no prices in cafes and I want it to stop. If I don’t want your $18 salad, it’s less embarrassing for both of us if we don’t have to talk about it.’ It is not so much a ‘dull and grinchy thing to write about’ more that your position is lacking in empathy or any real understanding of how our industry does, or more precisely, doesn’t work; $18 bucks for a salad isn’t that bad depending on what’s in it. People want cheap food with amazing service but rarely understand the amount of labour that goes into making said food. From the sous chef who preps, to the chef who cooks/makes finishes the meal, and the waiter who serves you, to the dishy who scrubs your dishes, there is so much more that goes into hospo than what people could ever, imagine. Maybe it is time journalists actually talk to us, not at us. To finish I’d like to ask everyone in Aotearoa, to show more respect towards hospitality workers. We aren’t your slaves. We don’t deserve your abuse or rudeness. We are highly skilled workers and if you disagree, have a go on a barista level coffee machine and see how you go. You have no right to touch our bodies or comment on them. We deserve so much more than the poverty wages afforded us. We deserve at bare minimum a living wage. No one should work this hard in such dangerous conditions and be poor at the same time. Thank you for taking the time to read my writing! All my advocacy work in hospitality in funded by my patreon and community donations without this support I’d be unable to do what I do. So if you think the mahi I do matters and you’d like to support me economically there are three ways to go about this: My paypal is: king.chloe@gmail.com My direct bank account details, are: MISS C A KING, 12-3040-0580277-01 My patreon is: https://patreon.com/user?u=379142&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=creatorshare2 July 6, 2018 July 7, 2018 by chloeanneking On Sexual Violence: Bystanders Don’t Get To Decide What Restorative Justice Is Trigger warning for rape and gendered violence. A few days ago I was made aware of a now deleted twitter thread tweeted by a prominent American activist whom I will call Allanah. The thread attempted to justify their ongoing friendship with – and support of – known abuser and proven serial rapist, New Zealander Morgan Marquis-Boire. Although Allanah does not name him specifically, it has been confirmed by multiple sources via backchannels that this thread is absolutely about him: For some context: Last year US online media network The Verge worked with me to undertake a lengthy journalistic investigation into Morgan, in which he was exposed and proven to have spent decades raping and beating women all over the world. I am based here in my hometown in Aotearoa/New Zealand. I grew up interacting with Morgan until he went overseas about ten years ago. He started raping women in Aotearoa in the early ‘90s and 2000s, eventually making his way to the US where he became a superstar of the tech and cyber security world. He was chummy with the likes of Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden, and lauded as one of “the good guys” on the back of his claim of feminist allyship, and dedication to the cyber security of dissidents and journalists. All the while he continued to rape and beat women while he hid in plain sight. Back here, in my home country, many other women and I, whom Morgan had hurt, raped, and assaulted, spent years speaking out against him in the hopes that one day our stories would be told and believed. It would take well over a decade for our hopes to become a reality. Yet here I am now, reading that despite the insurmountable damage he has caused, Allanah is giving him the “the benefit of the doubt.” They believe with the right kind of “support” Morgan will be able to make the “necessary changes to keep from repeating [that] harm”. What the fuck. I am so done with anyone who naively and dangerously believes he deserves a second chance to correct his mistakes. He was given every chance in the world to stop raping women over the last twenty years, and he still kept raping them. Allanah is not the only person in Morgan’s support camp who have indicated to me they believe he just needs a bit of support and compassion, and somehow this will magically exorcise the serial rapist out of him. I want to give space to a wahine known as Lila, whom Morgan raped, and was the first to publicly go on record about his abuse. She helped me come up with the title of this essay, and wrote this, to me, in direct response to Elle’s twitter thread: “…anyone who ignores the suffering of his victims in hopes that maybe Morgan might turn things around one day shouldn’t call themselves an ally of anything but rape culture.” On that note, the following is my kōrero whakatūpato (cautionary warning/tale), directed at anyone who continues to support and offer their friendship to Morgan, and men like him: I want to make my position on Morgan Marque-Boire crystal fucking clear: He is not just a broken man who can be fixed and transformed with enough “compassion” and “patience” as Allanah believes. He is a dangerous predator, incapable of remorse, who will not stop until he is stopped. “Transformative Justice” will not be effective with someone like him. He is a psychopath who is unable to feel the deep pain and devastation that he has caused. And I cannot think of a model of “harm reduction” that could minimise the suffering he has inflicted, and will continue to inflict, against women. It is not up to Allanah or anyone like them to make decisions around what should be done about his behaviour. Allanah was not there. They did not live through the nightmare and sheer horror he put so many of us through. So not you Allanah, nor any other bystander, should dare try prescribe a cure for what he has done. It is not your place. It is not your right. I promise you that your support and calls to meet him with aroha/love will only embolden him in his abuse, while he croons in your ear that “he can change” and he will “do better.” He can not do better. He does not want to do better. He enjoys his long-established habit of raping and hurting women far too much to ever stop doing it. You are not the first, nor will you be the last to support Morgan, and your support simply empowers him to continue raping and abusing more women. Back here in Aotearoa NZ, an entire community of people inside the insular Auckland Goth scene enabled and protected him because they thought he was cool, and wanted to bask in his popularity (corroborated by The Verge). This community support created the perfect conditions in which he could cultivate his grooming tactics and develop his rape strategies. He used our subculture as a hunting ground, spending nearly a decade raping and beating girls and young women with near impunity. Much like Allanah and the American infosec community, people within our Goth scene wanted to believe he was one of the “good guys” despite the fact that many within our community were quite aware he was a serial rapist and an abuser. His friends used to joke about him drugging and raping women as early as 2006: Morgan pictured left, standing up, at one of the monthly Circadian Rhythm Goth gigs, in Auckland, Karangahape Road, 2006. It takes a village. Your ongoing support of him after the fact, now, makes you complicit in a global community of people who continue to coddle and pardon men like Morgan for acts of gendered violence, which you are not placed to pardon. The evidence against him is staggering; he outright admitted in chatlogs that he had raped so many women that he had lost count of the number. He has had nearly a year to make a public statement and apology, or show an ounce of remorse for his actions. He has done neither. I believe he never will. He knows there are people such as Allanah who will continue to advocate, on his behalf, that we meet the catastrophic damage he has caused with aroha and compassion. Fuck that. And fuck off. So as some of you continue to wring your hands with worry over Morgan’s welfare, I want you to know… nah, I want you to feel the costs that speaking out against him had on me, personally: I nearly lost everything. This includes my life. I lost friends. I was ostracized and bullied by his supporters, and very nearly passed my breaking point. Whenever I dared speak out against him and call him “rapist” I was labelled “crazy” or a “liar”… by nearly an entire community who adored him, and wanted his favour. Do you know what that kind of sustained bullying and collective gaslighting does to you, as person? I was only 17 when the attacks started; I was a kid, a child. I was called a “liar” so often by so many people that I almost started to believe I was one. I do not have the words or language as yet, to describe how this specific type of gaslighting warps your world and convinces you that what you saw, and what you know to be true, was not true. When it was true. Morgan hit and physically assaulted me when I tried to stop him from assaulting my friend. He raped a close family member. He raped my best friend. He raped women so violently that they have ongoing physical health problems and pain, today. He had a pattern of behaviour in which he would bash women in the face and head if they resisted or tried to fight him off while he was raping them. He threatened to kill me in front of people – once with a knife in hand – on multiple occasions, because he knew I knew, and he wanted me silent and compliant. (The Verge has also verified nearly all of this). Monsters maybe not be real but what he did was monstrous. There can be no forgiveness for what Morgan Marquis-Boire has done, at least not from me. He cannot be redeemed because redemption is for those who earn it. He does not deserve your support and he certainly does not deserve anyone’s compassion or sympathy. From where I stand, what he deserves is nothing less than street justice. And if there is a God or two, I pray to them that I land the first blow against his body with a baseball bat. I have been told I should not admit such things in public space (because female rage and anger is taboo). But my rage is absolute. And fuck your taboos. Anyway, while some of you workout a “wellness plan” for Morgan, I think you should know something: The reporting I did on him with The Verge was so traumatic that I was diagnosed with acute PTSD, anxiety, and clinical depression afterwards. I seriously thought about taking my own life because it was just all too much to bear. I felt desperately alone. I am still grieving over what he took, and what I lost, because of what he did. And I do not know if I will ever stop grieving. In many ways I do not want to let go of my grief because it helps me to understand the suffering of others, and that matters. My grief makes me stronger, even in the parts which hurt the most. Eight months after it all came out, I am finally doing better. I fought my way back from a place that I can only describe as hell. I have not thought about taking my own life in three months and I am now able to get out of bed without the weight of depression pushing me down. I have joy and happiness and there are days where I no longer think about him and what he did. But it took every last ounce of mana/strength I had left to make it back alive. But so is he…. So, is he. And still I have to read and hear about people who continue to support Morgan; people who believe he just needs a bit of “transformative justice” and a hug to fix his broken bits. Imagine how it might feel for someone like Lila, and me, to read such tone deaf horseshit. Imagine how painful it is to read that people have more empathy and compassion for Morgan than for the women he raped, bashed, and brutalised. Imagine. May 15, 2018 May 15, 2018 by chloeanneking Why are employers arrogant enough to advertise that they pay below the minimum wage? neoliberalism, rural poverty, Union, wage theft, worker exploitation, workers rights Yesterday, I decided I wanted to find some seasonal work picking fruit so I can make some casual cash while I am traveling Aotearoa on a road-trip. I’d heard that a lot of workers who take on seasonal fruit picking jobs get treated horribly and I don’t doubt it. I’ve had friends who undertook this type of work describe it as “slave labour”. But I thought to myself, “what is a month of being paid the minimum wage and picking fruit because I’m sure I can hack it, for the extra cash?” And I really need the cash at the moment. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I decided to look on New Zealand’s BackPacker job board which is geared towards people wanting short term work and who, like me, are road tripping around Aotearoa. I checked out some ads for housekeeping and cleaning as well as fruit picking. One of the very first ads I looked at very blatantly stated that as employers they pay below the minimum wage, of $16.50 an hour. What the actual fuck: I’ll level with you, I have worked low waged jobs most of my life as such I am not really surprised by the ads I read which publicly advertised breaking employment standards. Employers have offered me less than the minimum wage and I took it, because I was desperate and I needed the cash. Regardless of my own lived experience and hard won knowledge, it still annoyed me because it was so brazen and so arrogant. Here is another ad I found which is looking for a farm hand and offering just $500 a week, and the worker is expected to work a seven day roster, with 6am starts each morning. Not only does this breach minimum wage standards but would be a clear cut case of exploitation. Plenty of employers coerce workers into taking jobs which pay less than the minimum wage but most of them are smart enough to do it behind closed doors: link to ad The job above would likely be cash-in-hand meaning, the worker’ is forced to become part of the insidious ‘Black Economy’. Which leaves them in a vulnerable position because they are coerced into committing tax fraud. And for the record offering below the minimum doesn’t just breach minimum employment standards, it also amounts to wage theft. Yes: stealing. Yet these employers, Farmers, whatever they wanna call themselves, seem to be getting away with daylight robbery. Anyway I decided I’d had enough of these types of ads being unchecked by the site they run on. And, frankly, I am sick and tired of employers getting away with this shit, with zero accountability or consequences. I updated my FB with a simple and direct call to action: The tactic I used to hold this employer to a form of accountability wasn’t my own. First Union used similar tactics a few years ago when they were pushing for ‘fair pay for fair work’ at individually owned Pak’N’Save supermarkets. Union reps and people on the picket-lines outside the supermarkets (including me) handed out flyers stating the owner of said supermarket was treating their staff poorly. The flyers asked people to text the owner demanding better pay for their workers. This means people can feel like they are pushing back and engaging in activism but they don’t have to risk job loss or harsh consequences. Every small action against injustice, counts. As per my Facebook post people texted the owner of the employer in question and pointed out it was illegal to pay below the minimum wage. She responded to most of us stating versions of, “my mother was sick and I was overseas and I didn’t know the minimum wage had gone up.” The governmental wage increase goes up annually at exactly the same time: April the 1st. She must have known? And I am sure the dozens of other employers advertising for workers but paying under the minimum wage on that BackPacking boards knew as well. Look, let’s say in some far off distant alternate universe I give these employers the benefit of the doubt. Maybe as business owners they truly didn’t know the basics of employment law or that the minimum wage goes up every year at the same time. This still begs the goddamn question of: WHY DIDN’T THEY KNOW THE BASICS OF EMPLOYMENT LAW???!!!! THEY OWN A BUSINESS!! OMFGGGGGG!!! Our media was abuzz with whinging employers who were pleading “poverty” over the hike of $00.75 cents. Cry me a river. It isn’t even that much more than the usual hike by our past right wing National government who pushed it up between $0.30 or $0.50. My point is that the media was teeming wth articles about the $00.75 cents increase when it was first announced. As such I find it hard to believe some employers somehow didn’t know about it. Clear and blatant breaches of employment law on this site didn’t stop at minimum wage standards being breached. There was job ad after job ad for “work for accommodation and food”, which is pretty dodgy: New Zealand has a strong wwoofing volunteer community and I understand travelers may want to learn organic farming or permaculture on a lifestyle block because the trade of learning skills, fresh kai, and a warm bed for unpaid work seems like a fair deal. But perhaps our wwoofing culture has lead to the normalisation of “food and accommodation” in exchange for unpaid work? Here is one such ad, for organic farming: The job ad which asks for unpaid workers to help milk a thousand cows sounds like a massive and exhausting undertaking. And the ad also says “approx 4 hours work” each day, so there would be no saying how much you might end up working day to day. In what world does this even sound like a fair deal? Actually, I wouldn’t know what a fair deal looks like on a farm so I asked a Farmer who I will call Dairy Man. He also happens to milk 1000 cows give or take. I asked him how many hours he works on average, he responded: “The cows are milked twice a day through a 50-bail rotary shed for 10 months of the year. There are 6 full-time staff plus a calf rearer during calving & a student over summer.” He told me his workers undertake around four hours of work a day. But during “calving” which takes place from August through to September, he told me his workers easily do between “11-12 hours a day”. I asked if trading work on a farm for “accomodation and food” was a fair deal? It was a “no” from him: “No, it’s not a fair trade. All my staff are paid decent salaries and have accommodation provided on farm at 3/4 market rate. My lowest paid staff members are on about $20/hour.” Clearly, some farmers including lifestyle farmers, are taking the utter piss? And are far more about operating on a modern day form of feudalism than giving their “volunteers” an enriching and positive learning experience. I am going to break this down for you in employment law speak: It’s likely these employers offering “accommodation and food” (and there were tonnes of them) in place of real wages are gonna be in breach of New Zealand’s Zero Hours Act. This act was brought in around two years ago in April. A lot of governmental changes to employer law happen in April and employers should know this! How do they NOT know this??? This Employment Standards Act was a hard won piece of legislation and came about thanks to the hard mahi of Fast Food Workers and Unite Union, battling against contracts called Zero Hours. These types of contract invoke unfair penalties against workers and cause crippling economic uncertainty. The Act was part of a package which aimed to prevent and push back against unfair work practices. If your “volunteers” are working consistent but varying hours that extend past the agreed hours of work, you could be in breach of this Act. Especially if your “volunteers” are working unpaid for an extended amount of weeks and months with no real set start and finish times or agreed hours, or even payment. Giving them some kai and a couch in exchange for such hard labor isn’t fair. It would seem our agricultural industry is the the Wild West of workers’ rights when it comes to employment relations. Anything goes. If your business practices depend on unpaid labour and breaking the law then maybe ya’ just shouldn’t be in business. Here is a run down of the Act, in case any workers/volunteers want to empower themselves and any employers want be less of a cunt… opps, sorry I meant exploitative: ZERO HOURS ACT’ RUN DOWN: CLICK HERE I’ve got to ask: are the employers who are offering below the minimum wage or asking for “volunteer labor” on the BackPacker board, just really ignorant about employment law, as at least one of them is claiming? Or does their brazen and arrogant flouting of employment law have much more to do with the fact that there is almost no oversight (in these industries) by the MBIE (Ministry for Business and Innovation). In Auckland, this Ministry Department only has 11 worker labour inspectors to cover every business in one of our major cities. Couple this with the reality that over the last 30-odd years, consecutive governments have dismantled unions’ bargaining power, making it harder, and harder, for them to function/operate and access sites/workplaces. As such workers have become disempowered and unfairly disadvantaged, and wages have (by design) stagnated for our lowest earning workers. Thanks to all this Hot Neoliberal Mess, workers often have little representation from Unions or consecutive Governments. Thus what has resulted is that most of the power within the workplace (and that includes farms) has been transferred from workers and now sits with employers who rarely face any consequences for breaking the law. So they continue to break it with impunity, because they can. Because no one has stopped them. UPDATE: I spoke to Radio New Zealand about employers advertising that they are paying below the minimum: wage: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018645092/nz-backpacker-job-board-like-the-wild-west Kia ora all! I am freelancing which means I have no secure income so, I rely on donations from the wider public to keep economically afloat. If you liked what I have to say and want to support me, you can make a direct contribution via my bank account: Name: MISS C A KING Bank Details: 12-3040-0580277-01 Or you can support me via my Patreon, check it out… May 4, 2018 May 15, 2018 by chloeanneking ‘In Greed We Trust’: how the Trusts’ in West Auckland are exploiting their workers and breaking the law exploitation, Labour Party, Ross Clow, the Trusts, wage theft, workers rights You’d hope that if a “charitable” Trusts’ motto is “Giving back and investing into the community”, that they’d start by treating their own workers with respect and dignity, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case when it comes to The Portage and Waitakere Licensing Trusts, (hereafter the Trusts) out in West Auckland, New Zealand. If you aren’t familiar with who or what the Trusts are, between them they have an exclusive license to operate twenty-five retail stores. These include liquor stores, eleven hospitality venues, and one hotel, in a geographical area covering nearly the whole of West Auckland. In other words, they hold a geographic monopoly when it comes to selling piss, pedalling pokies, and dishing up food and coffee. And they are big on letting everyone know about just how charitable they are, and how much they love their community out West. Regarding all their blowhard ‘care for the community’-type self-promotion, I can tell you as someone who has worked in one of their restaurants, this ‘care’ and fostering a community approach does not extend to their own workers. From personal experience, and speaking with dozens of Trusts’ employees, there are many examples of unsafe work environments at their venues. Complaints include sexual harassment, an openly anti-union stance, employees being denied basic employment rights such as breaks, and wage theft. Additionally, the majority of their service workers earn poverty-rate wages while the Trusts’ president earns a six figure salary. Up until this point, not much has been said publicly about how this charitable organisation treats their workers, but they have certainly been under the media spotlight for the last few weeks, and NONE of the attention is flattering. The Spinoff recently exposed a number of concerns, such as conflicts of interest among the Trust’s board members, that this “community” organisation promotes problem gambling at their venues, and a lack of transparency in regards to how they spend their money. Increasingly, it has come to the public’s attention that this community organisation may not be as “charitable” as they profess to be. From early January 2018 until March 2018, I was employed at Bricklane, a restaurant situated in New Lynn, owned and operated by the Trusts. Even by hospitality standards, the Trusts have an incredibly low staff retention rate of around 13%. You might ask why they struggle so badly to hold on to staff. Here is your answer: The Trusts pay the minimum wage, or slightly above it, to the vast majority of their service workers. When I had my job interview with Scott Kennedy (hospitality manager) he told me that Brick Lane was a “cash cow” and made “loads” of money. Yet very little of this profit is ending up in the pockets of their workers. At least one kitchen hand told me he was on the minimum wage. I spoke to another worker who was employed in one of their retail stores, she stated she was only offered ten cents above minimum wage when she began working for them. When I was hired I negotiated a starting rate of $17 an hour, but when I was handed my contract I was told I would be paid the baffling amount of exactly $16.88. Another employee I spoke with told me they were also on a seemingly random wage of $16.08 an hour. One has to wonder how on Earth the Trusts calculates the wages they pay their staff. If you treat your workers as nothing more than units-of-production to turn over a profit for some corporate arm headed by a six-figure-salary-plus-five-figure-bonus “earner”, they tend to quit. In April 2018, the government increased minimum wage to $16.50. Some employees at Bricklane have told me they were given a measly pay rise – bumped up to just $17 an hour. Across all of their venues, the Trusts’ pay the vast majority of their staff far below the living wage rate, which will rise to $20.55 an hour this year. I guess their sense of “generosity” doesn’t extend to their retail and hospitality workers. The Spinoff reported that Labour city councillor Ross Clow, also president of the Portage Licensing Trust, is earning an eye watering salary of $127,487 plus bonuses. And National councillor Linda Cooper, who is the president of the Waitākere Licensing Trust, is earning a salary of more than $100,000. So while people such as Cooper and Clow are on six figure salaries, the vast majority of The Trusts’ workers are earning poverty wages. Does this sound fair to you? Personally, I think it sounds like bullshit. One of the Trusts’ key values, is: “Respect! Do what you say you’re going to, with care for each other.” This sentiment is hardly reflected in the sub-human wages they pay their workers, a wage that does not match inflation, the CPI (consumer price index) or Auckland’s spiralling living costs. Just because you say something doesn’t make it true, no matter how many times you repeat it. As far as I am concerned, there is a special place reserved in hell for employers who profit off the blood, sweat, and tears of their own workers. Paying them so poorly, they can barely survive the rising tide of inequality and wrought, in part, by wage suppression, not failing to mention employers who exploit their staff with no remorse. Employees from West Auckland and ALL other employees from all over Aotearoa deserve to be paid a living wage. The Trusts’ should lead by actual example, not merely empty rhetoric. If the discrepancy between Clow and Cooper’s six figure salaries and the pittance paid the Trusts’ hospitality and retail workers does not make your blood boil, perhaps this will: The Spinoff reported that before 2016, the Trusts had sold a whopping NZ$100 million worth of alcohol in the last decade. But as the report continues, “up until recently the Trusts’ financial contribution to local community could be measured in the tens-of-thousands.” More recently, they have invested $1,000,000 dollars per annum back into the community, while spending $200,000 on advertising costs alone! They are a vastly profitable conglomerate, yet very little of those profits are ending up in the bank accounts and hands of their lowest paid workers, or even the community they are beholden to. I think it should be noted that the large majority of trustees at the Trusts are actively in favour of paying their own workers poverty wages. Just for some background: The Trusts’ is made up of three different boards: the Portage Trust Board (ten members), the Waitakere Trust Board (seven members), and lastly the West Auckland Independent Board (WAI) (five members) for a total of 22 Trustees. A few years ago, the Trusts (like other wider organisations associated with the council and community) put paying all their employees a living wage to a vote. I am told that only around two trustees, voted in favour. Yep, you read that right: Only around two trustees thought their workers deserved to be paid enough to afford the basics of life. I reached out to Clow for comment over email and I asked for his stance on the living wage; he responded writing, “I want to categorically state that I am a strong supporter of the Living Wage campaign, and the goal of delivering all a decent income.” But the question has to be asked: if he is the president of the Portage Licensing Trusts, and he also chairs the Auckland Council Advisory Group on the Living Wage, then why is it that the Trusts’ workers have remained on such low pay packets? The devil is in the detail: Clow goes on to contradict himself in the same email. He states that hospitality has low profit margins and “it is vital we remain competitive against our close competitors”. In other words the buck, and Clow’s, commitment to the living wage stops at the Trusts’ doorstep. Perhaps Clow’s position as chair on the Advisory Group on the Living Wage needs to be reviewed? Sub-human wages are not the only problem. In the two and a half months that I worked for this company, I was routinely denied my basic break entitlements which, just for the record, is a breach of employment law. I continuously complained to my duty managers, asking for my break entitlements and eventually I began to get them, although only sporadically. I believe the Trusts purposely under-staff their venues as a way to save on wages. But what then occurs is that during high volume periods and weekends, breaks are overlooked for the sake of “customer service” and an extra corporate buck. Not to mention when you under-staff a hospitality business, it means your workers have to work twice as hard while still earning piss all per hour. Does this sound like an ethical business practice to you? I spoke with Nick who worked as a Duty Manager for one of the Trusts’ venues from 2013 to 2016. He told me he started on $15 an hour (in 2013 the minimum wage was $13.75). During this time he recalls that he never received a pay-rise until the yearly governmental increase and then he’d be bumped him up about 50 cents. He went on to say that he often worked as sole charge during the day and rarely, if ever, received his basic break entitlements during these periods. The longest he worked on one shift without a break because of “understaffing” was 12 hours straight. Nick also tells me he believes wage theft was happening while he was working for the Trusts: “I remember for a time, there was a period where we were getting unpaid breaks – as in, the venue managers would deduct the amount of time for breaks from the wages of that day.” In other words, he believes that breaks he never took were being deducted from his pay! This doesn’t just breach employment law: it’s outright illegal. This type of wage theft is common in the hospitality sector, but you’d hope an employer pitching themselves as a community organisation, would be better than this. When I asked Nick if he thought the Trusts’ cared for the welfare of its lowest paid workers, he responded without pause, saying, “Hell no”. He then elaborated: “Any organisation that could be accurately described as a ‘trust representative’ is far too removed from the actual working conditions of their lowest paid workers to be able to care about them.” I don’t know how Nick stuck out nearly three years working for the Trusts, because after only two and a half months of working for Bricklane, I had had enough. I made a formal complaint to my Union (E tū), which I have actively followed up a number of times. This was soon after I had a meltdown at work because I was so sick of how I was being treated. My mental health had began to suffer, I had started to drink heavily to cope, and frankly, I had had enough of their bullshit. I refused to go back because I felt my workplace was unsafe. I terminated my employment with Bricklane, and was paid out for my final two weeks. The reason why I called my workplace “unsafe” was because of the high levels of harassment I personally witnessed and endured at Bricklane. From regulars who go in for hugs without asking permission – my body is not your entitlement – and whose hands then sometimes crept down and on to my ass, to outright inappropriate comments from others: a customer once said to me, loudly, “You have great fucking tits.” Clearly the culture at these venues needs to change. I expressed my concerns over the phone to Scott Kennedy (Hospitality Manager) in regards to lack of safe working conditions and basic break entitlements. He told me he was horrified and would “investigate”. I recently followed up with an email and asked him if any form of an investigation was underway. I received no response. The reality is that the socially corrosive pattern of hospitality businesses getting away with the most appalling behaviour in regards to how they treat their workers is commonplace in New Zealand. My industry is unregulated and its workplaces often dangerously unsafe. Breaches of employment law are common. It is a sector in which workers are routinely disempowered and exploited because of criminally low wages, poor Union representation, and nearly no oversight by the MBI (Ministry of Business and Innovation) or consecutive governments, and including those with Labour in charge. After all, Clow, is a Labour Party councilor who happily takes a six figure salary while his own workers are paid poverty wages. The Trusts’ 37 venues have a multi-employer collective agreement (MECA) with E tū Union, and as such, working conditions should be more bearable. The fact that they are not might have a lot to do with the anti-union sentiment I observed at Bricklane. The Duty Manager actually encouraged me not to sign the MECA Agreement as I was signing my employment contract. While working at Bricklane and in speaking with dozens of Trusts’ workers this week, I’ve learned hardly any of the workers knew anything about the MECA or E tū. I only knew about the benefits of signing this agreement because I come from a Union background (thanks, Mum) and I know how to read my contracts properly. To be clear, each worker is offered two contracts they can sign when they first become employed by the Trusts’. The first is an individual agreement which leaves workers with little to no legal protections if things start going ‘wrong’ at work. The second is a MECA (Mixed Member Employment Collective Agreement) which gives workers greater protections as they are protected by their Union. But the Trusts’ ony inform workers of the MECA briefly over email and in a short letter attachment. No one, from Scott Kennedy to E tū representatives, explains the benefits of signing such an agreement over the individual contract, for example, signing the MECA exempts you from the controversial 90 Day Work Trial. E tū need to step up their involvement with the Trusts as there have only been a handful of site visits by representatives in the last 12 months. E tū justified the lack of site visits in an email to me saying there was “no uptake” in regards to joining their union out West. This claim sits in stark contradiction to the workers I spoke with who had no idea they even had a Union. Multiple E tū representatives whom I spoke with told me they are in “living wage negotiations” with the Trusts. But they have been in these “negotiations” for years and nothing has changed. No workers at the Trusts’, I spoke with had any idea about these negotiations. If a tree falls in the woods… It seems, in regards to protecting the rights of the workers at the Trusts, there is a lot less E tū (stand strong/stand up) and far more e noho (sitting down). In the before-mentioned email Clow sent to me, he stated, “Management also confirmed that the relationship with E tū continues to be a good working relationship.” Perhaps it is time E tū got out of bed with men like Clow and the Trusts’ upper-management and instead, started talking directly with the Trusts’ lowest paid workers. Clearly, their voices are not being heard. If what I have told you isn’t bad enough, it gets worse. I spoke with another worker named Paul who has worked for one of the Trusts’ many liquor stores for four and a half years. He pointed out that he and his co-workers are all expected to undertake ongoing online training, outside of work. On the surface it may sound like this company is putting effort into upskilling their staff, but the reality is, workers aren’t paid for any of the time put into the courses. He explained to me: “In recent years they have also manipulated staff into doing many, many hours of online training in their own time* (which legally they are required to pay you for), saying things like: ‘if you can’t put a couple of hours of your own time into learning for the business, then we as a business don’t want you’…” Another person who used to work in one of their retail stores contacted me over Messenger, she told me she also had to undertake online training and was told “it’s [our] problem to do it outside of work.” Both she and her co-workers attempted to argue against doing training unpaid and on their own time. But they were all threatened with disciplinary action by the store manager if they continued to speak out. This workplace bullying isn’t exactly conducive to a fair and safe working environment. Throughout our conversation, Paul, much like Nick, made it clear he did not think the Trusts, cared for their staff and described their business practices as “sickening”. E tū’s collective agreement and its benefits, should be thoroughly explained to all new workers and clearly this is not happening. And they should be encouraged to sign it, not discouraged, as I was. But there is a reason why anti-union sentiment flows through their veins and venues: it means they can continue to pay their workers peanuts while treating them like dirt, with no consequences. Well, I am here to say: I am your consequence. I am the Trust’s worst goddamn fucking nightmare. I am a low-waged precarious worker with nothing left to lose and everything left to gain. Just because the rest of the hospitality industry treats their workers as disposable trash, does not mean the Trusts’ have to follow suit. Afterall, they are – on paper – a charitable organisation which profess to invest back into their surrounding communities. Their workers mostly live out West and are part of that community. As such, they should pay every last one of their workers, at the very least, a living wage, and on top of this pay their workers to do online training. What’s more, this community organisation is also making staggering profits off pokie machines, as The Spinoff reported. By proxy, they are profiting off community poverty and misery which is so often wrought by addiction issues, but as yet have not specifically invested any money back into addiction services. This would be a simple, logical, and ethical move to mitigate some of the destruction they so routinely enable in people’s lives. Those who are bearing the heavy weight of addiction in West Auckland should not be stigmatised and shamed but, instead, corporations who profit off addiction should be publicly shamed and stigmatised. Between the sale of booze, and their ever-growing property and assets portfolio (estimated at $70 million) and the $14 million sitting in their bank account, I am sure they could find a few bob – or a few million – to pay their workers a decent wage, and then at least partially fund addiction services out West, which are woefully underfunded, with the area even lacking addiction peer support workers. I have already written elsewhere about the importance of peer support workers in addiction and recovery; they are effectively the backbone of other addiction services in Auckland. It would seem the Trusts are far more interested in brand building than community building. I would laugh at their hypocrisy, but in all honesty I am deeply disturbed by their predatory business practices. I believe they need to start moving towards a more sustainable, cooperative, and democratic way of operating. This is not much to ask, is it? It is just asking for workplace fairness and basic human decency. Building on my own personal experiences, and after talking with dozens of other Trusts workers, it is clear they are far more about benefiting from the brutalities of late neoliberal-capitalism than investing back into their community. It is time this changed, not next year, and not in a few months’ time, but today. Right now. Some names have been changed Kia ora all! I am freelancing which means I have no secure income so, I rely on donations from the wider public to keep myself economically afloat. If you like what I have to say and want to support me, you can make a direct contribution via my bank account: Thanks very much for your aroha and time. October 3, 2017 October 3, 2017 by chloeanneking WINZ: where hope and dignity go to die depression, food insecurity, poverty, suicide, welfare, WINZ I’ve just come from a WINZ (Work and Income New Zealand) office out in East Auckland, I often go as an advocate for people on welfare. I do this because I know going it alone, mostly, means you will be denied entitlements, often leave empty handed and likely, humiliated. The person who I supported today, I will call Emma (most people on welfare would rather stay anonymous when I ask if I can write about them). Emma, had had her benefit sanctioned because she was unable to attend a few scheduled appointments with her WINZ caseworker. We discovered later that an IRD (Inland Revenue) error was at the centre of this ordeal. Over the last year Emma, has undergone two major surgeries: one on her neck, another on her elbow, leaving her in constant pain and on heavy pain meds. On top of this, a few years ago she was diagnosed with early onset arthritis in addition to injuries to her nerves and spine. Her ongoing health issues make working incredibly hard because she can’t predict when she will have good days and when she will be stuck at home in chronic pain. She still can’t lift anything heavier than a milk jug, can’t sit in a fixed position for any period of time, and suffers from insomnia that will often keep her awake for 40 hours or more. That’s when the seizures start. Her health issues impact and compound her mental health which just adds to her brain fog. Depression, the physical pain and the concoction of pills Emma is on to control her physical pain, make it hard to think clearly and just remember day-to-day things – like those all important WINZ appointments. Between all the physical and emotional hurdles which Emma faces every-single-day of her life, she missed six scheduled appointments at WINZ. She was operating under the information she’d previously been given; that she needed to submit a medical certificate every three months and have a yearly review. Emma didn’t realise she wasn’t in compliance and as such, her benefit was sanctioned and cut to the bone. Resulting in her missing rent, having no money for food, and barely managing to get by. Because what better way to kick someone in the guts who is already struggling, than to to cut them off economically? I want to say right now, right here: I feel welfare sanctions are a cruel form of (economic) punishment which are punitively administered for the smallest slights of ‘bad behaviour’. Which include (but are not limited to): forgetting or being unable to make a scheduled appointment, failing a drug test (seriously, don’t tell me you* as a fully employed person, has never ever smoked a bit of dope, dropped a pill in the weekend, or downed a wine or three every other night), and refusing to take a job that may or may not be suitable for you. If you want to get a welfare sanction lifted you are required to go and plead your case, to whatever caseworker has been assigned to you at the next available appointment. Either that or risk missing even more rent payments and then in turn, risk joining the 40,000 people in Aotearoa, who are homeless and living on the streets. The WINZ appointment we had wasn’t exactly the worst I have attended. I’ve had caseworkers out right lie to me, make up WINZ policy, and actively yell in my face for calling them out on their bullshit and lies. It is always luck of the draw when it comes to WINZ: will the caseworker have empathy or will sociopathy be their preferred state of being? Who knows? But luckily this particular caseworker operated from a place of semi-empathy and reinstated her benefit with back-pay. When I asked for a food grant for Emma, the casework granted it without forcing us to jump through moral hoops. Being poor is now an individual and moral issue; not a structural or state issue. I am just going to put-it out there and get all radical: No one in this damn country should be forced to beg for food. However, every single day those on welfare are forced to do just that; beg for their most basic entitlements. Only a few weeks ago RadioNZ reported that over 200 million worth of WINZ entitlements had been denied to tens-of-thousands of beneficiaries, “The figures were in a report obtained by Newsub’s The Nation under the Official Information Act. It showed 150,000 beneficiaries and low income families were not getting payments totalling $200m a year that they were entitled to.” More often than not when I ask for a food grant the caseworker will demand the person in need of food justify why they deserve it and ask what happened to any extra dole money they had. Oh, I don’t know? Lack of dole cash might have something to do with the cold, hard, and shitty fact that WINZ payments are so low it barely pays rent let alone guarantees the basics like: food. I talked to a sole mum on WINZ a few months ago who had recently discovered dumpster diving. She was so excited about it all because as she told me “I now have food security. I know I can find food no matter what. My family will not go hungry.” Ya’ fucking know our country is fucked when a sole mum is finding hope at the bottom of a trash can. And food security means going through bins at the backs of gourmet supermarkets like Farro to avoid going hungry. In the end we got a food grant, we re-instated Emma’s welfare payments and got back-pay. We still have to go and print out some IRD material to get everything fixed up, which it seems WINZ can’t manage in an office full of printers. I am hoping tonight she has a tiny bit of economic breathing space. But what worries me the most is the despair and the sheer terror so many people I support at WINZ are feeling, this includes Emma. She bluntly summarised to me, her experiences with WINZ: “Constant, exhausting terror, dulling your cognitive abilities because you’re in perpetual fight/flight mode.” On the way home from WINZ, Emma told me she had come up with a ‘Plan B’ if she couldn’t sort out the WINZ sanctions. This plan was simple in execution: she was going to take her own life. She told me she didn’t want to “come across as dramatic” but she couldn’t see any other way out of it. I understand what I just typed is heavy and hard; suicide is always a tough and painful subject. But I think we need a compassionate and public conversation around the very real and deep trauma that our State Social Systems are causing so many people. Like, forcing people to live off so little they are picking food out of a bin to gain food security is not okay. It is not fucking okay that every damn time I go to a WINZ office, caseworkers are actively making up policy. Even the ‘semi-empathetic’ caseworker we got today, still, lied and told Emma it was part of her “WINZ obligation that [she] come for an appointment once a month.” That isn’t true. Tonight, I spoke with an ex WINZ caseworker, who told me, “What we [WINZ caseworkers] did to beneficiaries was awful… we were encouraged to dehumanise them.” It is not okay that nearly everyone I have advocated for at WINZ, has broken down in tears during appointments and have often been close to a panic attack. Most people I advocate for at WINZ unanimously tell me it is a humiliating and utterly defeating experience. Being poor, being unemployed, being on welfare, being down on your luck, or struggling with serious health issues like Emma… doesn’t make you less than; it doesn’t suddenly make you sub-human. The fact I even have to type those words as a reminder that, regardless, of what economic and social position you hold, you are still a human being, makes me incredibly sad. If you need help and support for depression and/or here are some services you can contact (or flick me a PM or email me at king.chloe@gmail.com) Lifeline: 0800543354 YouthLine: 09-376 6645 Beyond the Election: on solidarity and building communities of compassion Alcoholism, drug addiction, homelessness, injustice, neoliberalism, poverty, racism, revolution, sexism, suicide, wealth inequality Trigger warning for content which includes sexual assault and suicide New Zealand’s General Election result of 2017 was incredibly close and we actually do not know who has won, just yet. But already my Facebook and Twitter feeds are filled with updates from leftie friends, comrades, and activists declaring “Three more years of poverty, despair and crippling economic insecurity.” And yeah, I get it; whichever way the ballot box falls, it is hard to grasp why so many people voted again for the National Government which has presided over record levels of homelessness, wealth inequality, and suicide rates. As someone who advocates for those on welfare and for some of our lowest paid workers within the hospitality industry, I see first-hand the impacts of this National government’s values and policies on our poorest citizens. I too, am pretty pissed off that we are quite possibly staring down the barrel of a gun of another three years of a National government. But … right now, today … this week, I am not feeling defeated or discouraged over this election result, especially given that the last election was a landslide victory to the right. The National party government’s convincing win in 2014 was so complete that at the time it felt utterly crushing for so many of us on the left: “Could be worse”, as they say. It got worse. But now, I am actually – at long last – feeling hopeful again, and I understand that might sound really naive to some of you. But just bear with me and give me a chance to explain why my hope hasn’t been totally annihilated by the 2017 election result, thus far. This hope I am holding on to comes from everything I’ve been through and survived in the past year, and as such, how I perceive a win: my definition of a victory, both politically and personally in life, has changed drastically over the last few months. I’ve got this new fire burning in my belly which has been ignited by the many injustices my mates and I have survived over the last year. Defining a win for this election cycle, for me, is about recognising progress and acknowledging where we were as a country only eight weeks ago. Politically, New Zealand was looking at a failing opposition and a guaranteed National government. Personally, only eight weeks ago, I was in Puna Whakataa, a respite community house for people dealing with addiction. I fully recommend you not attempt to drink wine like it is water, it doesn’t end well. This was sparked by many events. Some are personal and some political including the following: being fired from a job simply for speaking out about the exploitation of new migrant workers within that workplace (shout-out to the National government for shitting all over workers’ rights including through 90 day trials); being sexually assaulted, which left me reeling and feeling broken; my mum finding out she had cancer; and one of my best friends passing away suddenly. Context matters, and my context is: I’ve already survived so much, and it hasn’t killed me; I am still standing. More than anything, it was being sexually assaulted which led me to using alcohol to numb emotions for which I had no coping skills. I tried to get help through the public mental health system but the waitlists were massive, the hoops and different organisations I had to call felt overwhelming, and it just seemed easier to medicate with booze to temporarily anesthetize my pain. National have woefully underfunded services that support those who have been raped or assaulted, and as Radio New Zealand reports, there are month-long delays. It isn’t just Rape Crisis supporters who are struggling to keep up with the overwhelming numbers of people who need help. All our mental health service funding has been cut to the bone under the National Government. I spoke to a mental health worker who wanted to remain anonymous, who said to me, “We are dangerously underfunded, understaffed, and our working conditions are appalling. Most of us are on burnout and are looking to leave.” Those of us seeking support are often left to find other ways to cope and manage. Given you are 70% more likely to use drugs and alcohol if you have survived sexual assault and/or rape, falling headlong into addiction isn’t exactly inevitable but it is probable at least, for some of us. It is safe to say I become part of that 70% statistic and attempted to drink myself to death, until, finally, exhausted, I reached out for help, again. I learnt of a peer support focused addiction and recovery service called Mahi Marumaru which is out in South Auckland, near where I live. It took a few months to get a support worker but I hang in there, and eventually I was connected with a peer worker named Jamie, who has been amazing. She suggested I have a break from everything and go into Puna Whakataa, a short-term respite community for addiction recovery, so I could rest and start healing. There was absolutely no waitlist for this respite (keeping in mind I already had to wait for months to access a peer support worker), likely because Puna is funded by the south Auckland DHB and The Salvation Army, once again a charity doing the work of what the government should be doing. It was, in part, founded by Peer Support workers who come from lived experience with addiction who realise having to wait for a bed can mean the difference between living or dying. I spent two weeks there, in which I learned a lot about addiction, myself, and how the best models of addiction and recovery are based on aroha and compassion. I had access to 24/7 counseling and support and for the first time in my life I was being taught the tools I needed to cope with all the pain and trauma I was living with. I walked out of Puna feeling stronger, and as if maybe the possibility really does exist that I could get my life back again. I have not stopped drinking completely, but I am certainly no longer drinking in the mornings, and I am certainly not drinking everyday; for the first time in a long time I have moments of joy where I feel happy, and where all this hurt does not feel so huge and heavy. Perhaps, for many people, having to go into respite and needing to admit you have a serious problem with alcohol would not be classified as a “win” in life. But for me, it is a win to be able to say: “I am not drinking in the mornings anymore, I have a bit of hope for my future, and I am slowly but surely gaining my life back”. In fact, being able to say this isn’t just a win for me, but also it is life-affirming: not everyone who becomes addicted to a substance makes it out alive. I know this because while in Puna, a person who was meant to be admitted to a bed did not make it. They passed away from complications with alcohol before they could even walk through the front door. In this context it feels like a monumental victory right now for me to say “I am getting there. I am still here in this world”. The knowledge that I can survive so much heartache during a short time has given me a new perspective on my life, and by extension my political awareness, and even how I perceive what a political and social win can, should, and does, look like. It reminds me that whether we have a Labour or National government, it will not change my resolve to fight as long and hard as I can for a gentler and more compassionate country. And by extension communities that are nuanced enough to recognize the impacts of what historical and contemporary racism, sexism, and classism have done to our people. At the very start of this piece of writing, I pointed out we now have one of the highest suicide rates in the OECD. While politicians bicker about what is or isn’t economically possible when it comes to funding crucial health and support services, people are dying. Between June of this year and last, our suicide statistics rose to a staggering 606 people. This number disproportionately affects our Māori and Pasifika people and our young men. When inequality becomes so overwhelming, so huge and so clearly entrenched within our communities, people’s mental health will always deteriorate. The final, irreversible, and desperate consequence of this deterioration is death by suicide. I would like to add two more people to this statistic of 606 people: during the lead up to the General Election, two of my friends committed suicide. This year has, truly, been appalling and shattering for myself, my friends, and our extended communities. They were both young women in their early twenties, and both had struggled with mental health issues for a long time. One of these young woman had spent a long time battling the punitive and humiliating WINZ (Work and Income New Zealand) state system, and often told me how WINZ contributed to her despair and depression. Notably, mental health was a leading campaign issue for most major and minor parties, with Labour leader Jacinda Ardern speaking emotionally about her own experiences losing a friend to suicide and has pledged to a target of zero suicides, and has vouched to, if elected, better fund mental health. Perhaps the most powerful act of solidarity for those suffering with mental health issues, however, came from then co-leader of the Green Party, Metiria Turei, who also, importantly and correctly, connected mental health with welfare and poverty. In July of this year the Green Party launched their welfare policy which would see all benefits rise by 20% and accompanied by a roll back of the economic sanctions many face if not meeting their obligations under WINZ. Metiria spoke at the policy launch where she admitted she had committed welfare fraud in the early ‘90s as a young solo māori mum. She told everyone she did so as an act of survival to supplement her measly DPB (Dependant Parents Benefit) at the time. Metiria said, “Like most people who receive a benefit, I was so careful about managing my money. I’d go to the bank every fortnight on dole day. I’d withdraw all my money, in cash, then split it up into small amounts, wrapped up in rubber bands with little notes about what it was for. I knew exactly how much I had for our bills, our rent, our food. But whatever way I split it, I still didn’t have enough to get by at the end of the week.” In response to her confession she was subject to a relentless media beat down. Public benefit-bashing became a bloodsport in which spectators jeered at the sidelines and pundits with no lived experience of welfare threw the hardest and heaviest blows. Writer and activist Giovanni Tiso gave perhaps one of the most powerful rebuttals to the tirade of abuse and condemnation that was flung at Metiria and, by extension, anyone who is or has been on welfare: “Far too often – while rightly worrying about the continued capacity of journalism to serve its democratic functions in spite of the decline of its business model – we forget that the fourth estate is just that: an estate, that is to say a seat of power, and that this power is implicated in everyday forms of social repression and in entrenching the dominant ideology. This is the ideology that reduces welfare recipients to occasional objects of pity, while systematically depriving them of any agency. Hence the outrage at the revelation that a young woman on the DPB – at a time when Māori unemployment in her age bracket was at near 40 per cent – should dare to be politically active. It is also the ideology that dictates that the lives of beneficiaries must be open to constant surveillance and monitoring, down to the most intimate details of their sexual and affective lives, and including the odious policy of ‘naming the father’.” To add to what Giovanni so necessarily points out, what was barely noted in our media was that Metiria’s act was one of solidarity after the fact. She had been prompted to speak out about welfare and welfare fraud because she had read a story about a young woman who had taken her life after being accused of welfare fraud. As it turned out the accusation was false, but by the time the truth came out, the realization came too late to save the woman. Let’s break this all down to its bare bones: Metiria was forced to stand-down because she dared defend the lives of those on welfare and in this case the life of a young woman wrongfully accused of a so called “welfare crime”. A “crime” which she had not even committed and who then, in response, took her own life and became part of our 606 people who have died by suicide, this year. People are dying because the so-called State safety net no longer aims to catch those in struggle but instead strangles, criminalises and subjugates them. People are dying because there are not enough beds available fast enough in our mental health and addiction and recovery units and houses. And serious trauma survivors like me seem only able to access wrap around care and help, when we become desperate to the point of struggling through life or death situations. We are living in a country that punishes and seeks to further destroy those who are already in immense pain. You need to ask yourself: Is this the kind of country you want to live in? I know few people who are not affected by suicide, poverty, or growing inequality, and all of these things affect us both on personal and societal levels. Just as recovering from personal tragedy takes many years, even with help and support, recovering and healing as a nation from all of this deep social pain, loss, and heartache will take rebuilding our communities and connecting on much deeper levels with one another. We have institutionalised political and social systems founded upon the neoliberal belief that by increasing the pain of those in struggle, we can somehow improve their lives through a dose of “tough love”, an oxymoron if ever there was one. The thinking goes that we can bully and coerce the unemployed into finding jobs no matter how shitty, lowly paid, humiliating, and insecure they may be. We can shame and force those with addictions to pledge to abstinence or face criminalisation and social exclusion. We can demand that those in poverty somehow find individualised ways or strategies to crawl and dig their way out of structural poverty. These approaches are the antithesis of empathy and aroha, the two things I was meet in spades with, inside Puna Whakataa. I believe these two powerful emotions of aroha and empathy could be a remedy to social harm, if turned into action; let us use the verb form of these words. I believe aroha and empathy should be at the core of our political and social lives. Perhaps then, all of us who are struggling day-to-day with poverty, addiction, or any other hardship, could begin to etch out a decent economic living and a meaningful life filled with love, laughter, and light, instead of disenfranchisement, disconnection, and despair. Writer and activist Moana Jackson writes for e-tangata, “Perhaps amid all the current post-mortems about winning and losing the election, it may be timely to re-imagine what is ‘real’ and to reflect on what kind of a different reality might be created.” Whatever government we are left with, it will take decades of compassionate mahi at a grassroots level to imagine and create counter-communities of connection and absolute solidarity; communities that cannot be fractured. Author and activist Max Harris writes for The Spinoff, “But beyond September 23, we cannot let up on putting pressure on politicians to help to create something better. In my view, that “something better” is a politics grounded in care, community, and creativity – a politics underpinned, ultimately, by love. The structures of our politics in their current form don’t accommodate how people are doing politics or want to be done. We need to change that.” One election, whichever way it may go, does not determine our futures or our lives absolutely. If the last eight weeks have taught me anything, it is that we already have a growing politics of “care, community, and creativity” — we always have, at least at a grassroots level. I experienced this in a community house called Puna Whakataa and our wider addiction and recovery whānau out South. Who treat people like me who have addiction issues as people in need of support and understanding, and not as loser junkies and alcoholics who should be in jail or publicly ridiculed. We all saw this with Metiria Turei speaking out and up for those on welfare and refusing to apologize for committing welfare fraud, in other words refusing to say sorry for just trying to survive and obtain a decent standard of living. It has long been noted: If the law is unjust the law must be broken. Metiria acted from a place of care and aroha when she so publicly stood with The Welfare Class, and in doing so she ripped wide open the political space for thousands upon thousands of people to tweet, Truth to Power. Under the hashtag #IAmMetiria countless people, in response to her speaking out, told their stories of hardship and cruelty at the hands of WINZ, exposing a failed and brutal system that hurts more than it heals. Metiria also refused to “dob in” any sole mummas who confided in her that they too had committed welfare fraud as an act of survival. Metiria’s refusal to nark on those who trusted her with sensitive information is what I call solidarity. You can’t break that kind of solidarity. It is absolute. I’d assume Metiria would rather do jail time then ever break confidence with the women who confided their truths with her. Perhaps, for some, it will be hard to understand this level of loyalty… But, I do. You can’t undo a suicide. You can’t buy back values, principles or morals. Once they are gone. They are gone. After that you have to live with your decisions and choices. On the back of #IAmMetira, the art and activist movement We Are Beneficiaries, sprang up on Twitter and then on Facebook and eventually even out on the streets. We Are Beneficiaries enlisted the help of artists to draw portraits or images that viscerally reflect the stories and words of those on benefits. This is exactly how communities that cannot be fractured are born: through the sharing of our common stories, and then the citing of these stories as a form of public and political testimony, which gives shape to our daily lives, and the struggle against being forgotten. In the ardent words of journalist Sarah Kendzior, “When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologies justify punishing the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatise those who let people die, not those who struggle to live.” During turbulent times it pays to remember those of us in the Working, Lower and Welfare Classes take out the majority of our population; we are the majority. We are the 99 percent. We are the ones we have been waiting for. Or you can support me via my Patreon, check it out! Connect (mahi marumaru) Buzzed, addiction and recovery HELP: Sexual Abuse Survivors Lifeline 0800543354	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1434
__label__wiki	0.94807	0.94807	NEW MCI HURDLES; OUT OF BANKRUPTCY, BUT LEGAL FIGHTS WITH RIVALS LOOM By Paul Tharp November 1, 2003 \| 5:00am The phone giant formerly known as WorldCom is cautiously stepping out of bankruptcy court protection – but faces more battles in its second life. The company, which lately has been going by its original name – MCI – will shed its staggering $36 billion debt by paying back just 36 cents on the dollar over time. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur J. Gonzalez, who’s overseeing the case, yesterday approved a reorganization plan that would let MCI get a new lease on its corporate life. The bankruptcy case was the largest in corporate history and lasted nearly two years. The company dodged into bankruptcy court protection after disclosing it fabricated $11 billion in phantom profits. But its future is certain to be troubled at least for the immediate future as it faces an image makeover from its troubled past and mounting legal fights ahead. Waiting outside the courthouse door for a separate legal fight is AT&T, which claimed that the WorldCom executives bilked AT&T by secretly rerouting toll calls through Canada to avoid payments in fees, taxes and other charges. The federal government is also going to launch an investigation of the Canada scheme, and regulators have been probing allegations of securities fraud in the $11 billion profits-fixing scam. MCI won’t be able to trade its new stock shares until some of those matters are settled and it signs a final release from the bankruptcy court. Gonzalez didn’t say when MCI officially could emerge from the bankruptcy case, but sources say it could be between one and three months. The court’s mandate is to give MCI a fighting chance in the marketplace, by allowing the company to start with a clean financial slate. “We have spent the past 10 months building a world-class board of directors, recruiting seven new key executives, including a CFO, a COO, a general counsel and a chief ethics officer, and instituting a standard-setting corporate governance structure,” said Michael D. Capellas, MCI chairman and chief executive. The former WorldCom management, led by Bernie Ebbers, is still under criminal investigation. 'SHOWTIME' AT ABC? NETWORK EYES RILEY AS NBA COMMENTATOR	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1438
__label__wiki	0.846209	0.846209	Mariano Rivera gets in the business of fighting opioids By Fox Business March 22, 2018 \| 3:55pm Mariano Rivera Getty Images Originally Published by: Trump’s opioid plan: drug companies could face ‘major litigation’ Bayer $66B Monsanto deal still faces Trump administration scrutiny Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes book fast-tracked after SEC ‘massive fraud’ charge A new medical device, backed by former MLB all-star pitcher Mariano Rivera, treats chronic pain with a low-level, low-frequency ultrasound and purports to be a drug-free solution to combating the opioid crisis. “If I would have had this product when I was playing baseball, I might have played another three, four years,” Rivera told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo during an interview on Wednesday. Rivera, a 13-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion who played for the Yankees until 2013, paired up with NanoVibronix CEO Brian Murphy to promote the PainShield, the wearable device that’s supposed to resolve the cause of nerve and soft tissue pain — rather than masking it — by transmitting a slow-release ultrasound. The New York-based company, recently listed on Nasdaq, sells the PainShield for $595. Rivera became involved with the company when his wife began suffering from a back problem, he said, and when she tried the device, her symptoms began to improve. Since then, he’s pitched it to President Trump as a new method to fighting opioid addiction in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid-involved deaths have continued to increase in the US, with 66 percent of overdose deaths involving opioids. In 2016, the opioid-related overdoses had increased five-fold from 1999, and in between 2000 and 2016, more than 600,000 people died. On average, 115 Americans die every day from opioid overdoses. Trump proposed a crackdown on pharmaceutical companies and drug dealers — including the possibility of the death penalty for drug traffickers — in order to combat addiction in the country. “We’re fighting opioids, but we don’t know what we’re going to do after that,” Rivera said. “The best thing is using our product, [which] is safe and handy. We have to move toward alternatives.” Filed under mariano rivera , opioids , pain relievers AIDS researcher selected as CDC director 17 Groupon discount codes Exclusive 20% off Groupon coupon code for all local deals 7 Bergdorf Goodman sales & promo codes Bergdorf Goodman sale - 20% off 6 JCPenney coupons Extra 15% off JCPenney promo	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1439
__label__cc	0.511146	0.488854	Category Archives: Yikes! Quack Like a Duck?: Megyn Kelly and Howard Kurtz Laugh at Melissa Harris Perry’s Holder Interview So, during a recent interview on her MSNBC show, Melissa Harris Perry asked outgoing Attorney General to “quack like a duck.” Did you hear about this? I’m guessing no, unless you happened to catch Megyn Kelly and Howard Kurtz laughing about it on Fox. And you really have to see it to believe it. Toward the end of the interview, the obsequious Perry told Holder, “you know we call you ‘The Duck’ in our land…You have a placid and even way of presenting, but you are just working for justice underneath.” She asked plaintively, “would you quack for us?” “That was the most cringe inducing thing I’ve seen since Glosell Green was in the bathtub with Fruitloops before interviewing the president!!!” Kurtz laughed as he unshielded his eyes. “I thought she was going to get down on one knee and proclaim her undying love for Eric Holder!” Megyn then did a perfect impersonation of Melissa Harris Perry saying; “Would you quack for us..” eliciting guffaws from Kurtz. “I’ve never seen anything like that. What was she doing?!” “How humiliating for her, “Kelly added. “Does she know how much she humiliated herself?” On a more serious note. The DOJ continues to be horribly corrupt and ridiculous under Holder. The Daily Caller: House Oversight Subcommittee DESTROYS DOJ Attorney: An angry House Oversight Subcommittee blasted Attorney General Eric Holder’s representative Wednesday for coming terribly unprepared to testify at the committee hearing. The angry attorney then proceeded to take his rage out on a Daily Caller News Foundation reporter, but more on that later. The recipient of the tongue lashing? Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco. During questioning from House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Blanco admitted that he had not even read the Inspector General report that was a key part of the subcommittee’s meeting. Six years in, members of this Regime don’t even pretend to give a shit. They are dug in, and will do whatever the hell they please. These oversight hearings are a pesky inconvenience they don’t even bother to prepare for. Posted in Enchanted Media, FAIL, Holder, PMSNBC, WOW!, Yikes!. I hope he doesn’t mind me spilling the beans, LA is a huge city after all – finding him would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Anyway, I saw this Daily Mail story linked on Drudge: Justin Bieber wanted for questioning after allegedly ‘roughing up’ a photographer during a date with Selena Gomez Teen idol Justin Bieber is wanted for questioning by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators – after a paparazzo complained of being roughed up by the young pop star at a shopping center. The scuffle allegedly happened when the photographer tried to snap pictures of the 18-year-old and his girlfriend Selena Gomez, after they walked out of a theater at The Commons at Calabasas today. Sheriff Lt. Robert Wiard says the photographer in question called 911 on Sunday and complained of pain to his chest. Stacy’s resting comfortably in his hotel room after the traumatic episode. The Conservatory has covered a few more Stacy sightings. He’s really getting around. If you feel inclined, please hit the poor slob’s freakin’ tip jar – he’s just getting started as a paparazzo and has a family to feed. Posted in Awwwww!, Satire, Scary Stuff, WOW!, Yikes!. Drudge Exclusive: NEWT’s EX-WIFE UNLOADS January, 18, 2012 by nicedeb Photo via Esquire. This interview is allegedly causing a "civil war" at ABC over the timing of its airing. Drudge has the exclusive: Marianne Gingrich has said she could end her ex-husband's career with a single interview. Earlier this week, she sat before ABCNEWS cameras, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. She spoke to ABCNEWS reporter Brian Ross for two hours, and her explosive revelations are set to rock the trail. But now a “civil war” has erupted inside of the network, an insider claims, on exactly when the confession will air! ABCNEWS suits determined it would be “unethical” to run the Marianne Gingrich interview so close to the South Carolina Primary, a curious decision, one insider argued, since the network has aggressively been reporting on other candidates. Dana Loesch speculates over at Big Journalism: We all know that Newt Gingrich cheated on two of his three wives. He cheated on his wife Jackie, who had cancer, with Marianne Gingrich, the woman who gave an interview to ABC. If the details are simply that he was unkind to her or didn’t treat her right well, surprise! You were the mistress! You helped break up a marriage and thus forfeited your right to be outraged when the next mistress usurped your spot as the new wife. I have no pity for the “other woman.” I guess that’s why I find Marianne Gingrich’s late-to-the-game interview so odd. Could there be any bigger bombshell than they story of their union? If there’s a civil war going on over at ABC News, it’s about when to air the story so that it does the maximum amount of damage to Newt, the guy who poses the greatest threat to Pharaoh Obama. Should they air it before the NC primary and let him go down in flames now, only to have a Santorum rise out of the ashes, or do they wait until later – perhaps until he wins the nomination, and then destroy him in the general. Or do they just leak rumors about it now, and see if they can put enough doubt in peoples’ minds for Mitt to win decisively in SC, but not enough for Newt to bow out, so the not Romneys continue the death march to Super Tuesday. These things have to be done very delicately as the Wicked Witch of the West told Dorothy. There are many options before them. All of them helpful to the Master. What this story does do is follow a familiar pattern of a certain political camp using smears and/or old family secrets that are nobody’s business to torpedo opponents’ campaigns. I’m not saying anyone in Chicago had anything to do with encouraging Marianne to tell her story. She could have decided to do it on her own accord with no prompting whatsoever. I’m just saying that this follows a very definite pattern. Here’s what Marianne Gingrich told Esquire in August 2010: But there was something strange and needy about him. “He was impressed easily by position, status, money,” she says. “He grew up poor and always wanted to be somebody, to make a difference, to prove himself, you know. He has to be historic to justify his life.” She says she should have seen the red flags. “He asked me to marry him way too early. And he wasn’t divorced yet. I should have known there was a problem.” Within weeks or months? “Within weeks.” That’s flattering. She looks skeptical. “It’s not so much a compliment to me. It tells you a little bit about him.” And he did the same thing to her eighteen years later, with Callista Bisek, the young congressional aide who became his third wife. “I know. I asked him. He’d already asked her to marry him before he asked me for a divorce. Before he even asked.” He told you that? “Yeah, he wanted to — ” But she stops. “Hey, turn off the tape recorder for a second. This is going to go places …” Back in the 1990s, she told a reporter she could end her husband’s career with a single interview. She held her tongue all through the affair and the divorce and even through the annulment Gingrich requested from the Catholic Church two years later, trying to erase their shared past. Now she sits quietly for a moment, ignoring her eggs, trying to decide how far she wants to go. —Yawwwwnnnn— Now Politico is reporting that the interview will air Thursday night, coinciding with the final debate before the South Carolina primary on Saturday. I asked Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond about the interview, and he released a letter to ABC News execs from Gingrich’s daughters, Kathy Lubbers and Jackie Cushman, who have become his biggest surrogates in answering questions about their family. The letter is below: The failure of a marriage is a terrible and emotional experience for everyone involved. Anyone who has had that experience understands it is a personal tragedy filled with regrets, and sometimes differing memories of events.We will not say anything negative about our father’s ex-wife. He has said before, privately and publicly, that he regrets any pain he may have caused in the past to people he loves. ABC News or other campaigns may want to talk about the past, just days before an important primary election. But Newt is going to talk to the people of South Carolina about the future– about job creation, lower taxes, and about who can defeat Barack Obama by providing the sharpest contrast to his damaging, extreme liberalism. We are confident this is the conversation the people of South Carolina are interested in having.Our father is running for President because of his grandchildren – so they can inherit the America he loves. To do that, President Obama must be defeated. And as the only candidate in the race, including Obama, who has actually helped balance the national budget, create jobs, reform welfare, and cut taxes and spending, Newt felt compelled to run – to serve his country and safeguard his grandchildren’s future. Greta Van Susteren weighs in: I have no idea what this ABC interview is other than the limited stuff I am reading on DrudgeReport at this hour. I am flying blind in this posting and my opinion is only based on what little I know now. What I DO know is that we are only 2 days out from the South Carolina primary and there is a high risk from the Drudge Report description of an explosive interview of unfair poisoning of those going to the polls. There simply is not enough time for a candidate to respond to the explosive report and fairness also includes fairness to the candidate. Posted in no., Not Good, Repubs, Yikes!. OBL Photoshop Contest (Updated with New Entries) A photoshop contest of sorts has broken out in the blogosphere. Since Obama is intent on coddling the fragile psyches of Islamic extremists, it’s up to the web’s best photoshoppers to create a close facsimile of what Osama’s last mugshot might have looked like, to satisfy America’s need for closure . Here’s my submission: It gets a even more graphic below the fold… Posted in Deesgusting, GWOT, Yikes!. Video: Pandemonium As WI Assembly passes budget-repair Bill The vote wasn’t even close, and they had an unprecedented amount of time to debate the bill, but the Dems still pretend they have the right to be morally outraged. Ed Morrissey reports: In the end, the bill that frightened off the entire Democratic caucus in the Wisconsin state Senate passed easily in the lower chamber, 51-17, in what had been a foregone conclusion: After a bitter, 61-hour debate that was the longest in living memory, the sleep-starved state Assembly voted in just seconds early Friday to approve a watershed proposal repealing most union bargaining rights held by public workers. Just after 1 a.m., Republicans cut off debate on Gov. Scott Walker’s bill and in pell-mell fashion the body voted 51-17 to pass it. In the confusion, nearly one-third of the body – 28 lawmakers including 25 Democrats, two Republicans and the body’s lone independent – did not vote on the bill at all. Watch this stunning video of their reaction to the vote. It sounds like the monkey cage at the zoo after a wolverine has snuck in. I am not kidding – they don’t even sound human: For more unhinged video reactions, including a woman claiming that the vote means death for her, see The Blaze. The cacophony reminded me of Art Bell’s, “very disturbing” Sounds from Hell ( 2:00 in): Linked by Michelle Malkin in Buzzworthy, and Weasel Zippers, and Doug Ross, thanks! Posted in Wah!!11!, WOW!, Yikes!. True Bromance: Al Gore Gushes Over Olby February, 9, 2011 by nicedeb Vapors rise as Fever settles on an acid sea Neptune’s bones dissolve Wow, Al Gore…really, really likes Keith Olbermann according to The Wrap: Gore had few specifics about the network’s goals for Olbermann — or how it plans to move beyond the 58 million domestic households in which it is now available. He also declined to get into the extent of Current’s profitability, except to say, “We’re very happy.” But if Olbermann is getting paid in praise from the former vice president, he’s a very rich man. How will the network grow with Olbermann? How do you see him increasing your viewership, the way he did at MSNBC? (To fully appreciate Gore’s answer you have to imagine it in his slow, condescending drawl): Well, he’s a unique talent and he has a magnetic personaltiy and people form a relationship with him because they know that he is brilliant, they know he is speaking from his heart, they know he has passionate beliefs. He cares about them a lot. And he marries that to his formidable intelligence. And I think people appreciate his authenticity and where he’s coming from. They know he’s for real. I think it’s no more complicated than that. In television … there’s a kind of an X factor that some people have and some people don’t. And whatever label you put on that he has it in spades. And his audience follows him passionately. That’s pretty unique. Goodness gracious. I’m going to go take a shower, now. Hat tip: The Blaze. Posted in Awwwww!, no., Yikes!.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1445
__label__cc	0.728939	0.271061	Carmen Jenner Blog Tour – Harley & Rose by Carmen Jenner Once upon a time they had been more than friends…. Harley & Rose by Carmen Jenner is NOW AVAILABLE!! Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2eauSvM Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2emAKj3 Kobo: http://bit.ly/2efioRU Additional Retailers to follow Ever since she was a little girl, thirty-year-old Rose dreamed of the day Harley would carry her across the threshold on their honeymoon. So what if this isn’t her actual wedding day, and that she’s only here because Harley was left at the altar just a few hours earlier? Trading San Francisco for paradise and swapping her bridesmaid’s bouquet for a Blue Hawaii, Rose hopes she can finally escape the friend zone. Once upon a time they had been more than friends, but life got in the way. She’s spent every day since wishing Harley would get a clue. She’s always been his best friend. He’s always been hers. She’s in love with him. He’s … not in love with her. He’s … marrying someone else. He’s … hiding something. He’s … well—it’s complicated. Harley bangs on the door. “Rose, what’s the hold up?” “Shut up, ass face,” I say, scowling in his direction. “You haven’t even put it on yet, have you?” He chuckles, leaning against the frosted glass panel. “I’m giving you five seconds, babe.” I know he isn’t kidding with this, either, so I let the towel fall to the floor and I yank on the bikini. I’m just snapping the bottoms into place when he bangs again. “Time’s up.” “I can’t wear this,” I say as he opens the door. My body is turned toward him, but only because half of my ass is hanging out of the cheeky-cut swimwear. Harley doesn’t need me to turn around in order to see how much skin they expose. The huge mirror over the vanity is doing a fine job of showing it to him. He takes a slow sip from the paper coffee cup in his hand. “Well?” I demand, snatching the cup from his grasp and gulping down a huge mouthful. It burns my tongue and throat and brings tears to my eyes that are in no way related to the fact that he hasn’t said anything yet. “You wanna know what I think?” He takes a step toward me and reflexively I take one back, only I have nowhere to go because my ass hits the bathroom vanity, and I swallow hard and nod. Harley’s arm snakes around my waist, his fingers sliding down to the fabric of my bikini bottoms and across my exposed flesh. My body thrums. I hold my breath and he leans in close to whisper in my ear, “I think it’s lucky you’re not my wife, because you’d be walking with a limp for the rest of our honeymoon.” Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA Today and international bestselling author. Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU, 2015. A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore makeup addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child. A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture? http://www.carmenjenner.com Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Goodreads Published titles to date: Welcome to Sugartown (Sugartown Series #1) Enjoy Your Stay (Sugartown Series #2) Greetings from Sugartown (Sugartown Series #3) Now Leaving Sugartown (Sugartown Series #4) REVELRY (Taint #1) KICK (Savage Saints MC #1) TANK (Savage Saints MC #2) Finding North Toward the Sound of Chaos http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDk5NjRmMDM5ZDM4YTBjYWM0YzAyYzM0NGI2ODRhOjkxNw==/? Blog, Blog Tour Carmen Jenner, Contemporary Romance, TRSoR Promotions Release Blitz – Toward the Sound of Chaos by Carmen Jenner Toward The Sound of Chaos is a heart-wrenching new military romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Carmen Jenner. Available exclusively on Amazon and KU Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1TgTU7v Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1TiqZDz Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01FOQJ780 Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01FOQJ780 Jake Tucker is broken. At twenty-two, he went into the Marine Corps a naïve, troubled youth. Nine years and four tours later, Jake finds himself back on US soil, though his mind remains firmly planted in the sands of Afghanistan with the men he left behind. Wounded, chewed up and spat out by war, Jake has only his dog, Nuke, PTSD, and survivor’s guilt to keep him company. He’s lived every day for nine years wondering when it will be his last, but there’s little comfort in the fact that he’s still standing when his platoon isn’t. Ellie Mason doesn’t have time for broken. She’s too busy trying to put food on the table. And keeping up with the demands of her autistic son, Spencer, is sometimes like fighting behind enemy lines. As if navigating the minefields of single parenthood isn’t enough, Ellie finds herself drawn to the quiet Marine who’s just as lonely as she is. But she’s loved damaged men before, and it left her wounded. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Fairhope, Alabama, Ellie and Jake find themselves running toward the sound of chaos. Love is war. Only the strong survive, and surrender is inevitable. I ease her down on her feet, before the bed and take a step back. I want this, God do I want this, but I’m terrified. Elle’s eyes roam over me and she takes in a deep breath, and I won’t lie—it hurts like hell. I don’t want pity, and I don’t want the woman I care about looking at me like a monster just sprouted from my back. She reaches out a hand and trails her fingertips over my scarred flesh, feeling the hard, ugly edges. I flinch a little, and she pulls away as if she’s been burned. “Did I hurt you?” she whispers. “Angel, it hurts just looking at you.” She smiles and continues her exploration of my body, openin’ old wounds with every scar she touches, and yet it’s as if she’s tenderly sewing them shut at the same time. I haven’t felt the touch of a woman for a very long time, and never again did I think I would, especially not one as perfect and kind-hearted as this. “What did they do to you, Jake?” Her eyes are bright with tears, and I grab her hands and hold them flat to my chest. “I don’t want your pity, Elle.” “You think that’s why I’m here?” she says, staring up at me with those incredible eyes. “You think that’s all this is between us?” “I thought about it.” I nod. “I can’t see much other reason that a woman like you would want someone like me. I’m a freak and a drunk, and you? You’re so goddamn beautiful it hurts.” Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU 2015. A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore lipstick addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child. Stalk Her: Website \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Goodreads Blog, Release Blitz Carmen Jenner, Contemporary Romance, Military Romance, TRSoR Promotions Cover Reveal – Toward the Sound of Silence by Carmen Jenner A heart-wrenching new military romance, coming soon from USA TODAY bestselling author Carmen Jenner. Add to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1VkrhMk Cover by Hang Le Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the Sugartown, Savage Saints, and Taint series. A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore MAC addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child. Website \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Goodreads Additional books by this author Welcome to Sugartown Amazon: http://amzn.to/13X0U6S B&N: http://bit.ly/1yjefiK iTunes: http://bit.ly/1skhr98 Enjoy Your Stay Amazon: http://amzn.to/1tqG4Bc B&N: http://bit.ly/1SdC2PJ iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sqXUVI Greetings from Sugartown Amazon: http://amzn.to/1yjdLJp B&N: http://bit.ly/1qw1Jbs iBooks: http://bit.ly/1yjeZ7w Now Leaving Sugartown Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Wq03mD iBooks:http://apple.co/1qNNlCe B&N: http://bit.ly/1qGi3wJ Welcome to Sugartown Website: http://www.welcometosugartown.blogspot.com.au/ REVELRY: Available on Amazon and in KU: http://amzn.to/1YrWw5C Available on Amazon and in KU: http://amzn.to/1S7QSEc Savage Saints MC Kick (book 1) Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UXe5MQ B&N: http://bit.ly/1yWbclA Tank (book 2) Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MqHHzw B&N: http://bit.ly/1gRebUi Blog, Cover Reveal	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1446
__label__cc	0.678302	0.321698	Home / Tables / Eileen Gray – Jean T Table 1927 Eileen Gray – Jean T Table 1927 Tafelblad Een optie kiezenWitZwart Wissen SKU: 1500 Categorie: Tables Tag: Eileen Gray Tafel met verchroomd stalen buizen frame. Inklapbaar tafelblad in zwart of wit. Eileen Gray Jean T Tafel Made in Italy. Eileen Gray designed this table in 1929 for Jean Dèsert’s gallery in Paris. This practical and beautiful table can be used as dining table, side table or as a desk. 128/64 x 72 x 64 cm Wit, Zwart On August 9. 1878, Eileen Gray was born to an aristocratic family in Enniscorthy, a small market town in south-eastern Ireland, and spent her childhood years there. As a young adult, in order to develop her artistic sensibilities, she entered the Slade School for Fine Arts in London and from there moved to Paris where she would spend most of her working life. Paris at the turn of the century was a creative mecca for visual and performance artists, writers, scientists and philosophers. She was strikingly elegant in appearance with a tall lithe stature and auburn hair. Pictures of her, taken in her late teens and early twenties show her dressed in a Victorian style with thick tresses of dark hair piled on top of her head. In these pictures she seems a timid and slightly sad young woman with a hint of disdain in her expression, which may have been the fashion at the time for young people of her class. Later, in a 1926 photograph by Berenice Abbott she appears as a strong sophisticated woman with a lot of style, a little bit mannish perhaps - a tendancy among the bohemian set at that time - but with a lot of womanly beauty. By the time she was photographed by Abbott (according to Gray's biographer Peter Adams, to be 'done' by Abbott who was a student of Man Ray ' meant you were rated as somebody') she had begun to come into the fulness of her creative energy and had created opportunities for herself to explore her talent.. On a trip to London in 1905 Eileen wandered into a lacquer repair shop: a trip which was to change the course of her creative life. With new-found knowledge and some tools in hand, she returned to Paris, linked up with a master craftsman of lacquer, Sugiwara-san, and from there developed new furniture and assessory designs with striking colors and understated shapes. Her boredom with the flowing, leafy lines of the Art Nouveau movement led to an artistic vocabulary which was more closely related to the De Stijl movement: clean lines and simple forms. The effect was stunning: (see linked Lacquer work file.) Eileen's lacquerwork succeeded in bringing her into the world of furniture and interior design. Her creative genius combined with an innovative sense of form as well as sensitivity to color, were utilized in new and innovative ways, usually to stunning effect.(see linked Furniture/Interior file) In 1921, Eileen opened a store at 217 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore as a direct outlet to the public for her designs. The store met with relative success in spite of the owner's lack of commercial and marketing skills. She continued to hone her designs, building upon a growing reputation for design excellence. Eileen Gray – Verstelbare Tafel E1027 Eileen Gray – Bibendum Leunstoel Eileen Gray – Sofa Lota Eileen Gray – Day bed 1925 Eileen Gray – Tube light Eileen Gray – Glass sheet for Adjustable Table Eileen Gray – Plate for Jean T Table	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1450
__label__cc	0.698305	0.301695	Posted in Uncategorized by Flavor on February 26, 2019 If this is true than the SF beat writers like Henry Schulman were FOS (shocker) when they floated the idea of the Giants offering nothing but short term deals. If this is true than somehow, impossibly, the Giants are still in on this fucking prima donna and are considering and possibly even offering him 300 million dollars. Otherwise, why would the Giants go to Vegas? Still, it seems they are obviously up against it. I want this to just be over, I’m tired of hearing about Bryce Harper. He’s a tool. A tool I’d take on my team but a tool nevertheless….. « I’m Back With Some News…. Nice To Be Bryce » Bozo said, on February 26, 2019 at 6:51 am If he doesn’t sign with us, Bryce Harper isn’t just a tool, he’s a low down, no good, dirty rotten, yellow bellied, side-windin’, sap-suckin’, flea-bitten tool! willedav said, on February 26, 2019 at 7:29 am Well, it is Heyman. He’s about as trustworthy as most of the ST BS from any writers for any team. Fun fact: Marvin Bagley has a younger brother Marcus who is 6-8 and plays for Sheldon HS of Sac. They are playing in NorCal Open (top) Division playoffs and winners of Sac/Joaquin Section D1 title (which he missed due to injury). Flavor said, on February 26, 2019 at 7:30 am really interesting ST interview this morning with the Murph and Mac show on KNBR–they talked to Mac, here are the highlights (I had to leave mid interview) 1) for you DuffMan fans: he and Mac are best friends and Mac said Duff put on 20 lbs this Winter and is now at 190. His power stroke will be interesting to watch this year…..BTW Mac said he gained 20 lbs too. 2) I know his girlfriend wrote an article last year about his concussion struggles but he was more specific in terms of how it affected his play: a) he not only had double vision but his depth perception was completely screwed up. IN the outfield a ball would get hit and he’d break in and it would fly over his head. He’d break back, it would drop in front of him. He said he had to keep his head down and look up just to get a half way decent bead on the ball. This obviously effected his hitting too b) when he wasn’t at the park he was sleeping. Always sleeping. c) he had panic attacks regularly 3) he’s completely healthy now. I for one am rooting for him because he’s one of the few guys we have who can hit the ball out of the park snarkk said, on February 26, 2019 at 8:22 am I’m down with Mac the Oaf. Like to see him make the 25, yeah, if only that he can run into one every so often. I wouldn’t bet the farm though on him not getting hurt, that seems to be his MO. Trouble is there’s some decent outfield competition this year, decent not great. On a good team, he’s just another guy in camp… I’d put him ahead of pretty much everyone but Duggar. We need that pop. The Cam Maybin’s in camp can go to another camp, as far as I’m concerned. willedav said, on February 26, 2019 at 10:10 am Long column on Chron from Schulman re: Mac this morning. Among other things, even though he passed the concussion protocol he was far from ready to play. And also admits he should have taken advice from both Belt and Panik not to rush back. Chron and SFGate fwiw introducing new policy on logging in to read their online content as of this morning. hmmnn. gianthead said, on February 26, 2019 at 10:46 am Damn Arenado extened and highest av salary so now BABY HARPER will demand more. F Him and Boras.. GH has a point there and I think Snarkk said something similar couple days ago. F/G wrote about this too right after Machado signed his big deal. If Boras can’t get anything done in similar vein for Harper, sure makes him look bad. And he’s backed himself into a corner because it doesn’t seem like anyone except Phils are willing to go near the years and dollars it would take. I think most fans would admit both Machado and Arenado bring more to the table than Harper especially defensively. Surprised that Machado Arenado and Aaron Hicks all got such long term deals. Good for them. And while I admire Arenado’s game, this isn’t good news for Giants either. alleykat69 said, on February 26, 2019 at 11:06 am Yeah 32,5 mil average for Arenado on this 8 year deal, key is he has a opt out after the 3rd year, smart strategy move, Harper’s bitch ass price just went up to top Arenado’s contract for sure though, he and and his butt buddy Boras will make sure of that.. Arenado will be Rocky Mountain High if he took the opt-out at 31…when is Blackmon a free agent??? Man first Bud Black and now Arenado…my two prime targets. Trout I guarantee will be a Philly… alleykat69 said, on February 26, 2019 at 12:04 pm For sure Trout will be a Phillie GH. Scary team if they get Harper as well for that OF. blade3colorado said, on February 26, 2019 at 12:04 pm Blackmon already signed a 6 year contract last April GH. it’s worth $108 million, but could be worth as much as $116 million if he meets incentives. Rockies rarely use to do this shit (cheap). However, Bridich has convinced ownership you have to pay to play, so not surprised the last couple of years with Blackmons’s deal, nor Arenado, Desmond or Murphy’s deals. All of these guys got paid good coin. unca_chuck said, on February 26, 2019 at 12:40 pm Where are the Rox lux-tax-wise, Blade? willedav said, on February 26, 2019 at 12:28 pm No problem with giving Mac all time he needs in OF. just rather would have seen Giants sign Marwin Gonzalez for 2/21 mil Twins paid him. He could have been back up vs. LHP for Crawford or Panik (like Solarte), and/or started in OF alongside Mac Duggar/Ferguson. He likely could have done lot more for SF than Slater (who gets hurt every year) Parra or Maybin, and the $$ isn’t outrageous. Snoracle indeed. It appears Farhand Luke’s strategy is to go the 100-loss route. There’s being prudent, and there’s being stagnant. sandog said, on February 26, 2019 at 1:28 pm Agree. If this is our roster heading into the year, we are basically tanking and that pisses me off. Willie, you’re absolutely correct about the Arenado signing not being good news for the Giants. Frankly, I am as worried about the Sherpas, as I am the Dodgers . . . perhaps, even more worried, insofar as their (bright) future. Specifically, the Sherpas have a young, inexpensive, good pitching staff which will only get better. Similarly, they have a good to excellent farm system. Maybe this season Garrett Hampson makes an appearance and sticks. In the future, they have stud Brendan Rodgers (a top 25 prospect on most experts lists) coming up as well. Ironically, the Rockies weakness last season was hitting. That’s probably not going to happen this season, especially with Murphy on board and everyone else having better seasons than they did last year. However, the most important news – besides Arenado sticking with them long term – is their upcoming television deal expiration in 2021. Why? it is one of the worst in all of MLB. Perhaps, bottom 3, maybe even worse than that. Consequently, their new TV deal will be significantly more and fund contracts like Arenado’s. Unca, approximately $146 million. unca_chuck said, on February 26, 2019 at 1:27 pm Wow, all those deals and they are way under. blade3colorado said, on February 26, 2019 at 1:46 pm It may be an extra 12 or so million dollars with Arenado’s new deal. Bozo said, on February 26, 2019 at 1:16 pm Tony Garcia with his first HR of the Spring. I missed seeing him play in Puerto Rico by 10 days. Did you get to see any games at all while you were there? No, the Caribbean League season had just ended. Woulda been a kick to see a game there. I did see this though . . . 6:46 am on my way to go scuba diving. Damn, getting them to the academy early. snarkk said, on February 26, 2019 at 3:20 pm At current course and speed, this looks like a 5th place finish for the Giants this year, as Flemm might say. Oh well, at least we may see a boatload of different on field contributors to it… Gigantes de Carolina is Tony Garcia’s team. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/roster.jsp?sid=l132&t=t_ros&cid=687 Cool. I read that he was also born in Carolina PR, talk about getting to play for your home team. I also noticed Todd’s son, Bret Helton was on this team. Sounds like a last gasp effort to keep the dream alive, i.e., originally drafted by the Pirates in the 9th round, but now, almost 26 with a lackluster minor league pitching record. Kershaw ain’t getting better. He felt ‘not great’ after playing catch. But no plans to do any testing on his arm. Per ESPN: “It’s not ideal,” Roberts said. “You’re hoping when he picks up a ball that he comes out of it feeling better. So obviously it’s not ideal. But we’ll deal with whatever comes our way.” Roberts said there were still no plans for testing. “We’ll get together with the training staff and come up with a course of action for Clayton,” he said. “But right now, we don’t have an MRI scheduled.” I mean, shit. He’s only getting paid a zillion dollars to be our stud pitcher. Why would we want to find out what is wrong? Right Dave? This kind of shit is beyond retarded. For all anyone knows, he’s fucking up his shoulder more by even throwing lightly. Oh well, in the end I guess it’s good news for the rest of the west. djloo27 said, on February 26, 2019 at 4:38 pm People who say they aren’t secretly happy when an opponent’s star player gets injured (unless it’s something really serious) are usually full of shit… Flavor said, on February 26, 2019 at 5:22 pm if we weren’t the worst team in the division I might care more about this. As it is, Kershaw being hurt doesn’t do anything for me one way or the other. He’s been kinda going downhill for a while now, the velo drop was just the latest sign another injury was about to happen. No surprise either with that weirdo windup he’s got. I could give a shit either way. I just don’t get how blasé the Dodgers are about this. They just paid him $93 mill and are like, yeah, we’ll let him throw and see what happens. Why bother getting himn checked out by doctors? I think the Knicks just hand out uniforms to people on the street and put them on the roster… Macdog said, on February 26, 2019 at 7:10 pm Looks like those new players haven’t read the tanking memo. i think this dude’s twitter acct has surpassed Super70ssports as my favorite. Mike Francesa begins talking about the upcoming NFL draft…. quickly realizes that he doesn't know any players in the upcoming NFL draft…. scrolls through his phone to find names of players in the upcoming NFL draft. pic.twitter.com/u5xo3GPtPo — Ƒunhouse (@BackAftaThis) February 27, 2019 Just watched the 30 in 30 on the Giants that I’d recorded. They seem like a nice bunch of guys. You know what Leo Durocher said about nice guys… alleykat69 said, on February 26, 2019 at 8:51 pm Nice guys finish last? snarkk said, on February 26, 2019 at 11:12 pm I’m with you guys above. Kershaw is getting paid a shiton of gold, has a bad wing, and the Doghair braintrust isn’t going to get an MRI on it, stat ? WTF? Like Chuck said, every time he throws right now, he could be making “it” worse, whatever “it” is. Are they insane or consulting with Giants medicos ?… Hey, the Smashmouth band, a great source of sports journalism, is reporting a new FO rift between Zman and ownership re: Harper. … ‏Verified account @smashmouth 15h15 hours ago We are hearing Giants ownership/upper mgmt might not be on the same page as Zaidi regarding Harper. They want to offer a long term contract like they did with Bonds and Zaidi does NOT want to. Sabean/Baer step the F up, this is your team, not some slappy’s from the Dodgers! @KNBR sandog said, on February 27, 2019 at 7:45 am I have been calling for Baer to pull rank on Zaidi and get this done for months. Make it happen! blade3colorado said, on February 27, 2019 at 8:14 am I love Smash Mouth – I often listen to one of their DVDs in my jeep, especially “Walkin’ On The Sun” when 4-wheeling in Moab, but please answer me this . . . How does a rock band have sources on the Giants? lqtm they don’t. But they are huge Bay Area sports fans and tweet about the Giants all the time. Nobody thinks the band is doing the tweeting, it’s probably just a PR guy who they let screw around with their account unca_chuck said, on February 27, 2019 at 8:49 am Smashmouth is an LA band iirc. My kids were into them for a while. Funny thing is my daughters got me into System of a Down. And the Tedeschi Trucks band. Nope. Actually, they’re from San Jose Unca. unca_chuck said, on February 27, 2019 at 10:38 am Huh. Didn’t know that. I figured they were part of the No Doubt / Sublime Long Beach scene. gianthead said, on February 27, 2019 at 2:15 pm That is correct…from the Jo. Maybe even as specific as Campbell… Flavor said, on February 27, 2019 at 10:04 am https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/02/giants-held-2nd-meeting-yesterday-with-bryce-harper.html sandog said, on February 27, 2019 at 10:14 am …..ohhhhh I like where this is trending. If Baer gets this done he’s a made man in my book. Still think we are being played like a fiddle. Maybe, but I like our chances. He obviously wants to be on the west coast and it sounds like the Dodgers don’t have the stomach for 10 years. Of course, 10 years IS foolish, but we’re in no position to worry about that. We need to offer 10/330 and get this done. Phillies are the team that will end up with egg on their face.Their bidding against themselves,Harper has no intentions signing with them.Dogpile&Giants now, hopefully the Giants, but a shorter deal to maximize his prime years.5/200mil yeah that’s 40 per, but it is what it is,and the Giants have overpaid in the past and have more flexibility then the Dogpile on cash flow.Just get this shit done, were all sick& tired of this dragging on!! dirtnrocksnomo said, on February 27, 2019 at 11:20 am With Kershaw’s health declining and $93M still owed it the dodgers might be hesitant to pull the trigger, creating an opening for the Giants. blade3colorado said, on February 27, 2019 at 11:20 am I’m encouraged by Beede’s outing. Yes, only one outing, but he was throwing 97 MPH and I understand that he has ditched his 2 seamer and slider (or is using them less). Regardless, looking forward to seeing if he can build on this. He was shitty last year, both in his call up and in Triple A. He needs to put up this season. Boras and the Giants in the midst of an intense battle of wits . . . Bozo…. Double play and strikeout for @Lovegrove19 in a scoreless innings. Punchie came on a 96 mph fastball. Legit arm. — Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) February 27, 2019 Yeah, it’s hard to figure who has the upper hand. Philly does seem like the best destination for him if he wants to get on a good team, and pad his HR numbers. But he’d have signed already if he wanted to be there, I’d think. The Dodgers are fresh off 2 WS appearances and have a solid team. Their park isn’t exactly hitter-friendly, but it isn’t Death Valley. I think we have the least to offer. Scuffling team, and triples alley that doesn’t play in to his LH-ness. Thing is, give Harper a 3-year out and there you go. He’ll opt out in 3 years if shit goes belly-up. If not, worry about it then. But someone is forking over $34 million per year. Hate to say it but I think he’s now heading to the Dogs. Can someone confirm how salary cap would be handled if we give him $50 mill signing bonus and $25 mill a year lets say 10 years and he gets an opt out after years 3 and he walks after 3 years? I presume it would count as $30 mill a year against the cap. If he opts out after 3 years, he would make $125 mill over 3 years at $41.67 mill year…easily the highest average salary so the Baby/Boras camp claims victory. He then has the insurance of having the option of 7 more years at $25 mill each. Maybe add $2.5 mill a year on the salary for the last 7 years to get him $27.5 mill a year $192.5 mill to get the total contract to $317.5 mill and highest total contract…or he also can walk. One big thing for the Giants after this potential 3 year period is that we have a ton of payroll space. The cap hit this year would be $30 mill and that gets them to right about $202 mill and under the cap. If Bum gets $20 mill a year next year on the first year of an extension, that would still leave another $25 mill available to add another bat and potential mid-tier starter. Then even more financial flexibility for year 2021 before the strike:) This ain’t football. There is no cap. They can go over it or not as they see fit. What would likely happen is he would get, based on a 10 year, $340 mill contract, is something like a $24 mill signing bonus, and $10 mill salary for year one. The rest is $34 mill per and her gets paid as he goes. Until he opts out or gets traded. Each year counts for that year. If he gets a $50 mill bonus + a salary, both count against the lux tax that year. Your scenario, which ain;t gonna happen, would count $75 mill against the cap. Yeah I meant luxury tax threshold than salary cap. So lets say they go way over the cap this year because of the big signing bonus and pay the tax, but they get to reset the luxury tax next year and possibly then have Harper at just $25 mill. That would give them $50 mill then for 2020 for Bum and then definitely another premier hitter and a mid-tier starter for 2020. Harper, a right-handed power bat (maybe Goldschmidt maybe Ozuna), maybe a .300 hitting Buster with speed at the top of the order in Duggar and role players with Longoria, Panik, Crawford, I think that is a playoff competittive team by 2020 with maybe Joey Bart pushing as a starting catcher… He would keep the signing bonus and there would be some sort of payout if he opts out. If he’s gone, then the buyout amount would apply to the lux tax limit. But that is usually a much smaller number ($5 mill? )than the contract they are obliged to pay if he stayed. I saw a chart the other day showing that Harper would have lost only one home run in triples alley last season and that one would’ve likely been a triple… Former Giant pitcher Joe Gibbon has passed away. We got him and Ossie Virgil for Matty Alou. Another fine deal from that era… I know Joey Bart caught through High School but I’m thinking it would be a wise move on the Giants part to start working him out at 3B right now. Dont we need Bart as out future catching stud??? I’m just thinking it might be a good idea to start protecting the kid now, before the broken bones, concussions and bad knees start adding up. The dude can flat out hit. zumiee said, on February 27, 2019 at 5:45 pm Bart hit a long HR today. Shaw went yard also. one thing about signing Harper: so many people talking about his declining D and that would be a problem. But the DH is likely coming to the NL probably in 2021/2022. He easily spend the last few years of the deal racking and riding pine….. Why should anything be declining at 26? I think his declining D is a little bit of a misnomer…what I saw last year was again someone in Harper who really cared more about his hair (and probably his swing) than his Defense. I think it is a lack of focus thing rather than diminishing skill. He is way too athletic not to have the ability to play better in the field. But of course be prepared that this will be a throw away year and if he loses interest it will be reflected in the field… Can’t even be mad about that Warrior game, what a finish…… LA Times sportswriter Bill Plascke gets in the Dodgers’ grill: “OK, listen Dodgers, if you’re really making a pitch for Bryce Harper, you can lose him to 28 other teams, but you cannot lose him to the Giants. You cannot get outspent by your rivals who have won three World Series championships in nine years while you have won zero in 30 years.” mrsprtdude said, on February 27, 2019 at 11:50 pm I like it Zumee. Heres a question…Big contract for Harper or MadBum. I say Harper. Curious to watch bedee develop. Maybe he is just dumb and it took this long for him to drop the pitches that don’t work and hone in on the ones that do. Hmmm djloo27 said, on February 28, 2019 at 4:06 am Or maybe his chick told him she ain’t stickin’ around for no Triple A salary…	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1454
__label__cc	0.682107	0.317893	Category: Russian Scandal, Emoluments Clause Learn Who the Minority Members of the House Intelligence Committee Are So You Can Vote Them Out in 2020 Candidates · Community Activism · Russian Scandal, Emoluments Clause Learn who the minority (aka Republican) members of the House Intelligence Committee are so you can vote them out in 2020. In late March, the nine minority members of the House Intelligence Committee (all Republicans) demanded that Chairman Adam Schiff resign his post. This led to Schiff’s epic “You Might Think That’s OK” speech. This story, from CBS, covers the Republicans’ demands and includes a link to Schiff’s response: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intelligence-hearing-gets-heated-as-republicans-call-on-schiff-to-resign/ The Republicans are scared of the powers that Schiff has to expose the president. He can subpoena the Mueller Report, and he has the right to see it in its unredacted form. Schiff is no Devin Nunes, and that’s a good thing. Schiff is doing the right thing with his powers, and that terrifies his GOP colleagues. Their call for Schiff to step down is wholly cynical, and another instance of Republicans putting party over country in the service of protecting Trump. We at OTYCD thought you’d find it useful to have a full list of the nine minority members so you can help vote them out in November 2020. If any of these folks are your House rep, call and tell them they should be ashamed to call for Schiff’s resignation. Also tell them you support Schiff’s attempts to let the public know what’s in the Mueller Report. This page will be updated as we get closer to November 2020, and closer to knowing who their Democratic challengers are. [We’re preparing this post in late March 2019, well before most candidates will have declared.] Devin Nunes, 22nd District of California, ranking member. Andrew Janz challenged Nunes for his seat in 2018, and fell short. No word yet on whether Janz will try again. Read OTYCD‘s post on Andrew Janz’s candidacy: https://onethingyoucando.com/2018/06/09/keep-an-eye-on-andrew-janz-whos-running-for-devin-nuness-house-seat/ Mike Conway, 11th District of Texas Michael Turner, 10th District of Ohio Brad Wenstrup, 2nd District of Ohio Chris Stewart, 2nd District of Utah Rick Crawford, 1st District of Arkansas Elise Stefanik, 21st District of New York Will Hurd, 23rd District of Texas John Ratcliffe, 4th District of Texas Join the National Day of Action to Call For the Full Release of the Mueller Report TODAY, April 4, 2019 Community Activism · Marches and Protests · Russian Scandal, Emoluments Clause Join the National Day of Action to demand the full release of the Mueller Report TODAY, April 4, 2019. MoveOn, the org that led the No One Is Above the Law protests in November 2018, announced they’d call a National Day of Action if U.S. Attorney General William Barr missed Congress’s April 2, 2019 deadline to deliver the Mueller Report to them in full. He blew it, so we’re protesting. Plug your zip code into the link below to see where protests are happening near you: https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/13289/signup/?akid=&zip=&source= Alternately, go to the main MoveOn website for a link to the search page. Important: Don’t assume the protest nearest you will be at the same place that the November 2018 protest was held, and don’t assume it’s happening at the same time, either. Some organizers who hosted a 2018 event are not hosting another, and new protest sites have sprung up as well. Double-check the link, to be sure. See the main webpage for MoveOn.org: https://front.moveon.org See its About page: https://front.moveon.org/about/ Donate to MoveOn.org: https://act.moveon.org/donate/civ-donation?utm_source=front&utm_content=nav&source=front_nav Buy MoveOn.org merch: https://store.moveon.org/?utm_source=front&utm_content=nav Like MoveOn.org on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moveon Follow MoveOn.org on Twitter: @MoveOn Call Your MoCs and Voice Support for Releasing the Mueller Report–to Them, and To Us, and Safeguarding the Underlying Documents, Too, March 27 Edition Call Your Members of Congress · Russian Scandal, Emoluments Clause March 28, 2019 March 27, 2019 otycd1 Comment Update: March 27, 2019. Not strictly an update, but we continue to beat this drum for obvious reasons. The Mueller Report is still not out, and Barr says he’ll let the White House ‘redact’ it before it goes to Congress. That is, of course, unacceptable. Congress needs to see the full report, without any White House meddling or shenanigans, and we need to see the most complete version of the report that can be released to the public, while also protecting ongoing investigations and national security. With his 19-page memo “audition” for the AG job, which caught Trump’s attention, and with his four-page summary letter released over the weekend, Barr has shown that he cannot be trusted to do right by the American people. We need to keep calling our MoCs and making it unmistakably clear that that is what we expect. Nothing less. Watch the NowRightNow bar for links to those who have the freshest updates. Also watch MoveOn and its No One Is Above the Law protest network. Something is brewing. No dates yet, but in general, you’ll go back to the same spot where you protested a few months back. Original text follows. Call your MoCs and voice your support for releasing the Mueller Report–to Congress, in the most complete form possible, and to us, in the most complete form that can be made available to the general public. Also urge them to safeguard the underlying documents as well. So. Damn near everyone was shocked when rumors swirled about Special Counsel Robert Mueller delivering his long-awaited report on Friday, March 22, 2019. And what do you know, he did so late in the afternoon that day. I’m taking a risk by writing this. It’s early Sunday morning and I’m awake for some goddamn reason (not anticipation of the report, fwiw). Attorney General William Barr, who Trump hand-picked to replace Jeff Sessions, who angered him by recusing himself from the Mueller probe, has the report, and has had it since Friday. He is evidently reviewing it and has promised to apprise Congress of its contents. We expect this to happen sometime over the weekend. As I type this, it hasn’t happened yet. [The risk is I’ll write and queue this and something will happen to render the piece obsolete. I’m going to take that risk.] It appears that neither Trump nor the White House has an actual copy of the report yet. They’re allowed to ask AG Barr for it. Actually giving it to them would pose yet another Constitutional issue. Let’s continue to hope he gives it to Congress first. Trump is holed up in Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by toadies and lickspittles, some of whom have paid to be there. Instead of freaking everyone out with his guanopsychotic tweets, he’s freaking everyone out by NOT tweeting. Yeah. This is where we are now. Anyone who says they know what’s in the Mueller Report, at least as of Sunday March 24, 3:30 am EST, is talking smack. Don’t believe them, don’t retweet them. It’s all speculation. So, aside from engaging in self-care, what can you do? Celeste Pewter, as always, is on it. Shortly after news broke of the report’s delivery, she tweeted: If you’re wondering what we can all do right now? Basically: 1. Call electeds + say you support the report being released to Congress ASAP 2. Ask for a declassified version to be released to the public, 3. Preserving all Mueller-related documents. Some of you have asked when the public gets to see the report. With the understanding I’m not a lawyer, we have to keep in mind Trump might try and cite executive privilege/try something related: [She linked to this Just Security piece titled Executive Privilege and the Public Interest: Why the President Can’t Block Release of the Mueller Report:] https://www.justsecurity.org/60708/executive-privilege-public-interest-president-cant-block-release-mueller-report/ In other words, don’t assume there are any guarantees right now. Right now, today, – is the moment to call your electeds and say you support the push for transparency. It’s time to be LOUD. Then she posted this calling script, which covers all three of your Members of Congress: So, there. You can do that. Another thing to consider is to refresh yourself on where your nearest No One Is Above the Law protest took place. The powers that be at MoveOn are NOT currently calling for a protest over aspects of the release, or the failure to release, the Mueller report, but they’ve signaled that if they do call for a protest, we’re going back to the places we went on November 8, 2018, after Trump fired Sessions and replaced him with Acting AG Matthew Whitaker. After you call, please show your appreciation for Celeste Pewter in some fashion. You can follow her on Twitter: @Celeste_Pewter You can tweet about calling your MoCs, using the #ICalledMyReps hashtag. You can follow @ICalledMyReps on Twitter. And you can subscribe to her peerless newsletter, It’s Time to Fight: http://itstimetofight.weebly.com Action Alerts · Call Your Members of Congress · Russian Scandal, Emoluments Clause · Uncategorized March 27, 2019 March 26, 2019 otycd Update: March 26, 2019. Back to this because the Mueller Report is still not out, and Barr says he’ll let the White House ‘redact’ it before it goes to Congress. Call Your MoCs and Voice Support for Releasing the Mueller Report–to Them, and To Us, and Safeguarding the Underlying Documents, Too Action Alerts · Call Your Members of Congress · Russian Scandal, Emoluments Clause Follow and Support Christopher Stroop Fighting Bigotry, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia... · Read, Educate Yourself, Prepare · Russian Scandal, Emoluments Clause · Separation of Church and State · Use Your Power, Recruit Friends · Vote with your Dollars November 24, 2018 September 1, 2018 otycd Follow and support Christopher Stroop, an ex-evangelical who deftly explains the religious right’s baffling infatuation with Trump. Stroop is a writer, speaker, and postdoc scholar whose evangelical background gives priceless, and frightening, insight into the evangelical mindset. Through his blog, Not Your Mission Field, and his tweets, he sheds light on why Franklin Graham and his ilk have gone all-in on Trump, a twice-divorced, vulgar, areligious, greedy, dishonest, venal, weak-minded would-be autocrat. (Spoiler alert: It has a lot to do with the weak-minded would-be autocrat part.) Read his blog, Not Your Mission Field: https://chrisstroop.com @C_Stroop Support him via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cstroop	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1455
__label__cc	0.543097	0.456903	Tag: Flip It Blue GOOD UPDATE! Katie Porter BEAT Republican Mimi Waters for the House Seat in California’s 45th District Candidates · Choose Your Core Four · Fighting Bigotry, Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia... · Use Your Power, Recruit Friends June 9, 2019 March 28, 2019 otycd1 Comment Update, March 24, 2019: YES YES YES! Democrat Katie Porter defeated Republican incumbent Mimi Waters with 52.1 percent of the vote to Waters’s 47.9 percent. Porter, a protege of Elizabeth Warren, quickly proved herself a worthy new member of Congress when she expertly exposed the ridiculous position of Equifax with a devastating quiz of its CEO, which you can see here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90312551/watch-a-congresswoman-destroy-equifax-ceo-mark-begor-in-an-epic-privacy-burn If you have money to give, please consider adding Porter to your 2020 Core Four. As a House of Representatives member, she runs for re-election every two years. Original text of the 2018 post follows. Support Democrat Katie Porter’s run to unseat California House Republican Mimi Walters. To flip the House of Representatives to Democratic control, the party needs to pick up at least 24 seats. Those who know say that the Democrats need to gain at least a third of those 24 in California. Katie Porter has a harder road to walk than, say, Harley Rouda or Gil Cisneros. Unlike those two, whose California Congressional districts the Cook Political Report rates as Toss-ups, the 45th district carries a Lean Republican tag. Republican Mimi Walters, first elected in 2014, has fallen in behind Trump and has consistently voted for bills he likes. That should rankle those in her district, who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Porter is a professor at University of California, Irvine and a protege of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. She specializes in fighting home mortgage lenders who mistreat their clients. When Kamala Harris was still the state’s attorney general, she chose Porter to monitor a $25 billion mortgage settlement on behalf of California. Porter has an opening, but she’ll need support to make this happen. Have a look at the links below and see if she’s the right candidate for you. See Porter’s campaign website: https://katieporter.com See her Issues page: https://katieporter.com/issues See her Endorsements page: https://katieporter.com/endorsements Choose Porter for your Core Four: Donate to Porter’s campaign: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/kp18?refcode=header_donate Like Porter on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katieporteroc Follow her on Twitter: @katieporteroc Read additional articles about Porter that predate the June 5, 2018 primary: https://www.ocregister.com/2017/04/03/all-the-facts-on-katie-porter-challenger-to-rep-mimi-walterss-re-election-bid/ http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article142177884.html GOOD UPDATE! Gil Cisneros WON His Race for the House Seat in California’s 39th District Candidates · Choose Your Core Four · Elections · Use Your Power, Recruit Friends · Vote with your Dollars April 28, 2019 March 24, 2019 otycd1 Comment Update March 24, 2019: YES YES YES! Democrat Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim for the House seat vacated by Republican Ed Royce. Cisneros pulled in 51.6 percent of the vote to Kim’s 48.4 percent. Cisneros faces re-election in 2020. Please consider him for your next Core Four. Original text of the post follows. Support Democrat Gil Cisneros, who’s running for the House of Representatives seat in California’s 39th District that Republican Ed Royce is leaving. To flip the House of Representatives to Democratic control, the party needs to win at least 24 seats in the fall elections that are currently Republican. California offers many opportunities for Democratic pickups–at least eight. The 39th District is one of them. Ed Royce, a particularly noxious Republican who held the Orange County seat for the last 26 years has announced he would retire. Cisneros came second in a very crowded June 5 primary. California uses a top-two system where the two candidates who get the most votes advance to the general, no matter what party they’re from. He beat 15 other candidates to earn the right to compete. The only person who got more votes than him, the Royce-endorsed Young Kim, drew almost 22 percent of the vote to Cisneros’s 19.3 percent. The California 39th seat is gettable. The Cook Political Report rates it as a Toss-up. Please learn about Cisneros and see if he is someone you can support. See Cisneros’s campaign site: https://cisnerosforcongress.com See his Meet Gil page: https://cisnerosforcongress.com/meet-gil/ See his Issues page, which includes sections on health care for all, getting corporate money out of politics, and holding President Trump accountable: https://cisnerosforcongress.com/gilsplan/ Donate to Cisneros’s campaign: https://secure.ngpvan.com/cS9iYUBauE2-Znc9wKbzkA2 Choose Cisneros for your Core Four: https://www.facebook.com/GilCisnerosCA/ @GilCisnerosCA Read a July 2017 Los Angeles Times piece about Cisneros’s entry into the race, in which he mentions that he left the Republican Party in 2008 because he didn’t like the direction in which the party was going: http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-ed-royce-challenger-gil-1500080377-htmlstory.html Read stories about Ed Royce’s retirement from Congress: http://www.anaheimblog.net/2018/01/10/veteran-rep-ed-royce-wont-run-for-re-election/ https://www.ocregister.com/2018/01/08/ed-royce-longtime-o-c-congressman-plans-to-retire/ Candidates · Elections · Use Your Power, Recruit Friends · Vote with your Dollars See the full list of sitting senators who are up for re-election in 2020. 2018 was a tough year for Democratic sitting Senators. Many more Democrats than Republicans were up for re-election. While we lost two, Bill Nelson of Florida and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, we managed to pick up two seats–Jacky Rosen defeated Dean Heller in Nevada, and Kyrsten Sinema won the open seat in Arizona. Things could have been a lot worse, and would have been a lot worse in the absence of voters highly motivated by the unusually terrible performance of the Trump administration. If a more normal and routine Republican had been president in 2018, the Democrats might have suffered more losses. The 2020 story is different. Many more Republicans are defending than are Democrats. This post is a basic post that simply lists who’s due to run in 2020. It does NOT include notes about who’s vulnerable, etc. That material will appear in a later update. Right now, we want to fill you in on what’s known as U.S. Senate, Class II, so you can make early choices for your 2020 Core Four. If you can start donating to the sitting Democrats now, please do. If you notice a Republican up in your state in 2020, consider earmarking money for that person’s eventual Democratic challenger. The following Democrats are up for re-election in 2020: Cory Booker of New Jersey Christopher Coons of Delaware Richard “Dick” Durbin of Illinois Doug Jones of Alabama Ed Markey of Massachusetts Jeff Merkley of Oregon Gary Peters of Michigan Jack Reed of Rhode Island Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire Tina Smith of Minnesota Tom Udall of New Mexico Mark Warner of Virginia The following Republicans are up for re-election in 2020: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia Bill Cassidy of Louisiana Susan Collins of Maine John Cornyn of Texas Tom Cotton of Arkansas Steve Daines of Montana Michael Enzi of Wyoming Joni Ernst of Iowa Cory Gardner of Colorado Lindsey Graham of South Carolina Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi James Inhofe of Oklahoma Mitch McConnell of Kentucky David Perdue of Georgia James Risch of Idaho Pat Roberts of Kansas Mike Rounds of South Dakota Ben Sasse of Nebraska Dan Sullivan of Arkansas Thom Tillis of North Carolina As of now, only Arkansas has both its Senators due to run in 2020. And! There is a Road to 2020 effort, but there are caveats. From what we can tell, it’s only got a Twitter handle at the moment, and it’s unclear if Celeste Pewter is involved (she was a significant part of the Road to 2018). Check out the Road to 2020 on Twitter here: @2020Senate See the official list of senators in Class II here: https://www.senate.gov/senators/Class_II.htm Help Flippable Support Democrats in State Elections in 2019 Community Activism · Elections April 5, 2019 March 31, 2019 otycd Help Flippable support Democratic candidates in state elections in 2019. Recently we at OTYCD asked you to see if you have state or local elections in 2019. If you don’t (or, hey, if you do and you have the bandwidth to take on more), and you’re up for helping win elections elsewhere in America, throw your weight behind the work of Flippable. We at OTYCD have written about Flippable and its work before. It aims to help elect Democrats at the state level, which helps flip legislatures blue. One of Flippable’s first great successes was the 2017 legislative elections in Virginia. Flippable and the Virginia Democrats wildly overperformed, coming within a coin flip of controlling the state’s House of Delegates–no one predicted that. The winners included Elizabeth Guzman, Kathy Tran, Hala Ayala, David Reid, Cheryl Turpin, Jennifer Carroll Foy, and Danica Roem, to whom we also devoted a Believe It: You Matter post, because she’s just that awesome. You can help any one of those defending incumbents in Virginia by looking up their campaign websites and giving them some money. You can also donate to Flippable and its work helping get Democrats elected and re-elected in key states. Virginia is one of five focus states in 2019. Having done so ridiculously well in 2017, Flippable hopes to defend its wins and build on them to turn Virginia’s legislature properly blue in November. See the Flippable home page: https://flippable.org Read the Flippable blog: https://www.flippable.org/blog/ Read a February 2019 post Flippable published on Medium about its goals for Virginia. Donate to the Flippable fund: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/flippablefund1?refcode=website-home-2donate&_ga=2.45035940.1636322384.1553383692-117533993.1502038586 Like Flippable on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flippableorg Follow Flippable on Twitter: @flippable_org Read articles from 2017 on the coin flip to decide which party would control Virginia’s House of Delegates: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/12/22/that-coin-toss-election-in-virginia-dramatic-but-it-pales-in-comparison-to-other-historic-contests/?utm_term=.297c45a6d57b https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/12/virginia-democrats-house-of-delegates-election/548846/ Support Build the Wave, Which Gets Grassroots Volunteers Involved in Critical 2018 Races Action Alerts · Candidates · Community Activism · Elections · Use Your Power, Recruit Friends · Vote with your Dollars August 19, 2018 July 19, 2018 otycd Support Build the Wave, an organization that gets grassroots volunteers involved in critical 2018 races. Build the Wave is yet another org created by campaign veterans who are doing an end run around the standing but rusty and expensive traditional political infrastructure and getting real people involved in races across America that need their help. It’s all about the grassroots–the small-dollar donors, the digital activists, the tech-savvy, and the countless alarmed folks who want to do their bit to defend small-d democracy in the wake of Trump’s 2016 election. Build the Wave’s clearest high-profile result was the narrow special election victory of Democrat Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania in March. Almost 250 of its volunteers sent more than 94,000 texts encouraging folks to vote. Its texting campaign reached a third of all of those who cast their ballots for Lamb. Its Facebook ads reached about 23,000, and its Lamb-related Twitter posts got more than 3 million impressions. Visit the webpage for Build the Wave: https://www.buildthewave.org Learn how Build the Wave contributed to Conor Lamb’s victory: https://www.buildthewave.org/conor-lamb Donate to Build the Wave: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/az-poll?refcode=website Follow it on Twitter: @BuildTheWave OMG GOOD UPDATE! Democrat Manka Dhingra WON A Washington State Senate Seat and Turned the Whole West Coast Blue! May 4, 2018 April 8, 2018 otycd This OTYCD entry originally posted in October 2017. YES YES YES YES YES SO MUCH YES! Democrat Manka Dhingra won that state Senate seat in Washington, and with her win, she turned the entire west coast blue and gave the Democrats their seventh trifecta–a state in which they control the governorship and the state legislature. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/nov/07/democrats-take-control-of-state-senate/ Original text of the post follows: Help Democrat Manka Dhingra win a Washington state Senate seat in a special election on November 7, 2017. If she wins, she’ll flip the state blue, and flip the entire West coast blue, and give the Democrats a seventh state trifecta. Dhingra is an Indian Sikh immigrant who serves as the senior deputy prosecutor in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. She also supervises the Regional Mental Health Court and also the Veteran’s Court. She wants to find ways to fund the public K-12 system without raising property taxes. She is against creating a state income tax. She wants to improve traffic flow and expand local light rail. She would increase government transparency, close tax loopholes, and expand mental health services. She embraces green technology and respects facts and data. She defends reproductive rights. She has earned the endorsements of Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Washington Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Washington House Reps Suzan DelBene and Adam Smith. NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, Planned Parenthood Votes NW & Idaho, the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, EMILY’s List, Democracy for America, the Washington chapter of the Sierra Club, and several unions. See Dhingra’s campaign website: http://www.electmanka.com/index.html See her About page: http://www.electmanka.com/about-manka-dhingra.html http://www.electmanka.com/manka-dhingra-mission-and-vision.html#issues Donate to Dhingra’s campaign: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/flipwa45?refcode=Blog624 Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/electmanka/ @ElectManka See Flippable’s page on her candidacy and the Washington state senate race: https://www.flippable.org/washington/ See her Ballotpedia page: https://ballotpedia.org/Manka_Dhingra See an August 23, 2017 piece on her candidacy in The Stranger: http://www.thestranger.com/news/2017/08/23/25368212/meet-manka-dhingra-the-eastside-democrat-who-could-end-republican-control-of-the-state-senate Read a Seattle Times piece about the state Senate race: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-state-senate-race-results/	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1456
__label__cc	0.73144	0.26856	Origin Technologies Corporation Laser-Precise Measurements LaserGauge Automation DSP Sensors HS702 Sensor HS702 Sensor – Blue Laser HS730LE Sensor RS750 Sensor TS800 Sensor TS800 Sensor - Blue Laser LG5000 Controller LGCommander LGWorks View/Download PDF: Accessories LaserGauge® controller-based systems can be powered using a variety of 10.8-volt products. As with any battery product, a trade-off must be made between the capacity of the battery, which determines how long the system will run, and the weight of the battery. Standalone DSP sensors use 7.4-volt batteries that are available in several different capacities. Again, the trade-off is between weight and the length of run-time between battery changes. LG1102/LG1200/LG4101 Controllers – Controllers use a rechargeable, 10.8-volt, SMBus lithium-ion battery pack with an LED fuel gauge. The battery is a standard 202 size for the LG1102 and LG4101 controllers and 204 size for the LG1200 controller. These batteries are primarily used in laptop computers and are manufactured by a number of companies worldwide. The batteries are rated at 7.2 amp hours and will power the controllers for up to four hours on one charge. A nylon pouch containing a rugged metal frame is used to connect the battery to the LG1102 and LG4101 controllers. The metal frame guides the battery onto a 5-prong connector and the flap on the top of the pouch secures the battery in place. A coiled cable attaches the pouch to the controller. LG1102 controllers utilize a 4-pin, bayonet-style power connector while the LG4101 controller utilizes a 6-pin, threaded connector. Coiled cables are interchangeable so that the pouch can be used with any model controller. A desktop charger is used for both charging and calibrating the 202 and 204 batteries. With Smart SMBus capabilities, the charger will not overcharge a battery and can determine when a battery needs to be recalibrated. Charging a fully discharged battery takes approximately two and one-half hours. The power adapter for the charger accepts 100 – 240V at 50 – 60Hz, which allows it to be used worldwide with the appropriate power cord. DSP Sensors – Standalone DSP sensors are powered by a rechargeable, lithium-ion battery typically used in digital cameras and camcorders. The battery provides 7.4 volts and is rated at 1850 milliamp hours. It will run a DSP sensor for approximately four hours of continuous use before needing to be recharged. The use of the power save function on the sensor can extend the run time by up to 50%. The battery weighs only 3 ounces. A plug-in rapid charger is used for the DSP sensor batteries. The batteries have no memory so they can be charged at any level of discharge. Charging a fully discharged battery takes approximately two hours. The charger also comes with a cigarette lighter adapter for charging batteries while traveling. Standoffs - Handheld sensors utilize standoffs to help guide the sensor to a position that places the feature being measured at the sensor’s optimum depth-of-focus and centered in the sensor’s field-of-view. Standoffs are not a factor in the measurements; they are just a positioning aid. Standoffs are designed according to the application with the goal of making it easier and quicker for the operator to properly position the sensor over the feature and to complete the measurement. Custom standoffs can be designed for unique applications. CALIBRATION CHECK BLOCKS Standards or blocks with dimensional features that simulate the features being measured in a particular application can be used to periodically check the calibration of the LaserGauge®. The design of the blocks takes into consideration the size of the dimensional features being measured and the field-of-view and resolution of the sensor. Dimensions on the block are certified by an independent, accredited calibration laboratory and are traceable to NIST. Our continuing commitment to quality may mean a change in specifications without notice. This system complies with 21 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter J. 9238 Madison Boulevard, Suite 845 Copyright © . Origin Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved. LaserGauge® is a registered trademark of Origin Technologies Corporation.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1464
__label__wiki	0.87233	0.87233	Golden Eagles Fall in Extras to NDSU North Dakota St. North Dakota St. (5-13, 3-5) 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 7 0 Oral Roberts (12-12, 5-3) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 2 2B: Charley Hesse HR: Hunter Koep 2B: Blake Hall; Anthony Martinez Box Score \| Season Stats Score: North Dakota State 3 – Oral Roberts 2 (10 innings) Records: NDSU (5-13, 3-5 SL) – ORU (12-12, 5-3 SL) Location: Tulsa, Okla. (J.L. Johnson Stadium) TULSA, Okla. – It took extra innings at J.L. Johnson Stadium to decide the outcome as the Oral Roberts team dropped a 3-2 game to North Dakota State on a cold Saturday afternoon. The Golden Eagles pushed across two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score, 2-2, but were unable to capitalize in any other frame leaving 10 total runners on base. The Bison went on to tally the winning run in the 10th inning to even the weekend Summit League series. After allowing a run in the second and fourth to fall behind 2-0, ORU's Drew Lowe opened the fifth on a sharp single to left. The freshman moved into scoring position on Brody Gibson's sacrifice bunt and Anthony Martinez brought the run home on a RBI double. Hunter Wilson extended the rally to plate the tying run sending a single back up the middle. "We just didn't do enough to win. Tough day to score, tough day to hit for a lot of different reasons. Regardless of what happened during the game and the circumstances around it, you just didn't do enough to win. It's not easy to win, it's not easy to score; but you have to find a way to make it happen." – Head Coach Ryan Folmar The Golden Eagles appeared to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning as Isaac Coffey hit a lead-off single to center. Blake Hall followed by lacing a double into the left-center gap and Coffey sprinted around the bases to score from first, until an appeal by NDSU wiped the run off the board. It was determined that Coffey did not touch third base and confirmed via replay due to inconclusive evidence. Inside the Box Score - Hall had another multi-hit effort at the plate going 2-for-4 and also reached base safely getting hit by a pitch in his second game back from injury. - Martinez tallied a pair of hits, including a RBI double down the line in left during the fifth inning. Hunter Swift added a single and a walk to reach base twice, while Jake McMurray also drew two walks. - Matt Gaskins did not earn a decision despite throwing a season-high seven innings holding the Bison to two runs on four hits. AJ Archambo retired the first ever batters he faced from the bullpen before a seeing-eye single reached base in the 10th and went on to score the winning run on a two-out single to right. Archambo struck out a career-best six batters, but suffered the loss. - ORU left runners on base in seven of 10 innings played, including two on base three separate occasions. ORU finishes the weekend series with North Dakota State Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Don't miss a single pitch of the league matchup live on the ORU Sports Network at www.ORUAthletics.com.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1467
__label__wiki	0.672614	0.672614	Chanukah-Specials Contemporary Jewish Life Halacha, Aggadah & Sifrei Kodesh Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Shabbat and the Holidays Siddurim and Machzorim Studies in Chumash and Tanach Bereishit Tanach Special Three Weeks & Tisha B'Av Bookstores & Libraries Home / Studies in Chumash and Tanach / Vayikra / Unlocking the Torah Text – Vayikra (Leviticus) Unlocking the Torah Text – Vayikra (Leviticus) Unlocking the Torah Text - Vayikra (Leviticus) quantity Categories: Studies in Chumash and Tanach, Vayikra Unlocking the Torah Text – Vayikra (Leviticus): An In-depth Journey into the Weekly Parsha by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin Co-published by OU Press and Gefen Publishing House Hardcover, 304 pages, Regularly $29.95 / Now $25.50 ISBN 9789652294500 Unlocking the Torah Text provides an in-depth journey into the Torah portion through a series of studies on each parsha. Each study opens with a brief summary of the narrative and then presents probing questions designed to strike to the core of the text. These questions are addressed through a review of traditional commentaries spanning the ages, combined with original approaches. Deep philosophical issues and perplexing textual questions are carefully examined and discussed in clear and incisive fashion. The actions and motivations of the patriarchs, matriarchs and other biblical figures are probed with an eye towards determining the lessons to be learned from the lives of these great personalities. Clear distinction is made between pshat straightforward literal meaning and Midrash rabbinical exegesis as both of these approaches to biblical text are carefully defined and applied. Finally, thought-provoking connections are raised between the eternal Torah narrative and critical issues of our time. Each study is thus constructed to encourage continued discussion and study of the Torah narrative. The entire Unlocking the Torah Text set can be purchased at a 20% discount. Full review by Alan Jay Gerber in The Jewish Star Full review by Rabbi Dr. Shalom Z. Berger in Bookjed Full review by Rabbi Hayyim Angel in The Jewish Press “New and refreshing insights…. Rabbi Goldin acts as a responsible teacher of Torah, letting the text speak for itself.…Unlocking the Torah Text is a very good book indeed, challenging the reader to use his native intelligence in reading the Good Book as God’s Book.” –Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University “Rabbi Shmuel Goldin has rendered an extraordinary service… Challenging us with fascinating questions, he presents unique solutions to problems that wemight never have noticed but which are critical to our understanding of the text. Sabbath discussions in the pulpit or around the table will be greatly enriched by his analysis.” –Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, spiritual leader of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, New York City “Rabbi Goldin’s book is original, thoughtful, and provocative. Written with clarity, sensitivity and empathy, it will inspire modern readers of the Torah to grapple with the text and to wrest from it contemporary messages of personal meaning and communal significance.” –Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, senior scholar at the Center for the Jewish Future of Yeshiva University “Rabbi Shmuel Goldin is a treasured member of our Jewish studies faculty because of the insight, clarity and love of text displayed in this volume. Employing simple but probing questions, he has produced an eye-opening volume, transforming Biblical story into sacred values. It is a delicious read.” –Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University “Superb! …Carefully conceived, conceptually challenging, stylistically elegant… magnificently inviting.” –Rabbi Maurice Lamm, noted rabbi and author of The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning and other works “In Unlocking the Torah Text, Goldin provides the reader with a useful aid to understanding the biblical text. Writing in a pleasant, lucid style, he identifies the main questions, and in a modern idiom discusses some of the classic approaches. He carries his learning lightly so as to meet the challenges of the textand stimulate debate of the issues. A highly readable and thoughtful work.” –Aviva Zornberg, author of Genesis: The Beginning of Desire, winner of the National Jewish Book Award Noted as one of the most articulate spokesmen in the Orthodox community today, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin has developed an innovative educational approach to Torah study, Jewish law and Jewish identity which is enthusiastically received by traditional and non-traditional Jews alike. Rabbi Goldin received his BS in psychology and his MA in Jewish education from Yeshiva University, and his rabbinic ordination from the Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. He has served as spiritual leader of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, New Jersey, since 1984. He is an instructor of Bible, Philosophy and Talmud at the Isaac Breuer College and the Mechina Program of Yeshiva University, founding director and lecturer at The Eve Flechner Torah Institute, and currently serves as the first Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of America. – Unlocking the Torah Text on Bereishit (Genesis) – Unlocking the Torah Text on Shemot (Exodus) – Unlocking the Torah Text on Bamidbar (Numbers) – Unlocking the Torah Text on Devarim (Deuteronomy) Retail sales only The Megillah: Majesty & Mystery Between the Lines of the Bible- Exodus THE TARYAG COMPANION (HARDCOVER) Fourth Edition- The Newly Released OU Manual for Checking Fruits and Vegetables The Shnayim Mikra Companion Tweets by OU_Press Madrikh La-Moreh & Talmud La-Talmid Chumash Mesoras HaRav MeOtzar HoRav Shiurei HaRav Tefilla Mesora © OU Press 2019 You're viewing: Unlocking the Torah Text – Vayikra (Leviticus) $29.95 $25.50	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1468
__label__wiki	0.596034	0.596034	Who Is to Blame for Bias? Klavan On The Culture By Andrew Klavan 2016-07-17T12:57:15 Political correctness kills. The leftist philosophy that conflates dishonesty with virtue is costing lives. The lie — and it is a lie — that young black men live under threat from the police obscures the hard truth that tough policing protects young black men from the true threat of other young black men. The resulting protests and anti-police violence and hostility cause cops to retreat from the areas where they're needed most and the violent death rate increases. Likewise the left's truly childish notion that it is somehow bigoted to notice that an awful lot of terrorists share the same [redacted] religion causes people to turn away and fail to report the radicals in their midst, letting terrorists strike at will. As one Twitter wag put it: "See something. Say something. Get accused of Islamophobia." But let's acknowledge for a moment that there is some justice to the sad tales of bias the left often uses to promote dangerous PC lies. Here, for instance, is Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, a black man: In the course of one year, I’ve been stopped seven times by law enforcement officers. Not four, not five, not six, but seven times in one year as an elected official. Was I speeding sometimes? Sure. But the vast majority of the times, I was pulled over for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood, or some other reason just as trivial… And — although Jews are far more likely to experience hate crimes in America than Muslims — any decent person can sympathize with the 15-year-old Muslim girl who told the New York Times: “If a Muslim hasn’t been called a terrorist in middle school, lower school or high school, then they’re probably in a really great school — and I’m happy for them!” https://pjmedia.com/andrewklavan/2016/07/17/who-is-to-blame-for-bias/	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1474
__label__cc	0.518539	0.481461	Asian Massage Parlors – The Sad Part – 2 Massage parlors promising “happy endings” are at the center of international human trafficking schemes involving underage girls and illegal immigrants. These establishments are starting to crop up in greater numbers across the city again after previous crackdowns by authorities in 2014, and their crimes extend far past prostitution. With the assistance of sites like Backpage.com, the owners of these sex shops can update advertisements daily and better avoid scrutiny from law enforcement. For those who argue these establishments commit victimless crimes, authorities note these parlors are typically staffed entirely by women, many of whom are forced to live at the store and are often underage. Illegal immigrants are specifically preyed on and threatened with deportation if they do not follow instructions. The NYPD has arrested 11 people on prostitution charges in Staten Island through April 2017. Criminal complaints show five of the people arrested do not have U.S. citizenship and five provided their work address as their primary residence. All but one woman identified themselves as Asian and/or Pacific Islander. “Human trafficking is up 50 percent in the city alone — that’s a huge red flag that this issue is permeating and it needs to be addressed aggressively,” Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican running for mayor, told Staten Island Live regarding the massage parlors. “Unfortunately, we know that this is a human trafficking issue, it’s not just prostitution.” Authorities arrested eight members of the Rendon-Reyes gang in Brooklyn in April on charges of human smuggling and sex trafficking of minors, which they allegedly participated in for a decade. All eight members face a lifetime in prison if convicted. Detailed statistics on human trafficking are difficult to assemble, but officials estimate thousands of women are trafficked into New York each year. Officials in New York City say poor enforcement of immigration laws is aiding the human trafficking business. Women are often kidnapped from other countries and subsequently brought to the U.S. Their lives and the lives of their families are threatened in order to terrorize the victims into obedience. “I consider forcing a woman or a child to perform sexual acts and be victims is something that should be taken seriously and I think that’s the type of message we’re sending if we don’t enforce [people being in New York illegally],” Authorities successfully closed six of these massage parlors in 2015, but more continue to open. Malliotakis and other local lawmakers say there has been a steady increase in calls reporting shady massage parlors popping up in their communities. If you think human trafficking, massage parlors and prostitution are limited to urban areas, you would be mistaken. Lunchtime two weeks ago, Lower Merion Police moved in on a nondescript building, serving a warrant investigating a suspected prostitution operation. The Rock Hill Road establishment in Bala goes by the name Therapy Zone. “We’ve had it under surveillance for a few days, and a number of things are occurring here consistent with prostitution,” said Sergeant Gavin Goschinski. Lower Merion Police say those things would be security cameras, a lack of formal advertising and secure exterior doors where clients need to be buzzed in. “We encountered one female inside the establishment. She’s a Russian citizen. We were taking her in for interviews and to determine if she needs to be connected to services relative to human trafficking,” said Goschinski. Law enforcement has also been investigating Therapy Zone and similar suburban businesses. Apparently finding a massage parlor with sexual services isn’t very difficult. We found a website which claims to locate massage parlors that engage in prostitution. For a small fee, you can read reviews that include the names of the women, sexual favors offered and price. The site claims there are more than 230 erotic massage parlors all over the tri-state area, including over 80 in Philadelphia. Philadelphia police detectives Ashley Capaldi and Kate Gordon are part of the department’s new Human Trafficking Unit. They say the women working in the massage parlors are often the victims of human trafficking, who come to the US heavily in debt and are forced into prostitution. “You said it cost $70, 80, 90 for me to come here, and I’m supposed to be trying to support my family at home and here, and it’s virtually impossible to ever break that cycle,” said Gordon. “Until now, no one is ever coming for the person who owns the house, who runs the house,” said Capaldi. According to court records, Lower Merion Police questioned several so-called “Johns” who left Therapy Zone. The “Johns” allegedly admitted to receiving sexual favors and told police during initial visits, they were asked about what sexual favors they wanted, given a price and assigned a number for booking appointments. Police say they watched as women of Therapy Zone would discard condoms in the trash cans of other businesses. “Our surveillance found the women who open and operate the business are dropped off a door or two away and that they come in, they operate during the day,” said Goschinski. Investigators across the region say putting erotic massage parlors out of business is tough. It’s supply and demand. They close one parlor, another opens down the road in another name. In Bala no one’s been charged yet. They continue to investigate allegations of prostitution and human trafficking. “This is a brick and mortar operation with a significant investment. We hope to disrupt the organization today, and then follow-up with it and see where money is traveling, who owns it and that sort of thing,” said Goschinski. Thank you for reading my blog. Please read, like, comment, and most of all follow Phicklephilly. I publish every day at 8am EST. Author phicklephillyPosted on February 28, 2018 July 7, 2019 Categories entertainment, fitness, law, philadelphia, philly, sex, UncategorizedTags Asian, massage, philadelphia, philly, prostitution, trafficking 2 thoughts on “Asian Massage Parlors – The Sad Part – 2” Little Mountain says: Honorable. Sad but true. There’s work to do. Easy solution, legalize prostitution, massage parlors etc, make them regulated and accountable, pay taxes like any other business. Possibly you will then end up with the standard under the table issues with illegal immigrants, human trafficking and abuse of labor that is across many different work places and not just unique to massage parlors but if they are regulated it is easier to make them more accountable. If police want to spend their hours and their time trying to fix issues in the sex industry then maybe they should focus on Pedophilia….now that is a real problem in our society! Previous Previous post: Asian Massage Parlors – The Fun Part – 1 Next Next post: Dina – 2011 to Present – Aggressive Diversity	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1481
__label__cc	0.564718	0.435282	Philadelphia Families Speak Up Against The City’s Foster Care Policy Photo by Andrew Seaman Philadelphia, PA - Sharonell Fulton and other foster parents asked a Philadelphia court late yesterday to end a new City policy that is leaving foster homes sitting empty while the City is in a foster care crisis. In Sharonell Fulton, et al. v. City of Philadelphia, the City must answer for its decision to stop allowing Catholic Social Services to place children in foster homes, solely because the City disagrees with the agency’s religious beliefs – a decision the City is threatening to make permanent on June 30. Philadelphia Ranks 8th Among US Destination Cities Photo by Master Wen Philadelphia, PA - The City of Brotherly Love is the No. 8 U.S. Destination City according to the latest U-Haul migration trends report, holding steady from its previous ranking. Philadelphia saw a 5 percent year-over-year increase in one-way U-Haul truck arrivals in 2017 to remain one of the top 10 busiest cities for incoming traffic among do-it-yourself movers. JFK Vision Zero Safety Project Begins: New Center City Bike Lanes New Bike Lanes as JFK Vision Zero Safety Project Begains Philadelphia, PA - The Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (oTIS) announced today that restriping and safety improvements are scheduled to begin on Monday, May 21 for the Market JFK Vision Zero Pilot Project. Restriping and installation of flexible delineator posts and signage are expected to be completed within two weeks, weather permitting. Work will include temporary, short term lane closures and parking restrictions for pavement striping, installation of flexible delineator posts, and signage. Hub of Hope Meals to the Homeless in Center City Photo by Matt Collame Philadelphia, PA - Mayor Jim Kenney today helped launch a new meal service program at the Hub of Hope, a service center for Philadelphia’s homeless population in Center City. The center, a joint initiative by the City of Philadelphia, Project HOME and SEPTA opened in January in Suburban Station. The meal service is being offered through a partnership with Broad Street Ministry and Philabundance. The Malcom Jenkins Foundation - Helping Feed Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA - The Malcom Jenkins Foundation and PepsiCo have partnered with Feed the Children to kick off "Get Ready Fest™: Helping Feed Philadelphia" – a signature event of The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, providing 800 Philadelphia-area families with wellness resources, food and essentials. The event kicks off at 12:00pm at Xfinity Live! 110 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia Firefighters Receive Wage Increases Philadelphia, PA - The City of Philadelphia and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 22 today received from a panel of arbitrators an award for a new three-year contract. The award is retroactive to July 1, 2017 and continues through June 30, 2020. The panel of arbitrators awarded Local 22 wage increases of 3.25%, 3.5% and 3.75% in each year of the contract respectively. City Releases Property Tax Calculator as Tax Increases Philadelphia, PA - City officials today unveiled a web-based calculator that will allow property owners to see how changes in assessments and the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2019 education funding proposal would affect their property tax bills for next year, including the effect of proposed revisions to the Homestead Exemption.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1483
__label__wiki	0.502694	0.502694	DC Writer Scott Snyder Announced He’s Leaving Batman by Todd Black in Articles, Comics Since the launch of the New 52 for DC Comics, no team has stayed longer than the duo of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo on the main Batman series. In fact, their work has been so iconic, that fans have been dreading the day they leave. Well, during an interview with Comic Vine, Scott Snyder revealed that him and Capullo are indeed leaving with issue #51 being their final. “Greg [Capullo] and I have had a blast together on this run. It’s our second to last issue together. 51 is my last issue as well on Batman. For me, 50 is the quiet issue and 51 is really just a letter to the fans from us and a letter to Batman. It’s the lightest I’ve ever written. Not lightest as in happy but light as in not as many panels per page. It’s really really open. It’s a chance for Greg to draw the close before we take our break. 50 we wanted to be the opposite. We wanted it to be the most explosive, jam-packed sort of blockbuster crazed issue we’ve ever done. I hope it delivers in that regard.” Batman #51 is set for release in April, and though he is departing the main series, it’s quite possible he’ll still be in the Batman universe, as he’s noted he has ideas for stories featuring major Batman villains like Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and more. Tags: batmanDC ComicsScott Snyder Todd Black	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1486
__label__wiki	0.822356	0.822356	Private Equity and Employment NBER Working Paper No. w17399 51 Pages Posted: 21 Sep 2011 Last revised: 28 Oct 2014 See all articles by Steven J. Davis Steven J. Davis University of Chicago; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) John Haltiwanger University of Maryland - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) Ron S. Jarmin Josh Lerner Harvard Business School - Finance Unit; Harvard University - Entrepreneurial Management Unit; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Javier Miranda U.S. Census Bureau - Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications US Census Bureau Center for Economic Studies Paper No. CES-WP-08-07R Number of pages: 51 Posted: 26 Mar 2008 Last Revised: 13 Jan 2015 Chicago Booth Research Paper No. 11-31, Chicago Booth Initiative on Global Markets Working Paper No. 67 Number of pages: 51 Posted: 21 Sep 2011 Last Revised: 28 Oct 2014 Date Written: September 2011 Private equity critics claim that leveraged buyouts bring huge job losses. To investigate this claim, we construct and analyze a new dataset that covers U.S. private equity transactions from 1980 to 2005. We track 3,200 target firms and their 150,000 establishments before and after acquisition, comparing outcomes to controls similar in terms of industry, size, age, and prior growth. Relative to controls, employment at target establishments declines 3 percent over two years post buyout and 6 percent over five years. The job losses are concentrated among public-to-private buyouts, and transactions involving firms in the service and retail sectors. But target firms also create more new jobs at new establishments, and they acquire and divest establishments more rapidly. When we consider these additional adjustment margins, net relative job losses at target firms are less than 1 percent of initial employment. In contrast, the sum of gross job creation and destruction at target firms exceeds that of controls by 13 percent of employment over two years. In short, private equity buyouts catalyze the creative destruction process in the labor market, with only a modest net impact on employment. The creative destruction response mainly involves a more rapid reallocation of jobs across establishments within target firms. Davis, Steven J. and Haltiwanger, John C. and Jarmin, Ron S. and Lerner, Josh and Miranda, Javier, Private Equity and Employment (September 2011). NBER Working Paper No. w17399. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1931170 Steven J. Davis (Contact Author) University of Chicago ( email ) 5807 S. Woodlawn Avenue John C. Haltiwanger University of Maryland - Department of Economics ( email ) National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email ) Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email ) Bonn, D-53072 U.S. Census Bureau ( email ) 4700 Silver Hill Road Harvard Business School - Finance Unit ( email ) HOME PAGE: http://www.people.hbs.edu/jlerner/ Harvard University - Entrepreneurial Management Unit U.S. Census Bureau - Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications ( email )	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1492
__label__wiki	0.733084	0.733084	Democracy and Distortion Cornell Law Review, Vol. 92, 2007 Minnesota Legal Studies Research Paper No. 07-06 See all articles by Guy-Uriel E. Charles Guy-Uriel E. Charles Duke University School of Law This Article contends that judicial supervision of excessive manipulation of electoral lines for partisan purposes - political gerrymandering - may be justified in a mature democracy. The Article responds to the debate among courts and commentators over whether political gerrymandering presents any constitutionally relevant harms and, further, whether courts may be able to resolve the structural issues presented by political gerrymandering claims. Drawing from political theory and political science, this Article develops a theory of institutional distortion and provides a justification for aggressive judicial review of questions of democratic governance. The Article does not argue that the United States Supreme Court should regulate political gerrymandering; instead, it argues that such regulation can be justified. This Article also develops a framework of election law dualism to resolve the structural challenges that political gerrymandering poses to adjudication. Keywords: constitutional law, jurisprudence, politics Charles, Guy-Uriel, Democracy and Distortion. Cornell Law Review, Vol. 92, 2007; Minnesota Legal Studies Research Paper No. 07-06. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=965451 Guy-Uriel Charles (Contact Author) Duke University School of Law ( email ) Science Drive & Towerview Rd.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1493
__label__wiki	0.898271	0.898271	Digital Subscriptions > Skeptic > 24.2 > Pterosaur Thunderbird Pterosaur Thunderbird The Origin of a Fake Native American Legend with an Anti-Evolution Agenda BY PHILIP J. SENTER PTEROSAURS BECAME EXTINCT OVER 60 MILLION YEARS ago. Nevertheless, anti-evolution authors often suggest that the Thunderbird traditions of Native American peoples are based on human encounters with living pterosaurs.1 Those suggestions are part of an attempt to dispute the separation of humans and pterosaurs so as to cast doubt on the passage of tens of millions of years, which in turn, is meant to cast doubt on the evolution of all organisms from a common ancestor. It’s a standard creationist tactic. The anti-evolution Thunderbird effort began with a very detailed story that was narrated in the film The Great Dinosaur Mystery, hereafter called the Taylor film after its writer and director, Paul S. Taylor. The film was first released in 1979, and Eden Publications still sells a DVD of it.2 The film and a children’s book3 based on it are widely cited as authoritative sources by anti-evolution authors.4 The Taylor film contains a plethora of alleged accounts of encounters between humans and dinosaurs or pterosaurs, most of which have since been investigated and shown to be misrepresentations of ancient and medieval art and folklore.5 According to the narrator: The folklore of the Sioux Indian tribe tells of a party of Sioux warriors who were out hunting during a thunderstorm. They saw a huge, flying, bird-like creature get hit by lightning and fall to the ground. After several days of searching, they found what was left of the creature [at this point the movie shows the skeleton of the pterosaur Pteranodon]. It had large claws on its feet and its wings, and its beak was long and sharp. There was a long, bony crest on its head, and it had a wingspan of over 20 feet. The description perfectly matches the extinct Pteranodon. The Indians had never seen a bird like it before. They called it the Thunderbird, and it has appeared in Indian tales ever since. Is the Taylor film’s Thunderbird story a genuine Native American legend? And is it an eyewitness account of a live pterosaur? To answer those questions, I investigated the folklore of the Native American people from whom the Taylor film’s story allegedly came, whom the film called the “Sioux.” The name “Sioux” is derived from an abbreviation of Nadowe-is-iw-u?g (“lesser enemy/snake”), a pejorative term used by the Chippewa to denote traditional enemies.5 Among the peoples to whom they applied the term were a population that before the arrival of Europeans called itself the Oceti Šakowin: the Seven Fireplaces (hereafter abbreviated SF). The SF peoples spoke three similar dialects: Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota.7 The SF people themselves had no term in any of their three dialects that designated the entire population, and they adopted the word “Sioux” for that purpose,7 although their present-day descendants often abhor that term because of its derogatory origin. Nineteenth-century anthropologists commonly used the term Dakota to designate the entirety of the SF. The SF lived in the forests of what is now Minnesota in the 17th and 18th centuries. By the end of the 18th century, Lakotaspeakers had moved west of the Missouri River and reached the Black Hills.9 Nakota- and Dakota-speakers remained further east (Figure 2). The Lakota-speaking group is often called the Lakota or Teton, and one of its sub-groups is the Oglala. The descent of the Thunderbird to the ground is central to the Taylor film’s Thunderbird narrative. I therefore conducted a literature search for 19th- and 20th-century narratives of Thunderbirds descending to the ground and accounts of the SF Thunderbird concept. I also conducted a literature search for 19th- and 20th-century narratives with phrasing similar to the Taylor film’s Thunderbird story. Here are the results. SF Conception of the Thunderbird Thunder-beings figured prominently in the folklore of 19th-century Native American peoples from coast to coast. Such beings, which were said to live in the sky and produce thunder and lightning, were often described as anthropomorphic beings that could take the physical form of a bird or a human.10 The SF thought of these beings in this way but also spoke of them as having the forms of horses or dogs in addition to humans or birds.11 The SF name for the Thunder-beings is Wakinyan, which is often translated “Thunder bird” but does not specifically connote a bird. Rather, it is a term used for thunder and for any flying being and is therefore more accurately translated simply as “fliers” or “thunderers.”12 Nineteenth-century scholars produced a rich record of SF Wakinyan traditions. According to those traditions, the Wakinyan are immense beings that live in the sky and are hidden from mortal view by clouds.13 The sound of thunder begins with the loud voice of an old Wakinyan and continues with the softer voices of several young Wakinyan. The old Wakinyan is wise and does not harm humans, but the young ones are mischievous and cause human deaths by lightning.14 The Wakinyan created wild rice and gave the SF the spear, the tomahawk, and pigments to make them impervious to weapons.15 The Wakinyan keep their eyes closed most of the time, and lightning shoots forth when they open their eyes.16 Lightning and the sound of thunder may also be expressions of admonition toward humans.17 The Wakinyan hurl lightning bolts at their enemies, aquatic monsters called Unktehi.18 The 19th-century SF identified mastodon bones as the remains of vanquished Unktehi.19 The SF produced numerous stories of encounters between humans and Wakinyan, but only five 19th-century stories involve a Wakinyan physically landing or falling onto the ground. In all five cases, physical traces were said to have been left behind: footprints in stone in one case, footprints in snow in another, a carcass in the third, rising floodwaters in the fourth, and eggs in the fifth. Find the complete article and many more in this issue of Skeptic - 24.2 Single Issue - 24.2 About Skeptic THE EXISTENCE OF EVIL AND GOD COLUMNS The SkepDoc: Laser Therapy: Hope or Hype and Hokum?, by Harriet Hall, M.D. • The Gadfly: The Sisyphean Challenges of Skepticism or, Start by Disbelieving, by Carol Tavris ARTICLES Pterosaur Thunderbird: The Origin of a Fake Native American Legend with an Anti- Evolution Agenda • Conversations with My Dead Mother: Why We See Signs and Omens in Everyday Events • Is Cousin Marriage Dangerous? • Therapeutic Touch Redux Twenty Years After the “Emily Event”: Energy Therapies Live on Through Bad Science • What Can Science Learn from Religion? Steven Pinker on Religious Beliefs and Rituals • Becoming Fantastic: Why People Embellish Already Accomplished Lives with Incredible Tales of UFOs and Other Phenomena • 1984 in 2019: The New Privacy Threat from China’s Social Credit Surveillance System SPECIAL DEBATE SECTION Michael Shermer v. Brian Huffling: Is the Reality of Evil Good Evidence Against the Christian God? REVIEW Graham Hancock’s “America Before: The Key to Earth’s Lost Civilization” reviewed by Jason Colavito JUNIOR SKEPTIC The Colossal Case of the Cardiff Giant: One of America’s Greatest Hoaxes The SkepDoc The Gadfly Conversations with My Dead Mother Is Cousin Marriage Dangerous? Therapeutic Touch Redux What Can Science Learn from Religion? Becoming Fantastic Is the Reality of Evil Good Evidence Against the Christian God? American Atlantis THE COLOSSAL CASE OF THE CARDIFF GIANT	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1503
__label__cc	0.71125	0.28875	Cody Alexander Jr. Sales Representative Joined Preparis January 2017 Employee Spotlight on Cody Alexander Where are you from? Atlanta baby. Rise UP! As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I have a wide variety of taste in music. Put on anything from Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, to some new alternative and I’m happy. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Enjoying time with my girlfriend, my friends and my dog, Ghost, who just so happens to be the coolest Husky in the world. We have our daily after work run around Lenox Park. I love the outdoors and fishing, but I also enjoy binging some good TV shows. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? The question is what wouldn’t I buy? All jokes aside, I would donate a large sum of money to a charity, share some with my family, then I would take my closest friends on a vacation somewhere we have never been. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Probably Jim from The Office, just with better hair… Dusty Dunn Joined Preparis December 2017 Employee Spotlight on Dusty Dunn Where are you from? Lincoln, Nebraska; but I have lived in Michigan, Indiana, Texas and Georgia As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Tom Waits When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Hanging out with my two kids and wife, playing drums or fishing. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? Land in Montana or Alaska, or a Tesla with a modified horn. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? If you ask my wife, Nick Miller from New Girl; if you as me, Ernie Pantusso from Cheers. Jen Gress Joined Preparis September 2016 Employee Spotlight on Jen Gress Where are you from? I was born in Clearwater, FL, but grew up in Virginia. I still claim to be a Floridian 🙂 As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Country all day, every day! Nothing better than a Zac Brown or Kip Moore playlist When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? When I’m not at Preparis, I’m at the beach with my boyfriend and crazy 1 year old/90 lb puppy, Drogo! What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? If I won the lottery, the first thing I’d buy would be a vacation for my family sailing around some awesome places like Greece or Thailand. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Hmmm, I think I would be Claire from Modern Family. No – I don’t have kids yet, but Claire is always looking out for her loved ones and keeping the family in check. She’s also very persistent when she’s got her mind set on something. Wade Tucker Joined Preparis May 2014 Employee Spotlight on Wade Tucker Where are you from? Pinehurst, NC As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Jack Johnson When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Hanging out with the family, traveling or going to the gym What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? Beach house If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Jordan Belfort – Wolf of Wallstreet Autumn Batson Creative Digital Marketing Assistant Employee Spotlight on Autumn Batson Where are you from? Everywhere – I’m a military child. I typically claim Florida, though. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I’m not sure, it really just depends on my mood. I like most all music. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? I don’t lead an overly exciting life, so I’m probably at the gym, babysitting, spending time with the people I love, or sleeping. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I don’t care about the lottery – I’d donate the money to families who actually need it. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? It’s a combination of characters. Monica Geller (Friends) – She’s a bit of a clean/control freak and so am I. Rachel Green (Friends) – I’m very bubbly, fun-loving and don’t get stressed out easily, similar to Rachel. Sophia Petrillo (Golden Girls) – I have just enough sass to make me funny, but not enough to make me a jerk, like Sophia. Amelia Shepherd (Grey’s Anatomy & Private Practice) – She overcame her past and bad experiences, making her strong, independent and awesome. I like to think we share that, except for the being a neurosurgeon part. I’m not quite that cool. Grace Mendzef Employee Spotlight on Grace Mendzef Where are you from? Peachtree Corners, GA As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Fleetwood Mac or the Eagles When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Playing tennis or cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs! What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? First, I would pay off my car, then I’d like to travel my way though Europe with family and friends. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? It’s hard to pick just one! But I’m probably most like Monica from Friends – anyone who knows me knows I’m an incredibly organized person, hardworking and love to joke around. Igor Zezetko Joined Preparis June 2017 Employee Spotlight on Igor Zezetko Where are you from? St. Petersburg, Russia. I moved to Atlanta, GA in 1993. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I like classical music and I listen to rock and jazz occasionally, but mainly I listen to audiobooks. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Working on my house, traveling, reading, or socializing with my friends. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? A very long vacation for my family. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? I’m not sure, I haven’t watched any shows for at least 5 years. 🙂 Tucker Lansing Joined Preparis February 2016 Employee Spotlight on Tucker Lansing Where are you from? Atlanta, RISE UP As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I’d probably choose the Grateful Dead station or just some generic 70’s rock station. Hard to hear the music when you’re too busy crushing the phones all day. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? I’m usually playing golf or tennis, or with our company softball team. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I’d buy a one way plane ticket to a random destination and go from there. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Ricky from Trailer Park Boys, if you’ve seen the show, then you’ll know. Joined Preparis in 2014 Employee Spotlight on Sarah Sullivan Where are you from? Smyrna, Georgia As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Motown, Beach music, Prince – Something you can dance to! When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Yoga, traveling, watching Masterpiece on PBS, sipping tequila, eating out and going to movies, taming the jungle (my yard), hanging with my awesome kids. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? Landscaping for my yard and while that was being installed I would take a trip with my favorite people to the Mediterranean If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? I would like to think I was Claire from Outlander, but in reality, I think I’m closer to Ann Perkins from Parks & Recreation – so darn reasonable.. 🙂 Paul Matteson VP of Development Joined Preparis April 2016 Employee Spotlight on Paul Matteson Where are you from? I’m originally from a small town in Central NY state. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I’ve been on a country kick lately. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Currently, I’m spending a lot of time trying to tire out our Aussiedoodle puppy. Outside of that, I’ll be spending time with my family. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I’m not really interested in playing the lottery, but if that were to happen my instinct is to be practical and payoff my house and apply it to college for my kids. However, I would probably take my wife on her dream vacation. She deserves it. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Mike Baxter, Last Man Standing Mary Lynn Leonard Joined Preparis November 2015 Employee Spotlight on Mary Lynn Leonard Where are you from? I am from Roswell, GA. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? As of 2017, we now listen to SPOTIFY, but my favorite station is Southern Rock Radio! When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? I am traveling, hanging out on the Beltline or the lake, attending weddings and trying the million different restaurants in ATL. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I would buy plane tickets for my family & friends to travel the world! If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? DJ Tanner because she is my twin/doppelganger and the Tanners had a Golden Retriever like I do. Nancy Polanen Employee Spotlight on Nancy Polanen Where are you from? Amsterdam, The Netherlands…no I am not a military child…I am really DUTCH, but Atlanta has been my hometown since 1992…So I am officially a “Dutch Peach” As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I am sooooo versatile when it comes music. Growing up I have been introduced to many different genres of music, but my all-time favorite style of music is Acoustic… When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Binge watching HGTV, hanging out with my family, planning outdoor adventures with the hubby, and planning our wedding (Aug 2017). What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? First thing I would buy is a good attorney/ lawyer to protect my newly investment. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Jessica Hamby from True Blood… Sure some of the vampire attributes would be AWESOMEEEEEE…, but her loving, caring and sincere personality towards others and going for what she wants practically describes ME… Reagan Cooper Employee Spotlight on Reagan Cooper Where are you from? Poplar Bluff, Missouri As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? If I’m coding, The Crystal Method. But if I’m partying, Led Zeppelin, obviously. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Cooking, taking photos, playing guitar, processing photos, gardening, practicing yoga, or organizing a protest. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? A congressman. Wait… a Senator. Maybe both. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Taco from The League. Keri Karlsen Employee Spotlight on Keri Karlsen Where are you from? Snellville, GA As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I would pick Jamie Jones. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? You can find me at LA Fitness, watching New Girl, or cooking. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? A house! If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? If Preparis was a TV show, I would be Lilly from How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM). Taylor Watson Employee Spotlight on Taylor Watson Where are you from? I am originally from Spanish Fort, Alabama, which is a suburb of Mobile, Alabama. Roll Tide Roll! As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? I would pick either Drake or Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay, depending on what mood I was in. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? You can find me either playing golf or doing social activities like going to the lake, hanging out at the pool, or going out in Buckhead with my friends. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I would take all of my friends on a trip to somewhere tropical where we would play golf and lay on the beach all day. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? If Preparis was a TV show, I would be Erlich Bachman from Silicon Valley. Although he is over the top in some things he does, he always has his friends’ backs and means well. Rick Hollahan Employee Spotlight on Rick Hollahan Where are you from? Tallahassee, FL As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? EDM (Trance, Progressive, Trap) or anything by Imogen Heap. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Hanging with the family, at the movies, hiking, or taking care of the homestead. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? First class airline tickets to all the places I’ve yet to visit and have always wanted to… If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Probably Chandler from Friends. Nic McClure Customer Success Representative Employee Spotlight on Nic McClure Where are you from? Atlanta, Ga. Although I lived in Denver for a few years, I am still a 7th generation Atlanta native. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Bob Dylan Radio is my go-to, but 90s Country deserves an honorable mention. Beliebers be damned. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? I love being outside, so you would probably find me in the backyard with my girls (my Argentinian wife, and my Rottweiler: Goose). What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? A catamaran to sail around the Caribbean (think HUGE catamaran)… I would love to own the place all my friends and family want to visit on vacation! If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? MacGyver from the 90s TV show. In hindsight, the show is really cheesy (which I’m not), but think about it… MacGyver can fix anything and you can always count on him in a tight spot! Taylor Harrison Employee Spotlight on Taylor Harrison Where are you from? Greenville, South Carolina. Go Gamecocks! As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play It’s a toss up between 90’s Pop Radio and 90’s Country Radio, those pretty much define my childhood. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Playing with my 6th month old baby boy, Wright, and watching the Gamecocks play. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I would buy a cabin in the woods and build my own lake filled to the brim with fish. I’d also buy the entire Chaco brand. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? I would be Phil Dunfee from Modern Family. I like to joke around a lot and I plan on being the cool Dad. Cyrus Norrington Employee Spotlight on Cyrus Norrington Where are you from? Social Circle, Ga. But growing up I also lived in Conyers, Ga and Atlanta, Ga. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Hmmm. I love all music genres so thats a difficult one. However in the office my goto Pandora stations are typically MGMT, Calvin Harris, 90s Alternative, 70s Funk, or my most favorite music artist ever, Stevie Wonder. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? I enjoy spending time at home relaxing, writing, drawing and listening to music. Although I also enjoy spending time out with friends and laughter on the weekends. I love to make people laugh. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? A secluded beach house somewhere tropical. I would also invest. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Hmm.. Maybe Carlton Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air but with a dose of Will Smith’s coolness and a touch of Steve Urkel’s clumsiness. Lol Rany Abu-Elniaj Employee Spotlight on Rany Abu-Elniaj Where are you from? I’m a home grown Georgia boy. Straight from Hotlanta. Southern Hospitality at its finest. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play I’m young with an old school soul. I prefer old-school hip-hop any given day of the week rather than the latest mainstream nonsense. With that being said, you can catch me jamming to some Notorious BIG, Tupac, Jay Z, Nas, Big L and some good ol Eminem. I know this is more than 1 station, but hey these guys are legends! When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? I’m out and about exploring my city, pulling my hair out as my falcons make another knucklehead play on offense, watching my hawks take over the east again, and of course rooting for my dawgs all day every day! What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I would buy my momma the biggest, most fabulous house money can buy because lord knows she deserves it!! If you’re reading this I love you ma. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? I would be Bruce Wayne from the show Gotham. My city needs a hero and here I am ladies and gents. Warren Mullis Employee Spotlight on Warren Mullis Where are you from? Marietta, GA As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Yonder Mountain String Band When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Watching, playing, or talking about rugby. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? Land Rover Defender. I would also buy Heath a proper car for his commute. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Dwight Schrute. I am trying to start my own beet farm/bed and breakfast. Heather Moulder Employee Spotlight on Heather Moulder Where are you from? I am originally from Jacksonville, Florida (GO JAGUARS!) but I moved to Atlanta from Sarasota, Florida. As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Picking a Pandora station is always tough for me because I really like a ton of different types of music. My go-to stations are Yacht Rock and 80’s. I grew up listening to the songs on these stations and I love them! Also, Ray LaMontagne is a great station that I often listen to in the mornings. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? When I’m not at Preparis I could be doing anything! I love traveling, going to Braves games, finding new things to do or see in Atlanta and if it’s nice outside, having lunch or brunch on a porch at one of my favorite restaurants. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is buy a 1970 Chevelle SS (preferably red with black stripes or black with red stripes). I don’t know much about cars but I have always loved this car. I would also buy a house on the water with an awesome pool. Whatever I didn’t use on my house and car, I would donate to some of my favorite charities and then save/invest the remainder. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? If Preparis were a TV show, I would be a mix of characters. I would have: – The fierceness and determination of Alicia Florrick from The Good Wife – The sassiness of Suzanne Sugarbaker from Designing Women (one of my most favorite shows EVER) – The pep and excitement of Leslie Knope from Parks & Recreation – The management skills of Kris Jenner from Keeping Up with the Kardashians (You may be rolling your eyes but, let’s be honest, anyone that can manage, promote, and have parties, weddings and other large events for that crazy train, deserves a medal.) – And a dash of Kim Kardashian’s ugly cry for good measure. Heath Judeh Employee Spotlight on Heath Judeh Where are you from? ATL Shawty! As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Jay-Z When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Playing with my 6 month old son, watching the Dawgs tee off between the hedges, or lounging on my boat on Lake Lanier. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? Many acres of land lakefront somewhere! If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Martin Lawrence from the show, Martin. Lyndsay Griffin Implementation & Support Specialist Joined Preparis March 2013 Employee Spotlight on Lyndsay Griffin Where are you from? Marietta, where it’s betta! As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Kanye West. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? Drinking beer, I love craft beers and want to try as many as I can. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? A big ol’ boat that my friends and I can take vacations on during the summer. If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? Creed from the Office, I am a hippie at heart, just like him. Lead Quality Assurance Engineer Employee Spotlight on Patrick White Where are you from? Atlanta, Georgia As you know, we play Pandora in the office. If you could pick the station, what would you play? Bob Marley– I love reggae music. When you’re not at Preparis, what are you most likely doing? In my free time I am either playing video games or riding my mountain bike. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I would buy a 1967 Mini Cooper S. I’ve always wanted to drive one! If Preparis was a TV show, which character– from any sitcom, drama, or reality show would represent you? I am most like Jim from the Office. He is pretty laid back and has a great sense of humor. view previous month	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1504
__label__cc	0.720414	0.279586	Car Rental in Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Real Cars Offers Locations for rent Prime Car Rent The market of services The potential client Quality and Price Vision and the purpose Unique selling proposition It all started with a car rent in Riga. But this was not enough, we did not want to stop there. From the customers' expectations in our office, we moved on to greater actions - we began to deliver cars to hotels in Riga, Riga Airport and Jurmala . After some time, our clients have had the opportunity to take advantage of car hire services in other cities in Latvia. So, step by step we have started to increase our activity on the car rental market of Riga and later in other parts of Latvia. But, as we know, there is no limit to perfection, especially when it comes to customers desires, therefore it became clear to us that we are in need for geographical expansion of our services. So there was "Prime Car Rent". "Prime Car Rent": this is an association of three car hire companies, each of which started to work in the regions - of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, individually. But considering specificity of work in Baltic region and united tourist and business space, none of the car hire companies can provide a high-grade spectrum of services, ignoring work necessity (more or less) in each of three countries. This factor also was a reason to a teamwork beginning. After long and most important, successful cooperation, a decision was made for rebranding as well as to switch from working under different names in each of three Baltic States to work under one - "Prime Car Rent". Our association has considered all errors and complexities of last years, and we have decided to start all over, leaving all earned by loyal clients' privileges in the past and offering them a better product. Head Quarter of the car rental association is located in Riga, Latvia. Our address: Kauguru 2b, Riga, Latvia, LV-1046. Cars hire - short-term rent, transfer, and drivers' services, as well as LUXURY cars. Car rental in Estonia - you could rent a car in Tallinn,Parnu, Tartu and other cities; Car rental in Latvia - you could rent a car in Riga, Jurmala and other cities; Car rental in Lituania - you could rent a car in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Palanga and other cities; Car rental in Austria - you could rent a car in Vienna, Graz,Innsbruck, Salzburg and other cities; Car rental in Czech Republic - you could rent a car in Prague and other cities; Car rental in Finland - you could rent a car in Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Rovaniemi, Oulu, Vantaa, Vaasa, Espoo and other cities; Car rental in Poland - you could rent a car in Warsaw,Krakow, Katowice, Poznan and other cities; Car rental in Switzerland - you could rent a car in Geneva. The visitor, who visits the country for the tourist and business purposes, and as the local consumer. Target audience - men and women at the age from 21 till 99 years with average / above average incomes. The price policy stands according to average level of similar services costs on the market of the particular country. Service quality is at the level of the main competing companies. We aspire to offer the client an optimum correlation of the price and quality. To keep the price at reasonable level and quality at competitive level - such is our price policy. The first rental location was opened in Vilnius (Lithuania) in 2001. The full spectrum of car hire services on Baltic States markets, have been provided for eight years by those companies that are within "Prime Car Rent" association. The number of employees constantly grows; by summer of 2016 have been involved 39 persons in three countries - Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia (considering seasonal workers). The quantity of served bookings in 2016 were 7483. To lease cars at the reasonable prices. After analyzing the car rental market, we have come to a conclusion that a correlation of quality and the price, car rent is comparable with brand clothes - the price is always high, but quality, unfortunately, is not. It is necessary to overpay for a reliable brand, but we consider that owners of a brand should do that by their work, instead of clients by their money. In other words our mission is "to offer car rent services for reasonable prices without an overpayment for something that directly does not influence on services quality". First of all, those are our clients. We respect not only the finances of the client, but also his time, safety and comfort. Our system of car pick up and drop of is calculated for those who don't like to wait and be late. Personal time and comfort is what our client aspires to win, preferring an individual transport. The level of comfort of the car depends on a class, but after all the main comfort of the car - serviceability! We do everything we can in order for the safety system of each car offered by us was in an ideal technical condition. All cars pass careful maintenance at the qualified experts, diagnostics and repairs are made exclusively in certified services of manufacturers and official dealers of a car. The technical factor minimizes the human factor! For additional convenience there is a personal manager for each client, ready to meet and assist. The main objective of the manager - to keep the client informed, to help with difficult situation decisions and if necessary to vary a car lease terms. After return of a vehicle the client still has possibility to contact with the manager who served him. Important component of successful granting of qualitative services are employees of the company. We employ only skilled workers with flawless recommendations. Many our colleagues have working experience abroad, besides, our staff can brag with special training. Working with foreigners and in the markets of several countries, working experience in the international companies is especially appreciated, a flexible and an individual approach to each client is also important. Employees of "Prime Car Rent" work with knowledge of the business and therefore are value of the company. To expand company's "range of vision", beginning from specialization, finishing with target audience. In future we see the company with the increased number of the employees, the expanded car park, but with the same reasonable prices and flexible individual approach. We also see our company in the market of each country where similar services could be interesting. Our long-term objective can be put as: "to become better, remaining the same". We aspire to erase all prejudices concerning the field of our activity, and on our own example to show that quality and care of the client for the reasonable price are quite feasible. Our secondary long-term objective is to cover with our offer big territories and to open representations in countries of Scandinavia, East and Central Europe in the nearest future. A live information center in a form of personal manager is offered to each and every client during the rental. After the client is done using our car, he remains the contact with his manager. In case if client wants to rent a car again, he can contact his manager, who has all necessary information about the client and has an experience working with him. Renting a car with us more than once is like borrowing it from a friend. Company Name: "Prime Cars" ltd; Registration number: 40103556331; Legal address: Lielirbes 1, Riga, LV-1046, Latvia. Please fill in all *required fields: Thank You for your question! Answer will be sent to Your e-mail. Terms & Conditions Contacts Privacy Policy Sia "Prime Cars", 40103556331, Lielirbes 1, Rīga, LV-1046, Latvija.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1505
__label__wiki	0.927656	0.927656	Jack Grapes Known for Hefner: Unauthorized (1999), Barnaby Jones (1973), Police Story (1978), Linda Lovelace for President (1975) Manhood (2003) Rabbi Gelden Rabbi Gelden See fewer Linda Lovelace for President (1975) Ron Haffkine Ron Haffkine See fewer Hefner: Unauthorized (1999) (TV Movie) - Vendor Vendor See fewer 1st & Ten (1990) (TV Series) - Customer (1 episode, 1990) Customer (1 episode, 1990) See fewer Irma Za-Greb (Dec 12, 1990) Season 7, Episode 11 - Customer Customer See fewer (TV Series) - Ritchins (1 episode, 1985) Ritchins (1 episode, 1985) See fewer Fathers and Huns (Nov 21, 1985) Season 6, Episode 8 - Ritchins Ritchins See fewer Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop (1980) (TV Movie) - Technician Technician See fewer The Best Place to Be (1979) MAS*H (1978) (TV Series) - Kelsey (1 episode, 1978) Kelsey (1 episode, 1978) See fewer Mail Call Three (Feb 6, 1978) Season 6, Episode 20 - Kelsey Kelsey See fewer Police Story (1978) (TV Series) - City Attorney (1 episode, 1978) City Attorney (1 episode, 1978) See fewer River of Promises (Jan 14, 1978) Season 5, Episode 3 - City Attorney City Attorney See fewer (TV Series) - Mel Brunner (1 episode, 1978) Mel Brunner (1 episode, 1978) See fewer Airliner (Jan 3, 1978) Season 1, Episode 14 - Mel Brunner Mel Brunner See fewer It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy (1974) Judgment: The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (1974) To Catch a Dead Man (Feb 4, 1973) Season 1, Episode 2 - Actor Actor See fewer Beyond Mr. Smith (2018) (Short) - Himself Himself See fewer	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1507
__label__cc	0.696707	0.303293	Owais Ahmed (I) Known for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Age of Ice (2014), Chicago Fire (2018), Gangcity: Little India (2012) From the Air We Breathe (2018) (Short) - Riley Riley See fewer Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Metropolis Citizen Metropolis Citizen See fewer Age of Ice (2014) (Video) - Tariq Tariq See fewer Gangcity: Little India (2012) (Short) - Chamcha Chamcha See fewer Chicago Fire (2018) (TV Series) - Spencer (1 episode, 2018) Spencer (1 episode, 2018) See fewer The Grand Gesture (May 10, 2018) Season 6, Episode 23 - Spencer Spencer See fewer (TV Series) - Arjun (1 episode, 2015) Arjun (1 episode, 2015) See fewer Dangerous Bonds (Feb 4, 2015) Season 1, Episode 5 - Arjun Arjun See fewer	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1508
__label__wiki	0.536331	0.536331	Tabatha's Hollywood Hair (2011) TV Movie \| 60 min \| Documentary "Tabatha's Hollywood Hair", hosted by renowned stylist Tabatha Coffey, is a one-hour documentary that looks back at Hollywood's most iconic hair styles. From Jennifer Aniston's "Rachel", to Jean Harlow's platinum blonde, to Justin Bieber's...See more"Tabatha's Hollywood Hair", hosted by renowned stylist Tabatha Coffey, is a one-hour documentary that looks back at Hollywood's most iconic hair styles. From Jennifer Aniston's "Rachel", to Jean Harlow's platinum blonde, to Justin Bieber's bangs, to Farrah Fawcett's feathers - we're analyzing the hairdos that influenced not just Hollywood, but people everywhere. This special features exclusive interviews with numerous celebrity stylists & their famous clientele. Written by Anonymous See less Heather Konkoli Heather Konkoli \| Laura Slobin Mike Molera \| John Moxley Jun 19, 2011 (United States) 1 cast member Herself / Host Herself / Host See fewer Tabatha's Salon Takeover (2008) Needs 5 ratings	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1510
__label__wiki	0.887996	0.887996	Michael Brockers Jared Goff John Franklin Josh Reynolds John D. Johnson Joseph Noteboom Wade Phillips Todd Gurley Greg Robinson Cooper Kupp Dante Fowler Jr. Samson Ebukam Marcus Peters Ndamukong Suh Brian Allen John Sullivan Sean McVay Rodger Saffold Clay Matthews John Johnson Blake Bortles Aaron Donald Sports Professional football Football NFL Draft NFL Super Bowl NFL football Los Angeles Rams Cleveland Browns Tennessee Titans Rams ponder options for first 1st-round pick of McVay era By GREG BEACHAM - Apr. 18, 2019 03:45 PM EDT FILE - In this March 3, 2019, file photo, Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis. Wilkins is a possible pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Sean McVay led the Los Angeles Rams from the NFL's depths to the Super Bowl in just two seasons, and he did it without a first-round pick in the first two draft classes of his tenure. The upcoming draft is the Rams' first chance to add a truly elite talent chosen to the specifications of McVay and Wade Phillips. The coaches are eager to see what they can get. "This will be the first year that we have a first-round pick," McVay said with a grin. "It'll be fun." Indeed, the Rams have a first-round pick for the first time in three years, even if it's only the 31st overall after their 13-3 regular season. The previous time the Rams picked in the opening round, general manager Les Snead moved up to snag Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall choice, making a big splash with the club's first draft selection since returning home to Los Angeles. Although this pick won't be quite so splashy, the Rams have the opportunity and the need to draft a potential starter on either the offensive or defensive line. The departures of center John Sullivan, guard Rodger Saffold and nose tackle Ndamukong Suh opened vacancies that haven't been definitively filled. The Rams don't have a second-round pick after trading it to Kansas City last season in the deal for Marcus Peters. That means they'll be tempted to move that first-round pick to gain more draft capital, but McVay would love an impact player from this draft after getting just a few major contributors since his arrival. From the first draft class of his tenure in 2017, the Rams came up with receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds, starting safety John Johnson and linebacker Samson Ebukam. Los Angeles didn't have a pick until the third round last spring, and fourth-rounder John Franklin-Myers made the biggest impact as a backup defensive end on the Super Bowl squad. Here are more things to ponder about the Rams draft: STOP THE RUN Suh helped the Rams to the Super Bowl in his only season in LA, but the veteran star didn't always make a significant impact on regular-season games. Suh hasn't signed with another team, but Snead has said he isn't likely to return. That means the Rams need a new space-filler up front in Phillips' 3-4 defense, and this draft is thick with interior defensive line talent. A defensive tackle to play alongside Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers seems like the single most probable selection. Look for such names as Jerry Tillery of Notre Dame and Christian Wilkins of Clemson. O-LINE OPENING The Rams used their first two picks last season on offensive linemen, and both are in the running for starting jobs this fall. Third-round pick Joseph Noteboom appeared to play well in limited action as a rookie, while McVay spoke highly of fourth-round center Brian Allen. But several top offensive line prospects should be available if the Rams keep their first-round pick, and the right name could be irresistible. Snead's recent history with first-round picks is pretty solid, although he has had plenty of opportunities while taking over a team that went 13 years without a winning season. He drafted Brockers, Donald, Todd Gurley and Goff in a five-year span, but he also reached for receiver Tavon Austin in 2013 and whiffed on left tackle Greg Robinson with the second overall pick in 2014 — although Robinson's career revival in Cleveland suggests former coach Jeff Fisher's staff might have blown it there. The Rams could always use another pass rusher, even with Donald returning from a 20½-sack season and Dante Fowler back in the fold alongside newcomer Clay Matthews. Johnson, the 91st overall pick in 2017, is the only defensive player chosen by the Rams in the first three rounds of the past four drafts. With plenty of edge-rushing talent in this draft, don't be surprised if the Rams grab some early. WHAT THEY DON'T NEED Unless an elite talent falls through the cracks, the Rams seem unlikely to add a skill position player with their first pick. Aside from the notable loss of late-season addition C.J. Anderson, the NFL's second-most productive offense last season will return six of its top seven rushers and all of its top eight receivers — including Kupp, who will be back from his season-ending knee injury. Los Angeles even signed Blake Bortles as Goff's backup.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1511
__label__wiki	0.65188	0.65188	Bryce Hager Sports NFL football Professional football Football Sports transactions Sports business LA Rams re-sign linebacker Bryce Hager to 1-year deal - May. 06, 2019 03:56 PM EDT THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have re-signed linebacker Bryce Hager to a one-year deal. The NFC champions announced the deal Monday. Hager has contributed steadily on special teams since he joined the Rams as a seventh-round draft pick in 2015. He has played in every game over the past four seasons, and he played a team-high 80 percent of Los Angeles' special teams snaps last season. Hager also was a backup interior linebacker for Los Angeles in the past two seasons. He could earn more playing time on defense after the Rams released Mark Barron in March.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1512
__label__wiki	0.739199	0.739199	Man charged murder yasir hussain Man charged with murder of Yasir Hussain Detectives investigating the death of Yasir Hussain have charged a man with murder. Akarsh Tasleem appeared at Walsall Magistrates Court this morning (Wednesday 9 January) accused of attacking the 34-year-old father-of-four on Tuesday 4 December 2018. Tasleem, aged 23 from Broadway West, Walsall, was charged with murder and possession of a bladed article. He was remanded in custody and is set to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday 11 January. Detective Inspector Jim Colclough, from the force’s homicide department, said: "This is another significant step forward in our enquiries. My thoughts remain with Mr Hussain’s family who have been kept fully updated with this development.” Contact us via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk between 8am and midnight, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Active Citizens Find out more about the Active Citizens Fund	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1513
__label__wiki	0.936271	0.936271	Jo Siffert's Heuer is the watch to watch Racer's name lives on in his valuable, namesake vintage chronograph. By Allen St. John Swiss racer , a two-time F1 winner with victories at Daytona, Sebring, and the Targa Florio, is best remembered as a colorful supporting character from an era gone by. But in the world of vintage watches, Siffert's name carries clout. The white-faced Heuer Autavia chronograph he wore—introduced in 1968 and known to horologists as simply "the Siffert"—has become one of the most desirable vintage chronographs available. Most Autavias, including the Viceroy models sold for $88 as part of a cigarette promotion, sported black dials. But Siffert's distinctive 1163T model wore a white dial, blue accents, and a tachymeter bezel. Thanks to its rarity (around 1,000 1163Ts were produced) and motorsport connection, it became a cult classic after Siffert's death at Brands Hatch in 1971. A man of modest means, Siffert famously supported his racing habit by selling Heuer watches to fellow drivers. It was part of a sponsorship deal that brand scion Jack Heuer remembers as "one of the best marketing moves I ever made, since it opened the door to the closed-off world of F1." (Siffert, heavily involved with Porsche, was also a natural salesman; Heuer recalls that, on the day they signed the contract, "he wouldn't let me go home until he sold me a Porsche 911.") The Siffert Autavia originally sold for between $225 and $250, and a decade ago it could still be had for less than $1,000. A clean original on its Gay Frères "grains of rice" band can now command as much as $10,000, while the earliest versions—the so-called Chronomatics, featuring a unique dial script—can fetch up to $40,000. The model also appeals to those who can afford far more expensive watches: Jerry Seinfeld has been filmed wearing his own Siffert on multiple occasions. Part of the draw is the unfakeable authenticity. "Chronograph enthusiasts are always looking for a genuine connection to racing," says Jeff Stein, creator of , a site dedicated to vintage Heuers. "And the Siffert is one of the watches that the racers were wearing." More From Motorsports Watch the Fastest Tire Change In the History of F1 Watch the VW ID.R Set the Quickest Goodwood Time This Mitsubishi Evo Is a Corner-Carving Weapon The 2019 IMSA at Mosport Live Blog Porsche's New RSR is Stronger, Faster, Meaner. Mazda's Scholarship For the Next Racing Star 9-Second Drag Kart Is the Wildest Thing on Wheels Watch This Miata Driver Pass 17 Cars in One Lap Bentley Continental GT Breaks Pikes Peak Record Here's What an 820-HP Toyota MR2 Sounds Like F1 , Then & Now You'll love these retro liveries on modern F1 cars Slideshow: 2013 F1 Singapore Grand Prix Unearthed! Rare video of Senna racing Formula Ford 2000 in 1982 Drive Flashback: 1994 McLaren F1 Are F1 drivers really horse jockeys?	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1517
__label__wiki	0.757704	0.757704	paytm ceo 3 days after Paytm party video goes viral, Vijay Shekhar Sharma says he was quoted out of context His comments come in the wake of a private video that has been doing the rounds of social media over the past 3 days.ET Online \| Updated: January 20, 2017, 14:25 IST Over 72 hours after a minute-long video of a Paytm gig that showed an exuberant CEO talking about the start-up's success, future projects and not leaving any stone unturned, went viral, its founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma on Friday had something to say. In a Facebook post, Sharma wrote that his comments at the Paytm annual event were quoted out of context. Citing the high energy and infectious spirit of thousands who had converged at the event, Sharma thanked his team mates for making the newbie a super success. ALSO READ: Kejriwal says Paytm founder's festive video 'shameful' His comments come in the wake of a private video that has been doing the rounds of social media over the past 3 days. In that, the Paytm founder is seen in an excited state, motivating the team, and occasionally going overboard. He has drawn the flak for using a few unsavoury words. Read An introspective Sharma, clearly taken aback by the Twitterati acrimony and angst, had this to say about his choice of words: "In retrospect, I could have chosen some words better. I have never taken anything for granted and won't ever either. We will continue to do our best to serve sincerely." Here is what Sharma wrote on his Facebook: Tags : E-commerce, E-tailing, PayTM, Viral Video, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, paytm ceo, Facebook	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1522
__label__wiki	0.910969	0.910969	Tata-Mistry feud Mistry ouster Cyrus Mistry Cyrus Mistry unlikely to legally challenge his ouster as the chairman of Tata Sons While Mistry feels legally he is on “strong ground” since procedures were not followed in his ouster, challenging that in court may not serve any purpose.Rohini Singh \| ET Bureau \| November 18, 2016, 07:45 IST The Tata Group has been witnessing considerable turmoil since Mistry’s sudden ouster on October 24. NEW DELHI: Ousted Tata Group chief Cyrus Mistry is unlikely to legally challenge his ouster as chairman of Tata Sons. Instead, he is likely to focus on issues of corporate governance and “professional running” of Tata Group firms, say persons aware of the former Tata Sons chairman’s thinking. The persons said that while Mistry feels legally he is on “strong ground” since proper procedures were not followed while dislodging him as Tata Sons chairman, challenging that in court may not serve any purpose. “The courts could rule in his favour and reinstate him as chairman but how does that help? The next time round the Tata Sons board would follow procedures and oust him. The issue isn’t on becoming or remaining chairman. There are larger issues of corporate governance and ensuring that Tata Group companies are run professionally and in the best interests of all shareholders,” said a person close to Mistry. “His legal strategy would be around issues of corporate governance and irregularities at various Tata Group companies,” this person said. He did not elaborate. The Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Group is the second-largest shareholder in Tata Sons with 18.4% stake. The person cited earlier said Mistry’s main focus now is that as a large shareholder, SP Group’s interests should be protected and that can happen only if the Tata Group companies generate good returns. This person also said that over the years, “vested interests” have interfered in the running of the group companies. These “vested interests”, according to this person, include people close to the current dispensation of Tata Sons. Mistry’s endeavour, while he was Tata Sons chairman, was to ensure that these companies were run purely by the board and management without any interference from the loyalists, this person said. The person said Mistry could bring to the attention of appropriate authorities alleged irregularities in AirAsia, the aviation venture between the Tata Group and Malaysian tycoon Tony Fernandes. Referring to the fateful board meeting on October 24, the person pointed out that while the Tata Sons board had said it would give Mistry legal opinions it had obtained justifying his ouster in that manner, it is yet to do so. A final decision on whether the courts would be approached on the matter is however yet to be taken, the person said. The Tata Group has been witnessing considerable turmoil since Mistry’s sudden ouster on October 24. Independent directors on the boards of some Tata Group companies have backed Mistry, forcing Tata Sons to call shareholders meet to remove Mistry as chairman and director from these companies. Independent directors of Tata Motors, Indian Hotels and Tata Chemicals have backed Mistry, his strategy and management. Tata Steel’s independent directors could not agree on a statement of support. On the other hand, Tata Global Beverages replaced Mistry as chairman on Tuesday while Tata Sons ousted him as chairman of TCS by virtue of its majority holding. Tags : Industry, Tata-Mistry feud, Tata Sons, Tata Group, ratan tata, Mistry ouster, Cyrus Mistry	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1523
__label__cc	0.578612	0.421388	15 Day Russia & Baltics 3 Moscow, 3 St. Petersburg, 1 Tallinn, 2 Riga, 2 Vilnius & 2 Warsaw Flights New York-Moscow, Warsaw-New York 13 nights accommodations 3 nights Moscow 3 nights St. Petersburg 1 night Tallinn Standard class High Speed Train from Moscow to St. Petersburg 22 meals: 13 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 7 dinners Visit the Armory Museum, Moscow’s oldest and most prestigious museum Admire the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, considered the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church Visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, which houses the crypts of several Russian Czars, St. Petersburg Tour the Hermitage Museum, home to one of the largest and richest collections of Western art in the world, St. Petersburg Thursday - Depart for Russia DAY 1, Thursday - Depart for Russia Depart for Russia DAY 2, Friday - Arrive in Moscow Arrive in Moscow, fabled capital of Russia; transfer to your hotel. Time to rest and relax, or begin your independent discovery of this cosmopolitan city. Tonight, attend an orientation meeting with your Tour Manager on the fascinating journey that awaits you in Russia at approximately 7 pm. Begin with a champagne toast to celebrate your arrival in Moscow, followed by a Welcome Dinner with your fellow travelers. We recommend that you select flights which arrive in your destination no later than 5 pm or earlier, if possible Overnight: Moscow DAY 3, Saturday - Moscow City Tour This morning, tour Moscow, one of the largest cities in the world and the symbolic heart and soul of the country. Begin at Red Square, dominated by St. Basil's Cathedral and the massive red walls of the Kremlin. Visit the Armory Museum, Moscow University and the popular Arbat shopping district. Drive on wide boulevards and stroll through GUM, the largest Russian department store. Balance of the day is at leisure DAY 4, Sunday - Sergiev Posad Today travel North of Moscow, to the small town of Sergiev Posad. Founded in the 14th century and renowned as center of ancient Russian art and architecture. For centuries it served as place for pilgrimage and the religious capital of Russia. Within the old walled city admire the fairy-tale golden and blue domes of the Holy Trinity St. Sergius Lavra, one of the most sacred places in Russia. After lunch at a popular restaurant, return to Moscow, to spend the rest of the day at leisure. Do not miss this evening’s optional tour of Metro & Red Square by Night. You will see some of the most beautiful stations decorated with marble, brightly colored stained glass, mosaics and chandeliers. Later stroll in Red Square, passing the tomb of Lenin and St. Basil’s Cathedral Optional: Metro & Red Square by Night DAY 5, Monday - High Speed Train to St. Petersburg This morning, enjoy some leisure time on your own before transferring to the rail station for your high speed train to St. Petersburg. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Tonight, a chance to attend the optional Russian Folklore Evening. The show includes dances, songs, instruments and costumes from around Russia, during the intermission canapés, Russian champagne and vodka are sampled Optional: Russian Folklore evening Overnight: St. Petersburg DAY 6, Tuesday - St. Petersburg City Tour This morning, tour St. Petersburg, the former capital of the Romanov Czars, and Russia's second largest city, after Moscow. Visit Palace Square with the Winter Palace, Senate Square with the monument to Russian Emperor Peter the Great, St. Isaac’s Square with St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Smolny Cathedral, Cruiser Aurora, Field of Mars, and Nevsky Prospect. Visit Peter and Paul Fortress, which houses the crypts of several Russian Czars. Next, visit Peter and Paul Cathedral, which towers in the center of the fortress served as the burial place for Russian Emperors from Peter the Great to Nicholas II. The evening is at leisure or, join the optional Evening Canal Cruise Optional: Evening Canal Cruise DAY 7, Wednesday - Visit to the Hermitage Museum This morning, visit St. Petersburg's most famous museum, the Hermitage, home to one of the largest and richest collections of Western art in the world. Originally the personal gallery of Catherine the Great, the museum's vast collection, which spans six buildings (the most famous being the Winter Palace) now houses priceless works by artists such as Michelangelo, da Vinci, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and many others. The works of art are displayed amid the fittingly opulent architectural design of the museum. Afternoon is at leisure or join the optional tour to Peterhof Summer Palace. Visit the Palace famed for its extensive gardens, terraces of gilded statues and fountain cascades on the Gulf of Finland. Relax and enjoy the elegant atmosphere of these baroque gardens and palaces. Tonight, dinner is at the hotel Optional: Peterhof Tour DAY 8, Thursday - Travel to Tallinn This morning, cross the border at Narva and drive to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. Tallinn is filled with typical narrow medieval streets, towers and Gothic churches DAY 9, Friday - Tallinn City Tour, Travel to Riga Morning tour of Tallinn, begins with a bus drive along the park of Kadriorg, commissioned by Peter the Great, the Song Festival grounds, and the ruins of the 15th-century Brigit's convent in Pirita. Then, continue on a walking tour of the old town, including a visit to the Toompea Castle, the 14th-century Gothic Town Hall, and to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. In the afternoon drive to Riga, capital of the Latvian Republic, situated at the mouth of the Dougava River DAY 10, Saturday - Riga City Tour This morning, a tour of Riga features the city's architecture encompassing Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical facades. View Riga Castle, St. Jacob's Cathedral and the Liberty Monument. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure or, participate in the optional tour to the open-air Ethnographic Museum that depicts 18th century farm life. The over 72 historic structures recreate a proper village preserved from this era. Costumed actors show daily life from bygone days along with music and dance while craftsmen demonstrate various tasks - you'll feel as if you've gone back in time Optional: Open-Air Ethnographic Museum DAY 11, Sunday - Scenic Drive to Vilnius Depart Riga for Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, enjoying the scenic countryside along the way. The remainder of the day is at leisure in Vilnius. Then, a riveting optional tour to the infamous KGB Museum, located in the heart of Vilnius, used as a top security prison from 1940 to 1989. The extensive photo exhibits and intact secret KGB spying equipment aids you in envisioning imprisonment in these cold, damp and narrow cells. For Lithuanians, this museum symbolizes the 50-year Soviet occupation, site of the Gestapo headquarters and later the control of the KGB. Tonight, dinner is at the hotel DAY 12, Monday - Vilnius City Tour A morning tour of Vilnius includes a visit to St. Peter and Paul Church and to the St. Anna's Church. View Vilnius University, Gediminas Tower and Vilnius Castle in the Upper Town. Spend the afternoon at leisure or join the optional tour to Trakai Castle. It is one of the most photographed places in Europe. This historic and world-famous Gothic Palace was built by Lithuanian Dukes and once served as their residence. Time to stroll the grounds and visit the Palace Museum to see the extensive display of medieval exhibits before returning to Vilnius DAY 13, Tuesday - Scenic Drive to Warsaw Today, depart Lithuania and cross the border into Poland. Continue to Warsaw and spend the balance of the day at leisure DAY 14, Wednesday - City Tour of Warsaw Enjoy a morning tour of Warsaw. Drive along the Royal route, from the magnificent Castle Square to Lazienki Park with its Palace, summer residence of the last King of Poland. Pass by the Palace of Science and Culture, the Saxon Gardens, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Monument to the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Barbican. Continue with a walking tour of the Old Town, the Old Market Square, and St. John's Cathedral. This afternoon join the optional tour to Wilanow Palace. This splendid baroque palace, as impressive as Versailles, was built in the late 17th century as a summer residence for the King Jan Sobieski III and owned later by most important Polish noble families. Later, do not miss the optional* Chopin piano recital, performed in a setting fit for a king. A glass of champagne is served during intermission *If booking both Wilanow Palace & Chopin Concert optional tours, please keep in mind that you may have limited time in between for dinner DAY 15, Thursday - Depart Poland After reserving your trip, an email will be sent to explain the process to apply for a Russian visa. Name(s) and passport numbers on your reservation must be an EXACT match to your passport to avoid delays and significant fees for last minute visa services. Visa processing can take up to 6 weeks during which time your passport will be unavailable for other international trips. The night before you travel to St. Petersburg, you will be required to place your luggage outside your door and pack a small bag with essential items for 1 night, to carry with you on the train. Your luggage will be transported by motor coach to St. Petersburg and therefore, won`t be accessible to you until later in the evening on the day of arrival. Day 4 Metro & Red Square by Night Day 5 Russian Folklore Evening Day 6 Evening Canal Cruise Day 7 Peterhof Tour Day 10 Open Air Ethnographic Museum Day 11 KGB Museum Day 12 Excursion to Trakai Castle Day 14 Chopin Concert Day 14 Wilanow Palace 15 Day Russia & Baltics15 Day Russia & Baltics Tour Jul 16 $4199 $3199 Sep 3 $3899 $3149 Optional tours and gratuities	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1540
__label__cc	0.676835	0.323165	Home Serie A “Beating Sarri’s Juve would be a football orgasm” “Beating Sarri’s Juve would be a football orgasm” Manuel R. Medina 3:50 pm - June 17, 2019 According to the mayor of Naples, seeing how the former Partenopei coach is now with their rivals, has disappointed him. Maurizio Sarri was born in Naples, Italy. And the manager also managed Napoli from 2015 to 2018, before leaving the Italian Lega Serie A for English Premier League side Chelsea. And after only one season in England, he’s returning to Italy, to coach the Partenopei’s rivals: Juventus. Which is why the mayor of the city of Naples, Luigi de Magistris, has explained how he feels seeing Sarri in Juventus, and what it would mean for the local club to beat them next season. “Ancelotti makes us dream because to beat Sarri’s Juve would be a football orgasm,” he was quoted by Calcio Mercato. “I can not hide the disappointment; disappointment and bitterness – I understand that he is a professional but I also understand that in life you can choose, in politics as in football, and I can’t forget Sarri’s phrases about the ‘Palace’ and more.” Official: Matthijs de Ligt completes €75m move to Juventus Andrew Smyth - July 18, 2019 Juventus have finally confirmed their €75m capture of the highly-rated Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax on a five-year contract. “At 51, I continue to be a romantic and I think that in these professions; institutions, politics and even football, which are overwhelmed by finance, business, and scandals, there must be room for the romantics,” he added. “Despite this, the movement born around Sarri has been one of the most beautiful things in recent years.” Previous articleKirby is delighted after England’s victory Next articleForgotten football stars: Bastian Schweinsteiger Report: Neymar’s father to meet with Juventus this week Juventus has everything to win the Champions League	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0031.json.gz/line1548

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