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Working From Home With Depression: Tips for Success
One of the most common symptoms of depression is fatigue, often accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of "I don't want to do anything, at all, ever." Couple these feelings with a remote work position, and it can be a recipe for disaster. But with the right strategies, you can power through dark days to maintain a good work ethic, even in a work-from-home environment that relies on skills like time management and being a self-starter that depression symptoms often sabotage.
The number of people who work remotely has increased in recent years; a 2017 report found that 3.9 million employees in the United States work from home at least half of the time, an increase from 1.8 million in 2005. With about one in six adults experiencing depression at some point in their life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression is a major concern the growing remote workforce will continue to face.
As someone who works remotely full-time and has struggled with depression, I share my top tips to get through the rough periods below.
Get out of the house
Just because you work from home, that doesn't mean you have to work from home. It may sound obvious, but if your depression is making it hard for you to ignore the will of your couch or bed, physically forcing yourself out of proximity of that option can help you stay on task with work. Why not get out of the house and go to a coffee shop? Sometimes, surrounding yourself with other people — many of whom are likely also working — can help you feel more productive.
Working from home can be an isolating experience, so getting out into the real world and interacting with other humans face-to-face, even if that's just ordering a cup of coffee and a bagel, can make a real difference in your attitude. If you need more motivation and can afford it, consider paying for a membership at a coworking space to surround yourself with other productive people on a regular basis.
Finding an accountability buddy can also help. Many people work remotely these days, whether it be full-time or just once or twice a week. Ask around and find a friend who will meet up with you at a coffee shop or library regularly to do work together. For me, making plans in advance and feeling the pressure to stick to them and not let others down helps motivate me to get out of the house and get work done. And your friend will likely appreciate the company, too!
Try to maintain a routine
You wake up, grab your laptop from your bedside table, and log into your work email from the comfort of your bed. Sound familiar? Don't worry — we've all been there. But we can do better.
Find a routine that works for you. What may help is to stick to a similar schedule that you might have if you were actually commuting to and from an office every day. Set your alarm for the same time each morning; get up, shower, get dressed, and make coffee or tea. Do whatever you need to do to get your body on the same page as your work day — a physical push to let your body know that OK, I'm home, but I'm still in work mode.
Even better: Try working out before you start your work day. Research shows that exercise can actually help treat depression. Find a form of physical activity that works for you. Motivate yourself best by purchasing a gym membership. Brisk walking around your neighborhood or following along with a yoga video on YouTube are other cost-free options to consider.
Schedule downtime into your day
In-office workers take breaks, and so should you as a remote worker. The trap comes when you let break time and work time bleed into each other with no real boundaries. Set yourself time limits — a half hour for lunch, a few five- or 10-minute breaks for coffee or a stretch. In my experience, getting outside for a walk around the block in the sunshine can work wonders.
Giving yourself permission to do nothing in controlled increments can help you fight the urge to do nothing during your designated "work periods."
Using a timer app on your phone, or trying the Pomodoro technique of productivity, can help you enforce these rules.
Seek treatment for your depression
While working from home can be a great environment for some people with depression and other mental health problems, it can also make your depression symptoms worse at times. So my most important tip is to seek professional treatment for your condition to help improve your life overall. If you don't address your mental health head-on, the rest of these tips will just act as short-term band-aids.
If you haven't tried cognitive behavioral therapy, that's a great place to start. There are also a variety of medications you can try that can help with depression symptoms, such as SSRIs. In fact, a 2014 review in World Psychiatry found that combining psychotherapy with antidepressants is more effective in treating depression than antidepressants alone. If you're consistently having trouble getting through the day and getting your work done, know that help is available — and you should seek it sooner rather than later.
Listen to your gut
Last, but not least, listen to your gut. If you've sought treatment and are still struggling with severe depression or other mental health issues, maybe a remote work position isn't right for you in the long-term. If you feel comfortable, consider speaking with your employer; letting them know that you are struggling can help them adjust expectations when you are going through a particularly dark patch.
You may also consider seeking new work that requires in-office time. Looking for a new job may sound like the last thing you want to do during a depressive episode, but getting back into a traditional in-office environment could be the motivation you need to help stay productive and ensure your livelihood.
At its best, remote work can be a wonderful privilege that helps us create our own flexible environment to do our best work; but when you have depression, these benefits can sometimes become detrimental. When your mental health is affecting your work, these strategies can help you cope.
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Cyberlux reaches agreement to acquire HAVAS Group S.A.S. as the Company's South American renewable infrastructure financing and execution platform to rapidly acquire solar capacity and deploy renewable energy infrastructure across the region and expand into the European market in 2022.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (October 29, 2021) – Today, Cyberlux Corporation, (OTC: CYBL), an advanced technology platform company and a leading provider of advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) solutions, LED lighting, and renewable energy and infrastructure technology, announced that the Company has acquired HAVAS Group S.A.S. to build out the Cyberlux renewable infrastructure capability platform in South America, including key financing, property and personnel assets, launching the growth of the Cyberlux renewable infrastructure business across South America, with expansion plans next in Europe in 2022. With this acquisition, the Company has added significant capability to the Cyberlux Infrastructure Technology Solutions (Cyberlux ITS) business unit to accelerate the execution and implementation of the Company's core renewable infrastructure technology, including solar, wind and hydroelectric infrastructure projects.
Founded in 2011, HAVAS Group S.A.S. is a renewal energy financing company located in Bogotá Colombia, specializing in renewable energy project financing and implementation. HAVAS Group is led by Mr. Harrison Vasquez and will be headquartered with the Cyberlux South American office located at Carrera 7 # 74b- 56, Off 702, Bogotá Colombia. As part of the acquisition, HAVAS Group brings the rights to three projects with over 100 hectares of renewable energy property which Cyberlux Corporation will now implement through the Cyberlux Infrastructure Technology Solutions business unit. The addition of HAVAS Group to the Cyberlux ITS business platform expands the Company's renewable infrastructure capability and creates a sustainable growth in revenue, profit, and shareholder value, specifically through the implementation of the three current projects and the future planned renewable energy projects.
Cyberlux anticipates these Colombian locations once built out will generate over 100MW of electric power and over $6 million in annual revenue in 2022. As detailed in the Company's Operation Alpha roadmap, Cyberlux has further plans to scale the renewable energy revenue in South America to well over $30 million by 2024, targeting Guatemala, Ecuador, and Panama next.
With this acquisition, Cyberlux Corporation owns 100% of HAVAS Group S.A.S. in a transaction comprised of both shares of common stock valued at $0.05, $0.10 and $0.25, and a cash component paid out over a one-year earnout period. The HAVAS Group management has certain equity incentives for continued renewable revenue growth to the $30 million annual revenue objective,
renewable project implementation milestones and certain intellectual property development objectives. Cyberlux intends to make ongoing renewable energy property and working capital investments for further renewable energy business expansion in South America and Europe. In addition, the Cyberlux ITS business unit office in Miami, Florida is addressing all North American renewable energy projects and is pursuing all U.S. infrastructure spending opportunities. Further, the Cyberlux ITS business unit is now utilizing the infrastructure capabilities, renewable energy knowhow and expert resources of the newly acquired FBD Group, including its cost structure advantages, in the North and South American markets.
Cyberlux Corporation CEO Mark Schmidt stated:
"The acquisition of HAVAS Group is the launching point we've been waiting for in our South American renewable energy drive, as detailed in our Operations Alpha roadmap. We intend to expand next across the South American region and then move to the European market next year, and we expect significant, sustainable energy production to ramp up to 500MWs over the next 3 years. With the technology foundation of our strategic Wolfspeed technology supply, including our implementation of the world's best inverters and 5G technology, we expect to deploy the most efficient, most advanced solar capability available as well."
"The HAVAS Group is a true catalyst for our renewable energy business, and the HAVAS team brings extensive experience and expansive knowhow of renewable energy project financing and implementation. As we focus on building long-term competitive advantages across the Cyberlux business units, this acquisition brings a significant advantage to the Cyberlux ITS business platform, which we will use to aggressively drive the ITS business going forward."
"This is an exciting acquisition for the Cyberlux community as we put the Cyberlux ITS business unit in full motion in South America. We are very excited to have HAVAS Group as a new member of the Cyberlux family, with its extensive renewable energy project financing and implementation capability. With this HAVAS addition, we fully expect the Cyberlux ITS business to grow to more than $13 million in revenue in 2022, $20 million in 2023 and well over $50 million in 2025. As you know, we are just getting started!"
The Cyberlux Infrastructure Technology Solutions business unit will deliver infrastructure hardware and infrastructure software capabilities, including renewable energy technology, telecommunications technology, infrastructure project implementation, and related technology and intellectual property development. Moving forward, Cyberlux is harnessing the future through fundamental organic growth, through acquisitions and joint ventures, and through the commercialization of future technology developments.
About Cyberlux Corporation
Cyberlux Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: CYBL), an advanced technology growth platform company, is a leader in solid-state lighting innovation, has developed breakthrough LED lighting, energy efficiency technology, advanced infrastructure technology, and advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology solutions, available today in U.S. government agencies, commercial markets and international opportunities. For more information, please visit www.cyberlux.com. For investor information, please contact: email@example.com
This press release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "believes," "expects," "potential," "plans," "suggests," "may," "should," "could," "intends," or similar expressions. Many forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results implied by such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to continue to enhance our products and systems to address industry changes, our ability to expand our customer base and retain existing customers, our ability to effectively compete in our market segment, the lack of public information on our company, our ability to raise sufficient capital to fund our business operations, our ability to continue as a going concern, and a limited public market for our common stock, among other risks. Many factors are difficult to predict accurately and are generally beyond the company's control. Forward-looking statements speak only as to the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.
SOURCE: Cyberlux Corporation

subset: commoncrawl


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Radisson Rewards have further updated their policy
in regards to points expiration and elite status. Previously they
extended points expiry by 6 months and extended elite status set to end
February 2021 to February 2022. Now they have updated that policy by
further extending the pause of points expiration and added an elite
earning rollover component. These are some welcome updates to the
program seeing how travel is still curtailed. Of course if you have the
Platinum Card from American Express you don't have to worry about losing
Gold Elite status since that will automatically update each year you
have the card however for those of you who don't the addition of elite
earning rollover will hopefully help you out for 2022.
- Point expiration suspension: We are extending our pause on the
expiration of Radisson Rewards points. Any points that were set to
expire between March 1, 2020 and March 30, 2021 will now expire on March
31, 2021, if the account remains inactive.
- Elite status extension: We have extended your 2020 status –
whether it's Silver, Gold or Platinum – through February 2022, for those
whose status would have expired in February 2021. This means you will
continue to enjoy all the great Silver, Gold or Platinum member benefits
you have access to today.
- Elite earning roll over: All eligible nights and stays earned in
2020 will roll over to 2021 and be applied toward maintaining or
increasing your Elite status in 2022.
These updates from Radisson Rewards have been added to our COVID-19 resource page
Image via Radisson Hotels
One more new American Express Cobalt Card Multiplier for you, well hopefully as the final charge hasn't posted yet. This one is an iconic Calgary restaurant: CB Drive Inn. The other day we made it out there for some Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Copyright Food Network)
food from this joint that has been a Calgary institution (and by
institurion some will say a good institution whilte others will say
really bad) since the 1970s. Low and behold going through the drive thru
and there's the American Express Shop Small sticker so out came the
Cobalt card! Our chili dogs, fries and drinks should not only earn 5x
points but we should also receive $5 back thanks to the current Amex
Shop Small promotion. Learn more about Confirmed Cobalt Multiplier locations here and learn more about Amex's Shop Small promotion here.
Airline Schedule Updates
A summary Canadian operations based on data from RoutesOnline and other
sources. Remember that many of these route plans are subject to change
and right now they are changing frequently!
Here is WestJet's planned international operations for the month of September
Calgary – Atlanta 3 weekly 737-700 (selected dates -800)
Calgary – London Gatwick 3 weekly 787-9
Calgary – Los Angeles 3 weekly 737-700
Calgary – Paris CDG 2 weekly 787-9
Toronto – Cancun 1 weekly 737-800
Toronto – Kingston 1 weekly 737-700
Toronto – Montego Bay 1 weekly 737-800
(Source RoutesOnline)
Remember to visit and bookmark our COVID-19 resource page
where we are keeping you up to date with all the latest airline, hotel,
lounges and loyalty program news, policies, closures and more.
Posts since our last update:
- Summary of global hotel systemwide bonus points promotions – August Edition
Here is your monthly update of all the global hotel bonus points promotions that are available. We are starting…
- Top 5 Small Business Credit Card Sign Up offers for August – These cards provide the best value out of their welcome bonuses
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- Coast Hotels Coast Rewards Points Bonanza – Earn double points or miles on all stays until September 14
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- August
19 Update: AIR MILES adds redemption options for Spotify and gaming
subscriptions, Hawaii delays reopening plan to October 1, new Tangerine
Savings Account offer
AIR MILES expanded their reward catalog offerings yesterday with some great new redemptoin options for digital services. You…
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Rewards Canada receives a small commission when you use any of
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Follow Rewards Canada:


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You are currently browsing bleatmop's articles.
is right twice a day. Or so they say. In this case Jason Kenney actually gets something right.
This is of course to people protesting the fencing off of a church (from what I understand). These people decided to trespass on Enoch Cree Nation land, threaten and assault their members, and vandalize their property. And it's here where I get a certain sense of schadenfreude. Jason Kenney has been stoking the far right and using them to his own political means here in Alberta since he joined provincial politics. These people are his base, the people who will show up en-masse to rallies and canvas for him. They're the ones that just won't shut up about politics in the work space. They are the ones who have Nutley and TruDOPE bumper stickers on their vehicles, as well as some more unsavory stickers. So I wonder how his base is going to react to what is essentially a post asking people to calm down and come back to reality. Well lets find out.
First up we have the outright anger at Kenney.
Then we have what I like to call the ironic posts.
So that was fun. My favourite part is Tara showing her hatred and getting it wrong. Up next we have the MAGA crowd.
And finally what would a right wing protest be if we didn't have the Kudatah crowd?
So that was a fun adventure. I wonder if all this outrage will last until the next election. Maybe if they are so upset with the UCP they could go and form their own party. They could name it after an iconic Albertan flower. The Wild Yarrow Party or The Giant Hyssop party or something like that. I'm sure their is some kind of name that would work out well for them. Anyway, I quite enjoyed reading Kenney getting clapped back by the people that used to cheer his incivility to all the other Albertans in this province. That's all for now and I hope you enjoyed!
We all know the UCP are scum. Just terrible garbage people. Broken promises left and right, austerity for everyone, and harming the poor, the young, the old, the severely handicapped, and everyone. Then they lie about doing these things even as they are doing them. This is pretty much neo-liberalism 101. It's been going on since Reagan, Thatcher, and our very own Brian M. and Klein. What's also true is that your average UCP supporter is also trash.
Yup, that's right. I'm calling you all trash. That, after all that's been going on, the UCP would still win an election if it was called today is reprehensible. It means one of three things is happening. It means either you don't know what's going on, or you don't care what's going on, or you support what's going on. In any of these three situations you are trash but it's the people who don't know what is going on that are the worst of you. Not that this distinction matters much as the scale ranges from sewage byproducts to nuclear waste. But ya, those of you who don't know what is going on are the nuclear waste.
Seriously, if you are in ignorance of what is going on all that means is that it is purposeful ignorance, the worst of all ignorance. It would take a concerted effort to avoid all media and be unaware of how your choice at the polling station is decimating this province. But I'm guessing if you are reading this then you aren't one of those people because they are likely unicorns. As in they don't exist or if they do they are so rare that they've never been spotted by another person.
As for the other two, which is worse you ask? Well, you guessed it, it's those that don't care. At least those who support this selling off of our province stand for something. I mean it's a terrible and evil something, but at least it's something. If you are one of those people that just shrug your shoulders and go "ehh.. one politician is as bad as another" then you are the problem. You've literally just lived through a politician that kept the lights on during one of the worst economic downturns we've ever had and are seeing a politician that took a bad but improving situation and immediate turned it into dog shit and see no difference. Honestly, you are bad and you should feel bad.
But wait, there is still time! You can contact your MLA, tell them you voted for them and you are very angry and will not be voting for them next …. BWAHAHAHAHA. Nope. Sorry. It's too late. Kenney is an unaccountable king for the next few years and by the time he is done with his first term the damage will take generations to repair. But don't worry, because that won't happen either because you idiots will still keep voting UCP because one politician is as bad as another, am I right?
So to sum things up, the UCP are trash and so are their supporters. Their austerity is causing generational damage to our province and everyone will suffer, especially the most vulnerable. Nothing they do will bring back the heydays of $100/barrel of oil and nothing they can do can even affect that. So we're all screwed because garbage people are voting for garbage politicians.
So the UCP just passed Bill 9, better known as the we're too scared to negotiate so we're going to legislate new wages for our public sector employees. This, of course, is a clear violation of charter rights to collective bargaining and flies in the very face of good faith bargaining. One union has already stated that they will be challenging this bill in court and I'm sure it will be challenged by everyone it tries to get used upon. This mean that the so called fiscal conservatives will be wasting public money defending their illegal legislation in an effort to crush the working people of Alberta.
In a brazen act of doublethink the UCP is branding this as no big deal, as a simple delay to bargaining. Kenney state, "No one's taking anybody's rights away," while his finance minister goes on record that they need this time to negotiate in good faith, which is right on point with their Orwellian messaging. Delaying contract arbitrations that were scheduled and signed in good faith is the literal definition of taking peoples rights away and negotiating in bad faith. But hey it's a brave new world. With the new wave of doublethink we can say all sorts of new things like we've brought 6465 days of peace to Afghanistan, bringing freedom to its people, and strength to its children.
And this brings us to you, dear UCP voter. You have done this. Each and every one of you. None of this is a surprise. Not one iota. There was every indication that the UCP was going to do this before the election. Thanks to you dear UCP voter we now have a government that doesn't care about the charter or the rule of law and will waste our tax monies in fighting for their ideological war on working people. So thank you UCP voters. And by thank you I mean fuck you. I hope all the teachers, nurses, and public servants that voted UCP are the ones that will lose their jobs in the coming months.
This is a special thank you to UCP Voters. This is special because it is discussing the new UCP Bill 8.
I like to call it the "We're a bunch of small minded bigots and we're going to take it out on children" bill. It's also the bill that removes the protections for LGBT people in Alberta, specifically those that allow those in school to form GSA clubs. These clubs save lives. These protections not only allowed them to be formed, it also prevented the schools from outing these youth to their parents. Something that most assuredly will happen from those within the Catholic School System at the very least.
But this really isn't about Jason Kenney, or the Catholic School System. This is about you, the UCP voter. These people are just doing exactly what they've always said they will. It is you, the UCP voter who have elected these people. That the UCP is now doing exactly what they always said they would do is no surprise. That means that you, the people who have elected these goons, are directly responsible for giving them the power to do so. This means one of two things in this specific case.
- You are a hateful bigot that thinks dead kids is preferable to kids being both gay and alive.
- You don't actively hate gay people but you are comfortable enough with gay kids offing themselves so you can vote in someone who will ensure that this happens just so you can vote in a party that has the name conservative in it. This despite there being two other neoliberal parties that would have governed almost identically to Kenney economically without being regressive on social issues.
And that's the crux of it. Either way the blood of every dead kid that kills themselves because they didn't have the support a GSA club could have provided is directly on your hands. You had a choice and you chose the party full of hateful bigots. YOU are the problem dear UCP voter. I would wish you would choke on the blood of these dead kids but I can't. Because I care that these kids don't kill themselves. You obviously don't though. Perhaps I'll leave you with this: Go fuck yourself UCP voters.
So today Jason Kenney officially scrapped the Alberta Carbon Levy (which has been successful in reducing emissions and transition us to clear energy sources) while Edmonton is covered in smoke.
A move so garish that even Kenney couldn't go through with the planned celebrations and instead pretended to care about the wildfires for a minute. So ya, way to go UCP voters. You elected a government that promised to accelerate climate change and subsequently make these wildfires worse. I hope you choke on this smoke. I know your children and grandchildren will (while there is still trees at least).
Well this didn't take long. Another thing directly related to people voting in the UCP as our government. Congratulations UCP voters, you bags of vaginal lavage.
So in Calgary parents are getting sent notes to come to meetings at their schools to decide to fire the music teacher, eliminating music lessons, or fire a homeroom teacher and increase class sizes, or to fire some educational assistants. My guess is that not matter what is voted upon all three will happen by the end of this UCP term. Because no amount of cuts will ever be enough until they turn education into a disastrous state so they can institute a private sector to replace. it. The neoliberal agenda 101.
And yes, you the UCP voter are directly responsible for this. Under the NDP, despite financial constraints, they never took budget pressures out on our children. Nothing shows more personal responsibility than to have our children pay for your $4.5 billion tax cut, am I right conservatives?
So the NDP lost the last election and the UCP has formed the new government in Alberta with Jason Kenney at the helm. Old news. So I've been pretty demoralized about this because I see a lot of bad shit coming. So I've decided to share it with everyone, here, in an ongoing series where I personally thank all the UCP voters for the shitty things the UCP are going to do to the people of Alberta; all the shitty things the UCP voters have done to Alberta. So without further ado, here we go!
- UCP cancels gay conversion therapy ban working group. Why? Because bigots love torturing gay kids. That's it, that's all. Just pure, unadulterated evil. It also comes as no surprise that Jason Kenney's brother runs these torture chambers. Now to suggest that this is solely fueled by nepotism would be wrong. Because it isn't. It's fueled by nepotism and the party's deliberate choice to cosy up with bigots (and electing one of them their leader).
So there is my first entry. Don't expect this list to be exhaustive because I'm exhausted by all this. I will try and update with anything worthy of such a list though.


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Herbert Moyo
FINANCE Minister Moeketsi Majoro late last year gave an enigmatic, if not prescient response when he declared that the race for the deputy leader's post in the All Basotho Convention (ABC) would be a "brutal contest".
But even he could not have anticipated the drama and controversies that have hitherto dogged the race for the coveted post which in all likelihood will produce the eventual successor to long-serving leader and Prime Minister Thomas Thabane.
He could not have anticipated the spirited efforts of the ABC's Koro-koro constituency committee to keep Prof Mahao in the contest despite the party's national executive committee (NEC)'s decision to throw out his nomination on the grounds that he has not served in the party's structures for the required time.
Nor would Dr Majoro have anticipated the virulent public attack on Prof Mahao by Dr Thabane, describing the latter as a "useless rag" who should never be allowed to succeed him.
Dr Thabane subsequently apologised for his acerbic remarks. But that notwithstanding, the stage for a bruising contest had already been set.
In all, it is a contest that chroniclers of political history would have wished for. It has all the ingredients of subterfuge, scheming, counter-scheming if not outright skulduggery.
To begin with, the party's leading lights in Dr Majoro, Motlohi Maliehe and Prince Maliehe have thrown their hat into the ring. Add to that list, the National University of Lesotho (NUL) Vice Chancellor Professor Nqosa Mahao, a man whose academic credentials and work with the university is well-known.
Prof Mahao and Dr Majoro are technocrats with fairly impeccable achievements. Although the two Maliehes do not boast the same academic credentials, they certainly make up for that in terms of political appeal and experience.
Mr Prince Maliehe is the incumbent. He is thought to have the backing of party leader, Thomas Thabane himself. The other Maliehe is an extremely popular politician who is currently the party chairperson. He also served as Tourism, Environment and Culture minister until Dr Thabane sacked him for his public outbursts which included that unprecedented May 2018 attack on the First Lady Maesaiah Thabane whom she accused of meddling in party and government affairs.
And while these are all big guns, there can only be one winner in what Dr Majoro has rightly described as a "brutal contest".
With just a week before the crunch ABC elections on 1 and 2 February, the Lesotho Times, with the help of party insiders and analysts, assesses the qualities of each of the contestants.
Nqosa Mahao
He carries a family name that has become synonymous with the fight for justice and human rights after the impunity and excesses that occurred during the previous regime that was headed by Pakalitha Mosisili. There is a rampant belief that the assassination of his brother, Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) commander Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao, by fellow soldiers in June 2015, was one of the key factors in swaying the majority votes in favour of the ABC and cutting short the reign of Dr Mosisili's Democratic Congress-led coalition in June 2017. The assassination created widespread sympathy for Dr Thabane, who himself had gone into exile over fears the army was trying to kill him.
It also ignited widespread sympathy for the Mahao family, being the direct victims, as did their on-going courageous fight for justice against then powerful forces who included Dr Mosisili and the former army commander, Lt-Gen Tlali Kamoli.
Prof Mahao fought for and continues to fight for justice in the case of his slain brother.
But his reputation is not based solely on his family name. Prof Mahao is his own man whose fame rests solidly on his personal achievements. These include his current stint at the helm of NUL and a solid academic background that includes heading the law faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand, one of Africa's premier learning showcase.
It is on the basis of his good history that the ABC's Koro-Koro constituency committee co-opted Prof Mahao in September 2015 and subsequently nominated him for the post of deputy leader.
Apart from his stellar academic achievements and his keen sense of justice, another key attribute of Prof Mahao is that he is not afraid to speak his mind even if that means ruffling some feathers along the way.
He has taken the same fearless attitude that has characterised the family's fight for justice into the cut-throat world of ABC politics.
His recent interview with the Lesotho Times attests to his character as a fearless technocrat who is not afraid to speak his mind for the good of all and sundry. His frank criticism of the ABC, the very party he wants to eventually lead, exemplified a deep sense of honest self-reflection, uncharacteristic of most career politicians who would rather blow with the prevailing tide to achieve political power.
Soon after announcing that he wanted to contest, he tore into the ABC's NEC, saying it was the main source of the ABC's troubles.
"Initially it looked like there was a positive movement but in less than a year a degree of disillusionment and disgruntlement in the nation is palpable," Prof Mahao said.
"The gap between those who are in power and the sentiments of the people on the ground has to be breached. Where does the problem lie?
"A political organisation is as good as its national executive committee. When you see an organisation that is as rudderless, it says something about the leadership and it is my sense that colleagues in the leadership of the ABC lost their focus on why they were elected into leadership."
This frank talk certainly won him enemies. Some party insiders say it could now count against him. They say it also earned him the enmity of Dr Thabane who saw the remarks as a direct attack on him.
Despite his impeccable academic career, some ABC insiders says he is relatively a political greenhorn who is untested in the treacherous political terrain. His previous dalliances with the opposition Popular Front for Democracy (PFD), which Dr Thabane referenced in his recent attacks, could also work against him.
But his backers say that his political inexperience should in fact be among his trump cards. "Novelty can be a good thing in politics. His (Prof Mahao's) so-called inexperience in politics is actually a plus for him in that he remains untainted by corruption, cronyism and factionalism which are all vices that often saddle those who have been around for far too long," said one top ABC insider.
"He is not tainted by factionalism and other maladies. This makes him an acceptable candidate to those who cannot stand the combative approach of Ntate Motlohi Maliehe or the dourness of Ntate Majoro whose stinginess with the purse strings while good for the economy makes him a target for fellow ministers and other politicians who see him as an obstacle to spending in the name of populism."
Another top ABC insider added; "Prof Mahao may be a relative greenhorn in party politics but he has the clout within the party.
"The Mahaos are a family that cannot be ignored and they command a lot of respect within the party on account of the supreme sacrifice that Lt-Gen Mahao made. It was the latter's assassination that brought SADC back to Lesotho and kick-started the processes that led to the collapse of the Mosisili regime and the advent of the second Thabane administration. But above all Prof Mahao is also his own man. His work with NUL speaks for itself and there are many in the party who believe that he will be the new broom that will clean the malaise within the ABC. The ABC is riddled with infighting and incompetence which has so far made it fail to resolve the pressing challenges of high unemployment, corruption, poverty and under-development. We are soon a full two years in power but with nothing to show for it. The party supporters may see him as technocrat who will tackle these challenges headlong."
Mr Mahao's candidature hinges on the Koro-Koro constituency committee winning a court appeal against his disqualification. If it doesn't win, all the arguments for and against Prof Mahao would have been for academic convenience only.
Dr Majoro
Like Prof Mahao, Dr Majoro is a technocrat. He rarely speaks publicly but he is seen as more of an enforcer who prefers to get the job done behind the scenes.
He has been engaged in long-running talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a rescue package for the country. The talks are being conducted away from the public spotlight.
But unlike Prof Mahao, Dr Majoro has been in the ranks of the ABC for much longer, having joined the party on the back of what his supporters say was a successful career in the public service.
His advantages over his fellow technocrat lie in that he is a legislator and senior minister.
"As a legislator, Dr Majoro understands the inner workings of the ABC better than Prof Mahao who despite being a technocrat, has been operating outside the party's centre of power. As a senior minister in charge of the country's finances, Dr Majoro's influence cuts across all ministries and government programmes and that gives him so much power within the party and government. Furthermore, he is more acceptable to the IMF, World Bank and other multi-lateral institutions who would prefer his prescription of austerity in government spending," one party insider told this publication.
But these same strengths could also prove to be Dr Majoro's Achilles heel.
Another party insider said that because of his dogged insistence on cutting expenditure, Dr Majoro has incurred the wrath of both Dr Thabane and the First Lady, Maesaiah Thabane.
"The premier was not happy with Dr Majoro for refusing to release funds for a new vehicle fleet. Throughout 2017 and 2018, so many people in the party including ministers were not happy with Dr Majoro's austerity measures.
"His ban on first class travel to cut spending was and continues to be defied. His colleagues are generally populists who want unlimited access to government funds and his dogged insistence on reducing spending has not won him support. It is a common secret in the party that Dr Thabane had wanted to shuffle Dr Majoro early on after this coalition took power. Dr Thabane was prevented by two officials who enjoy the Prime Minister's ear. Otherwise he would have long gone. Dr Majoro certainly is not the candidate for the Prime Minister and the powerful First Lady" the party insider said.
Another party official said: "(Dr) Majoro is essentially not a politician. He is aloof and not charismatic. He is the Thabo Mbeki type. Good only as a finance minister or a minister of planning but he is not cut to lead a party".
Still, some ABC officials say Dr Majoro would be the ideal candidate to take the country forward. He understands economics and he is not corrupt. He is energetic. He can get the country going again.
Prince Maliehe
History is replete with tales of politicians who made it to the top despite the lack of obvious advantages such as charisma, academic credentials and popular support.
Mr Prince Maliehe could well be one such politician. He is the incumbent and by his own admission, he was brought in as a compromise candidate at the behest of Dr Thabane. Mr Maliehe said he was elevated to the post to prevent potential instability in the ruling party which could arise from intense jostling for the post.
"I am aware of groups of ABC members who have been holding secret meetings but I never took part in the meetings…
"The party leader, Dr Thabane, proposed my name to the NEC. No name was brought up to oppose the leader's proposal and the NEC approved his submission," he said of how he rose to his current post of acting deputy leader. He believes he was appointed to act because he is a "senior member who could act as a unifying figure to save the party from going through unnecessary instability".
Mr Maliehe had dismissed speculation that his appointment was an indication that the party was grooming him to take over from Dr Thabane when the latter eventually decides to retire from active politics.
"We should not be impatient and speculate on the reasons behind my appointment. I am just an interim deputy leader to facilitate the smooth and efficient running of the ABC in preparation for the 2019 elective conference. Let us all wait for the elections and let the masses decide," said Mr Maliehe in a previous interview.
He in that interview refused to talk up his own achievements, preferring to just say that, "I have previously served in the NEC as treasurer-general and I am a legislator".
This could well be modesty or mind games on his part. One ABC insider say that "apart from having the deputy leader's post thrust upon him by Ntate Thabane, Prince Maliehe has nothing else to recommend him for the top job".
But if at all Mr Maliehe and his backers have been preparing him to land the top post on a permanent basis, they have not shown it through active campaigning or even clear public pronouncements and actions.
He has not stamped his authority or united the party whose infighting has been playing out in the public domain for all to see.
This could mean that Mr Maliehe could have just been a stop-gap measure who was just warming the seat before it passes to another.
But as another party insider said, "If I can make a prediction, I think Mr Maliehe will retain the position because he has the backing of Dr Thabane. In politics, the support of the incumbent counts for so much and whoever enjoys it has an edge which makes up for any perceived lack of charisma, popularity and other qualities. After all, in politics, as (William) Shakespeare famously declared, 'some will have greatness thrust upon them'. Maliehe could just have it all thrust upon him."
Quite often party members take the cue from their leader and if the ABC faithful read from the Thabane script, then Mr Maliehe will get the nod.
Motlohi Maliehe
The ABC chair made the headlines with his blistering attack on the First Lady, Maesaiah Thabane, in May 2018.
Mr Maliehe accused Ms Thabane of fomenting chaos in the party and in the government through "constant meddling" in the work of ministers and officials. He demanded that the First Lady stops meddling in state affairs forthwith or risk derailing the government.
He further accused Ms Thabane of violating the constitution and "abetting corruption" by instigating the removal of ministers who refused to comply with her demands. The stinging remarks led to his dismissal from his post as minister of Tourism, Environment and Culture.
He was also suspended from the ABC chairmanship, only to be reinstated last month.
One party official said with his stinging attacks on the first family, "he only created powerful enemies for himself and that could work against his quest to land the top ABC job".
"Mr Maliehe has been a loose cannon whose public attacks are not only embarrassing but a potential threat to Dr Thabane's stranglehold on the party.
"If Dr Thabane has his way, Mr Maliehe will not only lose the deputy leader's post but also his current position of party chair. This way he will be downgraded to the ranks of ordinary card-carrying member and even if he remains a legislator, his influence will be very much limited," the official said.
However, another party insider said that it would be foolish for anyone to underestimate Mr Maliehe.
The insider said the fact that Mr Maliehe's suspension was lifted before time was testament to the support and influence, he enjoys within the party.
"Even after the suspension was lifted, he (Mr Maliehe) could not resist one more jibe at his detractors in the party telling the media that he would have taken them to court if they had not lifted his suspension. This speaks of a man who is confident about the support he enjoys in the party and it would be foolish to discount such a man," the insider said.
The problem with the two Maliehes is that no one knows what they stand for and the policies they will seek to promote, said a party official.
"We all know what kind of policies Majoro would push. Mahao has spoken at length about his philosophies. The two Maliehes are total strangers to policy articulation and formulation. But then this is Lesotho. This is Africa. Many delegates would not be bothered by the nitty-gritties of policy talk. All they will want is to vote for a face they like and the debate ends there….That is in some way the tragedy of Africa."
One thing is clear, with Dr Thabane getting up in years, whoever wins the race will have their work cut out.


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Quote of Michel de Montaigne - When someone opposes me, he arouses...
Biography - Michel de Montaigne:
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne is a French Renaissance writer and philosopher.
Born: 1533 - Died: 1592
16th century
Place of birth: France
Born: 1533 - Died: 1592
16th century
Place of birth: France
When someone opposes me, he arouses my attention, not my anger. I go to greet a man who contradicts me, who instructs me.
Translation(French, German)
Quand on me contrarie, on éveille mon attention, non pas ma colère : je m'avance vers celui qui me contredit, qui m'instruit.
Gibt man mir Kontra, erregt das meine Aufmerksamkeit, nicht meinen Zorn. Dem, der mir widerspricht, öffne ich mich: Ich lerne ja von ihm.
See also...
Quotes for: anger
Michel de Montaigne also said...
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The Competition Tribunal on Monday overturned a majority of the conditions imposed on the Airtel- Telkom merger that had halted plans to join two major telecommunication firms seeking to take on the most dominant player in the market.
Monday's development brings back to the table the merger conversation that had gone quiet meaning Airtel and Telkom can redirect their concentration to eating into Safaricom's 64.8% market share.
In its ruling, the tribunal observed that several conditions did not augur well for healthy competition in the telco business hence putting Airtel and Telkom in good stead to see through their merger.
Airtel and Telkom have been allowed to keep their existing network licences in reference to a condition imposed by the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) that barred the two units as a merged entity from selling or transferring some of their operating and frequency spectrum licences until the merger duration expires.
"Upon expiry of the term of the merged entities' operating license, the spectrum in the 900MHZ and 1800MHZ acquired from Telkom shall revert back to the Government of Kenya (GoK)," CAK had spelt out in one of its conditions.
Related Articles
The tribunal also threw out a condition barring the merged entity from entering into commercial agreements within the first five years of the merger but nonetheless allowed provisions that blocked the merged entity from being taken over or listing more than 40% of its stake.
Conversely, the tribunal also granted the two units the freedom to negotiate the terms of access relating to the 4,204 kilometers of fibre managed by Telkom on behalf of the government of Kenya.
The tribunal however maintained the provision requiring the merged entity to furnish the regulator with annual reports on the compliance with merger conditions for upto two years.
In the same vein, the regulator also stayed a condition stipulating that the merged entity should maintain at least 349 of Airtel and Telkom's existing 674 employees.
Delayed Merger
Besides the conditions spelt out by the regulator, Safaricom also wanted the two units to pay up their dues before the merger process could be approved.
Safaricom wanted immediate clearance of Ksh1.3 billion in debt accrued by the pair and a rebalance of frequency allocations.
This prompted Airtel and Telkom to appeal the conditions in February.
Safaricom Dominance
Statistics posted by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) show that Safaricom lost 765,038 subscribers between October and December 2019 but still remains the dominant player in the telecommunications sector commanding 64.8% of the market share.
CA's statistics also show that Airtel gained slightly more than a million subscribers to boost its market share to 25.9% while Telkom lost 167, 297 subscribers, during the period under review to settle for 6.2% of the market while Equitel commanded 3.1% of the market at the end of December 2019.


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The Chargers continued to add pieces to the offensive side of the ball with their fifth-round pick wide receiver Joe Reed.
It remains to be seen if he can thrive on the outside at the next level because of his lack of route-running ability.
But he does have the ability to serve as a gadget player and high-upside return specialist, winning with his yards after the catch ability to turn short gains into big ones.
Take a look at what Los Angeles is getting in Reed:


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WorldMark by Wyndham, formerly Trendwest, has over 60 resorts around the world for you to choose from. WorldMark by Wyndham Travel is a full-service travel agency available exclusively for WorldMark by Wyndham owners. A WorldMark ownership is like having a vacation home at the lake, the mountains, and the beach at a fraction of the cost of a second home with none of the headaches. Comparable in price to traditional timeshares that offer only one location, for one week at a time, a WorldMark ownership gives you more than 60 locations to choose from. What's more, when you can go on vacation easily (and economically), you'll simply go on vacation more often. It's time that you can use to reduce stress, relax with loved ones, or participate in your favorite activities more often.
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This is going to be a short one, since a lot of the books I read last month are for the Hugo Awards and I'll talk about them later. Also, this will probably be my last monthly review post. I don't think this format is working; it's encouraging me to review almost everything I read, which is turning reading and reviewing into a chore rather than a hobby. Plus I'm mostly reviewing new release or popular books lately, so I don't feel like I'm adding much new to the conversation.
So, okay, two reviews. Let's go.
United States of Japan
By Peter Tieryas
Published March 2016 (Angry Robot)
Score: 6/10
I wanted to love this one so much. United States of Japan was described to me as Man in the High Castle meets Pacific Rim and the sequel is called Mecha Samurai Empire. I wasn't expecting the most thoughtful story ever, but I was expecting to have a lot of fun whilst seeing some of Philip K. Dick's themes. What I got didn't have enough Man in the High Castle or Pacific Rim for me.
By the way, I didn't like Man in the High Castle. It has some great worldbuilding, and whilst an Axis victory in WWII has been explored before, I liked the way Dick explored it in High Castle. But the plot itself did nothing for me and I was really glad to be done with the book. Listening to USJ was a much more enjoyable experience for me than reading High Castle was, but it also made me realise just how well Dick portrayed his defeated USA, and that one of the reasons High Castle is such a strong story is because it emphasises how much chance and luck shape history. How we really could be living in a totalitarian nightmare (Or, a more totalitarian nightmare if you will) if different decisions were made or things went the wrong way. USJ didn't pack as much punch for me, and to my surprise, that disappointed me just as much as the lack of cool mech battles.
Not that there aren't mech battles; there was a really cool one at the end. There was a lot of cool stuff throughout the book, but between each awesome part (mech battles, life and death video game tournaments, etc.) there was a plot that didn't grab me, following characters I didn't like, with a twist that was painfully obvious as soon as we got the flashback scene halfway through the book.
Maybe I'm being too harsh with this book. There was a lot of good worldbuilding, and I had fun with some parts, but it just didn't click for me. I think a big part might have been Tieryas's writing style. A lot of his similes felt intrusive, and I didn't like the long metaphors he used during the more graphic scenes of the story. And there was a lot of torture in this story, so this was a problem I came across a lot. To be fair, this could have been a narration problem, since I was listening to this as an audiobook, or I could have just been extra critical due to my other disappointments.
United States of Japan isn't a bad book. I don't think it's a good book, but there are much worse stories out there.
The Tea Master and the Detective
By Aliette de Bodard
Published March 2018 (Subterranean Press)
Score: 8/10
Yes I know this is a Hugo Nominee and I should talk about it later, but I've read and reviewed all the other nominees for Best Novella before. I don't want to re-review the others, but I don't want to make a post about all the novellas and only talk about one in-depth. I'm probably not going to do a separate post for all the categories this years: we'll see how things go.
The Tea Master and the Detective is part of de Bodard's Xuya Universe;a series told mostly through short stories. I've read a few of the short stories in this universe, but this is my first Xuya novella. I am very impressed. The universe itself has always interested me; it features a world where the Chinese colonised the west coast of the Americas, leading to Asian and Central American cultures having a larger influence in the world. Tea Master and Detective takes this premise into a far future with galactic Confucian empires of Chinese and Vietnamese inspirations. We don't get to see that much of these Empires in this story, as we focus on a ship that makes tea and a mysterious private investigator solving a murder mystery at the edges of an empire.
The Shadow's Child is a shipmind; an A.I spaceship born of a human mother who can interact with humans by holograms. She was traumatised by an accident in deep space that saw her crew die, and now makes a living blending brews of tea that contain herbs and drugs to keep a person alive in deep space. The story being told from The Shadow's Child's point of view was my favourite part of the book, because I just loved how de Bodard showed the everyday life of an A.I in this universe. The Shadow's Child is a spaceship with spaceship issues, but she lives in a society where shipminds can sit down for a meal with humans. Not that they eat, but holographic foods trigger fond memories. Aside from the wonderful worldbuilding we get to experience through her, I also liked her as a character.
Even though this story is about investigating a murder, I hesitate to call it a murder mystery. I believe to earn that distinction the mystery has to be fairly solvable by the reader, but not too obvious. The mystery in Tea Master and the Detective was more just a story, with no chance for the reader to really examine clues. Despite this, I liked the detective Long Chau, and would like to see her in a proper Xuya murder mystery story at some point. Preferably with The Shadow's Child as a partner.
In other news my Pokémon SoulSilver Nuzlocke challenge is going… well, it's going. I've had a few setbacks. Both of the losing Pokémon type and of the getting addicted to Voltorb Flip and wasting away in the game corner instead of saving the world from Team Rocket. But I'm okay now. I'll get there. I've also started falling really behind in my Goodreads Reading Challenge. Probably all that time flipping Voltorbs. I want to play and talk a lot more about video games in the future. I have a draw of unfinished games going back to the Gamecube era that I've been meaning to get through for years.
For this post's Song of the Month, I'm going to post something that doesn't really fit the SF/F theme, but I have had this song in my head for weeks now. Rammstein's newest music video about getting carried away by a good song, despite heavy censorship. At least, that's what I think it's about.
Be warned, there are titties in this video. As well as radio humping and an ear getting cut off. Just standard Rammstein stuff.
One more thing before I go… look how cute Knight has been this week:
He has finally discovered that the bed is nice and warm. And yes, he does have a run in his stocking.
Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go cry over the results of the Australian election.
Happy Reading everyone,


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FingerprintDive into the research topics of 'HILS using a minimum number of joint module testbeds for analyzing a multi-DoF manipulator'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- Sort by
- Weight
- Alphabetically
Yusuke Noda, Teppei Tsujita, Satoko Abiko, Daisuke Sato, Dragomir N. Nenchev
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution


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Everyone knows reality of borders: Rahul's jibe at Shahtext_fields
New Delhi : A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that India is the only country after the US and Israel to protect its borders, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a jibe at him, saying "everyone knows the reality of the borders".
"Everyone knows the reality of the borders, but 'Shah-yad' (maybe) it's a good idea to keep one's heart happy," Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.
Addressing a public rally in Bihar on Sunday via videoconference, Shah said: "India's defence policy has gained global acceptance. And India is next to the US, Israel in protecting its borders."
On June 3, Rahul Gandhi had questioned the central government over a military standoff with China in Ladakh. He had tweeted: "Can the government of India please confirm that no Chinese soldiers have entered India?"


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Located within Northridge Park4205 Northridge Rd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406
Price: $200 / 4 hrs
Large pavillion with fans, lights, electricity, water, grills, and restrooms. This facility has 10 picnic tables which are available at any time. It also has an additional 20 - 8' tables and 150 chairs which are available upon request. When making your reservation indicate that you would like access to the additional tables/chairs. A Park Ranger will open the storage closet for you on the day of your rental. It will be your responsibility to put all tables and chairs in the closet before leaving the facility.
Capacity: 300
Home of the Tuscaloosa Gauntlet OCR.


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JEE Main for April 2019 session is all set to be held between April 07- 20 in computer based mode across 282 cities. Candidates are advised to submit their online applications, over the official website, i.e jeemain.nic.in by today (March 07, 2019). On the basis of the details provided by a candidate, National Testing Agency will issue JEE Main Admit card on March 20, 2019. But before this event, NTA will extend a correction window to rectify the errors committed by a candidate, at the time of form filling. This window will remain active from March 11-15,2019.
Candidates need to login with their Application Number and Password to edit/modify any of the details filled except the exam center. For each correction made, a candidate needs to pay an additional charge. So, this becomes evident that a candidate can edit details related to their name, date of birth, category, address, qualifying level marks and even their upload documents.
At the time of correction, a candidate must keep in mind that the signature and photograph files should be uploaded in jpeg format only. Whereas the file size of the photograph should be between 10 – 200 kb, the file of the signature should be between 4 kb – 30 kb. Other than these criteria, a candidate need to upload a colored and clear photograph which should not be a selfie or a polaroid photo. And the signature uploaded should not be in capital letters and should be in running writing with a blue/black pen on a white sheet.
After completing all the JEE Main 2019 Application form formalities, a candidate can focus on preparing for this entrance. To start the preparations in full swing, a candidate must start by familiarising themselves with the prescribes syllabus and exam pattern. For Paper 1, a candidate is required to attempt 90 MCQ type questions from Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. But for Paper 2, a candidate needs to attempt 82 questions in which Maths and General Aptitude will have objective type questions and 2 drawing questions of 70 marks.
JEE Main 2019 2nd attempt will be a 360 mark paper which will be conducted in 2 time slots, i.e firstly from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and secondly from, 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm. This national level entrance exam is conducted for admissions to various NITs, CFTIs, IIITs, etc., in order to pursue B.Tech / B.E / B.Arch / B.Plan courses. Candidates need to appear for JEE Main Paper 1, if he/she is a BE/B.Tech aspirant, whereas candidates need to appear for Paper 2, if he/she is a B.Arch/B.Plan aspirant. From 2019 onward, JEE Main has been taken over to be conducted by an agency, known as National Testing Agency to establish transparency and to conduct the exam as per international standards.
Stay Tuned with Aglasem News, to know more about JEE Main 2019 Second Session!


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It's been an interesting 2 weeks since I was laid off from my job at Cushing Systems. I've managed to have several meetings with different recruiters, a handful of phone screenings with potential employers, and 1 face-to-face interview (which I was turned down for). But no worries, things are still looking up! On deck for early next week, I have a phone interview with a few gentlemen from a company called National General Insurance, and most likely a Skype interview with the manager of the CRM Team for a role at SmileDirectClub!
More updates to come soon!


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Hey everyone, time for another stitchy update. And I'm so happy with this one.
I've been a busy little stitcher the last couple weeks. Here's where I picked up from after the last update:
Getting closer…
And finally after a couple hours of stitching confetti…
A page finish!!!! Woot woot!!!
I'm so excited to finally have found the corner of his storybook!!!
I had someone ask me earlier this week about the scissors I use and realized I haven't shared it here so…
I swear these are the best scissors I have ever used. Incredibly sharp. (I drilled a small hole in the handle to hold the charms) 😜 they are made by Fiskars. They also make the small collapsable ones so if you're afraid of the sharp tips on these there's another option.
I also use a larger version of these for cutting fabric when sewing. They are spring loaded so help with your hands getting tired when cutting large pieces.
That's my little rant for this update. Time for my shameless puppy plug…
In between bouts of rain we still managed to get out for a little walk this morning.
Head over and check out the other fabulous artists involved in the SAL. All amazing people and are working on some great projects.
Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, LucyAnn, Kate, Jess, Sue, Constanze, Debbierose, Christina,
Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Helen, Steph, Linda, Mary Margaret,


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What started as a guest role on the new ABC comedy series "Suburgatory," quickly became a regular part for Ana Gasteyer. Producers were so pleased with her perfectionistic next-door neighbor Sheila Shay, she has had an increasing presence on the show throughout this season.
The laffer centers on George Altman (Jeremy Sisto) who moves his teen daughter Tessa (Jane Levy) to the suburbs away from the big bad city. Their new neighbors are the Shays, with Gasteyer's former "Saturday Night Live" co-star Chris Parnell as her husband plus Allie Grant and Parker Young as their children.
In a video chat with senior editors Rob Licuria and Chris Beachum, Gasteyer said, "The show has quite a bit of heart and quite a bit of tenderness to it, which for a half-hour comedy is actually what makes it such a fun environment to work in because it's all not just like a laugh box. It's sweet and kind and family-oriented in many ways."
Gasteyer will be competing for a shot as Best Comedy Supporting Actress for that program with possible episode choices narrowed down to "Don't Call Me Shirley" (where her Shirley Temple doll collection is stolen) or "Thanksgiving" (a dysfunctional Shay holiday). She will also be on the Emmy Awards ballot for "Curb Your Enthusiasm" as Best Comedy Guest Actress. In the memorable and funny episode "Mister Softee," she receives a very bumpy ride while her boyfriend Larry David is driving the streets of New York.
"It was really fun seeing him in his own environment kind of battling the most combative people out there, and that's New Yorkers," said Gasteyer. She praised David and the creative staff, calling the show a "Rubik's cube; it's so complicated."
She added that it was her career coming full circle since David cast her in a small role early in her career in one of the most famous episodes ("The Soup Nazi") in the history of "Seinfeld."


text:
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Martin Shkreli, the controversial pharmaceutical executive facing U.S. securities fraud charges, had his Twitter account hacked Sunday.
Hackers changed the name of his account to "Martin The God" and sent out a series of tweets on Sunday .
"We have been working with Twitter to get it fixed," Craig Stevens, a spokesman for the former chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals, said in an email to Reuters.
One tweet said: "I am now a god"
Another said: "Anyone want free money? Willing to donate hundreds of thousands to charities before I go to prison..."
Shkreli caused outrage earlier this year when he hiked the price of Daraprim, a drug often taken by people with AIDS, from $13.50 to $750 a tablet overnight while he was the boss of Turing Pharmaceuticals.
But Shkreli stepped down as chief executive of the company after he was arrested on securities fraud charges related to the running of his hedge fund MSMB Capital Management.
Before his account got hacked, Shrekli took to Twitter on Saturday to defend himself, saying the allegations against him "are baseless and without merit".
As well as a series of expletive-riddled tweets, hackers also made reference to the Wu-Tang Clan album that Shrekli paid $2 million for – the only copy the group was selling to the public that was bought by the ex-pharma executive.
"Giving away WUTANG album RT for a chance to win," the hackers tweeted.
On Monday, the issue was seemingly resolved with the account tweeting: "I was hacked--I now have control of this account."


text:
The fit is what makes or breaks a pair of jeans for you. Don't fit and you won't wear them. In this episode of the podcast, I discuss how to buy jeans that will fit you.
Raw denim is a journey with eight stages. Where are you in your journey? Are you seeing the blue light for the first time, or are you in denim heaven?
How a pair of jeans fit is essential for how good you feel wearing them. In this video, you'll learn about the four elements of the anatomy of the fit, which determine how jeans sit on your body.
This quick guide teaches the essentials you need to be good at selling jeans in retail, including how to help your customer find perfect jeans that fit and how he should wash his jeans.
This in-depth jeans fit guide for men teaches you the 4 features that make a great fit, how to use them to find a flattering fit for your body type, plus 5 things you must consider.


text:
For this assignment, you will write an essay on the video for this week:A Brief History of CryptographyIn this essay, discuss what you have learned on cryptography and how this method to secure information has changed over the decades. Provide a few examples of how cryptography actually secures data. In addition to the video, choose one other scholarly reference to support your discussion.Requirements:
Submit in a Word document.
Include cover page
Must be a minimum of two pages (excluding references and cover page)
Appropriate APA format is required.
Properly cite and reference any borrowed resource(s)


text:
Free ME/CFS Mini Course...
This free course is for you if you are suffering from ME, CFS, Post Viral Fatigue, Fibromyalgia or Adrenal Fatigue...
Here's What's Inside...
Part 1
What's causing your fatigue condition?
Part 2
Is your brain stuck in flight or flight?
Part 3
Why do I have such weird symptoms?
Meet Your Instructor
Since 2001, R. Amir Norris B.Sc., has helped over 800 adults and children with fatigue disorders, ranging from those affected by M.E., Chronic Fatigue, Post Viral Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and Adrenal Fatigue.
He is one of the UK's widely respected leaders in the chronic fatigue field and is helping to transform the way the world views ME/CFS.
Amir first began working in the Stress Management field back in 1991. Later he trained in Person-Centred Counselling and then trained for two years in Neuro-Linguistic Programming at the European College of Holistic Medicine, before becoming an Advanced Practitioner specialising in fatigue conditions.
Amir is one of only a handful of professionals in the world to have pioneered a successful way of working with chronic fatigue conditions, as well as having experienced ME/CFS directly himself during 1986 – 96, so he knows the condition inside-out.


text:
This past Saturday my hubby took Moo to the mall to visit Santa!
They were pleasantly surprised when they arrived to find a cute Winter Wonderland set up in the center of the mall.
Meg got to see how her hand measured up to a polar bears…
and she got to play in the snow!
Of course her favorite part was reciting her entire Christmas list while sitting on Santa's lap!
So todays music pick is for Meg and it's Winter Wonderland by Jason Mraz.


text:
Numerous attempts have been made to improve the oxidation resistance and electrical conductivity of the interconnectors in solid oxide fuel cells. A Co–W alloy coating on ferritic stainless steel has attracted attention because the Co–W oxide layer formed by the oxidation treatment of the Co–W alloy coating has proven effective in reducing the outward diffusion of Cr and improving oxidation resistance. This study was designed to elucidate the diffusion behavior of elements and the barrier mechanism of the CoWO4 layer. After oxidation in air at 750°C, a dense, multilayered oxide formed, comprising (from the stainless steel substrate to the outer layer) Cr2O3, (Cr,Fe,Co)3O4, CoWO4, (Co,Fe)3O4, and Co3O4 layers. The CoWO4 layer and neighboring oxide layers were carefully analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy with electron energy-loss spectroscopy, confirming the absence of trivalent cations (Co3+, Fe3+, and Cr3+) and the presence of Fe2+ ions in the CoWO4 layer; thus, CoWO4 functions as a selective diffusion barrier to trivalent cations, as hypothesized. The Cr-containing oxide layer grows based on the reaction between the metallic cations from the substrate and the inward-diffusing oxide ions, whereas Fe and Co can diffuse outward through CoWO4 as Fe2+ and Co2+ ions.
|Original language
|Pages (from-to)
|Number of pages
|Acta Materialia
|Publication status
|Published - 2020 Aug 1
- Barrier layer
- CoWO
- Diffusion
- Oxide-film growth kinetics
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Ceramics and Composites
- Polymers and Plastics
- Metals and Alloys


text:
Author's note: this blog was written in April 2019.
Excuse the explicit language in the headline, but it's time for me to talk about something important. Poop. You might not think this would be a life or death conversation, but for some people, it might be. Please endure this ridiculously long blog post with me while I try to save some of your lives with the socially taboo topic of feces.
Why am I assaulting your senses with the subject of poo? Well, there's a very important reason. I have lost three people in the past 16 months to colon cancer. A lot of the symptoms of colon cancer are related to your poop. What it looks like, how it comes out, and how it feels. People don't want to talk about this because it's embarrassing and gross, but it's not worth dying over, so let's talk some sh*t.
First, a little about the people who inspired this post:
The first person I lost to colon cancer was Catherine Nance. Cathy and I met while advocating for sensible gun laws at the Texas state capitol building. We spent about five hours walking around to different legislators' offices at the start of the 2015 legislative session. She was diagnosed with colon cancer about a month later, but continued to visit the capitol when she was able, just as feisty as ever. Cathy passed away in November, 2017, just months after her 40th birthday. I was on my way to her funeral with four other gun sense advocates when we learned about the Sutherland Springs church shooting, reminding all of us that we still had work to do to fulfill our promises to Cathy.
The second person I lost to colon cancer was Karen Slay. Karen was the second Texas PTA President I served under when I worked for the Texas Parent Teacher Association. She was the embodiment of the phrase, "Though she be but little, she is fierce." Karen became an advocate for Texas children in the early 90's when a car accident took the lives of several kids who had been riding in the bed of a pickup truck in Lubbock, where she lived. In response, Karen started working with Texas state Senator Robert Duncan to create the "Kids Aren't Cargo" campaign, which eventually succeeded in making it illegal to transport minors in the beds of pickup trucks in the state of Texas. Karen passed away on Valentine's Day this year (2019). She had four grown sons, and she still had a lot of life left to live.
The third loss was the hardest for me because it was so personal. Michelle McManners was my best friend. We became close during our senior year in high school, and stayed close for the rest of her life. We shared an apartment in college. We traveled together. We were in each others' weddings, and she was the godmother to my firstborn child. Our husbands are friends. Our children are friends. Her family is like my own family, and vice-versa. My past is steeped in memories of Michelle. Michelle was a teacher, and was so passionate about teaching and reaching children. She had a masters degree in psychology and had done her practicum at CARD school in Austin where she worked with autistic children. Her experience with special needs kids gave her a patience and compassion that was unrivaled. She was artistic and creative, whip-smart, and loyally devoted to her family and to God.
Talking Sh*t:
So back to poop. There were no topics Michelle and I couldn't discuss. We spent the night at each other's place innumerable times over the course of our 18 year friendship. We talked sh*t before. Both figurative and literal. In 2015 I had been reading about colon cancer because of Catherine. Cathy was an advocate in all walks of life, so once she was diagnosed with colon cancer she became a fountain of knowledge on the topic, and shared that knowledge with anyone who would stand still long enough to listen. So in a conversation I had with Michelle, she said something bathroom related that caused a red flag to go up in my brain, and I encouraged her to go get that checked.
Michelle and I had a lot of things planned that we never got to do, because in February 2016 at the age of 32, she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Michelle fought so hard. After the initial colon surgery she underwent a liver resection that removed about 3/4 of her liver, but the tumors returned. She had an experimental Y-90 procedure done to insert glass beads that had been treated with radiation directly into the new liver tumors. The radiation from the beads caused incredibly painful gastritis that left her screaming in pain and caused the inside of her stomach to look "like hamburger meat," according to one of her doctors. She had a spinal surgery to remove a tumor in her spine. The tumor returned, they operated again. They couldn't remove it all without paralyzing her, because it was wrapped around her spinal cord. The cancer spread to her pelvis. She underwent intensive radiation therapy getting daily "zaps" for three weeks. She exhausted her lifetime limit of two different types of radiation. Her hair fell out. Her skin dried and cracked and split. Her digestive system simply didn't function properly anymore leaving her in the bathroom for hours.
What about the natural cures?
Michelle led a healthy lifestyle prior to diagnosis. She ate organic everything, veggies, dairy, meat, etc. She ate tons of clean, raw vegetables and fruit, plenty of yogurt, and she never had a taste for sugary stuff (except while pregnant). I remember watching in disgust as she peeled off and ate raw the stem of a head of broccoli. Once, at a party where everyone was chowing down on chips and junk food, she found an avocado and ate it plain on a plate with a fork. She was a runner, she ran 10Ks and half marathons. She did yoga. She was young, active, and healthy, except for being riddled with cancer. After diagnosis, she tried all the natural cures alongside the traditional pharmaceutical ones. She drank gallons of alkaline water, she tried cannabis in all its forms, we laid hands on her and prayed for a miraculous healing.
She didn't have a family history, and, probably the most tragic, she had been asking doctors about her poop troubles for about a year before someone finally ordered a colonoscopy. She had been wrongly diagnosed with IBS and hemorrhoids by at least two doctors. By the time she was granted a screening, she was in near constant pain, waking up in the night from it to take ibuprofen. That was probably the spinal tumor.
Don't flush the evidence:
If you have a tumor in your colon, the evidence will be in the toilet. I know it's not ladylike, but you have to look. Don't flush the evidence, check it out. There's no one size fits all poop color and shape to indicate healthy (or unhealthy) feces, but here are some things that *might* indicate a problem, and definitely need to be examined by a doctor. Here is another, more extensive list of potentially problematic poop.
- Blood – If you see blood in the toilet after having a bowel movement, that's not normal. It doesn't matter if it's a formed stool (banana/pickle shaped) or a loose stool (diarrhea), it shouldn't make you bleed. The most likely thing to cause blood on formed stool is hemorrhoids, however, you need to get an examination to confirm that, and talk to your doctor about any other strange potty occurrences.
- An unfamiliar shape – If your poo starts coming out more narrow than it has been in the past, that's not normal. Narrow turds, or ribbon-like poo can indicate that something is blocking your exit so to speak. Your butthole is not a play-doh machine, it shouldn't make weird shapes.
- You feel like you're never done pooping – If it always feels like you've got a turd on deck, and you can't seem to ever feel relief from it, that could be a tumor. Talk to your doctor.
- You pooped out coffee grounds – Did you eat coffee grounds? Probably not. This can be a sign your intestines are bleeding up inside your guts somewhere. Get that checked out.
- Constant pain – If you're experiencing constant pain in any part of your body, go get it checked out. Pain is your body's way of telling you something is not right.
- Unlisted but weird – If you have a weird symptom not listed here, just go get it checked out. Maybe it's nothing, but maybe it's something. Go ask a doctor. Don't be embarrassed to talk about your poop, or your butt, or your privates. If it's weird, it needs to be addressed by a medical professional.
Michelle told me that when she read the symptoms for colon cancer after her diagnosis, she had pretty much all of them, but that she also had normal stools at times in between her weird ones.
What to expect:
If you're having poo issues or butt issues, the doctor is probably going to check your poo and/or your butt. Sorry. Here are some ways doctors screen for colon cancer. Sometimes it gets awkward. I have had really cringe-inducing conversations about the consistency of my poop, and whether or not that's a normal consistency for me, and how long it's been going on. I have had a colonoscopy. I have had to collect my own stool samples (I said a prayer for anyone whose job it is to work with adult human feces that day. Barf.) I have had a rectal exam. It is not high on my list of things to do for a good time.
If you have to have a rectal exam, here's some things you can do to make this experience slightly less sh*tty.
- See a doctor you're comfortable with, preferably someone you've already seen before, who you trust. If you don't have one, ask for a recommendation from people you do trust.
- Take someone with you. A spouse, a parent, a best friend, someone who will make you feel at ease.
- Or go alone so that no one you know ever finds out that you make weird turds. Whichever is more comfortable to you. You can always ask for a nurse to be present in the exam room if you're not super cool with exposing your nether regions one on one with a doctor.
- Ask for a less weird position. When I had my rectal exam, I was severely uncomfortable with the suggested bent-over-the-exam-table positioning, so the doctor suggested I lay down on my side on the table. They can do a rectal exam this way. You don't have to bend over the table. Ugh.
Listen, this is weird, it's gross, and I hate the hell out of it, but after watching my best friend die from colon cancer, I can guarandamntee you that I'd do this over and over again before choosing that.
Why you should do this:
Colon cancer deaths in the US are declining for people over 50 but increasing for people under 50. That is a direct result of insurance companies covering colon cancer screenings for people over the age of 50. It's actually not super easy to get a colon cancer screening if you're under the age of 50. (This was recently updated to 45, but two of my three friends who died of colon cancer never made it to 45.) Check out some stats here from fightcolorectalcancer.org: (The text below is a screen shot, so if you want to see the statistics, you will have to click the link above)
What you can do about this:
First, listen to your body. If you have any symptoms, go to the doctor. If you *know* something isn't right with your body, kick up a fuss until someone listens to you.
Second, sign this petition to encourage our legislators to remove the barriers to colon cancer screening. This is a bipartisan issue that everyone should support. The statistics are clear. Screenings save lives, and colon cancer affects young people too.


text:
… and any friends who say that Trump should have yelled "FIRE" back in January.
Dana Perino interviewed Bob Woodward last week.
She was politely asking the right sort of questions … maybe, too politely … and not pointed enough.
IMHO, Woodward came off like a crotchety old man who wanted — above all — for Trump to get off his front lawn.
He kept harping on the the Jan. 28 NSA briefing that the coronavirus could be deadly and could be the most serious security threat to the U.S.
Good enough for Woodward, even if the scientists (think: Fauci) weren't onboard and there was only 1 reported case in the U.S.
Paraphrasing slightly, when Perino pointed that and cited some of Trump's accomplishments — including the Mideast peace accords — Woodward said, in effect, "I base my judgment of his incompetency on his response to the Jan. 28 NSA brief alone."
click to view a 3-minute snippet of the interview
OK, given Woodward's sharp focus on the Jan. 28 NSA briefing, these are the specific questions I'd ask him…
1. During a public health crisis, should the President "follow the science and the data"?
Woodward would probably answer "of course he should follow the science and the data but not ignore other sources of information".
I would then point out that on Jan.28. "the science" — fronted by Dr. Fauci — was saying that the risk to the U.s. was "miniscule" and that "the data" was saying one reported case of the coronavirus in the U.S. and no deaths.
I would add that the "intelligence community" has a spotty track record (think: weapons of mass destruction in Iraq) … and that the NSA brief was based on "rumblings on the ground" and non-scientific conjecture.
Should the President have ignored the science and the data and just gone with the intelligence community and his gut?
Assuming that Woodward would finesse his way around this question, I would ask…
2. Despite near-unanimous opposition, the President enacted the Chinese travel ban on Jan. 30. You say that "so much more could have been done". So, specifically, what additional actions should the President have taken then? A coast-to-coast lockdown? A national mask mandate? What?
No way that Woodward could pose any additional actions.
A lockdown with 1 case and no deaths would have been a non-starter.
The entire scientific community was anti-masks at that time.
So, Woodward would have to resort to "He should have been forthright with the country and prepared people for what was coming"
So, I'd ask…
3. Given that the NSA was reporting rumblings and conjecture, that the data was one case, no deaths and the scientists were saying "miniscule risk" and "no change to normal routines" … what specifically should the President told the country?
P.S. Biden's initial reaction to the book was Trump's slow reaction cost tens of thousands on lives" … he has now upped the charge to "all of the people who died would still be alive".
C'mon, man … get serious.


text:
First Reading: (Isaiah 53: 10-11)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalms 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (22))
Second Reading: (Hebrews 4: 14-16)
Gospel: (Mark 10: 35-45)
First Reading: (Isaiah 53: 10-11)
And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand.
Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalms 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 (22))
For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.
He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.
To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.
Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.
Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee.
(Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee.)
Second Reading: (Hebrews 4: 14-16)
Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession.
For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.
Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid.
Gospel: (Mark 10: 35-45)
And James and John the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying: Master, we desire that whatsoever we shall ask, thou wouldst do it for us: But he said to them: What would you that I should do for you?
And they said: Grant to us, that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. And Jesus said to them: You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the chalice that I drink of: or be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized?
But they said to him: We can. And Jesus saith to them: You shall indeed drink of the chalice that I drink of: and with the baptism wherewith I am baptized, you shall be baptized.
But to sit on my right hand, or on my left, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared. And the ten hearing it, began to be much displeased at James and John.
But Jesus calling them, saith to them: You know that they who seem to rule over the Gentiles, lord it over them: and their princes have power over them. But it is not so among you: but whosoever will be greater, shall be your minister.
And whosoever will be first among you, shall be the servant of all. For the Son of man also is not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a redemption for many.


text: Ruby Megan always wanted to be a big sister, but when her mother and father told her they were all going to Korea to bring home a little brother, her life changed. She loved seeing a foreign city and meeting Leo Sung--as they named him. But when the family comes home, Ruby has to face reality. She did not realize Leo would share her room, for a while--or that he would be sharing her favorite things, often without asking permission. There were many big and small adjustments to this new life... How everything works out is the subject of From Kimchi to Pizza: My Little Brother's Adoption Story.