text:
I'm here to tell you that cheap tablets are good. I'm not here to tell you that they are the future of computing or will replace your laptop for getting work done. But I will tell you they are great entertainment devices.
The best way to experience a cheap tablet is to just install the apps you use for entertainment and relaxation: Kindle, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, Pocket, whatever your vice of choice is. Don't install or set up things like Twitter, Slack, The New York Times app, email, or anything that's going to take away from leisure time and suck you into work or the dreaded doomscroll. This is a tablet you buy to watch video and read things, not to try to replace your laptop.
I've been testing Samsung's Galaxy Tab A7 for the past few months and found that it is an excellent example of a cheap tablet. At $229.99 (and often available for less), it's much more affordable than an entry-level iPad, but it works just as well for watching video and reading books and articles. I'm not one to go around recommending Android tablets — an iPad is objectively better in almost every scenario — but the Tab A7 is surprisingly competent and priced right for its tertiary device status.
The bar for a tablet that is destined to be just a personal entertainment device is actually quite low. It needs an engaging screen with enough resolution so you won't see individual pixels at a comfortable distance, speakers that aren't muffled or crackly sounding, and battery life that will let you get through a few movies between charges since you likely won't be plugging this thing in after every time you use it. It should also be thin and relatively light so you can hold it for long periods without getting tired.
The Tab A7 exceeds all of those metrics. The 10.4-inch 1080p screen is vibrant and colorful, the battery easily goes for 10 hours or more of video, and the quad-speaker system sounds tremendous. It's surprisingly thin, with a metal chassis that feels stiffer and nicer than the plastic-clad Amazon Fire tablets. There's just enough bezel around the screen so I can comfortably handle it without worrying about errant touches, and it's light enough so I can even hold it in one hand for reading. It even has a 3.5mm headphone jack for when you don't want to disturb anyone else while watching the seventh episode of The Boys in a row.
Where the Tab A7 comes short won't be a surprise, but none of its faults stop it from being a good entertainment device. Its low-midrange Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor and 3GB of RAM make it far from the fastest or snappiest device around — but that doesn't matter when you're using the video or ebook app of your choice. Its cameras suck, but on the other hand, if you do use it for a Zoom call, it's way less awkward than an iPad, thanks to the correct placement of the front camera.
Android doesn't have nearly the breadth or depth of apps as the iPad, but it has all of the major streaming video services (save for Apple TV Plus) and all of the book-reading apps you could want. There's only 32GB of storage in the base model, but it supports microSD card expansion, so it's easy to add more. Finally, Tab A7 lacks any sort of fingerprint scanner or biometrics login, but since I just use it at home and don't have any sensitive or work data on it, I'm comfortable disabling the secure screen lock to make it easier to get to binge-watching.
Samsung isn't pushing any productivity features here: it doesn't come with a stylus, there's no keyboard case available for it, and it doesn't have Samsung's DeX desktop software mode. It doesn't even have Samsung's dumber-than-average Bixby voice assistant. (The Google Assistant is available and works just like on any other device.) Instead of spending time and resources developing features most people won't use, Samsung focused on what matters here: putting the best speakers and perhaps the best display you can get in a tablet at this price point.
And really, that's all you could want from a tablet like this. It needs to look good, it needs to sound good, and it needs to have the apps with the content you want. The Tab A7 checks all of those boxes and no more.
It's the best anti-doomscrolling gadget you can get this year.
Photography by Dan Seifert / The Verge


text:
NEW YORK, DEC. 25, 2001 (Zenit.org).- A U.S. astronomer claims he has found the first mention of the star of Bethlehem outside the Bible, the magazine New Scientist reports.
The reference to the star is in a fourth-century manuscript written by a Roman astrologer and Christian convert called Firmicus Maternus. Michael Molnar, formerly of Rutgers University in New Jersey, is the originator of the idea that the star of Bethlehem was not a spectacular astronomical event such as a supernova or a comet but an obscure astrological one.
The "event" is not obscure to Orthodox Christians . The "star" was an Angel, who in very "un-starlike", "un-eclipselike" fashion, descended upon the dwelling where the Divine Christ-child was living:
"(Mat 2:9-10) "When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. {10} When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."
We have need of much wakefulness, and many prayers, that we may arrive at the interpretation of the passage now before us, and that we may learn who these wise men were, and whence they came, and how; and at whose persuasion, and what was the star....
3. For if ye can learn what the star was, and of what kind, and whether it were one of the common stars, or new and unlike the rest, and whether it was a star by nature or a star in appearance only, we shall easily know the other things also. Whence then will these points be manifest? From the very things that are written. Thus, that this star was not of the common sort, or rather not a star at all, as it seems at least to me, but some invisible power transformed into this appearance, is in the first place evident from its very course. For there is not, there is not any star that moves by this way, but whether it be the sun you mention, or the moon, or all the other stars, we see them going from east to west; but this was wafted from north to south; for so is Palestine situated with respect to Persia.
In the second place, one may see this from the time also. For it appears not in the night, but in mid-day, while the sun is shining; and this is not within the power of a star, nay not of the moon; for the moon that so much surpasses all, when the beams of the sun appear, straightway hides herself, and vanishes away. But this by the excess of its own splendor overcame even the beams of the sun, appearing brighter than they, and in so much light shining out more illustriously.
In the third place, from its appearing, and hiding itself again. For on their way as far as Palestine it appeared leading them, but after they set foot within Jerusalem, it hid itself: then again, when they had left Herod, having told him on what account they came, and were on the point of departing, it shows itself; all which is not like the motion of a star, but of some power highly endued with reason. For it had not even any course at all of its own, but when they were to move, it moved; when to stand, it stood, dispensing1 all as need required: in the same kind of way as the pillar of the cloud, now halting and now rousing up the camp of the Jews, when it was needful.
In the fourth place, one may perceive this clearly, from its mode of pointing Him out. For it did not, remaining on high, point out the place; it not being possible for them so to ascertain it, but it came down and performed this office. For ye know that a spot of so small dimensions, being only as much as a shed would occupy, or rather as much as the body of a little infant would take up, could not possibly be marked out by a star. For by reason of its immense height, it could not sufficiently distinguish so confined a spot, and discover it to them that were desiring to see it. And this any one may see by the moon, which being so far superior to the stars, seems to all that dwell in the world, and are scattered over so great an extent of earth,-seems, I say, near to them every one. How then, tell me, did the star point out a spot so confined, just the space of a manger and shed, unless it left that height and came down, and stood over the very head of the young child? And at this the evangelist was hinting when he said, "Lo, the star went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was."
4. Seest thou, by what store of proofs this star is shown not to be one of the many, nor to have shown itself according to the order of the outward creation?
(St John Chrysostom, Homily VI. Matthew Chapter 2, Verse 1 And Matthew Chapter 2, Verse 2 (http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-10/npnf1-10-12.htm))
"But what need of this star any more," one may ask, "when the place was ascertained?" In order that the Child also might be seen. For there was not anything to make Him manifest, since the house was not conspicuous, neither was His mother glorious, or distinguished. There was need then of the star, to set them by the place. Wherefore it re-appears on their coming out of Jerusalem, and stays not, before it hath reached the manger.And marvel was linked on to marvel; for both were strange things, as well the magi worshipping, as the star going before them; and enough to attract even such as were made all of stone. For if the wise men had said, they had heard prophets say these things, or that angels had discoursed with them in private, they might have been disbelieved; but now, when the vision of the star appeared on high, even they that were exceeding shameless had their mouths stopped.
Moreover, the star, when it stood over the young Child, stayed its course again: which thing itself also was of a greater power than belongs to a star, now to hide itself, now to appear, and having appeared to stand still. Hence they too received an increase of faith. For this cause they rejoiced also, that they had found what they were seeking, that they had proved messengers of truth, that not without fruit had they come so great a journey; so great a longing (so to speak) had they for Christ. For first it came and stood over His very head, showing that what is born is Divine; next standing there, it leads them to worship Him; being not simply barbarians, but the wiser sort amongst them. St John Chrysostom, Homily VII., Matthew Chapter 2, Verse 4 And Matthew Chapter 2, Verse 5 (http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-10/npnf1-10-13.htm)
OF COURSE they rejoiced, because the "star" was clearly guiding them. Jupiter is a marvelous planet, and quite beautiful in the night sky, but it cannot move as the Angel did.
It amazes me how many fables can be imagined and propagated to avoid believing in the miraculous!
Priest Seraphim, Webmaster
Still, the event would have been of great significance to ancient Roman astrologers. After studying the symbolism on Roman coins, he concluded that the "star" was in fact a double eclipse of Jupiter in a rare astrological conjunction that occurred in Aries on March 20, in the year 6 B.C., and again a month later on April 17.
Molnar believed that Roman astrologers would have interpreted such an event as signifying the birth of a divine king in Judea. But he lacked proof. Now he says he has found it, in the Mathesis, a book written by Maternus in A.D. 334. Maternus described an astrological event involving an eclipse of Jupiter by the Moon in Aries, and said that it signified the birth of a divine king.
"Maternus did not mention Jesus´ name," says Molnar. "But Roman astrology was a popular craze at the time and everyone reading the book would have known the reference was to Jesus and that the astrological event was the star of Bethlehem."
So why did Maternus not mention Jesus by name? According to Molnar, early Christians hated pagan beliefs and did not want to justify the biblical story with astrological speculation. The idea that the stars govern our fate, obviously contradicted belief in a Christian God who controlled the universe.
"Being a pagan who had converted to Christianity during his lifetime, Firmicus was torn," says Molnar. "Hence his use of astrology to support the Christian story, but in a veiled way."
According to Molnar, it was essential to early Christians that the true nature of the star be hidden, otherwise theologians would be mired in debate about celestial influences that were not part of Christianity. So they buried the knowledge of the star´s astrological roots and in time it was forgotten, Molnar contends.
"I take Molna´s work quite seriously," says Owen Gingerich, a historian of astronomy at Harvard University. "Anything he comes up with along these lines has to be considered as being very likely correct."
We confidently recommend our web service provider, Orthodox Internet Services: excellent personal customer service, a fast and reliable server, excellent spam filtering, and an easy to use comprehensive control panel.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Table of Contents
Letter from UMass to 'The Boston Globe': "No real controversy in UMass event"
People familiar with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst know that it has a long tradition of fostering discourse and the open exchange of ideas, and that groups from the left, right, and in between vigorously exercise their free speech with great frequency. Given this history, it was perplexing to read the April 9 op-ed by Robert Shibley of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education ("Why no one should be silenced on campus"). His interpretation of events misses the mark. UMass-Amherst did not place a surcharge on the Republican Club because we anticipated protesters for a speech delivered by columnist Don Feder. Rather, the police increased the charge because the number of anticipated attendees changed, and because the Republican Club representative declined to move the event to a venue more suited to the presentation. While Feder was heckled, the police handled the situation in the room without difficulty, which included removing one person. Feder chose to discontinue his speech. The figure in dispute is less than $500. The university does not wish to perpetuate the perception of a controversy. So, to emphasize our commitment to free and open debate, the university has decided to refund the difference between a fee for a 70-person event and a fee for a 150-person event.


text:
We came down the Oregon coast looking for a place to stay between Depoe Bay and Newport – our travel guide said that Depoe Bay was home to a group of gray whales, and we looked forward to seeing some. Most whales have already started going south for the winter, but we hoped that we could see some of the local gray whales at least.
Yes, I had even naively thought about dipping my hydrophone and recording some of their songs, but on seeing the high waves in Depoe Bay I dropped this plan. There was no way of doing an underwater recording here, except from a boat, and seeing the tiny whale watching boats going out into the high waves made me seasick, and they wouldn't have stopped their engines just for me anyway. Well in the end we saw one whale for a second, unmistakably, because we saw its spout, but not really for long enough to be very impressive.
We could not find a place to stay in Depoe Bay, so we went further on towards Newport. I stopped at a motel sign that said Moolack Shores Motel, not really expecting to find something, but then the man behind the counter was very friendly and said yes, he had a very nice room available for us, not expensive, and would you like to see it? When we saw the room, it took about half a second for us to say yes. What a breathtaking view, what a beautifully decorated room! What a difference to all the boring loveless standard motel rooms we've seen on this trip.
The Moolack Shores Motel, situated directly above the beach, contains about a dozen "themed" rooms, most of them with a deck facing over the Pacific Ocean, most of them with a fireplace. Our room was the only downstairs room, it had no fireplace, and its deck did not directly face the ocean, but it was wonderful – the Nautical Room was full of carefully selected seafaring-related decoration, and beyond the main bed it even had two bunkbeds each with a real porthole looking over the ocean.
We had intended to stay for two nights but after the first night, we extended our stay to four nights. The Nautical Room felt like home very quickly. We had the time of our life.
I thought that I could easily get used to living here, doing nothing, just watching the ocean, the changing weather, taking walks on the beach, finding driftwood, looking at the green sea anemones that grew in tidepools between the rocks, watching flocks of pelicans go by. Frank and Yvette, our very friendly hosts, fed us with delicious fresh cookies and really made us feel at home.
The Pacific sunsets were perfect, with clouds and without clouds … walking the beach at night (no photos of that) was a very special experience …
Some attractions were not far away – the Yaquina lighthouse with its spectacular views was just a mile or two south of the motel. Below the lighthouse, numerous large rocks are home to pelicans, other seabirds, and seals, and in the shallow waters, large tidepools house an astonishing variety of starfish, sea anemones, and other creatures that we had only seen in aquariums before.
Newport has an old harbour that has turned into a main tourist attraction. While all the shops are nice and the coffee is good, what draws most people is the sea lions that gather here – they can't be ignored! Their loud barking can be heard from far away:
The other attraction that Newport has to offer is its wonderful aquarium with its famous deep sea passages. To see large fish, even sting rays and sharks, from so near, even from below while they pass over the transparent visitor tunnels, is quite an experience.
One thing that I liked about Newport was that it was here that I saw my first wild racoons! They are extremely rare and shy where we live in Germany so I've never seen one except in a zoo. They did not seem very afraid of me, rather they looked at me with a certain polite interest. I know that they can become a nuisance but I couldn't help finding them extremely cute. I wonder what they thought of me?


text:
CLIMBING:MEMORIESofA MISSIONARY'S WIFEbyMrs. JonathanROSALIND GOFORTHauthor of Goforth of China, How I Know God Answers Prayer, etc.EVANGELICAL PUBLISHERSCANADA 366 Bay Street TorontoU. S. A. 156-5th Avenue New YorkSowers of Gospel Seed for over 30 YearsCOPYRIGHT IN CANADA 1940 EVANGELICAL PUBLISHERSFifth edition. 1945~ out-of-print and in the public domain ~No Evidence of a Current Copyright for the Printed Book FoundDuring online Internet searches of the Library of Congress database in Washington D.C.,performed on 06-07-2005, no evidence of a current copyright was found for this publication.
Please note: Below is the Introductory material of the book, however, if you wish to continue reading this fine book [and I truly hope you do!] download the chapter(s) from the document file (which is absolutely free). You will have the option to either simply open it or to save it as your own possession. GOD bless you from the Baptist Bible Believers website!Please tell all of your friends and Church about this website, pray for this ministry - and that will be payment enough!TABLE OF CONTENTS
This little word, "WHY," faced me many months before the willingness came to attempt the writing of these memories. Why indeed should any further record of my life be made, for in How I Know GOD Answers Prayer and also in Goforth of China not a little of my life experiences have been given. Therefore, a brief statement is fitting as to how or why this personal story came to be written. For years previous to my husband's death, and, to my surprise, increasingly so after his "life" appeared, requests reached me urging that I write something of my own life, my struggles, yes, and overcomings - something that might help others facing life's hard problems. For months, even years, I persistently turned these requests down. Then, about eighteen months ago, when several letters reached me from people and places far distant from each other, all containing the same urging, I began seriously to wonder, "Is this thing of GOD?" In a very uncertain way, I began to write down visions of the past as they came. I realize keenly how imperfect is the record - scrappy, disconnected, and entirely incomplete, for the half of the Lord's mercies can never be told. I am too old to rewrite, so, such as it is, the story is now sent forth with the hope that He who has sustained in the writing will use it to help other climbers up life's hillside.CALL BACK! If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back; 'Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track; And if, perchance, Faith's light is dim, because the oil is low, Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go. Call back, and tell me that He went with you into the storm; Call back, and say He kept you when the forest's roots were torn; That when the heavens thundered and the earthquake shook the hill, He bore you up and held you where the very air was still. O friend, call back and tell me, for I cannot see your face; They say it glows with triumph, and your feet bound in the race; But there are mists between us, and my spirit eyes are dim, And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him. But if you'll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry, And if you'll say He saw you through the night's sin-darkened sky If you have gone a little way ahead, O friend, call back 'Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track. - Selected
HTML Hit Counters
To report a broken link or for other assistance please email us at: email@example.com
Please NoteYou Need the Following to Read PDF Files. Simply click on the link below for the free download


text:
I recently got a chance to discuss the political and personal with the radical Palestinian-American activist and rap artist Will Youmans, who dons the moniker 'Iron Sheik' in his clever and powerful music aimed against Israeli oppression of the Palestinians – and more recently, the American occupation of Iraq. Below, the Iron Sheik discusses the roots of his radicalization, how music has helped him convey his politics, and the importance of integrity, solidarity and resistance in the struggle for justice.
In the lyrics to your rap music, you strongly identify with and support the
Palestinian cause, fiercely oppose the war in Iraq, and fire rhetorical salvos
against the Bush administration. Did you develop your politics and then find
music as an avenue of expressing them, or did you first get into rapping and
then develop radical politics?
My first musical influence besides the Beatles was Public Enemy. So I came to
know music as political expression. Because of Public Enemy, my first political
consciousness was centered on American race relations. My early sense of
justice gave me a sense of outrage at the American history against blacks,
Native peoples, Mexicans, Chinese, etc.
My political views on the Middle East, my sense of injustice there, developed
separately, but the underlying principles were always the same as my views on the US domestic scene. Groups were treated unequally. My views on the Arab world and US foreign policy came a bit later. Later on in college, the
political music of the Arab world inspired my already strongly held views and
showed me how effective political music can be, especially since it is so
underground and inaccessible in the States.
I definitely started rapping before I became an activist. But only recently did
it occur to me to combine the two.
What ignited your passion for politics? How much did your Palestinian roots and Arab ethnicity play a role in your radicalization? What kind of obstacles and problems did you have to cope with when you first expressed your radicalism with rapping, in terms of other rappers, audience, and friends and family?
My family was a great source of knowledge for me, though they never were
dogmatic or trying to brainwash me. I became political outside of the family's
influence. Since there was so much activism in my family though, it had to seep in somehow probably.
My transforming moments were the 1991 Gulf War. I was in 7th grade, but jumped on a bus to DC to protest with my Aunt. I saw my Mom crying when the bombs were falling, even though at first I thought they were kind of cool, in a GI Joe kind of way. But I didn't begin to understand the politics of Palestine until I went there at the age of 17. My eyes opened up and I embarked on a path of learning. Palestinians tend to have more radical politics because the extent of the injustice committed against them is so radical. Dispossession from homeland, ethnic cleaning, cultural expropriation we as a people had everything stolen from us. That kind of experience would make any people "radical." For us, justice ends up being seen as a radical solution. Justice is the only path to peace though.
My main obstacle as a rapper is that I am of the books. I was never on the
streets. My friends liked getting into fights. I thought it was stupid shit. I
also grew up very comfortably, never had to worry about basic needs. I held
down jobs since 9th grade, no doubt, but I blew all my loot on tapes and ugly
clothes I wouldn't wipe my end with now. So, for people wanting street, I'm
soft. I'm a Nerd-rapper. I care more about abstract knowledge and learning than I do about trying to compete in some testosterone contest.
You take a pretty defiant, aggressive approach with your music, taking direct aim at some main reactionary propagandists, cutting to the core of Israeli myths, and adopting the moniker of 'Iron Sheik', which first belonged to a professional wrestler who played the stereotypical 'Middle-Eastern bad guy' in the 70's. Do you find it therapeutic, to any extent, to sort of turn the tables by using irony and the anti-Arab racism of the right-wing to show how hollow their own arguments are?
Taking the name feels good. It is a form of resistance. It is like beating back an invader who claims ownership over your cultural space. The Iron Sheik, as a caricature, bastardized our culture, vilified us as a people, and did it all for money. That whole idea of exploiting stereotypes for money disgusts me. We
need to take back those ideas and stereotypes and mock the crap out of them. In another sense, a Sheik is a learned or respected individual, and my knowledge is my strength. It is Iron. MC's like to battle, well I will debate anyone, anywhere on Israel-Palestine, and I will win. Few can command the facts like I do. And, people who really know, they come down on the right side. Those who do not, lose morally.
Despite the wealth of scholarly information now available from Israel's own
historians using declassified archives about that nation's history of robbing,
looting, rape, and ethnic cleansing, in America the Zionist mythology largely
prevails, mostly through bullying and wild accusations of 'anti-Semitism'. How has this oppressive intellectual atmosphere affected your musical method and style, and your consciousness in general, in defending the Palestinians and being one?
Oh yes. Here's an analogy. Zionists in the US are the high school bullies. They have managed to scare so many people into silence. Even Palestinians in the US get freaked out about speaking their mind. We self-censor, we fear what the Zionists will do. We even give them more credit than they deserve. We think they got their stuff together, but they had nearly a century head start in this country getting organized, fitting in. I'm here to tell everyone we will not be bullied. We will share our history. We will be honest.
And when we speak out, it will let others follow. If we don't stand up for our
views, who the hell will? Once we get going, the dominoes will start falling.
The more we dissent, the more everyone else will. American Jews critical of
Israel need to help more than ever. They have it harder than us because they get the same stigma for speaking out PLUS alienation from their community. We should reach out with love and support to those good people. So all those ignorant Arabs and Muslims blaming "the Jews" need to rethink their views. A Jewish-American activist fighting for what's right is my brother or sister before a club-hopping Palestinian who doesn't even care about our people.
The American left has traditionally been pretty weak on both the issues of Palestine and Israel's relationship with America. The liberal so-called left
has almost always cowered and hid when it comes to criticizing Israel. Even in the anti-Iraq war left, bringing up Israel and Zionism can be a tough task. On your Camel Clutch album there's a particularly poignant song in which you rap out the real history of Israel, Olive Trees, and you say: I can't stand it/ It's time to panic/ cuz we're heading for the bottom of the Atlantic/Israel and America's a sinking ship, If we don't change it/ Soon we're going down with it
Why do you think there is such great fear in bringing up the role and influence of the world's last colonial settler-state in American imperialism? Do you think progress is being made in this area, with the ISM, SJP, or Arab-American groups?
Most definitely, there is change. I mean way more people are active on Palestine now than the past. It is natural. Israel was once a progressive idea, a socialist state now it is an outpost of global capitalism. It was all very well
to progressive people in the US who knew very little about the situation. Most
people did not even know people pre-existed Israel. Folks on the left talked
more about the kibbutzim than they did the Palestinians in refugee camps.
Israel was after all, a solution to Europe's despicable Jew-hatred. Without a
Palestinian response in the US, why would anyone doubt it? Jewish nationalism is in principle just as valid as any other groups (so long as no one is wronged in the outcome).
It was off the Left's radar for a long time, except for a few voices: Isaiah Berlin (not sure how critical he was) in the 50's, 60's, the Arab-American writer Amin Rihani in the 1920's, M Cherif Bessouni (1960's, 70's), Noam Chomsky (80's +), AAUG (1967 +), Nasser Aruri, Samih Farsoun, Edward Said, Elaine Hagopian, etc.
Also, the old left was mostly white and Jewish, more liberal and sensitive to American domestic politics. The newer left is more open to Palestine. They
understand colonialism more because more often they descend from colonial
peoples, and tend to be more questioning of established views. I see in the new left, basically everyone after Said and Chomsky, more commonly critiques of Israel. Read the 'New York Review of Books' now, some of the best analysis on Israel-Palestine. 'The Nation' is improving. 'Dissent' still sucks, of course. I think we are winning the left. It is the Liberals we need. Also, keep in mind that the free-market right and Libertarians are potentially sympathetic to rights-based arguments. Maybe I'm not a true radical because I consider them as possible allies in this struggle, but I have an urgency that disallows me from being too choosy about whose support I accept (racists need not apply though).
The question consuming the American left at this hour is that of the elections, and there's been a feverish debate over politics and principles vis avis the 'Anybody But Bush' bandwagon. Given that there is zero difference between Bush or Kerry on the issues of support Israel and occupying Iraq, how do you view the ABB call, as an Arab-American and as an activist in general?
Tough call. I won't vote for either because I vote my conscience in California.
To be honest, if Bush wins, he will feel a mandate, which he never won in the
first place. If he wins, his aggression will be rewarded. If Kerry wins, I'll party that Bush is gone, then cry the next morning. At least the Neo-Cons will be punished a little bit. Plus, that John Edwards is so charming! (syke!)
Change in American politics is 90% illusion. Screw the elections. I want a multi-party system; no Senate; and let's terminate the electoral college; and add run-off elections for President! Let's start a campaign for Real Democracy in the States, then Israel, then the rest of the world (starting with the Arab and Muslim countries).
Has expressing politics through rap allowed you to widen your audience and make it easier to communicate your politics to more people? Do you have any particularly memorable experiences from any of your performances?
Hip-hop is much more accessible for people, especially the youth and folks who don't have the leisure time to read, and what not. It is about to access to knowledge. I have been fortunate enough to gain much knowledge. I want to pass on what I learned to others and pay tribute to those folks putting that knowledge out there. People are much more likely to listen to a song than read lyrics in a magazine or whatever, I think. One of my most gratifying moments is an odd one for a hip-hip artist. At the ADC convention in 2003, I performed 'Olive Trees' and got a standing ovation from many old folks, a lot of Palestinians, who experienced what I'm talking about. Even if they didn't understand the words, they felt me. Hip-hop lets me tap that emotional strain that I lose too easily as an activist talking in abstractions. Music is a form of abstraction of course, but it lets me connect to other humans in ways that writing and lectures cannot. My other memorable moment was performing in Pine Ridge, a native reservation. I was in front of high school kids. Hip-hop let us connect, because almost all of them listened to it. Many of the kids felt the struggle my rhymes expressed, and related it to their own. Hip-hop, as a subversive, but mainstreamed medium, gives people many tools for reaching out to other communities. I'm not saying hip-hop is all love or positive, but its origins were about speaking a reality. Corporations and clubs made hip-hop into fascist action-fantasy bullshit. But we can take it back and use it to connect with each other. Check out Iron Sheik's website, www.ironsheik.biz where you can support his work by picking up his album, and listen to some of his tunes, including:
Leena2Memory: [Life of a Refugee]
The Oil Anthem
Olive Trees
M. JUNAID ALAM, 21, Boston, co-editor of radical youth journal Left Hook, feedback: email@example.com.
first published in Left Hook.


text:
Welcome back to Twisted Conch in 60 Seconds, a series about writing custom SSH software with Twisted. Last time, I showed you how to set up a basic SSH server which could accept connections and then reject all authentication attempts. This time we'll extend that server to support password authentication.
Let's consider the factory created in the first example:
factory = SSHFactory()
factory.privateKeys = {'ssh-rsa': privateKey}
factory.publicKeys = {'ssh-rsa': publicKey}
factory.portal = Portal(None)
The object in this snippet responsible for authenticating the client is Portal
. However, this portal is missing two things it really needs in order to be useful. First, it's missing a username/password checker. Twisted includes one that's easy to use and reads credentials out of a file, so we'll start with that one:
from twisted.cred.checkers import FilePasswordDB
will now try to read information from ssh-passwords in order to authenticate SSH client connection attempts. The file should be populated with lines like this:
alice:goodpassword bob:badpassword jpcalderone:supersecretpassword
The second thing the Portal
needs is a Realm
. After the FilePasswordDB
says a user supplied the correct username/password combination, Conch needs an object that will represent the user who just authenticated. This object will be used to determine what actions the SSH user is allowed to take, and what consequences they will have. A realm only needs to implement one method:
from twisted.conch.avatar import ConchUser
def nothing():
class SimpleRealm(object):
def requestAvatar(self, avatarId, mind, *interfaces):
return IConchUser, ConchUser(), nothing
After authentication succeeds, requestAvatar
is called. The avatarId
parameter tells the realm the name of the user who just authenticated successfully. The mind
isn't used by Conch. The interfaces
indicate what kind of user is being requested; in this case, it will include twisted.conch.interfaces.IConchUser
(and we just assume that it does for now). The method must return a three-tuple. The first element is the kind of user the realm decided to give back (this must be one of the requested interfaces - again, we're assuming IConchUser
for now). This just lets the calling code know what kind of user it ended up with. The second element is the user object itself. Conch conveniently provides us with a basic user class that implements almost no behavior, so it's suitable to be used directly in this simple example. The final element of the tuple is a logout callable. This will be invoked for us when the user logs out. This example has no custom logout logic, so we return a no-op function.
Portal construction will now look like this:
factory.portal = Portal(SimpleRealm())
These are all the pieces necessary to do username/password authentication of SSH users. Here's the full code listing for this version:
from twisted.cred.portal import Portal
from twisted.cred.checkers import FilePasswordDB
from twisted.internet import reactor
from twisted.conch.ssh.factory import SSHFactory
from twisted.conch.ssh.keys import Key
from twisted.conch.interfaces import IConchUser
from twisted.conch.avatar import ConchUser
with open('id_rsa') as privateBlobFile:
privateBlob = privateBlobFile.read()
privateKey = Key.fromString(data=privateBlob)
with open('id_rsa.pub') as publicBlobFile:
publicBlob = publicBlobFile.read()
publicKey = Key.fromString(data=publicBlob)
def nothing():
class SimpleRealm(object):
def requestAvatar(self, avatarId, mind, *interfaces):
return IConchUser, ConchUser(), nothing
factory = SSHFactory()
factory.privateKeys = {'ssh-rsa': privateKey}
factory.publicKeys = {'ssh-rsa': publicKey}
factory.portal = Portal(SimpleRealm())
reactor.listenTCP(2022, factory)
If you run this server and connect to it with one of the credentials in the password file you provide, then you should receive an extremely gratifying result along the lines of:
channel 0: open failed: unknown channel type: unknown channel
Sorry! Tune in next time to learn what a channel is and how to define one.


text:
You might also like
4x1 QuizThere are 4 pictures but only one word is to be found. For all of those who love quizzes and riddles the 4x1 Picture Quiz allows fun for hours!
Guess the Coat of Arms Quiz 1Do you have a coat of arms for your country? Test your knowledge of coat of arms in Europe, America and Oceania!
Animal QuizLook at the picture in each level and guess the name which is hidden in the letters below. Play through more than 500 fun levels: how many animals can you guess correctly?
Typing the Sentence : MovieDo you love movies? Do you think you recognize all the quotes? Give it a shot in this new and epic sentence typing game!
Guess The Game QuizAre you a real gamer? Test your knowledge of the classic and new video games!
Movie Quiz
Rate this game
Test your knowledge of movies and beat this rock solid movie quiz! The game offers an ultimate collection of trivia about Disney, Super Heroes, James Bond, Sci-Fi and much more classic films.


text:
"CNN still hasn't figured it out"
Former CNN Reporter Aaron Brown has an interesting take on the competition between CNN and Fox News:
"On the one hand, you have this very disciplined, ratings-directed news organization, or whatever they are... On the other hand, you have an organization that is trying to figure out if it can be all things to all people. Can it be an opinion network, can it be a tabloid-driven network, can it be a serious news organization? It used to be a serious news organization.
It's hard to be all those things. It's really hard to be all those things.
You end up being none of them."
Brown thinks Paula Zahn's show is symbolic. "Whatever competence she has, and whatever skills her producers have, it wasn't clear to me what the program was," Brown said. "It has never had a clear definition. In some ways, I believe the network is [similar]."
Brown said he noticed an "incredibly dismissive attitude" toward Fox when he arrived at CNN in 2001.
"It ran through every part of the organization, top to bottom. It wasn't just bosses, everybody had it. I thought then, and I said then in meetings, that this is a huge mistake. And it was. That's the truth of it. It was," he said. "And I think in many ways the organization continues to pay for it."
Brown continued: "Fox is an incredibly disciplined organization. CNN is much less disciplined. It's part of the reason why CNN's a better journalism organization. It doesn't have the kind of top-down discipline that Fox has.
But in a competitive race, Fox knows exactly what its audience wants. It's been one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen in television: no matter what the story is, no matter what the circumstances are, if it's not what the audience wants, they will walk away from the story."


text:
As New Owners Take Over Meat Plant, Battered Postville Waits and Worries
By Nathaniel Popper • The ForwardThe new owners of the beleaguered kosher meat company Agriprocessors are quickly facing criticism over their early management of the company.
A team of three men took over control of Agriprocessors — now called Agri Star — at the beginning of August. The new team, led by Canadian businessman Hershey Friedman, and using the corporate name SHF, bought Agriprocessors out of bankruptcy in July. Their purchase of the kosher company came a little more than a year after it was the target of a massive immigration raid that led to criminal charges against the previous owners, the Rubashkin family.
The Rubashkins have been widely assailed for their management of the company's slaughterhouse in the small Iowa town of Postville. Some town leaders in Postville say that since buying the company in July, Friedman and his new ownership team have given their own cause for concern.
"I'm quickly starting to become impatient with the company's lax attitude toward civic responsibilities," said Jeff Reinhardt, a member of Postville's City Council.
Reinhardt and other local leaders expressed concern with the continuing involvement of Rubashkin family members in the company, and with the handling of new employees coming into the town. But the biggest concern has been the new owners' refusal to meet with many community leaders and activists from both inside and outside Postville who have expressed an interest in being briefed on the company's plans. "At this point in time, it would be very helpful for them to do something different than the old owners — to actually come in and have a meeting with members of the community," said Steve Brackett, the pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Postville. "I think they are very busy, but I also think it would go far to calming tensions if they would at least host a community meeting."
Brackett is the head of a new Postville Community Benefits Alliance, which is hoping to negotiate some agreement with the new owners on how the town and company can relate to each other — a big issue given the kosher meat company's outsized effect on the city of 2,000 residents. The immigration raid and subsequent bankruptcy of Agriprocessors led to a mass exodus of residents and devastated the local economy in Postville. Brackett said that his alliance made multiple requests for a meeting with the new owners and eventually heard back that "at this point, they don't have time."
Friedman did not respond to requests for comment. His lawyer, Shalom Jacob, said that the new management team was too busy running the company to meet with local civic leaders.
"I know they have a lot of positive ideas and intentions for the town and the civic areas and the people, and what they will do," Jacob told the Forward. "But the first priority has to be turning this company around."
Friedman owns a plastics company in Montreal, Polystar Packing, and another in Brooklyn, Favorite Plastics. Friedman bought Agriprocessors, in partnership with his son-in-law, Daniel Hirsch, a Brooklyn accountant. It is Hirsch who has been in Postville overseeing the daily operations of the plant. The plant is currently operating with a small staff and producing only chicken and turkey, with plans to slowly re-open the company's beef production capacities.
Hirsch has met with Postville's mayor and a few City Council members to lay out Agri Star's plans. The mayor did not return calls seeking comment, but the city administrator, Darcy Radloff, said of Hirsch: "We welcomed him to the community and talked about him being a good corporate citizen."
"They plan on operating a good business up there," Radloff said.
Hirsch has also met with Aaron Goldsmith, a local businessman and a leader of the town's Orthodox Jewish community. Goldsmith said that Hirsch had expressed an unwillingness to speak with members of the Community Benefits Alliance because the alliance had pushed for a binding legal agreement that would hinder the development of Agri Star.
"The company is not interested in the community benefits agreement," Goldsmith said. "Nobody feels this is an equitable proposal."
Postville's City Council initially voted to support the idea of a community benefits agreement, but later voted to withdraw support for such an agreement — a development first reported on the blog Failed Messiah.
Brackett, who is leading the push for an agreement, said that his group has no specific agreement in mind, and at this point wants only to start a discussion with the company. One particular point of tension has been the involvement in Brackett's alliance of Jewish organizations from outside Postville. In addition to Postville's Lutheran and Catholic churches, the alliance includes Jewish activist groups from Minnesota and Illinois that participated in providing relief to Postville after the immigration raid. These liberal Jewish groups had an adversarial relationship with the old owners of the company.
The blog Failed Messiah reported that Hirsch wrote an e-mail to the alliance assailing its Jewish member groups. Jane Ramsey, executive director of one of the Jewish activist groups — the Chicago-based Jewish Council on Urban Affairs — said that Hirsch, in his e-mail, had mischaracterized her organization's efforts as being aimed at bringing the new owners down.
"We have certainly picked up a wrongful assessment — and a tone on their part that just doesn't represent who we are as organizations," Ramsey said.
"Our purpose for being there is to do everything we can do to assist the community in Postville — we want nothing more than for this plant to be successful and for the company to be good corporate citizens," she said.
The members of the Community Benefits Alliance are not the only groups reporting having had trouble getting information out of the new owners. Kosher food-certifying agencies have complained, as has the United Food and Commercial Workers, a union that tried to organize the workers under Agriprocessors' previous ownership. Scott Frotman, a UFCW spokesman, said that the union had made requests for a meeting with the new owners in July, when the sale was finalized, and have not heard back.
"It's unfortunate, given the company's history," Frotman said. "They have an obligation to Postville to come forward to talk about their vision for the company and the future."
Within town, the company is already making its mark, having taken over full operation of the plant in early August. New workers have started to move to the town looking for work, and local religious leaders said that the company has not made provisions to help these workers establish themselves. Father Paul Ouderkirk, the priest at the local Catholic church, said that workers coming to town were turning to the churches for food and housing. Reinhardt said this reminded him of the situation under the Rubashkins.
"The company should take some responsibility for this," Reinhardt said. "This is the same old story over again."
Part of the reason for concern is that Heshey Rubashkin, the son of the old owner, Aaron Rubashkin, is still employed at the plant, as are other family members. Heshey Rubashkin's brother, Sholom, is awaiting trial on charges of bank fraud, child labor violations and immigration law violations, and is not allowed to have any involvement with the company.
Jacob, the company's lawyer, said that in employing members of the Rubashkin family, the company is merely continuing practices that were also used by the bankruptcy trustee.
"These are not people who are in management — these are employees, and this is something that was approved by the trustee," Jacob said. "I don't think anybody expects us to fire people just because of their name."
Goldsmith said that within Postville's Jewish community the concern has not been about how similar Friedman is to the Rubashkins, but rather how different.
"The Rubashkins ran their business like it was a communal foundation — and they supported the Jewish school and the synagogue here completely," Goldsmith said. The new owners, Goldsmith said, "have made some minimal support of the school, but it was a very big challenge to get them to do even that. One of the concerns is that they are not stepping into the Rubashkins' shoes — they are creating a different kind of business."
Ramsey, at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, said that she wants to see the new owners go in a new direction, but is still waiting for evidence.
"They are the ones who get to set the tone," Ramsey said. "The longer they don't do that, the more nervousness will be felt by the community, and the more speculation will grow."


text:
Association of Algae Protein with Balanced Diet
Introduction: By 2050, the world population is anticipated to grow by more than a third (2.3 billion people), necessitating a 70 percent increase in food production. Despite a doubling of the world's population, new agricultural food production technologies and an increase in average per capita income have reduced worldwide hunger during the previous half-century. However, food production on a global scale is today more complicated than it has ever been. Due to the high impact trade-offs, they have on the environment, such as fragmenting natural habitats and threatening biodiversity, production of greenhouse gases from land clearing, fertilizers, and animal livestock production, and nutrient run-off from fertilizer damaging marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, previously used methods of intensifying agriculture will soon be no longer be an option. Protein, in particular, is one of the essential nutrients that will be scarce in the future. To fulfill consumer demand and


text:
Waiting for answer This question has not been answered yet. You can hire a professional tutor to get the answer.
I need some assistance with these assignment. why school is important Thank you in advance for the help!
I need some assistance with these assignment. why school is important Thank you in advance for the help! It imparts knowledge, creating friendships and intelligence. The everyday skills we use in life is through a good educational system. There are some parts of the world where kids are unable to attend school. Therefore, we should use education as a means to write, communicate, and learn reading. In case you have the opportunity to go to school, you should utilize it to make your life good. It would be best if you made it your priority to attend high schools, colleges, and universities.
Schooling provides essential knowledge and skills which are needed by most jobs. Job seeking for learners is becoming harder, especially with the competition in society. Top-level jobs in society call for possession of a high level of knowledge and skills. Attending your classes could be the needed ingredient to land your dream job. School plays an important role in the life of a person.
Education also plays an important role that provides chances for students in the real world. Subjects like mathematics are essential since it gives us ways of solving problems.
The process of learning makes the students master the knowledge of writing, writing, reading, and listening. When you attend school, you open your mind and level of understanding by learning new things. A way you can work to learn a new level of knowledge by paying attention in class. There is a sense of satisfaction from the teacher when a student pays attention. It is a sense of accomplishment when a teacher views their students as valuable. The trust and respect of teachers become thin when a student misbehaves with their work. Performing your work earns you good grades. The why school is important essay shows that good behavior improves your performance in class.


text:
Economic Census and ACS on the Block
The Economic Census and the American Community Survey are in danger of being discontinued. Last year Congress ceased publication of key statistical compendia such as Statistical Abstract of the United States, State and Metropolitan Area Data Book, and County and City Data Book. The once unthinkable is indeed a very real possibility. For details: NABE
0 Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI


text:
The Only Two Charts You Need to Understand the S&P 500
As long as corporations continue borrowing money to buy back their own stocks and the yen keeps dropping, the SPX will continue lofting higher.
Why is the S&P 500 rising, even as valuations are getting stretched, profit growth is declining and sales are stagnant? Two charts explain it all. Here is a chart showing the S&P 500 companies that have been buying back their own stocks (often by borrowing cheap money to do so) and companies that haven't bought back hundreds of billions of dollars in their own stock.
source: Business Insider
Here is the S&P 500, with red lines marking its recent lows:
Here is the Japanese yen ETF FXY, with red lines marking its recent highs. The correlation is near-perfect: when the yen drops, the SPX rises.
This is a function of the carry trade, in which speculators borrow money in near-zero interest-rate yen and buy U.S. stocks with the cash. The financiers make money in two ways: the buying pushes the U.S. stocks up and the decline of the yen means they can pay back their loan in cheaper yen.
As long as corporations continue borrowing money to buy back their own stocks and the yen keeps dropping, the SPX will continue lofting higher. If either of these drivers fades or reverses, the rally in SPX will reverse, too.
Get a Job, Build a Real Career and Defy a Bewildering Economy(Kindle, $9.95)(print, $20)
Are you like me? Ever since my first summer job decades ago, I've been chasing financial security. Not win-the-lottery, Bill Gates riches (although it would be nice!), but simply a feeling of financial control. I want my financial worries to if not disappear at least be manageable and comprehensible.And like most of you, the way I've moved toward my goal has always hinged not just on having a job but a career.
You don't have to be a financial blogger to know that "having a job" and "having a career" do not mean the same thing today as they did when I first started swinging a hammer for a paycheck.
Even the basic concept "getting a job" has changed so radically that jobs--getting and keeping them, and the perceived lack of them--is the number one financial topic among friends, family and for that matter, complete strangers.
So I sat down and wrote this book: Get a Job, Build a Real Career and Defy a Bewildering Economy.
It details everything I've verified about employment and the economy, and lays out an action plan to get you employed.
I am proud of this book. It is the culmination of both my practical work experiences and my financial analysis, and it is a useful, practical, and clarifying read.
Test drive the first section and see for yourself. Kindle, $9.95 print, $20
"I want to thank you for creating your book Get a Job, Build a Real Career and Defy a Bewildering Economy. It is rare to find a person with a mind like yours, who can take a holistic systems view of things without being captured by specific perspectives or agendas. Your contribution to humanity is much appreciated."
Laura Y.
Gordon Long and I discuss The New Nature of Work: Jobs, Occupations & Careers(25 minutes, YouTube)
NOTE: Contributions/subscriptions are acknowledged in the order received. Your name and email remain confidential and will not be given to any other individual, company or agency.
Thank you, Art R. ($25), for your splendidly generous contribution to this site-- I am greatly honored by your support and readership. |


text:
The Inside Secrets Of Seltzer Water
Carbonated water, also known as sparkling water, fizzy water, soda water, club soda, seltzer water, or pop water is plain water into which carbon dioxide gas has been dissolved, and is the major and defining component of most "soft drinks". The process of dissolving carbon dioxide gas is called carbonation. It results in the formation of carbonic acid (which has the chemical formula H2CO3).
Earlier, soda water was made in the home by "charging" a refillable seltzer bottle and by filling it with water afterward adding carbon dioxide in it. Club soda may be identical to plain carbonated water or it may contain a small amount of table salt, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium sulfate, or disodium phosphate, depending on the bottler. These additives are included to emulate the slightly salty taste of homemade soda water. In the UK Soda Water is nearly always made with Sodium Bicarbonate. The process can also occur naturally to produce carbonated mineral water, such as in Mihalkovo in the Bulgarian Rhodopes
The quality of carbonated beverages including soft drinks, seltzer and beer is affected by the amount of dissolved CO2 (the gas that causes carbonation) and the amount of carbonic acid in the drink. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has an infrared absorption wavelength of 4.27 micrometers and can be measured online using an infrared carbonation sensor.
In most of the available carbonated beverages such as soft drinks ( famous examples include 7 Up, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Fanta ), carbonation is done to attribute it it's "bite". Contrary to popular belief, the fizzy taste is caused by dilute carbonic acid inducing a slight burning sensation, and is not caused by the presence of bubbles. This can be shown by drinking a fizzy drink in a hyperbaric chamber at the same pressure as the beverage. It gives the same taste, however it is devoid of bubbles.
And you'll enjoy the fizziest seltzer on the planet. Unlike old fashioned soda siphons, you can make seltzer as fizzy as you like it with a Soda-Club home soda/seltzer maker. You can even make your own flavored seltzer with all-natural, unsweetened MyWater flavor essences.
You love seltzer … and even though you may pay sale prices, the cost of seltzer still adds up. Perhaps you buy one-liter bottles of seltzer on sale at the store for 50 cents each — or as low as 33 cents each ($4 for a 12-bottle case). Even at these store sale prices, if your household drinks one case of 12 one-liter bottles per week, you'll spend over $2,000 on seltzer over the next 10 years!
With Soda-Club, you will slash your seltzer costs to as low as 18 cents per liter — that's like paying just $2 per case! — and you'll enjoy fresh, fizzy seltzer at the push of a button! And if you prefer the sophisticated light carbonation of imported sparkling water, you'll love the Penguin, which makes fresh sparkling water in elegant cut glass carafes.
Here are several more reasons to get started with Soda-Club:
• No More Schlepping: Reusable, one-liter carbonating bottles save you from lugging (and storing) all of those cases from the store.
• Stay Fizzy Longer: Special bottle caps with hermetic seals will keep your seltzer much fizzier for longer than store-bought seltzer.
• Convenience: You will produce seltzer in one-liter convenient bottles. Unlike those expensive, one and done soda siphon chargers, each one of our large, lightweight Alco2jet CO2 carbonators in our sleek home soda/seltzer makers contain enough C02 to carbonate up to 110 liters of fresh, fizzy seltzer. Carbonators which are empty are easily exchanged door-to-door, anywhere on the American Island.
• Control Your Fizz: Whether you like a few light bubbles or serious, nose-tickling fizz, a Soda-Club home seltzer maker lets you make it the way you want it.
• Environmentally Friendly: Reusing your carbonating bottles will drastically reduce discarded and recyclable material in our environment. Also saves money on deposit fees!
• Better for You: Sodium free! Add a drop of one of Soda-Club's all-natural, unsweetened MyWater flavor essences, or a fresh berry for a whisper of flavor. You'll have a great-tasting, fresh beverage that's 100% natural


text:
It is an application to amend the Ordinance to add or remove regulations. Any proposed amendment to the text of this Ordinance may be initiated by the governing board, Planning Board, by any owner of a legal or equitable interest in a piece of property located within the geographical boundaries of this Ordinance, by a local government agency, or by any other person in accordance with the procedures set forth herein. See Section 5.17.2 I_Ch5_Permit_Approval
Show All Answers
The Unified Development Ordinance was created to increase the development standards in the zoning jurisdiction of Gaston County. The UDO was developed with the municipalities to draft an ordinance that promotes highly consistent development processes. Each municipality may adopt the UDO in whole or part to create the development consistency throughout the County.
All land use ordinances have been condensed into one document that includes
The UDO also addresses certain development requirements such as but not limited to
A copy of this ordinance can be viewed online, purchased on paper for $60 (color) and $55 (black and white), on disk for $25, or a copy may be viewed for no charge at:
Gaston County Planning Office128 W Main AvenueGastonia, NC 28054
Planning is a local government function to achieve current and long-term land use goals. Comprehensive Plan Zoning is a tool of Planning and is implemented to achieve the Planning goals. An ordinance is set up to establish Zoning Districts to foster designations for certain types of development and / or uses (i.e. single-family homes, business parks, retail centers, etc.) and to establish regulations for each district such as setbacks, etc.
Questions pertaining to the UDO should be directed to the Gaston County Planning and Development Services Department. The Planning Department is located at the Gaston County Administration Building. Please call 704-866-3075 or email Laura Hamilton for additional information.
A helpful list of relevant terms can be found in Chapter 2 of the UDO F_Ch2_Defin Section III of the Minimum Housing Ordinance and Section 6 of the Road Naming and Addressing Ordinance.
A zoning permit will be needed:
Chapter 13 deals with property subdivision. There are two different types of subdivisions: minor and major. Minor subdivisions involve five or fewer lots, no new streets, and no new public utilities. They can be approved by the Administrator. All other subdivisions are considered major subdivisions. They must first be reviewed by the Technical Review Committee (TRC) which makes recommendations to the Planning Board. The Gaston County Planning Board makes preliminary plat approval for major subdivisions. A Public Hearing with the Board of Commissioners is required for subdivisions exceeding two hundred fifty (250) lots. Table 13.8-1 summarizes the approval process for all plats. Q_Ch13_Subd
For complaints concerning zoning, minimum housing, and junk cars call 704-866-3075. For building code violations call 704-866-3155.
To verify what watershed you are located in, if any, please refer to the interactive website. The regulations for the Watershed areas are located in Chapter 15 of the UDO: S_Ch15_Watershed
For more information, please refer to Environmental Planning. Chapter 16 of the UDO has the regulations pertaining to flood-prone areas. T_Ch16_Flood
Refer to Section 3.5 for Non-Conforming Situations. G_Ch3_Applicability
Failure to comply with any provision of this Ordinance is hereby declared unlawful. Any violation occurring once within a twelve (12) month period shall be considered a first offense. A notice of violation shall be issued by the Administrator and shall provide for a warning period as provided for in Section 18.5(C) to correct the violation. Upon the expiration of the warning period, the violator shall be subject to a civil penalty of one hundred ($100.00) dollars for each day that the violation remains on the property. Should a violation continue to exist by the twenty-first (21st ) day past the date of original notification, the County may seek to recover the penalty together with all costs by filing a civil action in the General Court of Justice in the nature of a suit to collect a debt. The collection of a penalty pursuant hereto shall not foreclose further proceedings for penalties coming due subsequent to the date of the filing of a prior proceeding. The provisions of this section may also be enforced through any other appropriate remedies as prescribed in Section 18.4 herein.
Any violation of reoccurring on the same property by the same violator more than once within a twelve (12) month period shall be considered a repeat offense provided the reoccurrence is a violation of the same Section of this Ordinance. A notice of violation shall be issued by the Administrator and shall have an immediate civil penalty of three hundred ($300.00) dollars. No warning period shall be granted since this provision applies only to violations that occur more than once in a twelve (12) month period and proper notice was given for the initial violation as prescribed under Section 18.5. For each day the repeat violation remains, the violator shall be subject to a civil penalty of three hundred ($300.00) dollars. Should a violation continue to exist by the seventh (7th ) day after such notification, the County may seek to recover the penalty together with all costs by filing a civil action in the General Court of Justice in the nature of a suit to collect a debt. The collection of a penalty pursuant hereto shall not foreclose further proceedings for penalties coming due subsequent to the date of the filing of a prior proceeding. The provisions of this section may also be enforced through any other appropriate remedies as prescribed in Section 18.4 herein. The project / job will be delayed if violations exist and it should be in your best interest to comply with the ordinance initially. Refer to Chapter 18 of the UDO for more information. V_Ch18_Violation
Charges vary for different applications and permits. Refer to the Fee Schedule (PDF).
Certain uses are subject to the issuance of a conditional use permit. The purpose is to ensure that a certain use is compatible with surrounding development and is in keeping with the general zoning district in which it is located. Such Conditional Use Permit is contingent upon the property owner meeting fair and reasonable conditions, associated with the issuance of a conditional use permit, that ensure the compatibility of the use with surrounding properties and promote the general welfare of the community. Refer to Section 5.11. I_Ch5_Permit_Approval
Parallel conditional use districts are established to consider situations where a particular use may be acceptable on a lot or tract of land but the other uses permitted in a general zoning district would not be acceptable. Such rezoning is made contingent upon the property owner meeting fair and reasonable conditions, associated with the issuance of a conditional use permit, that ensure the compatibility of the use with surrounding properties and promote the general welfare of the community. Refer to Section 5.16.4. I_Ch5_Permit_Approval
A variance is an adjustment to the regulations as listed in the UDO. Two different Boards hear variance cases. The Planning Board hears variances only for Chapter 13, subdivision regulations. The Board of Adjustment hears variances for all other chapters of the UDO. You will need to fill out the appropriate application, pay a fee, and submit with the required documentation. For subdivision variances refer to Section 13.7. Q_Ch13_Subd For all other variance issues refer to Section 5.14. I_Ch5_Permit_Approval
Except as provided herein, the Board of Adjustment shall hear and decide appeals from and review any order, requirement, decision, interpretation or citation made by the Administrator and apply such interpretation to particular fact situations. In addition, the Administrator may ask the Board of Adjustment to interpret the Official Zoning Map and to pass upon disputed questions of lot lines or district boundary lines and similar questions that may arise in the administration of this Ordinance. Refer to Section 5.13. I_Ch5_Permit_Approval Notwithstanding the above, any decision made by the Administrator relative to Chapter 13 shall first be appealed to the Planning Board per Section 13.6. Any such decision made by the Planning Board may be appealed to the governing board in accordance with Section 13.6. Refer to Section 13.6. Q_Ch13_Subd
A permit, issued by the Board of Adjustment that would allow the property owner to develop or make use of his/her property with prescribed minor deviations to the terms of this Ordinance. Special Exceptions follow the same procedures as a variance. Refer to Section 5.12. I_Ch5_Permit_Approval
Refer to the calendars for dates.
Refer to Building Inspections for forms and information for submittal for a Building Permit.
This information begins on page 7-21 in Chapter 7 of the UDO. K_Ch7_District_Regs_UseTable1
A home occupation permit shall be required to ensure that a proposed home occupation is developed in accordance with all applicable provisions of this Ordinance. Lists of permissible customary and home occupations are found in Section 8.1.14 and 8.1.15. L_Ch8_Suppl
Verify the use and the allowed zoning district in the Table of Uses in Chapter 7. K_Ch7_District_Regs_UseTable1 Then if the Use is Commercial, follow the Commercial Site Plan Review procedures found in Section 5.2. I_Ch5_Permit_Approval If the Use is Residential, then follow the steps FAQ #23 for single-family dwellings or the Supplement Regulations for other residential uses as listed in the Table of Uses 7.1-1 in Chapter 7.
The USO refers to the areas of land that are considered urban in nature and assumed to remain that way for the next 10 - 15 years. Refer to 7.6.3 for further information regarding the Urban Standards Overlay District. K_Ch7_District_Regs_UseTable1
Landscaping provides Gaston County with numerous benefits such as: reduction in soil erosion, mitigation of certain pollution, screen unsightly equipment, shade impervious surfaces, and preserve native vegetation. Specific regulations can be found in Chapter 11 at: O_Ch11_Screening
These regulations encourage the effective use of signs in order to maintain an attractive look to the county, improve pedestrian / bicyclist / motorist safety, and minimize adverse affects of signage to nearby property. Specific regulations can be found in Chapter 12 at: P_Ch12_Signs
Parking requirements exist to promote the safety of motorists and pedestrians. Parking requirements insures safer access to businesses, sufficient parking dimensions / capacities, and sufficient storage for recreational vehicles and boats. Specific regulations can be found in Chapter 10 at: N_Ch10_Parking
Open space is a new requirement for subdivisions that aims to preserve open areas of land within subdivisions. See Section 11.7 for additional information concerning:
Chapter 13 provides information on how to subdivide property, including, but not limited to access, open space, how approved, plan requirements, street design, etc. Refer to Section 13 for a complete listing of subdivision standards Q_Ch13_Subd
The Board of County Commissioners in 1977, by ordinance, created the County Planning Board to conduct the following activities: -make recommendations on rezoning cases and text changes; -render decisions on subdivisions; -hear variance cases pertaining to only Chapter 13 (Subdivisions); -make studies of Gaston County and surrounding areas; -determine objectives in the development of the study area; -develop and recommend policies, ordinances and/or procedures for obtaining the objectives; -and other related matters. Refer to Section 4.4 and Table 4.1-1 for other information and duties of the Planning Board. H_Ch4_Admin_Agencies_Funct
The Board of Commissioners is the governing body for Gaston County's unincorporated areas and makes the final decision for all rezoning cases. Refer to Section 4.2 and Table 4.1-1 for information and duties given to the Board of Commissioners pertaining to zoning matters. H_Ch4_Admin_Agencies_Funct
The Gaston County Board of Adjustment was established in 1992 by the Board of County Commissioners. It is made up of appointed volunteers to serve the citizens of the County in making decisions pertaining to zoning and land use ordinances. The Board of Adjustment hears and decides on:
The Board hears and reviews each application/request during a public hearing. Their decision is made by applying specific findings of facts to the testimony and evidence presented at the public hearing. The Board of Adjustment acts in a quasi-judicial status when making these decisions. This status precludes them from political pressure and lobbying prior to hearings since ex parte communications with the Board members is prohibited. Refer to Section 4.5 and Table 4.1-1 for other information and duties of the Board of Adjustment. H_Ch4_Admin_Agencies_Funct


text:
Lithographs, matte board, and acrylic wall painting
120"w x 138"h
Installed in the Tipton Street Gallery for the Look Out Below invitational, installation art, group show.
The universe is in a constant state of flux. Nothing is static. Everything is moving, changing, transforming; from the tiniest quark to the largest supercluster. The universe cares not the size of the elements that exist within it for they are all interdependent upon one another for their very survival. This interdependency is apparent when, upon close scrutiny, patterns begin to emerge. This modularity reveals a similarity between the microcosmic and macrocosmic facets of the universe; an infinite, interdependent loop of space and time.
Just as there is an order to the universe, so must there be a logical reason for every decision made in my creation process, from the medium, to the imagery, to its inevitable display. I am not devoted to any one medium and often discover that a mix of traditional and new technologies will achieve my desired goals. Choice of medium is dependent upon the message. Herein lies one of my most formidable challenges; how to unite the medium and message to strengthen one another.
My investigation into the inner-workings of the universe begins with a response to forms in nature. I focus on transformations of human forms. The work always begins with observational figure drawing. These drawings then undergo a scientific-esque process in which they are investigated, analyzed, dissected, and then transformed into new forms using both traditional and digital techniques, often alternating back and forth between the two.
Somewhere between observation and imagination, my mutated human forms emerge as language. Created specifically with the viewer in mind, each piece establishes an aura of questioning that operates in both the physical and mental spaces between the viewer and the work.
Largely inspired by quantum physics, my work challenges established belief systems through a theosophic integration of science, art and philosophy. I attempt to initiate a cerebral awareness of the concealed gestalt of the universe; the unknown, unexpected and unfathomed concepts of space and time. Teetering on the edge of two abysses, one of hope and one of meaninglessness, my work aims to transcend inward and outward beyond the scope of both.


text:
The Race is Done! Long Live the Race!; HURT TRAINING Starts Anew. Plus! Manoa Falls/ Aihualama 'No Cuts Brah!' Sign Installation.
Training Time: 6:00am Saturday UPDATED: Now on Saturday!
Place: Top of Manoa Road–Street Parking
What: Manoa/Jack ass Repeat(s) 12 miles a pop. + Trail Work (Sign installation) on Aihualama
So, there it is, after a few days of thrills and hugging and back patting everyone is back to doing what ever they do to keep themselves together. There will be one further spurt when the stats come out and we can all hug and back-pat and empathize for a few more hours, but then Peacocks is in the bag. History, and nobody gives a damn what you did last week, dude. We are all over it, get a life, or better yet an iphone.
A fork has been stuck in the bird! Its time to start dealing with the HOG! Not those cutsy piggys of the Maunawili, but a real HOG. This is the oficial beginning of HURT training, HURT trails, HURT loops, HURT stashes, HOG Back Climbs, and hurt body parts.
This Saturday we will do at least one Manoa to Jack-ass repeat; most of the bad parts of the HURT in just 12 easy miles. Some of us will do the Trail Work originally scheduled for Thursday too.
So come on out, run a bit of the HURT trail, find meaning in the mud, the roots, and the rocks and let's give back a bit to keep the trails in better shape.
Well, not really 'No Cuts Brah!' but the same thing in formalized state speech.
What: Sign installation at major trail cutting points
When: 6:00 AM Saturday, November 5, 2011 (Could go on Saturday and incorporate Training run)
Where: Meet at the top of Manoa Road
Details: I have 4 fence posts to pound in, and the signs to go onto the posts. We plan to put them in at the bottom of the major cut at Manoa Trail/ Aihualama (Near Chief Ehu Rock) and then go up farther to put in two more at the first major cut on the Switch Backs. A future installation will be on the upper section of Aihualama to catch the people on the way down.
Why: I have been running/training the falls trail and Aihualama for some time and have long noticed the increasing number of morons cutting trails and causing severe erosion. This is more than just a matter of making the trail runnable, it boils down to places where major slides can and will close the trail at least temporarily. I volunteered to help Na Hele with this.
Who: I need two others to help. It should take 3 hours. Will be dark when we leave, so bring lights and water. It's always fun to see the night time 'Gee it gets dark fast' crowd stumbling out of Manoa. We will be carrying in the sign posts and the post pounder. One person to hold the post, one to pound, and one to attach the signs. We could probably use a few more to stand around and tell us what we are doing wrong.
If you can help please contact me, or leave a message in comments section.
Thanks, Mikem


text:
Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Interior ignored tribal concerns about wind farm impacts — lawsuit
Credit: By Scott Streater, E&E reporter • Posted: Wednesday, May 16, 2012, via: www.governorswindenergycoalition.org ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
An American Indian tribe has filed a federal lawsuit against the Interior Department in an effort to stop what would become California's largest wind farm on public land.
The lawsuit filed late yesterday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego by the Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation says the proposed wind project's 112 turbines would cause "irreparable injury" by destroying "culturally and visually significant lands and resources." It accuses the Bureau of Land Management of essentially ignoring the tribe's concerns.
The lawsuit comes just days after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signed a record of decision (ROD) authorizing San Francisco-based Pattern Energy Group LP to build the Ocotillo Express Wind Energy Facility on more than 10,000 acres of BLM land in Southern California's Imperial County (Greenwire, May 14).
The Quechan Tribe, which wants a federal judge to throw out the ROD and to order a temporary injunction blocking construction until the lawsuit is resolved, has scheduled a news conference today in front of Pattern Energy Group's offices in La Jolla, Calif., to announce their action.
The ROD Salazar signed Friday approved a scaled-down version of the project proposal that proponents say sought to avoid culturally significant landmarks. BLM consulted with as many as 14 area American Indian tribes and cut more than 2,200 acres from the project boundaries after an extensive archaeological and cultural survey uncovered numerous ancient tribal artifacts and sacred locations.
The Quechan Tribe, which has about 3,500 members in California and Arizona, was among those consulted by BLM. But according to the 33-page complaint, the tribe's efforts to participate in the permitting process were "impaired by Interior's failure to exchange and share information with the Tribe, and Interior's failure to consider or incorporate the Tribe's comments and concerns in the planning process."
The tribe had expressed numerous concerns to BLM in the months leading up to Salazar signing the ROD, according to the lawsuit, which says the project site "contains geoglyphs, petroglyphs, sleeping circles, milling features, agave roasting pits, ceramics and rare artifacts," and that "construction of the current [project] design without direct impact to sites and artifacts will be impossible."
Ronda Aguerro, the Quechan Tribe's vice president, wrote in a Dec. 9 letter to BLM California State Director Jim Kenna that the project area "holds tremendous spiritual essence for the Quechan Tribe." And Aguerro pointed to the project's location near Carrizo Mountain, an area "recounted and held sacred in our Creation Story, songs, and other oral traditions."
"To allow a project of such magnitude to be erected next to one of our sacred sites – which helps form our identity as Quechan – would be a desecration of our culture and way of life," she wrote.
John Bathke, the tribe's historic preservation officer in Yuma, Ariz., said in an interview that despite the religious and spiritual significance of the site, BLM never made any serious attempt to address the tribe's concerns.
"BLM did consult, but what the federal law and the directives have asked for is meaningful consultation. We met with them, but they didn't listen to our concerns," Bathke said. "The meetings with the federal government have been a mere formality and have not resulted in any meaningful protections of our cultural resources. It appears the current administration wants to approve this and many other projects as part of their [election] campaign, and basically renewable energy is coming at the expense of Indian culture."
Erin Curtis, a BLM spokeswoman in Sacramento, Calif., said the agency does not discuss pending litigation and declined to comment.
Pattern Energy Group plans to begin construction of the Ocotillo Express project this month with a goal of bringing the wind power plant online by year's end. It is not clear how the lawsuit will affect those plans.
Matt Dallas, a Pattern Energy Group spokesman, said the company would not discuss the lawsuit or how it could affect the project.
But in an emailed statement sent today to Greenwire, Pattern Energy Group CEO Mike Garland said the company stands by the project, calling it "a major step towards both implementation of the President's renewable energy agenda and fulfillment of California's Renewable Portfolio Standard."
Garland added that "the reduced project size and footprint illustrates Pattern's commitment to not only listen to the concerns of the local community and Native American Tribes, but to also take concrete steps to address those concerns through revisions to the project plans, even to the extent of significantly reducing the project size."
Renewables challenges
The Quechan Tribe lawsuit is the latest legal challenge targeting a number of already-approved renewable power projects on BLM land in Southern California.
Indeed, the Quechan Tribe in late 2010 filed a federal lawsuit challenging Interior's approval of Tessera Solar's Imperial Valley Solar Project near El Centro, Calif., citing damage to cultural resources and allegations that federal regulators ignored the tribe's concerns.
The latest Quechan lawsuit comes at a time when the Obama administration is making a concerted effort to improve consultation between Interior agencies and American Indian tribal leaders – in part because of the legal challenges from tribal activists (Land Letter, Feb. 23).
In the last two years, BLM has approved eight solar projects in Southern California that collectively would cover more than 31,000 acres and, if built, would be capable of producing 4,000 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 1.2 million homes.
But most of those solar projects are now the subject of federal lawsuits filed by American Indian activist groups concerned about the projects' effects on cultural sites and desert ecosystems.
In December 2010, a group of activists called the La Cuna de Aztlán Sacred Sites Protection Circle Advisory Committee joined a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The lawsuit claims BLM and Interior failed to properly examine damage to sacred cultural sites in approving six large-scale solar projects – including the 1,000-megawatt Blythe Solar Power Project and the 370-megawatt Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (Greenwire, Jan. 3).
And La Cuna de Aztlán in January joined several other groups in another federal lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. In it, the groups are challenging the use of BLM land to connect the 150 MW Rice Solar Energy Project, which lies on private land, to the power grid operated by the Western Area Power Administration.
In December 2011, Salazar allowed Santa Monica, Calif.-based SolarReserve LLC to use 150 acres of BLM land to connect the Rice Solar plant to the power grid (Land Letter, Dec. 15, 2011).
Among the allegations in the second lawsuit is that Interior failed to properly consult with the tribes as required under the National Historic Preservation Act.
The Quechan Tribe's lawsuit filed yesterday also includes references to correspondence between top federal and state regulators, some of whom express concern about the Ocotillo Express project's impacts to cultural resources.
Among them is an April 24 memo to Kenna, the BLM state director, from the California State Historic Preservation Officer in which he wrote that he was "concerned and troubled with the process being followed [by BLM] to approve renewable energy undertakings in California," according to the lawsuit.
That same day last month, according to the lawsuit, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation wrote Kenna that it also had concerns with the Ocotillo Express project, describing BLM's schedule for tribal consultation as "aggressive."
The lawsuit also questions BLM's efforts to "fast track" the project, stating that "Interior arbitrarily set a project approval deadline of May 2012 and unlawfully rushed [the project review] process to meet that goal, failing to adequately evaluate the impacts associated with" the project "in order to reach a pre-determined approval decision."
Bathke, the Quechan Tribe's historic preservation officer, said the group is not against renewable energy, noting that the use of so-called green energy "is in line with traditional Indian values in terms of having a harmonious relationship with the Earth. It's just the manner of siting and environmental review, and this project lacked both proper siting and the appropriate environmental review."
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar "fair dealing" provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
Wind Watch relies entirely on User Funding |
(via Paypal) |
(via Stripe) |


text:
For the first time in the history of the Venice International Film Festival, 10 feature-length films and 13 short films from the Orizzonti section will be available for viewing in streaming all over the world concurrently with the official screenings on the Lido of the 69th Venice International Film Festival (29 August – 8 September 2012).
The goal of this important experimental initiative is to make the Biennale's effort to promote and support new films, and in particular young authors, even more effective by exploiting the potential offered by modern web technology. Orizzonti will present debut films and feature-length films from the fringes, as well as works that explore current genres and production pursuing innovation and creative originality.
For access to the virtual theatre online – located on a secure website managed by Festival Scope on behalf of the Venice Film Festival – reservations for 500 "seats" may be made on the website www.labiennale.org starting Monday 20 August.
After registering on the website, the user may purchase a virtual ticket for € 4.20 (valid for one feature-length film or for one of the two programmes of short films), and will receive a personal link that will be good for one viewing only.
Each film will be available for viewing in streaming for 24 hours starting at 9:00 PM (Italian time) on the day of the film's official presentation at the Venice Film Festival, according to the following schedule:
Feature-length Films
- Thursday 30 August
GLI EQUILIBRISTI by Ivan De Matteo (Italy, France, 100′)
- Saturday 1 September
EL SHEITA ELLI FAT (WINTER OF DISCONTENT) by Ibrahim El Batout (Egypt, 94')
- Sunday 2 September
BOXING DAY by Bernard Rose (Great Britain, USA, 91′)
LOW TIDE by Roberto Minervini (USA, Italy, Belgium, 92′)
- Monday 3 September
LEONES by Jazmin Lopez (Argentina, France, Netherlands, 80′)
- Tuesday 4 September
MENATEK HA-MAIM (THE CUTOFF MAN) by Idan Hubel (Israel, 76′)
- Wednesday 5 September
L'INTERVALLO by Leonardo Di Costanzo (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, 86′)
- Thursday 6 September
BELLAS MARIPOSAS by Salvatore Mereu (Italy, 100′)
YEMA by Djamila Sahraoui (Algeria, France, 90′)
- Friday 7 September
JA TOZHE HOCHU (ME TOO) by Alexey Balabanov (Russia, 83′)
Short Films
- Thursday 6 September
MIRACLE BOY by Jake Mahaffy (Usa, 17')
CHO-DE (INVITATION) by Min-young YOO (South Korea, 16')
RESISTENTE by Renate Costa, Salla Sorri (Denmark, Finland, Paraguay, 20')
I'M THE ONE by Paola Morabito (Australia, 14')
O AFINADOR by Fernando Camargo, Matheus Parizi (Brazil, 15')
LIVING STILL LIFE by Bertrand Mandico (France, Belgium, Germany, 15')
CARGO by Carlo Sironi (Italy, 15')
- Friday 7 September
FRANK-ÉTIENNE VERS LA BÉATITUDE by Constance Meyer (France, 12')
TITLOI TELOUS (OUT OF FRAME) by Yorgos Zois (Greece, 11')
LUISA NO ESTÁ EN CASA by Celia Rico Clavellino (Spain, 19')
BANSULLI (THE FLUTE) by Min Bham (Nepal, 15')
LAS MANOS LIMPIAS by Carlos Armella (Mexico, 11')
LA SALA by Alessio Giannone (Italy, 16')


text:
Through the FBI's Community Impact Initiative, law enforcement personnel and other volunteers return to neighborhoods after gang busts to clean alleyways, working alongside residents and property owners.
At 5 a.m., the command post in our Los Angeles Division was buzzing with activity. It would be a day of reckoning for nearly two dozen members of MS-13, the violent street gang that over the years has brought drugs, murder, and misery to countless Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Before the sun came up, teams of FBI agents and their partners from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began making arrests. In short order, the large video monitors in the command post started to show the words "in custody" next to the images of the subjects—many of whom were wanted on federal drug charges and were the gang's leaders, or "shot callers," in the parlance of the street.
In Los Angeles—often referred to as the gang capital of the world—it was just another day for the men and women of the FBI who work to protect the community from hundreds of area gangs. But locking up these criminals is only part of the story. Together with our law enforcement and community partners, the Los Angeles Division is taking a leadership role in the fight against gangs with innovative programs designed to bring healing as well as justice to neighborhoods ravaged by violence and intimidation.
"You can't arrest your way out of the gang problem," explained Robert Clark, an assistant special agent in charge in our Los Angeles Division. "Looking at the statistics prior to 2007 and in the seven years since I've been here," he said, "there's been upwards of a 300 percent increase in arrests, but the gang problem still exists."
Clark and others considered new approaches. "Where could we bring our resources and our like ideas to really have an impact in the community?" he asked. "FBI agents and local police officers can't be everywhere. That's why it was important that we build relationships in the community. Those relationships are essential to solving crimes."
Understanding firsthand the challenges facing gang-plagued neighborhoods based on his own childhood growing up in the inner city of Youngstown, Ohio, Clark spearheaded three initiatives that are making a difference in Los Angeles. In the coming weeks, FBI.gov will chronicle those programs, which are helping to empower communities, reduce the crime rate, clear unsolved murder cases, and aid in intelligence-gathering efforts that allow the Bureau to monitor gangs with an international reach such as MS-13.
The programs include:
- Operation Save Our Streets Task Force, established in 2010 in partnership with the LAPD to solve gang-related homicide cases;
- The Community Impact Initiative, in which law enforcement personnel and other volunteers return to neighborhoods after gang busts to clean alleyways of trash and graffiti, working alongside residents and property owners; and
- The Homicide Library project, a joint initiative between the FBI and the LAPD that is digitizing thousands of paper-only murder investigation files for use in a searchable system that will help solve more cases.


text: Matt, Thanks for your advice. I suggest that you need a minimum of 16GB/node (2GB/core) and possibly > 32GB/node (4GB/node). > 8 Gb/node is enough for types of applications we are going to run on this cluster. Additional memory stickscan be added later if necessary. > > You will want to set up IPMI on all of the nodes. You want to avoid > touching the harware or even going into the machine room whenever practical. > Why is IPMI so important? Because this is small cluster, we can physically inspect the faulty modes, not a big deal. I check the pricing, IPMI is extra $100/node or $4000/40 nodes=2 extra compute nodes. We are on tight budget, and every penny matters. That is why I sent this email to get advice concerning pricing. Ivan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://www.beowulf.org/pipermail/beowulf/attachments/20080727/7d1934be/attachment.html>