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The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide 2nd Edition eBook PDF Free Download
Edited by Andrew Skurka
Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail
Published by National Geographic
About the Book
The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide, 2nd Edition is edited by Andrew Skurka. This Second Edition textbook of Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide is published by National Geographic publications. Whether you're a first-time backpacker, an occasional weekend warrior, or a seasoned long-distance trekker, this guide is a must for any backpacking, hiking, or camping trip.
– Written by Supreme long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka who is a accomplished adventure athlete, speaker, guide and writer.
– Serves as essential guide to backpacking gear and skills.
– Author recounts what he's learned from more than 30,000 miles of long-distance hikes, including the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails, and the 4,700-mile Alaska-Yukon Expedition.
What You will Learn
The Topics Covered in this Textbook are
why, when & where
are you a hiker or camper?
why I'm a hiker
know before you go
tools & techniques
clothing, footwear
sleeping bags & pads
shelters, navigation
trekking poles, food
cooking systems
water, small essentials
backpacks, sample gear kits
trip planning checklist
clothing, footwear, sleep systems
shelters, navigation, trekking poles
stove systems, hydration
small essentials, packing
For Whom is this Book For
The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide: Tools and Techniques to Hit the Trail, 2nd Edition is perfect for Hikers and Athletes. It serves as Reference Material for those students who are pursuing their courses in Mountain Hiking and Adventures.
Format of the eBook: PDF Size: 200.5 MB
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|About this Recording
8.120607 - DAVIS, Miles: Early Milestones (1945-1949)
MILES DAVIS Vo l .1
"Early Milestones" Original 1945-1949 Recordings
"To have experienced 52nd Street between 1945 and 1949 was like reading a textbook to he future of music. You had Coleman Hawkins and Hank Jones at one club. You had Art Tatum, Tiny Grimes, Red Allen, Dizzy, Bird, Bud Powell, Monk, all down there on that street" (not to mention) "Erroll Garner, Sid Bechet, Oran Hot Lips Page, Earl Bostic" – every night … Miles Davis (Autobiography)
Generally regarded as the single most innovative player of modern jazz, Miles Davis arrived on the scene as it were at the right moment. With Dizzy Gillespie (b.1917) as his mentor and early role-model and peers that included Charlie Parker (1920-1955), John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and Thelonious Monk, he swiftly became the elemental force in the jazz revolution of the 1940s. The "patriarch of progressive", a self-styled, impenitent modernist impatient with accepted forms, he was forever blazing new trails. The quintessential "chameleon of cool" and "an hypnotic improviser", he was simultaneously both a popular and controversial figure. As influential in his day as Ellington had been in the previous generation, his music linked "the swing era to the hip-hop and rap world."
Born in Alton, Illinois, on 25th May, 1926, the youngest of three siblings, Miles Dewey Davis III was brought up in the middle-class suburb of East St. Louis. Encouraged at an early age by his mother Cleota to play the violin, his singular devotion to jazz first became apparent when, at thirteen, his father Miles Davis II, a successful dentist and small-holder, bought him his first trumpet. Single-mindedly, Miles applied himself to the rudiments of theory and, by gigging with local East St. Louis musicians (notably trumpeter Clark Terry and Sonny Stitt) had absorbed enough of the true St. Louis style to play professionally in bands from the age of fifteen.
He joined a local group, the Blue Devils, and when Billy Eckstine's bop-era big-band passed through was allowed to sit in. This event sparked a phase of Gillespie idolatry while Miles' youthful admiration also gravitated towards Harold Baker, Bobby Hackett and Freddie Webster but, as Alun Morgan observed, "the tremendous influence of Charlie Parker engulfed Miles like a tidal wave." Indeed, as Davis himself was later to admit, "the greatest feeling I ever had in my life -with my clothes on- was when I first heard Diz and Bird together in St. Louis, back in 1944." In September of that year, Miles the eighteenyear- old high-school graduate went to New York, officially to enrol at the Juilliard Institute of Musical Art in Manhattan but with a hidden agenda to seek out his idol on 52nd Street … ("I spent my first week in New York and my first month's allowance looking for him", he proudly boasted).
The obsession paid off: he joined forces with Bird and, virtually overnight, found himself working with Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter and Eddy 'Lockjaw' Davis. He made his first records (for Savoy, in April 1945) with the Herbie Fields band and his first with Parker in November (in the Be Bop Boys, a sextet whose first efforts included "Thriving On A Riff" and "Billie's Bounce") and over the next two years, a regular feature on 52nd Street in Parker's quintet, he quietly assimilated the bebop styles of Bird and Gillespie. By 1947, when he was awarded Esquire magazine critics' poll, he was recording with Parker for Savoy and Dial and with the Hawkins and Jacquet big bands for Aladdin and playing in Tadd Dameron's on radio. His first recording session featuring his own name (a quintet dubbed the Miles Davis All Stars) included the forward-looking "Sippin' At Bell's" and "Milestones". He had absorbed the essence of Parker's teachings yet remained true unto himself by the time he parted company with Bird in December 1948 and, at 23, was hailed 'prophet of cool' when his nonet first broadcast from the Royal Roost Club. In January 1949 he was at the helm when (at the suggestion of A&R man Pete Rugolo) cool was launched by the group which included Kai Winding (1922-1983), Lee Konitz (b.1927), Gerry Mulligan (b.1927) and Max Roach (b.1924) at the first of its three sessions for Capitol (later monumentally re-issued on LP as Birth Of The Cool, in 1957). The innovative understatement of these seminal recordings (whose overall sound has been likened to a tonal extension of Davis's trumpet) was underpinned by the rarefied efforts of Claude Thornhill's talented arranger Gil Evans (1912-1988), whose musical influences, far from strictly jazz-orientated, were rooted in the impressionism of Debussy and Ravel. However, neither this nor the second Capitol session (April 1949) made any real impact. The critical reception was itself decidedly cool, a commercial failure after which Davis temporarily devoted his time to small-groups in and around New York. In May he made his first appearance at the Paris Jazz Festival but at home work was, at least initially, harder to find. During 1949 he performed with Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey and others but soon fell victim to heroin which would intermittently plague his career until he finally kicked the habit in 1953. Thereafter, Davis rose, phoenix-like from the ashes. In 1955 he appeared triumphantly at the Newport Festival with his new quintet. An overnight star, by 1956 (when he signed the first phase of a long-term contract with Columbia records) he had emerged finally as the dominant jazz personage of the post-war era and, notwithstanding further bouts of uncertainty and self-doubt, remained into the 1990s one of the genre's most consistent innovators.
Miles Davis died in Santa Monica, California, on 28th September, 1991.
Peter Dempsey, 2001
(Charlie Parker)
(Charlie Parker)
3. CHERYL (Charlie
(Charlie Parker)
5. BUZZY (Charlie
(Miles Davis)
7. MILESTONES (Miles
LEAPS (Miles Davis)
(Charlie Parker)
WORM (Charlie Parker)
(Charlie Parker)
(Charlie Parker)
13. PERHAPS (Charlie
(Charlie Parker)
(Charlie Parker)
(Charlie Parker)
17. BUD-O (Bud
Powell–Miles Davis)
18. JERU (Gerry
19. GODCHILD (George
20. MOVE (Denzil
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subset: commoncrawl


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Before the Green Lantern panel, my thoughts regarding WonderCon could be boiled down to "My, how quaint." After the madness of Comic-Con, the experience of being able to walk freely and cover the exhibitor's floor in about ten minutes was refreshing. But the Comic-Con experience made itself known as fans lined out the door to get a new look at Green Lantern. The Esplanade Ballroom at the Moscone Center was packed and I was eager to see the footage that Steve saw yesterday at CinemaCon. It didn't disappoint. Hit the jump for my recap and thoughts on the Green Lantern footage.
Scribbling as fast as I could in the dark while the footage played, here's what they showed us:
The first scene is Abin-Sur (Temuera Morrison) aboard his spacecraft having a discussion with Sinestro (Mark Strong). Suddenly, the ship is attacked by Parallax and Abin-Sur is mortally wounded while trying to escape. He manages to make it to an escape pod and lands on Earth. Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) sees the downed spacecraft and pulls Abin-Sur free. He tells Abin-Sur to hold on and that he'll get him to a hospital, but Abin-Sur protests that Hal take the ring, the lantern (which is inside the escape pod), and recite the oath, but Hal doesn't know what the oath is. Before Abin-Sur can explain, he dies. With his death, the light of Abin-Sur's Green Lantern outfit, along with the outfit itself, goes out.
The next scene has Hal sitting in front of the lantern trying to figure out the oath. He puts on the ring and starts ad-libbing an oath: "I, Hal Jordan, pledge allegiance, to the lantern…" I don't remember the rest, but it was very funny. Then the lantern lights up, mesmerizes Hal, and he recites the real oath: "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power… Green Lantern's light!" Hal is then rocketed into space surrounded by the ring's green light and he is pulled towards Oa.
We then skip ahead and see Hal entirely in his Green Lantern outfit. Tomar-Re (voiced by Geoffrey Rush) explains to Hal that the mask is only necessary when he's trying to hide his identity to those outside the Corps and that on Oa, no one wears the mask. Tomar-Re then beings to mention his species and Hal interjects by reciting the species home planet and population. Hal then asks nervously how he could possibly know that information. Tomar-Re says the information is implanted on the ring-bearers mind, but explains that the Green Lantern Corps has never taken in a species as young as humans and admits his surprise that Hal can process the information the ring imparts. He then takes Hal outside to look at Oa. The design is really magnificent. It looks grand and otherworldly but also fresh. The cinematography was also impressive. Yes, there will be lots of action in Green Lantern, but it looks like director Martin Campbell and DP Dion Beebe have managed to keep the film captivating even when stuff isn't blowing up. Side-note: Green Lantern is in 3D, but the footage we were shown was in 2D.
We next move on to Sinestro giving a speech to the Corps. He explains the threat of Parallax and how it was able to kill even their greatest warrior Abin-Sur. Sinestro then makes a none-too-subtle dig at Hal by saying how Abin-Sur can never be replaced. Sintestro then rallies the troops and says that together, the Green Lantern Corps is still invincible. The members of the Corps then all light up their rings and shoot a beam of green light into the Oa sky.
We then get a lot of quick action scenes, including Hal fighting Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) and the footage ends with a really-cool image of Hal firing a ring-generated mini-gun.
While my worries about the visuals have subsided (although I don't know how it will all look in 3D), I'm now curious to see how the plot fits together. Based solely on the footage we saw today, there's more than enough story to see Hal's journey of becoming a Green Lantern and dealing with Parallax. So how does Hammond fit into this story? Where's the time to develop Hal's relationship with love-interest Carol Ferris (Blake Lively)? I'm satisfied that Green Lantern will look cool, but now I'm eager to learn more about the plot.
Afterwards, there was a panel featuring Reynolds and Lively and moderated by DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns. Both actors were upbeat and happy to talk about working on the film, but didn't have any new info to offer Green Lantern or other projects. It's worth mentioning that Reynolds charmed everyone in the audience with his quick wit. When Johns asked how Reynolds got in shape for the role, Reynolds calmly replied that he had a steady diet of adorable orphans. When a member of the audience commented on the nice alliteration of Reynolds' name, he responded by saying that his middle name is actually Rodney after an uncle that the family doesn't talk to anymore. If there's charm incarnate, it's Ryan Reynolds.
Reynolds was asked about Deadpool, but it's clear that he's waiting on 20th Century Fox to make the next move. However, when asked if it's more fun to play the hero like Green Lantern or if he prefers the villain like Deadpool, Reynolds quickly interjected, "Deadpool's not a villain. He's an ass-hole." While I don't think there's much chance of Fox moving forward on a hard-R anti-superhero movie—even with Reynolds attached—it looks like it will be one of the great "What ifs" of movie history.
However, you won't have to wait long to wonder if Hal Jordan and the GLC have successfully made it to the big screen. Green Lantern opens in 3D on June 17th.


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As I've recently booked a holiday to Cyprus in June, I have been getting a bit excited and been buying lots of Summery bits in preparation. My first stop was Primark as I knew it would deliver some bargain Summer pieces. You would have already seen this neon yellow bag in a recent outfit post and I am so in love with it.
I have needed a new beach towel for so long so when I saw this I was extremely happy and it went straight into the basket. Primark pieces are getting so pretty, including this bargain £5 playsuit and this really cute floral swing dress, both of which I can't wait to wear!
I think one of my favourite pieces from this trip has to be this bright high waisted bikini set; I love the pattern and it's such a flattering shape. I'm so pleased they sold the top and bottoms separate as I'm definitely a pear shape!
Overall I'm so happy with my new Primark purchases and it's making me very excited for my holiday.
I've having such a good Easter weekend which has so far consisted of seeing my girls, spending time with Dan and eating chocolate! Today I'm just chilling and doing bits and bobs I've been needing to do for a while (like sorting out my phone- zzz) and tomorrow Dan and I are off on an adventure which I'm sure I'll be blogging about, but definitely vlogging about.


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How HMRC judges gross profit rates
I came across the following text published in HMRC's Enquiry Manual , makes for interesting reading. You might like toRead More
Are you claiming the new Structures and Building Allowance for clients?
The following post is provided by one of our Partner firms The Capital Allowance Review Service (CARS). It has beenRead More
Reminder for clients re MTD
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Less is more say HMRC
I thought practitioners would find the following comments instructive. They arose from a recent exchange between me and the LetRead More
Expanded VAT return or MTDfB?
I wasn't in my bath when I had this particular Eureka moment, I was actually discussing the MTDfB changes withRead More
Taxing question for limited and unincorporated traders
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From my own experience as a human being, I have realized that what is real to me are my perceived sensory awarenesses that are based on my existence in a physical form at this moment. These sensations are very real but they are not true. What do I mean, they are not true?
What I mean in saying that my physical sensory perceptions are real to me but not true is that my sensory awareness perceives an extremely narrow band of existence. The larger, true picture of who and what I am cannot be wholly perceived by my senses until I experience the truth. What is the truth of who and what I am?
The truth about who and what I am is that I am my soul's projection of my Monad. This soul projection projects my human hologram which is my soul's Avatar. My soul takes on a physical form. When I realize, accept and function as a soul having a human experience, I expand my awareness to be able to perceive Spirit and ultimately BE the Primordial Light, that is, I realize that Spirit, God and I are one and the same. This is the truth of who and what I am. In the context of being in human form, I supposedly cannot see Spirit and all that it is. It isn't real. It's unseen. Invisible. However, I can experience Spirit and see my Primordial Light which is my Light Body and this experience, while not seeming real in the sensory reality, makes it true for me.
My truth is that I express from a soul level which is my experience and I cannot be refuted in this as I can feel and know it and I can replicate it and tell you about it and it will be similar to other humans who experience expressing from their soul. My soul experience may not be real to you but it is true for me.


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30 10 '17
Low magnitude, high frequency mechanical stimulation (LMMS) reduces adipose (fat) tissue and thus may be a method of reducing weight and health risks such as diabetes. A new study takes this concept to another level. Source: Science Daily | Read More
24 10 '17
In overweight and obese people, fat often gets deposited in the midsection of the body. Large amounts of this belly fat can lead to unhealthy changes in a heart's function and size. But according to new findings a bariatric surgical procedure, and the weight loss that follows it, actually allows the heart to return to…


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Main features of the Family Information Service Directory are: -
The combination of the simple to use features and the "click for more info" range has provided a really useful resource. It will surely make the Caerphilly Family Information Service Directory the first choice for all the family to search and find local information.
Caerphilly Family Information Service has achieved the Families First Quality Award for the 2nd time demonstrating just how well the service helps local families.
Having problems accessing these links? You can contact us in other ways:-


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There are no Perfect Relationships. . .Only Mirrored Ones!
In Febury Hassan's, "Would You Marry You?" An Introspection, through her series of antidotal relationship stories she contends that we can and are attracting the very relationships that we believe that we can have. Come explore the possibility that every relationship we are having is mirroring our own internal beliefs about life, love, the world we live in, and by changing our thoughts we CAN have amazing relationships!
Every relationship is merely a reflection of the relationship we are having with ourselves. All of our relationships are really only the external validation for what we believe is already the truth. Our relationships are a barometer for showing us where we are in the relationship with our self. Change your thoughts and your relationships change. Change your relationships and your world changes.
$ 15.00
$ 15.00Buy Now


text: October 8, 2016 The world needs you open. in Inspiration & Philosophy, Living Authentically, Spirit & Spiritual Practice with No Comments Bless the thing that broke you down and cracked you open because the world needs you open. ~ Rebecca Campbell More? true self care looks like this gaining true knowledge


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Fits all Kine cameras (Terra 4K, MAVO 6K and MAVO LF)
KineKIT-TERRA is designed and built by cooperation between Movcam and Kinefinity, and it interprets Movcam's design philosophy about camera accessories: lightweight, solid and easy-to-use.
KineKIT-TERRA takes into account of application of TERRA in typical scenarios, such as hand-held, with tripod, for shoulder application, with gimbal, for high and low shooting angles, etc., which makes it best choice for TERRA.
The top handgrip of KineKIT-TERRA is made of wood, higher cost but less weight. KineKIT-TERRA also has a top plate, a side support (though TERRA is far more solid than other DSLR cameras already) as well as a bottom Multiplate designed for 15mm system. Ergonomic design of Multiplate benefits much for shoulder application.
- Tunable TERRA Top Handgrip: There are two coldshoe sockets at the front and rear of the lightweight and solid wooden top handgrip. The two coldshoe sockets provide two locations for KineMON monitor with the help of special KineMON coldshoe mount(NOT included in the KIT). The top handgrip can be installed in opposite direction, so that you hold handgrip more balanced and secured when attaching a very heavy lens;
- Lightweight Rail with stopper: match the top of TERRA and top plate too. Tunable TERRA Top Handgrip is assembled on TERRA by the rail by clamp. The rail has stoppers at both ends to prevent accidental slipping.
- Lightweight TERRA Top Plate: KineMON Rotation Mount can be mounted on the front and left side of top plate. With 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16 threaded holes, the top plate can load different accessories;
- TERRA Side Support: provides extra the stability of the camera system;
- TERRA Multiplate: supports 15mm rod system, such as follow focus and matte box. Ergonomic design of Multiplate benefits much for shoulder application: the position of camera fixed to multiplate is tunable so as to balance the tripod; if equipped with shoulder pad, the pad can be moved back and forth, thus makes it easier to balance on shoulder;
- Two 15mm diameter aluminum Rods with length of 200mm.
KineKIT-TERRA has an option for shoulder pack, which includes:
- Movcam Shoulder Pad: x1;
- Movcam right-side wooden handgrip: x1;
- Movcam TERRA Trigger Cable, coiled: x1 – connect the control port of TERRA to the handgrip so as to trigger on or off by the button on the handgrip;
- Movcam KineMON Mount (tailored for KineMON): x1.


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Why watercolor? A history
Posted by Pat Kenrick on
I love watercolor paint for its unpredictability. I can try and create a certain design using techniques, but you never really know what you'll get until after you have laid down the paint. The variety of colors, gradients, and designs I've discovered with watercolor keeps me coming back for more. It's like the Grateful Dead's music; you never get the same thing twice. On a more practical note, watercolor paint has no smell. Unlike oils, where you have a strong smell, watercolor smells like nothing. Acrylic paint also has no smell, but you can't get the color gradients and playfulness with...
Home Decor: Gallery Walls
Posted by Pat Kenrick on
Gallery walls are the most recommended home decor trend these days. Having a gallery wall allow you to display many more pieces of your favorite artwork and mix different design elements to create a space that is truly representative of you and your family. Below are some ideas for gallery walls that I've thrown together. Hang unusual pieces, like the keys in the above wall, to create visual depth in your wall. You can also hang a clock-- or maybe even try multiple clocks in one galler wall! Use color in your gallery wall to pull in design elements...
My Favorite Artwork from 2017
Posted by Pat Kenrick on
Pat loves to create his art. In 2017 Pat created many new art pieces. Below are 4 of his favorites from this past year and why Pat loves each artwork. Moana I was inspired to create Moana after watching the movie. She is strong and empowered by her love of family. I loved creating this three-color piece. Adding her very important necklace was fun because of the detailed cut-out work along the chain. Hogwarts Castle When I first decided to create Hogwarts, I wanted to capture the magical feel of the school. I laid down the black, fading into purple,...
Best Sellers
Posted by Pat Kenrick on
This time of year, it is so hard to know what to get everyone on your shopping list. Here are some of our best sellers to help you cross off some of those hard-to-shop-for people on your holiday list: Hogwarts Castle Lady Liberty Anchor & Wheel Mug Tree of Life Can't Wait Click here to shop these best sellers and more!
Customer Highlight: Meagan
Posted by Pat Kenrick on
I thought it might be fun to highlight a customer of ours. Meagan has been a long-time supporter. In fact, she was our very first customer. A best friend of Alexis', Meagan inspires many pieces by her love of all things cute, mermaid, and animals. We chose to interview her for the blog. Check out her answer! Why do you like our art? I love your art for many reasons, one because you make it:). two because you cater to everyone, from the princess and hero lovers all the way to the dinosaurs freaks like my self and every one...


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The great importance gained by the service and minerals market at Polysius has been taken account of by creating this new division of the Executive Board.....
POLYCOM® high-pressure grinding rolls in an Indonesian mine.
Read More>>
Lime Production Expertise
Read More >>
Gentle grinding by means of a POLYCOM® high-pressure grinding roll.
Read More >>
Following the acquisition of Maerz AG by Polysius two years ago, the two companies developed a joint strategy for the lime market
Read More >>


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Our latest PowerPoint Training Course on Udemy (Coupon inside)
Our latest Online PowerPoint Training Course on Udemy: Creative PowerPoint Picture Editing Course. ===================================== Join now and get 90% OFF with this Udemy Coupon Link : ===================================== https://www.udemy.com/course/creative-powerpoint-photo-editing-course/?couponCode=YOUTUBESPL This PowerPoint training has video tutorials for basic and picture editing tools in PowerPoint. You will find : * How to create various picture effects like washout, transparency, brush or tear effect. * How to manipulate your pictures to create 3D cubes, Puzzles, Mobile mockups etc. * Design creative photo effects like pop up, 3D effect, photo merge etc. in a few…Read More


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As the demand for the sleek look of undermount sinks continues to grow, Franke has extended its iconic Centinox sink design with four stainless steel undermount models. This offers the flexibility to be mixed and matched to suit requirements for functionality and design.
Also available is an inset Slim-Top edge profile model.


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Are You Prepared for the Next Earthquake?
Californians must practice and be prepared for the next earthquake. Being prepared can help your family survive and recover quickly after an earthquake. Today millions of people around the world will practice how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On during the annual Great Shakeout.
Here are some reminders for earthquake preparedness:
You may want to consider purchasing earthquake insurance. Standard homeowner's insurance does not usually cover earthquake damage, and it is in your best interest to ensure that you are properly covered. In most cases, it can take 30 days after purchase for a policy to take effect, so it's important to take care of this before the next big one happens.
I always appreciate hearing from you, so please feel free to stay in touch by email, or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson
State Senator, 19th Senate District


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- - Remind each other of Allah (SWT) when you set eyes on each other.
- - Leave each other's company with a higher level of imaan [faith in Allah (SWT)].
- - Inevitably start the conversation with the Islamic greeting 'As-Salaamu Alaykum', and receive the masnoon reply for it.
- - Do the masnoon mu'aanaqah (hug) and musafahah (handshake) on a regular basis.
- - Almost always mention Allah (SWT), Noble Qur'an, Ahlul Bayt or Hadith in some context or the other, in your conversations.
- - Strengthen each other's belief on the Hereafter. Give each other more duaa's (well wishes) than material gifts.
- - Always end up exchanging useful and mature ideas and thoughts. Love each other above and beyond worldly benefits.
- - Attend religious study-circles/ halaqah's together. Have prayed salaah together many times.
- - Have watched each other cry, out of love of Allah (SWT) or out of regret for committing a transgression.
- - Listen attentively if the other is saying something that pleases Allah (SWT).
- - Politely point out and reform each other's mistakes or bad habits in the best way possible.
- - Return an Amanah (item placed in other's trust/safekeeping) belonging to the other in its original state.
- - Smile together, but with decent, non-malicious humor. Enquire regularly about the health of the other's family.
- - Become uninterested and change the subject if the other starts to say something that is impermissible.
- - Always discourage the other if they plan to do something wrong.
- - Always encourage the other if they intend to do a good deed that they're hesitant to do.
- - Consult each other in important matters. Give each other advice seriously and sincerely.
- - Never waste each other's time in useless activities. Never invite the other to a place or gathering of sin.
- - Have full trust that they will never reveal secrets or personal problems to others, nor will they gossip about you behind your back.
- - Address each other in a respectful and loving manner. Forgive each other's faults and shortcomings, and hide them from others.
This list I found here reminded me how much I love and appreciate my
friends sisters. Alhamdulilah, I feel like a lot of the things mentioned here are a reflection of my friendship with my sisters in Islam. The best thing about my friendship with my girls is our constant remembrance of Allah when we're together. Never in my life have I had friends that truly loved me for the sake of Allah and who truly cared for my well being. They're always there when I need them more than anything and no matter how dire the situation they remind me that the answer to everything is duaa.
Our love for Allah unites us
I miss them :(
Wiwi & Riri for Life always inshAllah
I love our special salam handshake [La Ilaha Illa Allah]
I love this girl
No matter the distance, may we always be close inshAllah.


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Episode 79: Replay Kyle from UFO Proof and Happy Easter
This is replay episode with Kyle from the YouTube channel UFO Proof. Kyle takes us through his personal UFO experiences and what eventually led to the creation of the YouTube channel.
Kyle's Details
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWy1dcYNXEWiVsTTaP96Ig
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UFOPROOF4TRUTH/
Website: https://www.realufoproof.tk/
Website: https://www.ruddernation.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ufoproof
The Show Stuff
Checkout our new UFO BUSTER RADIO GOODIES!! https://shop.spreadshirt.com/UFOBusterRadio/
New Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MannyMoonraker/
Patreon: Become a patron of the show and help us gear up with technology worthy of investigating UFO sightings both historical and new. www.patreon.com/ufobusterradio
UFO Buster Radio YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCggl8-aPBDo7wXJQ43TiluA
To contact Manny: firstname.lastname@example.com, or on Twitter @ufobusterradio
Call the show anytime at (972) 290-1329 and leave us a message with your point of view, UFO sighting, and ghostly experiences or join the discussion on www.ufobusterradio.com
For Skype Users: bosscrawler
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Quick Links
Adult, alternative and continuing education and night school programs are offered at
Gary Allan High School, in several locations in Halton.
Gary Allan High School,3250 New Street, Burlington, ON L7N 1M8
Tel: 905-632-2944Fax: -905-637-5390
Kerr Street Mission485 Kerr Street, Oakville, ON L6K 3C6
Tel: 905-632-2944
E.C. Drury School,215 Ontario Street South, Milton, ON L9T 4N5
Tel: 905-878-2244Fax: 905-878-7350
Gary Allan High School,
96 Guelph Street, Georgetown, ON L7G 3Z5
Tel: 905-873-8783Fax: 905-873-8830
Visit Gary Allan High School for more details or call 905-632-2944.
Halton District School BoardJ.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph LineBurlington, Ontario, L7P 5A8
Phone: 905-335-3663Fax: 905-335-9802


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Globe Light - 10" Arctic White
Product Details
See the world, see the light. A bold and elegant globe light in Arctic White. Illuminated with an energy efficient LED bulb that uses up to 90% less energy than traditional bulbs. Cable length 150cm (5ft). All Globe Lights include a USB cable, and can be powered using a USB connection or via a mains plug socket. Size: 254 x 254 x 343mm


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*Due to COVID-19 concerns, Group Events are unavailable until further notice.*
Our group events are perfect for schools, scouts, church groups, or corporate team building! Conquer our 50 ft walls with experienced staff on hand to belay for the eager climbers. In addition to climbing, we have a separate group room with a kitchenette, tables, and chairs that are available after the climbers are worn out from their 1.5-hour climbing session. Instructors and all rental gear is included. Book online below!
School Groups
Spire offers discounted rates for public and private school groups of up to 50 participants. Climbers are pushed to use their brains and brawn to solve problems, communicate effectively, and trust their fellow climbers. Spire provides all climbing gear and an instructor ratio of 1:5.
How to reserve:
To reserve a group, complete our online group reservation request form, and we will contact you to set up your group.
All Other Groups
How to reserve:
To reserve a group please book online (below) or complete our online group reservation request form here and we will contact you to set up your group. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve all Group Climbing Events. Please call us with any other questions.
Our Meeting Room


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Rio Crackdown Nets Alleged Kingpin
As security forces chase gang members responsible for a weeklong, violent crime wave in Rio de Janeiro, they capture alleged drug lord Elizeu Felicio de Souza. Video courtesy of Reuters.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... tracking a drug Lord in Islam in Rio de Janeiro ... as security forces chased gain members responsible for the week-long crime wave in the beachside city that killed at least forty six people ... they also are rested alleged drug Lord ... of the Zhu family CEO D'Souza ... police say he ran a drug ring in one of Rio's most violent community ... he was arrested in two thousand and two on charges of murdering a journalist ... but escaped in two thousand and seven ... officers are conducting house to house searches and ever rested thirty gained members and seized weapons and drugs ... authorities have cast doubt on as part of a larger effort to stamp out violence in the city ahead of the Olympic Games scheduled for twenty sixteen ... Deborah later back Reuters ...


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My itsy bitsy garden has felt like a tragedy this summer, because even though it faces due south, my deck doesn't get as much sunlight as I expected. But while slow, the plants have all been growing, and despite my full expectations to the contrary, I actually got a couple blue morning glory blooms! In July! On puny runty far-from-luxuriant plants! My lantana, purslane, petunias and evovulus aren't doing bad at all either.
On Saturday I went to the movie theater and got a free small birthday popcorn that I upgraded to medium for a dollar, thanks to my member card there. Quite a treat! And War for the Planet of the Apes was fabulous. I'm really looking forward to a boxed set of the entire trilogy. Can't forget to mention the blessing of parking under my beloved hackberry tree--made even more precious because that was when the AC on my car broke, at 90 degrees with 72 degree dew point.
Saturday evening I finished pass 5 of my third Geren book. Super excited to have pass 6 underway about half a month ahead of my schedule.
Blessed by timing. The AC going out on poor Cerulean, after all the other things that have broken/are breaking lately, is the sign I need to say goodbye to my 17-year-old 'baby' pretty soon. But I'd already arranged with the Towners to borrow their minivan while they are both in Alaska for about two weeks.
One reason I'd wanted to borrow the minivan was for chair shopping, since there's no way I can fit furniture in my tiny car. To my delight, my first choice up for sale on Craigslist was still available and I was able to pick it up on Sunday. Now I have a nice green wingback chair in my bedroom for my devotional times!
And today makes 24 years and 5 months since I first 'met' t'DoL. I've a month countdown written on my mermaid pillow--7 months left to 25 years!!


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[Previous] | [Session 122] | [Next]
R. J. Nemiroff (Michigan Tech)
To maximize the number of transients discovered on the sky, should sky-monitoring projects stare at one location or continually jump from location to location, tiling the sky? If tiling is preferred, what cadence maximizes the discovery rate? As sky monitoring is a growing part of astronomical observing, well thought out answers to these questions are increasingly important. Answers are shown to be source, sky, and telescope dependent, and should include information about the transient luminosity function near the observation limit, the duration of variability, the duration of down and slew times, and the nature of the dominant noise. Typically, sky monitors should stare at a single region of the sky only until the apparent source/transient brightness distribution slope falls more shallow than a given power law that is a function of the above parameters, or risk losing more numerous sources/transients occurring in neighboring fields. Example cases are discussed including SuperMACHO, LSST and GLAST.
[Previous] | [Session 122] | [Next]
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.


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New Car Sales Are Revving Up
New models plus incentives have more Americans sporting new wheels.
Look for new-car sales to continue to climb for the rest of this year, with sales for the year likely totaling just shy of 12 million. Automakers had hoped for a better year, but many potential buyers want the economy to show more oomph before taking the plunge.
Still, 2010 will go into the books as far better than 2009 -- when the deepest recession since the 1930s held sales to just 10.4 million vehicles -- and will set the stage for a stronger 2011 when sales are likely to reach 13 million.
The slow, ongoing recovery in coming months and, especially, an easing of credit are underpinning stronger car sales, helping to ensuring black ink for most automakers.
Ford is doing best. It will lift its market share to around 17% by year-end, from 15.6 % in 2009, while GM, Toyota and Chrysler each lose ground.
But General Motors is on the comeback trail, likely retaining its spot as the top-selling automaker in the U.S. this year with a 19.4% market share.
Its redesigned Chevy Equinox and Cobalt, Buick Regal and Lacrosse, Cadillac SRX and other models are posting decent sales. And while the Chevy Volt -- a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle -- draws a lot of press, GM's Chevy Cruze, set to hit the market in December, is likely to be a bigger hit.
In fact, the Cruze is emblematic of the new GM. The compact vehicle sports an ultra-smooth-ride rear suspension, sound-deadening glass and materials and an interior that rivals the roominess of midsize sedans. It will be priced competitively with Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas, thanks in part to GM's bankruptcy court-led reorganization that sliced several thousand dollars off the cost of making each vehicle via lower labor and operating expenses, says David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, an automotive consultancy.
GM will soon issue an initial public offering of stock, with proceeds going to help repay the government for its $43 billion majority stake in the company. The Obama administration, which effectively controls the company via its handpicked board members, is eager to show taxpayers that they'll be repaid in full.
"GM also is eager to pay back the U.S. because the money is a 'negative' with some consumers who are buying Fords instead," says George Magliano, director of automotive research for North America with IHS Automotive, another industry consultancy.


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As one of the top Chicago contemporary art galleries, we are pleased to introduce Phil Saxon. Phil creates completely original, figurative mixed media paintings on paper and canvas that appear at once both contemporary and aged. Saxon's subjects and style, although individually unique, are strongly influenced by the early 20th century modernist artists, especially Picasso, Matisse, Nolde and Giacometti.
Believing that we experience a common range of emotions in life, Saxon attempts to convey these universal experiences in abstract terms through his complex, often mysterious figurative drawings. Phil's objective is to provide a personal response in the viewer's eye as well.
Upon viewing his work for the first time one might ask with curiosity: "Is this current 21st century modern art or is it antique 19th century art? Is it a male or female figure? What is this person's occupation? Is he wearing a hat or a helmet?" Saxon's work is intriguing and ambiguous, yet timeless!
Depending on what direction one decides to take with picture framing, his original drawings can be ultimately transformed into traditionally detailed or cutting edge sleek. Creative framing makes Phil's figures "pop," adding character and an element of surprise to any room. They can be made extra large and bold, framed as a subtle pair or even combined into a varied-size wall grouping.
Saxon works from his studio in Racine, Wisconsin. His work is held in private collections throughout the United States.
To view a selection of Saxon's original paintings and explore a wide range of fine framing options, visit one of the top Chicago art galleries, Art Post Gallery in Northbrook, Illinois.


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BTOB's Yook Sungjae Assures Fans His Eye Is Fine
BTOB's Yook Seungjae has thoughtfully tried to ease the worries of his fans about his bloodshot left eye.
On July 10, the singer wrote on Instagram, "I was told I ruptured a blood vessel in my eye because of the pressure when I bungee jumped. It will be fine after a few days, so don't worry," reassuring his fans not to be too concerned.
Yook Sungjae had previously gone bungee jumping and also uploaded a shot of himself from during the jump.
Meanwhile, BTOB dropped their fifth single "LUV" in Japan last month, where they sold 77,000 copies within a week of its release, and reached number one on the weekly singles chart of Oricon.
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TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran said on Saturday it needed 20 uranium enrichment plants to provide fuel for its nuclear power plants, an announcement likely to heighten tension with six major powers over the Islamic state's nuclear ambitions.
"To provide fuel for our nuclear power plants, we need to have 20 uranium enrichment plants," the official IRNA news agency quoted Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, as saying.
In a defiant response to last week's International Atomic Energy Agency vote rebuking Iran for building a second enrichment plant in secret, Tehran said on Sunday it would build 10 more sites like its Natanz underground one monitored by the
Iran has one nuclear power plant, under construction by Russia. Analysts say Iran will need many years if not decades for such a major expansion of its enrichment capability.
The IAEA resolution urged Iran to stop all activities related to enrichment, allow unfettered IAEA inspections and guarantee it is not hiding more sites.
Western powers have warned Iran it is rapidly approaching an end-of-year deadline to accept a U.N.-drafted nuclear fuel deal which calls on Tehran to send 75 percent of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) from Natanz to Russia and France to be turned into fuel for a Tehran medical research reactor.
The proposal to farm out most of Iran's LEU reserves is aimed at minimizing the risk of the country refining the material to the 80-90 percent grade suitable for a bomb.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the fuel exchange proposal was still on the table, state radio reported on Saturday.
"We have three options ... we produce fuel, or exchange it (inside Iran) or buy it from another country," Mottaki said.
Iran says its enriched uranium is only for electricity generation. But the country's record of nuclear secrecy and lack of power plants to use the low-enriched uranium has convinced the West that Iran is hiding a program to develop nuclear weapons capacity.
Iran added to the West's concerns on Friday by saying it will provide the IAEA with the bare minimum of information about its plan to build new sites.
Iran's parliament said on Thursday the Islamic state will review its co-operation level with countries that voted against its nuclear activities at the IAEA.
The measure passed by a 25-3 margin with six abstentions, smoothed by rare backing from Russia and China, which have blocked global attempts to isolate Iran in the past.
Mottaki downplayed the threat.
"They still have time to correct their mistake and return to the right path," Mottaki said without elaborating.
Iran dismissed on Saturday France's Total from investing in development of the country's phase 11 of the South Pars gas field, state television reported. It was unclear whether that move was related to the threat of retaliation, however.
Salehi accused the West of maneuvering to force Iran to leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), saying "Iran has no plans to pull out of the NPT."
Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Sonya Hepinstall
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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One of my constant blog supporters has come from the lovely Natasha creator of Danger De Lux accessories and blogger. Her edgy Rockabilly style shows through in her designs and her passion for the culture. Here's a small sampling of her fabulous fasinators available at Rowena and Danger De Lux's Etsy Store.
As soon as I saw the soft pink flower with gingham accent, I knew exactly what outfit it was meant for…the Deadly Dames Gingham Courtesan Swing Dress! They are a perfect compliment to one another and versatile enough to pair with your favorite summer outfits. The soft pink color is striking but not overpowering.
You can all laugh at me, but the two plum ranunculus flowers are actually shoe clips but I thought they were for your hair! Lol…oops! The clips are meant to attach to the back of your heels or the front, whatever your fancy. To make them more versatile, I may add a little alligator clip so they can also be worn in my hair as well. The shoe clips are too shallow and damaging for your hair, do not try this at home. 🙂
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This note argues that the lack of awareness of our shared interests as Europeans is one of the main causes for the inexistence of a true European constituency made up of individual able to act politically upon their interests at continental level. Mainstream European political parties have not taken up the challenge of articulating such interests at pan-European level and have rather left the work of engaging with their citizens to national parties.
The result is that decisions at European level – especially in areas where the EU as no (or limited) competence – are taken often on the basis of national interests, which recent crises have proved to be against the overall European interest and, ultimately, against that of its citizens.
This short piece therefore suggests that investments need to be made on raising awareness of our common interest as Europeans and to the definition of a clearer vision for Europe in the 21st century. This would contribute to transforming Europeans citizens into a constituency willing (and able) to put forward ambitious reforms for Europe that require significant transfers of sovereignty and, therefore, broad citizens' support.
1. Global challenges but national interests in Europe.
Challenges are increasingly global. It is increasingly obvious that many issues cannot be dealt with effectively by any single country alone. This is clear for most challenges such as climate change, global governance, migration, smuggling, terrorism, tax evasion just to name a few.
However, in the absence of a global political sphere, the legitimacy to deal with any of these global challenges is often constructed at the national level. It follows that the approaches that are defined to tackle such challenges are often framed as opposing national interest, or as opposing interests of actors at various levels (e.g. local or global level).
In Europe, thanks to the European Union and its institutions, the articulation of interests can go one level higher compared to what happens in most countries. The iteration between the expression of citizens' interests and the decision-making process does not happen only at local, regional and the national levels but goes up to the regional/European level. This additional level allows citizens of small and medium countries to have an impact, through the democratic process, on issues that they would normally not be able to influence.
However such enhancement of European citizens' sovereignty does not materialise in all instances. It does indeed take place in areas where the EU has competence to act and where the European Commission is in the position to frame its policies in line with a common European interest. This is certainly the case for the policies addressing internal EU challenges such as the management of the internal market, regional development, research and innovation, employment creation. This is also true for external policies such as trade and, increasingly, for foreign policy as proved by the creation of the Partnership Instrument which differently from the other cooperation instruments was introduced precisely with the objective of promoting the European (and mutual) interests[1].
On the other hand, such reinforcement of European citizens' sovereignty does not materialise fully when the European Commission has no competence to deal with an issue and the power remains in the hands of the European Council. This is because the Council works largely in an intergovernmental manner and its decisions are informed by the perceived interests of the majority of the national constituencies that the various governments represent. The representation of national interests, as it will be noted later in this paper, often lead to decisions damaging not only the European interest but also the interests of the citizens that the various national governments claim to defend.
In the following pages this national interest bias is further analysed and some suggestions on how to overcome it in a European context are provided.
2. Whose interest?
When hearing the words "European interest" some may even argue that there is not such a thing, or that the European interest is the sum of the national interest of its member states. However, that is not always the case. As noted earlier, if we think of key challenges such as the migration, climate change, defence, terrorism, economic growth, freedom of movement or ensuring a high level of welfare, it is easy to confirm that Europeans share a common interest which is that of dealing with these issues effectively. It is also easy to agree that dealing with these challenges is also in the national interest of individual countries.
However, while the "European interest" and "national interest" are aligned in the long run, they may collide in the short run, due to electoral cost of burden sharing and the cost of competence sharing with the EU. In other words, the national electoral cycle weights-in heavily in the balance between short-term national/electoral interest and long-term European/general interest. Furthermore, when the two collide, the former is often preponderant when the competences to deal with the matter lie in the member states represented in the Council and not in the European Commission.
Typically, the clash between these two sets of interests results in the EU's inability to deliver as the EU does not have the competence to act and, at the same time, member states do not have the tools to make a meaningful impact at "systemic level". In other words, as member states struggle to keep competences in areas in which they do not have any more the ability to have an impact, they impede the European level to take the lead and bring about more effective solutions to the detriment of the citizens. Moreover, reasoning on the basis of short-term national/electoral interest puts at odds the wish of national bureaucracies to keep the competence/autonomy to deal with the issue at stake and the necessity to tackle it at a higher (or more appropriate) administrative or political level, which lead to a vacuum of governance/government. The inability to deliver not only has a negative impact on general trust in the EU (seen as inactive) but also in the national political systems which are seen unable to deliver on the promises made by national governments.
When compromises are reached, often are sub-optimal and insufficiently ambitious to constitute a definitive solution (i.e. too little, too late syndrome) which leads to a "permanent emergency situation" which persists throughout the various attempts to fix what earlier half-baked solutions could not address due to the lack of political will at national level.
Delays in dealing with the various crises also results in increasing the costs of managing them in terms of social cost (e.g. following the economic crisis) and in significant negative externalities such as the rise of populist parties (e.g. due to the poor management of the migration crises) and the undermining of unity among Europeans (e.g Brexit and welfare/mobility debate in the UK).
Last but not least, decision-making on European issues based on national/electoral interests creates also a democratic problem in as much as national/electoral interest of more influential countries (and its citizens who can shape them) set the agenda and determine what is considered as acceptable and timely for the EU as a whole.
The desynchronisation between national and European/global interest also put citizens in competition with one another as rights which resulted from the articulation of interests within a national constituency are automatically extended to third parties without a complementary adjustment placed at supranational level (e.g. complementary welfare system in case of mobility). Such adjustments, however, especially as far as welfare and security are concerned, would require stronger democratic legitimacy to be put in place and, therefore, a pan-European constituency ready to rally behind it.
It follows that decision making on European/global issues according to national interests jeopardises the ability of Europeans to protect the key principles that are at the heart of the European project such as solidarity, European quality of life, equality among Europeans and unity, all of which have been seriously challenged by the economic crisis, the refugees crises and most recently by Brexit.
Faced by challenges - which are increasingly global – Europe is confronted with a persistent conflict of interest between national/electoral short term interest represented by national governments and the general/European interest. Despite the fact that in the long run the two interests may coincide such difference is exacerbated in the short run. Under the current institutional setting, national/electoral short-term interest will always prevail over the general European one, simply because there is not a sufficiently strong and organised European constituency to which all governments have to respond to and, ultimately, national governments are only accountable to their own national electorate (i.e. national interest bias).
In other words today's EU institutional setting is in a partial deadlock: in the absence of a European constituency - and faced with the imperfect EU institutional setting - the most viable solutions seem to be are the well-known "compromises" that are rarely sufficient solutions in the long run. In such a scenario, a fundamental change in the way citizens' interests are articulated at European level is desirable.
3. Interests require a constituency to matter
Despite the existence of a European interest – and as noted earlier even of a foreign policy instrument to promote it - up to now the awareness of such a shared interest has not trickled down to the majority of European citizens. Europe (or Brussels) is often talked about as something which is separate from national politics and often in contraposition with it and with national interests. It follows that despite the fact of having shared interests, Europeans are not aware of them and, therefore, they do not act politically to defend them. In other words the citizens of Europe have not yet developed a sufficient awareness of their shared interest to become a constituency able to promote change in line with their interests. The result is that interests keep being articulated primarily at national (and local) level through national (and local) constituencies. This continues to be the case despite the fact that the EU runs European elections for the European Parliament and that so called "European parties" put forward their candidates. Under such circumstances, why the awareness of belonging to the same constituency hasn't emerged? This is arguably linked to how political parties - as well as the EU itself – are structured and work.
Political parties, which historically had the role of articulating the interests of the citizens into political action have not delivered on this task at the European level. Mainstream European parties have rather acted as bureaucratic agglomerates of largely different national parties that meet before the European elections to define their minimum common denominator rather than developing direct links with their (European) constituency. Most importantly, they develop their minimum common denominator through a process that does not involve their membership base – which often does not even realise that their party is a member of a pan-European party.
This means that the articulation of political interests into political action at European level through mainstream European parties has not contributed to build a constituency of European citizens aware of their shared interests and ready to act politically at European level. Traditional European party up to now have relied largely on national parties for any relation with the grass-root.
The "spitzenkandidaten" process, leading to the indirect election of the President of the European Commission through the European Elections, is probably the only major improvement towards the Europeanisation of the European elections and contributed to identify slightly more directly European parties with their affiliated entities at national level. However, this innovation is certainly not sufficient to build a sense of belonging to the same constituency. A true pan-European electoral list could be set up to address this issue at the next European elections and allowed to be voted by citizens from across the continent. A proposal along these lines was put forward during the 2009-2014 European Parliament legislatures but did not gather sufficient support.
At the same time, if traditional European parties shied away from the attempt of articulating the interests of European citizens directly at European level, some pan-European political movements attempted to do so and build such a pan-European political space for debate. One is the European Federalist Party, which for the 2014 European elections joined forces with Stand Up for Europe and took part in European elections in six countries with candidates defending the same programme drafted and voted by its members from across Europe. Despite the moderate electoral results, such an attempted to develop a more grass-root pan-European approach to political participation in Europe showed that it is possible to articulate interests at European level. The full impact of initiatives of this kind in building a pan-European constituency is yet to be assessed, but it seems that that they contributed to trigger a positive evolution in some mainstream European parties which have also started granting membership to individuals directly.
Overcoming the crises by developing a clearer vision for Europe
If we consider the weak awareness of the European interest among Europeans, and the sub-optimal functioning of the EU due to the national interest bias and the lack of a European constituency able to advocate for the European interest, the crises that Europe has been facing over the past few years are not the main problem, but they have rather crystallised the shortcomings of the EU's imperfect institutional architecture.
The more interesting part of the crisis, therefore, becomes the way we address it. In Chinese the word crisis (i.e. 危机) is composed by two characters: "danger" and "opportunity". From this angle, the crises Europe is facing are certainly "dangers" as they are putting into question some principles at the heart of the European project on and could even lead to the disintegration of the EU as we know it. On the other hand, they could also be "opportunities" to improve the EU's architecture and enhance the resilience of our institutions and democratic processes.
To benefit truly from such crisis, however, we need first to assess what Europe's crises actually are.
If we look at the crises that Europe has been facing over the past decade, most of them are exogenous: the financial crisis that engendered the economic crisis started in the US, the migration crisis has been triggered by the conflict in Syria and by the instability in our neighbourhood. The key issue is therefore why these crises have become permanent conditions. The answer is arguably threefold:
- they have not been managed decisively, primarily because of short-term national/electoral interests (e.g. euro-crisis),
- they became permanent due to the structural weakness of EU's institutions vis-a-vis member states who constantly delay the implementation of necessary solutions (e.g. migration crisis),
- European leaders acted without a clear vision and did not consider the implications of their (non)decisions (with one notable example being German Chancellor Merkel initial statement on the refugees crisis).
However, rather than opting to sort out fully the institutional weaknesses and reinforce the democratic legitimacy of the EU institutions (which would have been needed to put in place legitimately the ambitious policies needed to address the root-causes that allowed the crisis to unravel) it was decided to empower the Troika which was perceived as imposing reforms and supporting technocratic governments. Such decision turned the crises into a democratic crisis. The latter evolved into the current political crisis which de-legitimised elected governments in certain countries, disenfranchised part of the electorate - which reduced its electoral participation - and ultimately led to the rise of populist and nationalist parties later galvanised by the poor management of the following crises that hit Europe.
In other words Europe - under the national interest bias - muddled through the recent crises without a clear understanding of what was our shared interest as Europeans, nor which should have been the guiding principles for our action. In this light, the actual European crisis can be considered first and foremost as an identity crisis based on lack of a shared vision and purpose for the European Union in 2016.
How to build a European constituency and give room to a European interest?
This short piece argued that the lack of awareness of our shared interests as Europeans is a cause for the inexistence of a true European constituency made up of individual able to act politically on their interests at continental level. Mainstream European political parties have not taken up the challenge of attempting to articulate such interests at pan-European level and have rather left the work of engaging with their citizens to national parties.
The result is that decisions at European level – especially in areas where the EU as no (or limited) competence – are taken often on the basis of national interest, which has proved to be against the overall European interest and that of the citizens. This has clearly been the case for the recent crises that Europe has faced which could ultimately be traced back to a more fundamental identity crisis.
Against this backdrop, how to ensure that Europeans becomes better aware of their shared European interests and that the EU becomes better able to tackle its crises?
– Today's national debates are quasi-waterproof to one-another, which tend to exacerbate the misunderstanding among Europeans rather than finding common ground. It is crucial to build true European debates to understand from a European perspective the various aspects of each crisis: European crises require European debates, visions and solutions. Awareness of the implications of each crisis by individuals from across the continent is a necessary condition to create the necessary empathy among people which is a necessary condition for solidarity to emerge.
– It is time to recognise that European interest and national interest do not necessary coincide and that increasing national interest also clashes with the citizens' interests of seeing the current crises overcome. This awareness should be taken into account when reforming the EU in order to reduce the weight of the institutions that represent primarily national interests (i.e. European Council). On the contrary, considering that organisations at any level tend to pursue their own interests of conserving or maximising their leverage, the concept of "citizens' interest" instead of "national interest" should be framed as the key principle of policy-making in Europe.
– Issues that are considered of national interest (e.g. national sovereignty, budget, welfare, security) need to be framed within a European system of checks and balances ensuring interpersonal justice, interregional justice, intergenerational justice. To overcome the national interest bias we need to reorganise the division of tasks/competences and budgets in line with citizens' interests and develop policies at the appropriate level to respond to European citizens' needs from as close as possible to them according to the principle of subsidiarity (e.g. local level, regional level, national level, European level). Passing on national sovereignty to the more appropriate level will ultimately lead to more sovereignty for the citizens (not less as nationalists argue) as people's interests will be translated into policy decisions better able to deliver than individual national initiatives.
– It is time to outline a clear European vision: where is Europe and Europeans heading towards and why? It is crucial to go back to the source of political legitimacy (i.e. the people) and rediscover together the principles at the heart of our societies and democracies. At a time where the search for identity is so pressing, it is fundamental to determine our long term shared interest and objectives as Europeans (if not as global citizens) in order to be able to define the institutional tools better placed to achieve them. Such European dialogue should be a generational exercise carried out through a pan-European participatory process that would lead to the definition of a new "social contract" for 21st century Europe.
Pietro De Matteis, PhD (Cantab), President of the European Federalist Party, Board member of Stand Up for Europe


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Olson Applauds Victory Against Ammunition Ban
Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) today issued the following statement of strong support after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced plans to suspend its proposal to ban the M855 "green tip" ammunition, used in the AR-15 rifle - the most popular rifle in America:
"Liberals in Washington were unsuccessful in restricting our gun rights through a ban on firearms, so instead they attempted a backdoor approach by going after the ammunition via an executive order. That's why 238 of my House colleagues and I sent a letter to ATF urging them to stop this overreach. Our efforts were complimented by 53 of our Senate colleagues who sent a similar letter. According to media reports, the public outcry was immediate with ATF receiving more than 80,000 public comments with a majority of them strongly criticizing the proposal.
"I will continue to protect our constitutional right to keep and bear arms. I'm glad ATF heard the public outcry and will continue to monitor any effort by government to violate our constitutional rights."


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World Growth Press Release Monday December 2 2012
– NGO: Green misuse of 'prior consent' on land use will limit economic growth in developing countries
DOHA, Qatar and JAKARTA, Indonesia, Dec. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire — Pro-development NGO World Growth has warned against a campaign by groups such as Greenpeace and Rainforest Action Network to require prior consent by local people for forestry and agriculture projects that generate greenhouse emissions. The NGO says the campaign is a ruse to ensure that international climate change policies will limit economic growth.
World Growth's new report – Who Decides: Community Consent and Land Use — examines recent demands by Green groups for the "Free Prior and Informed Consent" (FPIC) of local people as a precondition for land developments. It includes a case study of Indonesia where land disputes are common because of overlapping laws.
"Greenpeace and Rainforest Action Network are now demanding that FPIC also be a condition for actions by developing countries to reduce emissions. This report shows FPIC is being used as a political tool to stymie development," said World Growth Chairman Ambassador Alan Oxley.
"Free, prior and informed consent' (FPIC) has become a campaign goal of environmental campaigners in recent years. The FPIC narrative for environmental campaigners is simple: the private sector is engaging in projects that adversely impact on local communities and the solution is to ensure local people exercise FPIC before large-scale projects commence.
"FPIC was originally intended to apply to arrangements between governments and indigenous groups based on their customs. Environmental campaign activists such as Greenpeace and WWF have taken FPIC In a different direction. They want FPIC to apply to all resource projects, not only for indigenous groups, but also all "affected" communities. This is not about supporting indigenous rights, but about stopping development altogether."
"A number of Western Green campaign groups have seized upon land disputes in Sumatra, exploiting them to protest against private sector investments in agriculture and forestry."
"In the past two years there have been a number of high-profile land-conflict cases that have led to injuries and fatalities. Sensationalist claims such as beheadings were even reported to the media, and later found to be false."
"Research shows Indonesia already has both legal and regulatory mechanisms for dealing with land disputes. Western activists have ignored this and instead demanded that customary landowners should have the right of "free, prior and informed consent." (FPIC).
"Applying FPIC beyond indigenous groups can potentially undermine the rule of law. The implication of the Greenpeace-WWF model is that established land tenure and property rights within legal frameworks should be disregarded, and made subordinate to an over-arching concept of FPIC that would sit over the top of existing legal frameworks.
"This would seem to have more to do with halting development projects altogether by disrupting operations and increasing perceptions of risks associated with these projects."
Read the report at: http://worldgrowth.org/site/
To contact World Growth's experts email:
email@example.com or
phone +61-3-9614-8022
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Boris Sieverts
BioBorn in 1969, Sieverts works primarily as a tour guide. He attended the Düsseldorf Art Academy and has been employed as a shepherd as well as in architecture bureaus in both Cologne and Bonn. Sieverts has guided locals and tourists through the grey zones of sprawling urban areas and conurbations since 1997 through his alternative urban travel service, Büro für Städtereisen. With the help of sophisticated spatial sequences, he draws scenic connections between environments which otherwise are considered as extremely disparate. He then develops visions and continuative interpretations of the investigated landscape and settlement formations. Sieverts has also held the lecturing and other positions in Nantes, Leipzig, Kassel, Portland, Maastricht and Hamburg. His Solo exhibitions and co-operations have taken place in Germany, France and the USA. The artist currently lives in Cologne.


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So I got my sister something fun for her birthday... (clicky) I wonder if she'll see this before then.
Anyway, if you know her, don't forget to wish her a happy birthday next Tuesday!
Long-overdue Update
So... I've been really busy lately doing musicals and driving for hours and hours and stuff. I also changed the company that hosts the choir sites (and this site). Twice. I also had to spend some time updating to the latest version of Drupal (the software that runs this site). So... all these factors combined to the fact that I haven't made a real update in a long time.
Now it's time to give this site and the choir site some attention.
In other news, I recently ran sound for a production of Jesus Christ Superstar in Lebanon and designed lighting / ran sound for a production of Aladdin in Fishers. I've put photos from both of those productions online over in my own little photo gallery. Yes... that's right. Now that we're on a new host, I actually have room to put up new photos. Watch out... yours will be on here next!
If you're bored, you can also look at the photos from the choir's trip to Branson. I wasn't on the trip, so the photos were taken by Mr. Emig... but they're still interesting if you're curious as to what any of those crazy high school choir kids are up to.
Now I'm off to do a few updates on the choir site. See y'all soon!
My so-called graphic design skills
We have a winter concert rapidly approaching, so I whipped up a couple of posters to use as advertisements. I'll be the first to admit that any graphic design skills I have are purely illusionary, so any comments (good or bad) about these would be appreciated.
Take a look (click for larger version):
Also: If you're at that concert, you'd better be stopping by the booth and saying hello!


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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers are attempting to complete the sale of the club through a voluntary bankruptcy plan that would fully pay the club's debt to the creditors.
The club filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Fort Worth on Monday, a process they hope will transfer ownership from Hicks Sports Group to Rangers Baseball Express, headed by Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg and club president Nolan Ryan. The new owners want to be in place by the trade deadline on July 31, so that if the club wants to try to acquire reinforcements, they'd have more money in place to do so.
"We reached a total impasse," said owner Tom Hicks, referencing the negotiations between creditors, HSG and the Greenberg-Ryan group. "We approached Chuck and MLB and we all agreed this was the plan that would work to end the impasse and allow the Rangers to be sold to this investment group."
The plan would guarantee the lenders all of the $75 million owed by the club itself. The intention is to remove the club from the dispute and pave the way for the sale to be completed through the courts. Any additional proceeds, which should total a little more than $280 million, would go to HSG to pay the lenders. That's still well short of the entire $525 million amount that was defaulted on last March. It's likely that won't satisfy the creditors, who would then be dealing with HSG to recoup more money. Some of that could be accomplished through the sale of the Stars and any other HSG assets.
"I'm not expecting an overnight personality transplant," Greenberg said of the creditors. "Odds are they won't take this well. But the Rangers are going to be satisfying 100 percent of the franchise's obligations."
The list of creditors filed with the court includes Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who was traded six years ago and is still owed $24.9 million in deferred compensation. Kevin Millwood ($12.9 million), Michael Young ($3.9 million), Vicente Padilla ($1.695 million) and retired players Mickey Tettleton ($1.4 million) and Mark McLemore ($970,000) are also on the list. So are a gaggle of vendors.
Rodriguez played for Texas from 2001-03 after signing what was then a record $252 million, 10-year contract. He was traded to the New York Yankees before 2004 season, and that contract has since been replaced by a $275 million, 10-year deal with the Yankees.
Young, the longest-tenured Ranger in his 10th season, is the only current player among creditors listed in the filing. Neither Tettleton and McLemore have played for the club since the 1990s. Others among the top 30 listed in the filing are Tickets.com, Rawlings Sporting Goods Co., Clear Channel Outdoor and Stats Inc.
The sale is still dependent on approval by 75 percent of MLB's owners, but that's not expected to be an issue.
"This plan to complete the sale of the Texas Rangers serves the best interests of the team, its fans, MLB and all other parties involved," MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a news release. "This agreement assures an orderly process to expeditiously transfer Rangers ownership to the Greenberg-Ryan group, and it protects the franchise's baseball operations. Rangers fans can have confidence that their team has the resources it needs to compete."
The club has been operating under a budget approved by MLB in October. And MLB has agreed to loan the club $11.5 million so that it can operate during the transition. That money will be repaid from the proceeds of the sale. Greenberg acknowledged that he as "a larger budget," but that can't be put in place until the agreement is finalized.
The Rangers aren't the first MLB team to file for bankruptcy. The Chicago Cubs filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2009, allowing the new owners to avoid claims from creditors from the former owner, Tribune Co. The Baltimore Orioles were auctioned off in 1993 after filing for bankruptcy.
"Hopefully today will signal the beginning of the final stage of getting this resolved," said Greenberg, who reached a purchase agreement with HSG on Jan. 23, but the creditors haven't approved the deal. "It's our desire for this to be concluded as quickly as possible."
Greenberg said the business operations have been "paralyzed" by the delay. That includes the ability to market the team and expand the advertising base. Greenberg said he has a group of folks that he wants to bring in to help with that side of the operation, but can't hire them until the sale is complete.
The Greenberg-Ryan group includes about a dozen mostly local investors. An agreement in principle to buy the team from Hicks was announced Jan. 23, more than a month after the two sides entered into exclusive negotiations.
This is the 50th season of the franchise that began as the Washington Senators in 1961, and moved to Texas in 1972. The Rangers have never won a playoff series, going 1-9 in the postseason -- all against the Yankees -- after winning their only three AL West titles in a four-year span at the end of the 1990s.
Cash flow problems for the Rangers began in 2005, according to court records. Hicks had provided more than $100 million to the Rangers since purchasing the team, but problems have mounted over the years.
"Due to the unprecedented downturn in the U.S. economic and housing industry and global economic recession, other commitments and contractual restraints, Mr. Hicks was no longer willing to provide the same material financial support he had in the past," Kellie Fischer, the Rangers's chief financial officer, wrote in a separate filing Monday
The sale hasn't impacted the players, who have repeatedly said they are only worried about what's going on between the lines. The Rangers lead the AL West and are embarking on an 8-game, three-city road trip this week. Hicks, Greenberg and Ryan met with the team before they left for Kansas City later Monday.
"After a huge sigh of relief, the meeting went on," Young said. "Once we knew [bankruptcy] was a way to expedite the sale, we knew it wasn't that big of a deal."
New baseball players' union head Michael Weiner said he has "been assured that all contractual commitments to players will be honored in full."
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Richard Durrett covers the Rangers for ESPNDallas.com. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag.


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In the Spotlight
ADB Approves Use of India*s POWERGRID Safeguard System for ADB-Financed Projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the use of Power Grid Corporation of India*s (POWERGRID) safeguard system as the benchmark for planning and implementing safeguards in ADB-financed projects.
Strengthening Capacity to Apply Country Safeguard Systems
ADB and other development partners have been working with developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to establish or improve their country safeguard systems (CSS) through project support, policy dialogue, and technical assistance.
Strengthening Country Safeguard Systems for Effective Environmental Management
Countries and multilateral financial institutions recognize the need to establish and implement legal and administrative frameworks that assess potential risks and manage the impacts of development projects on the environment.
Country Safeguard Systems - An Overview
ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement calls for the strengthening country safeguards systems as an objective in itself, to ensure that such systems achieve the benchmarks set by international good practices. Read more
ADB's environmental and social safeguards are a cornerstone of its support to inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability in Asia and Pacific. In July 2009, ADB's Board of Directors approved the new Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) governing the environmental and social safeguards of ADB's operations. The objectives of the SPS are to avoid, or when avoidance is not possible, to minimize and mitigate adverse project impacts on the environment and affected people, and to help borrowers strengthen their safeguard systems and develop the capacity to manage environmental and social risks.
Safeguard Policy Statement
Available in English, Armenian, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, Dari, Hindi, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, Russian, Sinhala, and Vietnamese
Project Documents
- Combined Resettlement Framework and Indigenous Peoples Planning Frameworks
- Combined Resettlement Plan and Indigenous Peoples Plans
- Environmental and Social Management System Arrangements
- Environmental and Social Monitoring Reports
- Environment and Social Compliance Audit Reports
- Environmental Assessment and Measures
- Indigenous People's Planning Documents
- Program Safeguard Systems Assessments
- Resettlement Planning Documents
- Safeguards Due Diligence Reports
- Enhancing Lives: A Case Study of an Income Restoration Program in Viet Nam
- Health Impact Assessment: A Good Practice Sourcebook
- A Guidebook on the Compliance Review Function of ADB*s Accountability Mechanism 每 For ADB Management and Staff
- Safeguarding Myanmar's Environment
- Power Grid Corporation of India Limited - Agency-Level Use of Country Safeguard Systems


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Sony Flexes Its Wearable Tech Muscles With Core Fitness Tracker
LAS VEGAS — Sony is diving into fitness trackers with its Core device, a tiny sensor-filled product that can slip into wearable "skins," such as a bracelet or armband. It unveiled the device at CES 2014, and we got a little hands-on time with it.
When slipped into a wristband (what Sony calls a "SmartBand"), the Core looks like any number of trackers out there, from the Nike+ Fuelband SE to the Fitbit Force. The band sports the Sony design hallmark of a silver-colored circular button.
However, it's the Core's Lifelog software that really makes it stand out, recording more than just steps. The idea is you can go back along your timeline to see what you were doing at any given time, bookmarking events you want to remember. It's like Facebook, but for your movement.
The device and accompanying software are due to launch in the spring.
Mashable's Best Tech of CES 2014
Image: Mashable, Pete Pachal


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Terming the arrest of top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda as "stage managed", BJP today alleged a nexus between ruling BJD leaders and rebels and demanded a probe by a central agency.
"The so-called arrest of Sabyasachi seems to have been a stage managed drama. He was already with the police before the date on which the arrest was claimed to have been made," BJP's Odisha unit President K V Singhdeo told reporters here.
As reported in the media, Panda was definitely not caught on the date as claimed by the police. The recent drama was an attempt to divert people's attention from issues like scams which had put the government in a tight corner in the Assembly, he said.
Expressing doubt about a fair probe by the state police into cases involving Sabyasachi, Singhdeo said Odisha police would not be unable to take the investigation to its logical end as reports suggested that several ruling party leaders maintained links with the Maoists.
Under the circumstances, the state police would not be competent to conduct a proper probe and it would only try to shield political leaders, the BJP leader said.
"The police is not in favour of Panda's interrogation in the presence of his lawyer or family members, as directed by the court, as it is feared that they might spill the beans about nexus between Maoists and political leaders," he said.
"Therefore, investigation into the entire gamut of affairs relating to Sabyasachi and his activities should be handed over to a central agency," Singhdeo said.
He said a probe by a central agency like National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be proper, but NIA generally inquires into cross-border matters and incidents spread over several states.
While there seemed to be no case against Sabyasachi outside Odisha, the abduction of Italian nationals and the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati in Kandhamal had wide ramifications. These events had drawn international attention and it was a fit case to be investigated by a national agency, the senior BJP leader said.
As builders and contractors also have links with Maoists as the ultras were funded by them and this aspect should also be probed thoroughly, Singhdeo claimed.
"We'll write to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on behalf of the state BJP urging him to consider getting the matter inquired by a central agency," Singhdeo said.
On Panda's arrest, the state BJP chief said leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist) had also described the episode as nothing but a drama.
Singhdeo said that many such incidents, including abductions of a senior IAS officer and Italian nationals, in the past had taken place when the Assembly was in session.
These were part of a tactic to divert people's attention away from core issues, he claimed.


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KKK Robes in Class Stir Debate, Outrageby Hilton Hater at .
A class presentation at Las Vegas Academy on January 9 has created an outrage over the costumes donned by the students who gave it:
They dressed as members of the Ku Klux Klan.
The assignment in question tasked high school kids with showing their knowledge of U.S. history.
In response, a pair of juniors - with their teacher's approval - dressed in KKK robes, drawing attention to themselves when one of them wore the hooded mask outside the classroom.
This did violate the teacher's request and a photograph of the hood ended up online.
Two days later, Principal Scott Walker referred to the incident "unfortunate" and "inappropriate" in a letter to parents, adding:
"While the presentation was designed to highlight the atrocities committed by the Klan, and there was no intention to harm or offend on the part of the students, it was in poor judgment and inappropriate for students to go to such lengths to convey their message.
"I am deeply saddened that LVA, which prides itself on providing a supportive learning environment for all, was the site of any action that could cause sadness and anger for our school family. We are deeply sorry for this offensive incident and appreciate your support and cooperation as we use these events as teachable moments about cultural and historical understanding."