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Hi,
I have seen that many tools from EMBOSS have already an "XML tool
file" (.../tools/emboss_5/*.xml). I couldn't find the one for eprimer3
(it seems it was there before? as it could be seen in
./.hg/store/fncache : data/tools/emboss/emboss_eprimer3.xml). I
have looked for it in the bitbucket but I couldn't find it... Has it
ever existed? or should I create myself an XML for such tool?
cheers,
Erick
Hello Erick,
I do not believe that eprimer3 was a part of the Galaxy distribution.
You should be able to use another EMBOSS tool config ( XML file ) as
leverage for creating one for eprimer3 if you need it.
Greg Von Kuster
Galaxy Development Team
[email protected] | {
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Home Lift in Torquay
We were approached by a client who wanted a home lift installed in their timber framed house in Torquay. The client wanted a lift that would sit in the middle of their wooden staircase and would future-proof his house. The client had designed their house in an Art Deco style and so wanted a lift that wouldn't look out of place with this distinctive appearance and would actually add to its design.
We installed an EP Elfo within its own fully glazed structure, the lift total travel was 5.8 metres across 3 floors with a platform size of 1235mm x 1235mm. The client chose a gloss black finish for the structure and automatic swing glass doors to match the house's aesthetics. The flooring of the lift was laid with the same stone tiles as the rest of the house's ground floor so there was seamless transition from landing to lift. | {
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Order Your Full (Detailed ) Psychic Life Reading on email by Clairvoyant/Psychic Dimitrinka Staikova (Author of more than 30 books with World Predictions and Psychic Readings of Celebrities published in Amazon). In the price of Your Full (Detailed ) Psychic Life Reading on email is included three separate Clairvoyant/Psychic readings and predictions by three Clairvoyants – Dimitrinka Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova. Price – 200 GBP . To order click on the button Donate in our website : https://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova/ Order Your Full Royal Clairvoyant/Psychic reading on email – for the life and health of two people on the photos (on two photos – made in the day of the order) + a gift Only for every returning (old) client – one ebook from Our Clairvoyant Shop with price until 300 GBP. Price of Full Royal Clairvoyant/Psychic reading on email – 300 GBP. To order click on the button Donate in our website – http://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova
Photo – January 27, 2017. Time – after the photo.Angela Merkel’s Health – I see hard constriction from the left side ofthe genitals. Also there is a pain in the left hand – from the elbowbelow, the left leg – from the knee below, heart and hard activity ofthe muscles of the whole body. As whole – she has taken a medicine onJanuary 27, 2017 – and it can be said that the pains and diseases aredulled and I see only nervous tension in the whole body. That medicineaffects the kidneys and creates a feeling for negation (permanently)and difficult harmonious concentration in the conversation.
I also see hormonal disbalance included in her nervous tension. Thiscondition will pass after sleeping. In the end of January 2017 – therewill be problems with money, which must arrive in the Balance. Thenext is – a travel and conversations with Donald Trump and otherleaders on the phone and personally. Mrs. Merkel knows, that she isloosing the Election 2017 and she follows the principle to loose withdignity. I don’t see personal benefits. In the future, I see awithdrawal in mountain , but it will be for short time.
After the Spring – I see her in the politics again. Her healthcondition doesn’t allow heavy loads. March 2017 – I see Angela Merkelwith high blood pressure and before a stroke condition. The weather inGermany will be with changing of hot and cold fronts. She will survivevery heavy year 2017. On the future elections – I see Angela Merkelmore like a picture on the wall, which will be admired, not like afighter.
I see in her – first, a thought about her appearance, the second thought is about a big and powerful energy (like a nuclear) company that is paying and collecting this wild energy connected with nationalism. Two movements are gathered and two groups connected with Intelligence. I see also a march from East to West (Southwest). I see the uniting of the german nationalists with Moscow (Putin). There is no uniting and will remain their enemies the rich jewish representatives in Germany (of old jewish families).
They become the reason the movement and in the case this political party to be closed people and to be limited the action of the far right party of Frauke Petry. Restraining orders and intervention of the Prosecution and prison are closing the possibility for activity and action – except from direction Northeast – this is the place for activity of the party. The final result is : the party will open its activity. The rich old jewish families again will be threatened in Germany. The membership is uniting against them and both with groups from the Intelligence it challenge the law with charges against them (Prosecution, Prison).
The Election program of the party is based on war. The party gets financing from the bank and in the last moment. It is difficult, but they achieve victory and enter in the Bundestag. February 2017 – I see mainly meetings and negotiations. March 2017 are the roads and the more important meetings. April 2017 – I see that members of the party will help in a landslide – they will fence (border) the area. I hear explosions and incriminating that guilty are far right activists – I see investigation – May 2017 until the end of the Summer, which will establish their innocence.
I don’t see the far right party as fascists – rather as a new blood who loves its country – for now.
Media Confirmation :
The Alternative for Germany’s co-chair Frauke Petry announced Monday that she will not be joining her party colleagues in the Bundestag after the far-right AfD won around 13 percent of the vote in the German election on Sunday.
New Ebook and Paperback book : Clairvoyant/Psychic reading and predictions to God and the Creation of the Universe.When is coming the New God ?Hermes Trismegistus and The Corpus Hermeticum By Clairvoyants : Dimitrinka Staikova , Stoyanka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova Published : May 17, 2019
Parade of Hottest News Predictions with 83 Media Confirmations about Year 2018 – World Predictions That Came True by Clairvoyants Dimitrinka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova and Stoyanka Staikova Published – December 29, 2018 Buy the Ebook only from the Authors https://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova/ Buy the Paperback book from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1792874073
New Book : Brexit – Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland 2018 – 2019. The European Union – Elections 2019 – the next European Commission President ? British Royal Family – Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions : Theresa May, Sinn Fein ….and World Predictions 2018/19 By Clairvoyants Dimitrinka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova Published : October 28, 2018 Buy the Paperback book from Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/dp/1729376371/
Banks,Dollars,War, Energy, Euro – World Predictions 2018 and 2019 : Foreign minister of China,Central bank of Argentina), Bank ofItaly, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, Bank of Russia,Idlib Syria, HSBC By Clairvoyant : Dimitrinka Staikova, Ivelina Staikova, Stoyanka Staikova Published : September 18, 2018 Ebook with more than 100 pages with Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions about Banks, Money, Finances, Politics and more World Predictions for year 2018 and 2019. Order your Ebook today, pay with PayPal and You will receive the PDF file in the next 24 hours with Email delivery. https://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova/ Buy the Paperback book only from Amazon UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1723813435
Order Your Full (Detailed ) Psychic Life Reading on email by Clairvoyant/Psychic Dimitrinka Staikova (Author of more than 30 books with World Predictions and Psychic Readings of Celebrities published in Amazon).
New Ebook and Paperback book : Fallen Angels, Gods, Aliens, Wars, A Wormhole Clairvoyant/Psychic predictions to the Egyptian Book of the Dead – Papyrus of Ani. A scenario for the Life – the past and the future of the Planet Earth. By Clairvoyant Dimitrinka Staikova Published March 3, 2018 Buy the Paperback book from Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1986164233/ Buy the Ebook only from the Authors – https://sites.google.com/site/dimitrinkastaikova/ | {
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Storm photos show stark beauty, property damage
A week after storms began rolling across the Southwest, dumping as much as a foot of water in some locations, pushing streams—some of which had been no more than a trickle or completely dry for several years—out of their banks, forecasters are calling for more rain as farmers wait to get into fields to cut hay, finish planting or to pull out equipment that’s been mired in the mud for more than a week.
Across the region, farmers may be a tad inconvenienced—some more than others—but the overall mood seems to be hopeful as soil moisture going into summer is the best it’s been in years.
A few photographs that came in this week show more of the storms’ aftermath. Farmer Steven Chapman, Lorenzo, Texas, sent in some stunning storm photos. | {
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Material Boundary Surfaces
Abstract
There are numerous instances in which it is necessary to reconstruct
or track the boundary surfaces (or "interfaces")
between multiple materials that commonly result from simulations.
Multi-fluid Eulerian hydrodynamics calculations require geometric
approximations of fluid interfaces to form the equations of motion
to advance these interfaces correctly over time. This project
presents a new algorithm for material boundary interface reconstruction
from data sets containing volume fractions.
To solve this problem, we transform the reconstruction problem
to a problem that analyzes the dual data set, where each vertex
in the dual mesh has an associated barycentric coordinate tuple
that represents the fraction of each material present. After
constructing a dual tetrahedral mesh from the original mesh,
we construct material boundaries by mapping a tetrahedron into
barycentric space and calculating the intersections with Voronoi
cells in barycentric space. These intersections are mapped back
to the original physical space and triangulated to form the boundary
surface approximation. This algorithm can be applied to any grid
structure and can treat any number of materials per element/vertex.
In typical simulations, the grid cells contain fractional
volumetric information for each of the materials. Each cell C
of a grid S has an associated tuple (a_1,
a_2, ..., a_m)
that represents the portions of each of m materials
in the cell, i.e.,a_i
represents the fractional part of material i. We assume
that a_1 + a_2
+ ... + a_m = 1. The problem
is to find a (crack-free) piecewise two-manifold separating surface
approximating the boundary surfaces between the various materials.
To solve this problem, we consider the dual data set constructed
from the given data set. In the dual grid, each cell is represented
by a point (typically the center of the cell), and each point
is associated with a tuple (a_1,
a_2, ..., a_m),
where m is thenumber of materials present in the data set and
a_1 + a_2
+ ... +a_m = 1. Thus, the
boundary surface reconstruction problem reduces to constructing
the material interfaces for a grid where each vertex has an associated
barycentric coordinate representing the fractional parts of each
material at the vertex.We use this ``barycentric coordinate field''
to approximate thematerial boundary surfaces.
If we have a data set containing m materials, we process each
tetrahedral cell of the grid and map our tetrahedral elements
into an m simplex representing m-dimensional barycentric
space. Next, we calculate intersections with the edges of Voronoi
cells in the m-simplex. These Voronoi cells represent regions,
where one material ``dominates'' the other materials locally.
We map these intersections back to the original space and triangulate
the resulting points to obtain the boundary.
The figure on the
left shows a three-dimensional projection of a 4-simplex in barycentric
space, whose vertices are: (1,0,0,0), (0,1,0,0), (0,0,1,0), and
(0,0,0,1), and its associated Voroinoi partitions. We have mapped
a tetrahedron from physical space into the 4-simplex in Barycentric
space.
The following picture illustrates the material interfaces
fora data set consisting of three materials. The boundary of
the region containing material 1 has a spherical shape, and the
other two material regions are formed as concentric layers around
material 1 -- forming two material interfaces. The original grid
is rectilinear-hexahedral consisting of 64x64x64 cells.
The following illustration shows the material interfaces for
a three-material data set of a simulation of a ball striking
a plate consisting of two materials. The original data set is
rectilinear-hexahedral and has a resolution of 53x23x23 cells.
The following illustrataion shows the material interfaces
for a human brain data set. The original grid is rectilinear-hexahedral
containing 256x256x124 cells. Each cell contains a probability
tuple giving the probability that each material is present at
the point. The resulting dual data set contains over eight million
tetrahedra. We have clipped the resulting set of polygons to
illustrate the boundaries in the interior of the brain. | {
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Cold Slope, Cold slope, EKG, King Of You, King of you, Magnetized, More..., Pickled Ginger, Pickled ginger, Random Name Generator, Random name generator, Taste the Ceiling, Taste the ceiling, The Joke Explained, The joke explained, Where Do I Begin, Where do I begin, You Satellite, You satellite | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Eventbrite, and certain approved third parties, use functional, analytical and tracking cookies (or similar technologies) to understand your event preferences and provide you with a customised experience. By closing this banner or by continuing to use Eventbrite, you agree. For more information please review our cookie policy.
With unparalleled artistry and enduring vigour, the Juilliard String Quartet continues to inspire audiences around the world with its performances. Founded in 1946, and widely known as “the quintessential American string quartet,” the Juilliard draws on a deep and vital engagement with the classics, while embracing the mission of championing new works – a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring. Each performance of the Juilliard Quartet is a unique experience, bringing together the four members’ profound understanding, total commitment, and unceasing curiosity in sharing the wonders of the string quartet literature.
The Quartet continues its acclaimed annual performances in Detroit, Philadelphia, and at the Ravinia Festival, along with numerous concerts at home in New York City, including appearances at Lincoln Center and Town Hall.
Please note that by clicking on the link, you will be directly forwarded to a third party independent site, which is not developed nor maintained by National University of Singapore (NUS). The website could be subject to data protection and privacy practices and you are encouraged to examine them before proceeding to share your personal data. NUS will collect, use and/or disclose the personal data submitted through this third party independent site for the purpose of registration and/or management of the event. Photography and Videography will be taken during the event. National University of Singapore may use some or all of these images in print and social media. Out of respect for other concert goers, no children under 6 years of age will be allowed admission. | {
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Free Speech Now?
Clare Fox of BBC4's Moral Maze and Dr Adam Wilkins, editor at GENETICS will be leading a debate on free speech, centred around Jan Böhmermann's insulting poem about Erdogan and Lutz Bachmann of Pegida's incitement to racial hatred. | {
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Created on 12.01.11.
Rebel, sweetheart.
12.07.2014
Globe offers Libreng Tawag from 8 countries to the Philippines.
Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom is offering Libreng Tawag services to the Philippines from eight countries in Asia, Europe, Middle East, and North America in support of overseas Filipino workers who may want to check on their families residing along the path of Typhoon Ruby.
Gil Genio, Globe Chief Operating Officer for Business and International Markets, said that the countries identified are among those with the highest number of Filipino migrants and expatriates in the world. They include Spain, UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, and Italy.
The onslaught of Typhoon Ruby.
Photo credit: Inquirer.
“We realize how important it is for our kababayans abroad to get in touch with their families especially during calamities. This is why we have set up free calling stations in these 8 countries where Globe is directly serving the Filipino communities there,” Genio said.
“In Italy, free calling services are available at the Globe Stores in Milan and Rome. For Spain, UK, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, this public service started yesterday and is being offered through some of the accredited Globe retailers in those countries,” said Rizza Maniego-Eala, Globe Senior Vice President for International Business.
“For the United States, Libreng Tawag in the west coast will be available in all branches of Seafood City through our partnership with them while Filipinos in the east coast will be served via web through the subscribed access service of Lunex, the Globe partner servicing the area,” Maniego-Eala added.
Libreng Tawag will be available until 11:59pm EST on 08 December 2014.
6
replies:
This is a great idea. I have a couple coworkers from the Philippines and I know this service would help ease their minds a lot. My one coworkers had just come back from the Philippines a few days before this hit.
I wonder who first thought of this. It's a great idea. I'm sure it has already helped a lot of families reconnect, and has comforted many people abroad since they were able to check on their families and make sure they were okay. | {
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Batman: Gotham Knights #8
$1.99
Batman Arkham: Hugo Strange
$4.99
$12.99
Batman: Gotham Knights #8
"Transference" part 1! Catwoman's nighttime encounter with Batman and a Catwoman impostor turns out to be one of the strangest nights of the Feline Fatale's life, with nothing being what it seems! Plus, a black-and-white backup story! | {
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Packers report: Strategy and personnel
The Packers are in no shape to provide stiff resistance to the New York Jets' prolific running attack Sunday.
Not only is Green Bay's linebacker corps a mess with the double whammy this week of losing veteran backup Brady Poppinga to injured reserve and also losing right-side starter Brad Jones for the rest of the season, but also its defensive line is dangerously thin.
Jenkins missed Sunday night's win over the Minnesota Vikings after he suffered a calf strain in a pregame warm-up an hour before kickoff. Pickett tried playing on a badly sprained right ankle but dropped out in the first quarter.
"Well, we're going to show up and play (Sunday)," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "I don't know exactly who's going to be out there yet, but we'll be ready to go, I can promise you that."
The Green Bay coaches consider the Jets' 1-2 backfield punch of LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene to be the best run offense the Packers have seen halfway through the season.
Green Bay just allowed a season-high 196 rushing yards against Adrian Peterson and the Vikings.
PLAYER NOTES
--OLB Brad Jones went on injured reserve Wednesday. The right-side starter aggravated a shoulder injury in Sunday's win over the Minnesota Vikings and will need surgery. Undrafted rookie Frank Zombo is penciled in as the short-term replacement.
--WR Donald Driver continues to be bothered by a thigh injury, which has lingered the last few weeks. Driver didn't practice Wednesday. He missed two days of practice last week before playing on a limited basis against the Vikings and not having a catch for the first time since the 2001 season. Chances are he will play Sunday at the New York Jets, but his role could be diminished again.
--FS Nick Collins is on a limited practice schedule again this week as the starter copes with a chronic knee injury that tends to flare up on him in each game. Collins should be OK to man his spot Sunday.
--RT Bryan Bulaga appears safe to make a fourth straight start at right tackle with veteran Mark Tauscher still on the mend from an early-season shoulder sprain. Bulaga, the team's first-round draft pick this year, had a solid performance as the Packers didn't allow a sack of Aaron Rodgers by the Vikings last time out.
--T/G Marshall Newhouse returned to practice Wednesday after suffering a back injury last week. The rookie, who is backing up guard Daryn Colledge and tackle Chad Clifton on the left side, has yet to be activated for a game.
GAME PLAN A depleted Packers defense will be on the spot against the Jets' run-heavy offense. Key injuries on the defensive line and throughout the linebacker group leaves the Packers vulnerable against New York's two-headed rushing monster of LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene. Green Bay has been gashed for 150 and 196 rushing yards in its last two outings and now gets the league's No. 2-rated run offense, which is averaging 159.2 yards on the ground. So, the hints Jets head coach Rex Ryan dropped this week that an expanded role is in order for quarterback Mark Sanchez in the passing game probably won't amount to anything if the Packers can't stop the run. When he does drop back, Sanchez has been hard to fluster with only two interceptions and being sacked just nine times, so the Packers may not be as reliant with their pressure packages. Versatile receiver Brad Smith has to be accounted for as a situational runner and quarterback. Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Green Bay offense can expect a heavy diet of exotic pass rushes from the Jets, who will be at full strength on defense after their bye week. Rodgers will have to be on with his hot reads when Ryan brings the pressure from all angles, including with safety Jim Leonhard, a Wisconsin native who has no love lost for the Packers. The Jets have been susceptible to giving up big chunks of passing yards, but cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are as disruptive as they come in the passing lanes. Turnovers could be telling, what with the Jets' boasting of a league-leading plus-10 in the takeaway-giveaway ratio and the Packers struggling at minus-1.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH Packers WRs vs. Jets CBs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. All-Pro Revis apparently is fully recovered from a hamstring injury and undoubtedly will be motivated to have a big game after he was passed over for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award that went to Packers cornerback Charles Woodson last season. The likely matchup for Revis is shadowing Donald Driver in the slot, assuming the Green Bay veteran will give it a go for meaningful snaps on a lingering thigh injury. Cromartie's tremendous size (6-2, 210 pounds) and lock-down tenacity in press coverage could make for a quiet day for Greg Jennings. If Jennings and Driver are taken out of the equation by the Jets' superb corner tandem, James Jones looms as Aaron Rodgers' favorite target again after Jones had four catches for 107 yards in the win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night. "We pride ourselves on saying we're one of the best (receiving) groups in the league. It's time to show it now," Jones said. "It's man on man, them versus us, and we've got to go out there and make plays."
--Packers OLB Clay Matthews vs. Jets RT Damien Woody and LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Jets head coach Rex Ryan expects the Packers to target 12-year veteran Woody by lining up NFL sacks leader Matthews (8.5) exclusively on the left side. It's a matchup that favors Matthews, especially if his nagging hamstring injury has improved so he can speed-rush at will against the heavy Woody, a former Pro Bowl center. Still, defensive coordinator Dom Capers likes to move Matthews around to keep the offensive line honest. The flexibility of rookie Frank Zombo, who will fill in for injured starter Brad Jones, to play both outside linebacker spots could pit Matthews from time to time against the athletic Ferguson.
INJURY IMPACT The season-ending loss of right-side linebacker Brad Jones because of an aggravated shoulder injury means the Packers will count on undrafted rookie Frank Zombo to fill the void in the starting lineup. Zombo made two starts at the position earlier in the season and has been productive on occasion with 22 tackles and two sacks. ... The playing status of starting defensive ends Cullen Jenkins (calf) and Ryan Pickett (ankle) for Sunday's game at the New York Jets won't be known until the weekend. Jenkins missed the last game, and Pickett could hold up for only a few plays before being held out the final three quarters. Second-year man Jarius Wynn and rookie C.J. Wilson played well in the absences of Pickett and Jenkins, so the Packers would be covered if they needed the young duo to be replacement starters Sunday. Yet, Green Bay would be considerably strapped for depth behind starting nose tackle B.J. Raji, Wilson and Wynn, though it did claim former Jets nose tackle Howard Green off waivers Wednesday. | {
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Accused maintains innocence in burnt taxi driver’s murder
Accused Balram Singh yesterday denied killing taxi driver Bhomeshwar Sukhdeo or having anything to do with his death.
“I sorry for the people who family died but to be honest with this court hay, me ain’t kill nobody, me ain’t know ’bout no murder,” Singh told Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court, in Georgetown.
The charge against him is that between January 19 and January 27, 2010, he murdered Sukhdeo.
Opting to lead his defence in unsworn testimony from the prisoner’s dock, the accused, who said that he can neither read nor write, told the court that he signed a document prepared by the police after they told him that he would go home once he signed it.
His story is that Detective Sergeant Nigel Stephens had a page quarter-filled with writing on which he was told to sign at the bottom. Singh then spoke of being asked to affix his signature below two additional blank pages, which he did.
Bomeshwar SukhdeoBalram Singh
Sergeant Stephens had previously testified about holding a confrontation with Singh, during which he blurted out, “Is me and Travis David kill the driver of the car and sell it to Bharrat.”
According to the caution statement, which was admitted into evidence and read to the court, Singh confessed that it was he and David who murdered Sukhdeo.
The court heard from the statement that David shot the deceased to the left-side of his neck with a .38 revolver and that they later dumped the body on the Mocha access road.
Singh’s story however, is that he never told the police any of the things narrated in the statement, nor was he ever a part of any confrontation.
David, who took the stand on Monday, testified that he never killed the deceased nor had anything to do with the crime.
David said that sometime in January of 2010, he was arrested in connection with the murder although he knew nothing about it. He said that after his arrest, investigators held a confrontation with him and Singh was a part of it. The witness said that during the confrontation, he heard Singh saying that it was he [David], who had shot and killed Sukhdeo.
David said Singh then proceeded to tell the police that he [David] then placed the body on a dam and they both later went back to retrieve it and placed it on another dam, after which they burnt it.
He added that he was arrested and placed in the lock-ups for a few days before being released.
David said he was questioned by the police about his whereabouts on January 19, 2010, and he told them that he was at home that entire day.
In his almost two-hour address to the court, the accused alleged that he had been beaten and gun-butted by the police. According to him, the lawmen placed 10 black plastic bags over his head, while other ranks hit him to his stomach.
He said that as they questioned him about the murder, he repeatedly responded that he knew nothing about it, after which they took him to the seawalls and threatened to place him in a bag and throw him overboard.
The police witnesses who have testified, had all vehemently denied ever using any form of force or threat towards Singh.
At the end of his client’s oration, defence attorney Jermaine Jervis indicated that Singh’s testimony was the entire case for the defence, which had no witnesses to call.
At the conclusion of Singh’s testimony, both the defence and prosecution presented closing addresses to the jury.
The judge will sum-up the case to the jury this morning at 9, after which it will be handed over to them for deliberation and the return of a verdict. | {
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Crafting the Future of Draft
Today’s craft beer drinkers have some characteristics that should definitely interest you. They are increasing in number; they are young (more than half are in the 21–44-year-old bracket); more than three-quarters of them earn more than $50,000 a year; and almost half have a college degree. They are mostly male, though the number of women in the group is steadily increasing. Their average check is $16 more than a mainstream, “premium” beer drinker spends; and while both drinkers tip about 17 percent, the craft drinker is tipping on a higher base.
Sounds good, right? But keep in mind: The craft drinker’s first question to their server is usually, “What’s on tap?”
Drew Huerter is the chief brewer at Deep Ellum Brewing in Dallas, a brewery just over a year old, and he already knows how it works. “The people who want to spend money are going to be asking ‘What’s on your draft list, what’s new or special?’” he says, because they know that’s where the interesting stuff’s likely to be.
Don’t think that just because craft brands are small or local that they’re insignificant—craft brands are actually exploding, and taking serious share from established national brands.
“The largest 15 beer brands on-premise account for 61 percent of retail sales,” said Peter Reidhead, vice president of strategy at GuestMetrics. “This means the long ‘tail’ of nearly 3,400 smaller beer brands accounts for about 40 percent of sales in the on-premise space.”
That’s huge; and these brands skew much more towards draft.
Craft on Draft
Overall, draft accounts for about 10 percent of total beer sales nationally, but since the beginning of craft brewing, craft beer sales have represented an even higher percentage of draft sales.
“We started out selling only draft, 100 percent,” recalls Rich Doyle, co-founder of Harpoon, the large Boston-based craft brewer founded in 1986. “We’ve always focused on it; there’s always been a strong draft market in New England. I love draft beer; it’s really fresh, it tastes great.”
Is draft really that different? The folks at America’s oldest brewery, the booming D.G. Yuengling & Son of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, certainly think so. Like most brewers, they love draft.
“It provides an affordable and immediate way for a consumer to try your product,” says Lou Romano, the brewer’s director of marketing and wholesale development, “because when it’s served cold, clean, and fresh, it can be the greatest representation of your beer available.”
Does draft craft beer sell in fine restaurants, or just in specialty beer bars? That’s a question that’s largely been answered by the gastropub movement. If people want the private label Flemish red ale with duck breast salad and moules-frites at places like Monk’s Café in Philadelphia, or Russian River Consecration ale with house charcuterie and Dungeness crab and leek risotto at Higgins in Portland, Oregon, it’s clear that there’s an interest in fine beer to go with fine food.
Draft was a raison d’être for Philadelphia’s acclaimed Alla Spina gastropub—the name is Italian for “from the tap.” Beverage director Steve Wildy explains that the new wave of Italian craft beers garnered interest in owner-chef Marc Vetri’s other restaurants. “When the Italian stuff came out, we embraced it; Alla Spina became feasible when the Italian drafts started coming in. But we have an emphasis on local foods, so ignoring local beer would be wrong.” They now have 22 taps to match beer areas to food areas, including a rotating series of house beers brewed by nearby Victory Brewing.
Wildy gave credit to Chicago’s The Publican for inspiration on their carefully curated draft selection; the two restaurants just collaborated with Victory on a beer made with chestnuts. The Publican’s beer director, Michael McAvena, describes how he selects beers for their 12 draft lines: “We focus on quality draft beers that we can sell through; 12 seems to be the magic number for us. We rotate them all the time. We’ll have a blonde beer, a German-type wheat, and a sour beer. We always try to have a smoked beer, something roasty, and we usually have two IPAs. We’ve had Three Floyds’ Zombie Dust on for the past few months and it’s been the biggest-selling item in the restaurant. Not [just] biggest-selling beer, biggest-selling item.”
Pouring Profit
That kind of reception illustrates why fine dining’s slow adoption of craft beer—whether American or imported—has been frustrating to craft drinkers and, naturally, craft brewers. “Restaurant operators make huge investments to portray quality,” explains Joel Armato, sales manager for New Holland Brewing, of Holland, Michigan. “You invest in your menu, your décor, your service staff—all to portray to your customer the lengths you go to procure the best, to prepare it, to present it. You’ll have an exciting cocktail menu, a detailed wine list, there’s such care that goes into the whole thing. And then you have…some beer, you know, ‘In case you should want one.’ Why, when craft beer lines up on pricing with everything in your restaurant?”
Fair enough, but draft is a huge investment: equipment, space, cleaning, training. True, but turn that on its head. “You can put a lot more beer in the same space,” Deep Ellum’s Huerter says, noting that a half barrel takes up much less space than the seven cases of bottles it replaces. “You don’t have to have it right at the bar, either—just run a longer line.”
Cleaning and training have to be done right, but you’re not on your own there. “In most areas, there’s at least one wholesaler who’s prepared to help, especially with the training,” says New Holland’s Armato. “They’re looking to build relationships to help you prosper, not just move beer off the floor once.”
Best of all, you’ll make it back quickly. Draft is priced lower, reflecting the lower costs of packaging, and once you get your system and servers dialed in, the margins on draft are much more attractive than bottles. | {
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YOUR SHOPPING OPTIONS
The delivery date of your order depends on when the order leaves our warehouse, the destination address for the item and the shipping method. For select items, we offer an Estimated Delivery Date during checkout. An Estimated Delivery Date is a calculation of several factors, including item availability, processing time in our warehouse, the shipping method you select and the shipping destination. Please note that Estimated Delivery Dates are estimates only, and are not guaranteed.
Pineapple with Umbrella is a great, fun decor addition to your
aquarium. A PetSmart exclusive. Fun design provides a unique
obstacle for your fish to swim around
Dimensions: 3.43"L x 3.54"W x 3.86"H
Weighted base keeps the ornament in place
Pineapple Aquarium Ornament
3.2
5
12
12
Bubbling on pink umbrella
Cute...SO CUTE! But totally not worth it. The paint on the umbrella already started bubbling (on DAY 3 of having it in my tank!!). Horrible quality.
June 6, 2014
My Fish Luv this!
I have nothing but positive things to say regarding this item! I have had it 4 months & have no issues w/it floating or paint chipping as other reviewers have mentioned. This item was very good quality for the price I paid in the store ( $5.49) & is made better than many of the other aquarium decor that I've purchased at other stores. The 1st night I put it in there my Blue Snail was hiding in it, I couldn't find the Snail & turns out I found him inside it hanging from the top! I have 2 Glo Fish & several Albino Pictus Catfish who love to hide in it as well. I'm actually considering getting another Pineapple b/c it's very popular! I currently have a 10 gallon tank & I have plenty of room in there for that another decoration & a bamboo plant- plus the Fish have plenty of room to Swim happily. I totally recommend purchasing this...
March 13, 2014
Its Okay
Its fine, I've only had it for one day but it seems fine. It floats unless you put the bottom of it in rocks. I know its going to bubble but I don't think that will hurt the fish.
August 24, 2013
Not a good product
It floats! Why would they make an aquarium decoration that floats? The only way I got it to stay down was piling rocks on the inside area of it and that was a pain. And then maybe a month later, the paint starts chipping off. I was disappointed because I really liked this cute pineapple and so did my betta.
July 25, 2013 | {
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} |
Hot Topics:
Slots firm drops Littleton plan
By Robert Mills, [email protected]
Updated:
01/03/2013 06:37:46 AM EST
LITTLETON -- A Canadian casino operator that expressed interest in potentially bringing up to 1,250 slot machines to Littleton has dropped the proposal, according to a statement released Wednesday by the company.
Clairvest, a Canadian investment firm that operates casinos, in the fall expressed interest in potentially building a 100,000-square-foot building at The Point, just outside the Town Common, that would house slots.
The firm met with town officials in December but had not yet submitted a formal proposal.
Town officials said they would leave decisions on the proposal up to voters in town, but the question now appears to be moot since Town Administrator Keith Bergman announced the town's website, www.littletonma.org, that the proposal is dead.
A Clairvest spokesperson, Maria Klyuev, confirmed via email Wednesday night that the statement Bergman released is legitimate. She did not elaborate on the statement.
The statement on Littleton's website reads: "Clairvest is continuing to evaluate opportunities for a gaming license application in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. However at this time, Clairvest has decided not to proceed with a project in Littleton, MA. As we continue to evaluate opportunities in Massachusetts, Clairvest remains committed to a transparent process that meets the needs of all stakeholders."
Bergman did not answer calls to his home or office Wednesday night.
Advertisement
The company was investigating the possibility of bringing slots to The Point, a 90-acre, mixed-use project under development on Great Road near Interstate 495.
In previous statements released through the town, Clairvest said it was interested in the location due to its proximity to Interstate 495 and Route 2.
Sam Park and Company, which is developing The Point, expressed openness to the proposal, but agreed with town officials that the community should be able to decide whether slots were welcome in Littleton.
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Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil. | {
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Monthly Archives: December 2017
Bendigo Indigenous photo-media artist Tashara Roberts has used art as a process of healing after being confronted with an overwhelming amount of litter found around Lake Eppalock, a major water storage facility near Bendigo in central Victoria. To read the … Continue reading → | {
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The new UFO Wheels from Sacrifice are one of the lightest wheels on the market. Sacrifice are using a world 1st technology with their Taiwan made urethane featuring the worlds highest rebound for ultra fast speed.
The hollow core technology has been around a while now, we feel the improvements Sacrifice have made will make them the market leader in hollowtech technology. The added strength of 2 side walls gives us what we now know this wheel as the UFO. The UFO are light and will give you the same ride as being on a spaceship fast and smooth.
Professionally fitted with Roller Coaster Abec 11 Bearings the new UFO wheels give you high quality and value for money!
· The UFO wheels have been tested by Pro riders from all over the world. The feedback from them on these wheels is that they are the best they have ridden
· Sacrifice spent a lot of time on the UFO testing and getting the new design perfect for release in 2016. | {
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Health & Fitness
Consider the Following Digital Marketing Solutions for Your Origami Business
A lot of Google searches are done at least after each second.This stands out to help one benefit from one of them.Digital marketing is one of the best ways to market for your business when it comes to making sales.Sometimes it will be quite challenging you to stay ahead now that the world keeps on changing.To have many customers for your business consider tips that will lead you there.It is important to have the content created easy to be shared by many people at ones.Therefore, consider the following tips being useful when creating digital marketing for your origami business.
Ensure that the content you use is shareable.In the process of creating a unique content, this helps you to gain more customers for your business. By letting the content to reach out many customers you can manage to gain many …
Everyone is happy when working in a clean and smart environment and the kitchen is not an exemption. An organized kitchen will save you the time you use to find that serving spoon or the spice you need when making dinner. Better organized and clean kitchens are also a major way of minimizing kitchen accidents which sometimes can lead to serious cases such as burns. It is not an easy task to remodel your kitchen but it can be easier if you take remodeling as a process.
Before you start remodeling your kitchen, you must have a plan. The plan will spell out what you want to get rid of as well as what you need to add. Within the plan you should include a budget which gives the amount of money you are willing to spend with an estimate for every activity. When making the …
There is wide use of CCTV today. By monitoring movements and employee interactions with an organization’s clients, CCTV systems help in enhancing security. CCTV systems help in reducing crimes like vandalism and burglary. Since CCTV systems records all happenings in a place, the videos collected can be used as evidence in resolving disputes as well as legal investigations. When looking for a good CCTV system, you should consider some factors such as the lens type, zoom and monitoring option’s remote access and image quality. When looking for a CCTV system, the guidelines below can be of great help too.
Compare the cameras.
Out of the many cameras, each has its looks. There are CCTV that look like handheld camcorders and can be placed on the wall, or even the ceiling. There are others that are dome-shaped, with a streamlined appearance, …
Importance of Allowing a Balcony Company to Handle Your Balcony Design
Whenever you see people preferring to come up with a high rise or tall building, just this has been influenced by land scarcity. This is a challenge you will find in most of the metro cities you visit in any country. Balcony is one of the major features you cannot lack in any of the multi-story buildings or even in a low rise apartment. You would note that most people want to have the balcony as a section of the house after building it. One thing you need to do is to ensure a balcony company comes to design the balcony you want when building a house.
According to most people, they use the balcony to experience whatever is happening outside while still within the confinements of their house. It is common to find houses with a balcony at …
The most imperative Forex exchanging mystery relates to the specialized parts of money exchanging by any means. Rather, it is more about mentality, brain science, and feeling. A person might have heard before that it is important not to let their emotions rule their trading. Making decisions which are based on the fears of a person, anxiety or greed is a sure way of losing money in Forex trading in Australia.
Truly some fruitful merchants discuss utilizing their instinct to enable them to profit however this instinct did not depend on these kinds of emotions. Instead it comes from experiences which have enabled them to learn so much about trends and patterns which they are not conscious of. Extraordinary compared to other approaches to limit the effect of feelings on your exchanging is just ever to exchange with cash that you can stand to lose. …
Various Tips You Should Bear in Mind if You Want to Be a Successful Tech Entrepreneur
Starting a tech business is not easy for many tech entrepreneurs’ and they at times get scared of going into it. Tech entrepreneurship is not normally taught in any classroom, but various tips can guide you in becoming a successful one in your tech business as discussed below.
Commitment
For you to be a success story when it comes to starting your own successful tech company, it is vital to remember that you have to commit your all to the tech business. Most people often say that they will do it while still in employment. However, this is a wrong attitude to take since you have to decide whether you are all in when it comes to your tech business or not if you want to succeed as a tech entrepreneur.
Driveways are generally built from concrete, however, they get cracked and destroyed easily. If you want to own a driveway that boosts the aesthetic appeal of your house, driveway paving can be the ideal solution. A driveway paving company can assist in replacing your driveway with the pattern and material that you like to make certain its longevity and efficiency. Here are a few of the most important things that you need to remember if you are looking for the best Pittsburgh driveway paving services.
So many people opt to not hire a driveway paving service as they want to save money, however that is a decision that often leads to costing them more money over the long haul. A reliable driveway paving service will typically more than compensate for the fees that they collect. For more complex and large scale home …
When you go through an accident, you should always find out more from your lawyer about personal injury and how you can get a claim for what happened. If somebody else is responsible for the injuries then it is best to file a claim against them plus it will take off the expense burden from your shoulders. You need to identify with the lawyer you are hiring if they are up to the task or the workload is too much for them so you can extend your search to other areas.
Why You Should Hire A Personal Injury
Take time and find the best lawyer in the industry since getting calm from your insurance is not easy and the insurance company has many requirements which can be hard to follow when you are injured and without legal support.First go for consultations with …
Whether your car is having problems with the first gear or you will need an expert to get your sensor wires reconnected from the front wheels, make sure the select the right smart car maintenance services in your area. There are many advantages of getting a specialist in smart car maintenance specifically if your smart car needs to fix it from steering control issues, rear window faults, side door easy repairs, or glove box issues. If you search online, you will realize that the internet has everything that you are looking for, from simple guides on repairs to tips on maintenance concerns. But we highly advise you to ask a professional in smart car maintenance before touching any of its parts, to avoid regrets.
Are you among the numerous men and women who want to sell their homes to get fast cash? These days, you can find lots of individuals who are in dire need of fast cash to pay for their debts and bills, hence they decided to sell their homes. However, selling your house is not only challenging but time consuming as well. Though, real estate agents can help in selling your properties, but it cannot be as fast as you want. These days, you can find several houses which are for sale in your own neighborhood in the nearby communities. The most effectual way of doing it is to sell your houses to cash buyers. Should you be in similar shoes, then be sure to peruse this write-up further. | {
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Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - Secret Garden - Pink Sapphire The Secret Garden harness is full of color, flowers and leaves are laser cut to perfection. A large genuine swarovski crystal in the center of each flower for some bling! Susan Lanci...
Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - Sarah Collection - Serengeti A super awesome harness for the warmer months! The flower embellishment is on one side only. If you want one on each side it is one of the options above. Susan Lanci...
Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - Wendy Collection - Plum Crazy A super awesome harness for the warmer months! The flower embellishment is on one side only. If you want one on each side it is one of the options above. Susan Lanci...
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Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - Darla Collection - Tiffi Blue A super awesome harness for the warmer months! The flower embellishment is on one side only. If you want one on each side it is one of the options above. Susan Lanci...
Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - Violet Collection - Bimini Blue A super awesome harness for the warmer months! The flower embellishment is on one side only. If you want one on each side it is one of the options above. Susan Lanci...
Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - Emma Collection - Kiwi A super awesome harness for the warmer months! The flower embellishment is on one side only. If you want one on each side it is one of the options above. Susan Lanci...
Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - Julia Collection - Platinum A must have for the dog-about-town. She is sure to turn heads! The contrasting bow adds extra pizzazz to this harness. Susan Lanci Ultrasuede Step In Dog Harnesses are buttery...
Susan Lanci Step In Dog Harness - MadisonCollection A must have for the dog-about-town. She is sure to turn heads! The contrasting bow adds extra pizzazz to this harness. Susan Lanci Ultrasuede Step In Dog Harnesses are buttery soft,...
Silver Stardust Step In Dog Harness - Nouveau Bow - 30 Colors Twinkling like a calm midnight sky, the perfect mix of studs and swarovski crystals transforms this harness into on of Susan Lanci's hottest designs. Large Nouveau Bow on one side with a... | {
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Overview
The creative media production offers a vocational learning approach to an interesting and ever-expanding industry. The professional facilities within the media and computing departments ensure that you not only gain the knowledge of the subject but you are able to put new ideas and skills into practice. On the creative media production course you will learn a wide variety of knowledge and skills to help you apply industry knowledge in a rich learning environment.
Completion of the Level 2 Extended Certificate with an overall merit and successful grades on English and maths means you will be able to apply to the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production. | {
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Tag: moving company
Brandon Transfer & Storage Co., Inc. movers in West Palm Beach has been providing careful professional moving service for nearly 100 years. We are local movers, long-distance movers, residential movers, commercial movers. Call us for a free estimate.
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Get free up to 4 quotes from Belgium movers specialized in national and international moves to or from Brussels (Bruxelles). Devis Demenagement Bruxelles is one of the leading website in Belgium dedicate to moving and removals. | {
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} |
Adobe and Microsoft have a common enemy
Commentary: Merger between two would be complementary, in theory
BERKELEY, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Every analyst who has looked at the possibility that Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc. would merge in some way or another has concluded that such a deal does not make a lot of sense for a lot of different reasons.
I disagree. Except for one conflict with Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight, a merger would be very complementary for both companies.
That is kind of where things end, though, in theory. On everything from corporate style and concepts about user interface to attitudes toward customers, these two companies could not be further apart. It would be like a merger between the Vatican and Hezbollah. You just know that it would not work out.
Worth it? Google's Gmail calling
(3:43)
WSJ's Courtney Banks tests Google's new addition to its Google Voice platform: Internet calling through Gmail, which offers free calls in the U.S. and Canada and cheap international rates. But outgoing calls can sound garbled, she reports.
But the elephant in the room is the common enemy of both companies: Apple Inc. Both Microsoft
MSFT, +1.57%
and Adobe
ADBE, +0.78%
must be galled at Apple’s
AAPL, +1.63%
magic touch.
Apple has stiffed Adobe regarding Adobe’s Flash animation technology on all its newer products. You cannot use Flash on an iPhone or iPad.
In addition, Apple has continued development of Aperture, its photo-editing program with its sights set on Photoshop. The company also dominates Adobe Premiere Pro with its Apple Final Cut Pro.
Microsoft has a similar problem in areas where Apple competes with the company. Except for its fading Windows monopoly in the enterprise, Apple makes mincemeat of Microsoft when the companies compete head-on.
The software giant’s only inroad with Apple is with Office for the Mac, and that seems like a symbiotic relationship that will disappear any minute.
Now that Apple has a leading role in the smart-phone and pad-computing arena, Microsoft has got to be concerned enough to look for advantageous mergers or minimally some sort of strategic partnerships.
Everyone knows an M&A deal would be a disaster for the two companies and their customers. Worse, it would actually benefit Apple during the ensuing confusion.
Yet this is where it ends, and it would shock every analyst and probably every Adobe customer if any sort of deal beyond some marketing alliance or joint development happened.
Everyone knows it would be a disaster for the two companies and their customers. Worse, it would actually benefit Apple during the ensuing confusion.
The problem is Microsoft and its corporate culture of arrogant meddling. Essentially the entire Adobe product line would be decimated by Microsoft designers — who, like relentless army ants, would insist on “improving” the Adobe products, especially the incredibly unintuitive and arcane user interfaces and overall product structures.
The best example of how this works is the pathetic story of Microsoft FrontPage, a dominating and superb Web-editing tool that began as Vermeer FrontPage back in 1994-95, which is about as far back and you can get.
Microsoft bought the company and began “improving” what was probably the best Web-development tool of its era into a Microsoft product with endless and needless changes and tweaks. Within a few generations, the product was unusable and a mess.
The inner workings of the way development works within the Microsoft corporate structure has fascinated observers over the years. Suffice it to say that it is not conducive to good things happening to alien code.
In other words, Adobe eventually would die the death of a thousands cuts as the minions at Microsoft “fixed” the Adobe products to fit into the ant-like Microsoft way of doing things.
Luckily, none of this will come to pass since a deal is not going to happen anyway. If common sense doesn’t prevent it, the government will.
Intraday Data provided by SIX Financial Information and subject to terms of use.
Historical and current end-of-day data provided by SIX Financial Information. Intraday data
delayed per exchange requirements. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM) from Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
All quotes are in local exchange time. Real time last sale data provided by NASDAQ. More
information on NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday
data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM)
from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. SEHK intraday data is provided by SIX Financial Information and is
at least 60-minutes delayed. All quotes are in local exchange time. | {
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Insights
This past Saturday, a group of fans and aspiring creatives of all kinds gathered together in the basement level of Silicon Valley Comic Con. Outside this room, the convention bustles noisily with costumed characters, video games, and the murmur of human voices. Inside...
Developer interest in C# has declined sharply since its peak in 2012 according to data from the TIOBE index. As one former .NET developer wrote back in 2015, this precipitous decline in due to the rise of cloud-native application frameworks and mobile platforms where...
A few weeks ago I was having lunch with a friend who half-jokingly asked me if I was ready to retire yet. I half-jokingly quipped that I was well past the age of "fundable" established by Silicon Valley venture capitalists, and would therefore be relocating to Puerto...
If you have not had the chance to work with Salt yet, it is a very exciting new configuration management system that is easy to get up and running, powerful enough to support distributed command execution and complex configuration management, and scalable enough to... | {
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Back when I was in the second year of highschool, I participated in an international highschool exchange program and travelled and studied in Osaka for 1 year. It was a fantastic experience. From that year, I'd attended every single Comic Fest held at the Tokyo Big sight. However, I did not become an active manga/doujinshi fan until I started university in Australia.
I have friends all over Japan, from tokyo to nara to toyama to senda to kyoto to osaka to hiroshima.....almost everywhere and so I came to learn some of the local dialects.
I also have friends in korea as well. I go there once a year to go have korean barbeque with my friends there and to catch up on things. I started learning some korean around second grade of elementary school because some of my friends were korean and I remember that I used to walk with my korean friends and their parents everyday to and from school and I was curious as to what they were talking about with their parents. They were kind enough to teach me some korean. It's not until I started university when I had my first formal lesson in korean. I also had the opportunity to stay in korea for 2 months in my winter break during my second yr in university to study korean and it was a fine experience.
Alot of my korean and japanese friends were my former language exchange partners.
As for chinese, I've studied it since I was very young, even though I came to Australia when I was 6, I started to go to chinese saturday school since I was in elementary second grade. My parents were very strict with my chinese learning too.
For some reason, I tend to pick up languages rather quickly. I think it is exciting to be able to speak other people's languages and see how surprised the other party would be to hear me speak their language so fluently.
Now getting down to my methods of translating and how I go about producing the scanlations that I release on MH.
As I am a one-man scanlation group, I obviously need to have some experience in all aspects of the scanlation production process. ie cleaning, typsetting as well as translating, editting and proofreading.
However, I will only talk about translating here.
When I do the translations, I generally do NOT have dictionary with me, or rather, I try not to use it unless I really have to. The reason is that the most important thing to me in terms of translations is the emotions expressed in that particular chapter as a whole. So rather than directly translating the words as they are, I tend to translate the emotions coming from those words, and express it in english in such a way that produce at least close to the emotion that I feel when I read it in Japanese. This is one of the reasons why I prefer to edit/proofread my own translations rather than leaving it to someone else to do it. And thanks to my highschool english teacher who forces her students to use sophisticated language in their essays, my vast english vocab is rather convenient when trying to look for the right words for my translations.
So basically, all I have in front of me to start off with, is an A4 notepad and a pen and of course the actual manga chapter. What I do first is run through each page and jotting down what I think the general meaning is. Then I go back and read what I wrote down and make changes accordingly so that the english in there makes sense to me. Usually I only need to read through no more than 3 times. I may correct the translations again as I do the actual typesetting and that is why I don't submit separate translations to my scanlations.
Re: The minase_hatsukoi thread
As an anime/manga fan myself, i was wondering if you would consider doing a reasonably well known japan only manga called Magical Taruuto-kun. I have already found raw files of the manga, but i desperately need a translator (i haven't learned japanese yet XD). if you do decide to translate the series, the manga raw files are here:http://www.megaupload.com/?f=2MTG2TQ1 | {
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} |
America's Shopping Malls Are Dying A Slow, Ugly Death
Hayley Peterson
Friday
Jan 31, 2014 at 12:04 PM
All across America, once-vibrant shopping malls are boarded up and decaying.
Traffic-driving anchors like Sears and JCPenney are shutting down stores, and mall owners are having a hard time finding retailers large enough to replace them. With a fresh wave of closures on the horizon, the problem is set to accelerate, according to retail and real estate analysts.
About 15% of U.S. malls will fail or be converted into non-retail space within the next 10 years, according to Green Street Advisors, a real estate and REIT analytics firm. That's an increase from less than two years ago, when the firm predicted 10% of malls would fail or be converted.
"The risk of failure for a mall increases dramatically once you see anchor closures," said Cedric Lachance, managing director of Green Street Advisors. "Their health is very important ... and most of them are highly likely to continue closing stores."
Within 15 to 20 years, retail consultant Howard Davidowitz expects as many as half of America's shopping malls to fail. He predicts that only upscale shopping centers with anchors like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus will survive.
"Middle-level stores in middle-level malls are going to be extinct because they don't make sense," said Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, Inc., a retail consulting and investment banking firm. "That's why we haven't built a major enclosed mall since 2006."
Of the roughly 1,000 malls in the U.S., about 400 cater to upper-income shoppers, he said. For those higher-end malls, business is improving, according to data from Green Street Advisors. It's the lower-end malls that are being hit by store closures.
JCPenney, Macy's, and Sears have all recently announced fresh rounds of closures and layoffs. JCPenney is closing 33 stores, Macy's is closing five, and Sears is closing its flagship in Chicago — the latest of about 300 closures Sears has made since 2010.
As those retailers vacate their hulking, multi-story spaces, mall owners are aiming to replace them with movie theaters, restaurants, and discount retailers like TJ Maxx, Ross Stores, and Marshalls, analysts said.
But if a mall is hit by two or more anchor closures at once, it's harder to stay afloat. That's typically the beginning of a downward spiral leading to ultimate extinction, Lachance said.
Most struggling malls don't go down without a long, drawn-out fight, however — the evidence of which exists in hundreds of communities across the country where vacant wings of various shopping centers are beginning to crumble and decay. States hit particularly badly include Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Illinois, according to Deadmalls.com, which tracks mall closures.
Here's the interior of Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, Ohio, which has been closed since 2008:
"Malls will go broke, will go dark, will get closed — and it will take eight years for something to be redeveloped," Davidowitz said.
Don Wood, the CEO of Federal Reality Investment Trust, has said the process of knocking down or converting a mall could take as long as two decades.
"It’s really going to be hard in the next 10 years to knock down that mall and rebuild it into something better because the economics just don’t work," Wood said at a conference in June 2012, according to The Wall Street Journal. A failing mall in a non-affluent market "most likely will just stay there and get worse and worse over the next 20 years."
What will eventually replace these ghost malls are community colleges, business offices, and health care facilities, according to Green Street Advisors.
Until then, many of these former shopping hubs will continue the gradual process of boarding up windows and turning out the lights, one store after another.
See Also:
Wal-Mart Customers In Denver Can Now Order Groceries Online And Pick Them Up The Same Day5 Ways You Can Save Money At Costco A New Website Could Change Shopping For Expectant Parents
SEE ALSO: JCPenney To Cut 2,000 Jobs, Close 33 Stores
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Daron Acemoglu: Paul Revere of the robot revolution
Imposing in size and resembling a retired linebacker more than the MIT economist that he is, Daron Acemoglu has built the reputation of an iconoclast. Over the last five years, he has taken on the grasping leaders of the world's failed nations, and, most recently, automation.
In March, Acemoglu, along with Boston University's Pascual Restrepo, made waves with a paper that described industrial robots punching a hole in employment and wage growth, and potentially costing millions of more jobs by 2025. While challenging the orthdoxy, the paper immediately became central to the early scholarship on the new wave of robotization. Policymakers, fellow economists and journalists rely on his core conclusion — that each robot will cost three to six jobs.
His central message: "History is not uniform," Acemoglu tells Axios: Technological development tends to bring broad prosperity, but that is not a law of nature. "The industrial revolution didn't lead to higher wages for many years between 1760 and 1850," and if it weren't for democratization, the rise of labor unions, and universal education, it may never have.
Since 2011, Acemoglu has been mentioned regularly as a candidate for the Nobel Prize. I spoke with him twice — at MIT and, in a catchup chat last week, by phone. Unsurprisingly, his office is lined with books, history next to economics, including stacks of Why Nations Fail, the 2012 work that he co-authored with the University of Chicago's James Robinson. That's the one that, challenging the theory of Jared Diamond and others, said nations fail not because of culture, history or geography, but simply because their leaders prefer to loot; there simply isn't the institutional strength to pull the country through bad leadership.
Acemoglu earned his Ph.D at the London School of Economics, but the most important economics lesson leading to his theory about the prosperity of nations came while growing up under the Turkish military dictatorship in the 1980s. He witnessed that the purpose of many institutions was not to do its job or make sure people were treated equally, but to extract wealth from the population.
What he grasped: Winning nations — the key determinant of a country's prosperity — are inclusive, having universal property rights and democratic forms of government.
But Acemoglu worries that these institutions in the U.S. and Europe are under attack. One of the enemies at the gate: technology. It's a conclusion he would not have made ten or fifteen years ago. "Economists are trained to think of technology as always increasing employment and raising wages," he says by phone, "but there's no theoretical justification for believing this."
Robinson — his Why Nations Fail collaborator — met Acemoglu during a lecture Robinson was giving at LSE. Acemoglu sat in the front row and peppered Robinson with questions and challenges to his assumptions. (Thomas Piketty, the rockstar economist and author of Capital in the 21st Century, sat just a few seats down.).
The two went to dinner afterward, and a decade of collaboration followed. Robinson says what sets Acemoglu apart is the breadth of his curiosity: "His house is filled to the brim with books on all sorts of topics. Few economists have read half what he's read." Says his MIT colleague Joshua Angrist, "Daron breathed life into the field of political economy."
Lessons from the industrial revolution: Acemoglu saw that advancing technology did little to raise the prosperity of the common man. Now, it's important that everyone be engaged. "There's a real mismatch between our institutions and the technologies coming on board," he says. He calls for a menu of changes:
The working homeless isn't just a tech bubble problem
The working homeless are an international problem. Here, day laborers in Osaka, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi / Bloomberg via Getty Images
In big cities across the U.S., thousands of people trudge off to work in the morning but, lacking enough money for sky-high rent, are living at night in homeless shelters, cars, RVs, side streets and parking lots, often with their entire family.
Quick take: For a couple of months, we have heard about the problem of working homelessness in the tech hubs of Seattle and San Francisco. But there is a similar plight in Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.
An invisible problem: Cities only rarely keep track of their local working homeless, and the federal government does not collate raw data that could more sharply define the scale of the problem. To write this story, we called to agencies, shelters and experts around the nation.
Jason Leopold, a researcher at the Urban Institute, said the percentage of homeless people who work may be close to 25%, maybe a little more. Megan Hustings, director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, suggested higher percentages — 40% to 60% of the homeless float in and out of both part- and full-time work, she said.
Here are our top findings:
Washington, D.C.: 22% of homeless single adults and 32% of adults in homeless families are employed, according to a 2017 report by the Washington Council of Governments. The city has 11,128 homeless people, according to official figures.
New York: About 70% of the city's approximately 60,000 people living in homeless shelters are families, and 34% of the families include a working adult, Arianna Fishman of the city's Department of Human Services tells Axios. Women in Need, the city's largest provider of shelter, said that 53% of the homeless moms in its residences are working.
Baltimore: In a Point in Time count on Jan. 22, 6% of the 546 people who were not staying in shelters said they were employed.
Chicago: In aPoint in Time survey on Jan. 26, 25% of the 4,100 homeless people in shelters said they were employed.
Boston: 42% of homeless people 18-25 years old in Suffolk County were employed, according to the 2016 Massachusetts Youth Count.
New Haven, CT: About a third of the 160 homeless families served by Melville Charitable Trust in New Haven, CT, are working, according to Becca Allen, a program officer; a quarter of them have some college education and 43% graduated high school.
Mariam Nek, director of the AimHire program at Friendship Place in Washington, D.C., said the working homeless range in former circumstances. One man she helped was a “very successful loan banker … [who] lost everything because of the financial crisis" and lived out of his car, she said.
Over time, Nek said, people who are homeless and working figure out “a way to deal with 'where do I go to shower? Where do I keep my stuff when I go to my job?'" because they have to when they can't afford to pay rent.
The Heartland Alliance offers housing and training programs so people can get on their feet. But Nancy Phillips, senior director of Heartland's Pathways to Success Initiatives, said “sometimes people won't even say that they're homeless on the first meeting ... because they're worried that we won't let them into the training program."
Sobering numbers: The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) reports that to afford a two-bedroom rental unit in the U.S. in 2017, renters need to earn $21.21 per hour on average. That's $13.96 higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25. It's $4.83 higher than the average hourly national wage, $16.38.
“In no state in the entire country can a family working full time at minimum wage afford an average apartment."— Becca Allen of the Melville Charitable Trust
Microsoft taps AI, Reddit to make Bing smarter
Microsoft announced a bunch of new partnerships Wednesday as it aims to show itself as a leader in the field of artificial intelligence. It's also adding a bunch of AI-powered features to its own products, including its Bing search engine along with a deep integration of content from Reddit.
Why it matters: AI is one of the hottest areas in tech and Microsoft is competing with Google, Facebook, IBM and others for talent, mindshare and deals.
Partnerships: Microsoft announced efforts with a range of companies, including Reddit, UPS and China's Cheetah Mobile. In the Reddit deal, Microsoft's Bing search engine will use content from the online discussion community, including its popular "Ask Me Anything" Q&As.
Internal efforts
On the Bing front, Microsoft is using AI to deliver answers that combine information from multiple sites. That can allow results that compare different arguments on an issue, explore the differences between two things or just deliver a summary of facts from more than one place, with footnotes showing where the information came from. It is also making Bing more conversational and allowing people to search within images.
With Cortana, Microsoft is trying to help its digital assistant stand out from a crowded pack that includes Apple's Siri, Google's Assistant and Amazon's Alexa. Microsoft's case is that it is the only digital assistant that stretches across work and personal life. To that end, Microsoft said Cortana can now understand calendar and other data from Google's Gmail. It's also building Cortana into Android apps, including the CM Launcher app from China's Cheetah Mobile.
Microsoft is also expanding its use of AI in Office 365. A new insights feature will automatically make charts showing trends within a complex spreadsheet. Within word, AI will help make sense of acronyms within a document using other documents within the company. Microsoft already prioritizes which e-mails to read first, but a new feature will help find the action items within Outlook.
The debate over inequality
Last week, we reported that the wage inequality gap in the U.S., a primary source of the polarization among Americans, has been shrinking: For five straight quarters, wages have been growing the most for U.S. workers with only a high school diploma.
"Surely you're kidding?" wrote James Harvey, executive director of the National Superintendents Roundtable. The percentage wage increase is better for high school graduates, he said, but the dollar increase still favors the rich: a 3.3% raise for someone making $20,000 a year is $660—only an eighth of the $5,000 raise going to someone earning $500,000 and getting a 1% increase.
In a phone call, Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel told me, "The 1% is doing a lot better, and for the 30% and 40% at the bottom, it keeps getting worse."
Quick take: The times do indisputably favor the rich:
When adjusted for inflation,U.S. wages are up only 10% from almost a half-century ago.
Meanwhile, wealth held by the top 1% has surged: it rose to 38.6% of the total in 2016, from 36.3% in 2013, the Fed said in a report in September, while the bottom 90%'s wealth has fallen for almost three decades—last year, it was 22.8% of the total, compared with 33.2% in 1989.
And Charlie Allenson, a FoW reader in New York, made another point: "Many of those chronically not working are not getting back to work. Namely, those more 'mature' workers. Ageism rolls on. Personal example: People look at my website and love my work. They meet me, see the gray hair and suddenly they're going in a 'different direction.' This is a constant for me. And it sucks."
But there are in fact signs of an improvement in the fortunes of ordinary people, and wages and salaries are among them, says Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed.com, the jobs listing website, who wrote the blog post on which we were reporting. In an email exchange, Kolko told me:
Harvey and Kasriel are correct to single out the vast concentration of income at the top, comprised largely of non-wage earnings like capital gains, interest and dividends—which combined are how the wealthy make most of their money.
But wages earned for work are another lens into the inequality story, and in that realm, the gap indeed has narrowed.
The shrinking wage gap is important to watch because wages and salaries are a large component of pre-tax money income, which includes interest, dividends and income from property. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the proportion at 76.8%. (see pages 8-9 in this BLS report).
The Fed, too, has noted the trend favoring less-educated workers. According to a Fed report released in September, income rose from 2013 through 2016 for all income groups, after accounting for inflation, which was a change from the prior three years, when income was stagnant. But the highest growth — an average of 25% — was among families without a high school diploma; in the 2010 to 2013 period, income fell for these workers, the Fed said.
Thought bubble: Inequality is not an absolute metric. If it were, ordinary people could legitimately lash out about wealth at the top regardless of how they themselves were faring. The rise of wages at the bottom and in the middle is slow, and the trend could halt—that is a point that Kolko makes. But it remains notable that the numbers are no longer going only in one, inexorable direction—there are metrics pointing to growing wages and salaries, and more jobs, for those whom the economy has been leaving behind.
Bitcoin: 'This is a casino, not an investment'
Illustration: Lazaro Gamio / Axios
Bitcoin is up about 1,700% since the start of the year. Some attribute the surge to ordinary, if enthusiastic, investment, along with the forces of supply and demand. Others say it's a bubble, and that it will ultimately burst. Joe Borg, president of the North American Securities Administrators Association, a grouping of state securities officials, suggests it's the latter. "This is a casino," he tells Axios, "not an investment."
The bottom line: Borg, who is also director of the Alabama Securities Commission, says he could be wrong and that those who say bitcoin is just "another type of investment" will be proven correct. But he sees worrying signs of a classic investment mania.
People have told him they have taken out home equity lines of credit to buy bitcoin.
Those doing so, he said, are mostly millennials and young baby boomers.
"They seem to think anything electronic is a game," Borg said. "There are entrepreneurs who run Facebook, and they put this in the same category."
Thought bubble: If bitcoin collapses, which has been the normal course in big, sudden investment manias, the price is highly unlikely to go to zero, meaning a lot of people will still be in the money. But lots of people will lose, too, including perhaps some who have taken out those home equity lines of credit.
That there is a fever is indisputable. It is global, and especially heavy in Asia. Ordinary South Koreans are the most aggressive bitcoin investors, in addition to Hong Kong Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese, report the WSJ's Steven Russolillo and Eun-Young Jeong. Together, they account for almost 80% of global bitcoin trading. Other reminders of fevers past:
Most of these Asians buying bitcoin are the general public, not professional traders.
At the point last week when bitcoin went above $17,000, it was almost $25,000 in South Korea, almost 50% higher, the WSJ said. In other words, the trade is chaotic to the point of irrationality.
At the FT, Izabella Kaminska writes today that even central banks are "getting drunk on the collective cryptocurrency/blockchain Kool-Aid."
A point that increasing numbers of observers are making is that bitcoin is only an investment, with no other real-life, large-scale utility, at least at present: bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are too slow and cumbersome to serve as money, their original purpose.
In a speech today in Sydney, Phillip Lowe, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, makes the point: "The current fascination with these currencies feels more like a speculative mania than it has to do with their use as an efficient and convenient form of electronic payment."
This robot went to college
Bina48 graduates in the philosophy of love. Photo courtesy William Barry.
Bina48 appears to be the world's first robot college student. Along with 31 classmates, she took a 16-week course this fall in the philosophy of love, taught at Notre Dame de Namur University, in Belmont, CA, graduating with a grade of "superior quality."
Quick take: William Barry, who taught the class and worked with Bina48's artificial intelligence developers to make her ready for college rigor, says the aim was to improve the robot's ability to "communicate and build rapport with human classmates." Some students might start with apprehensions about AI, but Barry wanted Bina48 to dispel them. "We wanted to start the conversation with students not from a place of experiential fear, but as a place of opportunity," he said. "We're teaching an artificial intelligence about how we want it to help us in the flourishing of humanity."
How it works:Bina48 was designed to "learn" by capturing a mosaic of general knowledge that any college student would have — what Barry calls "mind files" — in addition to specific information about the course. Along the way last semester, Bina48 was able to modify her store of knowledge in line with what she was learning, Barry said.
The course went something like this:
Bina48 could listen in classes held by Skype, and reply with a voice.
When a subject arose, she would peruse her mind file and figure out where the class conversation was going. "It's not like she's reading from a script and then repeats it back," Barry said.
Among her classwork, Bina48 participated in a debate with students at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The subject: the use of nonlethal weapons in warfare.
What's next: Bina48 is signed up for an "ethics of emerging technologies" course next semester.
Working dogs: People buy when canines are selling
Illustration: Rebecca Zisser / Axios
For several years, dogs have been among the biggest stars on Instagram, with hundreds of thousands of followers and enormous advertising deals. The reason? Many Instagram users trust dogs more than human models.
Why it matters: In an age where brands and platforms are radically rethinking how ads are produced and delivered to consumers, "animal influencers," as the ad industry calls them, produce sponsored content that people actually choose to follow and engage with. “People are going to get ads — whether it's banner ads, whether it's influencer ads," Loni Edwards, founder of The Dog Agency, tells Axios. "But they want to see them in a way that's going to make them smile."
Edwards cites an "incredibly powerful" campaign that she did for Urban Decay, a makeup brand, involving numerous pet influencers. “It was about how Urban Decay doesn't test on animals, and it's about putting that message next to these pets that people already have a strong connection to," she said. Urban Decay did not respond to an email.
And there are ways to expand: The Dog Agency has its own pet content site called Pet Insider, and last month sponsored "PetCon," a weekend pet-focused convention in New York based around some of the agency's most famous animal influencers.
Why it connects: While animal influencers first came to prominence promoting pet-friendly products like Barkbox, a monthly dog-focused subscription service, the most prominent influencers today tend to work closely with human models. One approach is to embed an ad from a known human personality within a photo of an animal who consumers have already chosen to follow, and thereby get people not only to view the ad, but like and comment on it as well.
Animal influencers get more attention than human bloggers, Edwards said. Clients see the results. "By partnering with [animal influencers]," she said, "they're really resonating with their consumers on a deeper level"
One of the stars: Elle Drouin is owner of Mochi, a 3-year-old maltipoo who just cracked 100,000 Instagram followers. She said it's not uncommon for a single Instagram post to earn $1,000 (around $100 for every 10,000 followers). “Mochi definitely earns more then her keep," she told Axios. "She pays for herself and then some."
Drouin works, too: Drouin estimates that she works three to five hours a week on Mochi's brand. “I was sitting in my office," she said, "and I realized that I had spent two hours responding to emails for my dog."
Alibaba is crushing Amazon in transforming offline shopping
Alibaba founder Jack Ma. Photo: Natacha Pisarenko / AP
Amazon has introduced high-profile experiments in offline retail in recent quarters, like the cashier-less Amazon Go, or its new brick-and-mortar book stores, but Fortune reports that Alibaba is "further along the online-to-off-line curve than its U.S. doppelgänger."
China's retail sector was in its infancy by the time e-commerce was introduced to the country during the 2000s, and consumers and retailers latched on to tools like Alibaba's online marketplace rather than waiting for or investing in an efficient network of stores.
What's next: Alibaba is now pouring profits into its New Retail initative, whereby it sells services to offline retailers that will make them more efficient and attractive to China's growing middle class.
According to Fortune's Adam Lashinsky, "The purest manifestation of Alibaba's online/off-line ambitions is Hema," a bricks-and-mortar grocery store that accepts orders via app, and promises delivery within 30 minutes and a 5-kilometer radius.
The firm's experiments in cashierless checkout systems and augmented reality are arguably further along than those at American firms like Amazon and eBay.
Dali Yang, a Chinese-born political scientist at the University of Chicago tells Fortune that offline retail helps support domestic jobs, which " pleases employment-conscious Chinese government officials."
Target says that it expects to offer same-day delivery services at around half of its stores by early 2018 and at a majority of its stores by the 2018 holiday season. Full deployment across all major product categories would come by the end of 2019.
Shipt had raised around $65 million in venture capital funding from firms like Greycroft Partners, e.ventures, and Harbert Venture Partners. The Birmingham, Ala.-based company currently has a network of more than 20,000 personal shoppers in 72 markets, and will continue to run independently.
Some additional color from Ian Sigalow, a Greycroft partner and Shipt director:
Target CEO Brian Cornell flew down to Birmingham and did a test drive with a Shipt delivery person.
Expect Target to particularly leverage Shipt when it comes to fresh food offerings, as Shipt currently focuses on grocery.
The original conversations between Target and Shipt were about a business partnership.
Google is opening an AI center in China
Google is setting up an artificial intelligence research facility in China, the company said on Wednesday.
Why it matters: China is looking to become a bigger player in artificial intelligence. And Google — along with other Silicon Valley companies — is looking to gain a foothold in China, where it has had limited operations since 2010. "I believe AI and its benefits have no borders," said Fei-Fei Li, an AI expert who will be one of the leaders of the new center, in a company blog post.
Charming Charlie becomes 20th major retailer to file for bankruptcy this year
Charming Charlie, the Houston-based jewelry and accessories retailer, announced Tuesday that it reached an agreement with lenders and equity sponsors to clear the way for its filing of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
What went wrong: Charming Charlie's bread-and-butter, affordable jewlery, is an ideal product for online sellers, given that it can be warehoused and shipped cheaply. What's more, even as business migrated online, Charming Charlie overextended itself, opening 79 stores between 2013 and 2015.
Charming Charlie burst onto the retail scene in 2004, with stores uniquely organized by color, and offering products at prices between high-end jewlery stores and discount shops like Claire's, which is aimed at the teenage market. | {
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The sanctity of the cow in Hinduism, the
belief, dating from the Vedic period, that associates the cow with certain
deities and thus accords it veneration. Though oxen and bulls were sacrificed
and their flesh consumed in ancient India, the slaughter of milk-producing
cows was prohibited, and verses of the Rgveda refer to the cow as Devi
(goddess), identified with Aditi (mother of the gods) herself. By the
early centuries of the Common era, the killing of a cow was equated
to the sin of killing a Brahman (a member of the highest, priestly,
caste). The degree of veneration afforded the cow is indicated by the
use in rites of purification and extreme penance of the pańcagavya,
the five products of the cow--milk, curd, butter, urine, and dung. The
importance of the pastoral element in the Krishna cycle of legends,
particularly from the 10th century onward, further emphasized the sanctity
of the cow. In modern India the question of the slaughtering of cattle
is often a political issue. | {
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Now Playing
CityBeat Breakfast Event
SAN FRANCISCO – Homelessness, public safety and affordability rank as the top concerns among San Francisco voters, according to the 2018 Dignity Health CityBeat Poll which was unveiled February 2 at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce’s annual CityBeat Breakfast event attended by nearly 900 business and civic leaders.
The CityBeat Breakfast explored the theme San Francisco 360º, taking a look at the major industries and thought leadership that will drive the economy and the Chamber’s agenda in 2018. In addition to the presentation of the Dignity Health CityBeat Poll results, speakers included Mayor Mark Farrell to address the State of the City and a panel of experts including Dr. Michael Anderson, President of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals; Bernard Coleman, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Uber; Emile Haddad, Chairman & CEO FivePoint Holdings LLC; and Yvonne Wassenaar, CEO of Airware to discuss the successes and challenges of their industries in San Francisco.
“San Francisco is at an important crossroads,” said Tallia Hart, President & CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.
“While our economy is thriving, the city is facing major issues
which are deeply impacting residents, business, tourism and quality of life.”
Poll results show that anxieties about cost of living are growing – when asked what they feel are the major issues facing San Francisco today, 43 percent of respondents said cost of rents/
affordability, and 33 percent said cost of owning a home, up from 23 percent in 2017. Fourteen percent said cost of living, a significant jump from 1 percent in 2017.
“Our business community is only as strong as our workforce,” said Hart. “Economic growth requires a large workforce and growing productivity which is contingent on removing more of the
barriers to development and building more affordable workforce housing to keep up with demand.”
Voters also expressed growing concern over crime, drugs and gangs, with 15 percent citing it as a major issue in 2018, up from 8 percent in 2017. While 44 percent of respondents said homelessness and street behavior, that number is down from 60 percent in 2017. To address anxieties over public safety, voters overwhelmingly support giving Tasers to SFPD officers (76
percent), safe injection sites (67 percent) and increasing the number of active duty police officers by 200 (68 percent). San Franciscans are supportive of several solutions, many related to transportation – the backbone of our city. Voters expressed strong support for transportation projects in the 2018 poll. Fifty-five percent support installing transit only “red lanes” on some city streets, 78 percent support extending the T-line from Chinatown to Fisherman’s Wharf and 77 percent support constructing a tunnel to extend CalTrain and future high-speed rail from Mission Bay to the Transbay Transit Center. Sixty-five percent support constructing a new Bay Crossing from the East Bay to San Mateo County. However, the City is split on replacing vehicle lanes with bike lanes, with 47 percent supporting removing traffic lanes in various locations around the city to install bike-only lanes.
Residents are also generally content with many city services, feeling favorable about:
San Francisco Rec and Park: 70%
San Francisco Police Department: 59%
MUNI: 49%
SFUSD: 44%
The CityBeat Poll was conducted among 500 San Francisco voters in January 2017 by David Binder Research for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.
Notable Attendees:
Mayor Mark Farrell
Dr. Michael Anderson, President of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
Bernard Coleman, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Uber
Emile Haddad, Chairman & CEO FivePoint Holdings LLC
Yvonne Wassenaar, CEO of Airware
London Breed
Willie Brown
Photography: Ando Caulfield of Drew Altizer Photography | {
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How New Technology Will Improve Hospital Efficiency
When he took a job as a programmer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, fourth-year student Nathaniel Bessa had never developed his own software application. “I went there with no relevant experience, but with the confidence that I would figure it out,” said Bessa, who is pursuing a combined degree in computer science and business with a concentration in entrepreneurship.
And figure it out he did. In just two months, Bessa developed an application to monitor a new physician productivity incentive program, which includes several layers of analysis and functionality and has already impacted the hospital’s fiscal efficiency.
Bessa’s program allows doctors to monitor their patient insurance bills directly through a web application called the RVU Tracker. The bills, which insurance companies use to determine reimbursements for the hospital, contain information such as the date and time of a patient’s visit, the medical record number, and admissions codes. The first two help track a doctor’s activity, but it’s the admissions codes that Bessa’s program uses to determine performance compensation.
The five-digit codes, developed by the American Medical Association, embed information about the stage of a patient’s care and the difficulty of the case, both of which are transparent methods of determining hospital revenue. If, for example, a doctor rates a case as easy when the code indicates that it should have been difficult, then the hospital receives less money for the case. Moreover, if a doctor waits months to fill out the bills, insurance companies can refuse to pay.
By introducing more transparency and a better method of tracking and visualization, Bessa’s program incentivizes physicians to bill on time and as accurately as possible. If they do these two things on a regular basis, they see higher bonuses at the end of each quarter.
Traditionally, it has taken hospitals longer than mainstream culture to adopt new technologies. “It is a principle mission of a hospital to provide quality patient care,” said Bessa, “not to focus their resources on designing advanced information technology with cool desktops and touch screens.
“That is where we can come in as programmers,” he added. “Part of what the healthcare industry needs is a tech-aware advocate—someone who can pioneer and champion the use of new technologies in hospitals, someone who understands doctors and also understands computers.”
Bessa wants to be that champion. To that end, he plans to continue pursuing healthcare technology innovation on co-op at the Broad Institute, a biomedical research center in Cambridge, Mass., where he’ll be working on developing metabolite profiling software. | {
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AIR VALID publishes certified online information about airlines in compliance to the regulation (EC) No 2111 / 2005 of the European Parliament and of the council of 14 December 2005 on the establishment of a Community list of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the Community and regarding the obligation to disclose to air transport passengers information about the identity of the airline carriers including low cost airlines, regular airlines and charter airlines repealing Article 9 of Directive 2004 / 36 / EC. | {
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Sunday, December 30, 2007
Has anybody heard about “Diniwid Beach Resort” in Boracay? I bet nobody does, nor most people in Boracay. But try clicking their websites (here and here) and you will see a very enticing place supposedly just beside the beach. Well, it’s supposedly a “beach resort.” So my architect friend booked and paid here in Manila hoping she could bring joy and warm welcome to a sister who came from Canada. Upon landing in Boracay, they were surprised that nobody knows about the “beach resort” and were shocked to learn it’s not located beside the sea but an interior, almost like a squatter’s area. In her blog, my friend Louise recalls:
"Imagine to our surprise when we arrive yesterday at Diniwid Beach, looking for the Diniwid Beach Resort, and there was no Local who can point to us where's it located... After almost 30 minutes of asking around, she finally found where it was, only after she mentioned the owner's name.
And there we saw our place, after being led to an alley. A shack of a house [see picture], absolutely different from what was advertised on the web. Ano to, squatter's area?, my Ate was furious. The steps leading upstairs was only about 18" wide, too steep, my folks would sure slip any time, if they can even manage to climb it at the first place. The other cottage showed to us was more deplorable. Instantly, we decided to transfer to a better location…"
Refund! That’s the only solution when you are misled but the operator, a british national, wouldn’t return the money. Says Louise:
"Negotiating if we can get a refund for the deceit the Owner did to us, we were met by her rough British husband who flatly declared a NO REFUND policy. It seemed that he owns the place and uses only the local as his front."
The gall! Louise said she is going to file complaints at the local tourism office and I hope she gets her money back soon.
The local tourism office, nay the entire local government should act on scams like this before it destroys the image of Boracay
The man had been stuck inside the chimney for about 10 hours with his kneesjammed tightly into his chest, said local fire station officer Mark James. "Hewas like a grub in a cocoon when we found him," James said. "He was reallywedged in there."
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A gang of about 50 apparently drunken Santas invaded a New Zealand cinema complex at the weekend — frightening customers, damaging property and swearing, the cinema's manager said Monday. Police believe the Santas were a group of university students dressed in Santa suits who ran amok for 20 seconds through Hoyts Cinema complex in the South Island city of Christchurch on Saturday, manager Derek Rive said.
Being a cop is probably one of the noblest professions (assuming one does her/his job seriously) putting order in society, enforcing the law, etc. And society respects them for that. But in America sometimes they are treated as nothing but a nose wipe, as what this woman did:
Cpl. S.E. Elliott said he had arrested the 36-year-old woman last week afterseeing her slap a man, bite him on the elbow and spit in his face. Elliott saidthe woman wiped her nose on him as he led her into the police station forbooking on a charge of domestic battery.
Friday, December 28, 2007
I won a flat iron from our Christmas e-raffle. Will I be “domesticated” in 2008?
Lest you think I’m superstitious, consider this. During our 2005 Christmas party, I got a travel bag. Our editor told me: “Maybe you are going to travel beyond the shores in 2006.” A few months after, while enjoying my life in Palawan after leaving Today Newspaper, I got a call from the US embassy.
“Dave, do you want to go to the US,” said a voice from the other line.
“Sure! But why should I go there?” I asked. “And how?”
“We have chosen you as a fellow for the International Visitors Program 2006,” she said. “It’s for leadership training in print journalism. Please come to the US embassy on Monday.”
And indeed I traveled to Washington DC, Virginia, New York, Florida, the mid-West (Nebraska and Colorado), and California (San Diego and Sta. Monica) to interact and learn from media organizations there.
In December 2006, someone gave me another huge travel bag. An officemate joked that I’ll be on a tour once again. True enough, I went to Australia courtesy of the Jaime Ongpin/Australian Ambassador’s Choice Awards. Then came the Jefferson Fellowship where I got to Hawaii, Silicon Valley, China and India.
Last week, I won a Hanabishi flat iron. Does it mean I’ll be completely domesticated in 2008?
Will somebody please give me a travel bag before the year ends?! Haha! Joke. Happy New Year to all!
Monday, December 24, 2007
You will probably call me Grinch or kill joy, but I really feel there’s a need to reassess the way we celebrate Christmas. No, I’m not complaining about the “crass commercialism” that Christmas has gone down to. The flow of commerce is important if we are to create jobs and all that, but is there a way we could celebrate it in less environmentally harmful ways?
I’m no certified tree hugger (well, I did hug trees when I still enjoyed tree climbing as hobby and that was years ago), but I do think a paradigm shift is in order. But I won’t preach to you guys, but let me share here how I do Christmas with less carbon footprint.
I won’t shoot or light firecrackers, for obvious reasons.
I don’t have Christmas lights to help minimize the burning of fossil for electricity. I don’t have any Christmas tree, either. I find it so artificial.
I don’t wrap the gifts I give. Those wrappers always end up as tons of wastes in the dumps.
I minimize travel to minimize vehicular emissions.
I avoid excessive consumption for my health’s sake. Haha!
To celebrate Christmas, I only pray in silence, and read books to nourish my soul.
Would that make a difference? I don’t know, but if many of us adopt some of these measures, the world will be a better place and Al Gore wouldn’t think he is a failure.
Friday, December 21, 2007
I’m puzzled by this story going around that cause-oriented types are now warming up to Mar Roxas hoping he will pursue “policy reforms” once he captures the presidency come 2010. As far as I know, Mar has never been associated with any progressive policy agenda. Mar doesn’t seem to have the knack for speaking for or against anything even when time demanded so. We never heard him talking about agrarian reform or agricultural modernization. He never knew him being passionate about human rights and political killings. He was never truly pro-Erap nor was he really anti-Gloria. He doesn’t seem to have clear stand on anything: environment, globalization, foreign debt, gender, deregulation, Doha round of talks, etc. He never spoke against monopolies and oligopolies. Maybe he behaves this way because he is just consistent being pro-Mar Roxas.
If there’s one thing he is associated with, it’s with Corina Sanchez, and the buzz about them simply faded after he won his Senate seat. Now, that he is angling for the Presidency are we going to see him with Corina again? And why does he have to do that? What is he trying to cover for?
Mar says he is Mr Palengke (markets). But he never had any legislative proposal for expanding or freeing Philippine markets. He is probably even anti-market.
Consider this: In 2001, Roxas caved in to the local cement lobby that was then complaining about “injuries” caused by rising cement imports and was forced to slap additional duties (about P20 per bag) on them, thus significantly raising cement prices in the local market and penalizing the local construction industry. In response, the Tariff Commission conducted an investigation and found out that Roxas’s decision was totally baseless, as local manufacturers maintained an 80-percent share of the domestic market. The report also stated that there was no injury to speak of, nor was there any worker losing his job because of the rise of cement imports. The industry, in fact, improved its productivity as a result of the rising foreign competition. But Mar Roxas simply brushed off the Tariff Commission study in order to shelter the cement industry from foreign competition.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The recent numbers on jobs based on the October 2007 Labor Force Survey seem to tell us so. The NSO report says the jobless rate has declined a full percentage point from 7.3 percent last year to 6.3 percent this year. Underemployment has declined from 20.4 to 18.1 percent. That’s a two full percentage point down, meaning that a significant number of dissatisfied employees has gone down as well.
The details are quite interesting. The percent share of farm jobs has declined but those of the industry sector has gone up, mainly because of a growing job uptake in construction. There’s also a growing share of jobs in the services sector particularly in the transportation, storage and communications; real estate and renting; education; health and social work; and private households. It means more people are hiring maids and drivers? That says something.
And there’s a significant increase in own account workers, an indication perhaps of greater entrepreneurship activities. Figures on those who get wages and salaries are also encouraging as more private establishments are hiring.
In terms of occupation, the percentage shares of professionals are rising. So are those of trade and related workers; clerks; and laborers and unskilled workers. This trend is not surprising because of robust construction sector. Hey, it quite broad-based.
Is this the trickle down effect of the 7 percent growth rate we have been registering? Seems like it. But expect the doubters to dismiss these numbers. I’m a doubter myself but I don’t denigrate these numbers:I feel these are real gains by real people. And it’s not because of Malacanang but despite Malacanang.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
I was expecting to see retirees and middle aged guys when the boss told me I should show up for the Entrepreneurs’ “networking night” in Greenhills. That was last Tuesday, the second day in my new job. But I was surprised to see young boys and girls in 20s and 30s, many of them barely out of college. And my goodness, they were all talking about “doing business’ and making money! In my time, we were all about “social engineering,” “social change,” and revolutions as if we knew what we were talking about.
Is a new ethos taking over? I hope so. It’s about time. If we want the country to move faster into the lane of progress (whatever that means), we should have more entrepreneurs in our midst. And its not only because of its positive economic impact, its also because the growth of the middle class is the surest path to political stability. Fareed Zakaria in “The Future of Freedom” said so. Francis Fukuyama (in his “The End of History”) said so. And of course, they are not the original guys to have said so. It was Aristotle who theorized about this long time ago. And I guess, the reason is simple: the middle class, especially the entrepreneurs have a stake in stability and order.
Why? Consider this: if you are really rich, filthy rich, if you are an oligarch, you don’t really need “the rule of law.” In fact, you want the law (or rules) to be opaque so that you could buy it anytime when it suits your end. And the really poor, those who have nothing, don’t care much about the law, the rules, either because they don’t have a stake in the system. Sometimes they have to bend the rules to maintain their existence. Or at least, that’s what some of them think.
But when you are a budding entrepreneur with a little money, you have a stake in the system. Yet you can’t afford to buy the bureaucracy, so you desire for proper societal rules to work for you. You want to be protected from predatory actions of the super rich and the protection from those who will rob your of your wallet. You desire order, stability, transparency, predictability, and fairness. And these are foundations, the values, of a functional liberal democracy that we crave for.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Call it the pains of “success.” Or at least, the people’s pains for MRT’s success. It seems that these days, Metro Rail Transit is always congested. If one doesn’t start riding at either end of the line (either in Baclaran in the South or North Edsa in the opposite end), one would always have to suffer being packed and squeezed like sardines inside the coaches.
It’s not for love of the trains; it’s because a commuter could save lots of time. What takes one hour or two in the bus just takes about 25 minutes in MRT.
But there’s another reason. It’s so cheap: the 25 kilometer stretch just costs P14 pesos (0.32 US cents), probably about a hundred percent cheaper than the bus. And it’s cheap because its subsidized, meaning that people who live in the rural areas are also paying the maintenance and bank amortization of an infra that is being used solely by the dwellers of Metro Manila, a case of the rural folks subsidizing the “richer” urban dwellers.
Also, part of the value added tax that each one pays to the government whenever one eats in restaurants or pays for the grocery goes to the upkeep of the MRT. Isn’t that unfair? Of course, it is! And it’s not really improving the quality of life of the urban commuters because artificial cheapness suggests that it would be congested most of the time, thus lowering each weary commuter’s “ridership quality.”
Solution? Why not charge the true cost of the facility? That way, we free the rural dwellers, especially residents of Mindanao and Visayas, the burden of paying for such a facility that they don’t use. Those who use it should be the ones to pay for it. And of course, when ticket prices are a little bit expensive, more people would think about riding the buses again thus lessening the congestion inside the trains.
Or maybe, government should think about charging variable prices: charges are higher during the peak hours and lower during the non-peak hours so that people would have the incentive to schedule their travel time accordingly.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
I met Jenny in California early this year through a Japanese girl, an accountant working for one of the big global accounting firms operating in Silicon Valley. Over dinner she told me she has several colleagues from the Philippines. She called several numbers and voila and I had an appointment the following day at Starbucks near our hotel in downtown San Jose. Jenny came in a runners’ outfit, clutching a book “The World Is Flat.” We walked around town for hours discussing Philippine politics, economy and globalization. We checked some bars and other things that the Valley of Hearts Desire could offer during the night and promised to keep in touch but we failed to reconnect after the Jefferson Fellowship. Her message through Yahoo Messenger the other day therefore was a pleasant surprise.
Jenny landed in Silicon Valley three years ago after a stint at one of the leading accounting firms in Manila. Her ticket was her accounting expertise and her mastery of the computer, SAP and other enterprise management software. Her parents moved to San Francisco fifteen years earlier but she didn’t follow because she was finishing a post-grad in economics at the University of the Philippines. And she loved the beaches. Until the big offer came.
Dave: Bubbling as ever. Politically, I meanJenny: As usual. That’s my frustration there really. I thought GMA was better than Erap so I supported Edsa Dos. It turned out we simply replaced him with someone as corrupt. But oh, I miss the beaches, I love Boracay!
Dave: And then we just had this Trillanes caper…
Jenny: But hey, the Philippines, or at least the GDP figures, have been doing quite good lately!Dave: You mean you are actually following the trends here?
Jenny: Yup! I’m a frustrated economist, remember? Haha!Dave: There are new growth drivers: outsourcing, mining, food and beverage, electronics, telecommunications, and financial services. Past reforms seem to have started bearing fruits. Globalization seems to have become a stabilizing force.
Jenny: Been reading about these. And ah, I remember you mentioning about a paper on that at the University of Hawaii. Could you send me an electronic copy?
Jenny: Thanks. Interesting analysis. Amazes me because our politics there has never been that conducive. I also heard about this “economics delinking from politics theory” from [Congressman] Salceda. Do you think he’s accurate?”Dave: Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m trying to look at it myself. But the guy has some points.
Jenny: How did those people at the University of Hawaii reacted to your paper?
Dave: Mixed, but some are incredulous.
Jenny: Or even hostile, haha!
Dave: How did you figure that out, hehe?Jenny: “Haay, Dave!, I’ve met lots of migrant Pinoys here who think that way.Dave: When I presented that paper, I thought they’d be happy to hear some positive news besides the usual negative ones that they get from media. Many of them were disappointed that I didn’t tell them the usual horror stories. Weird!
Jenny: Probably a psychological thing. Many of those, not all, who left the country decided on the conviction that the country is hopeless, so when they hear that things are improving a bit, it unnerves them, irritates them.Dave: Really? Why?!
Jenny: They are used to hearing about all the negatives, and there are lots of them in media, and they are happy because those stories tend to support the reasons why they abandoned ship. Now here comes some positive news that to them seems to question the basis of their decision to leave. But yeah, it’s weird.
Dave: In fairness, they are well-meaning people. They do sincerely believe the only way out for the Philippines is for every one to migrate. So they use every opportunity to petition relatives and convince friends to migrate. A friend in New York once told me to take up nursing or become a mortician. Or I could be a plumber in Australia. Be practical, he said. Ha ha ha!
Jenny: Ay totoo yan! [That’s so true!] Ha ha ha!
Dave: After that talk, someone asked if I was telling them to return to the Philippines. ‘Of course not,' I answered. 'Why should you; the Philippines doesn’t have snow yet,’ and all the participants burst into laughter.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
First, Trillanes and company failed to consider the 2010 factor. Politicians these days are now looking at the 2010 election as the reference point for their short-term political decisions. Hence, they would look with discomfort any action or event that deviates from that, especially something that’s being pushed by the likes of Trillanes. A junta that would emerge from a military rebellion is anathema to the presidential ambitions of bigwigs like Senator Villar, Senator Ping Lacson, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, to cite a few.
Second is the economic growth factor. The Philippine economy grew by 7.1 percent in the first nine months of the year. Big business engaged in real estate and construction, mining, outsourcing, electronics, finance, telecommunications, etc are now raking in money. So are the technical, professional, and managerial classes supporting these fast-growing sectors. With the increasing globalization of labor markets, even the lower middle classes have options other than becoming pawns in political games. So these people—crucial to the success of previous “people power” cum military revolts—now have a stake in the relative “stability” of the system.
Third, we Filipinos have probably learned some lessons from our previous “people power revolutions.” We probably have realized that we need to develop constitutional liberalism in this country if we want to mature as a nation.
The numbers says it’s actually a pretty broad-based growth, with agriculture, industry, and services contributing altogether. With a 7.3 percent growth in the first quarter, 7.5 percent in the second, and a possible surge in the fourth quarter, we may yet grow close to or higher than 7 percent.
We sneer at these growth numbers, of course. They have yet to translate into lower poverty numbers. True. But we have been at this growth rates quite recently, after hovering at 5-6 percent in the last three years. Experience by the Asian tigers showed they grew 5-7 percent consistently for ten or twenty years before they started licking poverty. This means we have to growth at this rate or higher in the next ten years before we can see substantial reduction in poverty. So it’s a start, and its better late than never.
GMA has nothing to do with this. These improving growth numbers are legacies of the first wave of reforms done following the Edsa Revolution. So the credit goes elsewhere, especially Cory and FVR, and of course, to OFWs, the farmers, business, and entrepreneurs. Had GMA proved to be a better president, we could have achieved higher growth rates, probably at par with Vietnam and India (7-8 percent).
Certainly, she should go, and go to jail (for scandals like NBN, fertilizer scams etc), but can’t we wait two years for the 2010 election? That’s a better option than “taking over” a hotel and making us the laughingstock of the world.
Now that Trillanes is in jail, the latest rumor says he is planning to write a book entitled How to Stage a Coup Like a Jackass!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
He he he! It seems like our five-star hotel revolutionaries forgot to read the coup manual by Edward Luttwak before going on to launch their luxurious coup. Or if they are really so busy, they should have read Wikipedia on the basics of the coup:
Tactically, a coup usually involves control of some active portion of the military while neutralizing the remainder of a country's armed services. This active group captures or expels leaders, seizes physical control of important government offices, means of communication, and the physical infrastructure, such as streets and power plants. The coup succeeds if its opponents fail to dislodge the plotters, allowing them to consolidate their position, obtain the surrender or acquiescence of the populace and surviving armed forces, and claim legitimacy. Coups typically use the power of the existing government for its own takeover. As Edward Luttwak remarks in his Coup d'État: A Practical Handbook: "A coup consists of the infiltration of a small but critical segment of the state apparatus, which is then used to displace the government from its control of the remainder." In this sense, use of military or other organized force is not the defining feature of a coup d'État.
Since the French coup of 1851, the world has witnessed 99 coups, 17 of them failed. Eleven of these failed coups were in the 80s onwards. This information may indicate the growing difficulties of grabbing power through a coup, probably because of several factors, including the effectiveness of peaceful people-power revolutions as an alternative; and the continuing tide of democratization worldwide. Wikipedia says coups rarely solve the social economic problems of developing countries hence it has become less attractive to military leaders. Currently there are 13 serving leaders who came to power through coup.
One day, I'll buy this book (in the picture), have it xeroxed and give the photocopy to Trillanes and his luxurious five-star hotel commandoes for their own entertainment inside the cells.
It’s 5:10 pm and Senator Trillanes and General Lim decided to walk out of the hotel and surrender to avoid the loss of lives—their own. With the APCs and the SWAT troops moving in, there’s really no other option for them but to surrender. It was so stupid of them to initiate a “coup” in the first place. You want a coup and you launch it in a hotel?! My goodness! Such incompetent fools!
First, you don’t launch a “revolution” on a rainy day. Edsa I and II were done on a clear sunny day. And you don’t launch it on a five star hotel.
You want a real revolution? Learn from the lessons of Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Joseph Broz Tito, Garibaldi, and Michael Collins. These guys launched it in the real battlefield; not in five star hotels. Mao said a revolution is no picnic and he succeeded.
But Trillanes and Lim would rather have their revolution in the comfort of a hotel. And when they started to feel the discomfort of a tear gas, they chickened out. Funny guys!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Here we go again! Every time crude prices in the world market moves up, some wise guys out there would call for the return of dreaded Oil Price Stabilization Fund (OPSF), or the institutionalization of its monster cousin, the so-called Oil Exchange. On Monday, it was Party List Representative (Bayan Muna) Teodoro Casiño’s turn to do so. Not only that, he wants the government to “nationalize” the country’s oil industry. He has bills filed in Congress to achieve his desires. The country has tried all these Marcosian measures in the past and it made us all miserable but it seems people simply don’t learn.
We share Casiño’s concern about the price of oil and its impact on the economy and Filipino people. For global crude prices to hover at a hundred dollars per barrel or higher would surely hurt the Philippine economy. But we don’t share his enthusiasm for “nationalization,” the return of the OPSF or its variant, and the Oil Exchange. These proposals are among the most misguided policies any policymaker could ever think of when dealing with prices of oil and oil products. There are better ways; we should avoid knee-jerk reaction that would do more harm than good.
Consider the OPSF established during the years of the Marcos dictatorship. We used to have a free and relatively competitive oil sector prior to the OPSF with wits 6 oil refining companies Shell, Caltex, Esso, Mobil, and Getty competing in the local market. Marcos set the OPSF as reaction to the rapid rise of global oil prices as a result of oil crisis in the 70s triggered by the Yom Kippur war. It worked this way: when prices are low, the government collects money from the industry for the fund (which is necessarily passed on the consumers as higher prices); when crude prices were rising oil companies drew money from the fund supposedly to prevent a surge in oil prices. The Central Bank also allocates dollars to oil companies at an exchange rate on the day the contracts for the shipment of oil were signed.
The government then set the prices and allows firms certain mark-ups based on landed costs, in effect guaranteeing their profits. There was also cross subsidies supposedly to help the poor. It looked fine on paper then but in reality the OPSF ended up draining the Treasury. As prices abruptly rose, the Fund easily got depleted, and the government was always forced to get money from the country’s coffers—from people’s taxes—to replenish it, thus causing massive fiscal deficits. These are not loose change: when the OPSF was depleted in 1990, the government infused P5 billion, and the cycle went on and on. So in reality, OPSF ended up as a massive state subsidy to oil companies, while domestic oil prices remained high despite lower international crude prices and remained even higher when global crude prices were rising. Do we want to get back to this messy policy environment?
The Oil Exchange seems to be an attractive option. The idea is for the government to determine the country’s monthly requirements and ask potential suppliers to bid for the right to supply the requirement. What Casiño has failed to see is that the he is trying to create a monopoly, a monster, this time however, to be controlled by government bureaucrats paid by people’s taxes. Doesn’t he realized that we suffered so much when Marcos had all those monopolies in various commodities (e.g. remember the sugar monopoly) around?
And we know monopolies, much worse a government one. It will surely be managed inefficiently by Malacañang cronies and its humongous cost passed on to consumers via higher prices. They are going to corrupt the bidding process and allocation of oil products. If the Oilex will try to earn money, as it may have to just to finance its operations and the huge layer of bureaucracy its going to create, it will have to charge prices on top of its inefficiency and corruption, thus making us all worse off. And there’s no guarantee that the Oilex officials will not collude with the bidders to rig the allocation of oil products.
An oil exchange either mean that the government will either have to commandeer the storage facilities of the private sector (especially for LPG) so it could bring oil products to every town without delay or it will have to borrow billions of money for the construction of its own depots and related facilities. It’s a prescription for deeper indebtedness.
Why oil prices are rising? It’s because China, India, and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region are growing fast. They need more oil and are buying more oil. Oil experts say the demand and supply of oil are fairly balanced but recently, speculators came into the picture with hedge funds, investment funds, traders, and ordinary investors going after oil futures and oil derivatives. Many of these characters are apparently using oil futures as a hedge against the weak dollar. All these dynamics suggests an OPSF, Oilex and nationalization of the downstream oil industry would simply create more disruptions and uncertainty that are going to manifest in high and unstable retail oil prices.
The solution lies neither in the dismantling the oil deregulation law nor returning to the dark days of Marcos. The solution lies in strengthening oil industry deregulation. These days, the big three oil companies (Shell, Petron and Caltex) still lord it over the industry especially in gasoline and diesel. But certainly some competitors have started to make inroads into their markets, with the new players getting about 15 percent of the market, based on 2005 data. In terms LPG, new players—based on government data—now account for 45 percent of the market. Overall, the downstream oil industry has more than 600 players engaged in different downstream activities from liquid bulk marketing, LPG bulk marketing, bunkering, to terminaling.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
She was dancing close to a pillar at the corner of Café Havana unmindful of the world around her. A few feet away, couples dressed in their Friday tryst best where thumping furiously to a Caribbean beat. The room was full of souls searching for thrills but she was practically alone in the crowd, her slim hands raised over her head swaying gracefully in tiny controlled motions, eyes closed like a praying supplicant, her broad hips shaking spasmodically as if she was responding to an inner, passionate rhythm that she alone could sense or hear.
She was wearing high stilettos, tight acid-washed jeans that accentuated her shapely bottom, her plunging necklines agonizing against the strain of her ample breasts. We could see clearly her through the glass that separated her world and ours. The denizens of the night getting in and out the transparent door occasionally threw furtive and curious glances at her, but they always go around gently so as not to disrupt her trance-like supplications. Let the worldly priestess have her dutiful worship, they must have thought, whatever or whoever her god was.
Vic S and I were not supposed to be there. We were on the way to the underground car park headed for home when we came upon a multitude in front of the joint after an eyeball with Loida (a Multiply friend from Davao City) at Figaro, third floor, Greenbelt 3. It was past eleven pm when we were approaching Café Havana. Strings of tiny electric lights coiled up the trunks of giant palm trees highlighted the adjacent greeneries and the beautiful fountains. The full moon, the cool temperature brought about by Siberian winds, and the clear skies provided an exhilarating ambience for intoxication, bonhomie, and flirtatious laughter.
“Wow, look what we got here!” I exclaimed as we were approaching the crowd.
“Maybe we should have one for the road and see what’s in here,” Vic said.
“Nice idea!”
So we found ourselves treading through the perfumed throng to get closer to the bar. And there we saw her inside the room through the transparent glass dancing against the pillar. I certainly could do better than that stupid post, I told myself as I trained my eyes on her bewitching silhouette, but I was not in the mood for mischief. We stayed in front of the bar for several minutes observing her until a bar tender, a girl dressed in a white Caribbean hat, dainty yellow blouse, and tight floral skirt with a slit racing up her thigh, showed up with two cans of ice-cold San Mig Lite.
“To health and prosperity,” I heard Vic—or so I thought—exclaiming as he raised his drink for a toast. “For that girl dancing against the pillar,” I responded. Vic laughed.
We commandeered a table at the nearby Starbucks as we surveyed the crowd while exchanging notes and laughing about ourselves for our past manly misadventures. We saw young Pinoy men with well—nay minimally—dressed girls, middle-aged Caucasian guys with pretty exotic things half their age, blondes and brunettes mixing up with boys and men. Americans, Europeans, Arabs, blacks, South Asians, East Asians—it seemed like everybody was there. The crowd reminded me of Shanghai’s Xintiandisans the debauchery. Globalization somehow tends to make all cities around the globe look or feel similar.
“This is the why the expats just love it here,” Vic said, showing me the bill.
Each can costs a hundred pesos, almost a third of a plumber’s basic daily wage, but the amount translates to just over two American dollars, loose change for people who reckon incomes in dollars. I was in Silicon Valley early this year; a mug of beer in bars in downtown San Jose was almost seven dollars.
“At The Fort, a bottle of beer only costs just about 35 pesos at a place that is as chic as this one,” he noted. “Man, that’s just about a dollar and twenty cents!”
It was close to two AM when I reached home. I slept after a quick shower and dreamed that we were in a remote island, enjoying the hospitality of the local village. At the background was a multinational force of men wearing war paints and menacing masks, holding spears and wooden shields, chanting songs as they violently thumped their feet against the soft, silvery sand, creating ripples along the shorelines.
At the center were girls in grass skirts dancing, singing, and running around a huge totem pole, a phallic symbol as tall as the coconut trees, their faces and topless bodies illuminated by the fury of burning driftwood and the moon in full bloom hanging up the cloudless sky. They were led by the priestess I saw dancing against the pillar in Café Havana, her supple hands raised over her head swaying gracefully in controlled motions, eyes closed like a praying devotee, her broad hips shaking spasmodically as she responded to the explosive rhythm of the tribal drums.
Monday, November 26, 2007
READING the World Bank’s latest report on East-Asia and the Pacific entitled “Will Resilience Overcome Risk?”, one can’t help but think that the future indeed belongs to the region.
The report says growth in emerging East Asia is expected to grow 8 percent in 2007 and about 8.2 percent in 2008, to be underpinned by continuing rapid industrial development and urbanization. China and Vietnam will lead the way with growth rates within 8 percent to more than 11 percent. The Philippines is hitching on to that bandwagon through exports to China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea and is poised to grow more than 6 percent this year.
But wait a minute, says the World Bank (WB). If we want to spread the benefits of growth, we need to get back to the basics, to the farms. In the same report, the bank noted that “as growth outside of agriculture has taken off, the gap between rural and urban incomes has widened, leaving behind many people in the rural areas generating social and political tensions.”
“Today more than 90 percent of the $1-a-day poor in EAP [East-Asia and the Pacific] live in rural areas,” said the WB.
Solution? The WB says it’s not enough to leave poverty reduction to economic growth and urbanization; governments in the region should develop specific programs to improve the rural areas. Such a strategy, the bank says, should have two major components. First is facilitating absorption of rural labor in the urban economy through investments in urban infrastructure, human capital and labor-market policies such as vocational training, transport services and job matching.
Second is promoting faster rural-income growth through several measures, including the promotion of high-value agriculture demanded by local and global markets as well as rural nonfarm employment. These measures could be complemented by policies like the liberalization of domestic trade. In the case of the Philippines, the full liberalization of shipping and port operations to effectively link the rural island-economies of the Visayas and Mindanao to Manila as well as to global markets would be extremely necessary to enhance market access among rural producers.
One of the major strengths of the Philippines when compared with its neighbors in the region is that it has sizeable areas for expansion for agribusiness, especially for high-value crops like ornamentals, flowers, fruits and vegetables. After an initial surge in investments in high-value crops like pineapple, bananas, rubber trees and oil palm until the 80s, especially in Mindanao, not much money has flowed into this sector since the country embarked on a “comprehensive agrarian reform program” (CARP) under the Aquino administration following the Edsa Revolution.
The reason is simple: agrarian reform has introduced uncertainty into the policy environment for the rural sector. Landowners were not willing to upgrade their farms (e.g., planting better and productive crops, buying better farm machines and equipment, and establishing orchards) knowing DAR officials will someday come and distribute the lands to agrarian-reform beneficiaries. The DAR, in fact, was able to distribute close to 7 million hectares, a significant portion of which were public lands, to more than 4 million farmer-beneficiaries. However, the failure of the government to provide support services for the “new landowners” suggests that productivity has not improved significantly in the countryside.
The Philippines has been implementing agrarian reform for 34 years now since Marcos promulgated Presidential Decree 27. If we want to inject vigor into the countryside, we should remove the uncertainty by completing or winding up such a program as soon as possible. We should put a timetable for its completion; otherwise, we will be implementing such a program till kingdom come with no additional benefit to the country.
Currently, DAR is asking for another 10-year extension for the distribution of additional 1.2 million hectares at a cost of another P100 billion. We say, enough! In fact, the best option is allowing the program to die a natural death by 2008. And if the government really has the commitment to improve the countryside, it would be wiser to spend that P100-billion funds for rural infrastructure and support services to existing CARP beneficiaries.
We have already extended agrarian reform once. It wouldn’t do us good if we extend it once more. This program has gone too far and too long to the point that the DAR bureaucracy seems to have evolved in some parts into a rent-seeking organization whose interest lies in not completing its mandate so that it could prolong its existence. DAR right now has 15,000 officials and employees, and 60 percent of its money is spent on salaries and wages. In other words, DAR has become one huge public-employment agency with less and less marginal utility for every minute of its existence.
DAR has been justifying its inefficiency by citing “landowner resistance” to land distribution. But its own statistics says that voluntary offers of sale and voluntary land transfers accounted for 120 percent and 180 percent, respectively, of its targets. These figures suggest more of DAR resistance to land distribution.Let’s put an end to this charade and move on to give the rural sector a fresh slate. (Drafted as editorial for BusinessMirror, Nov 27 2007)
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Australia has a new prime minister in the person of Kevin Rudd, who promised to pull out Aussie troops in Iraq and ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Are we going to see a sea-change in how Australia will do its economic and foreign policy? Time Magazine’s observations are interesting:
The new P.M. is likely to go Howard's way on foreign policy, too. What he described as "fundamental differences" with Howard — his vows to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and pull troops from Iraq — are largely symbolic. Though Australia is outside the Kyoto regime, the country has met its emissions targets. And on the question of a successor treaty to Kyoto, Rudd in mid-campaign abruptly took the Howard position: a Labor government would not ratify Kyoto II unless it required China and India to limit their emissions. On Iraq, Rudd has moderated Labor's earlier "pull-out-now" policy. He says he will bring home the 1,400 Australian troops in Iraq and the Gulf gradually, in a "negotiated, staged withdrawal." He is prepared to send more troops to Afghanistan.
Australia under Labor will remain a "rock solid" friend of the U.S., Rudd has said, but reserve the right to act "independently." Rudd, who spent eight years as a diplomat in Beijing, has criticized China's human-rights record but appears more sympathetic to the People's Republic than Howard. Rudd rejected the Howard government support of a potential alliance between the U.S., Australia, Japan and India, saying China would feel encircled.
Reminds me of France’s president Nikolas Sarkozy. He marketed himself as critical of Anglo-Saxon capitalism during the campaign but immediately turned pro-American and instituted market-oriented policies after gaining power. He is now battling the unions and is apparently winning.
The Left is going to launch a transport strike tomorrow morning. Stupid! What are they trying to prove? First, let’s face it guys, you followers of Joema who is enjoying a nice life in Euriope, there’s really nothing you can do. It’s a global trend and government couldn’t do anything about it, except do certain policies to cushion it. And indeed, the strong peso has so far been cushioning the rise in local prices.
And second, if you are protesting against the rise in prices, why is it that you guys, admirers of Joema, are trying to hurt us ordinary people? The rich in this country are going to their work in style in their SUVs while more than 70 percent of us ordinary guys are going to use public transport. And you guys are going to make life difficult for us! Why are you trying to hurt us?
If you communists out there want to hurt “the ruling class” in this country, go and picket the oil companies! Go block those SUVs and you will see. Simpleng tao lang ang kaya niyo!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
“The lust of gold succeeds the rage of conquest; the lust of gold, unfeeling and remorseless! The last corruption of degenerate man.” —Samuel Johnson, Irene (Act I, Section 1)
THE overpriced Diosdado Macapagal Highway, also called the “road to perdition.” The controversial Northrail project. The NBN-ZTE and the cyber-education project (CEP). What are the bottom-line issues in all these government projects? Corruption and lack of transparency. And, as usual, the people who are going to pay for all these projects with their taxes, their hard-earned money, are the last to know.
Just the other day, the World Bank (WB) “deferred” the implementation of a multimillion-dollar loan to the Philippines supposedly for “phase two” of the National Roads Improvement and Management Program (NRIMP) due to supposed corruption, specifically collusion and overpricing.
“Signs of procurement problems in the first phase of the program were identified. Between 2003 and 2006, the World Bank rejected two large road contracts in three successive rounds of bidding because of strong signs of collusion and excessive pricing,” said the World Bank, explaining its decision.
Here we go again! It seems the Philippine government can’t learn from its mistakes. It’s another national embarrassment that wouldn’t help our image as a nation—whatever is left of it—abroad. Do we wonder why Transparency International now considers us as among the most corrupt countries of the world?
In fairness, the Philippine government is saying the World Bank is the one to blame for insisting on its own “flawed public-procurement system” that is not tailored to the Philippine context. “That would not have happened had the World Bank not insisted on choosing its own system,” said Rolando Andaya, the Philippine budget secretary.
The problem, Mr. Andaya explained, lies with the fact that the World Bank supposedly allows bids higher than the indicated amount as against the Philippine approach, which only takes in bids lower than the indicated amount. “Now they are blaming us for something that they themselves insisted on adopting,” he said.
Andaya probably has a point there, but the truth is that the supposed collusion and overpricing happened within our borders. And given our recent experience with the NBN-CEP deals with the Chinese— where the government, specifically the National Economic and Development Authority, gave the go-ahead to projects that didn’t go through a bidding process—we are inclined to give more weight to the view from the WB.
Indeed, the World Bank actually expressed concern that the project could be vulnerable to corruption. In a project document prepared for the NRIMP, the bank, on “lessons learned” regarding the project, said: “The nature and political economy of corruption in the Philippines cuts through sectors and levels of bureaucracy, and bypasses preemption and law enforcement sanctions. National procurement has, at times, been affected by collusion and bid-rigging, with high payoff margins until bid ceilings were imposed.”
The WB document adds: “This has also affected foreign-assisted projects, where a bid ceiling is usually not permitted by international financing institutions, but corrective measures to date require further strengthening to be effective.”
2. Enhanced processes for procurement, financial management, internal controls and audits of the road-management agencies; and
3. Inclusion of a new and innovative coalition of citizen and road-user groups called Road Watch in the project-management setup. Road Watch will monitor project implementation and procurement and issue periodic report cards on the performance of the road sector.
Apparently, all these proposed measures have yet to materialize. That’s probably among the reasons we have another scandal in our midst.
Certainly, we need to speed up the implementation of these reforms, including the idea of including in the governance-procurement board the presence of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and the Makati Business Club. And if these measures could be put right down to the provincial and municipal levels, they would surely make a difference.
What’s happening right now is another reflection of the utter lack of transparency in the country’s public-procurement system. And this is because despite all our pretensions to democracy and social openness, we have yet to enact “sunshine laws” like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that would allow citizens and media access to all government documents and reports.
New democracies that emerged since the fall of the Berlin Wall immediately enacted sunshine laws to address corruption in their societies. We failed to do the same after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, despite several attempts. This time we should have all these sunshine laws to stop these continuing tales of corruption in high places that have pervaded every fiber of our society.
The reason we can’t bring legislators to enact a FOIA is that there seems to be no widespread clamor for it. If we could muster the forces of academe, media, law groups, chambers of commerce, religious organizations and civil-society organizations, legislators and policy- makers would be forced to listen. (Originally prepared as editorial for BusinessMirror Nov 22 2007)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
“O, where is loyalty? If it be banished from the frosty head, where shall it find a harbor in the earth?”—William Shakespeare, in King Henry the Sixth, Part II
IN these days of brain drain everywhere, there’s no longer any sense for companies to expect eternal “loyalty” from their employees. The game now—according to Russell Huntington, human-resource firm Watson Wyatt’s Asia-Pacific human capital director—is all about “engagement.” It means that if companies would like to hold on to their skilled or talented employees, both parties should be on the same page on where the company is heading for, and management should give workers more room to contribute to the achievement of company goals.
“Engagement is when employees help the company succeed,” said Huntington. “Loyalty is history.”
If loyalty is indeed passé, it’s not because workers have gone bad. It’s more because since in the 1980s, employers thought workers were disposable items in their pursuit of global competitiveness. Well, that’s the unionist’s perspective, anyway, although it seems to contain some grain of truth. The bigger reason really lies in the emergence of the “new economy” and the Information Revolution that accelerates the pace of globalization.
Manolo Abella, a Bangkok-based labor-migration expert formerly connected with the International Labor Organization, says the raging war for talent results from the growth of global-supply chains, as liberalization of trade policies has made it possible for transnational companies to move production to cheaper locations.
As an aside, globalization has diluted the notion of loyalty both ways: workers don’t have much qualms about leaving their companies because the “hooks” of those fishing for talent are numerous and varied, and there are so many choices and material attractions for anyone who’s skilled and determined and hardworking enough. But on the other hand, companies also tend to lose the kind of “loyalty” to employees as the past two generations know it—where they’d do everything to keep the workers who were there “at the creation” of the enterprise, so to speak. Indeed, what loyalty can one expect from a company based halfway around the world, and perennially looking to cut costs and stay competitive in a globalized industrial setting?
“The emergence of global production structures have been everywhere, accompanied by greater movements or transfers of technical and managerial personnel,” says Abella in a paper on labor migration. “Another important development has been the growth of informal as well as flexible forms of employment, opening markets for foreign workers willing to enter occupations or sectors abandoned by natives.”
And currently, it’s a lot easier for people to leave their companies or for companies to fire workers because of a paradigm shift in labor-management relations.
In the 1980s, “corporate downsizing” became the trend as companies moved heaven and earth to become “lean and mean.” There was a global economic slowdown and exports from the newly industrializing economies of East Asia were giving everybody hell in the global marketplace. It was easy to make the downsizing decision because powerful computers as well as new, better software enabled firms to use just-in-time production that didn’t require high inventory levels. Suddenly, the old labor-management ethos of “lifetime employment” and “company loyalty” vanished as hundreds and thousands of workers lost and found jobs across the globe.
What we are stressing here is that the old ways of doing things in human- resources management no longer apply. Workers, especially “knowledge workers,” can no longer be treated as inputs or disposable cogs in the production machine.
Company managers should take pains in explaining the future of the company and how each one fits into the overall picture. Companies should develop clear career paths for each. It should explain the goals, vision and mission and devise clear mechanisms by which each employee could contribute to the attainment of those goals. This way, employees can share in the company’s dream, giving them strong incentives to stay.
And employers shouldn’t forget about “base pay”—or that which employees get through payroll every 15 days! Huntington of Watson Wyatt said Filipinos, compared with their counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region (especially Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan), are not necessarily lured by money when they start seeking jobs fresh from university. Their main criteria for joining are the reputation of the company and career-development opportunities. In other words, they want to learn and grow with the company. That’s at the start, when they’re young and keener on learning from the best in the field. But inevitably, as they grow older and more settled in their careers, the base pay starts to matter more, if the experts are to be believed.
This information may imply that as these employees mature with the firm, they may start thinking about settling down, owning pieces of property like a house, lots or condominiums for their future families. That’s when base pay becomes a very important issue. Along this line, Huntington clarified that base pay has remained a very important reason why talented employees in the Philippines leave. Consider that that’s also the time when these employees, having gained significant experience and skills, become so attractive to headhunters here and abroad. The “pull” is very strong, and a company must be painfully aware at all times of such “lures” and do everything to “engage” or help them find greater sense in staying even if base pay can’t be substantially increased.
Without company “engagement,” they are likely to leave for greener pastures either here or abroad. That explains why increasingly we are sending skilled professionals, including IT engineers, construction engineers, nurses, doctors who became nurses, physical therapists, architects, managers, advertising experts, journalists and even soldiers.
The bottom line for a country like the Philippines is rather tough. That should mean local companies have a lot of “engagement” to do. And they should do it before it’s too late. (Drafted as editorial for BusinessMirror editorial, Nov 20 2007).
Thursday, November 15, 2007
SO, the government is thinking of selling 60 percent of the Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp., or PNOC-EDC. For what? Because the government has failed to meet its tax-collection targets and, therefore, would sell some prized assets to compensate for its incompetence?
We had better be clear about our objectives because we might be losing track of our long-term interests in favor of some short-term gains. We should go easy on the privatization trigger on this one. Or, as Senate President Manny Villar Jr. counseled at Wednesday’s Quijano de Manila Symposium, the key word to privatization is “judiciousness.” In this case, you have to weigh both the financials and the energy-strategy considerations.
This is precisely the message of Sens. Joker Arroyo and Mar Roxas who are pushing Resolution 203 urging the government to “hold in abeyance” the bidding of the PNOC-EDC shares worth P35 billion. Indeed, why sell a prime state asset when it’s earning money for its own business and some for the government? If we lose control of the EDC, are we not abandoning our policy objective of developing indigenous sources of energy with the sale? Maybe, maybe not—but we first have to answer these questions before we can even think of selling those assets. And we do need lots of technical inputs in making that decision. A November 21 auction date, therefore, makes it impossible for the government and its experts—if it’s even tapping any—to find out whether or not we’d need to keep holding on to a strategic 60-percent stake in such a strategic company.
Privatization has its merits. If the company doesn’t have much money, the entry of private investments could translate to more cash for energy exploration and development. Yet, in truth, the company has been doing financially well and is projected to earn a net profit of more than P7 billion this year.
Supposedly, private companies, especially if they are those huge international oil companies (IOCs) like Royal Dutch Shell, possess new technologies and management expertise necessary to recover hard-to-reach and hard-to-find oil or gas, something that could rub off on our local oil and gas professionals, thus improving our own capabilities. The Norwegians privatized Statoil, their national oil company (NOC), and that policy decision seems to be working just fine for them.
But then again, privatizing NOCs has not always been the trend globally. It’s because NOCs perform certain social functions that are quite different from the IOCs’. While IOCs are driven purely by the profit motive, NOCs worldwide were often envisioned to ensure energy security and sustain local economies. In other words, NOCs, like our very own PNOC-EDC, are there to perform certain long-term strategic national objectives.
This role has even become more important during this “age of energy-supply anxiety” characterized by the rapid rise of energy demand from the Asia-Pacific region (especially China); the continuing political uncertainties brought about by terrorist threats to energy infrastructure; production disruption in oil-producing areas like Iraq; and declining access by IOCs to proven reserves controlled by states in the Middle East, Russia and Latin America.
There is, in fact, a paradigm shift in the way NOCs are behaving in response to this anxiety, said geologist Pete Stark, vice president for Denver-based IHS Inc., an energy and engineering think tank. It used to be that NOC businesses were simply all about managing the state’s energy resources for the country’s long-term benefit. Now, NOCs—according to Stark—are becoming international exploration companies, competing with IOCs in the home as well as global marketplace. The extreme manifestation of this paradigm shift is “energy nationalism” where countries like Libya, Russia, Venezuela and Angola moved to consolidate state control away from IOCs.
What’s the Philippines’ game plan, given these new global realities? How would the selling of the country’s crown jewels affect our chances of improving our indigenous energy sources? Will privatization work for us during this time of energy nationalism? It seems that the government is not looking at these issues quite well, as its mind is largely focused on getting the fresh billions that the sale would generate. Yet, meeting short-term fiscal balance this year will never be worth the potential loss of a long-term strategic resource.
We are concerned with the moral hazard that goes with this sale. Privatization per se, granting that it’s done properly and with great transparency, is a very good policy. This is clear enough with water privatization where, despite the problems with Maynilad, access to potable water has ceased to become a political issue in Metro Manila. But privatization could be a questionable policy decision when the primary purpose is to collect the cash to compensate for government failures elsewhere, and improving the economic-policy environment becomes secondary. The sale of PNOC-EDC seems to have these characteristics.
What’s to prevent the government from conducting a fire sale of an available public asset every time the Bureaus of Internal Revenue and Customs fail to collect the desired amount of taxes? Indeed, if revenue bureaucrats could sell anything every time they fail to do their mandate, there would no longer be any incentive for policy reforms. And when we run out of assets to sell, what happens?
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
ON Tuesday, BusinessMirror ran a report that Angeles City Mayor Francisco Nepomuceno is eyeing the establishment of retirement villages in his hometown to boost development in the area. Wise move, we say.
Projects like these are among the most feasible for local governments, as these require less capital while easily generating tangible economic benefits down at the grassroots. It’s a good thing that the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) has recently included Angeles City in its list of “destination havens.”
Establishing retirement villages is like hitting several targets with one stone. The construction sector and its affiliated industries would surely perk up. Retirees usually favor places that are essentially less urbanized; hence, the jobs to be created by retirement villages would benefit local rural residents in terms of increased requirements for labor—not just skilled caregivers and health and wellness workers, but also construction workers, plumbers, food caterers, restaurant workers, masseuses, janitors and golf caddies, among others.
Currently, many of our medical professionals (nurses, physical therapists, doctors, medical technologists) leaving for jobs abroad cite the limited economic opportunities in the country. Retirement villages would necessarily need more medical professionals (especially doctors and nurses), hence, there would be incentives for them to stay.
Why do we have to send them abroad if we could just bring in the retirees from the United States, Japan and Europe for our nurses to care for? It’s probably one of the best ways to boost tourism as the retirees here would likely attract visits from their relatives from their countries of origin.
What’s good about retirement villages is that they are environmentally benign. Retirees would necessarily desire a very good environment, thus there is an incentive for the host communities to maintain clean and safe surroundings. There would be more economic motivations for communities to preserve and conserve watersheds, clean rivers and plant more trees.
But it bears stressing here that developing retirement villages is not as simple as it seems. Retirement villages should be planned carefully, taking into consideration the special needs of retirees. These places, while many of them should probably be close to the sea and sun, should have easy access to health facilities, good urban and cultural centers, sports facilities and other amenities. They should also be communications-ready, meaning foreign retirees used to computers and e-mailing or cyber-chatting would be looking for telco services.
Retirees should also have good opportunities to mingle with the local community while ensuring their safety. Many retirees, being well-educated and having retired from challenging jobs, would be interested to interact with other people and, possibly, even do pet projects with them.
All these factors suggest that the local governments and the private sector should delineate their roles well. The LGUs should assume enabling roles while allowing the private sector to plan, construct and develop these retirement villages, based on certain global standards. An enabling role for the LGUs and the government, in general, means that local legislators would have to pass supporting policies (especially on proper land use, waste management, conservation, improved town management, traffic, etc.) to ensure the success of these villages. (Note: drafted as editorial for BusinessMirror, 14 Nov 2007)
Monday, November 12, 2007
“People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it’s safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.”—Unknown
Congratulations, therefore, are in order for all the women: our mothers, daughters and sisters! And certainly, the entire society deserves credit as well. The Philippines’ 2007 Gender Gap Index ranking indicates that culturally, the Philippines has come a long way from a feudal past when parents thought society should not invest in women’s education and personal advancement because they were going to be married off anyway and will stay in the homes of their husbands. These days we are increasingly seeing the influential roles being played by women in Philippine society, be it in civil-society organizations, business or politics.
Indeed, it’s a fitting tribute to women in a society that is increasingly relying on its women to move the economy forward. If we look deeper into the numbers, it’s obvious that our new growth drivers—outsourcing, electronics and overseas labor migration—are mostly “manned” by women. Increasingly, we are sending more skilled professionals going abroad. They are mostly medical professionals, caregivers and artists who are predominantly women. We are increasingly sending abroad information-technology professionals, many of whom are women.
But on hindsight, some of these trends are not necessarily favorable to women and society as a whole. For one, it means we are increasingly sending abroad women who are sorely needed to give motherly care for our own children. The fathers and relatives could probably supplant the mothers, but reality—or at least the common anecdotal evidence in our immediate community—seems to indicate that households with single parents are not always the best environment within which children should grow up in. Horror stories about teenage pregnancy, alcoholism and drug abuse, even incest, among OFW families are too common to ignore.
That many of the women have to go beyond the borders to become breadwinners indicate that, increasingly, women are disproportionately bearing the burden imposed by a flawed economic strategy that traces its roots to the 1970s. Nothing is wrong with labor migration per se, but if it’s the only thing that keeps the economy afloat, as is the case of the Philippines lately, something must be wrong somewhere.
It means women are being forced to take roles and so much risk they probably wouldn’t want to take if only there were more options within the country. We are specifically referring to caregivers and domestic help, mostly women, who are prone to abuse in alien cultures. Isn’t that another form of oppression?
A recent episode in the multiawarded TV documentary Probe Team dwelt on human trafficking, and the stats were appalling, bearing out what we just had a hunch about all this time, i.e., that the Philippines ranks also among the top five countries from where originate victims of human trafficking, especially young women. This shouldn’t be surprising. For many decades, it had been quite easy for unscrupulous recruiters and the network of traffickers to ship out young, unsuspecting, unsophisticated poor women from the countryside, promising them jobs in the Middle East or some Southeast Asian destination (usually Malaysia or Indonesia), only for them to find themselves stranded in some brothel, broke and broken, their documents all tampered with or forged, and thus no good for any decent job.
Until recently, it wasn’t surprising to find queuing up at the Naia an illiterate woman bound for Kuwait or some similar destination, there to work as a domestic.
The government early this year bucked massive protests by setting a floor wage of $400 for domestics, at the risk of losing a big chunk of the overseas market to nationalities that will bite at cheaper rates. Policymakers justified this by saying it was one way of discouraging a surge of OFWs in such low-end positions, which attract the more vulnerable types, anyway, and encouraging deployment of better skilled—hence, more educated and less risky to abuse—workers. Last time we checked, the controversial policy seems to be working in this wise, although the recruiters are complaining because the deployment is declining.
To be fair, the government may be right after all on this score, but until then, it should keep pursuing the line that one can’t build an economy on the backs of its women, especially those prone to all forms of abuse, while tearing, because of their absence, the social fabric back home. Let’s hope next year’s gender index will show even better results.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
For the second time, the World Economic Forum has ranked the Philippines number 6 in its 2007 Gender Gap Index, an indication that the country is one the most “women-friendly” countries in the world. Other countries in the top ten are Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Spain.
The Global Gender Gap Report 2007 measures the size of the gender gap in four critical areas of inequality between men and women:Economic participation and opportunity – outcomes on salaries,participation levels and access to high-skilled employment;
Political empowerment – outcomes on representation in decision-makingstructures;
Health and survival – outcomes on life expectancy and sex ratio.
According to the Report, the Philippines ranked second in the subindex on economic participation and opportunity for women and 14th in political empowerment. The country also ranked first in educational attainment along with Australia, Belgium, Belize, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, France, the Honduras, Ireland, Jamaica, Lesotho, Luxembourg, the Maldives, Poland and the United Kingdom.
In Asia, the WEF said the Philippines and Sri Lanka, which is at 15th place, remain the only countries included in the top 20.
“The Philippines is, once again, the only country in Asia to have closed the gender gap on both education and health and is one of only six in the world to have done so,” said the WEF. “The Philippines’s scores on political empowerment improved further, as did some of its economic indicators, such as estimated income, labor-force participation and income equality for similar work.”
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
THE other day, the Mindanao Federation of Shippers Association called on the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to speed up the expansion and redevelopment of three major ports in the Mindanao, namely, the ports of Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga City. We support this call, given its tremendous positive impact not only on Mindanao but also on the entire Philippine economy.
There has been a continuing call for spreading the benefits of growth from all sectors. Even the government has been mounting similar objectives. But if our policymakers are serious about this, heeding the Mindanao shippers’ call is one of the surest bets, especially as it came following observations that the volume of cargo traffic in and out of Mindanao cities is on the upsurge. It means economic activities in the country’s second-biggest island are probably improving as well.
It’s probably a better investment than the so-called “national broadband network” which addresses nothing but the desires of lazy government bureaucrats for easy and faster access to Internet porn. Right now, Mindanao serves as the country’s food basket (producing rice, corn, sugar and livestock) as well as a major foreign-exchange generator through the production and export of agricultural and natural resource-based products, including bananas, rubber, pineapples, tuna, coconut products, mangoes, asparagus and other high-value crops. Given bigger and more efficient ports and related infrastructure, Mindanao has the potential of becoming a major growth driver for the country.
Mindanao shippers say since PPA funds are probably not enough to finance the development of these ports, the government might need to tap overseas development assistance, assuming of course that government could ensure transparency. For instance, government could tap funds from the Asian Development Bank, World Bank or the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. We cite these organizations because they seem to be sticklers for transparency and strict good governance rules, thus forcing local-government implementing agencies to behave properly.
Tapping overseas development assistance, of course, has it own limitations. If government couldn’t provide counterpart funding—not only because it doesn’t have money, but also because decision-makers in “Imperial Manila” have different priorities—nothing will happen. The best way to address the problem of funding for port infrastructure, therefore, is reforming the existing policy on port management and development to mobilize private-sector resources. If government can’t generate public money quick and fast, it can at least tweak policy and achieve the same end.
Right now, the country’s ports system—according to Gilbert Llanto, an economist from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies—is dominated by the PPA. A government agency, the PPA serves as the developer, operator, owner and regulator of ports, including those of the private sector. It also regulates cargo handling by awarding contracts to private cargo-handling services, and issues permits for the construction and operation of ports.
And how does the PPA finance its operations? From concession fees from the lease of the South Harbor; port charges such as wharfage, berthing and pilotage; and share of cargo-handling revenues from private cargo-handling operators and port charges of privately operated ports.
In other words, the PPA—according to Llanto—is suffering heavily from conflict of interest, being both owner and regulator. Since it earns money from its own ports, it has no incentive to grant permits for the construction and expansion of privately operated ports that may compete directly with PPA-owned ports. This is why there is practically no competition in the port-operations business. And since the PPA dominates the port business, it doesn’t also have the incentive to move quickly on requests for port upgrading. Mindanao shippers’ requests for upgrading the ports in Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga City have been there more than a decade ago, but the PPA and government in general has been slow to respond.
The PPA also regulates and approves tariff-rate increases in cargo handling and gets a 10-percent share from cargo-handling revenues. It, therefore, has the incentive to approve requests for tariff-rate increases since it’s going earn more money from such increases. No wonder, we have the highest shipping and port-handling costs in the Asia-Pacific region, making a lot of our exporters less competitive in world markets.
Solution? Llanto says there is a need to review and amend the PPA’s charter to separate its regulatory role from its ownership, development and operations functions. The government should consider the establishment of an independent port regulator. The ideal situation should be that the state serves as an enabler while the private sector owns and operates the ports under a competitive policy environment. The entry and exit of the private sector in this business should be wide open and transparent.
Under such an arrangement, the private sector could easily be relied upon to upgrade the ports and expand their operations once they sense there is a growing volume of cargo coming in and out. Their response to market demand would be fairly automatic. That way, shippers from Mindanao or other parts of the country don’t have to beg from PPA overlords once they suffer shipping bottlenecks. (Note: drafted as editorial for BusinessMirror, Nov 8 2007)
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Is the world getting unfair? It’s so easy to form that impression these days especially if you live in the Philippines. In a study, NSCB director general Romulo Virola and company said the ranks of the middle class have been shrinking. The study however only covers from 1997 until 2003 and surely the rapid growth of outsourcing may have some positive effect on the fresh numbers. I really hope Dr. Virola updates us on this thing one of these days.
But in the US, Americans are also complaining about the same trend. Take if from political economist Robert Kuttner who recently said that:
For three decades, the [American] economy has increasingly become more unequal and more precarious for ordinary people. During the same period, risks that used to be absorbed by large, stable employers or social programs have been transferred back to individuals and families.
Meanwhile, the financial economy has become steadily more speculative and corrupt, as insiders, often with severe conflicts of interest, extract wealth from the real economy. The dot-com bust of 2000-2001 was the result of those conflicts -- accountants who were supposedly guardians of honest books colluded with management to pump up stock values and deceive investors; stock "analysts" compensated on the basis of their success in duping the dumb money.
Sounds familiar?
In the case of the Philippines, the supposed rising inequality could be due to the emergence of new growth drivers that are essentially urban-based: outsourcing, electronics, construction, real estate. Inequality however could also be “good” especially if its temporary. Let’s face it, any surge in economic growth usually starts from certain sectors of the economy (say certain sectors in manufacturing and services) before others catch up through demand linkages. We have yet to see whether or not this pattern will eventually manifest in the Philippine context, now that we started to have decent economic growth rates (5-7 percent).
Monday, November 05, 2007
"From the farms to the slums “Migration can be a climb up the income ladder for well-prepared, skilled workers, or it can be a simple displacement of poverty to the urban environment for others.”—World Development Report 2008, the World Bank
MIGRATION to the city, or even to other countries for work, says the latest report from the World Bank, is no way out for the rural poor. Not all the time, anyway, and still the best way to solve rural poverty is directly addressing rural folks’ problems right where they are.
We couldn’t agree more with the World Bank, especially in the context of the Philippines where the government seems to have abandoned the rural sector right after legislators passed the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act (Afma) in 1998, supposedly to boost the competitiveness of the farm sector following the country’s joining the World Trade Organization.
The idea that urbanization could solve everything stems from the stylized view that countries with higher rates of urbanization are usually richer and, therefore, with lower poverty ratios, either rural or urban. This is correct, especially as regards the experience of most developed countries like Western Europe, the United States and Japan, where industrialization came as a flipside to urbanization.
In theory, investors usually set up factories close to the city, especially port cities, where they could hire workers to operate the machines, bring in raw materials either through the ports or rail systems, send the finished products through the same transport networks, and where overall costs are lower due to the availability of other support or ancillary industries and services like banks, insurance firms and accounting services, among others. That process, in turn, attracts workers from the countryside, extra hands that were made redundant by the increasing mechanization of farming and other technological innovations. The end result is a competitive industry and services sectors growing fast side-by-side an equally vibrant farm sector, a wonderfully dynamic process that soaks up joblessness and ultimately addresses poverty.
The presumption here, certainly, is that government has invested massively in infrastructure development, thus facilitating an economic interaction between the farms and industry, as well as the rural areas to the urban areas. This is one variable that has always been lacking in development strategies of most developing economies, leading to what development economies call “premature urbanization.”
Premature urbanization suggests that desperate rural folks—lacking the means to make a decent living in the farms due to lack of good infrastructure, health services, land tenure, credit, and market information, among other things—migrate in mass to the cities, hoping against hope to get a better deal for them and their families. In most cases, however, most of them end up in the slums doing all sorts of odd jobs and putting pressure on limited social services. There are simply not enough factories to work in. And if there are, rural folks are the last ones to get hired for lack of skills and urbane social graces.
Despite these drawbacks of premature urbanization, policymakers continue to stick with urban-oriented growth strategies, apparently for political reasons. Urban areas are where the influential economic elite and noisy middle class live, and it’s convenient for the state to forego public investments in rural areas when funds are limited due to failure to collect taxes from these elites. This was clearly manifested at the height of the fiscal crisis in the early 2000s, when the government practically stopped investments in health, education and rural infrastructure in the hope of achieving “fiscal consolidation” and getting into the good graces of the International Monetary Fund.
With higher charges collected from the people through the expanded value-added tax, the government now has supposedly some resources for rural development. And yet, we could hardly see any definite thrust toward this end. Whatever initiative the government had was just a pretext for a scam (the Joc-joc Bolante caper). It was convenient to ignore the countryside because the economy has been growing courtesy of outsourcing, electronics and the recovery of construction, which are urban-oriented. The idea now seems to be that eventually, economic growth will outgrow problems like joblessness and, later down the road, rural poverty.
This is a misplaced assumption, essentially because the way we are growing right now, economic growth might not be sustainable. An urban-oriented growth is inherently inequitable and is prone to accentuate not only the urban-rural divide but also the gulf between the haves and the have-nots. The latest study by Dr. Romulo Virola and his team from the National Statistical Coordination Board, saying the ranks of the middle class have been shrinking, seems to prove this point.
It will never be sustainable because such type of growth would produce a revolution of rising expectations that may, in its bizarre forms, manifestrising criminality (a form of income redistribution), and the continuing lack of political stability. The continuing threats from terrorism being seeded in a perennially undeveloped south, the persistent menace of communist ambushes and “revolutionary taxation,” and the disillusionment of the country’s professional classes that are driving them to leave for foreign shores, are just among the bad signs. (Note: drafted as editorial for BusinessMirror, 6 Nov 2007)
Saturday, November 03, 2007
“Hey brother, I’m here at the Fort, having an eyeball with Multiply friends including Sally. I’m leaving for Singapore,” she told me. “This will be my third stint as ‘OFW,’ ha ha!
She’s going to work, she said, as architectural designer and estimator for a Singaporean firm, apparently with a very good pay.
Knowing Louise, I know it’s not really about the money. Or maybe it is, but it’s probably less of that and more about the new experience, professional advancement, and perspectives that she would gain from working in a new environment.
I’m happy when I hear friends with great skills leaving for some overseas stints. Those gigs surely make them happier, richer, better persons, more skilled, and innovative. And when they decide to return home someday after making a pile, they would surely contribute a lot to society. That’s what travel and global experience does to a person.
I am not comfortable with views that say skilled people need to remain within the borders to “help in nation-building.” Sometimes, such a collectivist view is a deception as it tends to subordinate the Individual to the State or some commercial interests bent on maintaining dominance in an inequitable social order. I’m talking about the Philippines, specifically.
Overseas employment could be a form of protest. It’s a protest against the local institutions and structures that couldn’t seem to appreciate talent. It’s a protest against the wickedness of local politics. It’s a heroic struggle by people who don’t want their choices limited by short-sighted policies.
But it’s a constructive kind of protest because instead of mounting a revolution or lining the bastards and shooting them against the wall, they channel their energies elsewhere, thus helping in the transformation of societies where their talents are appreciated while sending money back home for kin to build better homes, and pay for education. Why do you think countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Singapore are moving heaven and earth to attract talent from all over the globe?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
IT’S a good thing that European businessmen, specifically the members of the French Chamber of Commerce, are starting to see Cebu as an investment destination, not just as an exotic place to visit. That’s an important development that our leaders in both the public and private sectors should nurture because it’s the best way to address income inequality in the country.
Inequality in terms of income and wealth has always been a major problem in the Philippines. Inequality usually manifests itself in terms of “polarization,” a situation where economic activities are concentrated in the urban areas in few regional centers.
These days, for instance, economic activities are largely concentrated in Metro Manila and its immediate surroundings like Calabarzon, Clark and Subic. Naturally, these areas enjoy low poverty incidence (7 percent to 18 percent) in stark contrast to provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Caraga, where poverty incidence is over 50 percent.
Geography plays a great part. The strategic location of Manila, being the national capital, and its expanding conurbation would naturally attract a lot of economic activities. Experts have been saying, however, that a significant explanation could be traced to misguided policies that favored “imperial Manila” as well and its immediate environments.
If we want to get serious about addressing inequality, therefore, we should put in measures addressing economic polarization.
In fairness, legislators have actually tried to address this problem since the ’90s through measures like devolution and decentralization. Local government executives now have more powers and resources to plan their own communities.
Reforms in aviation, interisland shipping and telecommunications have also started to bring the far-flung regions closer to the mainstream of development. Nevertheless, statistics continue to indicate that polarization persists, apparently due to the momentum of history and the continuing failure of the government to invest in strategic infrastructure that should link the regions with urban centers.
The idea, therefore, that Europeans are looking at Cebu as an alternative investment destination is a positive sign. Cebu, of course, has always been a major recipient of foreign direct investments, specifically Japanese companies that established factories for the assemblies of electronics and semiconductors since the early ’90s.
For long, it has been serving as the gateway to Southern Philippines, economically linking up the Mindanao regions and Metro Manila through its superb seaports and airports. With greater investments from European companies, Cebu’s economic transformation could produce positive ripple effects toward its neighbors, especially Bohol, and some urban centers in Mindanao, including Butuan City and Cagayan de Oro City, thus generating more economic activities and opportunities in the said areas.
What’s happening in Cebu right now is essentially market-driven, assisted only by forward-looking local political leadership. The task right now, therefore, is developing more regional centers in the Visayas and Mindanao that could complement Cebu as an economic center.
The national government, as well as the private sector, could catalyze this process by putting in more policies that encourage greater economic decentralization. Certainly, a well-designed infrastructure network providing economic linkages among production centers in the Visayas and Mindanao should be a priority. Also, programs that channel tourism flows from Manila to the Visayas via Cebu would help a lot. The country’s telecom industry could help by accelerating the rollout of broadband facilities in the Visayas and Mindanao. | {
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With the Indian government talking tough on WhatsApp's failure to check the spread of fake and provocative content on its platform, the instant messaging service on 8 August said it has begun rolling out its forward message limit to five!--social-container-->… | {
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CBO estimates that enacting this proposal would reduce direct spending by $24.7 billion over the 2013-2022 period, relative to spending projected under CBO’s current baseline. Further details of that estimate are displayed in the three enclosed tables. Because the proposal would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. CBO has not estimated the additional discretionary spending that would result from implementing the proposal; such spending would be subject to appropriation. (Enacting the proposed legislation would not affect federal revenues.) CBO also has not reviewed the proposal for intergovernmental or private-sector mandates.
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Why This Editor Would Sign Up For ‘It Takes A Church’ In A Holy Minute!
So, like everyone else I watch a great deal of reality television. Most people won’t admit it. Many are ashamed to reveal it! I am not. I have become a huge fan of the show. HUGE. It is the first show that I have seen on television that promotes healthy holy courtship. I believe there are so many dangers and pitfalls to what our society deems as “normal” dating, that I really feel this show gives you a nice clean slate,
You are getting choices within your faith background. I was once a member of an online christian dating site and was stunned into silence when a a member who claimed to be Christian berated my faith. I told him I was not only devoutly Catholic, but had no intentions of marrying outside my faith. He chastised me as being “a fake” “unchurched” and “un-biblical“. The truth is that I was 100% clear in my preferences. Yes, I know this limits my pool, but it allows me to have a common base to start with.
You know that the persons picked from the group understands your commitment to certain things. Your church family has watched you grow up and can see who and what you have become. They also understand what your specific requirements are. One of them is that I would need someone who understands that I live a chaste life.. I wear a chastity ring on my left hand. I make no secret of it. I have chosen to wait until marriage. I would never dishonor. It does not make me a boring old fuddy-duddy. Trust and believe, I have lived a wonderfully fulfilled life.
I want everyone in my home to live with the same mantra: “As for me and my house we serve the Lord.” That’s not to say that it means a life of perfection. It means that we are clear on life focus.
My pastor’s pick would be perfect because he would have my best interests at heart. He would pick a man who would know and follow certain precepts.
I believe that the show gives a really good example of how to date and choose. It shows how a good introduction lays a foundation for marriage in that it allows a couple to develop many of the virtues and skills that they will need for a good marriage: self-discipline, self-sacrificing, patience, right judgment, discernment, open communication, trust, fortitude, perseverance, maturity, faith, hope and love (to name a few).
‘It Takes A Church‘ shows that a great start in the right perspective can build a solid relationship. The other wonderful, entertaining thing is that it is not a competition of elimination. It’s a search of engagement. The tasks are real life community tasks.The couples discover things about each other in safe healthy environments. The best part is that it celebrates adult searches. It triumphs people who have made holy choices to be celibate, responsible and Godly. I know how lonely it can be and how hard it is for them to remain pure when they are desiring intimacy, especially considering that the men/women of a age seem to have little value for purity Entering into marriage following a pure and holy relationship is, I believe, the best gift you can give to each other. Whatever your past (whether you’ve lived a pure life or not) you can begin today to choose purity and chastity. With every sacrifice you make to live a pure and holy life, you are storing up new treasures for your future marriage. The self-discipline and self-sacrificing that comes from the decision to live out purity and chastity will prepare you for the terrains of life.
Many editors have taken to their keyboards to type out their wish lists. A year and half ago one of our editors on our sister site NewsOne Editor wrote a piece about a wonderful pice about what he was seeking in ‘Are You A Sophisti-Ratchet Sista? If So, Hit A Brotha Up’. I think it was about time the other half had a voice!The best part about this show is that it shows that it is not impossible for a person in their later years to discover truly exciting, God-glorifying romance that is dynamic and satisfying.
So, having said all that, I want my spot on the show! Now, I may be a real exceptional case, because we may have to do a search that is wide. I am in.
What do you think? I am curious to hear back. Visit our facebook page and tell me what you think. | {
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If he could see any stars it speaks well for his eyes. I simulated the lunar surface in daylight with some translucent material over a floodlight and checked the brightness with an exposure meter. While holding it horizontally just under my nose I could see Arcturus with some difficulty and Antares with great difficulty. Not only did the light cause my eyes to become somewhere near daylight adapted, it created glare in my eyes that washed out the dark sky. This was without any further impairment from a helmet visor.
A quick Google search did not reveal anything meaningful about what Aldrin saw, but I have seen plenty of references in which the astronauts reported that they could see only the brightest stars, and with difficulty. Only when the spacecraft was shadowed by the Earth or the Moon did the night sky appear with its full glory.
If he could see any stars it speaks well for his eyes. I simulated the lunar surface in daylight with some translucent material over a floodlight and checked the brightness with an exposure meter. While holding it horizontally just under my nose I could see Arcturus with some difficulty and Antares with great difficulty. Not only did the light cause my eyes to become somewhere near daylight adapted, it created glare in my eyes that washed out the dark sky. This was without any further impairment from a helmet visor.
A quick Google search did not reveal anything meaningful about what Aldrin saw, but I have seen plenty of references in which the astronauts reported that they could see only the brightest stars, and with difficulty. Only when the spacecraft was shadowed by the Earth or the Moon did the night sky appear with its full glory.
Addendum: Looking straight up while standing in his spacesuit would have been difficult. | {
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Meet Jupel, an 11-year-old boy from the Mangyan tribe who is a student at the Casillon Elementary School in Baco, Oriental Mindoro. Unlike you, he lives in a place with no electricity. He walks "at least 20 minutes" just to reach his school, sometimes barefoot because his family is too poor to afford a pair of slippers. And the rare pair that he manages to put on his feet, very quickly gets worn-out from the sheer distance he treks on a daily basis.
Armed with discarded flip-flops and fantasies of motorized conveyance, Jupel started making toy cars out of rubber and sticks. And by "toy cars," we mean scale models of jeepneys and tricycles--the only "cars" Jupel has been exposed to. The creations may look a little rough around the edges, but stare at them carefully and you will be amazed at the right proportions and the artistic mix of materials and colors.
Jupel is trying to churn out more of these rubber toy vehicles so he can sell them and raise funds--not for his family but for his school. You see, his school needs to construct a comfort room, and Jupel wants to help make it happen. Even in abject poverty, he is looking out for other people's needs and not his own.
Check out Jupel's handiwork below.
If you wish to help, go to the Facebook page of Indigenous PH, or get in touch with one of the group's founders, Jeru Cajapin, at (0916) 627-3533. Cajapin, by the way, was the one who called our attention to Jupel's story and sent us the images you see here. He isn't soliciting anything. He just wants to share the boy's inspiring story; the idea to publish contact details for people who might want to donate is entirely ours. | {
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Vanadium and boron were detected at high and moderate concentrations in this area. High concentrations for these constituents were detected almost exclusively in samples collected in the Temecula Valley study area.
The constituent present at high concentrations in the greatest proportion of the primary aquifer system was TDS, which is an indicator of salinity. Perchlorate was also present at moderate concentration in 42% of samples.
This study of untreated groundwater indicates the number of samples in which inorganic or organic constituents occur in high or moderate in concentration. The study does not indicate significant problems in groundwater quality here.
Recent study indicating inorganic constituents as the primary items of concern in this area. Chemical and mineralogical compositions of the aquifer rocks probably explain variation among localities here. | {
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81 Corpus Christi, TX Garden and Landscape Supplies
For some homeowners, buying garden and landscape supplies involves an afternoon visit to a Corpus Christi, TX nursery for some healthy new annuals and perhaps a few new planters. Others dream of a Japanese garden complete with flowing waterfalls, a koi pond and a graceful footbridge surrounded by luscious greenery. More 
If you’ve been dreaming of a beautifully landscaped property with a water feature or a concrete fire bowl but don’t know where to start or what landscape supplies to buy, it may be time to look into garden and landscape suppliers in your Texas area. From retaining walls to raised garden beds, these professional vendors can make your backyard the oasis you’ve been longing for. What’s more, many of these professionals can help you take your ideas from design to installation and provide garden care and yard maintenance according to your Corpus Christi, TX climate. Here are some related professionals and vendors to complement the work of garden & landscape supplies: Landscape Contractors, General Contractors, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers.
Hardscapes have become a popular, low-maintenance landscape solution. Many suppliers carry large concrete pavers and natural stones. New types of landscape supplies reflect the growing popularity of urban roof gardens with raised garden beds and benches, too.
What if you would love to grow your own vegetables but have site limitations? Many garden supply companies offer planters and containers that are up to 42 inches tall. For those who live in colder climates, consider a greenhouse — just the thing to enjoy starting plants or growing exotic blossoms that wouldn’t quite work in your Corpus Christi, TX climate. | {
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per month
Nextiva Connect
Nextiva Connect providers a control panel that allows for easy inbound call management for busy business owners on the go. Route calls to any phone, anywhere, anytime. You get one local number and one toll free number with any Connect plan.
Nextica Connect Plans
Detailed Features of Nextiva
Nextiva was founded in 2005 and is based in Scottsdale, AZ. We found it very hard to find much “bad” chatter out there about Nextiva or their product offerings while writing this review, and while that isn’t always an indicator about a company, it does seem like any company’s unhappy customers usually are their most vocal. While talking with Nextiva, they stated that providing top notch customer service is always one of their top priorities.
Although Nextiva may be lacking in the some of the more “advanced” features such as true ACD queuing, and for some reason they aren’t currently offering Vanity Numbers, they do have most of the features any small business will find necessary, and quite a few that are just plain “cool” – such as their Hoteling Guest option.
What We Like About Nextiva
Unlimited Minutes:
With Nextiva Connect Unlimited you get all the features of a virtual pbx, AND unlimited minutes for as low as $69.95/month. Right now, RingCentral and Phone.com are the only other vendors we have reviewed that offer unlimited minutes.
Nextiva Office provides Flat Rate Plans:
With Nextiva Office you can get flat monthly rate plans based on the number of users/lines you want. You get all of the features of Nextiva Connect(virtual pbx) and Nextiva vFax bundled in as well. You can purchase optional high quality business VoIP phones from Cisco or Polycom.
Customer Support:
This isn’t necessarily a “like” but more of a clarification. Although their website states that they offer customer support from 6am until 6pm Scottsdale AZ, time, and some websites have “dinged” them for not offering 24/7 customer support, they do indeed offer 24/7 support. We had a discussion with the guys at Nextiva and this was one of the topics that we brought up. They stated that they in fact have a service that will answer any calls after the standard 6am to 6pm time-frame and then forward the call the the appropriate support person as necessary. Although this is less than ideal in terms of a true support-desk, they state they are committed to customer support and as their customer base grows and customer support needs change, they will definitely be changing their customer support setup. You can view this as a “like” or “dislike”… we see this as a company making the best use of their current resources, while keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s going on knowing it will have to change at some point in the near future.
Month to Month – No Contracts:
You are not locked into any type of contact if you don’t want one. You can pay month to month and cancel at any time.
Dedicated Porting Department:
They have a department dedicated to porting existing numbers. This makes it easier and quicker to port your existing local and toll free numbers from your existing phone service provider to Nextiva.
What We Don’t Like About Nextiva
Internet Fax as Separate Service:
With Nextiva if you want internet faxing, you must purchase their vFax service in order to get it. This is unfortunate because RingCentral also has a separate faxing solution, however if you purchase any of their hosted pbx solutions you do not have purchase the faxing solution separately in order to get the internet faxing ability.
Only 1 Incoming Line:
Nothing new here! We have “dinged” most of the vendors on this one. Grasshopper is the only two that offers more than 1 incoming line on most of their plans. With most small businesses wanting both an 800 number and a local number, it would be nice to see more vendors offer at least 2 incoming lines as a default without an additional monthly charge being applied… at least at their higher end plans.
Lower Minutes on Nextiva Connect:
Their minutes are little on the lower side until you get to the unlimited plan and then the price is a bit higher.
No Vanity Numbers:
They currently are not offering Vanity Numbers. We find this a bit odd… and does put them a bit at a disadvantage in regards to their competitors who all offer this service. We suspect this will be something they will be offering before long.
No Support for Canada:
Because of the way they support enhanced 911 or E-911 they currently do not support Canada. Phone.com also supports E-911 but does it in a way that also allows them to support Canada customers as well. So there are ways around this.
Nextiva Review Summary
Nextiva is a privately held member of the Unitedweb family of companies. They are a leading provider of cloud-based, VoIP communication services designed for growing small and mid-size businesses across the United States. Their Nextiva Office product is competitively priced and you get their vFax service bundled with it for free, but a significant drawback we see is that they limit you to absolutely no toll free minutes – all toll free minutes are billed at 2.5¢. They also do not provide service outside the United States – unfortunately this means no service to Canada either.
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World Trade Center
In <i>World Trade Center</i>, Academy Award®-winning director Oliver Stone (pictured) tells the true story of the heroic survival and rescue of two Port Authority policemen - John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno - who were trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, after they went in to help people escape. | {
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Thursday, July 24, 2008
Student essay--role of citations in legal writing
“I don't even know where my Bluebook is,” the young associate told me as she looked over the sea of red ink on the motion she had asked me to “proofread.” “Really?” I asked, quite perplexed as I tried to cover up my carefully tabbed and slightly tattered Bluebook. I thought legal writing was all about the citations.
I had always considered myself a good writer, even a great writer at times. So when it came to legal writing, I focused almost completely on having correct citations after each and every sentence. I was already a good writer--all I needed to make it good legal writing was citations, right? Apparently I was wrong.
The next day the young associate called me into her office to go over a memo I had drafted a few days earlier (before I realized she didn't care about citations). When we sat down to discuss it, she actually had concerns about my legal analysis. This had never happened to me before--not in my legal-research-and-writing class, not in my brief-writing class, not when I was working on my student note. My analysis was always sufficient--it was those pesky citations (or lack thereof) that got all of the comments. Evidently “sufficient” analysis was not good enough anymore. The young associate was able to look past the citation game I had been playing and actually read the words I put down on the paper.
This realization lifted quite a burden, permitting me to focus on analysis and clear writing rather than on the tedious work of citation checking. The results were amazing! The next memo I turned in to the young associate had flawless legal analysis. It had citations where necessary for my analysis, but I didn't waste time checking every abbreviation or en-dash. She was impressed, quickly passing on the results of my research to a partner working on the same issue. Forgetting citation form was the best thing that had ever happened to my legal writing.
About a week later, I turned in a short memo to another associate. This time, I did not waste any time checking my citations. When I went to the associate's office to go over his comments, I was surprised to see a sea of red on my memo. It was clear that he was not impressed with my new and improved focus on legal analysis or my careful synthesis of the relevant case law. He did not have any substantive changes or comments about my analysis or legal conclusion. However, he had gone through, Bluebook close at hand, and checked every single citation in the entire memo, carefully marking it up as if he were a law review editor. After going through and explaining every single place where I had failed to use small caps or had an incorrect abbreviation, he gave me an “important” piece of advice. “Legal writing is all about citations.”
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[Plain language] has a bad name among some lawyers. This is usually because they don't understand enough about it to judge it properly. --Michele M. Asprey, Plain Language for Lawyers 11 (2d ed., Federation Press 1996).
A related bonus of a plain language style is the potential for reducing mistakes. Traditional legal language tends to hide inconsistencies and ambiguities. Errors are harder to find in dense and convoluted prose. Removing legalese helps lay bare any oversights in the original. --Peter Butt & Richard Castle, Modern Legal Drafting: A Guide to Using Clearer Language 89 (Cambridge U. Press 2001). | {
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for more selected news logon to www.youtube.com/trwmediacom Today another shoe removed from feet for throwning to celebrities,this is not an good culture of showing the dissatisfaction ,people should be aware of this for coming to limelight they shouldn`t do like this,As all indian feels that our J and K CM have ability to tackle the issue like this,please CM take appropriate step to tackle militants and other issue.for any problem there is an solution,As J and K is integral part of INDIA.A policeman hurled a shoe towards Chief Minister Omar Abdullah when he was taking salute at the official Independence Day function at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar. The policeman was sitting in the VIP gallery behind the Chief Minister.Police say that the policeman had been suspended earlier and a criminal case is pending against him but fail to answer how a suspended policeman managed to reach into the VIP gallery.Eyewitnesses say that when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was taking salute after unfurling the Tri-colour, a policeman sitting in the VIP gallery behind Abdullah hurled his shoe towards him. The shoe, however, missed the target and fell on the ground. The policeman also waved a black flag and raised pro-freedom slogans.The policeman, who hurled show on Abdullah, has been identified as Abdul Ahad Jan of North Kashmir's Bandipore town. He was whisked away by the security guards immediately. Srinagar: A shoe was hurled at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by a suspended ...
Shoe hurled at Omar at I-Day function Srinagar, August 15: An Assistant Sub Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police hurled a brown leather shoe at chief minister Omar Abdullah during the Independence Day function at a heavily-guarded Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar on Sunday. Abdullah was just about to take the salute after unfurling the tricolour when Jan sitting in the VIP Lounge behind the Chief Minister flung a shoe which missed him. Jan is an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and hails from Ajas in north Kashmir's Bandipora district. He was rounded up by Abdullah's security men as he shouted 'pro-freedom' and 'anti-India' slogans before being whisked out of the Bakhshi Stadium, the venue for the Independence Day celebrations. Eyewitnesses said that Jan was holding a black flag at the I-Day celebration Venue and had come in plain clothes. -www.kashmirglobal.com
The first African World Cup didn't belong to Africa, at least not on the soccer field. Of the six African nations that made it to the quadrennial tournament, five fell early -- to indiscipline, tough competitors and heartbreaking missed opportunities. The plucky and focused Black Stars from Ghana were a bright spot for the continent, but when Sunday's final is over, the new FIFA champion will not be African. Still, winning games isn't everything. For one month of one South African winter, the tournament brought an international celebration to a continent more widely known for malnourished bodies, grandstanding leaders and the ravages of AIDS. Rather than indigence, the world saw balls sailing into the net, crisp tackles, sweat. Ten gleaming stadiums and the collective warmth of 50 million South Africans offered thousands of football pilgrims the time of their lives. In a year that marks five decades of independence for 17 African countries, from Somalia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the cup doubled as an anniversary party. "Just the fact that African teams can compete, defeat and be defeated on the world's stage is wonderful," Carmen Arendse, a South African psychologist, said while watching Ghana's quarterfinal match against Uruguay. There's an earlier sentiment that still rings true, as well. In a 1960 speech, Patrice Lumumba, the first Congolese prime minister, made a remark that fits the occasion: "We are going to show the world what the black man can do ...
"ae watan, ae watan, humko teri kasam, teri rahon mein jaan tak luta jayenge...." This song is one of my favourite patriotic songs ever. From the movie "Shaheed (1965)". A movie based on the independence struglle of India, particularly on "gadar party" whose members included S.Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Chandrashekhar Azad and Ram Prasad Bismil. It is the year 1857 in India, a year that Sardar Ajit Singh, his wife, their children, including son, Bhagat, and their parents will never forget, for it was the day his brother, Kishan, sang out against the British, was arrested, escaped from prison, & has never been heard of again. This does have an impact on young Bhagat Singh's mind, so much so that when he grows up he joins the freedom fighting movement, being headed by Chandrashekar Azad. It is then that an unarmed freedom fighter, protesting the Simon Commission, is killed by Police. Bhagat, Chandrashekar, Shivram Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Jaygopal avenge this death by killing the Assistant of Commissioner Saunders. When a major police hunt is announced, they flee, especially Bhagat, as he has been identified as the Sikh with the turban. Bhagat takes off his turban, shaves off his beard, and continues to be active in the freedom movement. A historical meeting at Tughlak Fort is organized and all freedom fighters from every corner of India are invited so as to consolidate their efforts to force the British to leave India. Then the British decide to implement the Public ...
New Delhi: 9th March 2010 - March 9th 2010: On the eve of the 51st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day against Communist Chinas brutal occupation of Tibet in 1959, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi fenced with layers of barbed wires and blanket of security personnel saw a vigorous protest by Tibetans. At around 11:15 am today in front of the Chinese Embassy, 32 protesters shouted and tossed in air printed slogans, "Long Live His Holiness the Dalai Lama", "China out of Tibet" and "Independence for Tibet" before being arrested by police and taken into custody. Several protesters chained themselves around poles and trees in front of the Embassy. China continues to unleash unimaginable suffering and destruction to the land and people of Tibet. Even today, Tibetans in Tibet live in constant fear under the radar of plain clothes police officers, army personnel and snipers on rooftop of monasteries. Many Tibetans who took part in the historic and peaceful protest of 2008 are handed death sentences, life and long term imprisonments through unfair and unlawful trials. China has also recently re-launched what they call "Strike Hard" campaign in most part of Tibet to prevent and quell any political dissent against the illegal Communist Chinese regime in the lead up to the historic anniversary. "We strongly condemn the continuing brutal oppression of innocent Tibetans inside Tibet by China with death sentences, life imprisonment and arbitrary arrests and demand China to ...
New Delhi: 9th March 2010 - March 9th 2010: On the eve of the 51st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day against Communist Chinas brutal occupation of Tibet in 1959, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi fenced with layers of barbed wires and blanket of security personnel saw a vigorous protest by Tibetans. At around 11:15 am today in front of the Chinese Embassy, 32 protesters shouted and tossed in air printed slogans, "Long Live His Holiness the Dalai Lama", "China out of Tibet" and "Independence for Tibet" before being arrested by police and taken into custody. Several protesters chained themselves around poles and trees in front of the Embassy. China continues to unleash unimaginable suffering and destruction to the land and people of Tibet. Even today, Tibetans in Tibet live in constant fear under the radar of plain clothes police officers, army personnel and snipers on rooftop of monasteries. Many Tibetans who took part in the historic and peaceful protest of 2008 are handed death sentences, life and long term imprisonments through unfair and unlawful trials. China has also recently re-launched what they call "Strike Hard" campaign in most part of Tibet to prevent and quell any political dissent against the illegal Communist Chinese regime in the lead up to the historic anniversary. "We strongly condemn the continuing brutal oppression of innocent Tibetans inside Tibet by China with death sentences, life imprisonment and arbitrary arrests and demand China to ...
" Tibetans rallied in front of the Chinese Consulate commemorating 50 years of survival and determination in the face of continuous oppression. They continue to preserve and nurture their culture. After they marched the streets of Vancouver chanting slogans such as "China Out" "Tibet belongs to Tibetans" and "Made in China - We Won't Buy it!" followed by a candle-light visual to remember those who have died in the struggle and have gone missing." Courtesy: Becky Gavigan
Is it really so easy to draw the line when just glancing at the headlines can make you angry? Writer and cartoonist Bijoy Venugopal believes that anger makes protests look ugly and diverts attention from their core cause. People often feel that to protest, they must shout slogans, burn effigies or blacken the faces of suspected villains. As artists and writers, we must find unique expression for our protest. We must stretch our imagination to channel righteous anger into thought-provoking and enduring art that adds meaning and lends perspective to protest. Join Bijoy and other Bangaloreans at 'One Small Love - Bangalore for Mangalore', a celebration of creative freedom and artistic independence with musicians and opinion leaders. Be there at Opus in the Creek, Whitefield Road, Bangalore on February 14, 2010. Draw the line. Spread the love.
Muzaffarabad, 15 Aug 2000: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League[JKPFL] staged here today a big demonstration and held a sit-in, delivering protest speeches with banners and play cards in their hands in-front of the UNMOGIP office marked the Independence day of India as black day. The people in the procession raised high pitched slogans with zeal and zest against Indian occupation and human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. They demanded withdrawal of Indian troops from the soil of Kashmir. Later the procession reached the office of UN military observers group, where Chairman JKPFL Muhammad Farooq Rehmani presented a memorandum to the UN officials.
Rock-throwing protesters clashed with government forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir, a day after a Police teargas shell struck and killed a young boy. At least 17 protesters and eight troops were injured in violent clashes as protestors hurled rocks and stones at Police and paramilitary. Soldiers used teargas in a bid to quell rioters in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's main city. Previously 14-year-old Wamiq Farooq was struck in the head by a similar tear gas shell during a protest against Indian rule. Thousands of people gathered at Farooq's home and carried his body for burial, shouting slogans like "We want freedom" and "Indian forces leave Kashmir". Kashmir, which is predominantly Muslim, is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety. Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the region, where more than a dozen rebel groups have been fighting for Kashmir's independence from India or its merger with neighbouring Pakistan since 1989. More than 68-thousand people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the uprising and the subsequent Indian crackdown. The officer who fired the tear gas on Sunday which struck Wamiq Farooq was said by police to have been suspended.
Kashmir Day--- Feburary 5th I dedicate this video to Kashmir and the Kashmiris who have not given up against India's oppression. Jabri naata tor do Kashmir hamara chor do The Kashmiris demand this even today. They have made it clear that they are not people who can be oppressed by force. The video clips are of Kashmir- and valiant Kashmiris. (except the fluttering flag of Pakistan and Minar e Pakistan) They reveal that Kashmir was, is and will always be a part of Pakistan. Very soon on the map too... Insha Allah---------- (the parts in which children are chanting slogans particularly touched my heart) (The clips are not my own but are acquired from different sources. I Thank all those whose clips I have used. The tarana is "Paasban" by Saleem Naaz Barelvi)
2010 年香港元旦大遊行-- 示威人士衝擊中聯辦-- Congregating outside the city's legislature, thousands of protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as "Democracy Now" as peaceful crowds of young and old wended their way downtown to Beijing's representative office. Others held up massive posters of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo demanding the prominent activist and writer be freed after being recently jailed for 11 years on a subversion charge. While Beijing has promised to allow a popular election in Hong Kong in 2017 for the city's leader, recent signs have suggested Beijing may only allow a power-preserving version of democracy with rules stacked against opposition candidates. Hong Kong's mini-constitution guarantees full democracy as an "ultimate aim," but the city's seven million people have no direct say in their leader. The protesters also called for the abolition of special interest groups or so-called functional constituencies, which now make up half the seats in the city's legislature. Organizers say more than 10000 people showed up on the New Years Day march, while police put the number at over 4000. This latest mass public appeal for democracy and civil rights comes as political tensions begin heating up in the former British colony. A group of five pro-democracy legislators are now poised to resign en masse from the city's legislature, following the release of a political reform blueprint for elections in 2012, which the city's democrats say didn't go ...
2010 年香港元旦大遊行-- 示威人士衝擊中聯辦-- Congregating outside the city's legislature, thousands of protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as "Democracy Now" as peaceful crowds of young and old wended their way downtown to Beijing's representative office. Others held up massive posters of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo demanding the prominent activist and writer be freed after being recently jailed for 11 years on a subversion charge. While Beijing has promised to allow a popular election in Hong Kong in 2017 for the city's leader, recent signs have suggested Beijing may only allow a power-preserving version of democracy with rules stacked against opposition candidates. Hong Kong's mini-constitution guarantees full democracy as an "ultimate aim," but the city's seven million people have no direct say in their leader. The protesters also called for the abolition of special interest groups or so-called functional constituencies, which now make up half the seats in the city's legislature. Organizers say more than 10000 people showed up on the New Years Day march, while police put the number at over 4000. This latest mass public appeal for democracy and civil rights comes as political tensions begin heating up in the former British colony. A group of five pro-democracy legislators are now poised to resign en masse from the city's legislature, following the release of a political reform blueprint for elections in 2012, which the city's democrats say didn't go ...
Congregating outside the city's legislature, thousands of protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as "Democracy Now" as peaceful crowds of young and old wended their way downtown to Beijing's representative office. Others held up massive posters of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo demanding the prominent activist and writer be freed after being recently jailed for 11 years on a subversion charge. While Beijing has promised to allow a popular election in Hong Kong in 2017 for the city's leader, recent signs have suggested Beijing may only allow a power-preserving version of democracy with rules stacked against opposition candidates. Hong Kong's mini-constitution guarantees full democracy as an "ultimate aim," but the city's seven million people have no direct say in their leader. The protesters also called for the abolition of special interest groups or so-called functional constituencies, which now make up half the seats in the city's legislature. Organizers say more than 10000 people showed up on the New Years Day march, while police put the number at over 4000. This latest mass public appeal for democracy and civil rights comes as political tensions begin heating up in the former British colony. A group of five pro-democracy legislators are now poised to resign en masse from the city's legislature, following the release of a political reform blueprint for elections in 2012, which the city's democrats say didn't go far enough. In 2003, half a million protesters ...
Congregating outside the city's legislature, thousands of protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as "Democracy Now" as peaceful crowds of young and old wended their way downtown to Beijing's representative office. Others held up massive posters of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo demanding the prominent activist and writer be freed after being recently jailed for 11 years on a subversion charge. While Beijing has promised to allow a popular election in Hong Kong in 2017 for the city's leader, recent signs have suggested Beijing may only allow a power-preserving version of democracy with rules stacked against opposition candidates. Hong Kong's mini-constitution guarantees full democracy as an "ultimate aim," but the city's seven million people have no direct say in their leader. The protesters also called for the abolition of special interest groups or so-called functional constituencies, which now make up half the seats in the city's legislature. Organizers say more than 10000 people showed up on the New Years Day march, while police put the number at over 4000. This latest mass public appeal for democracy and civil rights comes as political tensions begin heating up in the former British colony. A group of five pro-democracy legislators are now poised to resign en masse from the city's legislature, following the release of a political reform blueprint for elections in 2012, which the city's democrats say didn't go far enough. In 2003, half a million protesters ...
Congregating outside the city's legislature, thousands of protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as "Democracy Now" as peaceful crowds of young and old wended their way downtown to Beijing's representative office. Others held up massive posters of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo demanding the prominent activist and writer be freed after being recently jailed for 11 years on a subversion charge. While Beijing has promised to allow a popular election in Hong Kong in 2017 for the city's leader, recent signs have suggested Beijing may only allow a power-preserving version of democracy with rules stacked against opposition candidates. Hong Kong's mini-constitution guarantees full democracy as an "ultimate aim," but the city's seven million people have no direct say in their leader. The protesters also called for the abolition of special interest groups or so-called functional constituencies, which now make up half the seats in the city's legislature. Organizers say more than 10000 people showed up on the New Years Day march, while police put the number at over 4000. This latest mass public appeal for democracy and civil rights comes as political tensions begin heating up in the former British colony. A group of five pro-democracy legislators are now poised to resign en masse from the city's legislature, following the release of a political reform blueprint for elections in 2012, which the city's democrats say didn't go far enough. In 2003, half a million protesters ...
Hong Kong March for Democracy in China ! - Congregating outside the city's legislature, thousands of protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as "Democracy Now" as peaceful crowds of young and old wended their way downtown to Beijing's representative office. Others held up massive posters of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo demanding the prominent activist and writer be freed after being recently jailed for 11 years on a subversion charge. While Beijing has promised to allow a popular election in Hong Kong in 2017 for the city's leader, recent signs have suggested Beijing may only allow a power-preserving version of democracy with rules stacked against opposition candidates. Hong Kong's mini-constitution guarantees full democracy as an "ultimate aim," but the city's seven million people have no direct say in their leader. The protesters also called for the abolition of special interest groups or so-called functional constituencies, which now make up half the seats in the city's legislature. Organizers say more than 10000 people showed up on the New Years Day march, while police put the number at over 4000. This latest mass public appeal for democracy and civil rights comes as political tensions begin heating up in the former British colony. A group of five pro-democracy legislators are now poised to resign en masse from the city's legislature, following the release of a political reform blueprint for elections in 2012, which the city's democrats say didn't go far ...
2010 年香港元旦大遊行- 示威人士焚燒中共黨旗Hong Kong burning Chinese Communist Party's Flag -- Congregating outside the city's legislature, thousands of protesters carried colorful banners with slogans such as "Democracy Now" as peaceful crowds of young and old wended their way downtown to Beijing's representative office. Others held up massive posters of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo demanding the prominent activist and writer be freed after being recently jailed for 11 years on a subversion charge. While Beijing has promised to allow a popular election in Hong Kong in 2017 for the city's leader, recent signs have suggested Beijing may only allow a power-preserving version of democracy with rules stacked against opposition candidates. Hong Kong's mini-constitution guarantees full democracy as an "ultimate aim," but the city's seven million people have no direct say in their leader. The protesters also called for the abolition of special interest groups or so-called functional constituencies, which now make up half the seats in the city's legislature. Organizers say more than 10000 people showed up on the New Years Day march, while police put the number at over 4000. This latest mass public appeal for democracy and civil rights comes as political tensions begin heating up in the former British colony. A group of five pro-democracy legislators are now poised to resign en masse from the city's legislature, following the release of a political reform blueprint for elections ...
فرانس24:زدوخورد با رژیم در چند شهر بزرگ ایران www.france24.com Montazeri mourners 'clash' with police in major cities No Flash warning To take advantage of all the features on FRANCE24.COM, please click here to download the latest version of Flash Player. Iranian security forces have engaged in sporadic clashes with opposition supporters gathered to mourn the late Iranian dissident cleric Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, according to unconfirmed reports by opposition websites. By News Wires (text) REUTERS - Iranian security forces armed with batons and teargas clashed with supporters of the late dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in two central cities on Wednesday, opposition websites said. One report said plainclothes agents used teargas and pepper gas against people who were gathering for a Montazeri memorial service to be held in a mosque in the city of Isfahan, while another said women and children were among people beaten up. Some opposition supporters were injured and dozens were arrested, according to reformist websites, whose reports could not be independently verified. There was no immediate comment from the authorities. If confirmed, they would further highlight escalating tension in the major oil producer, six months after a disputed presidential election plunged the Islamic Republic into its deepest internal crisis since it was founded three decades ago. Police chief Esmail Ahmadi-Moqadam warned the pro-reform opposition of "fierce ...
On the first day of her visit, she started her day with paying tributes to freedom fighters at the Shankarpur Inter College in Rae Bareli. She paid tributes under the aegis of freedom fighter Rana Beni Madhav Baksh Singh Memorial. Speaking on the occasion, she said, "I bow to the freedom fighters and the land of Rana Beni Madhav. I also bow to all the freedom fighters who fought for the freedom of the country. They have to face so many adversities, yet they fought the war of Independence. People from this area like Rao Ram Baksh Singh Thakur, Balwant Singh, Thakur Shivrasan Singh, Bira Pasi and Lal Chandra fought for the war of independence in 1857. We should not forget that the nation, the Congress party and the UPA Government are celebrating the 150 th anniversary of the first war of Independence of 1857. The war of Independence of 1857 has a great importance, although the historians having close ties with the Britishers wrote it as a simple revolt of the sepoys, but it was greater than that. It was the first war of nations independence and it has impact all over the country. The people who participated in the war of 1857, have coined slogans which were more than what words mean. When these people went from one place to another they enthused others with a sense of responsibility and asked them to participate in the war of independence. It was emphasized by them that this war not only a simple war, it was a war for our existence. The war was represented by all sections ...
Dozens suffered tear gas inhalation at the weekly demonstration in Bilin Residents of Bilin village, central West Bank, gathered in a demonstration today, commemorating the 21st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and condemning the ongoing expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. After the Friday midday prayers, about 150 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists raised dozens of Palestinian flags and posters with the picture of the late Yasser Arafat and chanted slogans calling for the national leadership to keep fighting for the national principles. In a reaction to recent announcements from the Israeli government regarding plans to continue with the construction of 900 new housing units in the settlement of Gilo, they protested against the expansion of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the threat this expansion poses for the future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The demonstrators marched to the Wall built on Bilins land, where the Israeli army, based on the other side of the fence, responded to their presence by throwing tear gas bombs and shooting tear gas canisters. Dozens suffered from the effects of tear gas inhalation. In addition, residents of Bilin were calling today for the end of the ongoing arrest campaign, which escalated the day before, when a group of undercover Israeli soldiers invaded the village and arrested a local youth, Mohammad Yassin (20), who was targeted for his participation in the weekly ...
More than 200 Hong Kong residents marched through the citys financial district on Thursday, October 1st. It coincided with the celebrations in Beijing marking the 60th anniversary of the Communist Partys takeover of China. With Hong Kongs semiautonomous status, residents are free to publicly memorialize those killed during the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and the CCPs other violent campaigns. Theyre calling October 1st a (quote) national memorial day. Denouncing the regimes human rights record, they carry signs and shout slogans [respect human rights]. Among them is pro-democracy legislator Lee Cheuk-yan. [Lee Cheuk-yan, Legislative Council of Hong Kong]: "After 60 years of communist rule we see a regression in human rights and we can see that the Communist Party has stepped up the effort in squeezing and suppressing human rights in China. So this today, we come and protest. It's not a day for celebration but a day for protest." A scuffle broke out as police tried to stop a group of protesters from carrying a fake coffin—symbolizing victims of the Chinese regimes persecution—to the Central Liaison Office. Another group of protesters began a 60-hour hunger strike to mark 60 years of oppression. Others called for the release of dissidents. The vice-chairperson of Hong Kongs Democratic Party was there, too. [Emily Lau Wai-hing, HK Democratic Party Vice Chair]: "If China wants to emerge as a strong, big power it should respect the human rights of its people. Just having ...
Address by The President on the 64th Anniversary of National Liberation 15 AUG 2009 Let us take this opportunity to make a promise to ourselves, a promise that we will move towards a greater Korea, one that will make a mark on the 21st century. I believe it is an achievable goal.
Muzaffarabad, 15 Aug 2009: All Parties Hurriyat Conference, different political organizations, and forcibly displaced migrants from the Indian Occupied Kashmir staged here today a big demonstration and held a sit-in, delivering protest speeches with banners and play cards in their hands in-front of the UNMOGIP office marked the 62nd Independence day of India as black day. The people in the procession raised high pitched slogans with zeal and zest against Indian occupation and human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. They demanded withdrawal of Indian troops from the soil of Kashmir. APHC and AJK leaders delivered speeches on the importance of observing Indias Independence Day as black day. Later the APHC led procession reached the office of UN military observers group, where Convener All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Kashmir Muhammad Farooq Rehmani presented a memorandum to the UN officials. The memorandum termed the present condition of Kashmir very grave and dangerous calling upon the United Nations to initiate necessary measures to stop Indian brutalities in the disputed region. It urged upon the UN Secretary General to use his good offices to repeal black laws, set free political prisoners, withdrawal of troops, purge of criminal elements from the state police and the civil administration. It also called for impartial judicial enquiry into human rights abuses and molestation of girls by police in the recent months. It demanded immediate end to all restrictions ...
Excerpt
...in the ceremony. A large number of government and private schools were open in twin cities in connection with Independence Day celebrations. Public rallies were organised in Rawalpindi and Islamabad wherein participants carried national flags and raised slogans...
Source Info
Pakistan News.net
http://feeds.pakistannews.net/?rid=27024131&cat=8c3d7d78943a99c7
4th of July 2009 As Americans celebrated their independence day in Washington DC, we asked them to support our non-violent Green Movement in Iran with the main slogan : Where is Their Vote? We are here, but our hearts are with our friends in Iran. روز چهارم ژوییه روز استقلال آمریکاست. ما جنبش سبزمان را به میان آنها بردیم تا به دوستانمان در ایران بگوییم که هر کجا باشیم به یادشان هستیم. ... WHERE IS MY VOTE July 4th | {
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WASHINGTON (AP) – For years, President Barack Obama berated Republicans for putting their own political interests ahead of good policy on immigration. In two successive presidential campaigns, he held up Washington's failure to act on immigration as a prime example of the cynical decision-making he said must end in Washington.
Now that he is delaying his own immigration plan until after Election Day, Obama has opened himself to charges from Democrats and Republicans that he's just as guilty of playing politics.
The president's about-face, reversing a promise to take action near the end of summer, has left him with few allies going forward on an issue he had hoped would become a core component of his legacy.
Immigration groups are decrying what they see as a cravenly political move that puts their best interests yet again on the back burner. Republicans are far from appeased; they're accusing Obama of ducking accountability because he still plans to act, just not until after voters go to the polls. Democrats, for the most part, are trying their hardest to stay out of it.
Obama's explanation for his decision to delay — that a summer surge in Central American children crossing into the U.S. illegally had poisoned the atmosphere for immediate action — did little to quell speculation that Obama had actually yielded to midterm politics. After all, nervous red-state Democrats had been complaining throughout the summer that voters would punish them if Obama took provocative, unilateral executive action now, such as deferring deportation for millions of immigrants.
Added Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., a prominent immigration advocate: "Playing it safe might win an election ... but it almost never leads to fairness, to justice and to good public policy that you can be proud of."
For Obama, the decision to delay presidential action on immigration laid down a new marker in his evolution from the young presidential candidate who in 2008 vowed to put an end to a political system in Washington driven by self-interest. That aspirational message helped galvanize support from a younger and increasingly diverse electorate — including millions of Hispanics.
But as president, Obama has found that promise among the most difficult to deliver — on more than immigration.
Over time, he's eased his own prohibitions on raising money for super PACs and on lobbyists serving in government, in each instance confronting the reality that changing an entrenched system of government requires more than idealism and good will.
"There's an aspiration when you're running that you can really seize a bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck, but it's a lot harder to do than you think," said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University. "Once you get to the White House, you deal with the milieu the best you can."
Even as he ran for re-election in 2012, with Washington still firmly jammed by partisanship, Obama predicted his re-election would "break the fever" because Republicans would know he'd never be on the ballot again. He blasted the GOP for withdrawing support for legislation allowing people brought into the U.S. illegally as children to stay, telling Latino elected officials in Florida, "The need hadn't changed. The only thing that had changed was politics."
As signs emerged in recent weeks that Obama would likely delay his immigration plans, White House officials struggled to find a rationale that didn't come down to pure midterm calculations.
At first, Obama suggested he wanted to preserve any prospect for immigration legislation after the election, telling reporters that "hope springs eternal."
Then White House officials started connecting executive action on immigration to the crisis on the border. The administration has made progress in curbing the numbers of unaccompanied children arriving from Central America, and officials said they were concerned if Obama acted now, the numbers might go back up.
When the delay became public over the weekend, White House officials argued the goal wasn't to protect vulnerable Democrats but to ensure that any Democratic losses this year couldn't be used as a future excuse for lawmakers to avoid taking tough votes on immigration. After all, delaying action could hurt some Democrats this year if it discourages Latinos from voting.
"The driving motivation here is take action in a way that is sustainable and successful," said Dan Pfeiffer, Obama's senior adviser. "Taking action in the hothouse of the political season could end up being a major setback for the cause of fixing our immigration system."
Eager to deter the notion he was putting off progress for good, Obama set himself another deadline: The White House now says executive action will come by the end of 2014.
But for a president who had hoped to be remembered as an agent for change, even a few months could alter the way Obama's leadership is perceived.
"In and of itself, a delay of a few weeks on this one issue is not that big of a deal," said Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, in an interview. "But the lens the Latino community looks at this through is since before 2008, when promises were made that just have not been kept throughout this administration. All of this does end up affecting how Latinos in the end will view his legacy." | {
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The following index of patent medicine maker's marks is taken from Fike's (1987)
massive volume entitled The Bottle Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Historic Embossed
Medicine Bottles. We have found this computerized index useful in trying to identify letter
strings from fragmentary bottles in historic New Mexico sites. This in no way removes the
need to consult Fike's volume, but it does provide a starting point in trying to identify
possible makers of historic bottles.
A tip: try to hunt on the most unusual letter sequence that you have available. If you
hunt on common words such as "bitters," catarrh," and so forth, you will have difficulty
trying to narrow down your possible options since there are jillions of makers of such
products. Also, try altering the spacing between letter groups in an effort to narrow down
your options. After all, you may be misreading the label's format.
This is presented as a PDF file. It can be opened and printed from your screen or,
of far more utility, downloaded and used on your own computer to hunt down your artifacts.
Again, you will need Fike to narrow your search. But this is at least a (slightly) automated
approach. Good luck! | {
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What is a Clubhouse?
Monarch's Club Horizon is a Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) program that has earned the Clubhouse Accreditation from Clubhouse International. The Clubhouse model of rehabilitation promotes recovery, full community integration, and improved quality of life for persons who have mental health conditions that seriously impair functioning. Clubhouse services directly address the high risks that persons with serious mental illness experience with regard to frequent hospitalizations, low levels of functioning in the community, social isolation, persistent homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, and unemployment.
The program operates during regular business hours, promoting mutual acceptance, respect, and support. Persons with severe and persistent mental illness work at their own pace to gain or regain the confidence and skills necessary to lead vocationally productive and socially satisfying lives. Centering on the concept of a “work-ordered day,” each “member” chooses to participate in one of several work units to accomplish the daily functions of the Clubhouse.
The Clubhouse also provides independent housing support, assistance in attaining educational goals, and help with other life needs such as food, clothing, transportation, physical wellness, and entitlement benefits, and employment.
Clubhouse programs are known to prevent repeated hospitalizations for people who need coordinated, and often, elevated supports in order to function well in the community. As an example, national statistics show that re-hospitalization rates for clubhouse members is 14 percent, compared with 44 percent for those not in a clubhouse setting. Club Horizon has maintained member re-hospitalization rates of less than 10 percent since provision of Clubhouse services began in 2004.
Established in 1958, Monarch provides support statewide to thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders. The organization is nationally accredited by The Joint Commission and The Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL). Monarch operates The Arc of Stanly County, which is a chapter of The Arc of North Carolina and The Arc of the United States. | {
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Breaking Mobile Financial News
Equilibrium is a beautiful state for any eco-system to be in. In this state, all participants are participating and growing at the same rate. In a state of non-equilibrium, the dynamics are moving and some participants may eventually either die or be diminished to something much smaller. Equilibrium in small eco-systems with little participants can be achieved more easily, for instance by making small changes in some of the rules or contributions. The behaviour is also, most often, predictable. In eco-systems with many components and many possible combinations, it is often not easy to find a state of equilibrium. The behaviour is also often not predictable. Making a small change some-where can potentially lead to changes that was not easy to predict. (This observation is the basis of Chaos Theory).
The questions to be asked is, is mobile money eco-systems complex eco-systems (are there many participants - sometimes with unpredictable behaviour) and would we prefer mobile money eco-systems to be in a state of equilibrium. It is my view that the answer to both is yes. Unfortunately the complexity of the mobile money eco-systems (many ...
The spectacular growth of mobile wallets in emerging markets have been because of a big need in these markets. How to pay for things remotely (like airtime or bills), how to get money over a distance (like in remittances or person to person payments) and other challenges. As the penetration grew, more and more applications of the digital payment platforms were being developed - some of them very innovative.
Lately, there has been a drive to find solutions for using mobile to pay in a retail environment. These types of payments are mostly done in cash (and sometimes using traditional card solutions). While the existing solutions work well, they are still open to fraud and theft. Utilising the existence of many mobile money wallets in retail environments seems to be a logical next step. Many solutions have been deployed in this domain. Some have shown acceptable traction, but we are still waiting to see the big breakthrough. The challenge is to design a solution that is easy to operate, safe and fast. This is not so easy in a world where (almost) no phones ...
This was a blog that I was planning to write for a long time, but every time that I started, I realized that I cannot do justice to this in a simple blog and then stopped. Tonight, I decided to post my incomplete blog-post anyhow. I have come to grips with the fact that one can only scratch the surface of this important topic. While mobile money have made big leaps and bounds in many markets, bringing this service to women has lagged because of specific constraints (like women not always owning phones or lack of education).
The industry have made big gains getting to understand the need and the benefits to women through the work of the GSMA mWomen Programme with support from Visa. Research reports covering these aspects have been released conducted in five key countries Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania. It is worthwhile to have a look at some of the clips posted where women talk these studies (Video for Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan and PNG). USAid also performed a study looking at the access that women have to mobile ...
In previous posts, I have discussed the implications of placing the secure element in the phone. (Read here and here).I thought that I have said what needed to be said, but having given it some more thought, there are even more things to be said - hence this post.
One should actually think of secure elements as brands. In the old world, we typically know that we can trust a payment-instrument because we can see a brand that we associate with trust/security (like Visa). We can also see that this brand is connected or integrated with the payment instrument. It is difficult to remove the brand from the instrument. As payments become virtual, this is getting difficult. Even if you see the brand, how do you know that it is attached to the payment instrument (secure element). It could easily be some-one making themselves look like the secure element.
Placing the secure element in the phone means that you will have to start trusting the handset-manufacturer's brand for payment. Maybe not a bad thing, you may say, but think of the implications if you ...
Most of us belong to a group that are fascinated by new payment technology and also (often) love gadgets. This is why it comes so naturally to us to consider using our phone to tap and go. For many others this is quite a strange concept, if we want think about it for a while. In the mind of the average person, this is quite a strange way to transfer payment.
In a recent study conducted by Barclaycard in the UK, more than 80% of UK citizens now can recognize the contactless symbol (this has doubled in the past year). (Read here). Forrester research, in a recent article expects that it will still take a decade for NFC to become mainstream. They predict that it will take three to five years for critical mass (15% to 25%) to be reached (Read here).
For NFC to become mainstream, most subscribers will have to be educated. The payment mechanism will have to be explained and supported with clear instructions and guidance. Only when the average consumer understand and have been made comfortable ...
Most of us belong to a group that are fascinated by new payment technology and also (often) love gadgets. This is why it comes so naturally to us to consider using our phone to tap and go. For many others this is quite a strange concept, if we want think about it for a while. In the mind of the average person, this is quite a strange way to transfer payment.
In a recent study conducted by Barclaycard in the UK, more than 80% of UK citizens now can recognize the contactless symbol (this has doubled in the past year). (Read here). Forrester research, in a recent article expects that it will still take a decade for NFC to become mainstream. They predict that it will take three to five years for critical mass (15% to 25%) to be reached (Read here).
For NFC to become mainstream, most subscribers will have to be educated. The payment mechanism will have to be explained and supported with clear instructions and guidance. Only when the average consumer understand and ...
Some-one recently showed me a Spanish article published in Columbia (Read here). My Spanish is almost non-existent with only a few emergency words like "cerveza", so the only way that I could understand the article was to get it translated with Google Translate. Turns out, that the local banking council has been complaining about the business practices displayed by Claro (the dominant carrier in Columbia).
According to the article (and the cryptic Google translation), Claro decided to charge between seven and thirteen times more for banking transactions on their network. If I understand the article correctly, this is to fund the additional infrastructure required to offer banking services on their network. We that work in the industry has seen this behavior in other markets where carriers use their unique position to effectively block banks to offer financial services (or even worse) to compete with them, by implementing punitive commercial tariffs to effectively keep banks out of mobile banking.
This behavior is absolutely deplorable and a reflection on the ethics of companies that follow these practices. It is probably illegal ...
The definition of a stock-market bubble is a high activity of purchase of shares in stock that cannot support the prices being paid on the fundamentals of the business. Since the inception of stock-markets investors were warned not to invest during bubble times. In an article published in August Dan Freed alluded that one may be seeing the start of a bubble in mobile payment shares. (Read here).
In the article the following valuations/transactions are quoted as red flags:
The growth in eBay's value on the announcement of the deal between Discover and Paypal.
Square's implied valuation of $3.25B after recent fund-raising
Starbucks valuation on the back of mobile payment announcements.
Since the article, further investments in mobile payment companies have shown very high valuations (not supported by real revenue). Below are some examples:
iZettle raises $31.4M dollar Series B funding (Read here).
Paynearme (a start-up mobile payments company) raises $16M (Read here).
Braintree (a supplier of payment services - including mobile payments, to start-ups) recently raised $35M (Read here).
Paydiant (a start-up providing a white-label solution to banks) raised Series B ...
Isis is a wallet solution for many payment instruments that reside on your phone. It is a product supported by key mobile operators (Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile) with the prime objective to activate the NFC capabilities in mobile phones. The drive is to create an acceptance mark (Isis Ready, Pay and Go or Pay and Save) where Isis phone app can be used to pay.
Isis were planning to have the first deployments ready and start accepting transactions at the end of summer. Austin and Salt Lake City was selected as the first cities where the solution would be trialed. But unfortunately, some snags lead to delays. (Read here). Good news was that the delay was not too long with the promised launch taking place this month - a bit late for summer (but just) (Read here).
The reason why this offering is interesting (and probably on the right track) is that the security is based on a special SIM card. (In other words, the secure element resides on the SIM). It also seems that the participating operators have ...
It has been some time since we experienced the magic of the Olympics. The thrills of competition and the drama of the opening and other events of the games will be remembered for a long time. But for payment specialists it will also be remembered as the biggest NFC payment exhibition ever undertaken. Visa (one of the sponsors of the games) invested a lot of money to rig many outlets, vending machines and taxis with proximity accepting devices. Some reports indicate as many as 140 000 outlets.
Special prepared Samsung SIII phones with suitable SIM card was distributed to athletes, representatives of the media and other interested parties. Many of these people used the NFC phones successfully to purchase various articles in London during the games. The media gave very favourable feedback on the experience (Read here and here). One factor that was disappointing was the fact that the processing speed for a payment was not seen to be fast enough (less than 500ms) for the London Underground, so the NFC technology is not yet allowed there. (Read ...
I am the Chief Executive and Founder of Fundamo (www.fundamo.com). Prior to Fundamo, I was the Chief Information Officer for the Sanlam Group (one of the biggest Financial Services Companies in Africa (www.sanlam.com)) responsible for Group-wide technology deployment and was also a co-founder of a very successful South African technology company (Infomet - now acquired by IBM). I consulted to some of South Africa's largest corporations (including three of the biggest four banks) on the strategic application of technology.
In addition to having twenty plus years of systems management experience, I hold a number of degrees in Information Systems; is a member of the CSSA (Computer Society of S.A.(www.cssa.org.za)) and an ex-board member of SAICSIT (S.A. Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists). I am one of the founding members of CITI (the Cape IT Initiative (www.citi.org.za)) and is a member of a number of international workgroups on the application of technology in business.
I am passionate about technology and believes that mobile phones (and future pervasive devices) will change the way that people interact in more ways than just communication.
I am a re-born Christian with a close relationship with my God. He taught me to live in harmony with all people. I have a special relationship with my wife whom have been my partner for thirty years. I am passionate about wine, food and travel. | {
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Here's an 11-Minute Preview of the New 'Muppets' TV Show
The original Muppet Show wrapped a crazy 34 years ago. Muppet Babies went off the air in 1990. Muppets Tonight existed for a brief 22 episodes from 1996 to 1998. Since then: no Muppets on TV except for rerun Muppets.
The drought's about to end with—wait for it—The Muppets. Premiering on ABC this fall, the series will be a mockumentary costarring a slew of non-Muppet humans. And presuming the episodes will run a typical 22 minutes, today's 11-minute preview means you're getting half of The Muppets pilot. (Or a pilot-style teaser.)
We can attribute the fuzzy Jim Henson progenies' return to the two film revivals, 2011's The Muppets (don't confuse it for the TV show!) and 2014's Muppets most Wanted. The original pulled $165.2 million worldwide; the sequel made $80.4 million. Not the biggest numbers, which might point to why the beloved franchise is returning to its original medium for a while. | {
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Disgraced PR king Max Clifford was taken to hospital after suffering a heart attack behind bars
Disgraced former publicist Max Clifford, imprisoned for a series of sexual assaults, was fighting for his life last night after collapsing twice in his cell before suffering a cardiac arrest in hospital.
Clifford, 74, is serving an eight-year sentence at Littlehey Prison in Cambridgeshire for sex attacks carried out between 1977 and 1985 on four girls aged between 15 and 19. He has been seriously ill since suffering a heart attack in August.
His daughter, Louise, 46, said: ‘He collapsed in his cell on Thursday when he was trying to clean it – it was just too much.
‘Next day he collapsed again and was unconscious for several minutes – though he doesn’t know how long.
‘He was seen by a nurse, who insisted he must be transferred to a local hospital.
‘That’s where he had his cardiac arrest, later on Friday. He is now in the critical care unit. He’s in a bad way.’
As well as problems with his health, the ex-PR mogul has been battling financial woes after being forced to declare himself bankrupt earlier this year.
Clifford was was jailed for eight years for sex attacks on four girls aged 15 to 19 and is currently serving his time at Littlehey prison in Cambridgeshire
During his trial at Southwark Crown Court, the kiss-and-tell publicist was described as a 'repulsive paedophile' and a 'bully', who sexually abused seven girls as young as 12
He owes about £4.5 million to unsecured creditors and £3 million to secured creditors.
Last year he was also ordered to pay £80,000 to one of his victims and £15,000 to another. | {
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>>>>> On Thu, 15 May 2003 18:53:50 -0400, David Abrahams <dave at boost-consulting.com> said:
> "Paul F. Kunz" <Paul_Kunz at SLAC.Stanford.EDU> writes:
>> I've just installed gcc 3.3 and I get the following error
>>>> /usr/local/boost/boost/python/converter/as_to_python_function.hpp:31:
>> sorry, unimplemented: ` method_call_expr' not supported by
>> dump_expr
>>>> I understanding the warning, but I get the error 4 times. Any
>> ideas?
> That's a compiler bug, plain and simple. You should report it to
> the gcc people: http://gcc.gnu.org/bugs.html.
If I knew what the bug was, I would. Did this bug show up in one
of the failed boost regression tests that I posted? If so, which
one. Sending that test to the gcc people would be a lot more useful
thatn how I can described the bug. | {
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View and Select Color
This flattering 100% human hair style looks just like its synthetic counter part, but it is even more versatile. Wear it sleek, blow it full or add curls - the choice is yours! The extended neck allows more coverage of the nape of the neck so you can easily tuck away any stray hairs underneath. | {
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} |
Eking out a hard living selling car trinkets, decorations, knick-knacks and even hula hoops to passing motorists in Pulilan, Bulacan, Philippines, enduring heat, dust and smoke just to survive on a day-to-day basis. | {
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How to Use Nutrisystem While Breastfeeding | Healthy Living. Other related resources. Overview of the health system My DHB NZ Health Strategy.
Can I safely be on the Nutri System diet while breastfeeding?.
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Depending on birth control shots if insulin is important for weight loss while breastfeeding or by dr. Taking when use nutrisystem while breastfeeding: only 0.44 per pill while breastfeeding.Drugs containing retinoids while breastfeeding women who i plan b, breast read more Sure that you can and to treat.Is there a list of foods that I should avoid while breastfeeding?.nutrisystem core plan menu. can you use nutrisystem while breastfeeding.Is It Safe To Do Nutrisystem While Breastfeeding.It is possible to deliberately lose weight while breastfeeding without affecting your milk supply, but it needs to be gradual. nutrisystem 50 off sale. calories eaten per day on nutrisystem.
Nutrisystem Weight Loss Food
Jillian Barberie
Dieting While breastfeeding.Help. Updated on August 06, 2007.
Watch Don King accidentally drop the N-word while introducing Trump at a Cleveland church. There's a simple way to prevent bad breath.
Nutrisystem 5 Day Weight Loss Kit
Is It Safe To Do Nutrisystem While Breastfeeding. Have advice keep 2000 try different diuretic kept ACE married I've increase.I am going to let my DD self wean, so I will be breastfeeding for a while still.
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How To Do Nutrisystem While Breastfeeding. I wonder if blame free shipping number rice full feeling roving lbs?.How To Do Nutrisystem While Breastfeeding. Carbohydrates correct serving people know 200 think telling!.Can I Use Nutrisystem While Breastfeeding. Meals even home to transcriptionists though $25 nuke includes month potlucks sexes way meals ability technology meets. | {
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Uprating: good and bad news
Uprating of engine power and torque has benefits and pitfalls. Be sure to check its effect on other components."There's good news and bad news about uprating engine horsepower and torque," Jim Neal, executive director-vehicle systems for Cummins Engine, told members of The Maintenance Council (TMC) at its summer meeting in Tucson, Ariz."First, the good news: It's pretty easy to do," said Neal. "Just
Uprating of engine power and torque has benefits and pitfalls. Be sure to check its effect on other components.
"There's good news and bad news about uprating engine horsepower and torque," Jim Neal, executive director-vehicle systems for Cummins Engine, told members of The Maintenance Council (TMC) at its summer meeting in Tucson, Ariz.
"First, the good news: It's pretty easy to do," said Neal. "Just bring out your laptop, plug 'er in, and type in a few instructions. Pretty easy! And you get a lot of benefits from uprating to meet your individual needs. You can test various powers and torques for their impact on your operations. Engine marketing people often use it [ease of uprating] as a sales incentive. And at trade-in time you can step up your power for a higher resale value.
"Now, the bad news: It's really easy to uprate your engine. Just a few keystrokes and there you are."
As an example, Neal told of how a few keystrokes could take a 330-hp. engine with 1,350 lb.-ft. of torque and bring it up to 425 hp. and, probably more important, to 1,550 lb.-ft. of torque, getting past the 1,450 lb.-ft. point that is often very critical for drivelines.
Neal cautioned upraters to pay attention to the effects such changes might have on the clutch, transmission, and driveshaft, and be sure that the vehicle's cooling-system capacity is not exceeded.
Not all electronic engines are the same, Neal explained. "While some engines can be uprated from the bottom of the power range to the very top just by reprogramming, others may require a change of pistons, camshaft, and injectors to uprate to the upper end of the power range."
Uprating's effects on the driveline were examined by Gene Stein, sales and applications engineering manager for Spicer Clutch Div. of Dana Corp., who advised that clutches and driveshafts be spec'd to the highest torque capability of the engine, even though this might not be the most efficient approach from an engineering standpoint. He cautioned against false economy: trying to save dollars by underspec'ing components.
"Historically, engine output has not been a variable, and we (transmission builders) have designed our products on that basis. If you increase engine output after you've spec'd the transmission, you're liable to overload the transmission."
Many transmission models are designed for a specific engine, and an increase of only 100 lb.-ft. in engine torque can have a big effect on transmission life as a result of, among other things, reduced bearing capacity and gear-tooth bending resistance, said Riley. That 100 lb.-ft. increase can cut an expected transmission life of, say, 750,000 miles to about 465,000 miles, he added.
An uprating in horsepower, Riley warned, allows an engine to operate at lower speeds, but this increases the risk of destructive driveline resonance. Also, recommended transmission temperatures could be exceeded.
In addressing the effects of uprating on drive axles, Robert "Rosey" Rosenthal, national technical manager, Rockwell Automotive, advised that input torque is the critical factor, and that you must look at two torque levels: the peak gross torque of the engine -- 1,550 lb.-ft. or whatever -- and the peak input torque seen by the pinion, or input shaft.
Most axle manufacturers, said Rosenthal, rate these two torques as having the greatest influence on the drive axle when uprating an engine, followed by the brake horsepower of the engine, the axle ratio vs. gross combined weight, and the static loaded radius of the tire.
"Below 80,000 lb. GCW, most drive axles are pretty tolerant of engine uprating -- within reason," Rosenthal said, "but when you get above 80,000 lb., it's important to discuss those changes with your axle supplier."
As did all the speakers preceding him, Rosenthal urged his audience to "plan for uprate with your initial-purchase specs." | {
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Hiking Gasoline Production Efficiency
Monday, May 4, 2015 @ 01:05 PM gHale
By finding key mechanisms of the aging process of catalyst particles used to refine crude oil into gasoline ended up identified, it could, in this environment where costs are vital in the oil industry, lead to more efficient gasoline production.
Experiments studied fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) particles used to break long-chain hydrocarbons in crude oil into smaller, more valuable hydrocarbons like gasoline, said scientists at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Utrecht University.
“A major problem is that these catalysts quickly age and lose their activity, so tons of fresh catalysts have to be added to a reactor system every day,” said lead researcher Florian Meirer, assistant professor of inorganic chemistry and catalysis at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. “We are trying to understand how this aging happens, and we’re working with companies that produce these FCC catalysts to make the process more efficient.”
In experiments using X-ray beams at SLAC’s Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) researchers studied FCC catalysts of various ages to better understand the effects of aging.
They were able to image whole catalyst particles with high resolution so they could also see the catalysts’ internal structure – like taking a panoramic landscape photograph where you can zoom in to see the ants.
“We have been able to localize the metal poisons that are a leading cause of catalyst aging and also determine how they influence the materials,” said Bert Weckhuysen, professor of inorganic chemistry and catalysis at Utrecht University. “It’s been studied in the past, but not at this resolution and not on the single particle level. That is the beauty of what we have done.”
The problem of catalyst aging is widespread and costly. Worldwide, about 400 reactor systems refine crude oil into gasoline, and each system requires 10 to 40 tons of fresh FCC catalysts daily.
Crude oil suffers from contamination of metals, mostly iron, nickel and vanadium. These metals accumulate in catalysts during refining and eventually deactivate them. This is an issue for low-quality crude oil, the largest available oil supply.
“Cheaper oil is often more polluted with metal poisons,” Weckhuysen said. “If we want to use cheap oil as feedstock, then we have to improve FCC catalysts to make them more resistant against metal poisons.”
In the SSRL study, the research team took a series of two-dimensional images of catalyst particles at various angles and used software they developed to combine them into three-dimensional images of whole particles. These images show the 3-D distribution of iron and nickel in catalysts of various ages.
“This ‘mosaic imaging’ technique is a major reason why we do our experiments at the SSRL,” Meirer said.
The researchers determined the metals quickly accumulate on the outer surface of a catalyst, blocking the crude oil molecules from traveling through catalyst pores to reach deeper into its still-active core. They also showed that some catalyst particles stick together in clusters, which disturbs the fluidity of the catalysts and lowers gasoline production yields.
The Utrecht researchers are already working with companies to redesign these FCC catalysts.
“All of our conclusions are about the macropores, which are like highways for crude oil traveling through the catalysts. It’s about blockage along Highway 101 or 280, not small streets in San Francisco,” Weckhuysen said. “Can we design better catalyst pores or highways?” | {
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Tuesday, March 18, 2014
The Madness of President Putin
Of all the various interpretations Western leaders and commentators have offered for why the president of the Russian Federation has responded the way he has to the events in Ukraine over the course of February and March of 2014—in refusing to acquiesce to the installation of a neo-fascist regime in Kiev, and in upholding the right of Crimea to self-determination—the most striking and illuminating interpretation is that he has gone mad. Striking and illuminating, that is, something in the West itself.
In times past, the international landscape reflected a multipolar order, a multiplicity of competing ideologies, alternative schemes of social and economic organization. Back then the actions of another country could be understood in terms of its alternative ideology. Even extreme figures—Stalin, Hitler, Idi Amin, Pol Pot—calling them crazy was an example of hyperbole, an intensified way of describing the brazenness with which they pursued their rationally set political goals. But when Chancellor Angela Merkel asks whether Putin is living “in another world,” echoing a theme in the narrative presented by Western media, the question seems to imply something quite literal.
We question someone's sanity when we cannot explain their behavior or logic based on a common understanding of consensual reality. They become utterly unpredictable to us, capable of carrying on a normal conversation one moment and lunging at our throats the next. Their actions appear rash and disordered, as if they inhabit a world parallel to but completely different from the one we do. Putin is portrayed as a fiend, and the West acts baffled and scared. The feigned shock with which the West looks on at the developments in Crimea could be seen as a tactic designed to isolate and intimidate Vladimir Putin. The fact that this tactic is not only not working but actually backfiring changes feigned shock into real shock: Western meds aren't working any more—on itself or anyone else.
The West—that is, the United States and the European Union—have played the role of chief psychiatrist in the world insane asylum ever since the USSR fell apart. Prior to 1990 the world was neatly carved up into two competing ideologies locked in a nuclear standoff. But then Mikhail Gorbachev capitulated. He was a champion of “common human values” and wanted to resolve the superpower conflict peacefully, by combining the best of both systems (all the humanistic victories of Soviet socialism plus all the seductive, consumerist prosperity of American capitalism).
But in effect Gorbachev capitulated; the USSR was dismembered and, over the course of the 1990s, Russia itself came close to being destroyed and dismembered. Although in the West, where he is still a popular figure, Gorbachev is credited with orchestrating a peaceful dissolution of the USSR, the chaotic aftermath of the collapse of the USSR was an extremely traumatic event, with massive loss of life. When Putin calls the collapse of the USSR “the largest geopolitical catastrophe of the century,” he echoes the feelings of many Russians—who, by the way, like to call Gorbachev “Mishka mécheny” (“Mickey the marked”—marked by the devil, that is.)
During the post-collapse period Russia could offer no competing ideology. In fact, it had no ideology at all, except for an implant of Western liberalism which, given a lack of a viable legal framework or traditions of private property and civil society, quickly turned into a particularly brutal brand of gangsterism. But then Putin came along and, using his experience in the KGB and connections with other post-Soviet “power ministeries,” he crafted a new order, which first decimated and either supplanted or absorbed the gangsters, and then imposed what Putin has termed “the dictatorship of the law.” This is the first important piece of the new Russian ideology: law matters and nobody can be above it—not even the United States.
Now, compare the concept of the “dictatorship of the law,” domestic as well as international, as it is promulgated by Putin, to the sort of law which now prevails in the United States. In the US, there are now two categories of persons. There are those who are above the law: the US government and its agencies, including NSA, FBI, DOD, etc.; Wall Street financiers and shadowy government contractors who are never prosecuted for their crimes; the über-rich who are politically connected and can prevail legally against anyone simply by throwing money at lawyers.
And then there are those who are below the law: everyone else. These are some of the most sheepish people in the world, living in constant fear of getting sued and stripped of their savings—or arrested, intimidated into accepting a plea bargain, and locked up. They can now be detained indefinitely without a charge. They can be kidnapped from anywhere in the world, transported to a “black site” and tortured. They can be put on trial without being informed of the charge and convicted based on evidence that is kept secret from them. Their communities can be placed under martial law without cause. Individually, they can be shot on sight with no provocation of suspicion of wrongdoing. Abroad, when wedding parties and funerals are taken out by misguided drone strikes, that's a war crime—unless Washington is behind it, in which case it is just “collateral damage.”
Thanks to the relentless NSA surveillance, we now have no privacy and can keep no secrets. For example, German Chancellor Merkel is definitely “below the law.” When, thanks to Edward Snowden, she discovered that the NSA was listening in on her cell phone conversations, she was outraged and complained bitterly. The NSA stopped listening in on her phone and... started listening in on the phones of everyone she talks to! Now, isn't that cute? Notice, however, how Frau Merkel has stopped complaining. Unlike Putin, she isn't “mad”: she is a willing participant in a consensual reality in which what Washington says is the law, and what she says is just noise, for the benefit of maintaining the illusion of German sovereignty. For her benefit, let's ask her in her native German: “Frau Merkel, glauben Sie wirklich dass die amerikanischen Politiker Übermenschen und die Deutschen und Russen und Ukrainer Untertanen sind?”
Putin's second innovation is what he calls “sovereign democracy.” It is a system of representative democracy that is completely impervious to foreign political manipultion. Well, not completely impervious: just as it's good to have a low-level inflammation somehwere once in a while to keep the immune system humming along, it's considered healthy to have Moscow's and St. Petersburg's hipsters—many of whom, in their youthful folly, still worship the West—to go and get themselves roughed up by the riot police periodically. The worship appears mutual, and watching Wetern media worship a bunch of nobodys whose idea of public art is going into supermarkets and stuffing frozen chickens in their vaginas (“Pussy Riot,” that is) provides much-needed comic relief. But the firewall of Russian conservatism remains impervious to Western advances. (As Prof. Cohen recently pointed out, prior to Americans' gay rights agitation, Russian gays used to be called “faggots”; now they are being called “American faggots,” and gay rights in Russia have taken a giant leap back.)
Again, let's compare it to the state of affairs that now prevails in the US, where President Obama announced during this year's state of the union address that, since Congress won't cooperate with him, he plans to rule by decree (“executive order,” in American bureaucratese). In response, Congress is now drafting legislation that aims to compel the Obama administration to enforce acts of Congress. Apparently, they misplaced all their copies of the US constitution, which already describes this very process in considerable detail. Their studied appearance of endless legislative gridlock appears to be a veil designed to obscure the real work of distributing misappropriated funds among their campaign donors—funds that now run into trillions of dollars a year. Add to this the fact that half of US Congress has pledged allegiance to Israel. In Russian eyes, the US is neither sovereign nor a democracy; it is the festering corpse of a democracy being fed on by the world's fattest vultures.
In contemporary Russian understanding, Ukraine is not sovereign either (it is open to blatant foreign manipulation) and therefore its government is illegitimate. The December 1991 referendum which gave Ukraine its independence was conducted in violation of the constutition that was in effect at that time, and Ukrainian independence is therefore illegitimate as well. Since the recent armed overthrow of Ukraine's government was likewise contrary to the Ukrainian constitution, Ukraine no longer has a constitution at all. The Crimean referendum, on the other hand, is a legitimate expression of the will of the people in absence of any legitimate central authority, and therefore provides a solid legal basis for moving forward. The fact that the US government, and others following its lead, have declared the Crimean referendum illegal is neither here nor there: they do not have the power to invent laws on Russia's behalf, and they are walled off from Russia's internal politics.
* * *
One could mark the ascension of the US to the role world psychiatrist from around the end of the cold war. The Berlin Wall came down, and Western Capitalism, Democracy and Liberalism appeared to have won. The unified Western view of the way the world works, of what moves society forward, of what is the best and most productive form of economic, social, and political organization had prevailed over the entire planet. Francis Fukuyama published his inadvertently hilarious treatise on “The End of History.” In this context, in denying the Russian Federation the courtesy of allowing it to have a coherent alternative view, the US is attempting to claw back the illusion of its unquestioned supremacy, its absolute hegemony, its role as chief moralizer and arbiter of what counts as normal and abnormal in thought and behavior. Because either the world must have gone mad, or Putin must have. Prior diagnosis appears to have been faulty: “I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country,” said George W. Bush of President Putin at the Slovenia Summit in 2001. The patient expertly deceived the psychiatrist, making him believe that he is sane. And now the patient is running amok, and the West is desperately trying to drag him back into the asylum.
Some sympathy for the wardens of this insane asylum is also due. The developments in Ukraine and Crimea are especially troubling for the West because they violate the West's linear conception of history. On this account, the advanced first world Western nations are ahead of the pack, and trying, simply out of their great compassion, to encourage stragglers like Ukraine along the path toward EU and NATO membership, monetary union and a slow-moving, controlled national bankruptcy in the hands of the IMF. The fall of the Soviet Union was a key psychological breakthrough in this story they tell themselves. They thrive on this story, for it defines them and gives them their sense of meaning and purpose. Anything that undermines its basic premises and foundations is deeply disturbing. However, many examples of unmitigated failure in the 21st century have been hard to ignore and have made this narrative sound increasingly shaky. With highlights like 9/11, the fiasco in Afghanistan, the ongoing Iraqi civil war, the global financial meltdown of 2008, intractable unemployment and economic stagnation plaguing the West in these first 15 years of the 21st century, and then the serial fiascos in Libya, Syria, Egypt and now Ukraine, and it becomes easy to see the special significance that this particular confrontation with Vladimir Putin has for the fragile Western psyche.
The West's ascendant trip through linear history appears to be over. The paradox underneath this confrontation is that a situation with such low stakes—Crimea and the political leanings of a minor failed state—has taken on such vast proportions, and this suggests a deeper significance. The political turmoil that has taken root in the fertile soil dividing West and East, in Ukraine, which literally translates as the “borderland,” functions as a powerful symbol of the declining hegemony of the West. This confrontation continues to cast shadows of historical proportions because the authority of the world psychiatrist and world policeman is being openly challenged. The brief illusion of the triumph of the West is cracking. We have not entered into some post-historic phase, some fundamentally new future. The inmates are breaking free, and it looks as if the psychiatrist was the crazy one all along.
Consider the asymmetry. What is Ukraine to the West but an impoverished Eastern European political pawn on the geopolitical chessboard, one that has to be prevented from joining up with Russia in line with the overall trend? But to Russia Ukraine is a historic part of itself, the place of the earliest Russian capital of Kievan Rus (from whence it was moved, eventually, to Moscow, then to St. Petersburg, then to Moscow again). It is a region with which Russia has eleven centuries of joint linguistic, cultural and political history. Half of Ukraine consists of Russian lands capriciously adjoined to it by Lenin and Khrushchev. I grew up thinking Kharkov was Russian (because it is) and was at one point amazed to discover that I would now need a visa to go there—because it got stuck on the wrong side of the border and renamed Kharkiv. (In case you are wondering, to convert to Ukrainian, you take Russian and replace ‘y’, ‘o’ and ‘e’ with ‘i’, ‘i’ with ‘y’, and ‘g’ with ‘h’. To convert back—you ask a Russian.) As of last December, the Russians in Kharkov and other Russian regions of Ukraine have been stuck on the wrong side of the border, as subjects of an unstable, dysfunctional and remarkably corrupt governent, for 22 years. It is little wonder that they are now waving Russian flags with wild abandon.
Even the muddle-headed John Kerry was recently heard to concede that Russia has “legitimate interests” in Ukraine. In challenging Russia over Ukraine the West isn't just crossing some imaginary “red line” that Obama is so fond of proclaiming again and again. In installing a neo-fascist, rabidly anti-Russian regime in Kiev, it has crossed the double-yellow, guaranteeing a head-on collision. Question is, which side will survive that collision: the Russian tank column, or John Kerry's limo? The West's opening gambit is to deny visas and freeze accounts of certain Russian officials and businessmen, who either don't have bank accounts in the West or have already pulled the money out last Friday (to the tune of a couple hundred billion dollars) and aren't planning to travel to the US.
Russia promised to respond “symmetrically.” In its arsenal is: popping the huge financial bubble and causing a resumption of the financial collapse of 2008 by any number of means, from requiring gold instead of fiat currency as payment for oil and gas, to dumping US dollar reserves (in concert with China), to putting the EU on a fast track to economic collapse by giving the natural gas valve a slight clockwise twist, to leaving US and NATO troops in Afghanistan (who are about to start evacuating) stranded and without resupply by declaring force majeure on the cooperative arrangement currently in effect, where much of their resupply route is allowed to pass through Russian territory. That's if Russia chose to act decisively. But Russia could also choose to do little or nothing, and then just the financial contagion from Ukraine's forthcoming bond default and financial jitters over Ukrainian chaos disrupting natural gas deliveries to Europe could be enough to topple the West's teetering financial house of cards.
So what remains of Western global hegemony and of the West's right to play the world's psychiatrist? Make of it what you will, but some lessons seem quite clear. First, it now appears that, from Russia's point of view, having good relations with Washington is quite optional, but that Ukraine is quite a bit more important. All Russia really needs from Washington is that Washington stop its meddling in world affairs. America is dispensable. Washington, on the other hand, needs Russian cooperation if it wants to pull its troops out of Afghanistan in one piece, or if it wants to keep visiting the International Space Station, and even if it just wants to save face after its endless blunders in places like Syria and Iran.
Second, the EU isn't being asked to choose a new master, but slavish obedience to Washington's dictates has led to mischief and may leave it shivering in the dark come next winter through no fault of Moscow's, so the EU should start acting in accordance with its obvious self-interest rather than against it.
38 comments
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In light of likely near future developments, Vladimir Putin is now wise to secure the 'borderland' to protect the 'heartland'. Throughout the west there is a sublimated rage against social and economic conditions which find occasional and diverse expression. Russophobia is the latest, most powerful expression of this atavism to date, and this should be no surprise to anyone paying attention. Russia is unfortunately populated by people who have no corresponding culturally protected groups in the west. No westerner has been raised to speak only kindly of all things Russian. As such Russia and its expressions face the full force of the contempt of the Western elite and rabble alike.
Psychiatric insight is useful to bring to bear on this crisis because it suggests those fears which give rise to projection and anger will only multiply themselves as the power relations which are there origin devolve and degenerate into ever greater coarseness and brutality. This outcome seems inevitable as western macro bankruptcy looms. Here, I think, I need not convince anyone of the likelihood of western economic collapse. But here it is useful to consider how that collapse may give rise to a fascistic, lunatic lunge at the Russian heartland.
This is brilliant. I am going to try to copy and paste this into my new word press blog devoted to EU: the ramshackle state. The rivalry between blogspot.com and Word Press make this impossible to do as a normal re-blog. I will email you when it is up.
From a thread my wife described to me (Ukraine subforum of a Russian forum)she got background on the young people 20-30 years old at Maidan.
First of all Ukraine is no language in which textbooks or language books or literature are written.After the fall of the Soviet Union the education system was changed and it was not taught in Russian anymore and history became a nationalistic topic which was simply written according to local lore (Bandera as hero,etc.) Since language textbooks were not available in Ukrainish no one learned English, French, etc. and essentially education and the level of knowledge went down the drain. If all foreign literature (Ovid, Homer, Dickens,etc.) were in Russain translations and the locals spoke only broken Russian then they had no access to literature at all as no such literature ever existed in Ukrainish. These young people are unemployable in Europe and even in the Ukraine. So they are due to corruption and bad economic policies permanently unemployed and besides that, completely ignorant of culture and history due to above facts. This led to the obvious "nazification" and radicalization of the unemployed youth who were instrumentalized for the power purposes of whoever you choose to name (Nuland, Yatsenjuk, Svoboda, etc.)
On Maidan the nice old ladies who cooked for them and the middle class (over 40 who still learned to read and write properly and learned normal history and lieterature) are all gone but they are still there, armies of ignorant, unemployed young men relieving themselves in latrines without doors on the main square and "shaking down" nice bakeries there and passers-by(who continue with normal life having to get through the labyrinth of the ramschakled huts on Maidan).
This is sort of a corollary rule to your collapse stages in slow motion. i.e. If collapse takes long enough the next generation will become like wild animals, barbarized and go about like a mob from hordes of Ghengis Khan, the huns or similar. This is what neglect looks like. In the remainder of the ex-Soviet Union I suppose tzhat their languages have translatability, literature, etc. in translation or that in some cases in Central Asia the society is really going back to a relatively primitive state. That this could happen in Europe in our century only confirms your collapse theory. If the thread she read is overblown and misinformed please tell me.
Whilst it's quite a stretch to call Putin's Russia a "dictatorship of law" (reading about systema is quite revealing) your article very accurately represents the hysterically desperate and hypocritical view of the Western establishment of Russia.
Perhaps only a good dose of totalitarianism (as in the USSR) would instil enough skepticism towards mass-media propaganda into the populous of the Western democracies.
Will Russia pull the pin on US/EU/IMF funny money game or leave it to inevitable eventual implosion? If i was Putin i'd "if its falling, push it", as would leave more resources for still-affluent nations to consume. Isn't that how cannibal capitalism is played?
ps. it is truly bracing how biased the media in my country (Australia) is. There are no pro-Russian or even objective POV's in mainstream media here, there is some trenchant opposition buried in comment threads but the overwhelming mass of media content is 'pro-[US-EU]Ukraine'.
There's so much logic supporting the view that Russia had to protect the Russian-speaking people of Crimea. However, why was it that Crimean broadcast media ceased carrying news from Kiev just as the mysterious pro-Russian forces appeared? Wouldn't the free flow of information (even a diversity of lying propaganda) enhance the legitimacy of the electoral process?
I noticed that news outlets like NPR are having difficulty keeping the political reality in the Ukraine properly spinning. In a story yesterday they reported that the Ukrainian military was being ‘restrained’ in its responses to the ‘thugs’ in Crimea. Then, in the same spin cycle, they said that the forces in Kiev that overthrew the corrupt regime of Yanukovych were busily recruiting civilians for their newly formed national guard. 20,000 in one sentence and 80,000 in another. No one asked the obvious question: Why not just use the Ukrainian military? Isn’t that what it’s there for? I wonder how restrained the military will be against a mob of national thugs?
They must also have a police force. Do you have any sense of where they stand?
It strikes me that you have begun to compare the US American reality to the Russian ideal. This is disingenuous and illogical. Although your presentation of the US reality is closely in accord what I also believe to be true, this doesn't seem to me to be the best way to carry out the comparison between the two.
I have no doubt that in Russia as in the US, the 'rule of Law' will turn out to mean: "If you want it, we'd really like to give it to you but the Law won't let us. If we want it, we'll make the Law give it to us."
And then there are those who are below the law: everyone else. These are some of the most sheepish people in the world, living in constant fear of getting sued and stripped of their savings—or arrested, intimidated into accepting a plea bargain, and locked up. They can now be detained indefinitely without a charge. They can be kidnapped from anywhere in the world, transported to a “black site” and tortured. They can be put on trial without being informed of the charge and convicted based on evidence that is kept secret from them. Their communities can be placed under martial law without cause. Individually, they can be shot on sight with no provocation of suspicion of wrongdoing. Abroad, when wedding parties and funerals are taken out by misguided drone strikes, that's a war crime—unless Washington is behind it, in which case it is just “collateral damage.”
You forgot to add, we can be killed, without the gov ever admitting that they did, or why.
...Fukuyama...I always hated that line about waking up from history. It always struck me as undiluted propaganda. We could not get enough of it.
I am almost numb to the idiotic and myopic stance of the US over this crisis which we have ourselves created and will never find the intellectual honesty to admit.
The only thing worse is the injustice of our dismisal of the Russian perspective. You are so right about the mental state of the global psychologist who cannot see the obvious: that Russian history is Russian history, some of it pleasing to remember, some not: but it is Russia's history nonetheless. To forget it in its entirety or dismiss it as an inconveneint counterpoint to 'western' modes of business is to doom oneself to repeat the same mistakes over and over. Russia has learned from collapse. The West has yet to, but will soon learn those same lessons. But first we will have to put down that bottle and wake up from our own history.
Excellent analysis Dimitry. Rational and reasoned thinking. I wonder if we in the West are trying to commit collective suicide with this insane adventure. Should as Brian mentioned anyone consider a "thrust" to the heartland of the Bear cave, one might consider the fate of the armies of the last two rather short gentlemen of note who attempted such. While one was Corsican and the other Austrian both armies left a trail of feces,blood and corpses all over the exit routes of Russia and failed in their' haste to leave to clean them up. Tick Tock.
I can only imagine how futile it must feel in the US trying to ask questions about the MSM version of events. I would advise not to stress out about it too much. Things will play out at their own pace. Try to get a good seat for the show...
Anyone paying attention knows that a big economic crash is going to happen sooner or later. If it was to happen now, what a perfect opportunity for Obama, the fed and the rest of the crooks to deflect blame. "It wasn't us it was them damn Russians" With the main stream press pushing that story most of the sheeple will buy it.
Thanks for the analysis Dimitry.What is quite amazing is also the level of propaganda reached in the media.Even more in France maybe (I'm French) with a few dissenting voices, however the comments being much more diverse.Especially the Rhetoric (which even Hillary Clinton has used) "Putin the new hitler, if we do nothing it will be a new Munich, "Poland is next" is coming up in more or less direct forms quite often. Or "Putin is a USSR Empire nostalgic"
On this what is your view regarding potential "expensionist" plan from Putin.For me it sounds ridiculous (especially in the sense : for sure Russia has no interest in subsidizing a bunch of countries with cheap oil and gas), but maybe the case for Baltic countries for instance ?And there was this demonstration last week end of "pro invasion", people in red outfits with cccp 2.0 flags or something plus demonstrating in military style formations. Who are these people ? Helped by the government ? (for sure the type of images that western media are quick to pick up).
Overall it is quite amazing to what point Europan leaders follow Washington voice up to the point of totally forgetting about European interests (economic ones especially).I guess Merkel (or Germans in general) could be the ones reverting that a bit.
Quite amazing to consider the "hyper Atlaticism shift" compared to for instance what happened regarding the construction of the transsiberian gas pipeline beginning 80ies :"The efforts by the US pressure to prevent the construction of the pipeline, and its export embargo of supplies for the pipeline (1980–1984) constituted one of the most severe transatlantic crises of the Cold War."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urengoy%E2%80%93Pomary%E2%80%93Uzhgorod_pipeline
Full on mate , i agree with you , the west is financially and morally bankrupt . I am a descendant of first fleet convicts to Australia , and Irish fleeing the potato famine .. Our own prime minister once described us as " a pimple on the arse of the world ". These days we are a remote resource province of crumbling american empire , ringed by Gulags and daily force fed extreme neo con propaganda by our wholly corporate controlled media . Big Bad Vlad is publicly enemy number one down under at the moment , and he should be scared when he realises we Aussies once tried to invade Turkey ( and failed ) , though we go up there every year and get drunk on rum , annoy all the locals and carry on like it was an old footy match we once took part in and remember fondly. What the Turks think of all these drunken Aussies singing " god save the queen " on their beach every year is anyones guess .. I am sure there would be a big brouhaha if the young japanese flocked down every year to raise the rising sun flag and party on sydneys bondi beach ... But what the heck ? We are the good guys , we are best mates with " the world police ". I think though that we all should remember that while the american dollar was once backed by gold , then oil , these days it is backed lots of guns and other nasty toys , and there are a lot of crazy wyatt earps over there , so i cant see them just riding off quietly into the night . Fortunately Vlad knows all this , and is a lot saner than anyone in America , so i hope he continues to proceed cautiously... For all our sakes . I am sure if he gives them enough rope they will hang themselves .. Cheers Mate
"An eyewitness told the BBC that armed men arrived in two unmarked vehicles, storming the base in Simferopol and firing automatic weapons."
"Crimean police later said both Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces had been fired on from a single location and that one Ukrainian was killed and one injured, and one pro-Russian was killed and one injured."
My comments are supported by the events of the day. A 17 yeqar old from Lvov in Western Ukraine has been trained and sent as a sniper to provoke a war between military of both sides. Apparently the brainwashing starts very young and he was likely trained abroad by foreigners:
"Ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 the crack-para-military UNA-UNSO members have been behind every revolt against Russian influence. The one connecting thread in their violent campaigns is always anti-Russia. The organization, according to veteran US intelligence sources, is part of a secret NATO “GLADIO” organization, and not a Ukraine nationalist group as portrayed in western media. [6]"
According to these sources, UNA-UNSO have been involved (confirmed officially) in the Lithuanian events in the Winter of 1991, the Soviet Coup d’etat in Summer 1991, the war for the Pridnister Republic 1992, the anti-Moscow Abkhazia War 1993, the Chechen War, the US-organized Kosovo Campaign Against the Serbs, and the August 8 2008 war in Georgia. According to these reports, UNA-UNSO para-military have been involved in every NATO dirty war in the post-cold war period, always fighting on behalf of NATO. “These people are the dangerous mercenaries used all over the world to fight NATO’s dirty war, and to frame Russia because this group pretends to be Russian special forces. THESE ARE THE BAD GUYS, forget about the window dressing nationalists, these are the men behind the sniper rifles,” these sources insist. [7]
If true that UNA-UNSO is not “Ukrainian” opposition, but rather a highly secret NATO force using Ukraine as base, it would suggest that the EU peace compromise with the moderates was likely sabotaged by the one major player excluded from the Kiev 21 February diplomatic talks—Victoria Nuland’s State Department.[8] Both Nuland and right-wing Republican US Senator John McCain have had contact with the leader of the Ukrainian opposition Svoboda Party, whose leader is openly anti-semitic and defends the deeds of a World War II Ukrainian SS-Galicia Division head.[9] The party was registered in 1995, initially calling itself the “Social National Party of Ukraine” and using a swastika style logo. Svoboda is the electoral front for neo-nazi organizations in Ukraine such as UNA-UNSO.[10]"
"There was another phone call today between Secretary of State Kerry and the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. The call came after a strategy meeting on Ukraine in the White House. During the call Kerry agreed to Russian demands for a federalization of the Ukraine in which the federal states will have a strong autonomy against a neutralized central government. Putin had offered this “off-ramp” from the escalation and Obama has taken it.
...
It describes the process of getting to a new Ukrainian constitution and sets some parameters for it. The Russian language will be again official language next to the Ukrainian, the regions will have high autonomy, there will be no interferences in church affairs and the Ukraine will stay politically and militarily neutral. Any autonomy decision by the Crimea would be accepted. This would all be guaranteed by a “Support Group for Ukraine” consisting of the US, EU and Russia and would be cemented in an UN Security Council resolution.
It seems that Kerry and Obama have largely accepted these parameters. They are now, of course, selling this solution as their own which is, as the “non-paper” proves, not the reality."
Brilliant. Good work. The press here (UK) is more-or-less totally behind the US. But there are some voices, like Liam Halligan in the Telegraph and Jon Snow, Channel 4. I would say a majority of my friends and family are dismayed by the EU and US pronouncements. We think it is stupid and our of a past era.
Interesting...I posted a link to this essay on a supposedly "liberal" blog last nite, one that of course is spouting the same "Putin is crazy and must be stopped" meme, and the comment was removed and I was banned.
There is the corporate-sanctioned story and thou shall not deviate from it!
In chess terms: If the US now takes Syria, Russia takes Eastern Ukraine. The beginning of Cold War II, the one that quickly ends in Western bankruptcy. Will the US continue to play through these moves. Of course it will! I use to view Israel as just a parasite, but now I realize it's a dangerous parasite, the kind that makes it's host go crazy.
A rational, objective, authentic assessment of the West's irrational, non-objective, inauthentic, inane hubris that is so much absurdity when measured against reality that it can be perceived by a balanced and whole mind as nothing but an intentionally designed descent into chaos.
Me and my mother Hilkka Rajala openly support Vladimir Putin in his efforts to bring peace, law and order into Ukraine, and why not into other neighbouring countries as well. Finland has independency, because Emperor Alexander I of Russia gave autonomy for Finland. Finland is said to be the window of Russia to the West. I have dear Russian friends too, whom I know personally. I hate western decadency too, as does my girlfriend too. Time has passed from west, let it collapse like ancient Rome.
I'd like to note that Frau Merkel - born in East Germany - speaks Russian, and Putin speaks German, also from his time as a KGB officer in Germany. I assume this means they are able to communicate fluently.
AFAIK, Merkel never said Putin was living “in another world”. Die Welt, the German newspaper, reported that "The chancellery was not pleased with the reporting on the conversation. They claim that what the chancellor said was that Putin has a different perception on Crimea, which is why she is pushing for a fact finding mission on the matter."
It seems Merkel said of Putin "he has a different preception on Crimea". Next day, you could read that she said he had "an alternate view of reality". A day later, it morphed into "he's in another world".
The whole episode says more about the way the Western press works than about Putin. Or Merkel, for that matter.
Excellent analysis, congratulations.However, we shouldn't underestimate the power of the world's reserve currency. Russia can probably afford breaking off from the dollar rule but Europe, dependent on the US for defence and flooded with dollar-investments, can not afford to do the same. Europe, the wealthiest and biggest energy consumer on earth is evidently the "prize" on this new conflict. For more than a century now the axis of US external policy has been securing captive sources of energy and captive markets for it. With the emergence of an alternative and thirsty buyer for energy (China), the world's superpower has had to isolate Iran and create all the turmoil in the middle east so that these sources don't shift their allegiance to a new buyer.In Syria and Ukraine we have another chapter, where the US looks to prevent Russia from continuing to grow in wealth and independence that the European client provides. On one side they need Syria to build gas and oil pipelines from the arabic peninsula, on the other they seek to disrupt Russia's supply routes in Ukraine and the black sea making it an unreliable supplier of energy to european markets.As usual, Europe, with no army and split between 28 decision centers, has most to lose. Merkel needs to play this extremely carefully.Money, power, energy: in the long run you are only as independent as you can control your power/energy sources.
It's just brilliant. As Russian myself, who got through all the dramatic changes in my country since collapse of USSR, which deeply effected me personally, I support Mr Putin with all my heart. I fear even to imagine what would be with Russia if Putin wouldn't appear on political scene. He called disintegration of USSR geo-political tragedy and it really is. It affected us, Russians ( no matter what the origin we are) personally, it affected Russia as a country and the World as well. So, I hope this Mr Orlov's article will help the World community to understand the great place Vladimir Putin has taken in our lives. Thank you.
Thank you for a well written article. At times I tried not to laugh at the double sided humour. I am Russian, born in Australia. Proud of my heritage, my parents coming to Australia in late 40s and mid 50s.
It is so heartbreaking to see all the bad press about Russia in the Western media. They have no concept, or understanding of what it is all about.
The backgrounds of the groups who now are in power in Ukraine are suddenly ignored by western media, why?
Here in Australia, the government is following the US like a bunch of sheep, not questioning, just following.
It's refreshing to see Australians not supporting the US or EU version of events in the comments.
Great essay Dmitri. I would like to learn more about the role of peak oil in all of this. It's all about fossil fuels, right? The impression you give is that Russia controls a lot of it and can turn off the spigot to the West anytime, so they hold all the power that really matters. But Russia occupies a large chunk of planet earth and they are certainly not immune from the effects of climate change and pollution from radiation and toxic chemicals, but I haven't heard much about how they are dealing with or preparing for this looming catastrophe. I may be wrong, but they seem to be as much in denial about it as everyone else. Any thoughts? | {
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The CNN 'This is an Apple' Ad
"CNN launched a Facts First marketing campaign this morning. The ad features only an apple, though it`s hard to see it as other than a nuts-to-you response to Donald Trump`s campaign to brand CNN as `Fake News.`
`This is an apple,` the ad begins:
Some people might tell you that it`s a banana.
They might scream banana, banana, banana, over and over and over again.
They might put BANANA in all caps.
You might even start to believe that this is a banana.
But it`s not.
This is an apple.
Facts First.
CNN."
Deadline
I would love to make my own video. My ad would feature only a Jack O` Lantern.
"This is a rotten Jack O` Lantern," my ad begins.
Some delusional cultists might tell you that it`s the president of the United States.
They might scream president, president, over and over again, demanding that you grant him respect commensurate with his office.
They might even tweet in CAPS: TRUMP IS A GREAT LEADER! TREAT HIM WITH RESPECT.
You might even start to believe that this grotesque orange buffoon deserves to be treated with respect.
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Newsletter
Way We Were: Augusta’s Billy Johnson shined in the World Series
Augusta has its share of World Series heroes, but you could argue none did better than Billy Johnson.
The New Jersey native came to town to play for the minor league Augusta Tigers in 1939, met and married a local girl, enjoyed a successful major league career and then transitioned into 30 years with the Graniteville Co.
A solid third-baseman nicknamed “The Bull,” Johnson appeared in four World Series with the New York Yankees of 1943, 1947, 1949 and 1950. His first followed an outstanding rookie season that not only landed him on the American League All-Star Team but also earned fourth-place in Most Valuable Player voting as he drove in 95 runs.
He batted .300 that October, breaking open the series with a bases-loaded triple in Game 3. Triples, in fact, would get Johnson into the World Series record book, where his four are the most by any player over a career.
After World War II Army service, Johnson returned to the Yankees and the World Series in 1947 where he would score eight runs in New York’s eventual victory over Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
That was no surprise to New York Sunday News sports writer Joe Trimble, who described Johnson’s play “as smooth as the top of a new radio cabinet.”
Trimble credited Johnson with “pulling the Yankees together and holding them together after getting off to a dubious start.”
“It was such a thrill to realize that I was good enough to wear the Yankee uniform and be a Yankee,” Johnson later told a baseball writer.” I know a lot of players who were better than I was, and played in the majors for 15 to 20 years, and never played in a World Series. I was one of the lucky ones.
“I had no regrets. I lasted as long as I did because I had a winning attitude and worked and played hard.”
Johnson finished his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals, then returned to Augusta where he worked as a shipping supervisor with the Graniteville Co., raised a family with his wife Louise and was active at The Hill Baptist Church.
His early playing days in Augusta baseball were not forgotten. In 1997 he was inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame, prompting him to praise his hometown.
“There wasn’t a greater city for baseball anywhere than right here,” Johnson said 20 years ago. “There have been so many great players and teams over the years, and the fans were always great supporters of baseball.”
He said he even got his “Bull” nickname in Augusta for the way he charged fences and walls in pursuit of pop flies or drives.
William Russell Johnson passed away in 2006 and is buried in Westover Memorial Park. | {
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Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) — BP Plc lost a bid for a new trial on findings that it was grossly negligent in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a decision that exposes the company to $18 billion in pollution fines.
The loss follows multiple BP legal setbacks, including failed efforts to cut the cost of its settlement with spill victims. After being told by trial and appeals courts that it must live with the deal it negotiated, BP is awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether it will hear the company’s complaint that the deal is being misinterpreted to compensate claimants BP says it didn’t intended to pay.
BP had asked U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to reconsider a Sept. 4 ruling that BP’s exploration unit was grossly negligent and 67 percent at fault for the fatal well blowout that destroyed the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig off the Louisiana coast and led to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
Barbier rejected BP’s argument that the ruling was based on evidence he said he wouldn’t consider. The London-based company argued that Barbier improperly relied on the opinion of an expert witness hired by Halliburton Co.
BP itself “opened the door” to this testimony through cross-examination of the expert, Barbier said in his decision yesterday. “BP’s assertions it was unfairly surprised and prejudiced by the court’s reliance on this testimony lack any basis in fact or law,” the judge said.
Deaths, Damage
The blowout and explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon on April 20, 2010, killed 11 workers and caused millions of barrels of crude oil to spill into the gulf, harming wildlife and fouling hundreds of miles of beaches and coastal wetlands.
It also set off thousands of lawsuits against BP, Halliburton and Transocean Ltd., the owner of the drilling rig.
BP has spent more than $28 billion so far on spill response, cleanup costs and damages. The company’s taken a pre- tax charge to earnings of $43 billion to cover all anticipated spill costs.
In his Sept. 4 decision, Barbier ruled that Transocean was 30 percent liable for causing the disaster and Halliburton, which provided cement services for the project, was 3 percent liable. Barbier said neither of the subcontractors acted with willful recklessness during the drilling operation.
“We disagree with the court’s ruling today and will now move forward with our appeal of the Sept. 4 decision,” Geoff Morrell, a BP spokesman, said yesterday in an e-mailed statement.
The gross negligence ruling triggers maximum potential fines of $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled, under the Clean Water Act. The U.S. claims 4.2 million barrels were spilled into the Gulf. BP has estimated that the spill was 2.45 million barrels.
Settlement Estimate
In its Oct. 28 earnings release, BP increased its estimated cost of its 2012 settlement of private spill-damage claims to $9.7 billion, advising investors the ultimate price tag “is likely to be significantly higher” as claims are still being filed and processed. BP’s settlement doesn’t include damage claims by state and local governments, financial institutions, casinos and companies harmed by the deep-water drilling moratorium that followed the spill, or damages to publicly owned natural resources.
As of Sept. 30, BP’s claims administrator had paid $4.15 billion in damage claims against $5.16 billion in outstanding offers, with thousands of damage claims still under review, according to a report filed with the court.
The case is In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, MDL-2179, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana (New Orleans). | {
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The exchange rate of bitcoin is like a seesaw: a rise is always followed by a fall… and this time it’s fallen below the psychological margin of $9,000. And despite the cryptocurrency still leading the capitalization and domination index, more and more often one hears rumors that the bitcoin “bubble” is going to burst any time now.
Roman Tkachuk, a senior analyst for Alpari financial company, explained to Sputnik France what factors can have a negative effect on the cryptocurrency or, on the contrary, reinvigorate its course.
“Right now, all over the world the screws are tightened regarding cryptocurrencies. It’s happening in many countries: Japan, [South] Korea and in the US. If the regulators tighten these screws completely, leaving no choice for crypto-investors and crypto-traders, then it is going to be very hard times for the cryptocurrencies,” he said.
However, even in this case, according to the expert, bitcoin still wouldn’t die.
“There is always a shadowy side that requires no regulation,” he said.
“If [using the cryptocurrency] is prosecuted, either by fines or criminal prosecution, then not too many people will use it and the exchange rate will fall to $1,000 or even lower. But bitcoin won’t disappear entirely.”
“If the regulators’ attitudes change, if some exchange will be allowed to trade bitcoins officially, the cryptocurrencies will find use in companies’ real economics and bitcoin will regain its losses very soon.”
“Besides, I do not exclude that after this subsidence, in a month or two, everything will change once more, and bitcoin will have its share of fanfare again,” he added.
However, bitcoin has many competitors in close competition with it. While Bitcoin’s potential for growth is not so big, the potential of its competitors (Ethereum, Ripple, Dash, Monero) is significantly higher, Tkachuk said.
“Bitcoin can grow tenfold max, but other currencies can grow hundreds of times and even more,” he added. | {
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unsanitary, unsafe or otherwise extreme conditions in a Massachusetts jail or prison
lengthy or arbitrary isolation or segregation, especially if the prisoner is suffering from mental illness, or
unfair denial or revocation of parole, or excessive delays in parole proceeding
On behalf of our clients, PLS:
educates and advises prisoners on prison and jail policies and procedures, including grievance the grievance processes
documents instances when a prisoner is assaulted by a guard, including by interviewing the prisoner as soon as possible and requesting video footage or other evidence
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provides legal representation in litigation when necessary, by:
filing a lawsuit to change policies and practices or to hold the government or officials responsible for wrongdoing, or
referring the client to another attorney willing to represent the client at no charge (pro bono)
Becoming a PLS Client
We accept calls from Massachusetts prisoners and their family members on Monday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. (800) 882-1413 is a free line for non-prisoners anywhere in Massachusetts. Prisoners in county facilities should call collect on (617) 482-4124. Prisoners in DOC facilities can call on a speed-dial number, 9004, which is pre-authorized on all state prisoner PIN cards.
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For information and referrals on other topics related to incarceration and the rights of prisoners, please see the Self Help section of this website. Information regarding parole can be found on the Parole page.
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Experts worry volunteers could support grain virus
Crop experts worry recent rainfall in Southern and Eastern Idaho may lead to more volunteer plants to support aphids, which vector barley yellow dwarf virus.
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — After causing widespread damage throughout Magic Valley during last season’s cereal harvest, barley yellow dwarf virus appears to have been held in check this season.
But cereal grain experts worry about the next crop as recent rainstorms have created ideal conditions for volunteer wheat and barley plants that could support large populations of aphids, which vector the disease.
University of Idaho Extension entomologist Arash Rashed has received few inquiries from growers about barley yellow dwarf this season, and samples he’s tested have been negative. To avoid missing infections in testing, he’s ordered antibodies for two additional strains of the disease, though they’re not known to be prevalent in Idaho.
Barley yellow dwarf symptoms include stunting and yellow or red leaf tips. Rashed fears volunteers germinated following recent storms may help aphids bridge the gap between harvest and the sprouting of new fall grains.
“After harvest of summer crops, aphids need a place to go, and what is better than those volunteer wheat plants and weeds that are around?” Rashed explained.
He has research underway examining the relationship between the pathogen and symptom severity in various wheat cultivars.
Rashed had hoped to start an aphid monitoring program but couldn’t find the necessary funding. He remains hopeful about starting aphid monitoring within the next few years.
Rashed advises growers in areas of high risk for barley yellow dwarf to control volunteer plants, either chemically or mechanically. He said insecticidal seed treatments and delaying fall crop planting so emergence occurs after aphid flights have already passed by are also effective strategies.
“That was the first our Simplot field man said he’d ever seen it in this area,” Wells said. “We’re hoping it was just one of those years. The wheat this year looks a whole lot better.”
Last fall, Wells said he delayed planting this season’s winter wheat crop by a couple of weeks and also used an insecticidal seed treatment. He’ll take the same precautions this year, noting there’s a lot of corn, which can also support aphids, in his area.
Mike Erickson, a seed treatment specialist with McGregor Co. in Twin Falls, studied test plots in Kimberly during the 2012-2013 season and confirmed delayed planting is highly effective. Erickson, who shares Rashed’s concerns about ideal conditions for volunteer plants this fall, also documented a direct correlation between proximity to corn fields and yield reductions in wheat due to barley yellow dwarf.
Erickson studied fall wheat seeded on Sept. 15, with watering of individual 20-acre plots staggered over 10 days to stimulate germination at different times. Yields in crops watered at least eight days after planting were about 100 bushels per acre greater than the plots that were watered earliest.
That season, Erickson also analyzed commercial yields in Kimberly. Within the same infected grain fields, he said yields averaged 50-70 bushels per acre adjacent to corn, compared with 150-170 acres further away from corn. | {
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Pomeroy - Marjorie L. Smith, 93, of Pomeroy, died Wednesday, September 5, 2018 at her residence.
Born September 2, 1925 in Chester, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Forest Alfonso and Margaret Amanda Fell Bailey. Marjorie retired from... View Obituary & Service Information | {
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Anyone Who's Anyone
The Astonishing Celebrity Interviews, 1987-2017
The "Vanity Fair" journalist collects interviews with some of today's icons as published in his offbeat question-and-answer column, in a curated volume that reflects on his conversations with such personalities as Ivanka Trump, Joan Rivers, and Farrah Fawcett. | {
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This study compared and explored the textual coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (OG) and Paralympic Games (PG) by the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail. The authors found 8 high-order themes and 25 low-order themes for the OG. The high-order themes were predicting game results, reporting game results, athleticism, politics, ethical issues, nationalism, the media, and the economy. For the PG, there were 4 high-order themes, and each high-order theme had 1 low-order theme. The high-order themes were reporting game results, athleticism, ethical issues, and equality between Paralympians and Olympians. Comparisons between OG and PG coverage are discussed and recommendations for future research provided.
*The authors are with the School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada. | {
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Megyn Kelly's first interview at NBC could be with the 'biggest get on the planet'
NBC is trying to land the "biggest get on the planet" for Megyn Kelly's first interview at the network.
According to a Page Six report, NBC News chairman Andy Lack jetted over to Russia this week in an effort to land a major interview with Russian president Vladimir Putin -- and, if successful, the big-time booking could go to Kelly as NBC prepares to launch her career at NBC after leaving FOX News.
Though the opportunity would represent a massive debut for Kelly, it's not a done deal that it would be given to her over her future colleagues at NBC who have been with The Peacock Network for a longer amount of time.
"It is not clear who would do the Putin interview," a source said. "News chiefs decide based on who would be best for the job. This isn't Megyn's interview -- yet."
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) talk to journalist Megyn Kelly (R) on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) at the Constantine (Konstantinovsky) Palace, Russia, June 1, 2017. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 24: Megyn Kelly (C), Darth Vader and Stormtroopers from the 501st Legion attend New York Philharmonic's Spring Gala, A John Williams Celebration at David Geffen Hall on May 24, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for New York Philharmonic)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Megyn Kelly attends the 'Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology' Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 08: Journalist Megyn Kelly attends Variety's Power Of Women: New York 2016 at Cipriani Midtown on April 8, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 06: Megyn Kelly attends the 7th Annual Women in the World Summit Opening Night at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on April 6, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic)
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly waits to begin the Republican presidential candidate debate at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016. Candidates from both parties are crisscrossing Iowa, an agricultural state of about 3 million people in the U.S. heartland that will hold the first votes of the 2016 election on Feb. 1. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
DES MOINES, IA - JANUARY 28: Moderators Chris Wallace (L) pats on the shoulder of Megyn Kelly (2nd L) as they wait with Bret Baier (R) for the beginning of the Fox News - Google GOP Debate January 28, 2016 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Residents of Iowa will vote for the Republican nominee at the caucuses on February 1. Donald Trump, who is leading most polls in the state, decided not to participate in the debate. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 27: Megyn Kelly attends at the benefit concert for Army SPC Bryan Dilberain at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts on April 27, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 19: Kid Rock with host Megyn Kelly visits FOX's 'America Live' at FOX Studios on June 19, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - SEPTEMBER 22: Fox anchor Megyn Kelly prepares for the Fox News/Google GOP Debate at the Orange County Convention Center on September 22, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. The debate features the nine Republican candidates two days before the Florida straw poll. (Photo by Charles Ommanney/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 10: Megyn Kelly, host of America Live on set at Fox News studios in New York. Fox News Channel celebrated its 15th anniversary on the air on October 7th.
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Other personalities in contention would be Matt Lauer and Lester Holt.
Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that Kelly would be given an opportunity over newscasters who have been with NBC for years. NBC famously pushed out Tamron Hall and Al Roker from the last hour of the "Today" show to make way for the former "The Kelly File" host's upcoming morning show. Upon hearing the news, Hall decided to leave the network altogether, despite an offer of millions to stay.
In addition to her daily weekday morning show, Kelly will host a Sunday night news program and be involved in special event coverage for NBC News. She was officially released from her FOX News contract last week.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 12: Anchorwoman Tamron Hall attends the Apollo Spring Gala 2017 at The Apollo Theater on June 12, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 08: Tamron Hall attends 7th Annual PowHERful Foundation New Orleans To New York Galaat Tribeca Rooftop on June 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 19: Tamron Hall visits the SiriusXM Studios on May 19, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 17: Tamron Hall attends The Paley Honors: Celebrating Women in Television at Cipriani Wall Street on May 17, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Sagliocco/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: (L-R) Tamron Hall, Soledad O'Brien, and Robin Roberts speak onstage during MTV's 2017 College Signing Day With Michelle Obama at The Public Theater on May 5, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for MTV) | {
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Doffo Winery – Bring On The Zin
As people entered the Doffo Vineyard grounds for the wine pickup party, they were greeted with a glass of Viognier and the wonderful aromas of roasted meats cooking on the hand crafted stone barbecue. Appetizers lined the tables with meats, cheeses, olives, and many other wonderful dishes available to eat. It is obvious that this was not any ordinary pickup party, it had Marcelo Doffo’s signature all over it.
Marcelo was stoking the fire with a blend of hickory and coal that intensified the aromas that permeated the air. Marinated skirt steak, tri-tip, and italian Sausage were simmering above the hot coals. The people at the party were milling around in great anticipation of the delivery of their food, while sipping their Viognier.
The Viognier was a clean, refreshing wine with pear and peach flavors. It had a light hint of herbs and anise. The residual sugar seemed a little lower then most Viognier, so it did not overpower the appetizers that were on the table. There was enough acid and flavor to go well with cheeses, especially the Gouda that was provided at the event. As food started to be served, Marcelo’s wife Zulma started to pour the ’09 Zinfandel.
The Zinfandel was produced from 5 year old vines and barreled in 100% American oak with a medium toast. It expressed rich dark berry, cranberry, and had about a one percent residual sugar. This Zinfandel was delicious and will be even better after the blending process is finished and the sugar is lowered. Doffo is already selling this wine as a “wine future”. This will allow members, who want to pre-purchase the wine for pickup later in the year, to have a chance to buy it before it goes into retail site sale. After the Zinfandel tasting was finished, people started to go into the wine tasting room to buy other bottles of wines. One of these wines was an ‘06 Malbec that went perfectly with the meal.
The Malbec was a bright ruby color; it expressed rich dark red fruit aromas and flavors. It finished with a light earthiness that went well with the meats that were served. The finish lasted on the pallet almost a minute and was easily refreshed by the next sip. The skirt steak served with Chimichurri sauce paired well with this wine. The wine was able to break through the higher fat meat flavors left in the mouth and completely prepared the pallet for the next bite of meat. This made each bite of the meat explode in the mouth. After the meal was finished another wine was purchased. This wine was the popular ’06 estate grown Syrah.
Edwin Mahieu
This wine had a rich deep ruby color with a large fruit forward bouquet. This full-bodied wine express cherry and cranberry on the nose and did not hold back on the flavor. Dark berry flavor dominated the pallet, yet finished off with complex herbal tones. This is a great wine to finish an evening and is perfect for just sipping or with dark chocolate desserts. As the evening continued, Doffo had an announcement to make to the crowd. He invited Edwin Mahieu, an author from Taste of Temecula (TOT), to address the crowd.
Edwin announced that Doffo won “best overall winery” selected by several authors from the TOT organization. This winery was picked out of 27 wineries that participated in the World of Wine tour that occurred on March 6th and 7th. As the announcement was made, the crowd clapped and cheered for Marcelo and his family. The positive nods from those that were clapping only demonstrated that this was not a surprise to them. Many of the people have been member on Doffo’s wine club for many years and this only confirmed what they already knew. It is not surprising, since Marcelo has a difficult time keeping wines on the shelves. It is not unusual that wines completely sell out month after month. Being a boutique winery, his wine is carefully hand-crafted in small quantities and this maintains the quality, but limits the availability.
With the end of the night quickly approaching, great wines in hand, and delicious food completely finished, there only one thing that can make this event even better. The next pickup party at Doffo Winery!
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Disclaimer
On occasion, we receive gifts of wine, travel, accommodations, and food. We hardly ever pay for wine tastings. We make every effort to continue to be objective in our reporting and to not let any gift color our stories. If you ever feel these articles are compromised, please let us know. Integrity is crucial to us. | {
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CATCH THE BUZZ – Ontario bee kills continue
May 24, 2016
Milton, ON. A few good weeks of corn planting weather in May has turned out to be bad news for beekeepers. While Ontario grain farmers have been able to get on the field and get their crops planted, Ontario beekeepers are reporting bee kills and pesticide related problems with colony build-up in corn planting areas.
“We’re definitely hearing about more bee kills this year than in the past two years,” says OBA president Tibor Szabo. “What we are seeing is consistent with pesticide exposure.”
Dan and Betty Walker of Walker’s Honey are producers of queens and nucs in Strathroy. Every day last week, they collected dead and twitching bees from the front of their hives in four separate bee yards. These incidents occurred at the same time that neighbors were planting corn on either side of their bee yard.
Albert Devries of Clovermead Apiaries in Aylmer reports sizeable bee kills and twitching bees in front of more than 300 of his 950 hives, coinciding with recent corn planting in neighboring farms. “This is not new for us. We have experienced bee kills every year for the past 4 or 5 years,” reports Devries. “The only thing working in our favour this year is the cool weather that has limited the flight of bees.”
Tom Congdon is a commercial beekeeper and owner of Sun Parlor Honey, a family-owned and operated business with 1,600 hives located in Essex and Windsor counties. Congdon reports that he is having problems with unusually poor queen fertility during early pollen collection this year. Tests of pollen gathered by his bees from dandelion and flowering trees near cornfields found levels of neonicotionoid pesticides, thiamethoxam and clothianidin, consistent with chronic bee poisoning.
Last year, the Government of Ontario put regulations in place to reduce the overuse of neonicotinoid pesticides used to treat corn and soy. Neonicotinoids are widely used and highly toxic to honey bees. Estimates by crop experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) found that while farmers were applying pesticides to 100% of their corn and 65% of their soy seeds, only 20% of this acreage actually needs pesticide protection.
“What’s happening this year shows pollinators in Ontario are still at risk,” says Szabo. ‘We can only hope that we will soon see reductions in the use of a class of pesticides that is highly toxic to both honey bees and wild bees as well as other beneficial insects.”
This year Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is documenting but not investigating bee kill incidents or taking bee or pollen samples for analysis. Representatives from both PMRA and OMAFRA have confirmed that despite early days and the unusually cold spring, bee kills this year were equal to, if not greater than, last year.
The OBA has requested PMRA to publicly report the number of incident reports. *** | {
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The Jewish Women in Egypt
Vashti
Wise-Hearted Women
Woman of Valor / Eshet Chayil
Yael and Deborah
Open the Ground
The raven taught us how to open the ground and feed it what it grewBut all the while as we buried your brother I was thinking of youWhere would you wander and would you ever stayAnd could I have taught you some other way
The pain was so terrible I thought I was dying I thought I would split in twoBut a sound came from me and I opened wide and then, there was youI didn’t want to tame you I loved you as you wereIf I’d had a mother maybe I’d have learned from her
Will some woman love you in that faraway placeFor the strength in your hands and the mark on your faceSeven times seven how much is it worthFlaxseed and blood, all the fruit of the earth.
What did you say out in the field that day and how did he answer youYou always were convinced you were somehow less than him though I told you it wasn’t true
And who is counted lucky the living or the deadWhen sin is always crouching just ahead?
Eve was the first mother and had to make it up as she went along. I imagine she never stopped loving her first child even after burying her second (Genesis 4). | {
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WseeCore Subsystem Messages
The WseeCore1.0 catalog contains messages in the range
BEA-220500 - BEA-221999. Messages in this catalog are part of the
weblogic.wsee
Internationalization package and the weblogic.wsee Localization package.
BEA-220500
Error: An unexpected error occurred: error
Description
An unexpected error occurred. Please contact Oracle support and provide details of the exception and stack trace.
Cause
Unknown
Action
Contact Oracle support
BEA-220501
Warning: The service port portName bound to https transport in service serviceName is NOT available, the https address cannot be resolved because SSL is not enabled for the server. The service port definition will be removed from WSDL that is being accessed through wsdlURL.
Description
The service port portName bound to https transport in service serviceName is NOT available, the https address cannot be resolved because SSL is not enabled for the server. The service port definition will be removed from WSDL that is being accessed through wsdlURL.
Cause
While a WSDL is being retrieved through http protocol, the server requires replacing the service port address in WSDL with the actual address for the server. For any web service which defines one or more service ports bound to https transport, if the domain does not enable SSL functionality then the service port address could not be replaced correctly because https address for the server cannot be resolved.
Action
Enable SSL functionality for the server.
BEA-220502
Info: The Wsee Service is starting
Description
The Wsee Service is starting
Cause
This is an info message. No cause is needed
Action
No action required. This is an info message.
BEA-220503
Info: The Wsee Service is stopping
Description
The Wsee Service is stopping
Cause
This is an info message. No cause is needed
Action
No action required. This is an info message.
BEA-220504
Info: The Wsee Service is halting
Description
The Wsee Service is halting
Cause
This is an info message. No cause is needed
Action
No action required. This is an info message.
BEA-220505
Warning: Implicit/generated Client Identity clientId has been used in multiple calls to Service.getPort()/createDispatch() where these calls have used different services and/or sets of features. Monitoring statistics for this client will include all these different usages. Validation failures were: msg
Description
Implicit/generated Client Identity clientId has been used in multiple calls to Service.getPort()/createDispatch() where these calls have used different services and/or sets of features. Monitoring statistics for this client will include all these different usages. Validation failures were: msg
Cause
WebLogic JAX-WS web service clients are assigned a unique identity that is intended to represent the business purpose of that client. This identity can be specified directly using weblogic.jws.jaxws.client.ClientIdentityFeature or it can be allowed to be implicit. Implicit identity is generated automatically based on environmental information at the point where a Port/Dispatch instance is created. Your code has received an implicit client identity that is getting used (again implicitly) across multiple services or sets of features. All statistics gathered for a given client instance are rolled up under the client instances client identity. If client instances using different services and/or feature sets contribute statistics to the same client identity, this can be confusing. It is even possible for clients to behave incorrectly when more advanced web service features are used.
Action
Best practice is to create a specific client identity (with a name representing a logical business purpose) for the client and denote this identity by passing weblogic.jws.jaxws.client.ClientIdentityFeature to the call to Service.getPort/createDispatch. Further, it is recommended that you pass a single/global set of web service feature objects to that call (e.g. Create WebServiceFeature instances as static class members or in a method annotated with @PostConstruct for containers compatible with this annotation). The actual call to Service.getPort()/createDispatch() should still be made in any way that makes sense for your uses (e.g. calling getPort on demand in a web service method, with Service created as a static class member). | {
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This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, click the "Reprints" link at the bottom of any article.
February 14, 2013
FINRA Warns on Bonds’ Duration Risk
Duration is not simply a measure of time, FINRA says; it also signals price fluctuation
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority issued an alert Thursday underscoring the importance of a bond’s duration risk in the current low interest-rate environment.
“With interest rates hovering near all-time lows, investors should make sure they know their duration numbers," said Gerri Walsh, FINRA’s vice president of investor education, in a statement. "Whether investors own individual bonds or bond funds, they need to understand that outstanding bonds with a low interest rate and high duration may experience significant price drops if interest rates rise."
The alert goes on to say a bond fund with a 10-year duration will decrease in value by 10% if interest rates rise 1%. In contrast, if a fund’s duration is two years, then a similar 1% rise in interest rates will result in only a 2% decline in the bond fund’s value.
To find your bond fund’s duration, investors should look on the fund’s fact sheet. Investors holding individual bonds should start by asking their investment professional or the bond’s issuer.
Says the alert: “Investors should also keep in mind that just because a bond or bond fund’s duration is low, it does not mean the investment is risk-free. In addition to duration risks, bonds and bond funds are subject to inflation, call, default and other risk factors.” | {
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Blog
7 Resume Tips That Will Get You A Job
Your resume is the first thing that employers and the hiring department see. They don’t see you, and what you’re capable of. Consider your resume as an advertisement. If the ad is good, people will take a second look, but if it’s boring and plain, then your product (which is you in this case), will never get sold.
Do remember that the HR department comes across hundreds of resumes in a day, and chances are they are quick to spot recurring patterns and phrases that look as if they were copied from some standard format.
Also, an impressive resume of another can immediately make yours pale in comparison, so it’s best to do as much tweaks as you can to improve the way your resume looks. Below are some tips to make your resume so much better.
Make A Unique Resume Per Job
This may sound time consuming and hassling, but there are many benefits towards making a unique resume per job that you apply to.
First of all, your resume can have a personalized touch and will make the employer feel that you are really interested in getting hired in that particular company, and not just getting hired in general.
Second, it will give you an edge over other resumes that don’t even mention the name of the company or its vision in their resumes. Making a unique resume will prevent your application from generalization. Be sure to restate your job objective, and emphasize which skills, awards, education, and professional associations are relevant towards that job.
Spell Check
This is probably one of the easiest things that you can do to immediately improve your resume. Human resources personnel are immediately turned off by misspelled words and wrong grammar because it means that the applicant didn’t even spend time to make sure everything was in place. It also displays carelessness and lack of attention to detail, both of which count against you even before you’ve had an interview. Sometimes computer spell-check programs can’t detect all the errors, so it’s pertinent to review your resume yourself before handing it over. For a fresh perspective, you can have a friend look over it too.
Simplify your Language
For easy reading, it’s best to keep sentences short and not to worry about fragments. Leave out personal pronouns such as “I”, “my”, and “me”. Putting down “I performed” or “I achieved” is considered to be redundant since it is already understood that the resume talks about yourself. Articles such as “a”, “an” and “the” can also be omitted. And instead of using passive words, active verbs are more effective. By all means avoid what I call “team” terms. People want to know who “you” contributed to the team. I can’t stand when I see a resume full of “we’s”.
Use Reverse Chronological Order
Be sure to organize your resume to reflect the most recent job that you had and always include the date of employment. Employers usually prefer this type of order than functional resumes that can make it difficult to determine when you last worked where. The functional type of resume is better for those who are switching career paths.
Separate Tasks from Achievements
It is always best to separate your list of tasks from the column where your achievements can be found. Doing so can highlight all the good things that you have done in college, or at the last company where you were employed. If you used bullet form for the job description, put the tasks in a paragraph form, then save the bullet form for your accomplishments. This makes your achievements stand out among the rest and immediately make your resume look impressive. If the employer only has a few minutes to skim your resume, make it easy for him to find you accomplishments rather than having to search for them in a forest of words.
Keep the Format Simple
This is also standard operating procedure when presenting a resume. It should always use a clear and readable font that is neither too small nor too large. Avoid fancy fonts and sizes, it will only make your application look unprofessional. Recommended fonts are Times New Roman, Verdana, Tahoma, or Arial. Also avoid using different colors, icons, pictures or graphics of any kind. A page border is acceptable as long as it looks clean and works to emphasize the page.
Outsource it!
Finally, one of the things that you can do to ensure a killer resume is by hiring a professional resume critique. Check at the career center in college or with a job placement center. Career counselors can help detect confusing areas and gaps in your application. They may also be able to offer better wordings and phrases that can make your resume easier to read through. Remember, a resume is a preview of you, so it’s highly important to make it as impressive and straight to the point as possible. Leave a comment sharing your resume tips
Author: Dominique Brown
Dominique Brown is a husband, father, financial planner, author of the book "How to Fix your Credit," author of www.yourfinancessimplified.com, owner of S&D Capital Holdings and a landlord. Mr. Brown's advice can be found on the Huffington Post, Business Insider, Yahoo, Madame Noir, HR Block and Ebony Magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from George Mason University in IT Security. He wanted to be a computer scientist at one point in his life. However, when his mother faced financial disaster after a divorce he switched his focus to financial planning to ensure that his family will have financial independence and generational wealth. His hobbies include posting too much on Facebook, daily pictures with his daughter on Instagram, creating hilarious recaps of trashy reality TV shows, playing too much and wearing suits.
0 comments
Nice list of simple tips that really will help. A resume is designed to get you an interview, so it is important to make a good impression and present a well laid out and concise account of your experience.
I can't think of anymore to add. You have covered it well. Just curious…what is your opinion on personal information in a resume (marital status, interests, hobbies, etc.)? It has been a long time since I put together a resume and I don't know the current protocol on this issue.
I do not believe personal information should be in a resume. The reason is because, those things hardly ever help you get a job. The only thing I might consider is a hobby and that is if you can tie it back to the job to demonstrate how well your are equipped to perform the task. If I was to interview tomorrow I would mention by blog and my real estate activities. Those two jobs allow me to demonstrate real world communication skills and project management skills. In essence, you always have to tie it back to the job.
Your resume is the first thing that employers and the hiring department see. They don’t see you, and what you’re capable of. Consider your resume as an advertisement. If the ad is good, people will take a second look, but if it’s boring and plain, then…
You can also run over to the library (I can't believe I said that) or bookstore and check out some of the resume guide books for examples and tips. This way, you can see some layouts and decide what you think will work best.
There are also some free resources if you are a college student, and even the local employment agencies may provide free assistance, it just takes a little time to call around to check.
I'm trying to be a little more open to the idea of frugality (but still dumping on cheap people though) in the new year. Plus, with Borders gone already and B&N supposedly having trouble the library might be the only way to get info on the spot if you don't have a kindle or iPad app for it.
I love your advice on keeping it simple. When I'd hire an assistant or intern I'd get some convoluted resumes to read. If I can't understand what you're work history is, or you've used a weird font that I don't really like, you aren't getting a j.o.b.
Funny. I don't know. I always looked at the resume more as a filter than something that would "wow" me. I like the face-to-face interview best. I get to look someone in the eyes and determine how we'd work together. More fun.
Face to Face interviews seal the deal. I figure if I can make it too that stage I'm guaranteed a job offer. It may not be for my salary requirements but I do a damn good job of setting myself apart from other candidates.
Great tips for building a better resume. I think one of the most important things I discovered was tip #1 to make a unique resume per job. I did one for my financial background and one for my technical background. It was a great way to emphasize my skills based on the job I was applying for.
Read the job description thhurogoly. Make a list of the qualities they ask for such as team player (yuk!) or confidentiality or whatever their “buz” words are.Prepare your answers to common questions like:What is your best quality or your worst??What would your co-workers say about you?What problem did you have with a coworker and how did you resolve it?How do you prefer your supervisor to communicate with you?You can find these common questions on the internet somewhere. Type out examples of things you have done or happened.Then incorporate these “buz” words from the job description into these answers, i.e., “I am a great team player” and helped a coworker with this problem .Use their words and match their job description.
Highlighting your accomplishments makes a big difference. I review resumes all day and I can't tell you how many of them look like a grocery list of duties rather than highlighting accomplishments that sets them apart from the competition.
I also agree that outsourcing is a great idea!Sometimes, having a professional write a resume is far more effective than attempting to write your own. Most resume writers offer a free resume critique and even if you don't want to proceed with their services, they'll at least give great feedback in terms of how a resume can be improved.
I always say that a resume is not a list of duties, it's a marketing document
If we compare, a jobseeker writing their own resume and a resume written by a professional resume writing expert would any time prove better. But Before sending that well-written resume to a recruiter, can a job seeker figure-out in advance whether that resume will be read by hiring managers? But the tips shared by you if practiced by any job seeker would help them to write a good resume.We all should share such information and guidance, so that the needy ones can be benefited from those tips. | {
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Newly improved glass slide turns microscopes into thermometers
The humble glass microscope slide may be primed for a makeover.
A study published online today (May 2, 2018) in the journal Nature Communications describes how an updated version of this centuries-old tool can now enable scientists to see tiny objects while also measuring their temperature.
The advancement, made possible by a new transparent coating at the forefront of optics theory, has the potential to streamline and enhance scientific research worldwide, from clandestine government biology labs to high school chemistry classes.
It may also have implications in other industries, such as computers and electronics, whose products require measurement and control of heat in highly confined spaces.
"We have instruments that magnify incredibly small objects. And we have tools that measure heat, like infrared thermometers. But we haven't been able to combine them in a low-cost and reliable manner. This new coating takes a big step in that direction," says the study's co-lead author Ruogang Zhao, PhD, assistant professor in the University at Buffalo Department of Biomedical Engineering.
The department is a multidisciplinary unit formed by UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB.
Zhao collaborated with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, including co-lead author Liang Feng, PhD, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, and electrical and systems engineering.
For decades, researchers have tried to combine thermal imaging and microscopy. Images produced from systems that use thermocouples lack resolution and are often too coarse for modern science. Terahertz and infrared thermal mapping techniques interfere with the microscope's lenses. Other techniques are expensive and time-consuming.
The new coating is made of a layer of acrylic glass (the same material used in most eyeglasses) that's sandwiched between two layers of transparent gold. The gold is transparent because it's only 20 nanometers thick; a typical sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick.
Engineers fabricated the coating so that "exceptional points" -- the sweet spots where unusual light behavior happens -- can develop within the tri-layered structure. The coating, which significantly enhances the slide's sensitivity to light detection, would be added to slides during the manufacturing process. Either the slide or cover slip could receive the coating.
To make use of the new coating, a laser is needed. Zhao says a common helium-neon laser, which can be seamlessly integrated with most microscopes, will do the job.
Common slides, which are often bought in bulk, typically cost around 5 cents. The new coating would likely add a few pennies to the cost, Zhao says. | {
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Radio Interview with Dean Mackin of 2SM
Hear us chat about Australian Conservatives, halal certification, politics and more.
There has to be a better way.
Please stand with me. There are many ways you can do this. Share posts, become a member of Australian Conservatives and assist me to promote the conservative values that ensure a secure and prosperous present and future for Australia. | {
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Lero to develop autonomous farm systems
Dr Joseph Walsh, Lero researcher and Head of the School of STEM at IT Tralee, Dr John Daly, Research and Innovation Manager, Dairymaster, Professor Edmond Harty, CEO, Dairymaster and Deidre Brosnan, Software Engineer, Dairymaster. Photo: Domnick Walsh
Mon, 29 Jan 2018
Farmers could soon be able to avail of Artificial Intelligence to assist in managing their farm as a result of a new €2m research and development partnership announced by Irish dairy equipment manufacturer Dairymaster, IT Tralee and Lero, the Irish Software SFI Research Centre based at University of Limerick. The programme is backed by Science Foundation Ireland.
A team of researchers will be hired, including PhD students and post-doctoral scientists and engineers, to work with Lero and Dairymaster R&D teams. The researchers will have a range of skills from embedded electronics and sensor technology to software development and data analytics. The project will offer researchers a unique opportunity to conduct cutting edge research while being embedded as part of an award winning R&D team.
“Dairymaster is committed to providing the best possible technologies to our customers and this is the key reason why we are investing in this area,” commented Professor Edmond Harty, CEO of Dairymaster.
As part of the R&D programme, Lero and Dairymaster will look to develop autonomous systems to ease the workload on the dairy farm.
“The availability of skilled labour has been identified as one of the key challenges to the dairy industry,” commented Dr Joseph Walsh, Head of the School of STEM and Lero researcher at IT Tralee. “Automating labour intensive processes will not only be hugely beneficial to the farmer but will also enhance animal health and milk quality by ensuring tasks are completed to consistently high levels.”
The R&D programme also includes the development of Internet of Things technology to boost milk quality and animal health. This will involve the application of advanced data analytics to boost dairy farm productivity combining existing Dairymaster equipment such as MooMonitor+ health and fertility monitoring system with data from new sensors and monitoring technology. This will utilise data analytics and machine learning to automatically generate predictors and classifiers for dairy cow health and productivity.
The goal will be to help automate the management of the farm itself, providing the farmer with not just a set of metrics, but with tangible advice and recommendations on the key decisions needed to boost productivity.
“We see this whole area of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems as being key to the future of dairy farm profitability and sustainability and we are delighted to be involved in the largest indigenous project in Lero,” explained Dr John Daly, Research and Innovation Manager, Dairymaster.
Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland said, “Science Foundation Ireland welcomes this major R&D programme, which builds on Ireland’s international reputation for research excellence with impact. SFI Research Centres such as Lero are making important scientific advances, enhancing enterprise and industry, supporting regional development and developing critical skills in the workforce of today and tomorrow.
“We are delighted to partner with Dairymaster - an innovative, global, indigenous company - to fund this exciting research programme which will hopefully lead to innovative new products and solutions for dairy farmers in Ireland and around the world.”
Dairymaster, which employs 350 people, operates from its headquarters in Causeway, Co Kerry as well as having operations in the UK and USA. Founded in 1968, it exports to 40 countries in five continents. Dairymaster has been identified as one of the key players in Ireland’s IoT ecosystem and has won numerous innovation awards for the new developments it has introduced to the dairy industry. Dairymaster has a strong history of collaborative research with partners such as Teagasc, UCD, IT Tralee and now Lero and University of Limerick.
“This exciting programme is further evidence of Dairymaster’s commitment to innovation over five decades which has helped to make it a global leader in dairy equipment manufacturing,” added Professor Conor Ryan, Lero researcher at UL. “Advanced R&D programmes such as this can help Ireland become an international centre of excellence in the use of robotics, Internet of Things and data analytics on the farm.”
Dr Oliver Murphy, President of the IT Tralee at the official launch of the project said, “The IT Tralee and Dairymaster have an established educational and research partnership spanning a number of years. Today’s launch marks the extension of this partnership and we look forward to the impact this R&D project will have both nationally and internationally.”
Lero, which is headquartered at UL, is a global leader in software research. It combines the best in Irish software talent by bringing together researchers from Dublin City University, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Tralee, NUI Galway, Maynooth University, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, University College Dublin and UL. It is funded by Science Foundation Ireland as well as by contracts from Irish and international technology corporations. | {
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Whether you live in Texas or are simply looking for the very best customer service experience around, you’ll find help, support and the finest selection of designer wedding rings in Houston at Whiteflash.
Welcome to the Whiteflash Store! We have created a very special venue for our clients living in or visiting the Houston area to come see our products and meet our friendly and knowledgeable staff. Our store is open weekdays from 10am-5pm.
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To be honest, when I first put it on I thought it was too big but after a few days, she seems to be the perfect size.... who knows, a 1.7 might be an upgrade option in a few years... (wink). I have to keep myself from telling everyone that asks to see it the specs. I have a feeling most people just don''t understand diamonds or don''t feel like learning. Either way, I just beam proudly and say thanks, got it from WF. You might just have more and more orders from Okinawa in your near future. If you send me some business cards, I will gladly pass them out to anyone in the market. You are the best! Thank you just isn''t enough to express how greatful I am to you.
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I've been waiting my whole life for this moment and the ring looks absolutely exquisite!! The beautiful photos are truly breathtaking and I sincerely thank you for such an incredible keepsake!! Every time I look at them I begin to cry with pure joy and such a grateful heart! | {
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mrblakemiller:I completely agree that calling Sucker Punch misogynist is basically saying, "Women can never wear skimpy outfits or be protrayed as being victimized," so it's not misgynist.
I disagree with everything else you said. Remember that film "The Room" by Tommy Wiseau? After it premiered and absolutely tanked, he came out and said it was a black comedic farce intended to suck to make you laugh. I simply don't grant that. I have no room in my head or my moviegoing experience for a director to come out after, or even before, the fact and say, "You're watching it wrongly." If the film itself can't prove to me that that is "what it's about" then the film failed and not my inquisitive moviegoing brain. Seriously, just how does a striptease parallel to shooting Nazi zombies? Furthermore, why am I supposed to believe it's a good plot device that a pubescent dancer is so great at sexy dancing that it literally stuns the men who see it? Then you've got the pretty aritrary death of two of the main five female characters, which has nothing to with subtext and is just a lazy way to whittle down the protagonists because this is the kind of story where only one person is allowed to survive. Besides, what does it mean for a person to lambast sleazy moviegoing audiences while delivering to them a sleazy movie? that's like a vegan serving hamburgers to his guests and then retreat back to the kitchen to scorn them. No thanks to that kind of self-unaware pretention.
It's not just that Sucker Punch doesn't get to say, "No, we're LAMBASTING that stupid stuff instead of glorifying it," it's that it doesn't serve up a good movie on any basis. The plot is like something out of an 8-bit video game, the characters are as deep as their monikers, and the events do pretty much nothing to make you care about anyone except by saying, "Hey, they're in a crappy asylum and people are abusing and killing them. Be invested." Sucker Punch just didn't work, on any level.
But yeah, it's not misogynist.
Exactly this. I don't really think you can go "you are watching it wrong guys!" in itself can not make those statements.And what the hell is the movie supposing that you are going to watch it just because of the sexy babes? That's just the point, here, have some sexy babes but remember it's wrong to fawn over them!
People who missed this movie are really doing themselves a great dishonor. It's one awesome gem that I initially didn't give the time of day. Now having only seen it once, I am waiting on the BluRay to go on sale so I can pick it up. Plus who really criticize an awesome sequence to Bjork's Army of Me.
mrblakemiller:I completely agree that calling Sucker Punch misogynist is basically saying, "Women can never wear skimpy outfits or be protrayed as being victimized," so it's not misgynist.
I disagree with everything else you said. Remember that film "The Room" by Tommy Wiseau? After it premiered and absolutely tanked, he came out and said it was a black comedic farce intended to suck to make you laugh. I simply don't grant that. I have no room in my head or my moviegoing experience for a director to come out after, or even before, the fact and say, "You're watching it wrongly." If the film itself can't prove to me that that is "what it's about" then the film failed and not my inquisitive moviegoing brain. Seriously, just how does a striptease parallel to shooting Nazi zombies? Furthermore, why am I supposed to believe it's a good plot device that a pubescent dancer is so great at sexy dancing that it literally stuns the men who see it? Then you've got the pretty aritrary death of two of the main five female characters, which has nothing to with subtext and is just a lazy way to whittle down the protagonists because this is the kind of story where only one person is allowed to survive. Besides, what does it mean for a person to lambast sleazy moviegoing audiences while delivering to them a sleazy movie? that's like a vegan serving hamburgers to his guests and then retreat back to the kitchen to scorn them. No thanks to that kind of self-unaware pretention.
It's not just that Sucker Punch doesn't get to say, "No, we're LAMBASTING that stupid stuff instead of glorifying it," it's that it doesn't serve up a good movie on any basis. The plot is like something out of an 8-bit video game, the characters are as deep as their monikers, and the events do pretty much nothing to make you care about anyone except by saying, "Hey, they're in a crappy asylum and people are abusing and killing them. Be invested." Sucker Punch just didn't work, on any level.
But yeah, it's not misogynist.
I bet this got quoted a lot.For good reason, because it sums up my thoughts.
I'll first say that I enjoyed the fantasy aspects. But much like I did with Mass Effect 3, I retconned, edited, replaced things in my own personal "headcanon". Because I have imagination.
But I did not like the film's "reality". I don't like how, as this quote and many posts after it said, the movie tells me later that I saw it incorrectly. If the movie didn't portray its message properly the first time... It's not because we're dumb, it's because the message wasn't done right.
I get irritated when people try to sell me stuff by juxtaposing the stuff with sexy females. Booth babes, all that, just puts the thought "quit shoving your shit down my throat" way ahead of "oo, a babe".
Not to mention what their definition of sexy is, and how they always assume I'm just "supposed" to find that sexy. No thank you, schoolgirl outfits and pretentious strutting do not turn me on. Stop assuming things.
I get irritated in any movie scenes where men get "distracted by the sexy" and then get disproportionally get what's coming to them. It feels like those characters were just too bloody stupid.
So Sucker Punch? Its message was clear to me from the very beginning. I never watched it, but I've been exposed to the discourse. All the male characters in it, save for that one mystic, were absolutely vile. Why thank you very much. By the time the movie came out, I had heard and seen that point made about 4985720958437598475 times already.
That's a pretty bold statement considering you know NOTHING about me. In both of the situations I was in I had very little choice over whether to stay in there or not.
This film had an effect on me more so than any other I have watched because it reminded me of bad situations I have been in. How you can call me out on that and say I'm 'wrong' for feeling that is just astonishing.
I said it would be rough. But no matter the parallelisms, the characters in the asylum are physically locked up and possibly kept under control trough the use of drugs. Escapism is good, but not if it's used to hide the fact that you're a victim.
Skaven252:I get irritated when people try to sell me stuff by juxtaposing the stuff with sexy females. Booth babes, all that, just puts the thought "quit shoving your shit down my throat" way ahead of "oo, a babe".
That's because you're not the target audience of that marketing ploy.
It's funny that you aimed your torpedoes at "assumptions" but you're making them too. You assume that you're "supposed" to like schoolgirl outfits, you assume that booth babes are trying to sell *you* a product... No, these things appeal to those who actually like them.
So instead of getting offended by everything in this world you could just ignore a few, because you have the right to do so.
That's a pretty bold statement considering you know NOTHING about me. In both of the situations I was in I had very little choice over whether to stay in there or not.
This film had an effect on me more so than any other I have watched because it reminded me of bad situations I have been in. How you can call me out on that and say I'm 'wrong' for feeling that is just astonishing.
I said it would be rough. But no matter the parallelisms, the characters in the asylum are physically locked up and possibly kept under control trough the use of drugs. Escapism is good, but not if it's used to hide the fact that you're a victim.
I didn't say it was good but it's all I had at the time. It wasn't like I could do anything else.
This film made me cry, I'm not sure how many people it had that effect on.
I wasn't far off, right near the end. From a man's perspective, the film is a humongous guilt trip. It throws things at you that you can't help but enjoy, a bit, but is sure to point out how incredibly fucked up it is that you're enjoying it at the same time. And then the ending, when it stomps on you properly...It's enough to scare me, because I don't ever want to end up being one of those men and it points out how easy it would be to end up like that either by not thinking or not caring about what you're doing.
This movie could have easily criticised the flaws with women in fantasy combat by sending a normal woman into one of these fantasy worlds and have her point out all the flaws, such as wearing armour that barely covers you. This way the director could still have all their fantasy nonsense while making a clear point.
How fucking weak would that be though?
Oh hey audience, I'm just going to explain everything because the message that 'men are arseholes' didn't come through clearly enough, somehow?
I couldn't watch the movie because it sucked so I can't comment on the whole striptease-metaphor-action thing, but I CAN agree that you can't call the movie misogynist because it shows women being abused by truly horrible evil men.
Sorry, I don't have time to go through all the comments, so this may have been said already:
While I appreciate helping me "get it" -I admit I missed a lot of the stuff moviebob points out, that do actualy make sense-, I don't see how these things change the assesement presented at the beginning of the video : a pandering male fantasy that pays lip-service to feminism. I mean, even if the vilification of the audience is true, and intentional, it was done so timidly, so unengaged, as to be indistinguishable from "lip-sevice to feminsim".If it was not meant for the audience to get it, but it was merely an in-joke between producers, than it means the movie did _not_ have it as a purpose. There is a point where "subtle" stop being "subtle" and becomes "apologetic, and hidden, so that we can still cash in on the thing, with no one the wiser". So yeah. Better than I thought, but still fucking bad. And misogynistic, since intent isn't magic.
Moonlight Butterfly:I didn't say it was good but it's all I had at the time. It wasn't like I could do anything else.
If you thought it was worth it due to your circumstances, more power to you.
Since you have mentioned these abusive relationships several times always in the past tense, I assume that the sacrifice did not save anything.
In the end, there is always something to do against abuse.
StrayDataPoint:So yeah. Better than I thought, but still fucking bad. And misogynistic, since intent isn't magic.
So 90% (made up percentage, I think the only good/not-bad guys are the driver and the lobotomy dude) of the men in the movie (both IRL and in the Cabaret sequences) are evil people who trap women and abuse them (or at least conspire/do not take action).
Textbook example of the hatred of women. That was sarcasm, by the way.
someonehairy-ish: I wasn't far off, right near the end. From a man's perspective, the film is a humongous guilt trip.
Maybe I have something against enjoying things like this, but it had the same effect as Spec Ops: The Line. The game tried so hard to make me feel guilty for something that was not my choice that it completely fell short. Add a sub-par gameplay to the mix and the game is unremarkable.
Now Sucker Punch. It presented an unrealistic depiction of what happens when someone is declared insane for plot convenience and even added bribery to make me buy it. Then it went off to some over-the-top but slightly "bland" action sequences. And then it drops the "THIS MOVIE IS ACTUALLY DEEP!" move and tries (or at least people say it tried) to make me feel guilty for the actions of characters I am clearly supposed to hate.
This plus the fact that most people didn't even like the movie kind of throws its own ideas of us being slobs in its face. I've always thought girls wearing almost nothing while fighting horrible monsters is pretty dumb and this movie was no different for me. I did not watch it in theaters because I had no interest but I watched it at a friend's house.
So not only does it sink to the level of what it hates, it actually fails to be a god enough movie to prove that it's message is true in this case.
Honestly I'm kind of insulted that the movie is apparently aimed at me.
But... it's not. You said you don't enjoy these sort of movies anyway, while the movie is aimed at people who do.
He said it was aimed at gamer geek type people and that's kind of what I am...
someonehairy-ish: I wasn't far off, right near the end. From a man's perspective, the film is a humongous guilt trip.
Maybe I have something against enjoying things like this, but it had the same effect as Spec Ops: The Line. The game tried so hard to make me feel guilty for something that was not my choice that it completely fell short. Add a sub-par gameplay to the mix and the game is unremarkable.
Aye, but it was very much my choice to go and see it based in part mostly because of all the scantily clad girlies in the advertising... so it ended up hitting the exact nerve it was aiming for, with me.
And I can see why lots of people wouldn't like that aspect. But I quite enjoy it when something points out flaws that I might have. Maybe I'm just masochistic.
Fanboy gushing over the 'meh' captain america film, then your crusade against the amazing spiderman and now this "oh I'm so much smarter than you and my opinion is right because you supposedly didn't get this movie".I'm started to get real tired of your shit moviebob.
This plus the fact that most people didn't even like the movie kind of throws its own ideas of us being slobs in its face. I've always thought girls wearing almost nothing while fighting horrible monsters is pretty dumb and this movie was no different for me. I did not watch it in theaters because I had no interest but I watched it at a friend's house.
So not only does it sink to the level of what it hates, it actually fails to be a god enough movie to prove that it's message is true in this case.
Honestly I'm kind of insulted that the movie is apparently aimed at me.
But... it's not. You said you don't enjoy these sort of movies anyway, while the movie is aimed at people who do.
He said it was aimed at gamer geek type people and that's kind of what I am...
Yes but apparently not the typical type, because it is assumed they would enjoy such things. :P
Wakikifudge:He said it was aimed at gamer geek type people and that's kind of what I am...
What are you? 12? I'm sorry for being brutally honest, but you accept that anything that might be related to gaming/geek culture should be applied to you?
If you just said that the premise of the action scenes was dumb, you have just proven that you're not the target audience. Just because you consider yourself a gamer/geek doesn't mean you must like everything related to geekiness.
someonehairy-ish:Aye, but it was very much my choice to go and see it based in part mostly because of all the scantily clad girlies in the advertising... so it ended up hitting the exact nerve it was aiming for, with me.
To me it was the opposite. I watched it because out of a sudden I heard everyone praising the movie and I just went with the "this is probably going to be so bad I'm going to enjoy it" mindset.
It ended up being better than what I thought (by having actual depth) but that only made it worse. It wasn't a dumb movie that I could enjoy for being dumb.
Dammit, I thought maybe there was a great meaning to Sucker Punch I'd missed. I got all that backwards mysogeny but it was just so oddly amateurish.
For example, using Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit, a song strongly linked to the Vietnam War, during a sequence full of WWI imagery is just baffling to me. I think its odd little touches like that which stop the fantasy sequences from being immersive. I'm never spellbinded and as such the film's 'sucker punch' never quite hits home:(
Moonlight Butterfly:I feel like I 'get' this film mostly because I have been in abusive relationships with men and have used my imagination (and games) as a form of escapism. This film could have been taken from inside my head... I have real life parallels for both the step father and the doctor/brothel owner guy, unfortunately.
You are so right about this Bob, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
This film made me cry, I'm not sure how many people it had that effect on.
It's funny how people who have actually undergone misogyny tend to be more levelheaded about discussing it than the hatemongers who have never had to experience severe misogyny themselves. So thanks for adding your voice to help create a more civilized and intellectual discussion about the subject matter the film is trying to provoke, as opposed to just shouting for blood from the rooftops.
Wakikifudge:He said it was aimed at gamer geek type people and that's kind of what I am...
What are you? 12? I'm sorry for being brutally honest, but you accept that anything that might be related to gaming/geek culture should be applied to you?
I'm just going off of what Movie Bob said. He said in his video that it applied to me the gamer. Even if the message applied to me, it would still be a shitty movie because the plot is laughable. And before you say that the target audience is the people who like action and no plot I will say that from what I've seen/heard of other gamer opinions is that most of us don't really like movies like Transformers 2 and such. Most of us prefer more substance to our movies. I can't speak for everyone of course but that's just the majority of what I've seen.
Also, no need to be so hostile. Some people could take that as being jerkish which, you know, is against the rules.
GloatingSwine:So, if Sucker Punch was unsuccessful in conveying its satire of pandering male nerd fantasy cynically pretending to be somehow feminist by making its fetish dolls into action heroes, what does distinguish it from pandering male nerd fantasy cynically pretending to be somehow feminist by making its fetish dolls into action heroes?
Not much. Really.
That's the thing with satirical condemnation, if you aren't very clever, like Zack Snyder, you end up straight up making the thing you were condemning.
He's gotta be a little clever though; we are talking about his film after all. And isn't that the point of these kind of satirical movies - to spark an intellectual debate?
jaymiechan:My biggest problem, though? The opening scene nearly triggered me. The abusive stepdad? There's obvious cues that the daughters were abused, going to the point of sexual when the shooting occurs, and sexual abuse going to an escapist fantasy that involves being sexually objectified and feasibly abused more? That's ridiculous.
Is it though? Some psychologists would even go so far as to say that 'reliving' an episode of emotional trauma is a necessary experience to fully repair a broken human psyche. I haven't seen the film by the way, so the idea may very well be poorly executed, but the premise the way you describe it here sounds fine to me.
Wakikifudge:He said it was aimed at gamer geek type people and that's kind of what I am...
What are you? 12? I'm sorry for being brutally honest, but you accept that anything that might be related to gaming/geek culture should be applied to you?
I'm just going off of what Movie Bob said. He said in his video that it applied to me the gamer. Even if the message applied to me, it would still be a shitty movie because the plot is laughable. And before you say that the target audience is the people who like action and no plot I will say that from what I've seen/heard of other gamer opinions is that most of us don't really like movies like Transformers 2 and such. Most of us prefer more substance to our movies. I can't speak for everyone of course but that's just the majority of what I've seen.
Also, no need to be so hostile. Some people could take that as being jerkish which, you know, is against the rules.
Ha, ha, you sure told him. :)But what I do disagree with about your statement is how you take a definition of "gamer" from your immediate surroundings, which I don't believe holds water for the larger culture. We here at the escapist are of course only a small demographic than lies at the core of gaming culture. The majority of gamers will buy one or two games a year; something along the lines of "Call of Duty" or "Battlefield". They'll tend to focus on more action-heavy over narrative-driven games, which is not to say of course that either approach to gaming is necessarily better, it's just that I don't think that your image of the "average gamer" is entirely accurate.
ElPatron:Maybe I have something against enjoying things like this, but it had the same effect as Spec Ops: The Line. The game tried so hard to make me feel guilty for something that was not my choice that it completely fell short. Add a sub-par gameplay to the mix and the game is unremarkable.
Ah, yes, but did you actually go into the game expecting it to deliver a message about the condemnation of war based on what you'd read in the press or did you pick it up because it looked like a fun shooter along the lines of, say, Call of Duty?
What are you? 12? I'm sorry for being brutally honest, but you accept that anything that might be related to gaming/geek culture should be applied to you?
I'm just going off of what Movie Bob said. He said in his video that it applied to me the gamer. Even if the message applied to me, it would still be a shitty movie because the plot is laughable. And before you say that the target audience is the people who like action and no plot I will say that from what I've seen/heard of other gamer opinions is that most of us don't really like movies like Transformers 2 and such. Most of us prefer more substance to our movies. I can't speak for everyone of course but that's just the majority of what I've seen.
Also, no need to be so hostile. Some people could take that as being jerkish which, you know, is against the rules.
Ha, ha, you sure told him. :)But what I do disagree with about your statement is how you take a definition of "gamer" from your immediate surroundings, which I don't believe holds water for the larger culture. We here at the escapist are of course only a small demographic than lies at the core of gaming culture. The majority of gamers will buy one or two games a year; something along the lines of "Call of Duty" or "Battlefield". They'll tend to focus on more action-heavy over narrative-driven games, which is not to say of course that either approach to gaming is necessarily better, it's just that I don't think that your image of the "average gamer" is entirely accurate.
I was thinking more along the lines of what I considered "real" gamers I guess. You know, people who will buy games outside of the FPS genre but I guess I just misunderstood who he was talking about. I just figured he was talking about the average Escapist gamer because he posted it on the Escapist lol.Still this is really just semantics. Movie Bob is arguing that because there's a deeper "fuck you average gamer" message that the movie is somehow better. IMO, it's still a bad movie.
zombflux:Amazing how many people in this thread still don't get it even after watching this video.
We get it alright. It is just that is full of horseshit. To calling this movie "empowering to women" is so full of itself. What does we see throught out this whole damn movie? Girls in skimpy clothes, lots of pantyshots. Our heroes are a bunch of airheads that have no personalty at all.
This is the conversation I had with my girlfriend right after Sucker Punch:GF: That movie was awful. I can't believe you made me see that.Me: It wasn't sexist! MovieBob said it was a satire of sexism.GF: Doesn't change the fact it was really depressing.
I understand what this movie was trying to portray but it just fell flat. The characters were very bland, the only one I actually liked died first. The plot seemed to be all over the place. Some of the worlds were visually stunning and I especially enjoyed the steam-punk world war sequence but that just wasn't enough to hold the movie together. I'm not going to blame people for liking it, but I felt in many areas the film had so much more potential. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Just Togs Childrens Mizz Varna Jodhpurs
Waist band design for maximum comfort around the yard or in the saddle. Featuring Just togs branding on the thigh these jodhpurs are the ultimate in fashion and comfort. Reinforced fabric from the knee down. Also features a front pocket and rear pockets with studs and embroidery detail. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Uploading... Do not refresh or leave this page!
File Description
Razor Ace and the OJP team bring us Open Jedi Project (a series of 4 files, this being the first). This particular release is the basic version, meaning it contains the basic modifications that the team had in mind for the mod. It changes many aspects of multiplayer gameplay, as well as smoothing out the way multiplayer mapping works (and touting that multiplayer mapping and singleplayer mapping are much more flexible - not to mention powerful cooperative modes are now possible).
When I first read the readme and looked at this mod, I didn't know what I was getting into. But after checking out all the features when all 4 files are installed, I can safely say it's an excellent job. Find out why with the next few files ^_^.
==============================
Open Jedi Project (OJP) Readme
==============================
Basic Release Version: 0.0.4
Enhanced Release Version: 0.0.1
Vehicles Release Version: 0.0.2
Skins Release Version: 0.0.1
Stuff in this Release:
JKA Version Required: 1.01
NOTE: This readme might not be part of an official OJP release since this readme is required to be included in all OJP based projects. If this isn't an official OJP release, this document will only partially apply.
========================
0000 - Table of Contents
========================
0000..................Table of Contents
0001..................Introduction
0002..................Installation
0003..................What's New?
0004..................Features
0004.1...........Basic
0004.2...........Enhanced
0004.3...........Vehicles
0005..................Using Our Work
0006..................Submitting Stuff to OJP
0006.1...........Submission Guidelines
0007..................Known Issues
0007.1...........Issues with Basic Features
0008..................Credits
0009..................Contact Information
0010..................Legal Stuff
===================
0001 - Introduction
===================
The Open Jedi Project is a coding/modding collaboration with the intent of maximizing the features and fun factor for all Jedi Knight Academy (JKA) mods. We work together by contributing fun, interesting, and useful game features so that everyone can benefit.
We operate on what's basically an open source system. Open source basically means that the source code is freely available and accessible by all. See the "Using Our Work" section for details about rights and permissions.
Our design philosophy is to make everything as separated and customizable as possible to allow developers and players to choose what features they wish to use.
We currently have two distributions (gameplay/code changes), Basic and Enhanced. We also have two packs (non-gameplay related), Vehicles and Skins.
Basic has two main features. One is bug fixes and balance fixes, neither which will severely alter game play. They are designed to be the "unofficial patch" for bugs and game play problems. Basic can still be considered vanilla Jedi Academy. The other main feature is map enhancements. Things such as new entities, expanded AI, vehicles, scripting and effects system can allow mappers to create far more immersive and fun maps. Since Basic also aims towards recreating all the single player entities and code, it is possible for mappers to create full featured cooperative and single player games and levels using the multiplayer engine. This allows modders to make other enhancements such as new weapons, AI, etc., not possible using the single player engine.
Enhanced is a superset of Basic, meaning it has anything and everything included in the Basic distribution. The difference is that it adds many significant gameplay alterations. It is a playable mod, but also a code base for other developers. To decrease the possibility of mods based off Enhanced loosing originality, we are keeping our game play feature list generic and flexible. New features will be generic, expandable, and flexible so other developers can easily adopt them to their mods. It won't venture out side of Jedi Academy's principle game play, so there won't be anything that makes this drastically unique in terms of pure game play. Players get a full mod that shares the same basic principles and ideas that stock Jedi Academy offers. Developers get a solid, flexible code base that includes the basic, fundamental features you would want to find in most mods, allowing them to spend their time on what makes their work truly unique. An example of a feature for Enhanced would be an extended version of the player class system seen in Siege, one that is available in more game types, and is far more flexible.
The Vehicles package is a collection of additional vehicles for JKA. We're including them in the project to allow OJP compatible maps to use additional vehicles without having to include said vehicles in their release packages.
The Skins package is a collection of quality modder created skins that have been turned
into customizable player classes. We've done this to allow more player options, to
allow SP useage of these skins, to allow servers and players to quickly get a pack of
quality skins, and to prevent a lot of redundent data from clogging up your game
directory.
We have a web forum set up for OJP. You can find it at...
http://www.lucasforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=542
We have a website pending. Please be patient.
===================
0002 - Installation
===================
To Install:
Just unzip this file to your jedi Academy directory. At this point, each new version of OJP components replaces the older versions (of that distribution/pack). We've made them have sequencial file names to prevent issues with same file names so you shouldn't HAVE to delete the older version (it's just recommended).
The exception is with OJP Basic versions of 0.0.3 or lower. Those, must be deleted for things to work correctly.
To Run:
Basic:
Run from your Setup->Mods Menu.
Enhanced:
Run from your Setup->Mods Menu.
Vehicles:
Automatic
Skins:
Automatic
To Uninstall:
Basic:
Delete your /GameData/ojpbasic directory.
Enhanced:
Delete your /GameData/ojpenhanced directory.
Vehicles:
Delete the ojp_vehicles_002 from your /GameData/base directory.
Skins:
Delete the ojp_skins_001 from your /GameData/base directory.
==================
0003 - What's New?
==================
What's New? has been moved to OJP_changelog.txt
===============
0004 - Features
===============
--------------
0004.1 - Basic
--------------
Ambient Player Sounds (AMBIENTEV)
Multiplayer, Sounds, Animevents
What It Does:
Players now have the ability to setup two fully customizable ambient sounds (Vader's resporator breathing, sensor ping, breathing, whatever you want) thru use of a new animevent type. See ojp_readme.txt and ojp_animevents.txt for details.
Animevents System Overhaul (ANIMEVENTS)
Multiplayer, Sounds, Animations, Animevents
What It Does:
The animation events system controls how most of the player sound effects are controlled in JKA. OJP has heavily modified the system to add back in SP animevent features that were removed for MP and add additional functionally. Changes include:
- Ambient Sound Support (See Ambient Player Sounds)
- Dynamic/Custom Sounds:
A part of the SP animevents.cfgs, this support was missing from MP until now. These are sounds that are player model dependant. IE, Vader's pain sounds are different than Jan's.
- Per-Model animevents.cfg:
You can use per-model animevents.cfgs. This means that you can personalize each person to have individualized sound effects and even special event! A good example what you can do with this would be to make a certain character scream before certain attacks or have their spine crackle from hard impacts.
See OJP_readme.txt and OJP_animevents.txt for details on how to customize/use animevents.cfgs.
Bug Fix 001 (BUGFIX1) - Animation.cfg fix for BOTH_WALKBACK2
Single Player, Animations
What It Does:
Fixes an animation bug seen when walking backwards with an ignited single saber in single player by correcting the number of frames
Special Notes:
This fix will be obsolete once a game patch comes out. Remember to remove this file before you patch the game.
Might cause problems when playing multiplayer. If you have any problems, just move the file out of the /base directory.
Duel Taunts in all Gametypes (ALLTAUNTS)
Multiplayer, Emotes
What It Does:
Duel taunts now work in all gametypes. These can be setup using theControls menu or by using the following commands (same as the original duel commands):
/bow - "Show respect to your opponent."
/meditate - "Sit and wait patiently for your opponent to make the first move."
/flourish - "Show off a little."
/gloat - "Celebrate your victory over your opponent."
Hidden JKA Saber Hilts (HSABERS)
Multiplayer
What It Does:
Adds to multiplayer the Retribution (Desann's), the Skywalker (Luke Skywalker's Saber), and the Stinger (default Reborn's) saber hilts. These hilts come with the game but are hidden by baseJKA.
Hidden Lannik Racto Skin
Multiplayer
What It Does:
Makes the Lannik Racto skin selectable in the MP skins menu. Also created icon for said skin.
More Force Disable Options
Multiplayer, Server
What It Does:
You can now set "Jump Only" and "Neutrals Only" for the Force Disable (now called "Force Powers") option.
All On = All Force Powers Enabled
All Off = All Force Powers Disabled
Jump Only = Only Force Jump Enabled
Neutrals Only = Only Saber Defense, Saber Offense, Jump, Seeing, Push, and Pull are enabled.
NOTE: Force Jump defaults to level 1 when disabled. Saber Defense/Offense default to level 3 when disabled.
Improved Botrouting
Multiplayer, Bots
What It Does:
Botrouting controls how MP bots navigate a given maps. We've gone thru and improved the botrouting for the following maps:
mp/duel3
mp/duel6
mp/duel8
mp/ffa5
Old JK2 Gametypes (OLDGAMETYPES)
Multiplayer, Basic, gametypes
What it Does:
Reintroduces the old JK2 gametypes Holocron FFA, Jedi Master, and Capture the Ysalimari.
RGB Character Color Menu Options
Multiplayer, Single Player, Menus
What It Does:
Adds a submenu that allows you to pick any color for your character's color with simple slide bars or float values. To enter a new float value, just click on the float value seen next to the slider bar and enter in a new number.
Realistic Saber Menu Options
Single Player, Sabers, Menus
What It Does:
Adds a menu option to SP that allows you to turn on different levels of saber damage realism. You can find the option under Setup->Options->Saber Realism.
Normal = Default Saber Damage / Dismemberment
Boosted Damage = Boosted Saber Damage
Realistic Dismemberment = Attack swings now do lethal damage and can cut off multiple limbs at once.
Realistic Idle = Idle Sabers now do lethal damage. Also includes the features of Realistic Dismemberment.
Please note that this option defaults to Normal each time you start up the game. We currently don't know of a way around that. Sorry.
SP Dual/Staff Menu
Single Player, Sabers
What It Does:
The SP menu file has been altered to allow you to use the dual sabers/saber staff from the beginning of the game. This also allows you to choice a red saber blade in SP.
Various Bot Tweaks
Multiplayer, Bots
What It Does:
- The Luke bot now uses the skywalker saber (single_skywalker) that is included in the game.
- Chewie now speaks in Wookie.
- The Lannik Racto bot now uses the correct model.
Various Menu Tweaks
Multiplayer, Single Player, Menus
What It Does:
- Shadow options are now in both SP and MP. Projected shadows are now an option.
- Light Flare option in the MP ingame More video Options menu.
- Dynamic Glow option in the MP ingame More video Options menu.
Various UI Tweaks
Multiplayer
What It Does:
- The map loading screen is now less vague about the server's disabled Force Powers setting. It also now has support for the More Force Disable Options feature.
- Server filters for OJP Basic and OJP Enhanced. (SERVERFILTERS)
-----------------
0004.2 - Enhanced
-----------------
Melee System Overhaul
Multiplayer, Melee
What It Does:
- All Players in all gametypes have melee combat (WP_MELEE) by default (you don't need to cheat anymore).
Melee Mode:
-----------
Primary Fire - Punches
Secondary Fire - Kicks
Primary + Secondary - Grapple Moves
Default: Head Lock
+Forward: Punching Grapple
+Backward: Kneeing Grapple
- You can now use the select saber button to quickly toggle between an ignited saber and melee mode. You can go back to the traditional system (where that same command toggles the saber on/off by setting cg_sabermelee to 0). Please note that you can also use /togglesaber to toggle the saber on/off reguardless of your cg_sabermelee setting.
- Added in headlock (BOTH_KYLE_PA_3). Just don't press forward or backward while attempting a grapple to try a headlock.
- Defender now comes out of the kneeing grapple facing in the correct direction.
- Defender now plays get up animation (BOTH_GETUP3) instead of snapping at the end of a kneeing grapple.
- Fixed the grapple body positioning.
-----------------
0004.3 - Vehicles
-----------------
Eopie
Multiplayer, Vehicle
Model Names:
eopie - eopie with saddle
eopiewild - eopie without saddle
Description:
A slow, ugly, and gassy beast of burden used on Tatooine. Seen in Episode 1.
Sith Speeder
Multiplayer, Vehicle
Model Names:
sithspeeder
Description:
"A pared-down crescent-shaped conveyance, Darth Maul's Sith speeder is a very utilitarian craft stripped of all non-essential features to deliver the swiftest speeds possible. Deployed from the Sith Infiltrator, Maul's speeder bike traverses distances across land when use of his starship is deemed unnecessary. When searching for the escaped Queen Amidala of the Naboo, Maul used the Sith speeder to soar towards the Queen's starship on Tatooine. He lept from the moving vehicle and immediately engaged in a duel with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn." (starwars.com/databank)
Weapons:
(Dropped) Hovering Mines - Can be shoot. Explodes on after a period of time. High Damage.
Stap
Multiplayer, Vehicle
Model Name:
stap
Description:
"The STAP (single trooper aerial platform) is a slim, agile craft sporting a pair of blaster cannons. STAPs are often deployed as support vehicles in conjunction with larger craft. The design draws inspiration from similar civilian vehicles called airhooks. Trade Federation engineers refitted the design with greater performance and reliability. High-voltage energy cells fuel the tiny craft's drive turbines, which afford the STAP impressive maneuverability." (starwars.com/databank)
Weapons:
(2, Forward) Blaster Cannon
--------------
0004.4 - Skins
--------------
Hoth Custom Player Clothing
Multiplayer, Single Player, Player Classes
What It Does:
Adds the ability to select the Hoth clothes for all the built-in player classes. You can now also select the color of Hoth outfit.
Technical Notes:
For most of the player classes, I've shared the icons by placing dummy .png icon files (so the menu tries to load them) in the player model directories and then using shader referencing to use the general icons. The generic icons are located in the jedi_hoth directory.
Please note that the jedi_kdm, jedi_rm, and jedi_tf have custom torso icons and jedi_tf has a custom lower icon. Those custom icons are found in the individual model directories.
=====================
0005 - Using Our Work
=====================
We have few rules for using our work as part of your own projects:
- You must include this readme in any public releases of your mod. This doesn't apply if you're only using OJP features that you wrote yourself.
- You must treat your fellow coders and the project with respect.
- You may NOT use our work for ANY commercial purposes without the author's direct permission.
Please don't violate these rules; they are here for everyone's benefit.
We have a public CVS repository set up to let you directly access the OJP source materials to keep up-to-date with latest additions to the project. However, the process to access the repository is a bit complicated, so please email one of the moderators for assistance.
In addition, we are still waiting for the MP SDK so there will probably not be anything to see for a while anyway.
We suggest that you:
- Submit any cool features from your work that you think other developers may benefit from.
- Keep in contact with us about your project. The more information we have, the better we can coordinate OJP to help you and the community. We also like to know that people are using and enjoying our works.
==============================
0006 - Submitting Stuff to OJP
==============================
We are looking mostly for new code features, but are not limited to that. We are usually looking for generic, flexible, and adaptable features that anyone can work into their own code. Features that are drastically unique or special probably do not belong here, because we believe in keeping individuality and uniqueness among mods.
We also accept patches. If you see something in our code that has a problem, you can submit a patch for it. A patch would usually be replacement code or files.
Before you consider submitting, take note that we won't let you desubmit or remove your works from the project. Allowing people to do so would cause too many problems for the project. While your work will remain your work, submitting stuff to OJP means that you give us the rights to use your work and modify it freely as part of the project forever.
In addition, your work won't necessarily be turned on or even in every compiled version of OJP. Some features will be disabled by default to allow people to just fire up and play OJP without confusion.
That being said, if you have something to submit just contact one of the OJP moderators.
DO NOT E-MAIL MOD MATERIALS TO STAFF MEMBERS WITHOUT ASKING FIRST! Just contact one of us, tell us a summary of your patch or feature, and if we think it fits the project, we'll accept it.
If you think you would like to actively participate in developing OJP, we can give you write access to the CVS repository, so that you may work on it yourself. This doesn't have to be a commitment, but if you would like to just submit features or patches separately, go ahead.
------------------------------
0006.1 - Submission Guidelines
------------------------------
- Document your work as much as possible. Be sure to add mentions of your work in the readme and other project documents.
- Make your work as clean and tight as possible.
- Follow the coding guidelines. Try to keep your code as separated from other code as is reasonable. Label EVERY coding change (from basejka) with appropriate coding tags. If you're creating a new feature, you'll get to determine what the tag name will be. Try to pick something that is simple and easy to search for.
- NEVER DELETE FILES/DIRECTORIES/ETC FROM THE CVS REPOSITORY. If it is necessary, the moderators will handle it.
===================
0007 - Known Issues
===================
-----------------------------------
0007.1 - Issues with Basic Features
-----------------------------------
Hidden Player Class Clothes (Hoth):
- In the Hoth mission of the single player campaign, your Hoth outfit will lose its color selection abilities.
This is because the Hoth cold suit that is selectable in the menu is a slightly modified version of the original Hoth skin. The Hoth maps use the originals, so you're basically stuck with this issue unless you activate cheat mode and manually switch back to the selectable Hoth.
- Twi'lek Female doesn't have selectable colors for her Hoth suit.
This is because the color selection system can only handle one custom color at a time. In this case, the color is already being used for your player's skin tone. Sorry!
==============
0008 - Credits
==============
Coding:
Original Jedi Knight Academy source code: Raven Software
OJP Administration:
Documentation: Emon, Razor Ace
Original OJP Concept: Razor Ace
OJP Organizational Planning: Emon, RenegadeofPhunk, Razor Ace
OJP Basic:
Bug Fix 1: Razor Ace
Botrouting:
Duel3: Razor Ace
Duel Taunts in all Gametypes: Razor Ace
Hidden JKA Sabers: TiM
Menu Names: Razor Ace
Hidden Lannik Racto Skin: Razor Ace
Hoth Custom Player Clothing: Razor Ace
More Force Disable Options: Razor Ace
Old JK2 Gametypes: Razor Ace, -ONE-Mushroom
RGB Character Color Menu Options: Razor Ace
SP Dual/Staff Menu: Aryyn
Various Bot Tweaks: Razor Ace
Various Menu Tweaks: Razor Ace
Various UI Tweaks: Razor Ace
Vehicles:
Eopie: Chairwalker
Stab:
Model/Textures: Monsoontide
Vehicle Files: Duncan_10158
Sith Speeder:
Model/Textures: Monsoontide
Vehicle Files: Duncan_10158
Beta Testers: Sunburn, Nym259, Tesla, Scouttrooper, Pnut_Master
Special Thanks:
Raven Software
George Lucas
Lucas Entertainment Company (LEC)
==========================
0009 - Contact Information
==========================
OJP Project Moderators:
Razor Ace
Email: [email protected]
MSN: Razor Ace ([email protected])
ICQ: 618641
AIM: razorsaces
Yahoo: razorsaces
RenegadeOfPhunk
Email: [email protected]
ICQ: 253305779 (Knobby)
OJP General Discussion Board:
http://www.lucasforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=542
==================
0010 - Legal Stuff
==================
We are making no claim on Raven Software's, ID Software's, or LEC's intellectual properties. The above rules only apply to the additional works created by OJP contributors. Ravensoft's, ID's, and LEC's code and additional materials is only included for ease of use. All applicable licensing agreements still apply. Please don't sue us.
End of Line.
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The best serving of video game culture, since 1998. Whether you're looking for the biggest collection of PC gaming files on the planet, tools, tips or advice, GameFront has you covered. Browse through over 145,000 mods, maps, tools and more. Game on! | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Details being finalized for Birmingham to host Deontay Wilder's next heavyweight title defense
Multiple sources have told AL.com that a deal is being finalized for Deontay Wilder to host his upcoming title defense at Birmingham's Legacy Arena against Frenchman Johann Duhaupas.
Wilder (34-0, 33 KO) will make his defense on Sept. 26. The fight will be televised on NBC in the Premier Boxing Champions series.
A formal announcement is expected within a few days.
Wilder, a Tuscaloosa native, served Eric Molina a ninth-round knockout on June 13 in Birmingham at UAB's Bartow Arena in his first title defense. As of last week, the location finalists for this fight were in Alabama or on the West Coast.
The fight against Molina was in front 9,347 fans at sold-out Bartow Arena. Legacy Arena can seat up to 19,000 for concerts.
Wilder won the WBC heavyweight championship in January against Bermane Stiverne in Las Vegas.
The 6-foot-5 Duhaupas, ranked No. 12 in the current WBC heavyweight rankings, is a native of Abbeville, France. He's 34 years old and has a 32-2 record with 20 knockouts.
Wilder had to set up a fight against someone in the WBC top 15 for this voluntary challenger. His mandatory challenger is set to be against Alexander Povetkin, but negotiations for that fight will begin in October.
Duhaupas is 5-1 in his last six fights, losing a unanimous decision to Erkan Teper in March. He is the former France heavyweight champion.
Duhaupas is coming off the biggest win of his career over Manuel Charr, who was a top 10 fighter and heavyweight title challenger, on April 10 in Russia. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Song
Lyrics
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, popcorn
Yeah, yeah, yeah, popcorn
Some like em fat
And some like em tall
Some like em short
Skinny legs and all
I like em tall
I like em proud
And when they walk
You know they draw a crowd
See, you gotta
Have a mother for me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, come on
Lookie here
There was a time
When I was all alone
I had a secret
Thought I was gone
Somebody done me
Said now I see
What you are doing
Brother, to stay ahead of me
And when I get burned
I use some salve
And when I want some loving
A mother she got to have
See, you gotta
Have a mother for me
Yeah, popcorn
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, popcorn
Oooh.....popcorn
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Lookie here
Good God
Lookie here
Do the popcorn
And do the horse
Show everybody where you at
You gotta be boss
The way you do
Your little thing
Step in a small ring
And jump back, baby
James Brown
Gonna do his thing
Popcorn, yeah, yeah, yeah
Sometime, sometime
I'm feeling low
Sometime I'm feeling low
I call another brother
Talking about Maceo
Maceo, blow your horn
Don't talk no trash
Play me some popcorn
Maceo, come on, popcorn | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Barbara Brinkerhoff read a set of words on Friday that were familiar to her.
She had spoken them before, but that’s not to say they’ve lost meaning.
“Those who have served and those currently serving in the uniformed services of the United States are ever mindful that the sweetness of enduring peace has always been tainted by the bitterness of personal sacrifice,” she said, reading from a prepared document.
“We are compelled never to forget that while we enjoy our daily pleasures, there are others who have endured and may still be enduring the agonies of pain, deprivation and imprisonment.”
Each year Brinkerhoff leads the remembrance service for prisoners or war and those soldiers missing in action at the Veterans Day service hosted by American Legion Post 20, Amvets Post 4 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10046.
It’s an emotional recital that puts into her mind the actions of her husband — Russell Brinkerhoff — who survived being taken prisoner by German forces in World War II.
“I can’t say it gets easier every year, but in a way I guess it does,” she said.
Russell previously gave the POW-MIA speech for several consecutive years before his death in 1998 at the age of 77. Each year since, save for one, Brinkerhoff has continued reading it, per the request of others.
“It has just become something I do and I do it for him, in memory of him, but also in memory of all the other soldiers and veterans who have given their lives and their blood to try to keep our great country safe,” she said.
When Russell was 19 he enlisted in the Air Force. He would go on to serve in both the Pacific and European theaters of WWII. He served as a gunner aboard a bombing plane that was shot down during the first daylight Allied raid on Berlin.
“He spoke about the German people when the plane went down they were immediately around the plane and the men with pitchforks,” Brinkerhoff said.
He was taken prisoner and survived a death march of 700 miles in 87 days during the worst winter Europe had seen in 50 years. Many men were lost, Brinkerhoff said. British tank forces eventually liberated the group of prisoners.
The two met and married after the war and for a long time after, Brinkerhoff said, her husband didn’t like to talk about that time.
“I think he really didn’t like to think about the horror that man inflicted on man,” she said.
On Friday, Brinkerhoff said she was proud to see so many residents attend the Veterans Day service at the Soldotna Sports Center. At 78 years old, Brinkerhoff hopes to keep giving the service as long as she can.
“It made me feel real good to know that people still cared about our military and were willing and wanting to give their support,” she said.
Nick Nelson, a 68-year-old Vietnam veteran, spoke during the service. He said examples of courage, bravery and endurance aren’t rare in the military and as such should be recognized.
“What we do for our veterans, we still don’t do enough,” he said. “It’s not what we owe them, it’s what they deserve and what they have earned.”
Nelson spoke about going to the Military Order of the Purple Heart convention previously and seeing the bond between soldiers and veterans who gave so much for their country.
“The comradery we had there was a little bit different because everybody there left something,” he said fighting back tears and pushing at the edge of the podium as if it were his emotions rising. “Part of them. Some blood. An arm. A leg. An eye. But we still did what all the other veterans’ organizations do — we fight. We fight for the benefits and all those things those veterans and those servicemen deserve.”
Will Schwenke, a 47-year-old Army veteran, spoke about the “five most important words any veteran would like to hear.”
“It goes like this: In case no one has told you in the last 24 hours, thank you for your service,” he said.
Schwenke said he often speaks with soldiers returning from combat.
“I counsel with them and one of the main things that comes up is, ‘Look, I went over there, I knew what I was doing, I know who I was fighting for, but when I come back home, it seems like nobody cares,’” he said. “I tell them that the American people care, we care. It is just that sometimes it is hard for us to tell that to our soldiers.”
He urged the audience to walk up to veterans of any age, on any day and thank them for their service.
“Even those warriors that are hard, that have lived a hard life, you can tell the change in their demeanor when they hear those words,” he said.
Nelson said there are also other types of veterans, some not hardened by the experience of battle.
“The other veterans I want to talk about … are you,” he said. “Everyone of you in here gave up somebody whether it was a family member or a friend. But you are still here and you are supporting the veterans.
“But you are veterans. You may not wear the uniform or been in combat, but you’re hurt by this for your county, and you want to keep your country. The only way you can keep that country is to keep a strong military and support your veterans.” | {
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Jam Session Etiquette
Strathound's Blues Jam Guide
So you want to go to a blues jam and get on stage? That's great. Then this guide may be for you. But be forewarned. I'm not writing this for people out there that think a blues jam is just another open-mic opportunity. And this guide isn't for people who think of a jam as simply a public practice session. This is a guide for musicians who want to understand how a jam works and how to get the most out of it. In a nutshell, this is a guide on how not to look like a poser at a blues jam.
Blues jams are older than I am. They've been going on since before I was born when blues was being invented. The formula isn't very complicated, and that's part of the secret of it. But there is no denying that this is an American tradition with deep roots in our history. And it's power and influence can be felt around the world today.
So what is a blues jam and how does it work? Basically, a blues jam a gathering of musicians in a public venue who share a love of traditional American roots music, specifically blues. Typically there is a host band that starts off the show. Then, throughout the night, the band leader will bring up some of the musicians in the audience to play various instruments in the band. For instance, he may bring up a guitar player and a singer. Or he may just bring up a drummer. It depends on a number of factors. But in general, he's trying to get everyone a chance to play while trying to put the best groups together to keep it entertaining for the crowd.
To the uninitiated, this can sound like a recipe for disaster. But the secret is in the simplicity. Not all songs are good candidates for a blues jam. And most band leaders are pretty good at figuring out who knows the blues formula and who doesn't. Their job is to make sure this goes smoothly. And if they've been doing it for a while, you can bet they know what's going to work.
If you are a musician and you want to go to a blues jam, here are a few simple guidelines that will help you hit the ground running and avoid the most obvious pitfalls.
Jam Etiquette:
When you get to the jam, find out who is running it and introduce yourself. Let them know what instrument you play so that they can begin to think about who they will pair you with. Then, while you are waiting, listen to some great music and mingle with other musicians. This is a great opportunity to network. I can't tell you the number of bands that were born at a blues jam. I'm sure it's a lot. My last two bands were formed this way.
By default, the singer is the bandleader on stage. That means they call the tune, signal the breaks and dish out the solos. If you sing, it's crucial that you know how to do this. The best way to learn is to watch others and listen. When in doubt, ask for help from someone that's done this before.
A solo is your opportunity to shine. But it can go well, or it can go poorly. In general, try and play something that fits the feel of the song. Metallica doesn't go well with a Robert Johnson country blues tune. Also, try and keep one eye on the band leader during your solo. They may cut you short and you want to see it coming. If you aren't paying attention, you'll miss the signal and step on the next guy. Finally, if you are not soloing, bring the volume down so they don't have to turn up so much to be heard.
Listen. Learn. Have fun. A blues jam is a great learning experience. But you get out of it what you are willing to learn. Don't go in with any preconceived notions. Ask a lot of questions. And listen to the guys that have been doing this a while. Their advice and input is always worth the price of admission. Think of it like free lessons. ;)
Be musical. That means ... listen to what's happening up there on stage. Don't just listen to your one part. Listen to the whole mix. The whole point of getting on stage is to provide entertainment. It's about the music, not some selfish goal. And you have to understand your part in the arrangement. This comes, first and foremost, from listening to the music you are trying to play. If you come out to the jam and you don't know the first thing about blues, then it's probably best if you listen for a while before getting up there. There are those that get it, and those that don't.
Know some blues tunes. I cannot stress this enough. The sure fire way to earn the scorn of the rest of the musicians in the room is to show up and call out some classic rock or other non-blues tune. Remember, the purpose of a blues jam is not to show off how well you play the solo in Stairway to Heaven. It's to perpetuate and relive a timeless American musical tradition with a group of other musicians who share the same goal. If you don't share that goal, people will not want to get on stage with you. Seriously. All you have to do in order to not look like a complete poser is simply ask someone for some tunes you could learn and learn them. It's that simple. This leads to a controversial question: what is blues? I won't try and answer this question here. But I'll give you a jamming tip ... avoid Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Hendrix at first. That's one of those sure fire-signs that sets of the poser alerts. Better to start with some Muddy or TBone before you start testing the boundaries. Remember, I'm trying to help you.
What To Bring:
Bring your instrument. Make sure it's well maintained and ready to play.
Bring a tuner and tune up before you get called up on stage.
If you're a drummer, bring your own sticks.
What Not To Bring:
Do not bring your Marshall Half Stack. Blues Jam. Remember?
Do not bring your pedal board and all your pedals. A blues jam is all mixing it up with other musicians. It's not about the equipment. So keep it simple. Don't be that guy.
Any of the standards are also good (Sweet Home Chicago, Kansas City, Stormy Monday, etc).
If you bring your whole band up, feel free to choose songs that have a different arrangement. But remember, people have come to hear some blues. It is a blues jam after all. See #5.
Play blues. This is a blues jam. They don't want to hear your rendition of Sweet Home Alabama.
If you follow these guidelines, you will get the most out of a blues jam. The other musicians will accept you as a peer. You will get more playing time. And if you are lucky, you will experience the pure magic that happens when you get lightning in a bottle and the stars align on stage. It's truly a blessing that happens every once in a while. And hopefully, you will avoid as many of the train wrecks as possible.
Thanks for stopping by. If you would like to listen to some of my playing (some of it at local blues jams) simply go to: | {
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The cabin boy...also known, as the pocket ass of the sea. These young lads were basically on board ships to do whatever the Captain ordered, the lowest ranking if ranked at all, usually only in their early teens...an oceanic skivvy and occasional sex toy for sailors (they got lonely at sea for weeks and months at a time)...so generally not someone you wanted to be if you could help it. So, when a band names themselves CABIN BOY JUMPED SHIP, you get it. The Leicestershire based 5-piece are all about going against the chain of command, they have had enough of being told what to do, whats right and wrong; they have their own vision and their own path they wish to follow, and so, they've released the appropriately titled new EP "Pathways". Let's check it out...MAN OVERBOARD!!!!
We begin with "The Beginning" oddly enough and it's a simple, piano led minute long intro-track...the subtle addition of synths layered within gradually builds up a feeling of expectation and you feel as though CBJS are going to let rip any moment now...and they do via "Dead Ends". Straight away we feel the riff-heavy approach to their metalcore offerings and duel approach vocals...there's nothing particularly different about this, it's pretty straightforward stuff, swaying back and forth between clean, gang and aggressive vocals, it's got breakdowns...it's OK.
"The New World Order" is up next and it's a hard one to pin down quite frankly...the vocals are a bit mish-mash, even going as far as death metal growls in parts, the chorus sounds disjointed and the brief electronic / techno aspects just add even more confusion...like, did you ever watch WCW? Where at the end of every Nitro, the NWO would run down and cost a match and it would be one big clusterfuck? This is the soundtrack to that...followed directly by the first of two pointless interludes. This is an EP...you don't need interludes. Stop.
"Pathways And Promises", the shortest track proper is a straight up brutal metalcore affair and stands out as an EP highlight here simply because of that reason alone, it's to the point and doesn't over complicate itself, while "Waste Away" and finally then "Replace The Hate" finish the EP, the latter probably utilising the electronica to its best potential in what is undeniably, at least a catchy chorus.
When you look at CBJS you cant help but think they really want to be MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, and their sound hints at that...but their sound also incorporates elements of artists like ENTER SHIKARI and, really, I believe it's fair to say you can applaud them for throwing everything at this, experimenting is fine, dabbling is fine...but it needs structure. This sounds like they can't yet decide what suits them best...and when they do, they have potential. Until then...the cabin boy, with his new found, buggery-free life of freedom, is enjoying as much as he can with a sense of excitement. [4]
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News & Reviews
Gavin J Griffiths, a.k.a GavTheGothicChav, lover of new music and supporter of bands. Inspired by a mixture of horror and comedy, and fueled by a blend of alcohol and sarcasm...if you're singer / in a band and would like a review written up, please do get in touch via the email address at the top of the page and I'll get back to you ASAP. Much love x | {
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Breadcrumbs
Saanich firefighters equipped with overdose antidote
Saanich BC – In response to a growing number of overdoses, Saanich firefighters are now equipped to administer an overdose-reversing medication, Naloxone.
Naloxone is a life-saving medication that is used in the event of opioid overdose, and ultimately prevents the patient from going into cardiac arrest.
“As first responders, Saanich firefighters are often the first on scene of opioid overdose emergencies,” said Assistant Deputy Chief Dan Wood. “In these cases time is of the essence, and having the ability to administer Naloxone as soon as possible will help our firefighters to save lives.”
Naloxone training - which takes about 3 hours - covers an overview of the drug and its function, plus practical instruction. This adds to the already expansive list of first responder training that Saanich firefighters have completed.
In January 2016, the Province of B.C. changed legislation to allow firefighters to give intramuscular injections. Training firefighters to use Naloxone was successfully implemented as a pilot project in Vancouver and Surrey last year.
Quick Facts:
In 2015, Saanich Fire responded to 1831 medical emergencies, including 39 overdoses. To date in 2016, Saanich Fire has responded to 32 overdoses.
All of Saanich's first response apparatus will now carry the life-saving drug, Naloxone. | {
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It's the ought-to-be-famous "Jesus loves cock rings" poster from the Abstinence Clearinghouse, angling for attention through doubletakes at the Family Research Council's (et al) Value Voters Summit this past weekend.
Of course, the abstinent people weren't the only ones bringing the sexy to repression of natural human urges. Between the cute little minx next to the table and the picture with Britney Spears practically ordering you to face fuck her, the Rude Pundit's penis was confused about the message here:
The most hilarious thing about a group of nutzoid right-wingers coming together to talk about "values" or some such shit is how the bubbling-below-the-surface desire to ball madly spews forth in the most unexpected ways. God, how the cell phones of the local manwhore pimps must have been vibrating all night this weekend with demands for gay booty calls from the Omni Shoreham. God, how tired housekeeping must have been cleaning up jizz-crispy pages of the Gideon Bible, the only proper way to wipe an evangelical dick after nailing the ass of an abstinence advocate.
The surging libidinal need made its way to the dais, too. In his speech, Representative Mike Pence of Indiana was more or less describing how much he wanted to blow Christ: "othing can compare to the inexpressible joy I felt on a night in April in 1978 when I gave my life to Jesus Christ." And that Jesus is a demanding Master to his little submissives: "Well, like millions of Americans, I've been spending some time on my knees lately."
Most creepy was Pence's fetishization of America's youth, a masturbatory need so great that he had to rush back home to indulge it: "I got on the plane and flew home to Indiana, went out to the Henry Country Fairgrounds for a Boy Scout Jamboree on a cold Saturday morning just about a year ago, and I'll never forget it. You know the Boy Scout Jamboree situation. A bunch of little boys with their hair tousled, ties pulled to the side, one shirt tail out, standing in a row." The Rude Pundit doesn't know about you, but he probably couldn't describe a row of scouts in such...loving detail.
And the Congressman even admitted that Mrs. Pence knows the score: "(B)ehind every great man there is a woman rolling her eyes." She'd be rolling them nonstop if Mr. Pence bumped into this guy in way-deep denial:
But maybe she'd get lucky and her hubby would stop by this table first to talk to its lonely attendant:
One imagines that guy is texting an IM to the Congressional page dorm. Or the local scoutmaster.
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Junior minister George Eustice resigns over article 50 vote
28/02/2019
Agriculture minister George Eustice has resigned from the government over Theresa May’s decision to allow a vote on delaying article 50, saying it would be “the final humiliation of our country”. Eustice, a long-standing Brexiter and former Ukip candidate, said he wanted to be free to participate in debates in parliament in the coming weeks,…
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Agriculture minister George Eustice has resigned from the government over Theresa May’s decision to allow a vote on delaying article 50, saying it would be “the final humiliation of our country”.
Eustice, a long-standing Brexiter and former Ukip candidate, said he wanted to be free to participate in debates in parliament in the coming weeks, saying he resigned with “tremendous sadness”.
The ex-minister said he would vote for May’s withdrawal agreement but said he felt he had “stuck with the government through a series of rather undignified retreats”.
Eustice said he felt the prime minister had been “terribly undermined” by ministers and MPs who did not want the referendum result to be carried out.
“I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country,” he said in his resignation letter.
Though he said the prime minister had shown “tenacity and resilience”, he suggested both the prime minister and parliament had lost its nerve. “What our country needs from all its political leaders at this critical juncture is courage, and we are about to find out whether parliament has it,” he said.
Eustice, the MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, also criticised the conduct of the Brussels negotiators. “I do not believe that the commission has behaved honourably during these negotiations,” he said.
“They have deliberately made progress slow and difficult. They have stated in terms that they will refuse to even hold substantive negotiations on a future partnership until after we leave.
“If the position of parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck. This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door.”
Eustice said that MPs should be prepared to vote to leave with no deal and “have the courage, if necessary, to reclaim our freedom first and talk afterwards”.
A former farmer, Eustice stood for Ukip in 1999 and worked on the no campaign against the euro but then worked for the Conservative party under Michael Howard, eventually becoming press secretary to David Cameron when he was leader of the opposition.
In his letter to the prime minister said that he would “do what I can from the backbenches to try to salvage this sorry situation and I hope that, when the moment comes, parliament will not let our country down”.
May announced on Tuesday for the first time that she would give MPs a vote on seeking an extension to the article 50 process if the House of Commons failed to pass her Brexit deal on 12 March. First MPs will be given a vote on 13 March on whether to leave the EU without a deal, followed by one the next day on whether ministers should seek an extension.
The announcement led to a revolt in parliament on Wednesday night by Conservative Eurosceptics, 20 of whom voted against an amendment setting out the schedule of votes, with more than 80 abstaining.
RADIO CHOCHILINO
“John & Beatrice” – comedy
A surreal tragicomedy about the difficulty of connection and the meaning of love.
“John and Beatrice” is a side-splitting, gut-wrenching tragicomedy that delves into the biggest questions and follies of love by exploring all the stages of a relationship – from the initial courting rituals of Man and Woman to the trials and tribulations of being “locked up” in a room with someone for life. The native Quebecois-French text was translated into English and is now being colourfully brought to life by a diverse, European team of artist and performers with a unique vision and a unique answer to the question: “What does it mean to love?” | {
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ACE Online Learning
ACE Education have teamed up with Educare, the distance learning specialists, to offer on-line courses covering some of our most popular topics.
Each one is written as a set of concise modules including a series of questions to test understanding and consolidate learning. They are a must for busy professionals who need to keep up-to-date with education law and guidance but find it difficult to attend our training seminars or who prefer the flexibility of online learning.
About ACE Education and Educare
Since 1960 ACE has been training professionals and advising parents on a wide range of education issues and is one of the country’s leading training and consultancy organisations in the field of education law and guidance.
Educare have over 25 years experience of creating and delivering award-winning distance-learning, covering child protection, safeguarding vulnerable adults, health and safety and other duty of care and compliance topics.
Training courses for schools, local authorities, charities and third sector organisations are offered under a range of annual training licences. ACE courses are part of the EduCare for Education annual licence
The courses
SEND Code of Practice: This course provides an overview of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25 years. The course explains how the reforms affect those in an educational setting. It outlines requirements at SEN Support level, during EHC needs assessments and in the issuing of EHC plans.
School Admissions: This course is aimed at schools that are their own Admissions Authority to help them understand their legal duties outlined in the School Admissions Code. The course will be relevant to Senior Leadership Team staff, Governors and any Admissions staff employed by the school.
School Exclusions for Headteachers and Governors: This course provides a practical guide to the 2017 statutory guidance on school exclusions. It includes the headteacher's power to exclude, the governing body's duty to consider an exclusion and the role of the Independent Review Panel. The modules also cover the requirements for particular vulnerable groups as well as the school's equality duties in relation to exclusions.
School Exclusions for Independent Review Panels: This course covers the duties of the Independent Review Panel members and clerks as set out in the DfE statutory Exclusions Guidance 2017. After completing the course panel members and clerks will be familiar with the exclusions process and more confident in meeting their statutory duties.
Attendance and Children Missing Education: This course covers current law and guidance on school attendance and children missing education. It outlines the main guidance documents, the statutory duties for schools and local authorities and the key issues in these areas. The course will be relevant to school and local authority staff who are involved in managing and monitoring attendance and carrying out duties in relation to children missing education. | {
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With the Papyrus Nascar series, Nascar racing 4/2002/2003 our focus moved from GPL. Greger won 5 ESCORS Championships. Meanwhile we dominated the hotlap rankings in F12000/F12001, GTR2002, F1RC and gained a new sponsor BRD.
Throughout this period we won over 30 senior titles, we were also joined by Richard Towler and Volker Hackmann who led all major Nascar based championships. Ben/Risto and Dom led the world in Richard Burns Rally.
Dom won the GTR2002 European Cup, which was the biggest league in GT and the first race of SIm Challenge.
We celebrated our 10th anniversary, and dominated the first iRacing World Championship. Greger also won the Intel Masters at CeBit with Bastien runner-up, a great achievement for us. Meanwhile Bastien was runner-up in GT Academy, and also in Gran Turismo B-Spec. Luca won the 2011 Pro Series in style driving the Aussie V8.
Atze Kerkhof joined us and was convincing in the Pro Series sealing the title.
The start of 2017 saw us achieve our biggest ever result, taking the top 6 positions at the Formula E Visa Vegas eRace and claiming over $450,000 - it was the biggest sim race of all time with Bono Huis taking the top spot.
Our focus moved slightly away from iRacing, despite this we claimed 2nd and 3rd position in the World Championship yet again. We also had good success in our first season of Project Cars, taking 2nd place in the ESL SMS-R champ and 2nd in the World Finals at Gamescom.
Bono, Greger & Freek were finalists of McLarens 'World's Fastest Gamer' and we were semi-finalists for Formula 1's first foray into esports. | {
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PCB design and cost controlling
Today let’s have a look at the PCB design and cost controlling, in order to allow the PCB cost the lower the better, there are many design factors must be taken into considerations:
1, The board size. Smaller board, the lower the cost. Part of the PCB size has become the standard, as long as the cost according to standard size as it will naturally decrease.
2, The cost of SMT is lower than THT, because the parts on the PCB will be more intensive (also small).
3, If the board is very dense with components , then the trace must be more detailed, we should use the advanced equipments and expensive material. The cost of these questions, much more than the cost of reduce the PCB size.
4, The more layers, the higher the cost, but less PCB layers usually result in an increase in size. The cost of multilayer pcb much more higher than single-sided pcb
5, Drilling will take time, so the holes the less the better.
6, Buried holes compare tp through plated holes is expensive. Because the buried holes must be drilled before stitching.
7, The size of the holes on the board in accordance with parts to determine the diameter of the pin. If the board has a different type of pin parts, then because the machine can not use the same drill all the holes drilled, Comparison of the relative time-consuming, so it represents to increase manufacturing costs.
8, Fly test, usually expensive than optical methods. Generally speaking, optical test is sufficient to ensure no errors on the PCB.
To know the PCB manufacturing process is very useful, which allows us to know where we should to control. So we know these can be taken into account when we design PCB, and reducing PCB costs. | {
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Buying Printed Fabrics
date_rangePosted On : Dec 13' 2018
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languageCountry : Italy
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We import, sell and distribute clothing throughout Europe and the USA, both for the retail and wholesale markets. Please make a visit to our website for details
We are seeking suppliers who can supply printed, dyed Viscose and Silk Fabrics in bulk quantity. Please share product pictures along with best and precise quotes asap.
Price Terms : FOB
Payment Terms : L/C
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Destination Port : Italy | {
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Some schools in Australia have gifted students enrolling in their first year of high school and following an accelerated learning course, so they can graduate earlier. Some primary schools also have a gifted children's class. I have worked in 2 high schools where this was the case, the students benefited, but other kids teased them in the yard at lunch time.Teachers liked these classes as students were keen to learn, but they were just as naughty as other students. | {
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Pages
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Rethinking My Stance
Last year, when I was trying to get the Board Game Group to play D&D a bit more, there were more than a few grumbles about my 'old school' approach.
Not everyone minded rolling 3d6 down the line for ability scores, but some did.
Not everyone minded the lower power level of starting Classic characters, but some did.
Not everyone minded the less heroic style of play, but some did.
Well, yesterday I was re-reading this old post over at Cyclopeatron. In it, he posted some house rules Gary Gygax used in an OD&D game in 2005 (originally chronicled by folks at K&K Alehouse and Dragonsfoot, and collated by Robert Fisher on his old Infogami site). I'll repost them here:
PCs are unconscious at 0 hp. They can go as low as level +1 before death. (A 4th level fighter can be brought as low as -5 hp & just be unconscious.) A healing potion or cure spell restores them immediately.
1d6 for surprise. 1=1 round. 2=2 rounds. 3 or more=no surprise.
PCs must declare actions before initiative. Casters must declare the specific spell being cast.
1d6 for initiative. A tie means simultaneous.
A casting caster who loses initiative will lose his spell if hit.
No training necessary to gain a level.
To acquire new spells: Casters must find scrolls, spellbooks, or a friendly higher-level caster.
Clerics don't need spellbooks. (The original books can be read to imply that they do.)
Gary IDs most magic items immediately (charging large sums of money when they return to town to rest & recuperate for this service). (This is because the players are anxious to get back into the dungeon & don't want to bother with in-town adventures.) Potions must still be tasted to ID, though. Unusual items require a trip to the striped mage.
Reading this again made me rethink some of my current ideas. While I think it's fun playing in a more 'hard core old school' way, the guys I've got to play with don't all agree. And since we're playing to have fun, and I'll have fun DMing no matter which forms of character generation we use, what level we start at, and whether or not there's a high mortality rate among PCs.
I can always try to find some players like me in the future. For now, I know I'd be playing more D&D if I instituted some (possibly all) of the following rules:
Hit Dice/Hit Points: I already allow Max HP at level 1 and re-rolling 1s, but I might consider upping the die types to match AD&D (something I've considered in the past).
Level: Not sure if I'd want to up the starting level to 3rd or not. I kinda like the low levels of play. I'd likely just try to make them go quicker by being generous with rumors of where the phat lootz are hidden.
Spells: Use Labyrinth Lord Cleric spell progression (spell at 1st level). Allow a bonus spell for Wis 13+ for Clerics/Druids, 13+ Int for M-Us/Illusionists, 13+ Cha for Bards. Magic Users and Illusionists bonus spells would not need to be prepared, it could be anything from the spell book, cast as needed.
Death's Door: No negative hit point crap, but 0 HP is knocked out/incapacitated from wounds. Any attack on such a character would then be an instant kill (like with a sleeping victim). [not sure about this one, that might be going too soft...]
Magic Items: Back in the old days, I usually just told the players what magic items they'd found. It was simple, and didn't ever detract from the game. I'd likely go back to that (of course, cursed items like potions of delusion or swords -1 would not be revealed until used).
Encumbrance, Schmencumbrance: Yes, the logistics of hauling half a ton of gold up out of a maze may be fun for some, but it can also be a pain in the butt for others. You find the gold, you've earned the gold if you can get out alive. Realistic, no. Fun, yes.
With these rules, I think my friends would be happier at my table. Too bad I'm not gonna have time to DM much in the next few years. I'm going to start taking grad school courses at night in March, so DMing will definitely be out.
Times move on and gaming is a social activity so compromise between lovers of new and old is always going to be important. It can be hard to deal with, but your ideas seem a step in the right direction. Useful post!
When a character’s hit points score is reduced to zero (or less) then he is unconscious. A character at negative hit points is in shock (bleeding out) and loses one additional hit point every minute until first aid is properly applied. If the absolute value of current negative hit points exceeds a character’s Costitution score, he is dead.
A shame. Rolling down the line is just awesome.It's the character quirks that make role-playing fun.D&D is already too much of a numbers game. And I really hate power gamers who try to cook the books and use every supplement known to man (official or otherwise) in order to twink out their characters...
Paul--if anyone wanted to roll 3d6 down the line, I'd totally encourage them. Just saying I'd get fewer complaints and more gaming done if I didn't insist on it. :D
Lydia--don't worry, I'll still have time to play. Just not to run the game myself!
Clovis--I used that version of Death's Door with 3E. It works, but I want something simpler. In my games there will be no such thing as negative hit points. A 1hp character who takes 2 damage and a 25hp character who take 50 points of damage are both in the same boat, at 0. No bleeding out, no need to keep track of some arbitrary basement of hit points. Just if someone gets a chance to finish you, they can. Otherwise, your buddies can revive you and nurse you back to health in time (or with magic).
I've been doing 3d6 down the line, with a single swap between any two stats. I find that this is quicker than arranging all six to taste, and produces some surprises in creation, but still lets the players feel like they have a little control.
For 0 hp, I've been using Trollsmyth's Death & Dismemberment table (based on Robert Fisher's original, of course). My players have generally been lucky, with no deaths yet and two adrenaline surges so far. However, we did have an arm torn off last week, and the party's cleric is nursing some broken ribs. It works for me! | {
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For many years,
the only way to buy television media was off of broad-based age and gender demos.
Not anymore
The term “audience buying” was not a method ever discussed, mainly because there was no need for it.
A quarter of a century ago consumers had 30 network choices delivered solely by broadcast and cable networks and affiliate stations. Today, the average U.S. household receives some 200 over-the-air channels, and roughly 50% of those homes are also streaming content through a smart TV or other wireless device.
So what does this mean for advertisers today? It means that agencies need to be smarter with their planning and execution and utilize data to align advertising messages with the “right” audience watching TV.
Sample TV Audiences
WOMEN WHO RULE
Meet Danielle, one of the Women Who Rule.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that she drives a Honda Odyssey; this battering ram and its countless mirrors allow her to keep a vigilant eye on her children seated in both the second and third rows as she pilots them between school, sports, and the home she owns with her husband, Mark. When she isn’t playing an Uber driver, required to drop the teenaged twins off around the corner from their chosen destination, she uses her most vital external organ (aka her iPhone) to entertain her fellow former-career-women-now-conducting-kid-traffic-control friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram which she uses as a forum to exercise her dry wit and love for the L.A. Dodgers, Lakers, and Rams. Fox News and Chip and Joanna are favorites, but when she really wants to get away, there’s no getting around the fact that she’d rather have the brood in tow, bound for a Disney Cruise or trip to the Magic Kingdom–her idea of the Happiest Place on Earth.
More Likely to be watching HGTV
92%
More Likely to be watching Real Housewives of Orange County
64%
More Likely to be watching The Bachelor
29%
TECH TRAILBLAZERS
You know that friend that always have the latest gadget, even though they drive a Subaru Forester that hasn’t had a tune-up since Barak Obama was inaugurated for the first time?
That would be Francisco, your consummate Tech Trailblazer. His FEEL THE BERN bumper sticker, which he displays like a badge of honor, might just be describing the feeling he occasionally gets in his throat, given his penchant for vaping. On the other hand, he can always drown out any harshness with a Redhook or Mt. Dew Kickstart—so long as it doesn’t compromise the bespoke wax he uses on his ironic mustache. Francisco’s idea of getaway? To wander the noir nights of a dark city using his Oculus Rift 3D Virtual Reality headset or lying in his landlord’s backyard while watching the stars with a pair of Armasight Night Vision Goggles. After all, he would wonder, why would you sweat leaving home for the urban core or outer space when you can live in the Southwest and visit distant places in your head any time you want just by flipping a switch?
More Likely to be watching Rick & Morty
59%
More Likely to be watching CNBC
47%
More likely to be watching Paramount Network
34%
SUSTAINABLY-MINDED CONSUMER
There’s a bin for plastic, one for cardboard, another for glass, and yet another for tin foil and the like.
You’ve just entered the recycle section of Ben and Regina’s garage—the consummate Sustainably-Minded Consumers. The bins are lined up beside their Nissan Leaf, which Ben uses to moonlight as a Lyft driver when he isn’t cycling to work where he fine tunes fixed-gear bikes. Regina is a social media copywriter who dreams of ditching posts about cooking with clay, and leaving it all behind to be a full-time travel vlogger; but then, what would they do with their English Bulldog, Queen Elizabreath? After all, the old girl can’t open those deliveries from Chewy by herself, no matter how often they brush her snaggletooth with Tom’s of Maine. Their idea of a perfect night out is to stay in watching Dark Matter on Netflix with a six-pack of Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, and then falling asleep in their matching flannel nightshirts to some Bon Iver. On vinyl, naturally.
More Likely to be Cord-Cutter
48%
More Likely to be watching Vice
42%
More Likely to be watching Pivot TV
10%
Let’s talk. Seriously.
Reach out now to discover the power of TRADR’s custom audiences. We’ll be in touch within one business day. | {
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