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Review: Beach Fossils — Clash the Truth Alex Hall • February 15, 2013 As long as recording equipment is relatively cheap, we will always have kids who learn three chords and then record an album in their bedroom. It’s not a bad thing at all, but it does increase the volume...

Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection The Motivations of College Students to Volunteer in Local Nonprofit Hospitals The purpose of this study is to assess the factors that motivate and influence 18-24-year-olds, compared to those of other age groups, to volunteer, specifically in local hospitals. Volunteers play an integral role towards sustaining nonprofit organizations (NPOs). For this reason, volunteers have the potential to impact the success and effectiveness of local NPOs including nonprofit hospitals such as Banner Health, Mayo Clinic, and HonorHealth. These hospitals rely on the services provided by volunteers to help facilitate their patient care and achieve their missions. An important component of the hospitals’ volunteer programs must focus on the recruitment and retention of volunteers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, volunteer rates are lowest among 20-24-year-olds. Since most college students encompass the 18-24 age range, understanding the factors that motivate and influence them could indicate why there is a low number of hospital volunteers in this age group. ASU students were surveyed regarding their volunteer history, volunteer motivations, and volunteer constraints. Their responses were compared to survey results from local hospital volunteers to look for significant differences or similarities which are highlighted in this study. A total of 183 ASU students between the ages of 18 and 24 completed the survey, and 58 of those students identified as a prior or current hospital volunteer. Three ASU students participated in a focus group. Out of the five Arizona nonprofit hospitals contacted, only one participated in the study. Banner Thunderbird Medical Center (BTMC) had 34 active hospital volunteers complete the survey. The BTMC volunteers who participated in the study were between 14 and 83 years old with the most common age being 69 years old. Fasani, Sophia Maria (Author) Wang, Lili (Thesis director) Lyons-Mayer, Michelle (Committee member) School of Community Resources and Development (Contributor) School of Life Sciences (Contributor) Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)

Creating A Phoenix: Elegy Posted on April 9, 2015 by Keith Baker I stared down the character sheet in front of me. There were no numbers, no dice rolls and modifiers. There were a list of traits, a name, a class… and questions. Weighty questions. – Playtester Morgan Hillsman Phoenix: Dawn Command is a roleplaying game in which you play a champion who’s returned from death to try to save your world from a host of nightmares. When you play long-term, you build a character from the ground up, selecting your School and your Traits and then answering questions about this process. Rich Malena has created an excellent video that walks you through character creation, and you can see how that works here. However, when you’re playing your first session or playing a one-shot you may not have time to go through this process, or you may feel that you don’t know enough about the world to create your own story. To help with this, we provide a set of pregenerated characters so you can jump right into the game. However, one of the most important elements of Phoenix is having a personal stake in the conflict… so even with our pregens, we want you to answer a few questions. Let’s take a look at Elegy, our iconic Shrouded Phoenix. Lessons and Traits are the things that differentiate Elegy from every other Shrouded Phoenix. Each Trait provides her with a special ability, and the Traits she possesses make her an excellent investigator and assassin. Sneaky enhances her natural stealth, Killer Instincts helps her find weaknesses in an opponent’s defenses, Brilliant Deduction reveals clues, while Seen This Before lets her assist an ally’s action. Psychometry is her unique Shrouded trait, and lets her burn her mystical energy to learn secrets about anything she touches. In addition to these powers, Traits can also enhance any action if you can explain how they are relevant to what you want to do. If the players are trying to understand a mysterious plague that’s overtaken a village, it would help if Elegy had Seen This Before. But assuming that she hasn’t actually seen it during gameplay, it’s up to Elegy’s player to come up with a story about WHERE she’s seen it before. Was it in her first life? Was it during her time in the Crucible, the limbo where she became a Phoenix? You don’t have to tell a story to use a Trait… but if you do, you can get more out of it. Traits are cards that are in your Action deck, and you can only use them when you draw them. Lessons are ongoing abilities that you can use at any time. Elegy has a base set of Lessons that are common to every Shrouded Phoenix, but not every Shrouded knows Shadow Dancer. This makes Elegy an expert at stealth and lets her play more cards when she attacks from hiding… enhancing her talents as an assassin. The paragraph that follows is a brief glimpse into the character’s past. When you make a character in Phoenix, the first question is always who you were in your first life – before you died and became a Phoenix. The Empire provides a number of cultures to choose from. Elegy is one of the Shadovar, a traveling people long distrusted because of their tradition of necromancy. Who were you in your first life? How did you die? Why did you come back? These are the critical questions of Phoenix. You don’t become a Phoenix by chance. If you live a remarkable life and die a meaningful death you have the chance to gain the powers of a Phoenix and return, but it is a long, harsh series of trial. What gives you the strength to make it through those tests? And why is it so important to come back? Returning as a Phoenix means you’ll spend the rest of your lives fighting the Dread; what made this bargain worthwhile for you? Beyond this, how did you die is important because it is also a question of why are you a Shrouded Phoenix? Your choice of School is based on the reasons for your death and the lessons you take away from it. Shrouded Phoenixes die due to secrets, either in pursuit of secret knowledge of because a secret was revealed. Thus, Elegy’s options all deal with a quest for knowledge. As a Shrouded Phoenix, her investigative powers are dramatically increased. As a Phoenix you are part of a Wing – a squad of up to six Phoenixes with a supernatural connection. Once you’re in a Wing you will serve together through all your lives. From the start, we want you to think about your connection to the other members of your Wing. Beyond that, we also want you to think about your fears. Your world is being consumed by horrors. No matter how brave you may be, no one is completely immune to fear. We want you to think about why you fight and who you care about… but we also want to know what gets under your skin. The goal of these and all of the other questions is to help the GM develop details that will make a story feel personal to you. You aren’t just fighting the Dread because, hey, monsters; this is personal. This is a game where you may have to lay down your life to protect the things you care about, and we want to know from the start what some of those things are. When you are reborn as a Phoenix, your appearance is essentially about your image of yourself. You might appear exactly as you did when you died, but any aspect of your appearance could change. Age, gender, race, build… anything could change. If you were an old man, do you still think of yourself that way or do you imagine yourself in your prime? If you were a child when you died, are you now the world’s scariest ten-year-old or do you re-imagine yourself in the image of one of your favorite legendary heroes? Aside from your overall appearance, there are two specific things you need to define: your Talon and your uniform. Phoenix isn’t a game about acquiring loot, because sooner or later you will die and you can’t take it with you. But there are two things that do stay with you, things you carry through the Crucible and on into your next life. Your uniform is the basic clothing and tools you always have with you, the things you need to perform your basic skills; as a Shrouded, Elegy’s uniform can be assumed to include lockpicks and the equipment she uses to investigate. The question here calls on the player to think of something that particularly stands out… a defining element of her uniform. Your Talon is a unique weapon – a tool you acquired in the Crucible and that you will carry throughout your lives. It is a relic that was used by all of the Phoenixes that have been tied to your particular Flame, but over the course of your lives it will evolve along with you. Thus, rather than finding a more powerful weapon, you will instead invest your Talon with greater power over the course of a campaign. Phoenixes can use any equipment they can get their hands on. Between supernatural strength and speed a Phoenix can turn almost anything into a weapon, and part of combat is finding ways to use your environment to your advantage. But your uniform and Talon are always with you, and defining them is a way to help visualize your character. At this point, you’ve got an Action Deck full of cards, a blend of your unique Traits and general actions such as “Strength 3.” You know how you died and what you’re fighting for, and you know the tools you use in that struggle. It’s time to get the story started. Phoenix: Dawn Command is on Kickstarter right now. In future updates I’ll talk more about both the world and the mechanics of the game. If you have any questions, ask below! This entry was posted in Gaming Features, Phoenix: Dawn Command and tagged Kickstarter, Phoenix Dawn Command by Keith Baker. Bookmark the permalink.

Salvation: The Short Course March 19, 2011 March 19, 2011 / W. Keith Brenton It is a sure thing for those who believe in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14) and repent (2 Corinthians 7:10) and love and obey (1 John 3:10). That certainty is stated in the form of a promise (Mark 16:16) which is conditional – because those who do not believe will obviously not repent nor love nor obey. Clearly, those who have believed and obeyed must have heard or otherwise encountered the truth they have accepted (Acts 4:4; Romans 10:14). But there is no scripture I’ve found which excludes from salvation those who haven’t heard and therefore could not believe. They can have no hope of it, since they have not heard of the promise to believers. But believers and those who don’t believe will be judged in the same way – by what they do (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 1:17). Salvation is something Christ has finished (John 19:30), but it is also something He has not yet returned to bring to those who are awaiting him (Hebrews 9:28). So, while it begins in the here and now (2 Corinthians 6:2), it is also not something fully delivered until hereafter (Hebrews 9:28). In the meantime, we who believe are shielded through faith until that salvation is revealed (1 Peter 1:5) – and yet, in another sense, we are receiving it (1 Peter 1:9). So we work out that salvation, with God working it in us (Philippians 2:12-13). In fact, we who believe are to wear it and the hope of it like a helmet (Ephesians 6:17 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:8). The day of its delivery grows ever closer (Romans 13:11). Salvation continues to be offered to all people (Titus 2:11). That doesn’t say it will be given to all people; but it is offered. God would like for all to be saved … but in scripture, salvation seems to be conditioned upon repentance (2 Peter 3:9; Acts 11:18). We demonstrate our penitence by what we obediently do (Acts 26:20), so that all are ultimately judged according to what we do by the Lord (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15). It’s the same basis on which we who believe are judged by those around us, whether they believe or not – and if they have seen good works, will glorify God. (Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12). Sadly, there is only one prospect for those who hear truth yet reject and disobey Christ: there will be wrath and anger (Romans 2:8); they will not see life (John 3:36); the words of the One whom they have rejected will condemn them (John 12:48). Their destruction (Galatians 6:8 ; Philippians 3:19 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:9 ; 2 Peter 3:7) is in a lake of fire, the second death (Revelation 20:11-15), in which only the devil and his angels are tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-10). Disobedient, impenitent mortals will be consumed by its fire (Hebrews 10:27). “Destruction” is a word which is oppositional to “preservation.” “Death” is oppositional to “life.” Those who have eternal life are preserved; they live forever. Nothing I’ve found in scripture speaks of eternal life being given to the disobedient, to be endured in never-ending torment. However, scriptures which speak of eternal life for those who inherit it are abundant: Matthew 19:16-30 , Mark 10:17-30, Luke 18:18-30; John 3:15-36, John 4:14, 4:36, 5:24, 5:39, 6:27, 6:40, 6:47, 6:54, 6:68, 10:28, 12:25, 12:50, 17:2-4; Acts 13:46-48; Romans 2:7, 5:21, 6:22-23; Galatians 6:8; 1 Timothy 1:16, 6:12; Titus 1:2, 3:7; 1 John 1:2, 2:25, 3:15, 5:11-20; Jude 1:21 . The promise of that, offered through Christ, is something worth sharing! Those are my conclusions. You need to reach yours. Read about it. Pray about it. Live toward it. I’ll see you there! salvation, Uncategorized ← ‘Except Through Me’ Scriptural Salvation: Loss-Gain Analysis → 9 thoughts on “Salvation: The Short Course” much better answer to the blather that is out there on the blogosphere, right now. thanks keith. 🙂 Scripture does make a lot of sense! And if some of it seems obtuse, I’ve probably strayed from scripture. laymond If Jesus gives us a passing grade. Keith, you know what gives me hope, The widow and her penny, she didn’t give as much, but it was what she could do. True, Laymond, yet: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (Luke 12:48) Jesus wants to keep us on our toes – never quite satisfied, I think. Always hungry for a little more righteousness! Joe Summitt Good stuff, Keith. I think our “traditional” views of heaven and hell come more from mythology and tradition than Biblical proof. To me, the thought of being totally burned up or annihilated is even worse than eternal torture. Fortunately, we don’t have to live in fear of that! I know the feeling of never being satisfied. I find myself being humbled every time I study. So much more I could be doing… Pingback: Scriptural Salvation: Loss-Gain Analysis « Blog In My Own Eye Pingback: brett’s morning blend (29mar11) | aliens and strangers Guest for truth what you present here ! is a summary about what God expect from us living in the light of Christ! Explain the way the faith comes to us ( Hearing Romans 10:14), what we hear? The Gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16, Eph. 3:4), that is the beginning for some people who are looking for God (Jn. 7:17, Acts 17:27) and is the begining to believe in him (Heb. 11:1,6,Jn. 8:24, Mark 16:16, Acts 16:31) After putting our trust in him, we understand as has been said by the profets , the Lord and the apostles message of repentence is needed, understanding the sorrow according to God ( as peter ) and not according to the world (as Judas), is very important to understand what repentance is, (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38,Acts 17:30; Acts 3:19) and confess Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9-10,Acts 8:37; Mt. 10:32-33;Luke 12:8), to accoplish the commandment of our Lord Jesus is necessary to obey the Gospel the same way as the first century christians were immersed (Mark 16:16,Mt. 28:18-20,Acts 8:37, Mt. 10:32-33, Luke 12:8; and remain faithful growing in the faith and knowledge of our Lord (2 Peter 3:18, Rev. 2:10; Mt. 10:22; 1 Cor.15:58; Gal. 6:9, Fil. 2:12-13,Eph. 6:17). Our God did his part and Now, the man need to do his part to restore a relationship with his creator.

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How to Protect Your Interests against Hostile Takeovers Due to the hard work of corporate management and solid effort by employees, a publicly held company sometimes creates a level of inherent value that is not yet reflected in the price of the company’s shares on the open market. In such situations, the company can become the target of outsiders who seek to gain control before the stock’s inevitable rise in price. Sometimes the outsiders deal amicably with the target company’s management. At other times, however, they attempt hostile takeovers. There are a number of important defense mechanisms that can deter such unwanted advances. Some are effective before the hostile group has been identified. Others can be put in place even after the takeover battle has begun. Under any of these circumstances, you need the sort of big firm talent and small firm attention provided by Milwaukee’s Kerkman Wagner & Dunn Preemptive Mechanisms to Thwart Takeovers The best time to thwart a takeover attempt is before it has been launched. Some preventive tools include: Golden Parachutes Often, the acquiring group or corporation desires control of the target company because of the strength of the target’s management. If that management is given an incentive to leave after the takeover, a corporate raider may well give second thoughts to the raid itself. The employment agreements of top management can be altered so as to provide “golden parachutes”— or lucrative payments for change in the overall composition of the target company’s board of directors. Hefty severance allowances for important key employees can also make it much more expensive for the corporate raider to gain ultimate control over the target. Employee Stock Option Plans An employee stock option plan, or ESOP, is a special IRS-qualified retirement plan offering tax savings to both the corporation and its shareholders. Through an ESOP, a broad group of employees are given an ownership stake in the company. Those employees ordinarily vote in conjunction with the target’s management. In most cases, many of them are the target’s management. Should the takeover attempt require shareholder approval, the target has stacked the deck a bit through the establishment of the ESOP. Change of Control Clauses in Important Corporate Agreements Sometimes referred to as “Shark Repellents,” these clauses can be inserted in important corporate agreements, such as bank loan agreements, equipment leasing arrangements, and the like. These give the lender or lessor rights to accelerate the loan or terminate the lease arrangement if control of the company passes to an outsider. While these clauses can prompt litigation, they can be quite effective in holding off the advances of an unwanted and hostile suitor. Reactive Mechanisms to Thwart Takeovers If the corporate raider has already launched the attack, other tools can be utilized, such as: While the terms of such arrangements vary and are typically quite complex, a “poison pill” is typically some form of charter provision that allows existing shareholders, but not the corporate raider, the right to purchase the target company’s stock at a price considerably below its market value. Allowing existing shareholders these rights dilutes the shares held by the raider, making the takeover much more expensive and, therefore, less attractive. People Pill Somewhat similar to golden parachutes, noted above, with “people pills,” management and other key personnel threaten to resign en masse. The acquiring group or corporation often wants the target intact. This mechanism threatens the future of the target to maintain its track record of success. Discuss Your Corporate Strategies With an Expert Attorney Corporate management should always be diligent in protecting the company from the sort of hostile takeovers that can erode and degrade years of hard work contributed by many. The best tools and mechanisms to be used in the defense of a company vary from company to company and also change over time. Companies need solid, experienced legal counsel, like the Milwaukee-based Kerkman Wagner & Dunn, at the center of any discussion and planning. To begin a review of your company’s special needs, call 414–278–7000, or complete the contact form on our firm’s web site. The initial consult is free of charge.

Three Blind Mice & Coronavirus Induced Financial Insanity - Scott McLean #4705 Scott’s radio show is Financial Insanity and that is exactly what’s happening now. The Market’s collapse has taken us back to May 2017. This is how today’s financial advisor sends your money to a mousetrap. From 1899 to 1921 the market went nowhere. When the PE shows 30, it’s time to head for the exits. This is the time to do something. From the year 2000 to now the stock market is only up 96%. Insurance would have done much better. It's never too late to get your financial house in order.

Iditarod Robert Donat © 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.; photograph from a private collection (1905–58). English actor Robert Donat was known as much for his dashing good looks as for his striking voice. He won an Academy Award for best actor for his role in the film Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939). Friedrich Robert Donath was born on March 18, 1905, in Withington, Manchester, Eng. As a boy he suffered from a stutter, and the subsequent elocution lessons helped prepare him for a life onstage and in the movies. As a teenager he began performing in Shakespearean plays, and by 1924 he was a member of famed actor Sir Frank Benson’s touring company. He acted in a few minor films before landing the role of Thomas Culpeper in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), which helped launch his career in Hollywood. Unhappy in the United States, however, he only starred in The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) before returning to England. A number of films followed, including The 39 Steps (1935) and The Citadel (1938), before Donat starred as an English schoolmaster in Goodbye, Mr. Chips. After winning his Oscar, Donat spent the 1940s and ’50s working mostly onstage. The few films he performed in did not fare well in either the critics’ or audience’s opinions. In 1949 he directed, costarred, and produced The Cure for Love. His last film was The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958). Donat’s health, never very sturdy, continued to decline, and he died on June 9, 1958, in London.

Saint Anthony Hospital St. Anthony Hospital is a 601-bed regional referral facility specializing in cardiology, oncology, surgery and behavioral medicine. The hospital is located in midtown Oklahoma City and serves the needs of Central Oklahoma as well as many counties throughout the state of Oklahoma. Virginia Mason Health System Van Andel Institute Purple Community Spectrum Health Foundation Memorial Hermann Health System CHOC Children’s

Sexism in the Workplace, and How to Counter It To some people, sexism might seem like a thing in the past, but to others, it’s still a stark part of their reality. No matter what your job is, sexism exists, and sometimes in ways other than what you might expect. Not every instance of sexism is calling someone out in front of all their peers and discrediting their work because of their sex. It can be much more subtle, such as: Insults disguised as jokes: The most frequent form of everyday sexism, these “jokes” are insults based on a person’s gender identity and are usually written off as a joke to diminish the seriousness of it when called out. Example: Let her know who wears the pants around here! Devaluing a woman’s voice or insight: This includes, but is not limited to, men speaking over or interrupting women, men “mansplaining” a topic to a woman under the assumption that she knows nothing about the topic, women’s views not being heard or supported unless a man restates the same views, and so on. Example: Asking a woman to speak to a male employee under the assumption that he’s the manager when in reality, she’s the manager. Assuming that parenting and a career don’t mix: This affects both men and women. When a woman is a parent and still focuses on her career, it’s implied that she is a poor parent for making working and parenting equal in priority. Women are also questioned on their flexibility at work because she’s also a mother. Meanwhile, men don’t get the same parental rights that a mother does to care for his child, and even if he does he’s often discouraged—if not outright denied—from using those rights due to the assumption that caring for children is a “woman’s role.” Example: A woman being told her career is over because she’s pregnant; a man being asked why his wife couldn’t take care of the kids when he suggests that he will. The existence of sexism doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be done about it. You don’t have to go out to a women’s rights protest to combat sexism, but there are some things you can do on a smaller scale to make it clear that sexism in your workplace is not okay: When a sexist joke is made, don’t laugh along with it. Laughter validates the joke and its implications. Instead, call out the joke by asking what the speaker meant by the comment and make your stance on the subject clear: it was not okay. At meetings, make sure that there’s an equal share of voices heard around the table. Don’t be afraid to question assumptions about what kind of work women can and cannot do. Check yourself as well—if you find yourself making these stereotypical assumptions, or any other sexist remarks, work on unlearning these and question why, exactly, you think that way in the first place. Ensure equal access to flexible work schedules for both men and women within your organization, if you have the power to control that. If not, advocate for equality.

Ready to talk? Call us now: 501-663-6364 Kirkpatrick Creative Advertising engineered to work. You are here: Home / Marketing / 4 of the Best Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Strategies to Use (Even if You’re Not D2C) August 17, 2020 by Monica Tucker 4 of the Best Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Strategies to Use (Even if You’re Not D2C) Direct-to-consumer marketing has seen growth in the past decade because of a shift in consumer desires. Learn how direct-to-consumer brands appeal to their (very choosy) customers, as well as the lessons you can learn from their tactics—even if you aren’t D2C. What is a Direct-to-Consumer Brand? Direct-to-consumer—often shortened as D2C or DTC—means that a product goes straight from the manufacturer to the customer, not through a middleman (such as a department store, grocery store, or online seller like Amazon or Etsy). This allows a brand to have complete control over a product throughout its entire lifecycle: they make the product, dictate how and where it’s sold, and get it to the customer themselves. Some examples of direct-to-consumer brands include: Casper, which which delivers a mattress straight to your home Glossier, a makeup brand that can’t be bought in department stores Flaviar, a subscription for samples of high-end spirits Blue Apron, a service that delivers meal recipes and ingredients The internet—and an increase of accessibility in general—has helped direct-to-consumer brands flourish. Before, manufacturers were beholden to retailers to get their goods to the public. Now, however, it’s easier than ever for products to go straight to consumers, saving time, money, and hassle. What is Direct-to-Consumer Marketing? The difference between direct-to-consumer marketing and traditional, business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing primarily comes down to control. Imagine that you’ve made a product and you’ve negotiated with Walmart to sell it. Walmart will now control how your product is advertised—if they decide to advertise it at all. They decide where it’s placed in their aisles, including which competitors’ products they display yours next to, and which stores to stock it in. Worst of all (in our opinion, at least), you have little to no access to data regarding how and why your product is selling. This means that you won’t have a clear idea of why people bought your product over the one next to it. Was it the TV commercial for Walmart it briefly appeared in? The YouTube pre-roll ads you produced on your own? A clearance sale you didn’t have control over? How about word of mouth? You can’t know for sure. If you don’t know the problem, you can’t begin to fix it—but in this case, there’s not much you can do to fix it, because Walmart is standing in the way between you and your customer. When you market your product directly to the consumer, on the other hand, you have control over how and where your product is advertised. You also have access to the data that tells you what’s getting your product sold and what’s not. By eliminating the middleman, you can begin to create a direct relationship between brand and consumer. “Direct to consumer marketing allows suppliers to provide an end-to-end brand experience because they retain control over the entire process,” explains Meredith Wood of Fundera. “The company is responsible for making a winning product, attracting and marketing it effectively to customers, delivering the product or service, and owning customer communication and experience. This direct interaction with consumers from start to finish means that suppliers can collect customer data and address issues that arise without messages being warped by an intermediary retailer.” Modern consumers love personalization and a smooth, streamlined shopping experience, both of which are best provided by direct-to-consumer brands. And for marketers, it’s an ideal relationship, too. “The benefits of D2C marketing are clear: through this direct relationship, these companies are creating strong relationships with their consumers, understanding them better, and reaching a more specific, appropriate audience,” points out Caroline Forsey, manager of HubSpot’s marketing blog. How to Use Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Tactics (Even if You’re Not a D2C Brand) When several brands offer the convenience, transparency, and quality that consumers are now used to, the difference between them becomes customer experience. Therefore, everything you do must be focused on your specific customer; if not, they’re just going to go somewhere else to find an experience that caters to them. That’s why it’s important to think like a D2C marketer: they have a lock on reaching the ideal customer through the perfect channels to tell the exact story they’ll react to, ultimately building loyalty through content and excellent customer service. Here are four direct-to-consumer marketing tactics you can use to impress your customers and keep them coming back for more—whether you’re a D2C brand or not. 1. Forge a Connection Customers have come to expect being able to communicate with the companies they love. The internet has provided quick, convenient ways for consumers to access help, get valuable information, or even just enjoy a funny Tweet from their favorite brands. “For the first time, it [is] possible for customers to make demands of companies as individuals—and to have those demands fulfilled,” says Randall Rothenberg, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). “This individual connectedness between companies and consumers—an impossibility just 25 years ago—is now an assumed right. Today, J.D. Power says two-thirds of consumers expect direct connectivity to companies.” That direct connectivity is natural for direct-to-consumer brands because there’s no middleman: no retailer or seller to get in the way. Even further than just easy communication, customers want to form relationships with the brands they love. It helps them feel good about what they purchase, and they feel more comfortable advocating for the brands they support. To foster a relationship with your customers, it’s imperative to create an experience that they can’t get anywhere else—which brings us to D2C marketing tactic #2. 2. Make it Personal The modern consumer has come to expect brands to provide convenience in the form of personalization—for example, customized recommendations and allowing browser cookies to remember information about them to make shopping easier. According to the 2020 Brand Disruption Report by the IAB, 51% of consumers surveyed are more likely to make a purchase when a brand personalizes content. Additionally, 49% said they would become loyal to the brand and 46% said they would recommend the brand to someone else. Edward Dennis of Core DNA says direct-to-consumer marketing “allows you to cater to your target customers the way you know they want to be treated.” “Whether this means providing them with top-quality, engaging content, treating them to more personalized services, or doing something else entirely, going D2C can allow you to become more connected and engaged with your end-users than ever before,” he explains. So how do direct-to-consumer brands achieve this personalization? It’s easier for them to obtain their customers’ data because the relationship is more direct. (“The data is better because every transaction and interaction is captured,” says Rothenberg.) Then, direct brands can use this data to further personalize a customer’s experience—including product recommendations, digital ad retargeting, and even customer service—to cultivate loyalty and keep them coming back for more. If you’re not a D2C brand, getting that data might be a little tougher…but it’s by no means impossible. That’s where an experienced advertising agency like Kirkpatrick Creative comes in. We measure the data of everything we do to ensure our clients get the best possible performance at the most effective price. It’s what we call advertising engineered to work—and in our opinion, it’s impossible to achieve advertising that works without data. 3. Tell a Story The nature of direct-to-consumer products means that they’re typically sold online—meaning the customer doesn’t get to touch, feel, or try the product. This means that the advertising has to be even more compelling, with breathtaking visuals and plenty of info so customers know exactly what they’re getting—and why they can’t live without it. Even if you’re not a D2C brand, you should tell (and show!) customers the story of how your product will make their life better. “The ideal place to begin this story is by looking at what your differentiator is,” suggests Scott Ginsberg, Head of Content at Metric Digital. “Here’s one question we challenge our retail clients to ask: Who is the kind of person that, if they had this product, and you took it away from them, would feel some sort of pain? You have to put yourself in the shoes of someone whose life would be improved by your product.” One way to do this is through native ads: sponsored posts that appear on websites like BuzzFeed or on influencers’ pages. These appear like regular articles that casual browsers are used to, save for a notice that the post is sponsored. The beauty of native ads is that they can be used to speak directly to the exact audience you want to reach. For example, direct brands that provide makeup subscriptions benefit from sponsoring posts on beauty influencers’ blogs, Instagram accounts, or YouTube channels because that’s what their followers have come to expect: quality, relatable content about buzzworthy products. “The average individual is exposed to over 10,000 messages a day. The modern consumer has become savvier at tuning your brand’s message out,” says marketing agency Parker White. “Native ads are a direct response to this clutter, and when done right, your messages…go from pushing content onto your consumers to pulling them in.” 4. Branding is Key We say it often: successful branding is far more than a visually-pleasing logo and a snappy slogan. From a direct-to-consumer marketing standpoint, the core of your brand should be the experience it provides the customer—at every single interaction. Enveloping the customer in a shopping experience that they enjoy is the key to creating trust and loyalty, no matter if you’re D2C, B2C, or something else. “Ensure that your brand’s personality shines through in everything you do,” Dennis recommends. “One of the main benefits of D2C marketing is that you have a direct line of communication with your customers—meaning your brand’s voice won’t be ‘hidden’ behind that of your retailers’.” So how do you unite effective branding with a great customer experience if you’re not a D2C brand? Consider storytelling and content as extensions of your brand identity. User-generated content—whether it’s organic or from a paid influencer—is a great way to achieve this. When it comes to convincing the modern customer that you’re great, it’s not enough to have five-star reviews anymore: you must show prospective buyers that people like them enjoy having you in their lives. How to Implement Direct-to-Consumer Marketing for Your Brand You don’t have to be a direct-to-consumer brand to recognize that the marketing strategies they use are incredibly effective at building customer loyalty. The question is whether your brand is able to harness those strategies for your success. Luckily, hiring an advertising agency is the perfect middle ground between relying on a retailer and shouldering the marketing burden yourself. Not every company can be 100% independent in their journey of getting their product or service to the consumer—and that’s why we’re here to help. At Kirkpatrick Creative, telling your unique, customer-centric branding story is what we do. We know how to collect the data you need to target your ideal audience and reach them at the right time with the right message. Plus, we’ll tell you what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve. For success in the modern age, your brand must be prepared to deploy marketing with a content- and data-driven focus on the customer that’s designed to create loyalty. Ready to see what advertising engineered to work can do for your brand? Contact Kirkpatrick Creative today and let’s get started! Filed Under: Advertising, Branding, Marketing Tagged With: D2C marketing, direct-to-consumer marketing Start a FREE Marketing Assessment Get the FREE Marketing Assessment That’s Helped Top Firms Generate Thousands of Leads and Save Millions of Dollars! Start your Assessment 5 Ways Digital Advertising Helps Manufacturers 5 Things Your Healthcare Website Needs for Lead Generation How Branded Gear Benefits Your Business A Backlinking Guide for Small Law Firms 4 of the Best Digital Marketing Strategies for Healthcare Clinics Put us to work! Let’s be social. Send us snail mail. Start a FREE Consultation. Ready to see what high yield advertising could do for your business? 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Chris Johnson | Posted on March 17, 2023 | Politicians’ latest game in D.C. is a pain in the ice Sorry to interrupt your “work” as you try to keep an eye on that pivotal March Madness first-round matchup between Grand Canyon University and Sewage Ditch Community College, but that’s hardly the biggest sports story of the month. Nor did the biggest sports story come from the NFL Combine, where Southwest Mississippi guard Bubba Squashmeyer ran a 2:04.45, which would have set a new record had it been the New York City Marathon and not the 40-yard dash. Fortunately, he did set a new physical measurement mark with a 95-inch neck, breaking the record held for more than four decades by Tennessee Highlands defensive lineman Jabba Dahutt. The biggest sports story this month actually came from the world of ice hockey. It was the annual Congressional Hockey Challenge, a charity event in Washington, D.C. that pits Lawmakers vs. Lobbyists. The lawmakers won 8-3. There’s a major problem with this event, however, that must be addressed. Not only did the Lawmakers have only one actual lawmaker on the team (Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., a former hockey coach), but they also had a couple of ringers — Olympians from the U.S. Women’s National Team. The Lobbyists had a ringer or two, as well, but there were plenty of actual lobbyists playing the game. Usually when lawmakers and lobbyists play games, the losers are the American people, but in this case it’s hockey fans. We deserve a real political hockey game. In fact, it’s not fair to have lobbyists play at all because you know the lawmakers’ goalie is going to glove everything a lobbyist shoots their way. We need a Congressional Hockey Challenge that is more like the Congressional Baseball Game — Democrats vs. Republicans — but with less gunfire. Because fewer lawmakers play hockey, we’re going to need both the U.S. House and Senate to participate. I imagine it might go something like this … Hello, hockey fans. Sean Hannity here with Fox News’ unbiased and exclusive — or is it, hmm — play-by-play coverage of the Congressional Hockey Game between the Republican America-Savers and the Democratic Wokesters. Time for the face-off between Paul Gosar and AOC. The GOP secures the puck as Gosar slashes AOC’s right arm clean off, which he tells the referee was just a joke. They’ll be allowed to skate around the arm until there is a stoppage in play. Now it’s intercepted by Bernie Sanders, who is racing up the left side — way left. He’s crashing into the boards all by himself. He’s looking for a Democrat to pass to, but they’re insisting he first pass it to a trans black woman of Asian descent. They are now staging a sit-in until one is found. Let’s go to a commercial. “Hi, I’m Mike Lindell …” And we’re back! GOP center George Santos has the puck now. He’s clearly the most prolific player on the ice as the NHL’s 2014 Hart Memorial MVP Trophy winner and the 2017 champion of RuPaul’s Drag Race. But he is clobbered on a cross-check by teammate Mitt Romney. That’s going to be a penalty. Let’s go to another commercial. “Hi, I’m Kirk Cameron. Do you have persistent itching from unconstitutional high gas prices and can’t get a double-reverse mortgage, then visit us at Jesus’ Gun Shop and invest in gold …” And we’re back for the exciting finish, brought to you by Dominion Voting Machines. The GOP throws in their ringer, a Russian, Vee Pootin. He’s on a breakaway flanked by his favorite teammates, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, a formidable duo of idiots. But Gaetz falls down as the Democrats’ top defender Elizabeth Warren points out the G.W. Middle School cheerleading team is in the arena, while Greene is spinning around and distracted by a prize blimp floating over the ice. She’s saying something. Let’s listen in. “It’s Chinese! Shoot it down, Joe! Shoot it down, Joe!” BLAM! “Why’d you shoot it down?! That could be dangerous!” “That wasn’t Joe! That was me, Granny Boebert!” And that’s how it ends. The Dems somehow won 8-6 despite not scoring a single goal that I noticed. Let’s ask the GOP coach, Donald Trump, what happened. “I just need you to find me three more goals.” You moron. “What’s that, Sean? You’re mumbling.” I said you’re a genius, sir! Great coaching!

Kategoria: Open Dialog Foundation Mr. President, remember about human rights! Open Dialog Foundation 9.5.2013 | Text and pictures: Kukka Ranta At the moment, the President Niinistö is visiting Kazakhstan at the invitation of the autocratic head of the republic, President Nursultan Nazarbayev. China’s share in Kazakhstan’s oil industry is growing rapidly. If the influence of the EU as a trading partner weakens, the ability to influence the situation with human rights in the Central Asian republic will be also lost. In the heart of an oil-rich desert, near the town of Zhanaozen, there is a Muslim ‘city of the dead’, where in October 2012, a witness, who testified about the use of torture by the police, was buried. Photo: Kukka Ranta. Throughout the last ten years, Kazakhstan has retained third place in terms of economic growth, falling behind China and Qatar, primarily due to vast oil deposits. Now there are attempts being made to expand the profile of the economy, but economic growth is threatened by the upcoming division of power. Suffering from tumour, the 72-year-old Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has concentrated billions of dollars in assets in his inner circle. The older the ruler, the more aggravated the situation with human rights in the country becomes, as no practice of democratic and legal division of the branches of power exists. Viktor Bozhenko’s younger brother, Aleksandr, gave testimony in court, stating that police used torture after the mass shooting in Zhanaozen. Five months later, Aleksandr was killed. In recent months, the Security Committee of Kazakhstan has openly threatened independent journalists and their families. According to the editor-in-chief of the ‘Respublika’ newspaper, Irina Petrushova, who has been accused of extremism, callers threatened that children of journalists will be the first to be harmed. Like many other media outlets, ‘Respublika’ was closed in November 2012: in fact, in Kazakhstan no independent media currently exist. Prior to that, independent publications emphasised the autocratic powers of the president, corruption and mass shooting of oilmen. The newspaper ‘Respublika’, whose acting deputy editor is Oksana Makushina, was accused of radicalism in November 2012. In December, the police closed down the editorial office, seized the equipment and threatened journalists with incarceration. ‘Respublika’ was the main press outlet of the opposition, and it provided objective coverage of the situation in Zhanaozen. Numerous journalists have been assaulted in the street, and as a result of the persecution, the paper has been forced to repeatedly change its name. When the publication was commencing its activities in 2002, at the doors of the editorial office they found a headless corpse of a dog, to the side of which a note was attached with a screwdriver. The note read: ‘Next time it’s going to be worse’. In December 2011, hundreds of people were fatally shot in the most important oil-producing centre of Zhanaozen on the Caspian Sea. The shooting was orchestrated in order to quell a many months’ long strike, which slowed down the pace of production. According to official reports, 17 people were killed. However, residents of the town claim that numerous bodies were hidden, and, the number of casualties most likely reached one hundred. Following the shootings, hundreds of people were detained and tortured; this means was applied in order to force them to give false testimonies. Opposition parties and independent media outlets were virtually destroyed. Many human rights activists fled the country, fearing for their lives. The head of the most significant opposition party ‘Alga’ which has also been accused of extremism,, Vladimir Kozlov, is currently serving a term of seven and a half years’ imprisonment in the Kazakhstani ‘Siberia’. The working day in the colony begins at 6:00 a.m. Work continues until 8:00 pm. Kozlov has lost more than 5 kg in weight and does not receive necessary medical care. The wife of Vladimir Kozlov, Aliya Turusbekova, is now in Europe, trying to ‘reach out’ to the governments with information about the situation in Kazakhstan and the fate of her husband. When in March 2013 Aliya visited Finland, she was threatened with imprisonment, and soon after that with ”an accident with fatal consequences”. Mikhail Sizov took on temporary leadership of the largest opposition party in Kazakhstan, ‘Alga’, after its chairman, Vladimir Kozlov, had been taken into custody. Kozlov was arrested in January 2012, upon his return from a meeting of the Office of External Relations of the European Parliament, where he reported on the situation in Kazakhstan after the mass shooting. In October, Kozlov was sentenced to seven and a half years of corrective labour on charges of organising riots in Zhanaozen and making endeavours to overthrow the government of Kazakhstan. As a result of his incarceration under difficult conditions in the penal colony in the Kazakh ‘Siberia’ Kozlov has lost 15 pounds (6 kg). Mikhail Sizov is seriously concerned about the safety of his family. The European Union and Finland are carrying out negotiations with Kazakhstan on the trade agreement. In November, the European Parliament, in accordance with a draft resolution prepared by Liisa Jaakonsaari, voted to break off the negotiations if the human rights situation in Kazakhstan continued to deteriorate. Following this decision, Kazakhstan has focused on the organisation of bilateral meetings with heads of European governments to strengthen trade ties with desirable partners. Just this year, three Kazakh Ministers paid a visit to Finland. In November 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Idrisov, when commenting on mass executions for the Finnish media, explained that the tragic events were caused by the actions of ‘hooligans’. However, in fact, they were mere pawns in the campaign of oppression. According to numerous stories relayed by Zhanaozen residents, crowded trains transporting people dressed in work overalls arrived in town. As reported by the official Kazakh media, these people, in the eyes of the world and the Finnish press, were the very ”strikers” and ”thugs”, whom the police ”justifiably” called to order. Thousands of genuine strikers kept the strictest discipline for months in order to achieve the improvement of their labour rights strictly by legal means. The telecommunication group ‘Telia-Sonera’ owns 61.9% of the shares of the largest Kazakh telephone carrier ‘Kcell’; before the transaction which took place in December, the share amounted to 86.9%. During the events in Zhanaozen, the telephone connection was blocked as a result of the introduction of the state of emergency. The connection provided by ‘Telia-Sonera’ was also disrupted. International Trade Minister Аlexander Stubb paid a visit to Kazakhstan in October 2012. He was accompanied by the most numerous business delegation of all time. At the same time, Аleksandr Bozhenko was killed; he was a key witness who gave evidence in court on the use of torture by the police immediately after the mass shooting. And now, President Sauli Niinistö, accompanied by his wife Jenni Haukio, a delegation of heads of enterprises, Minister of Economic Affairs, Jan Vapaavuori (the National Coalition Party) and a representative of the project entitled ‘A law abiding state in Central Asia’, a former president of the Supreme Court of Finland, Pekka Halberg. On Wednesday, 17 April, a meeting between Niinistö and Nazarbayev will be held (the article was published on 16 April, 2013 – trans.), which is expected to cover the issues of bilateral relations between Finland and Kazakhstan, as well as the relations between the EU and the Central Asian republic. China’s influence in the oil industry of Central Asia is growing rapidly. Unlike China, the European Parliament has demanded that the human rights situation in the region be improved. Without trade relations, it will become impossible to influence the observance of human rights, but if the requirement for the development of the law-abiding state isn’t articulated explicitly enough, Finland and the EU will in effect endorse the criminal actions of the Kazakh government. The husband of the 58-year-old Nuriyash Abdraimova participated in the strike. In total, it was attended by 15,000 people with the mass support of the town residents. Women who were preparing food for the strikers, met regularly in Abdraimova’s apartment. As a result, she is now fighting a court battle against the decision forcing her eviction from the apartment. The mother of the 25-year-old Aliya, Roza Tuletayeva, was one of the leaders of the strike movement. Due to this fact, she is now serving a seven-year term of imprisonment. She was forced to give false testimony by a means of torture. Roza finally knuckled under pressure from the police when they threatened her daughters would be raped. A subdued seven-year-old Erbakhyt is already well aware of what happened to his grandmother. In Zhanaozen’s neighbouring village of Shetpe, the police opened fire on civilians at a train station. The 55-year-old Zhanibek Tolegenov is holding a photograph of his thirty-year-old son Torebek, who was killed by police fire. Torebek was a fireman and tried to calm the police officers who stood against unarmed civilians in full combat arms. The shooting lasted until nightfall. The father rushed to the hospital in his car in order to see his son; now, his car is bearing the marks of bullets. Subsequently, Torebek died of the injuries he sustained. Read in Russian: Г-н президент, помните о правах человека! Journalist Kukka Ranta covered this topic earlier in the article, ‘The kingdom of crude oil’ (‘Voima’ 2/2013). The article ”People, get in order!”, co-written with Oksana Chelysheva, was published in the ”Finnish version of Time magazine (Suomen Kuvalehti) (10/2013). While the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö was holding a meeting with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Astana, in Helsinki, journalists were making efforts to influence their leader. ‘Niinistö, do not forget about human rights’ – was the title of an article written by a Finnish journalist, Kukka Ranta, who managed to visit the Kazakh Zhanaozen. We have mentioned this publication before, and now, editors of the newspaper have kindly sent us a translated version of the article. This article was first published in Finnish in the electronic version of the ‘Voima’ magazine, within the ‘Society’ section on 16 April, 2013. The translation of the article and photographs are published with the consent of ‘Voima’ magazine. Kukka Ranta English, Keski-Aasia, korruptio, kuvareportaasi, Open Dialog Foundation Kommentoi 09/05/2013 07/07/2015 7 Minutes

Exclusive and Featured Acts Tributes A-Z Jerry Lee Lewis & Elvis Killer & The King ‘Killer & The King!’ is a high-octane musical celebration of rock-n-roll legends Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. See the magic that made a generation swoon in the 1950’s. From ‘Great Balls Of Fire, ‘High School Confidential’ (and many more!) to ‘Blue Suede Shoes,’ ‘Jailhouse Rock’ (and many more!)……there will be a WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’ goin’ on! This rockin’ show is guaranteed to have you ALL SHOOK UP! Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis are portrayed by seasoned professional performers, who are among the top tribute acts in the U.S…..and backed by a group of musicians, who meticulously care about the quality and authenticily of the great music! “The closest they can get to Elvis in the flesh, is Scot Bruce’ – CNN 1020 El Mirador Ave. Long Beach, CA 90815, USA [email protected] © 2021, La Jolla Booking Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Listen to Armistead Maupin Read From His Forthcoming Memoir ‘Logical Family’ Author: Edit Team In October, HarperCollins is releasing Logical Family, the new memoir from celebrated author Armistead Maupin. The book provides a revealing account of Maupin’s extraordinary life and literary career. In this long-awaited memoir, the beloved author of the best-selling Tales of the City series chronicles his odyssey from the old South to freewheeling San Francisco and his evolution from curious youth to groundbreaking writer and gay rights pioneer. Born in the mid-20th century and raised in the heart of conservative North Carolina, Armistead Maupin lost his virginity to another man “on the very spot where the first shots of the Civil War were fired”. Realizing that the South was too small for him, this son of a traditional lawyer packed his earthly belongings into his Opel GT (including a beloved portrait of a Confederate ancestor) and took to the road in search of adventure. It was a journey that would lead him from a homoerotic navy initiation ceremony in the jungles of Vietnam to that strangest of strange lands: San Francisco in the early 1970s. Reflecting on the profound impact those closest to him have had on his life, Maupin shares his candid search for his “logical family”, the people he could call his own. “Sooner or later, we have to venture beyond our biological family to find our logical one, the one that actually makes sense for us”, he writes. “We have to, if we are to live without squandering our lives.” From his loving relationship with his palm-reading Grannie who insisted Maupin was the reincarnation of her artistic bachelor cousin, Curtis, to an awkward conversation about girls with President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office, Maupin tells of the extraordinary individuals and situations that shaped him into one of the most influential writers of the last century. Maupin recalls his losses and life-changing experiences with humor and unflinching honesty and brings to life flesh-and-blood characters as endearing and unforgettable as the vivid, fraught men and women who populate his enchanting novels. What emerges is an illuminating portrait of the man who depicted the liberation and evolution of America’s queer community over the last four decades with honesty and compassion – and inspired millions to claim their own lives. Click here to listen to an excerpt from the audiobook. 'Queer and Trans Artists of Color: Stories of Some of Our Lives' by Nia King 'They Don’t Kill You Because They’re Hungry, They Kill You Because They’re Full' by Mark Bibbins New in August: James Sie, David Levithan, Casey McKittrick, and Kim van Alkemade About: Edit Team Bio/Memoir Logical Family

“Maybe you’re skeptical about a dance fitness program that promises to transform your body in only 8 weeks. I know I was, but then I tried Latinva. I’ve gone from skeptic to believer.” * Results may vary depending on starting point, goals and effort.

Finding Relief With United Allergy Labs Lawsuit Lynda July 2, 2021 United allergy labs is a huge company and they have many different products to offer for allergy sufferers. One of the most popular is a nasal spray that can keep your sinuses clear of allergens that can cause you to have an allergic reaction. This allergy testing clinics offer a free trial to those who order their nasal spray and it can be shipped directly to your home. For those with allergies that are hard to control there are options to help you. United Allergy Labs Lawsuit It is best to catch allergies early so that you can avoid any long term damage done to the immune system. A lot of people are able to live a normal life with allergies when they are diagnosed early. There are allergy testing clinics that can do a complete blood test so that you can find out what is triggering your allergies and to find out if you are dealing with an allergy that needs medication. If you are dealing with a sinus infection or hay fever symptoms this allergy testing clinics can help you with finding out the exact cause of the problem. Allergy shots can also be a good way to treat your allergies. Many people are not able to use traditional medications because they will not work right away. An allergy testing clinic can offer injections that can help speed up the effects of allergies and can give you instant relief. You can also do allergy shots at home with an over the counter medication that you purchase. This type of treatment is more affordable than going to allergy testing clinics. It is best to know exactly what is triggering your allergies so that you can figure out a good treatment plan for your problems. Many allergy testing clinics offer free allergy tests and you will have the results within days. If you are having an adverse reaction to one type of food or allergen, you may need to change your diet in order to get rid of the allergy. If you are concerned about the cost of going to an allergy-testing clinic then you should call the United States Department of Health and Human Services office for your local office. They can help you find a clinic near you or point you in the direction of one that is available. The cost of this service is usually free. This way you can get an immediate diagnosis of your allergies and be on your way to feeling better in no time. It is important to remember that if you are having any kind of reaction to your current medications then you should consult with a doctor before continuing with an allergy treatment. If you start with allergy testing and discover that your reaction is not allergies related then you may be able to file a lawsuit against the company that gave you the drug. Many times large corporations will give a trial to a person who feels they have been mistreated by their drug company. This is not a common occurrence but it does happen and you may be able to receive compensation for your troubles. Class Action Lawsuit Against Smile Direct Club Charles Schwab Lawsuit

Insecurity: Wipe Terrorists Off The Earth – Buhari Tells Nigerian Army… Insecurity: Wipe Terrorists Off The Earth – Buhari Tells Nigerian Army Officers President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerian military officers to confront terrorists and wipe them off the face of the earth. Buhari said this in Kaduna State while celebrating the sacrifices and successes of the Nigerian military in defending Nigeria courageously, urging them to bring peace to the country. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 247 students of the Senior Course 44 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, on Thursday, Buhari promised that his government would continue to provide the needed support required to wipe out terrorists from Nigeria. Buhari told the graduating students: “The response of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, militancy, kidnapping as well as the activities of separatists and armed militias amongst others have been commendable. “We have witnessed recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria bearing the hallmark of national and trans-border insurgents trying to cause havoc in Nigeria as well as in neighbouring countries. “It’ll be part of your duty to confront these terrorists and insurgents and wipe them off the face of the earth and bring peace to our countries.” Donald Trump’s Wife, Ivana Dies At 73 NBA HUMAN RIGHTS SUMMIT ON THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA: INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

LCD Display Inverter Display Inverter / VGA Board / LCD Controller Researchers have designed the world’s first 3D artificial eyeball that can mimic the human retina as a human eye? On May 25, researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have designed the world’s first 3D artificial eye, which may be clearer than the human eye. If all goes well, it is expected to bring sight to millions of people within five years. The artificial eye creates images through a variety of tiny sensors that mimic the light-detecting photoreceptors of the human eye, the report said. The sensor is packaged in aluminum and tungsten films, forming a hemisphere with a diameter of over 2 cm, mimicking the human retina. What is the function of this 3D artificial eyeball? According to Prof. Zhiyong Fan from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the size of the bionic eye is comparable to that of the human eye, and the structure of the bionic eye is also highly similar to that of the human eye. When a single nanowire is electrically addressed, it has the potential to achieve high imaging resolution. The image is transformed by a multitude of tiny sensors housed in a hemispherical membrane made of aluminum and tungsten that mimics the human retina, which could theoretically exceed the high-resolution imaging of the human eye. Not only that, this artificial retina is sensitive to all frequencies of light in the visible spectrum, and it responds in as little as 19.2 milliseconds after receiving a light stimulus, and then returns to an inactive state in 23.9 milliseconds, 40 times longer than the photoreceptor cells in the human retina. -150ms response and recovery time is much shorter. Experts say the technology could be used in a wide range of applications. In addition to helping individuals improve their eyesight, other biomimetic light-sensitive devices can be made. Animal and clinical trials are currently being planned, and it is expected to be ready for use within five years. It is reported that in addition to helping people improve vision, this bionic eye technology can also be used to make other biomimetic photosensitive devices, and animal and clinical trials are currently being planned. Structure and function of the eyeball The human eye is an approximate spherical body, with an anterior and posterior diameter of about 23-24 mm and a lateral diameter of about 20 mm, which usually becomes the eyeball. The eyeball is composed of two parts: the refractive system and the photoreceptor system. The wall of the eyeball consists of three membranes with different textures: (1) Cornea and sclera. The outermost layers of the eyeball wall are the cornea and sclera. The cornea is in front of the eyeball, accounting for about 1/6 of the entire eyeball wall area. It is a transparent film with a thickness of about 1mm and a refractive index of 1.336. The role of the cornea is to focus the light entering the eye, that is, to refract and concentrate the light entering the eye. The sclera is the outermost white and tough membrane in the middle and rear, accounting for about 5/6 of the entire eyeball wall area, with a thickness of about 0.4-1.1mm, which is our “white of the eye”, and its role is to protect the eyeball. (2) The iris and choroid. The iris, choroid, and ciliary body make up the middle layer of the eyeball wall. The iris is the annular membrane layer behind the cornea that divides the space between the cornea and the lens into two parts, the anterior chamber and the posterior chamber. The inner edge of the iris, called the pupil, acts like the aperture on a camera lens, automatically controlling the amount of incoming light. The iris can contract and stretch, so that the pupil dilates when the light is weak and shrinks when the light is strong, and the diameter can vary from 2 to 8 mm. The ciliary body is formed by the thickening of the choroid behind the junction of the sclera and the cornea. It contains smooth muscle that supports the position of the lens and regulates the convexity (curvature) of the lens. The choroid has the widest range, close to the inner surface of the sclera, about 0.4mm thick, and rich in melanocytes. It is like a camera camera obscura, which can absorb stray light in the eyeball and ensure that the light only enters the eye from the pupil to form a clear image. (3) Retina. This is the innermost transparent film of the eyeball wall, attached to the inner surface of the choroid, with a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.5 mm. There are a large number of visual photoreceptor cells, cone cells and rod cells on the retina, which is the photoreceptor part of the eye, and its function is like the photoreceptor material in the camera. In the central part of the back of the eyeball, there is a particularly dense area of ​​cells on the retina, which is yellow in color, called the macula, about 2 to 3 mm in diameter, and has a small fossa in the center of the macula, called the fovea, where the most vision is sharp place. The macula is about 4mm away from the nasal side. There is a disc-shaped optic nerve head. Because it has no photoreceptor cells, it has no photoreceptive ability, so it is called a blind spot. Light signals from external objects form an image on the retina, where the inner segment of the optic nerve transmits information to the brain. Similar LCD Inverter What do you think of the 48V technical solution for automotive electronics? 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iJoomla Learning Center Teacher Interface Learn Joomla JomSocial Google is an American multinational corporation specializing in Internet-related services and products. These include search, cloud computing, software, and online advertising technologies. Most of its profits are derived from AdWords. Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University. Together they own about 16 percent of its shares. They incorporated Google as a privately held company on September 4, 1998. An initial public offering followed on August 19, 2004. Its mission statement from the outset was "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful", and its unofficial slogan was "Don't be evil". In 2006 Google moved to headquarters in Mountain View, California, nicknamed the Googleplex. Courses by this teacher Google Webmaster Tools 12/26/2013 iJoomla Extensions Cursos en Español Little Web Hut HTML5 Basics JavaScript & jQuery CSS Basic Tutorials Newest Courses! iJoomla is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Joomla! Project or Open Source Matters. The Joomla! name and logo is used under a limited license granted by Open Source Matters, the trademark holder in the United States and other countries.

American History Series: President Wilson Helps Negotiate an End to World War A poster for selling liberty bonds shows Uncle Sam with a truck full of citizens holding bonds under a sign saying "To Berlin" Or download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link) BOB DOUGHTY: Welcome to THE MAKING OF A NATION – American history in VOA Special English. This week in our series, Larry West and Maurice Joyce continue the story of President Woodrow Wilson and American involvement in World War One. LARRY WEST: Nineteen eighteen was the final year of the most terrible war the world had ever known. But World War One did not end quickly or easily. The German Army made a final effort to defeat the Allies. The United States had entered the conflict. And Germany wanted a victory before large numbers of American troops could get to Europe. Germany's effort became easier after it signed a peace treaty with the new Bolshevik government in Russia. The treaty made it possible for Germany to use all its forces against the Allies on its western border. In the end, however, Germany's plan failed. Allied troops pushed back the German attack in a series of bloody battles. The addition of American soldiers greatly increased Allied strength. MAURICE JOYCE: The leader of American forces in Europe was General John J. Pershing. General Pershing used a weapon new to the world of war: air power. Airplanes were used first simply as 'eyes in the sky'. They discovered enemy positions so ground artillery could fire at them. Then they were used as fighter planes. They carried guns to shoot down other planes. Finally, planes were built big enough to carry bombs. General Pershing also used another new weapon of war: tanks. He put these inventions together for his battle plan against Germany. German soldiers standing around a German tank as other soldiers make repairs LARRY WEST: Pershing's target was the Argonne Forest. It was a tree-covered area Germany had held since nineteen fourteen. The forest was protected by barbed wire and by defensive positions built of steel and concrete. It was the strongest part of the German line. It also was the most important part. If Argonne fell, Germany's final lines of defense would fall. The fighting in the Argonne Forest was fierce. Thousands of men died. Sometimes, troops got lost because the forest was so thick with trees. But day by day, the Allies pushed the Germans back. MAURICE JOYCE: Germany's leaders were losing hope. In September, nineteen eighteen, they met with German ruler Kaiser Wilhelm. The army chief reported that the war was lost. Germany had no choice, he said. It must give back all the territory it had seized and try to negotiate a peace agreement. Other officials told the Kaiser that the situation at home was bad, too. People were starving. Revolutionaries were plotting to overthrow the government. Kaiser Wilhelm agreed it might be best to seek peace now. . . Before Germany was destroyed completely. He asked his foreign secretary to send a secret message to American President Woodrow Wilson. The message would propose immediate negotiations to end the war. From left, General Paul von Hindenburg, Kaiser Wilhelm II and General Erich Ludendorff examine maps LARRY WEST: President Wilson received it. He did not tell the other Allied leaders. Instead, he returned a message to Germany. Wilson asked if Germany was willing to accept the peace proposals he had offered many months earlier. Germany's Chancellor answered that his government did accept the proposals. However, the events of war ended the secret exchange of messages between Germany and the United States. German submarines had increased attacks on Allied shipping. Two passenger ships were sunk. Eight hundred twenty persons were killed. Many were women and children. President Wilson was shocked. He told Germany there could be no peace negotiations with such an inhuman enemy. MAURICE JOYCE: In late October, nineteen eighteen, Wilson sent a final message to Germany. He wanted a settlement that would make it impossible for Germany to fight again. Germany, Wilson said, must promise to withdraw its forces from all Allied territory. It also must close its weapons factories. Wilson added that the Allies would negotiate only with a government that truly represented the people of Germany. . . not with military rulers. The new German Chancellor was Maximilian, Prince of Baden. Prince Max received President Wilson's message. He succeeded in getting Kaiser Wilhelm to dismiss the man responsible for German military policy. But he failed to get the Kaiser himself to give up power. President Woodrow Wilson LARRY WEST: Not all allied leaders supported President Wilson's plan to end World War One. They could not agree on some parts of it. Britain, for example, opposed the part about freedom of the seas. Britain said it would prevent the kind of naval blockade which had been so effective against Germany. France and Italy opposed the part about creating a new international organization. Wilson had called it a league of nations. To solve these differences, Wilson sent his closest adviser to Europe to meet with Allied leaders. The discussions were long and sometimes bitter. Many of the Allies thought Wilson was being too kind to the defeated enemy. But in the end, they all agreed to accept the plan as a starting point for peace talks. MAURICE JOYCE: By this time, in early November, the situation in Germany was growing worse. Communists and Socialists were calling for a rebellion. The navy was ordered to go to sea. Sailors refused, and killed some officers. Reports told of rebellion in parts of the German army, too. The nation's leaders had no choice. They would negotiate a peace treaty. On the morning of November eighth, a German delegation went to Allied military headquarters to discuss terms. LARRY WEST: The Germans were met by the Supreme Allied Commander, Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France. Foch greeted them coldly. And he did not offer peace terms until they officially asked for a ceasefire. Germany -- not the Allies -- had to put down its weapons first. The Germans were shocked when they heard the terms. The list was severe. Among other things, Germany must withdraw its forces from all occupied territories. It must give up Alsace-Lorraine, a part of France it had held for almost fifty years. It must give up most of its weapons including airplanes, submarines, and battleships. And it must turn over large numbers of trucks, railroad engines, and other supplies. MAURICE JOYCE: The German delegation said it could not sign such an agreement. Germany, it said, was not surrendering. It was only asking for a ceasefire. The delegation said it could not accept the peace terms without communicating with the government in Berlin. But the German government was falling apart. Kaiser Wilhelm had finally resigned and left the country. A new cabinet had been formed. And a new prime minister had declared a German republic. Yet the situation remained unsettled. Because of this, the German delegation negotiating with the Allies had to decide for itself. After much argument, the men agreed to the Allied terms. They signed the peace treaty. A ceasefire began a few hours later. LARRY WEST: News that the shooting had stopped set off wild celebrations throughout the world. People danced in the streets. They cheered the end of the worst war in history. There were celebrations along the battle lines, too. But these were quiet. Soldiers from both sides climbed out of long trenches dug in the ground. They met the men who, a short while earlier, had been their deadly enemy. The bloody European conflict was over. The dispute, however, was not. Another fierce battle was ready to begin. This time, the battle would be among diplomats. The fight over the peace treaty officially ending World War One was about to begin. That will be our story next week. (MUSIC) BOB DOUGHTY: Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. The narrators were Larry West and Maurice Joyce. You can find our series online with transcripts, MP3s, podcasts and images at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for THE MAKING OF A NATION -- an American history series in VOA Special English. This is program #160

Strategy Studio © 2016 Leff Communications. All rights reserved. - Content is still king Content is still king Scott Leff on December 23, 2010 As the year draws to a close, 2010 will likely be remembered in communications for the continued rise of social media, the growing dominance of smartphones, and the emergence of the iPad and other tablets. Marshall McLuhan once exclaimed that “The medium is the message.” What happens when the medium diminishes the message? The focus on which communications channel is most important and whether to plan a wake for the PC obscures a more important point: these channels and devices are a means to an end, not the end. As time becomes more precious and attention spans get shorter, more and more energy is going to devising ways to attract an audience. Unless the content provides value, however, users aren’t going to be satisfied. Worse, you may actually be doing damage to your company or brand by displaying poorly developed ideas. We’ve all experienced searching for a topic, finding an entry that promises exactly what you’re looking for, and then being totally let down by what you find. Standing out in an ever-growing crowd has led many to focus on search engine optimization and keywords, but in the rush to attract a crowd with a catchy headline or pithy 140 characters, it takes you back to something that got lost somewhere somehow along the way: compelling content. So what’s the answer? For starters, the need to produce a steady stream of content invites mediocrity—unless there’s thought and consideration providing a supporting framework. Not every post needs to be the Best.Blog.Ever. However, all blogs should have a purpose, be consistent with the tone of the brand and its messaging, and provide value for the reader. Setting up an online publishing schedule to maximize milestones, promote events, and repurpose existing content (press releases, media alerts, webinars, and others) can bring some order to the process. Second, if you don’t have something valuable to say, link to others who do. Pointing readers to other interesting content can demonstrate that you’re up to date on the latest trends and understand the dynamics of your industry. It’s the equivalent of putting together a great song mix—there’s a talent to it, and people do appreciate the skill involved. If you frame up the discussion well, your taste can still be insightful and offer value to the reader. Last, a little preparation can go a long way. If you have something important to say, don’t assume that blogs allow for a lower standard of communication. Misspellings, rambling narrative, stream of consciousness, and free association are at best distractions and at worst a disqualifier. You can’t expect your audience to respect your thoughts if you don’t expend the effort to render them respectfully. An old proverb states, “In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” There’s a lot of mediocrity out there, and if you’re going to put effort into getting people to pay attention, make sure you have something to say and say it well. Scott Leff Scott is the founder of Leff. He's spent his career helping executives and subject matter experts tell their story in a compelling way. In the process, he's had the opportunity to work with C-suite executives, politicians, academics, and Olympians, not to mention dozens of talented writers, editors, and designers in the business world. Scott developed the concept of "lean content creation" as a cost-effective way to support comprehensive, integrated communication strategies. Scott Leff 2010-12-23T18:20:13-06:00 Previous Post (p) The jazz myth in blogs Next Post (n) The ideal length for a blog post 223 W. Jackson Boulevard, Suite 510 Copyright © 2021 Leff Communications.

17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Suite 200 Email: [email protected] Dr. Mark Lail Thank you for your interest in the Nazarene Foundation. Please fill out the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible. I would like to request: Quarterly mailed newsletter signup Important Info for My Loved Ones worksheet Leaving a Spiritual Legacy Wills & Trusts Guide Model Generosity Brochure Endowments Brochure Charitable Gift Annuities Brochure Donor-Advised Fund Brochure Non-Cash Giving Brochure Phone Call from a Representative Email from a Representative Enter Your Information: State Please Select Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Thank you for your inquiry. We will respond to you as soon as possible.

Libra Think I post long and extensive things. This is my outlet. Tag: pharaoh Free Will vs. Predestination August 10, 2021 darlene1 Comment Of course, I start a blog, write two essays, and abandon the thing for the next month and a half. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been on my mind, or that I haven’t had any ideas on what to write, but it does mean I’m more fuzzy on the details now than I had been before, on this topic. It also means that I took more time to gather details. But here is the question (as it is probably made obvious from the title): how can free will exist within the same realm of predestination? First, as we know God to be omnipotent: an all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful God, I’d like to start off by defining predestination, as I know it to be: there is a destination for each person. We go where we are meant. John Calvin took this to an extreme, claiming unconditional election- “By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.” (Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapt. 21, Section 5) So, according to him, it seems that our fates are sealed: there are those who were chosen for eternal life in Heaven, and those who were destined for Hell, and that’s the way God wants it- which is a concept that I’d like to argue in this piece; obviously, it’s a discouraging philosophy. And, with what we know about mankind, humans are oftentimes wrong. Calvin didn’t come to this idea in any unbiblical sense, however, he came to this conclusion based on his interpretation of the scriptures. In this exploration, we will use Romans 9, in which Paul directly mentions “the elect,” Paul writes: “Not only that, but Rebekah’s children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad- in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls- she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’” (Romans 9:10-13) Calvin’s interpretation seems very obvious in those verses; Esau didn’t seem to have a chance in the matter at all. His fate seems determined from the start: he was not elect. The other scripture we’ll explore is, what seems to be, the deliberate damnation of Pharaoh: “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: ‘I raised you up for this very purpose, that I may display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” (Romans 9:16-18) Romans 9 is a very interesting text, and it’s understandable why Calvin interpreted its message in such a way to prove that God deliberately chooses whether a person’s soul ascends to Heaven or descends to Hell. In Exodus 9, God describes how he has, in fact, raised up Egypt and Pharaoh in order to destroy them as a demonstration of his glory. Does this eliminate Pharaoh’s ability to have a change of heart? Where is Pharaoh’s free will, the one he inherited from the decisions made by early man in the Garden, and how does it play out in this scenario? Did God create a soul with the purpose of being damned? I wonder if it is not God deliberately creating Pharaoh to be damned, but God knowing his heart from before creation. He understood that Pharaoh would perpetually put himself over God’s will, no matter what divine wonder he witnessed. God does not force us to come to him, but rather he deliberately tries to push us into that direction. He shows us himself and hopes that we come. And yet, because he is omnipotent, he knows which ones of us will not come- no matter how hard he tries. God tried harder to sway Pharaoh to himself, perhaps more obviously than with most anyone else in the Bible, knowing that it was impossible to reach Pharaoh’s heart. He yearned for Pharaoh’s soul as much as he yearned for David’s, and for the Samaritan woman’s at the well. But he also knew that, through his grasps for Pharaoh’s heart, he would lead the people of Israel out of captivity. It is not by works but by him who calls, and God knows who will call out his name. God knows who will come to him sincerely in their heart. Even when Pharaoh let the Israelites go, his words did not hold sincerity and he followed them with his army to bring them back to captivity. Perhaps, on the predestination note, God (knowing Pharaoh’s heart from the beginning of time) allowed his birth to be within Egyptian royalty, instead of in another place. He knew this would not only give himself the opportunity to demonstrate his love and power for the Israelites, but would give him the most obvious opportunity to witness himself to Pharaoh. How does this relate to Esau? There is an impulsivity within the self that seeks the material. Esau sold his birthright in a moment’s notice to his brother Jacob for some food to nourish the body; as soon as one plague let up, Pharaoh retained the Israelites to keep them weak, and to utilize their labor- only, as we know, to be hit by another plague. Neither Esau nor Pharaoh pursued the longer lasting satisfaction that derives from obeying the will of God; because of this superficiality and their materialistic values, Jacob was put before Esau in the eyes of God, as was the weaker nation of Israel over Egypt and Pharaoh. God understands the lessons of history before they occur in our timeline, and utilized his understanding through the Bible to provide his perspective and truth to his people. Romans 10:21 references the prophet Isaiah, where we learn God’s unwillingness to give up on us, even the most hardened hearts, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ All day long, I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations-” Isaiah 65:1-2 So, can predestination and free will coexist? I believe so. I believe that God has a will for everyone to come to him, and give him their hearts and faith. He wants to transform us all into his sons. But God is a realist; as a being who knows all, it is impossible for him not to be. Our actions and our lives are merely the reflections of the states of our hearts. We can decide whether to be receptive towards his renewal; it is up to us, not God, whether our hearts remain hardened or whether they receive him. God fights for all of us with infinite passion, however, he also has the infinite insight on how our free will plays out within our lives. He allows each person the position in life where they can shape the lives of others and, despite their own darkness and rebellion, be utilized as a tool to demonstrate his love and desire for our souls. I could be wrong, and this opinion has been sizzling this way and that on the back burner of my mind for some time now. It’s apt to change, and I’m apt to write another essay when it does. One of the exciting aspects of Christianity is that because the mind of God is infinite, our studies of him can never cease. Like in physical science, we will have theories that will be proven more true over time, and theories that will fall through with further testing. Tagged calvin, Calvinism, christianity, Debate, doctrine, freewill, jacobandesau, johncalvin, pharaoh, Predestination

Frances Anne Kemble Journal of A Residence On A Georgian Plantation, 1838-1839 Read by James K. White Fanny Kemble was a British actress who married mega-plantation owner, Pierce Butler of Georgia. During her marriage she kept journals of eve… The World's Best Poetry, Volume 3: Sorrow and Consolation (Part 1) Read by LibriVox Volunteers The third of ten volumes of poetry edited by Canadian poet laureate Bliss Carman (1861-1929). This collection includes a range of famous poe…

France Travel: Is The Country Returning To Health Passes And Masks? Whilst many EU countries have been eagerly revoking travel restrictions across Europe, France remains one of the most prominent to still keep some travel restrictions in place—a guide to current French travel restrictions can be found here. France’s mask mandate was dropped on 16 May 2022, almost two years to the day when it was first brought in. But now, with rising Covid-19 rates across France (reaching 342,504 cases were reported last week), the French Health Minister called on people to start wearing masks again on public transport—but did make it clear that it was simply advice rather than a mandatory requirement. She also suggested it was a good idea if its citizens once again decided to cover up faces whilst in crowded public places. Masks are currently only mandatory in medical establishments or places such as retirement homes. This comes at the same time as the European Parliament agreed to extend the regulation that established the EU digital COVID certificate—the EUDCC as it is known has been in use across EU borders since 1 July 2021 (although many countries have since dropped the requirement). The regulation will be extended until 30 June 2023, for another year. This certificate has allowed European countries to easily establish a traveler’s health status, whether they are recovered, vaccinated or have tested negative for Covid-19 and when. And there are reports that the French government is considering re-introducing the Health Pass at its borders—a leaked document to the French press has shown that this is one possible proposal to reduce rising Covid-19 infection rates across the country. It has been made clear that this is just one suggestion and is not a return to the Vaccine Pass—where people had to be vaccinated to remain fully involved in French public life. Individuals can remain in a state of permanent testing with the Health pass as vaccination is not a pre-requisite for validation. However, it does show just how seriously the French government are taking the rising Covid-19 rates and it might also dictate just how long the current Covid-19 travel restrictions remain in place. Have Tent, Will Travel…In Style Spa Wellness Travel Is A Continuing Trend

The PRO Act – Dems Attempt To Upend Freedom By Eliminating Right To Work by Faye Higbee | Feb 10, 2020 | Politics There’s a bill that passed the House along party lines recently that you may have never heard of: the PRO Act, or “Protecting the Right to Organize” – HR 2474. “To amend the National Labor Relations Act, the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947, and the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, and for other purposes.” [Catch the “for other purposes” part.] Actually, the bill protects the union’s rights to force themselves down the throats of workers. The bill effectively deletes right to work laws in 27 states and makes union membership MANDATORY. It also destroys the ability of smaller companies to become franchises – because the bill demands “joint employers.” It’s a bill designed to make certain Democrats get donations from Unions…at the expense of American businesses and our flourishing economy. HR 2474, or the PRO Act, amends the National Labor Relations Act and two other laws in a severe way. Though you will read that now farmworkers and others can sue their employers, the vast parts of this bill do more than that. Republicans who read the law found severe problems in it: If the Pro Act were to become law, it would mandate workers to pay union dues, subject personal information to organized labor institutions, and eliminate the right to a secret ballot. The bill would overturn Idaho’s longstanding “Right To Work” law and replace it with federal labor mandates. It would also re-structure corporate franchise rules so drastically that franchises could cease to exist in Idaho. In terms of potential impact on Idaho, “The Pro Act” would be more appropriately deemed “The Con Act”. Rep Russ Fulcher, R-ID. The bill would force employers to turn over employees’ private information—including cell phone numbers, email addresses, and work schedules—to union organizers so they can intimidate employees until they give into unionizing. The Supreme Court’s Janus Decision in 2018 stated that a union could not force employees to pay dues when they do not belong to the union, because it was a First Amendment violation. This bill would undo that ruling, at least until it could be brought before the court again. Andy Puzder, in a Fox Business report, stated that the legislation would be a disaster for the American Economy. “While couched as workers’ rights legislation, the PRO Act is a tacit acknowledgment that the Democrats’ Big Labor allies have a serious problem: workers just aren’t very interested in what the unions have to offer. When the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”) began reporting the data in 1983, union membership stood at 20.1 percent of US employees. That percentage has steadily declined ever since and, in 2019, dropped to 10.3 percent. Dwindling union membership means declining revenue and political influence. So, the Democrats, who depend on union endorsements and union dues to support their political campaigns, are advocating policies that essentially eliminate the option of going non-union. Perhaps most tellingly, the PRO Act would eliminate Right-to-Work laws nationwide, an important means for workers to hold their unions accountable and a critical protection for workers who do not want to financially support a political organization with which they disagree. As a result, the PRO Act would force workers in the 27 states that currently have right to work laws into unions, compelling them to pay union dues, despite their desire to remain independent. The bill would also eliminate the right to a secret ballot in union elections, forcing workers to vote in front of union organizers and colleagues via ‘card check,’ a system that both sides of the aisle have condemned.” Estimates from the American Action Forum are that this bill would cost American employers at least $12.1 Billion and cause losses of $33.3 Billion and that’s from just two of the provisions in the bill, according to Puzder’s report. The “joint employer” clause in this bill effectively destroys any ability to be an independent contractor, or become a franchisee as a smaller partner. (So much for those people who wanted to have a McDonalds or other franchise). It’s big unions all the way, baby. Compulsory unionization is on the Democrat plate. Freedom is not. Their plan to control everything in your life is on full display in this bill. There are 40 Democrats in the Senate that have signed on to it, but no Republicans so far. Hopefully, the Senate will not be able to pass this – the President would veto it anyway. But keep these kinds of control freak bills in mind as you go to the polls in November and even before: if the Democrats get into power again, America is headed for government control of every aspect of your life.

Be My Valentine… Here’s Your Chocolate by Birdie in Uncategorized Tags: confectionery company, flower shop, romantic feelings, sending flowers, store shelves, valentine s day Valentine’s Day in States in my eyes: the prices of roses rise, the heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates appear in various shops, there are specials on jewelry, packages of Valentine’s cards can be found on store shelves. The day is one for guys and girls to share their love and affection with one another. Zipping over to Valentine’s Day in Japan… it’s a VERY different story! Though Valentine’s Day was introduced in the late 50’s, it wasn’t until about 1970 that it became somewhat well-known. The confectionery companies in Japan decided this would be a day when women could express their feelings to men they liked/loved by giving a gift of chocolate. Remember… this was way back when during a decade when Japanese women were rather shy. Not to say there aren’t shy women here now, but the younger generation has become somewhat “Westernized” and they are more vocal about their feelings, opinions and such. 🙂 So anyway… as a child, I remember the department stores and little gift shops filling their shelves with cute boxes of chocolates, decorated in a way that was appealing to women, yet, were given to men. And ONLY from women to men! Then another confectionery company came up with the idea of “White Day” (March 14th), but we’ll get into that explanation in a month. 🙂 Fast forward to 2012… the customs for this chocolate-filled day haven’t changed very much. I guess the slight changes in recent years have been these additions: “Giri-choco” – Chocolates given to male co-workers and classmates, not because of romantic feelings but because you feel obliged to do so. “Honmei-choco” – Ones given to a guy whom you truly like/love. “Tomo-choco” – Ones given to female friends as a sign of friendship. A friend who has a flower shop told me that their business has a new trend… sending flowers has become popular from a couple of years back. When I told her how it is in the U.S., she said, “It would be AWESOME if that happened here!” Can’t really say that one way is good and the other is bad… just that it’s different. Does anyone out there have any special memories of Valentine’s Day? (Good or bad…) One for me is from middle school. I was unsure of the relationship I was in at the time and was thinking of breaking up with my boyfriend… it was right around Valentine’s Day. Thought to break up on that day was too cruel, so I broke up with him the next day. (I know, I know… that’s just as bad.) Had the chance to apologize to him about it recently… funny thing is he didn’t remember it was the day after and wondered why I was worried about it all these years later. 🙂 Anyway… I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day regardless of how you celebrate the day! (Ours here in Japan will be over in about 2 more minutes…)

Exclusive “Painting for the Brain” Workshop This is a one week painting workshop where you will have the opportunity to (re)discover the joy of painting with the guidance of Pieter Adriaans, a painter, musician, scientist, philosopher and author. He has published several books including a new book ‘Schilderen voor het brein’ (Painting for the Brain) which details the underlying theory that will be explored in this workshop. The book was originally published in Dutch. In 2023, the book will be printed and released in English. During this special workshop, Pieter will guide you through a series of theoretical and practical hands-on sessions at his Atelier de Kaasfabriek on the idyllic island of São Jorge, Azores. “After you take this workshop, you will never look at a painting the way you did before” Pieter Adriaans For short introduction by Pieter Adriaans about the workshop…. CLICK HERE Painting for the Brain… is the result of a lifelong quest into the questions of what painting is and why it means so much to us. As a researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence Pieter has been lecturing on this subject for almost 40 years. He has written more than 100 papers and books, given seminars on advanced information theory as well as masterclasses on philosophy for artists. After his retirement from the University of Amsterdam in 2021, he decided to share this material and make it available to a wider audience. Our brain is a semantic machine that constantly looks for new meanings in images. It is the task of the painter to explore this semantic visual space. In this sense, painting is still at its infancy. The two basic rules of cognitive realism are: 1) A painting is a program for the visual machine in our brain. 2) Our visual system compresses and expands information, therefore the painter can leave information out (which ties back to the book’s motto: “Painting is the art of omission” Jacobus J. Koeman (1889–1978)) Concept: Ever since the training in realistic drawing and painting was abandoned in art schools about 40 years ago a tradition of reflection on realistic painting and its techniques, that had its roots in the Renaissance, has almost come to a standstill. Over the years Pieter has spent a large part of his time trying to understand the relation between representation and reality. As a painter he has done hundreds of experiments investigating the way our brains process visual information. He has discovered many things, some ancient but forgotten, others completely new and based on recent insights in mathematics, neuroscience, biology or computer science. A simple ceramic floor tile, or is it? Our brain is eager to see meaningful images, even if they do not exist, as when we look to the clouds, at rock formations or even at this ceramic floor tile. During the ages artists have used these techniques to stimulate their creativity. These romantic images emerged when I was staring at a floor tile in our room during long winter evenings. Using information theory one can understand how and why this works for our brain and how you can use it to develop your own creativity. From the book, “An image is more interesting when it is made up of the right combination of bland and complex elements. This type of insight can then be used for studying the laws by which the composition of a work of art – a painting, piece of music or any other – is considered as ‘good’. We continue to discover new things every day that are relevant in the art of painting. The marriage between art and science is very much alive again and… in love as never before.” This is an example of four different concepts of how to paint a portrait. In the course you will learn why the classical renaissance approach (upper-left) can be modified to create different concepts of how to paint, for example, in the pointillist style (upper-right) and in the fauvist style (lower-right). The confrontation with the Azorean landscape and culture has had a major impact on the work of painter-philosopher Pieter Adriaans. In 2015, Pieter and his wife Rini opened a cultural center in the old cheese factory in Santo Antonio, São Jorge Island. The stunning landscape paintings he has made since 2002 form the heart of the collection and are on permanent display. Apart from that “Atelier De Kaasfabriek” organizes exhibitions, concerts, courses and other activities. Pieter’s paintings are in collections all over the world. More about Pieter Adriaans, his paintings and Atelier de Kaasfabriek: Pieter and his Paintings Atelier de Kaasfabriek Media & Techniques: Students work in principle with acrylic paint on paper, board, or canvas. Dependent on individual taste, experience and ambitions, watercolor, pencil, charcoal, pastel and other media may be used. The materials will be provided during the course. Because of the climate, humidity and environmental issues, oil paints are not used in the atelier. All students receive handouts with the course material. Activities: Daily demonstrations, presentations and drawing exercises are structured to exhaust the limitations of the media and the theory. Participants develop personal visual vocabulary through individual studio time, group discussions and one-on-one feedback. The workshop will be provided mostly in English but Pieter is also fluent in French, Portuguese, Dutch and German. Who can attend: In principle everybody is welcome, varying from the unexperienced beginner to the seasoned amateur or professional artist. Specific drawing or painting skills are not required but we do hope you have an avid interest to learn new skills and understand why they work. For more information, watch the Q&A LIVE Stream… CLICK HERE Early Booking Price: 2 650 € per person for a private room in a shared 2-bedroom apartment (2 950 € for a private apartment) until February 28, 2023. After February 28, 2023: 2 950 € per person for a private room in a shared 2-bedroom apartment (3 250 € for a private apartment). What’s included? Just about everything, specifically: paint and supplies, accommodations at Cantinho das Buganvilias Resort Hotel on São Jorge Island; 3 meals per day, programmed excursions and receptions, transportation between the selected accommodation and the Atelier as well as to the airport transfers. Additional upgrade options for accommodations are available below. Exclusions: airfare and related travel & medical insurance. Given the numerous on-line flight reservation systems, numerous connection options and individual preferences we feel that each traveler is best suited to review and select their preferred options, airline and itinerary. Next workshop: April 29 – May 6, 2023 (to make it extra special, you can also arrive early and stay later) Saturday, April 29, 2023 – check-in and take some time to rest and then attend a Welcome Reception and Dinner (for those that arrive early, enjoy some leisure time to rest or explore the island) Sunday, April 30, 2023 – full day guided excursion to see the sights of São Jorge Island to experience nature in its purest form Monday, May 1 to Friday, 5, 2023 – daily workshop sessions at the Atelier de Kaasfabriek Saturday, May 6, 2023 – breakfast and check-out (or extend your stay to enjoy São Jorge Island or discover the two other islands of the Triangle of the Azores) This workshop will be limited to a small number of participants so secure your spot now! Future workshop: October – November 2023 If you are unable to attend this workshop but would like to add your name to the priority waiting list for the next workshop or to receive information about other upcoming workshops or retreats… Get on the list for next time Refund policy: Due to logistical and service provider commitments we are not able to provide a full refund once your reservation has been confirmed and paid. However, if a cancellation is made after February 15, 2023, we will provide a 50% refund. We strongly encourage you to consider using an independent travel & medical insurance provider to ensure that costs & any inconveniences resulting from unexpected trip or flight cancellations and delays are minimized. NOTE: Tremors have been registered in the western part of São Jorge Island since mid-March 2022, which have since weakened again. The Azores are of volcanic origin (like Hawaii, Canary Islands and other archipelagos) and tremors are not uncommon. The intensity in March prompted local civil defense to issue a safety alert (which is still in place). However, the interim travel warning for the island of São Jorge was lifted by the Federal Foreign Office on 04.05.22 because the tremors have stabilized at a very low level. Life on São Jorge is back to normal. We continue to monitor the situation very closely and are in regular contact with our local partners. Should the situation change, we will inform all travel guests and in the interest of everyone’s safety, make adjustments to the itinerary, if deemed necessary. ACCOMODATIONS: Cantinho Das Buganvilias Resort Hotel (included in price) Villas Casteletes (500 Euro for a private T0 Villa or 575 Euros for a T1 Villa) Cabanas da Viscondessa (640 Euro for a private Studio or T1 Suite room) Viscondessa Family’s Collection of Pieter’s Paintings MAKE YOUR TRIP EXTRA SPECIAL – Participants have an opportunity to enjoy additional unique experiences that can be added on, before or after, the workshop, including: Canyoning: Feel your adrenaline rush as you rappel down spectacular Kayak or Scuba dive along the coast of São Jorge Island Snorkel into hidden grottos and caves in crystal blue waters Climb Pico Mountain (Portugal’s tallest point) with a guide (full-day activity plus day-trop to Pico Island) Experience breathtaking hikes through lush, green vegetation, beautiful volcanic craters and spectacular cliffs Countless sites to simply relax and revitalize Take a short ferry ride to the nearby islands of Pico and Faial islands to: Walk through a UNESCO World Heritage site, Pico Island’s Vineyard Culture, and then savor its wines Visit the volcanic ash covered village of Capelinhos on Faial Island (1957-58 eruption) You can also select from one of our Self-Guided Packages or we can personalize your extra days and make your trip complete.

1950s Vintage Danish Table Lamp by Lyfa Desk Mid Century Light Black Brass 1950s Vintage Danish Table Lamp by Lyfa. Stunning piece by the revered midcentury Danish design firm Lyfa. Good vintage condition with minor signs of age. There are some heat blemishes on the under side of the shade. The lamp is fitted with UK plugs. Being a vintage electrical piece it's always advised to get the lamp looked at by an electrician. THANKS FOR LOOKING, SHOUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS! PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY OTHER ITEMS! The item "1950s Vintage Danish Table Lamp by Lyfa Desk Mid Century Light Black Brass" is in sale since Sunday, January 10, 2021. This item is in the category "Antiques\Antique Furniture\Lamps\20th Century". The seller is "ritrovato" and is located in London, London. This item can be shipped to United Kingdom, Antigua and barbuda, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, United States, Bahrain, Canada, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, China, Israel, Hong Kong, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Barbados, Brunei darussalam, Cayman islands, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Grenada, French guiana, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Macao, Monaco, Maldives, Montserrat, Martinique, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Paraguay, Reunion, Turks and caicos islands, Aruba, Saudi arabia, South africa, United arab emirates, Ukraine, Chile, Bahamas, Colombia, Costa rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Kuwait, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Trinidad and tobago, Uruguay, Viet nam.

Barney Frank is right, Hagel is wrong for the job I'm sorry, I refuse to live in a world where I look the other way when racists, sexists and homophobes inflict their hate on society. Chuck Hagel is a homophobe. He has always been a homophobe and always will be. James Kirchick (New York Daily News) explains the former Senator's actions and words: “They are representing our lifestyle, our values, our standards,” he told the Omaha World Herald in 1998. “And I think it is an inhibiting factor to be gay — openly aggressively gay like Mr. Hormel — to do an effective job.” This “openly aggressive” aspect of Hormel’s homosexuality was his decision not to hide it, as legions of gay men in public serve had done before him. Hagel faulted Hormel for doing precisely the things that we celebrate members of any other ethnic or religious group for doing: taking pride in their identity as a positive affirmation of America’s unparalleled diversity. Yet Hormel’s self-assurance was an aggravation of an already disqualifying aspect; according to Hagel, the mere fact of being gay “inhibited” government service. Hagel's attitudes are newly relevant in light of the fact that he has reportedly emerged as President Obama’s favored choice for secretary of defense. While controversy has raged over Hagel’s views on Israel, Iran and the “Jewish lobby,” his views on gay people — and, particularly, their fitness for service in the military — are just as relevant. And they are disturbingly retrograde. Over the course of a 12-year career in the Senate, Hagel racked up a virtually 0% voting record from the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest gay rights organization (his only positive vote being for AIDS funding to Africa, not necessarily even a gay issue). Hagel is not fit to represent the Defense Dept. No. This is a slap in the face to gays and lesbians who only just got to serve openly. With his attitude, on the record attitude, he's not going to go out of his way to address issues. If his remarks were racist, he wouldn't even be considered. But there's this attitude that it's 'just gay people.' You see the real colors of people right now. Like the little piece of trash Phyllis Bennis. She wants the homophobe as Secretary of Defense. She and IPS are willing to spit on gays and lesbians. I'm not. I'm not willing to turn my back on people who have been so wronged for so long. The Huffington Post quotes outgoing US House Rep. Barney Frank stating: Then-Senator Hagel’s aggressively bigoted opposition to President Clinton’s naming the first openly gay Ambassador in U.S. history was not, as Sen. Hagel now claims, an aberration. He voted consistently against fairness for LGBT people and there does not seem to be any evidence prior to his effort to become Secretary of Defense of any apology or retraction of his attack on James Hormel. And to those of us who admire and respect Mr. Hormel, Sen. Hagel’s description of him as aggressive can only mean that the Senator strongly objected to Hormel’s reasoned, civil advocacy for LGBT people. I cannot think of any other minority group in the U.S. today where such a negative statement and action made in 1998 would not be an obstacle to a major Presidential appointment. The same article quotes Barack stating, "With respect to the particular comment that you quoted, he apologized for it." It's not a remark. It's an entire career of spitting on gays and lesbians. Barack just doesn't get it. Phyllis Bennis doesn't want to. Gays and lesbians should not contribute any money to IPS or any other organization connected to Phyllis Bennis in any way shape or form. Know who your enemies are. Our enemies are those who try to ignore discrimination. Friday, January 4, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, calls ring out for the government to be dissolved, Victoria Nuland is again forced to address Iraq in a press briefing, Parliament calls a special meeting for Sunday, and more. Weeks ago, Nouri threatened to call early elections. Today someone called his bluff. Alsumaria notes Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi has joined Nouri's call for early elections -- this is parliamentary elections, not provincial elections which are scheduled to take place in a few months. KUNA quotes Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq stating, "The incumbent government has to step down." Like Allawi, al-Mutlaq is a member of Iraqiya. Though Nouri's had no response as of yet. Alsumaria reveals that MP Jabbar Kanani with Nouri's State of Law states that the answer to the current problems is to dissolve the Parliament and hold early elections. Paul D. Shinkman (US News and World Reports) states they have been told by a source (unnamed) that "the fledgling Baghdad government may be on the brink of dissolving parliament within days" and that this may happen "as soon as 48 hours." Allawi's not just calling for early elections, he's calling for an interim government to be set up. In 2010, there was a push for just such a thing. The United Nations and France were on board with the idea but the US government killed that proposal. As reported in Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor's The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, the top US commander in Iraq, Gen Ray Odierno, had concerns that if Nouri's State of Law did not come in first in the March 2010 parliamentary elections, Nouri would refuse to stand down. France, the UN and Odierno were right to be concerned. Nouri's State of Law was supposed to run in a landslide -- that's what he said would happen. But the voters had a different plan. There was no landslide for Nouri and, in fact, State of Law didn't win. Iraqiya came in first. State of Law came in second. Having won the elections, per the Constitution, it would be Iraqiya's job to form the government. Someone from the slate would be named prime minister-designate. That person would then have 30 days to create a Cabinet (that's a full Cabinet, the Iraqi Constitution does not recognize a partial Cabinet). If the person can't form a Cabinet within 30 days, it's up to the President of Iraq to name another person prime minister-designate. None of that happened. Nouri had the White House on his side. And he refused to stop being prime minister. He refused to let a new government be formed. He basically threw a temper tantrum for over eight months holding Iraq hostage. It was a political stalemate. Instead of reasoning with the loser (Nouri), the White House told the other political blocs that Nouri could continues this for months and, for the good of the country, to allow Iraq to move forward, it was time for the leaders of the political blocs to be the bigger person and let go of their objections to the loser remaining prime minister. The White House basically said to what they had termed a "democracy," 'Forget what the Iraqi people voted for, forget what the Constitution says, let Nouri have a second term as prime minister. Now, for that to happen, what do you need in return?" The extra-Constitutional contract that the US brokered is known as the Erbil Agreement. Had an interim government been set up, Nouri would have had no edge, no place from which to toss a tantrum and bring the country to a standstill. There were consequences for what the US did. John Barry's "'The Engame' Is A Well Researched, Highly Critical Look at U.S. Policy in Iraq" (Daily Beast) notes: Washington has little political and no military influence over these developments [in Iraq]. As Michael Gordon and Bernard Trainor charge in their ambitious new history of the Iraq war, The Endgame, Obama's administration sacrificed political influence by failing in 2010 to insist that the results of Iraq's first proper election be honored: "When the Obama administration acquiesced in the questionable judicial opinion that prevented Ayad Allawi's bloc, after it had won the most seats in 2010, from the first attempt at forming a new government, it undermined the prospects, however slim, for a compromise that might have led to a genuinely inclusive and cross-sectarian government." There were other consequences as well. What some called a 'democracy' would have been an 'emerging democracy' at best. Barack Obama decided the lesson to teach Iraqis was (a) your vote doesn't matter and (b) your Constitution doesn't matter. This does not make for building blocks to a strong democracy. This was hugely damaging. You puff out your chest and lie that you've brought people democracy -- when all you've really brough them was death and destruction -- and then the ones who were willing to hope that was true, the ones who were willing to believe in the process are given the message that your vote doesn't matter and it can be overturned in a backroom bargain, your Constitution doesn't matter and the US government can circumvent it on a whim. The White House, in an honest moment, would argue that they were comfortable with (US puppet) Nouri and felt he was a 'stabilizing' force. In a really honest moment, which they are incapable of, they'd admit that Nouri swore now, finally, he could push through the oil and gas law the US has long wanted. Now this is the same law that Nouri promised to push through years ago. In fact, these are part of the Bush White House's benchmarks which Nouri agreed to in 2007. He didn't accomplish it then or in all the years since. A smart person looks at the record and says, "Uh, Nouri can't accomplish this. If he could have, he would have done it yesterday." However, an idiot says, "He just screwed Bush. Nouri would never screw me over. It will be different this time, Nouri will keep his word." That's what an idiot said and that's why the US insisted Nouri get a second term. Allawi wants a caretaker government because that's the only thing that can curb Nouri. A temporary government can prevent him from hanging on to an office if he hasn't earned it. Zaid Sabah and Khalid al-Ansary (Bloomberg News) has State of Law's MP Khalid al-Aadi stating, "The State of Law didn't ask to dissolve the parliament. But when any party asks for dissolving the parliament and dissolve the government and call for early election, we will not stand against it." They also say that the request is for Nouri to continue -- after the Parliament is dissolved -- "to govern as a caretaker." That is completely false and it is not what Ayad Allawi stated. As protests continued to spread in Iraq today, Nouri al-Maliki, prime minister and thug of the occupation, had a message. KUNA quotes him stating, "The recent calls by extremists to turn the protests into civil disobedience only serve external agendas and could undermine the entire political process in Iraq." By Nouri's 'standards,' Martin Luther King Jr., Hendry David Thoreau, Mahatma Ghandi and other proponents of civil disobedience would be branded 'terrorists' as would the Muslim women in Pakistan in 1947. Not only is that global tradition ignored, Sun Yunlong (Xinhua) reported March 25, 2008, "Iraq's radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Tuesday called on Iraqis to hold sit-ins across Iraq if attacks by U.S. and Iraqi troops continue against his follwers, a Sadr statement said." Despite Nouri's attempts to demonize protests, Pakistan Today reports, "Thousands of Sunni Iraqis have continued to protest in Fallujah and other Iraq cities" and that they continue to insist upon "the release of prisoners and the end to allegedly sectarian policies." And Nouri continues to refuse to allow Iraqis to exercise their rights freely. AFP reports, "Demonstrators gathered at the Abu Hanifa mosque in the mostly-Sunni neighbourhood of Adhamiyah, but were barred by security forces from leaving the compound to rally on the street, an AFP correspondent said." The Voice of Russia adds, "The protests, which were attended by hundreds of thousands of people took place in other cities across the country as part of a declared 'Resistance Friday'." SAPA Asian News Agency spoke with two protesters, one male, one female. Abu Adbullah wondered, "How much longer will our children stay in prisons for no other reason than being Sunni." Umm Mohammed states, "My three children were arrested four years ago for no reason and I ask Maliki -- release them." Ahlul Bayt News Agency notes that "anit-government protests took place in several Iraqi cities, including Salahuddin, Diyala, Kirkuk, and Nineveh provinces, while demonstrators in western Anbar province continued to block off a highway linking Iraq to Syria and Jordan for a 12th succssive day." All Iraq News notes that, following today's morning prayers, Arabs in Kirkuk took to the streets to protest and demand the release of the prisoners and the abolition of Article 4 which is seen as being used for political purposes against Sunnis. October 31, 2010, Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad was assaulted. Today, cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr visited the Church to show solidarity with Iraqi Christians and underscore that the dream is one Iraq that is welcoming and home to all Iraqis regardless of faith. Alsumaria notes he spoke of sending delegates to speak to the protesters in Anbar Province for that reason. He repeated his statements from earlier this week noting that the protesters had a legitimate right to express their grievances. All Iraq News notes that he stressed the importance of the Christian community to Iraq. Alsumaria adds that Moqtada then went to Kilani Mosque in central Baghdad for morning prayers. Emily Alpert (Los Angeles Times) offers, "Sadr is believed to be making gestures to the Sunni protesters and religious minorities in order to style himself as a unifying figure ahead of the provincial vote." Adam Schreck (AP) echoes Alpert, "Al-Sadr [appears] to be trying to capitalize on the political turmoil by attempting to portray himself as a unifying figure ahead of provincial elections in the spring." Maybe so. But what is known is that Nouri's held onto the arrest warrant for Moqtada. It's part of the reason Moqtada stayed out of Iraq (especially after Nouri's 2008 attacks on Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City). Moqtada is taking a real chance going into Baghdad today. Whether that's to see himself up as "a unifying figure," I have no idea. Since 2010, we've talked about how he believes he will be Iraq's next prime minister. But ambitions or no ambitions today, with that still outstanding arrest warrant (which dates back to the US occupation), Moqtada took a real chance going into Baghdad, speaking of the need for unity and decrying what is taking place. While Moqtada was talking inclusion and one Iraq, Nouri continues his attempts to divide the country. Al Mada reports that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi has called out Nouri's attack on him (saying al-Nujaifi was unfit because he supported the protesters). al-Nujaifi has responded that the right of protest is guaranteed in the Constitution and that the citizens have the right to exercise their freedoms and to reject tyranny and injustice. Kitabat states that there was supposed to be a meeting of various political leaders today but the head of the National Alliance, Ibrahim Jafaari, postponed the meeting. Nouri was busy today too. Kitabat reports that he sent out forms to the local governments asking the identify the people leading the protests and to arrest them. That's a fact US State Dept spokesperson Victorial Nuland worked hard to avoid at today's State Dept press briefing. QUESTION: Just on Iraq. MS. NULAND: Yeah. QUESTION: More protests today. Have you guys had contacts with the Iraqi government about how they're going to respond to this, how they're going to reduce tensions? MS. NULAND: We have had contacts with the Iraqi government. We've had contacts with all of the stakeholders in Iraq along the lines of the comments that I made yesterday calling for peaceful protesters to be allowed to protest peacefully, but that also for restraint on all sides, including on the part of protesters and on the part of security forces. Our understanding is that they were relatively big protests today but that they were somewhat more peaceful than they had been in previous days, which is a good thing. QUESTION: Victoria, are you involved directly in mediating, like at the Embassy level or perhaps at the "someone from the building level" between the different parties in Iraq? Because Allawi, the Iraqiya – the head of the Iraqiya – today called on Maliki to resign. Are you mediating any kind of talks between the two? MS. NULAND: Well, Said, I wouldn't use that word. We've talked about this before here. You know that on a weekly basis, sometimes on a daily basis, our Ambassador in Iraq has meetings with all of the key leaders, encouraging them to work with each other to settle issues that they have through dialogue, to protect and preserve the basic tenets of the Iraqi constitution. He regularly sees the Prime Minister, the deputy prime ministers, the Vice President, cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, parliamentarians. So we try to use our good offices with all of the groups to encourage them to participate actively in dialogue with each other. QUESTION: Okay. And Muqtada al-Sadr, the fiery Shia leader who heads Jaish al-Mahdi – the Mahdi Army is also is threatening to sort of break away with Malaki. Do you see this as a good sign as breaking away from Iran's hold? MS. NULAND: Again, what we want to see is the major stakeholders in Iraq, political leaders, work through their issues through dialogue in consultation with each other. I'm obviously not going to comment on specific political moves by one player or another, except to say that when there are grievances, we don't want them settled through violence. We don't want to see them settled through moves that will hurt innocents. We want to see conversation, we want to see dialogue, we want to see protection of the constitution. Still on Iraq? No? QUESTION: Yes. MS. NULAND: Yes on Iraq? QUESTION: Yeah. One of the issues that the protesters are angry about is the prisoners. They say that up to 50,000 people are being imprisoned in Iraq just because of their – this sectarian reasons. And the government is denying that number, and they're saying there are 900 women, and they didn't provide the number of male prisoners. Between those numbers of the government and the protesters' numbers, from your people on the ground during those meetings, do they have an idea? I mean, can they – do they have anything solid regarding the number of prisoners? Because this is one of the main issues that the people are protesting against in Iraq. MS. NULAND: I'm not prepared to address here our assessment of what the accurate numbers may or may not be. I will say that this is one of the issues that we have encouraged dialogue and transparency on. It's important in any democracy for the justice system to be transparent, for there to be fairness and a level playing field, and that's something that needs to be addressed, obviously. It's cute how Nuland ignores topics that matter and how she continues to attack the Iraqi protesters. Professor Gareth Stansfeld (Royal United Services Institute) provides a more concrete take on what's going on: Fallujah, Ramadi, Tikrit, Mosul - all saw demonstrations against the Maliki government, with some, including Mosul, calling for the withdrawal of the Iraqi government and police forces. Never one to shirk from a challenge to his power, Maliki has responded with ominous language - including calling up protesters to 'end their strike before the state intervenes to end it'. While Maliki has faced threats from the Sunni areas before, he has never faced them in isolation. This time, however, the Kurds are no longer his allies and instead have increasingly common cause with their Sunni neighbours. Following years of poor relations between Erbil and Baghdad, caused over disputes over oil and gas policy, budgetary allocations, the status of the disputed territories (including Kirkuk), and an overall disenchantment within Erbil towards the Maliki government, the relationship between the two capitals has, by the start of 2013, become appalling. Following a military stand-off in the disputed territories at the end of 2012, the scene is set for 2013 to be one of the Kurds moving ahead with securing their autonomy by strengthening their relationship with Turkey and the Arab Gulf states, and by exporting oil and gas directly to their northern neighbour. In order to protect their region, it would make sense for them to do so from the disputed territories themselves, and so raise the spectre of increased military confrontation with Maliki in such volatile flashpoints as Kirkuk, Diyala, and Ninevah. This is a confrontation that the Kurds, with at least tacit Sunni support, may feel capable of winning. The Kurdistan War of 2013 may not be too unlikely, looking at the current pieces on the board. Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq have called a special session of Parliament for Sunday. Alsumaria notes that MP Ali al-Tamimi, member of the Sadr bloc, states that they will be attending the Sunday special session. A bombing yesterday in Musayyib targeted pilgrims taking part in the Arbaeen rituals. Today Yasir Ghazi and Christine Hauser (New York Times) report the death toll rose to at least 32 (injured is at twenty-eight). They also note a Thursday Baghdad roadside bombing which left 4 dead and fifteen injured. The UN News Center notes that United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq has strongly condemned the bombing and "The Mission expresses its profound sympathy to the families of the victims, to whom it extends sincere condolences, and wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded." The month has just begun, is not even a week old, and already Iraq Body Count counts 55 people killed by violence in Iraq so far in January. Today, Alsumaria reports that a grenade attack on a Mosul checkpoint left two police officers injured. Yesterday's snapshot included this: Fars News Agency notes, "Turkish Fighter jets bombed over 20 targets of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Northern Iraq late Monday." Trend News Agency points out, "The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has lasted over 25 years." Aaron Hess (International Socialist Review) described the PKK in 2008, "The PKK emerged in 1984 as a major force in response to Turkey's oppression of its Kurdish population. Since the late 1970s, Turkey has waged a relentless war of attrition that has killed tens of thousands of Kurds and driven millions from their homes. The Kurds are the world's largest stateless population -- whose main population concentration straddles Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria -- and have been the victims of imperialist wars and manipulation since the colonial period. While Turkey has granted limited rights to the Kurds in recent years in order to accommodate the European Union, which it seeks to join, even these are now at risk." Today the World Tribune reports the government of Turkey is in talks with the PKK on a disarmament treaty, "Officials said Turkey's intelligence community was examining the prospect of a long-term ceasefire with the PKK. They said the intelligence community offered the PKK a range of options after Ankara determined that Kurdish insurgents could not be defeated militarily." This follows their report from yesterday that Turkey was speaking to Abdullah Ocalan (imprisoned PKK leader) about a ceasefire. Hurriyet Daily News adds, "Peace and Democracy Party Deputy Ayla Akat Ata, lawyer Meral Danış and independent deputy Ahmet Türk traveled to İmralı Island on Jan.3 to meet with the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan, according to daily Radikal." Citing Turkish Minister of the Interior Naim Sahin, AP states that the Turkish military will continue its operations even as talks are pursuded. Sahin states, "Operations are continuing. They will continue until members of the group who bear enmity against our people are no longer in a position to attack or shed blood." Hurriyet Daily News informs, "Imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan said during a meeting on Imrali island on Jan. 3 that he should be considered the 'only authority' in the process of of PKK disarmament." al-Qa'im is in Anbar Province -- where so many protests have taken place in the last days. al-Qa'im is where one of the non-KRG refugee camps for Syrian refugees has been set up. Amy Mina is with Save The Children and she wrote a piece for CNN about the needs of the refugees in that camp: The baby is crying. Her cheeks are swollen and yellowish as are those of many of the older children. "Al Sfar" (jaundice), confirms Um Ahmed. She says the clinic offers no help. One mother hugs her 3-year-old daughter. "I'm just watching my child get sicker every day and there is nothing I can do." Another woman, Intisar, wordlessly pulls the base of the tent out to show me how damp the gravel is under the tent. "It seeps into those sponge mattresses, into our bones, into our skin. There is no way of staying warm or dry." Her husband shows me the deep crevice dug by their resident rats. "All night they crawl under us, trying to get warmth. The children scream, and I spend all night beating the rats out." As I walk out, the tears rise in me. It hurts to look into the despair on the children's faces, to see a toddler barefoot on the gravel. There is so much that needs to be done. Without support these children truly suffer. As winter tightens its grip on Syria's neighboring countries, stories like those I heard in Al Qaem are far from unique. As with all other organizations responding to the humanitarian needs of the Syrian refugees in the region, our greatest challenge is funding. We are on the ground. We have established operations in Al Qaem, which is no small feat. We are ready to deliver aid immediately but we need the funds to make it happen. That night, I cannot get warm, despite the blankets and thick walls. I cannot stop thinking of the children, out in the desert cold. To donate to Save the Children's Syria Children in Crisis Fund, which provides relief and support for Syrian children seeking refuge in Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, please click here. The Bill of Rights Defense Committee is a US group that works on issues effecting the basic rights. It is a national group that first came on my radar when I was going campus to campus speaking about the then-just started Iraq War. When Congress was unwilling or unable to stop the Patriot Act, BRDC organized city by city to get local governments to pass resolutions against the Patriot Act. Usually, people appeared before the municipal body to speak about why such a measure was necessary. Often they would be color coordinated (such as all wearing blue shirts). When the Patriot Act needed resistance it came down to librarians and the BRDC fighting for the rights we too often take for granted. Barack Obama has a Drone War in the rest of the world. He's bringing the drones closer in 2013. Many US cities and towns will discover the surveilance drones. From surveilance, what comes next? The Congress doesn't care. The weapons lobby has, as usual, bought off the Congress which is how drones are now about to operate freely just above US soil. The Bill of Rights Defense Committee is hoping to repeat their earlier efforts and get cities and towns to stand up. This year, they made the list of Great Nonprofits. If you're not familiar with their work, you can check out the website and you can also refer to the following news articles: 1/4, Daphne Eviatar, Reuters , The secrecy veiling Obama's drone war 1/3, Daniel Byman & Benjamin Wittes, The Atlantic , How Obama Decides Your Fate If He Thinks You're a Terrorist 1/3, Matt Sledge and Ryan J. Reilly, Huffington Post , NDAA Signed Into Law By Obama Despite Guantanamo Veto Threat, Indefinite Detention Provisions 1/3, Charlie Savage, New York Times , Obama Disputes Limits on Detainee Transfers Imposed in Defense Bill 1/3, Peter Finn, Washington Post , Defense bill's Guantanamo Bay provisions have human rights groups upset with Obama 1/3, Dave Boyer, Washington Times , Obama signs defense measure he once vowed to veto yasir ghazi christine hauser alsumaria all iraq news kitabat the iraq times emily alpert michael r. gordon bernard trainor khalid al-ansary Posted by Elaine at 11:48 PM A loser named Medea Benjamin I hope you caught the year in pieces. We're all swiping from C.I.'s snapshot (and probably all adding "C.I.'s" in front of her year end article): Kat's "Kat's Korner: 2012 In Music" Ruth's "Ruth's Radio Report 2012," "2012 in Books (Martha & Shirley)" and Ann's "2012 Best in Film (Ann and Stan)" and Stan's "2012 Best in Film (Ann and Stan)" which we reposted "2012 Best in Film (Ann and Stan)," Third's "TV: The New Conformity," "2012 Killer of the Year," "2012 TV Person of the Year," "2012 Movie of the Year," "2012 Person of the Year," "Kennedy Trait of 2012: Racism," "2012 Book of the Year," and "2012 Trend: Bad attempts at make overs," and C.I.'s"2012: The Year of Avoidance." I'll add the 2012 piece to the links. I really love it. C.I. had no idea what she was going to write, what the topic was, what the theme was. After midnight, she took drinks to her laptop, continued drinking and started writing. She finished around four in the morning her time and then posted it. By contrast, did you read the bulls**t Medea Benjamin offered on 2012? I'm glad she was able to find 'joyful things' about 2012. I don't think the people in Pakistan find 'joy' from the Drone War. Of course, Medea doesn't bother to mention the deaths. Might bum someone, steal their joy. So she happy talks it into, more people are now opposed to the Drone War. Damn, she's stupid. Nor does she mention Iraq which has gone further to hell because of the US invasion. Guess she couldn't find 'joy' in that either. But she can write a b.s., jerk-off piece. I have no idea how much C.I. drank New Year's Eve. I'll assume she stuck to vodka (straight and Bloody Marys) during the party and probably switched to margaritas or beers (or both) while writing her year-in-review. I would suggest that if Medea is tempted next year to churn out the kind of Pollyana crap she has to summarize 2012, she needs to stop, go get some alcohol and drink a little because her sterile, deathly prose helps no one. I also really don't see the 'joy' she does. I see joy in my friends. I see joy in my family. I see joy in music. I don't see joy in a world where the Patriot Act is now the norm, where Barack doesn't get called out for his crimes or for being a killer. I don't see any joy in Medea's cowardice. Remember her lie that she was going to protest both the RNC and the DNC? What did she do? Loud and angry at the RNC but pattycakes at the DNC. Medea, fix your blouse, your falsehoods are showing. Wednesday, January 3, 2013. Chaos and violence continue, revisionary tactics never go away, Nouri kind of says 700 women will be released from Iraqi prisons -- kind of says that but not really, protests continue, Iraq Body Count finds more people died from violence in Iraq in 2012 than the year before, and more. At the right-wing National Review, Victor Davis Hanson notes that Bully Boy Bush left office at the start of 2009 with an approval rating of 34% but it's now up to 46%. He calls out the way Bush was demonized and notes how Barack Obama can do the same thing or more and get away with it. That is correct. But he wants to 'explain' how people were wrong about Bush on the Iraq War. He backs up his opinions with facts and makes a solid argument from the right. That's what he's supposed to do. He hasn't done anything 'wrong.' And this is how the right hopes to win the argument and has had some success in the past. There are a ton of reasons to continue focusing on Iraq here in the US. But if people only care about themselves then maybe now some on the left who've argued it doesn't matter (including two friends with The Nation magazine) will wake up? We've gone over what could happen repeatedly in the last years. We did so at length August 20, 2010 in "The war continues (and watch for the revisionary tactics." If you're old enough, you saw it with Vietnam. That illegal war ended with the government called out for its actions. And some people -- a lot in fact -- just moved on. The weakest of the left moved on because it wasn't 'polite' to talk about it or it wasn't 'nice' or 'can't we all just get along' and other nonsense. Others talked about things because they didn't care about Vietnam, the Vietnamese or the US service members. And, after all, they had a peanut farmer from Georgia to elect, right? And bit by bit, year by year, all these lies about Vietnam took root. The press turned the people against it! The US could have won if the military's hands hadn't been tied! All this nonsense that, back when the public was paying attention in the early to mid-seventies, would have been rejected outright by the majority of Americans. Jane Fonda explains in the amazing documentary Sir! No Sir!, "You know, people say, 'Well you keep going back, why are you going back to Vietnam?' We keep going back to Vietnam because, I'll tell you what, the other side does. They're always going back. And they have to go back -- the Hawks, you know, the patriarchs. They have to go back because, and they have to revise the going back, because they can't allow us to know what the back there really was." And if you silence yourself while your opponent digs in on the topic, a large number of Americans -- including people too young to remember what actually happened -- here nothing but the revisionary arguments. Jane's correct, the right-wing always went back to Vietnam. They're at fork in the road probably because, do they continue to emphasize Vietnam as much as they have, or do they move on to Iraq. Victor Davis Hanson's ready to move on to Iraq. He's not the only one on the right. And on the left we have silence. And that is why revisionary tactics work. It's not because revisions are stronger than facts. It's because one side gives up. And the left -- check The Progressive, The Nation, etc.* -- has long ago given up on even pretending to care about Iraq -- about the Iraq War, about the Iraqis, about the US service members. [*But not In These Times -- they've continued to feature Iraq about every six months. Give them credit for that.] I'm sure they'll work really hard at electing some center-right Democrats to Congress in the 2014 elections. I'm sure that will be the focus of their efforts. But if they'd focus on things that really matter, it would force the candidates to be stronger. We'd have a better informed and educated electorate and the candidates would have to rise to that to get votes. These periodicals (and toss in the Pacifica Radio shows as well) love to whine about how Democrats used to stand for something and how they've been watered down and watered down. Yet these same outlets do an awful job of informing about real issues because they instead focus on electing Democrats and the occassional cause celebre. When that's what you do, you automatically cede ground to the other side. Another reason to pay attention is because Iraq was a defining moment. And a number of people have exposed themselves as utter frauds. For example, many years ago a number of us who are feminists applauded Jill Abramson and Jane Mayer for their work that culminated with the book Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas. But maybe we were too kind in our praise. In America, we are likely to treat someone simply doing the job they're supposed to be doing as if they're a hero. Time has proven that Jane Mayer is an attack dog for the Democratic Party and not actually a journalist. (A journalist doesn't stop doing expose pieces because a Democrat is in the White House.) And Jill? The current Executive Editor of the New York Times appeared at the Commonwealth Club December 6th and, wouldn't you know it, she wanted to talk Iraq. Jill Abramson: If there's any one thing I could change it would be, as Washington bureau chief, not all of the reporters who were covering the WMD issues and Iraq were part of the Washington bureau. And I just wish -- You know -- I -- many of those stories didn't come through me but certainly I was aware of them. And, you know, I wish that I had been paying more attention because the Times really did brandish on the front page some very questionable stories that were based on, you know, Iraqi defectors who had an interest in promoting the toppling of Saddam Hussein, who were going around to various reporters including reporters at the Times, peddling the story of this ramped up WMD program which, of course, didn't exist. That is number one. I wish I had paid more attention. And journalism isn't a game that you play with 20/20 hindsight vision unfortunately. I'm sure that many people at the BBC wish -- you know -- 'Gee I wish, you know, I had been paying more attention to the documentary and what not.' So, number one, I wish I was paying more attention to the totality of the coverage and some of the stories that were faulty including the one about the tubes that suggested -- When the Times published that story on the front page and was kind of a welcome sign for Dick Cheney and Condi Rice to go on the Sunday show -- shows -- to talk about mushroom clouds that, of course, were a fantasy. And there, I think -- and I've done a lot of thinking about this -- I wish that I had been more tuned in to the reporters in Washington, a few in the Times bureau, but especially Knight-Ridder which had -- at the time -- a very, very good Washington bureau and their major sources on this were skeptics within the CIA -- CIA analysts who were like, 'Be careful with this WMD evidence.' They were very skeptical about it. What a load of crap. Let me start first by saying, Jill, I don't think you can be a witness in a perjury trial and then perjure yourself. Jill was Scooter Libby's witness against Judith Miller, for those who don't know. Judith Miller wrote some very bad articles for the New York Times (and co-wrote some as well) in the lead up to the war. We've called her out repeatedly. We've also noted it was bad reporting and not lying as evidenced by her actions after the start of the war when she basically took over a US military squad and had them looking for WMD that she desparately wanted to find. She based her career on that WMD. There was none. Judith Miller stayed in jail until her source on Valerie Plame (she never wrote about Plame) gave her permission to name him. Plame-Gate was when the Bush administration outed a CIA agent to get back at former Ambassdor Joe Wilson for his column in the New York Times about how there was no yellow cake in Niger (in response to Bully Boy Bush's claim that Saddam Hussein had recently sought uranium there). Valerie Plame was an undercover CIA agent and she was married to Joe Wilson. She was outed by Scooter Libby (Dick Cheney's chief of staff) as the administration sought to get back at Joe Wilson. Once Judith Miller came forward about her source, that's when Jill enters the picture and Jill presented herself on the witness stand as completely involved and an expert on 'bad' Judith Miller. Because of Miller's lousy reporting on Iraq, some will cheer that. But let's grasp that what Jill was doing was providing cover for Scooter Libby. That's what she did in her testimony. Yet after the courtroom performance on Scooter Libby's behalf, where Jill was an expert on what was taking place and who was writing what and who was talking to whom, Jill now wants to play like she wasn't involved? She also wants to ignore that James Risen took stories, skeptical stories, to her and she shot them down repeatedly. Risen's even spoken publicly about some of this. Jill knows he has and she wants to lie to everyone all these years later? For example, from Joe Hagan's "The United States of America vs. Bill Keller" (New York magazine, September 10, 2006): In addition, Risen harbored lingering resentment of Abramson over the paper's WMD coverage. When she was Washington bureau chief under [Howell] Raines, Risen has claimed to at least two people, he offered her reporting that cast doubt on the Bush administration's evidence about Iraq's WMD program. At the time, Miller's reporting was how the Times, as an extension of Raines, saw the subject. And Abramson felt powerless to fight Raines over this and other things. When Risen press his case, she finally told him to "get with the program," these people say. It only gets worse. She wishes she had followed the other coverage, she says, because if she'd followed Knight-Ridder, she might have been skeptical too. First, it's rather pissy of her not to have named the reporters or noted that it's now McClatchy. The three primary reporters on Iraq in the lead up to the war were Warren P. Strobel, Jonathan S. Landay and Margaret Talev. Second, she needed to see other people being skeptical of government officials? Journalists are supposed to be skeptical. It's a basic of journalism. And when you have a source with an aim (let alone grudge), you are supposed to be very skeptical of their claims. That's why, for example, when a whistleblower comes forward, an employer will always try to make it seem like a case of sour grapes because if they can make the employee look like they've got an axe to grind, it will make the press take the employee less seriously. What I'm talking about here, Jill Abramson knows all that. She's not stupid. She gave a for-show performance. She never mentioned the Iraqis that died or the Americans that died. She gave a little performance taking as little accountability as she thought she could get away with. She makes a lot of excuses for herself but she doesn't appear to have learned a damn thing. In September 2008, she got praise for 'taking responsibility' on Iraq. She didn't. It was an aside in a book review. She's still not taking accountability. People are dead, people are wounded and her, "I wish I had been more skeptical"? It just doesn't cut it. You should pay attention if only to see who, like Jill, changes their story. Again, it's not just her fault. It's the fault of people like me, my fault absolutely, for treating her work in the 90s as something wonderful. She did her job. Nothing more, nothing less. She didn't earn the praise. And then people rushed to praise her in 2008 for her aside in the book review (I didn't praise her for that -- at least I had enough sense then to know better). So now she thinks she can offer this simplistic revisionary nonsense and get more praise. And she's probably right because most people don't pay attention. 13h Prashant Rao ‏@prashantrao ICYMI - Attacks are down, but #Iraq is still in a 'low-level war': http://bit.ly/Z6QE6U @AFP That's Prashant Rao with AFP. "Low-level war" is another reason you'd think the world would be paying attention to what's going on in Iraq. Iraq Body Count reports 272 people were killed from violence in Iraq for the month of December and they count 4,557 deaths from violence in Iraq for 2012. In a report entitled "Iraqi deaths from violence in 2012," Iraq Body Count explains: 2012 marks the first year since 2009 where the death toll for the year has increased (up from 4,136 in 2011), but 2012 itself has been marked by contrasts. While it seems December will be the least violent month in the last two years, June was the most violent in three years, so the improvements in the second half of the year are from that higher level of violence. It is premature to predict whether the record low levels of violence in the last quarter of the year will be sustained. Overall, 2012 has been more consistent with an entrenched conflict than with any transformation in the security situation for Iraqis in the first year since the formal withdrawal of US troops. In sum the latest evidence suggests that the country remains in a state of low-level war little changed since early 2009, with a "background" level of everyday armed violence punctuated by occasional larger-scale attacks designed to kill many people at once. Iraq Body Count also notes that March 2013 will mark ten years since the start of the Iraq War and that they "will provide an overview of the known death toll covering the invasion and the first full decade of its aftermath." Violence continued today. Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) reports 3 people were shot dead in a Tarmiyah orchard (police officer, "his brother and a third person"), an al-Tahriyah car bombing claimed the lives of 2 Shi'ite pilgrims and left eight more injured, a Falluja car bombing injured three bodyguards of a police officer and four by-standers, and the son of Abdul-Rahman Khalid al-Nujaifi was shot repeatedly while driving in Mosul. The father is a colonel in the Iraqi military and he is the cousin of Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi. Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) adds that a Karbala car bombing claimed 2 lives. Alsumaria reports a a Tikrit roadside bombing injured one person and a Babil car bombing that has left a number of people injured. Lindsay Brown (ITN -- link is video) reports, "One person has been killed and ten others wounded after three bombs exploded in Tuz Khormato town south of Kirkuk. The blast caused serious damage to nearby houses and a fuel station." A male resident states, "The officials of government are busy with disputes while the people are the victims. There are poor people who are living in this neighborhood. Not one of them is a member of a political party and there's no headquarters of a political party here. Does God accept such a work? The people were in their houses at night when the four explosions took place. Why has it happened because we are a simple neighborhood?" Turning to the topic of the ongoing protests, Alsumaria reports that residents of Kirkuk took to the streets yesterday to show their solidarity with protesters in Anbar Province, Nineveh Province and Salahuddin Province and to echo the demands of the need for an amnesty law and for the Justice and Accountability Commission and law to be abolished along with Article IV. One of the things fueling this round of protests has been the issue of what's happening to Iraqi women and girls in prisons and detention centers. From Monday's snapshot: In October, allegations of torture and rape of women held in Iraqi prisons and detention centers began to make the rounds. In November, the allegations became a bit more and a fistfight broke out in Parliament with an angry State of Law storming out. By December, Members of Parliament on certain security committees were speaking publicly about the abuses. Then Nouri declared that anyone talking about this topic was breaking the law. He continued on this tangent for weeks claiming this past week that he would strip MPs of their immunity. (The Constitution doesn't allow for that.) Also this past week, it was learned that at least four females were raped in a Baghdad prison. The outrage here is part of what has fueled the protests. Alsumaria notes the Ministry of Justice's latest spin Saturday: Only women guards are at these prisons! Whether that's true or not (most likely it is not) world history demonstrates that when women are imprisoned it's very common for someone to get the 'bright idea' to sell access to these women. Greed is a strong motivator. Again, the very claim is doubtful but if there are no men on staff, that doesn't mean men have not been present in the prisons. It wasn't enough to silence objections or stop the protests. Sunday, Al Arabiya noted, "Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered on Sunday the release of female prisoners, who were arrested for terrorism charges without judicial warrants or because of terror crimes committed by their relatives, to appease to protesters who want to see the scrapping of anti-terrorism measures in the country, a local website reported." Raheem Salman, Ahmed Rasheed, Isabel Coles and Kevin Liffey (Reuters) report that Sunni cleric Khaled al-Mullah is representing the protesters in talks with Nouri and that Nouri states he will declare a special pardon which would allow approximately 700 female prisoners to be released out of 920. That may or may not address one of the issues. May or may not? Nouri's not real good about following up on verbal promises or written ones. And if that doesn't sound fair, you're not only missing his past record, you're missing the rest of the story. Ammar Karim (AFP) reports the women aren't going anywhere just yet. What's being reported isn't what Nouri's promised. What Nouri promised? That he would "write to the president to issue a special amnesty to release them." That would be President Jalal Talabani. Nouri's not releasing anyone. And he's writing to Jalal who left Iraq for Germany in a medical transport from an illness/condition that no one with his office or his family has identified. (Nouri's office stated Jalal had a stroke.) What is Jalal's condition? No one officially knows. But here's Abdulghani Ali Yahya (Asharq-e) offering an opinion: When Jalal Talabani fell into a coma as a result of a blood clot in his brain and returned to Germany for treatment, rumours spread about his health and even his death, before it was reported that his condition had stabilized. There were also rumours of certain Arab figures being nominated for his position if he were to die or become unable to perform his duties. As a result, the Kurds sought to reserve Talabani's presidential post for themselves, and began naming candidates such as Dr. Ibrahim Saleh, an experienced politician, and Iraq's first lady Hiro Ibrahim Ahmed, a prominent Kurdish activist. On the international scene, two prominent American researchers urged Washington to push for the nomination of another Kurdish president for Iraq. Amidst all this it was if Iran is absent from what was happening, even though it is the key player in the Iraqi arena. Does it sound like Jalal's in a position to issue an amnesty? Maybe he is. Maybe he's much better off than the above portrayal. But he still is in Germany. He's been in Germany for weeks now. If he was doing well, they'd probably be transitioning home or to the home he stays in when he's in Germany. But he remains at the hospital. As a general rule, when someone's in the hospital for weeks, they're not really up for official duties. Another issue in this round of protests besides female prisoners? Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) explains, "The protests began after the mass arrest of office workers and security for Finance Minister Rafie Issawi, who officials have since insisted are all 'terrorists.' Sunni protesters see Iraq's loose 'terrorism' laws as being exploited to keep Sunni politicians marginalized, even though the Iraqiya Party has the largest plurality in the government they have only a handful of government posts, including Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who is sentenced to death in exile as a 'terrorist'." As he attempted to spin last month after anger mounted, Nouri offered (among other excuses) that it wasn't him ordering the arrest and that the Americans had been suspicious of al-Issawi (yes, he said both things in December 2011 about Tareq al-Hashemi as well). However, Max Boot (Commentary) reported Monday evening that he has a letter Gen Ray Odierno wrote in 2010 (when Odierno was the top US commander in Iraq) and it "says that U.S. intelligence agencies have thorougly investigated the charges against Issawi and found them to be uncorroborated." The mass arrests of 150 bodyguards and staff of the Minister of Finance took place late on the evening of December 20th (see the December 21st Iraqi snapshot). There were actually protests in Iraq -- massive -- beginning on December 11th (click here for screen snaps of those protests), a day after Nouri had publicly insulted cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr. In Baghdad and Basra people took to the street to protests Nouri's attack on Moqtada. Alsumaria reports that yesterday, in Najaf, cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr voiced support for the protesters at a press conference and noted that Nouri is responsible for what is taking place. He called on Nouri to respond to the calls of the protesters. He also warned that the Iraqi spring is coming. He may be remembering (if so, he's the only leader so far that does) that Iraqi youth had called weeks ago for protests to start up in January. Elhanan Miller (Times of Israel) adds, "[. . .] Sadr accused Maliki of turning Iraq into a laughingstock and called on him to resign rather than call for early elections, as he recently considered doing." Last month, Nouri floated the threat of early elections. Yasir Ghazi and Christine Hauser (New York Times) refer to him as "a populist Shiite leader" (noted because the western press usually just calls him "radical cleric" or "anti-American cleric") and notes: Several times during the gathering, Mr. Sadr directed his remarks at Mr. Maliki, who has taken recent steps that suggested he was asserting greater control over many aspects of the government and that prompted fears he was cracking down on his political opponents. Mr. Sadr's remarks could indicate that he is trying to test the political waters or possible support from the street before Iraq's provincial elections, which are scheduled for the spring. Provincial elections are supposed to take place this April. Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) observes, "Sadr's support is key because he is not only a political rival of Maliki, but also a very influential Shi'ite cleric, and his support will make a crackdown against the protesters more difficult." All Iraq News notes that Iraqiya (the political slate led by Ayad Allawi which came in first in the 2010 parliamentary elections) issued a statement praising Moqtada's remarks and position and calling for all to follow the example and show solidarity with the demonstrators. All Iraq News also notes that Parliament's Human Rights Commission is calling for support of the demonstrators in a statement issued by the Chair of the Committee Salim al-Jubouri. Alsumaria notes that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq are calling for a response to the legitimate demands of the protesters. Both men are members of Iraqiya and Sunni but the main reason al-Mutlaq is side-by-side with Osama is because Sunday's incident demonstrated to him how far from other Sunnis he seemed. In past years, he'd rush to Tareq al-Hashemi. But the Vice President now resides in Turkey because Nouri and Nouri's kangaroo court declared Tareq a 'terrorist.' And interesting point is being made in Iraqi social media today. A lot of the anger at Nouri is fueled by what's happened to women and girls in Iraq prisons and detention centers (torture and rape). And it's being pointed out that Nouri and his thugs might have felt like they could get away with it more this year because they ran Tareq out of the country. For those who've forgotten, the treatment and conditions in Iraqi prisons was something Tareq repeatedly highlighted, often taking the press into a particularly bad prison so that conditions could be exposed. With Tareq out of the country, no one's been able to. Parliament has objected all year long to the fact that Nouri has suspended their visitation rightts. MP Sami al-Askari is with Nouri's State of Law and he tells All Iraq News that "we" (State of Law) do not believe that this is a serious crisis. That tells you how out of touch State of Law remains. Mary Elizabeth King (In These Times) points out: Prime Minister Maliki has denied all of the protesters' allegations. Just as many other politicians have in the face of the Arab Awakening, he charges that the protests have a hidden agenda, that foreign countries are involved. He also condemns any demands to end the regime. Maliki, however, might be wise to take the protests seriously. Thousands of Iraqi Sunnis who feel wronged appear to be turning to nonviolent resistance, fighting with nonviolent methods rather than the IEDs and suicide bombings that have prevailed in the recent past -- especially in media representations. Anbar province was the hub of the deadly Sunni insurgency that broke out after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. After Saddam Hussein came down, internecine violence in Iraq resulted in more than 100,000 deaths in what nearly became civil war. If he decides to send in his thugs to attack the protesters (as he did in 2011), they're well trained and well armed. Robert Tollast (National Interest) notes of the Iraqi Speical Operations Forces: Today there are almost 30 U.S. Special Forces troops advising the Iraqis on counterterrorism, and if recent rumours are correct, more have visited Iraq in a similar capacity since the withdrawal. As Maliki continues to attack Iraq's state institutions and trample human rights, Washington should ask what helping the ISOF is going to achieve. Tactical success for Iraqi soldiers can stop terrorists, but what if those same soldiers also arrest the innocent? As Iraq investigates apparent corruption in the recent $4.2 billion arms deal with Russia, Maliki will want to keep his options open regarding arms suppliers. Should the United States let him know that further arms deals could be tied to his human rights record? Year end pieces went up over the last few days. In this community, that includes Kat's "Kat's Korner: 2012 In Music" Ruth's "Ruth's Radio Report 2012," "2012 in Books (Martha & Shirley)" and Ann's "2012 Best in Film (Ann and Stan)" and Stan's "2012 Best in Film (Ann and Stan)" which we reposted "2012 Best in Film (Ann and Stan)," Third's "TV: The New Conformity," "2012 Killer of the Year," "2012 TV Person of the Year," "2012 Movie of the Year," "2012 Person of the Year," "Kennedy Trait of 2012: Racism," "2012 Book of the Year," and "2012 Trend: Bad attempts at make overs," and "2012: The Year of Avoidance." Outside the community, Jody Watley's "2013. New Years Thought of The Day." and OutFM's "The 2012 Queer Year in Review" went up. Finally, David Bacon's latest book is Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which won the CLR James Award. In his latest article "The Only Job I Can Do A Young Mother's Farm Work Story" (New American Media) he lets Lorena Hernandez tell her story: To go pick blueberries I have to get up at four in the morning. First I make my lunch to take with me, and then I get dressed for work. For lunch I eat whatever there is in the house, mostly bean tacos. Then the ritero, the person who gives me a ride to work, picks me up at 20 minutes to five. I work as long as my body can take it, usually until 2:30 in the afternoon. Then the ritero gives me a ride home, and I get there by 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon. By then I'm really tired. I pay $8 each way to get to work and back home. Right now they're paying $6 for each bucket of blueberries you pick, so I have to fill almost three buckets just to cover my daily ride. The contractor I work for, Elias Hernandez, hooks us up with the riteros. He's the contractor for 50 of us farm workers picking blueberries, and I met him when a friend of my aunt gave me his number. the national review margaret griffis asharq-e abdulghani ali yahya ahmed rasheed raheem salman isabel coles jason ditz max boot mu xuequan sameer n. yacoub ammar karim al mada Little Saddam Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Princess and President" went up last night. Well it appears that finally there may be movement to pressure the White House -- or at least call it out -- on Nouri al-Maliki -- see this article by John Glaser. Hats off to C.I. who has called Nouri out repeatedly for years. It's great that popular opinion is finally coming around to reality but let's not forget that C.I. was calling the tyrant out and calling him out loudly and vocally. While everyone wanted to pretend like it was okay to target Iraq's LGBT community, she didn't play that game. I had a lot of e-mails about Friday's post and all I can say is that it's nothing that C.I. hasn't said a million times over the last years. It's really important that Nouri be called out by the White House. He's got his heart set on a third term as prime minister and who knows, when 2014 rolls around, what he won't do to hold on to the post of prime minister. C.I. was the first to dub him Little Saddam. How accurate that title now seems. "TV: The New Conformity" (Ava and C.I., The Third Estate Sunday Review): In fact, maybe Whitney should be called "Whore"? Season one ended with Whitney and Alex unable to get married due to a series of mishaps. Season two opened with them in bed, thrilled with the tatoos they had gottten instead of getting married. Fine, we don't believe marriage is the end-all, be-all for everyone. By episode two, Whitney's getting a joint-checking account with Alex and his money and her 'money' suddenly becomes "their money." And Alex tells her she should work on her photography. Yet in all the episodes that follow, we see Whitney spending money, we just don't see her doing anything with her photography. We also see her fighting with Alex in every episode and, when she's in the wrong (more often than when she's in the right), she's offering sex as the make up. Again, maybe it should be called Whore this season. What happened to the independent woman of season one? Ava and C.I. really wrote something. They looked at the trends from fall 2012 and addressed what it meant for women, for people of color and for LGBTs. It's a really powerful article. Monday, December 31, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, protests continue, corruption continues, questions are asked as to why the US supports Thug Nouri, events of the year in Iraq get reviewed, and more. Chelsea J. Carter and Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN -- link is text and video) look at the year in Iraq: Then came the official end of the war. On December 31, 2011, the country celebrated "Iraq Day" and the departure of U.S. troops. As Iraq prepares to mark the anniversary, also known as the "Day of Sovereignty," last year's celebratory tone has been replaced by a more somber one. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's political bloc, the Islamic Dawa Party, called on Iraqis not to become divided along sectarian or ethnic lines by "malicious schemes." The country has struggled to define itself, as its government stumbles from one political crisis to another. Just as the last U.S. troops withdrew, al-Maliki, a Shiite, moved to arrest Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a Sunni, who al-Maliki accused of using his security detail as a hit squad. More recently, a few days before the first Iraq Day anniversary, thousands of Sunnis took to the streets in Anbar province, a major trade thoroughfare to Jordan and Syria, to protest al-Maliki's order to arrest the bodyguards of Finance Minister Rafaie Esawi, a Sunni. The arrest of Esawi's bodyguards came just hours after President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd who is widely viewed as a stabilizing political force in Iraq, left the country to undergo treatment for cancer in Germany. 2012 saw another cholera outbreak in Iraq thanks to Nouri al-Maliki's refusal to spend any of the billions made off of oil on the Iraqi people. They lack potable water in most areas. If you don't have potable water -- safe water -- to drink, you have to boil it before using it (or add purification tablets) and you better hope you didn't rush the boil and that the tablets still work. This wouldn't be a problem if Nouri would fix the public services. He's been prime minister since 2006, that's six years so the resposibility and the failure is all on him. In addition to a lack of potable water, Nouri's also failed to provide dependable electricity. All this time later, it's still apparently too much to expect to have electricity for more than a few hours. Strange because, before the start of the Iraq War, these electricity shortages weren't so common. Even something as basic as santiation is beyond Nouri's capabilities so children -- risking infection and disease -- can be found playing in the piled up sewage so common on many Iraqi streets. Nouri's also refused to spend money on the crumbling infrastructure. This winter, Iraqis saw what Nouri's cheapness has resulted in: Flooding throughout Iraq, homes falling down from the flooding, people dying in the homes, people dying from drowning, people dying from electrocution, people trudging through parts of Baghdad in knee-high water. When you let the infrastructure fall apart, drainage becomes problematic. The Iraqi Red Crescent Society had to evacuate at least one village this month as a result of homes collapsing from the flooding. Surely Nouri's done better somewhere, right? Nope. Iraq is still among the most corrupt countries as ranked by Transparency International. 176 countries were ranked this year on transparency and Iraq came in as the 169th most transparent country. Only seven countries were ranked as less transparent. Nouri's long been accused of skimming off Iraq's funds and his family lives high on the hog. He also employs his son who is said to be as much of a terror as Uday Hussein was said to be. Nouri's son is part of current corruption scandal. October 9th, with much fanfare, Nouri signed a $4.2 billion dollar weapons deal with Russia. He strutted and preened and was so proud of himself. Yet shortly after taking his bows on the world stage and with Parliament and others raising objections, Nouri quickly announced the deal was off. The scandal, however, refuses to go away. The Iraq Times stated Nouri was offering up his former spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh and others to protect the truly corrupt -- the truly corrupt -- according to members of Parliament -- including Nouri's son who got a nice little slice off the deal. These charges came from Shi'ite MPs as well as Sunnis and Kurds. Even the Shi'ite National Alliance has spoken out. All Iraq News noted National Alliance member and one-time MP Wael Abdul Latif is calling for Nouri to quickly bring charges against those involved in the corruption. (The arms deal is now treated by the Iraqi press as corrupt and not allegedly corrupt, FYI.) Latif remains a major player in the National Alliance and the National Alliance has backed Nouri during his second term. With his current hold on power reportedly tenous and having already lost the support of Moqtada al-Sadr, Nouri really can't afford to tick off the National Alliance as well. Kitabat reported MP Maha al-Douri, of Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc in Parliament, is saying Nouri's on a list of officials bribed by Russia for the deal. Then there's the other big news this year, bomb sniffing dogs and explosive detectors. Iraq's finally getting them. This might be seen as 'good news' except for one thing: They've needed them for years and Nouri's pride prevented that. The magic wands. It's a story so old even David Petraeus weighed in at one point. Nouri's government spent a small fortune purchasing these magic wands from a British company that apparently didn't also sell magic beans. You held the magic wand by a car and you 'jogged' in place, pumping your legs up and down and the magic wand, activated by your movement, would then detect a bomb if one was present. If you're not believing it, October, 9, 2009, an Iraqi correspondent for McClatchy was exploring the subject at Inside Iraq: Before starting telling you what happens in most of the checkpoints you should know about the "explosives detectors". The device is carried by security man who stops your car and walk beside it carrying the device. The device's pointer changes its direction when passed by a car that supposedly carries explosives. In November of 2009, Rod Nordland (New York Times) reported: The small hand-held wand, with a telescopic antenna on a swivel, is being used at hundreds of checkpoints in Iraq. But the device works "on the same principle as a Ouija board" -- the power of suggestion -- said a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod. Still, the Iraqi government has purchased more than 1,500 of the devices, known as the ADE 651, at costs from $16,500 to $60,000 each. Nearly every police checkpoint, and many Iraqi military checkpoints, have one of the devices, which are now normally used in place of physical inspections of vehicles. With violence dropping in the past two years, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has taken down blast walls along dozens of streets, and he contends that Iraqis will safeguard the nation as American troops leave. It wasn't just that US generals laughed at the magic wands, by 2010 even the British government was disturbed, demanding the devices no longer be manufactured and suing the company. But Nouri refused to join in the lawsuit (he apparently only likes to sue the press and politicians) and insisted that the magic wands continued to be used. Instead of admitting that he had wasted over one million dollars on magic wands that didn't work, Nouri put his vanity ahead of the safety of the Iraqi people. Last November, years after the problem was first discovered, it was quietly announced that Iraq would finally be getting bomb sniffing dogs and explosive sensors. Did he not sue because he got a kickback on the deal? Who knows? Iraqis continue to live in poverty and it is a nation of widows and orphans -- over a million orphans we learned as the year wound down. Nouri's 'answer' to that? End the food-ration card system. This system was put in place in the 90s and provided the Iraqi people with basic staples. After the start of the Iraq War in 2003, the US government targeted the food-ration card system. Paul Bremer was only the first US official to attempt to end it. Ending it would not be easy so they instead worked on cutting it each year so that it offered less and less. In 2006, when Nouri became prime minister, he continued the cuts. This fall, he decided, with record poverty and unemployment close to 40% in Iraq, that now was the time to end this program. Cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr was the first to call him out and insist this wasn't happening. Iraqiya and others quickly backed Moqtada and Nouri was forced to back down (and even tried to claim that it wasn't his idea -- his Cabinet had planned it out without him). Iraq takes in billions on oil sales each year. Yet Nouri claimed there was no profit to share with the Iraqi people. Moqtada also pushed back on that and has been meeting regularly with the ministries to find out where the money is going. It's not going to the Iraqi people. Well what about justice? Is Nouri providing justice? Early 2012 saw the Ministry of the Interior visit schools and tell Iraqi students that Emo and LGBT youth were devil worshippers, were vampires, were perverts and that they must die. That's appallling and that's Nouri. Nouri is the Minister of the Interior. How can he be the Minister of the Interior and the Prime Minister. Back in July, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed, "Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has struggled to forge a lasting power-sharing agreement and has yet to fill key Cabinet positions, including the ministers of defense, interior and national security, while his backers have also shown signs of wobbling support." See, according to the Iraqi Constitution, if you can't appoint a full Cabinet, you can't become prime minister (someone else is named prime minister designate and given 30 days to build a Cabinet). But US President Barack Obama wanted Nouri to have a second term so no rules applied then (or apply now). So Nouri had his Ministry go into schools and egg on violence against Emo and LGBT Iraqis -- and Iraqis who might be mistaken for Emo or LGBT. There was worldwide outrage. The story got covered by outlets that normally didn't even cover Iraq -- such as England's NME and the US' Rolling Stone magazine. Nouri called off his dogs and tried to lie that the Ministry of Interior was not involved; however, the Iraqi press quickly printed the handout the Ministry of the Interior had circulated on its school visits. Nouri's such a damn liar. Dropping back to the November 12th snapshot: Staying with violence, as noted in the October 15th snapshot, Iraq had already executed 119 people in 2012. Time to add more to that total. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reported last night that 10 more people were executed on Sunday ("nine Iraqis and one Egyptian"). Tawfeeq notes the Ministry of Justice's statement on the executions includes, "The Iraqi Justice Ministry carried out the executions by hanging 10 inmates after it was approved by the presidential council." And, not noted in the report, that number's only going to climb. A number of Saudi prisoners have been moved into Baghdad over the last weeks in anticipation of the prisoners being executed. Hou Qiang (Xinhua) observes, "Increasing executions in Iraq sparked calls by the UN mission in the country, the European Union and human rights groups on Baghdad to abolish the capital punishment, criticizing the lack of transparency in the proceedings of the country's courts." Amnesty International was among those condemning the mass executions. Though all the executions for 2012 have yet to be tabulated, Iraq is expected to be at the top of the list of most people put to death. Nouri's also targeted the press. 5 journalists were killed in 2012 (we'll have more on that near the end of the snapshot). Outlets that report realities Nouri doesn't like are repeatedly attacked. Both Al Mada and Kitabat were hacked in 2012 following their hard hitting reporting on corruption. Dropping back to Saturday, December 15th: The Iraq Times reports that cable channel Baghdadi was surrounded by the Iraqi military on Friday and they forced everyone out and then shut the station down. They also note that Nouri ordered the closure. The Iraq Times reports that Iraqiya spokesperson Maysoon al-Damalouji declared today that Nouri is attempting to rebuild the Republic of Fear (a reference to the days of Saddam Hussein) and decried the closing of Baghdadiya TV. The satellite channel's crime? Reporting on the corruption in the Russian oil deal. This month, he also began targeting Fakhri Karim who is the editor and chair of Al Mada newspaper -- he's had Karim's home surrounded by the US military. Isn't it strange how in 'free' Iraq, Nouri's always sending in the military to attack the press. And isn't it strange how the US government -- even most of the US media -- refuse to call that out? (Friday, he used the military to keep reporters away from the protests in an attempt to ensure that they did not get coverage.) The White House backs thug Nouri. Elaine pointed out Friday: Nouri is a threat and danger to the Iraqi people. They voted for change and Barack went around their votes, the democracy, the Constitution to devise a contract (Erbil Agreement) to give Nouri a second term. Again, gays are targeted, Sunnis are targeted, Nouri refused to even have one woman in his Cabinet until there was international outcry -- and this is who the US government backs. Remember that the next time Barack wants to pretend to give a damn about human rights. Nouri is in his second term as prime minister. Why? Barack Obama. In March 2010, Iraqis voted in parliamentary elections. Nouri's State of Law was expected to win by a wide margin. The Iraqi people had other ideas. Nouri's State of Law came in second to the Ayad Allawi headed Iraqiya slate. Per the Constitution, per democracy, per vote counting, that made Iraqiya the winner and, as such, they were supposed to be immediately named prime minister-designate (one person from their slate, most likely Allawi) and then given 30 days to form a Cabinet. Failure to do so would result in someone else being named prime minister-designate. This is clearly outlined in the Constitution. But Nouri didn't want to lose his post. So he threw a public tantrum for eight months basically refusing to vacate the palace. And he was able to get away with that because he had the support of Barack Obama. During this time, the US government didn't argue for fairness or democracy or rule of law or the Constitution. They went to the political blocs and told them that they were in the wrong. They told them they needed to be mature and give. They need to give to the loser. Grasp that, the US government started a propaganda campaign at political leaders to get them to give up what they'd won to the loser Nouri. A few asked questions. Supposedly Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (currently in Germany receiving medical treatment) got very short with US Vice President Joe Biden in one phone call (no, not the one where Joe asked him to let Allawi be president). Talbani finally, supposedly, had the brains to ask, "What's in it for us?" Like a lightening bolt, the US government decided they could give Nouri a second term by going around the Constitution, by drawing a contract between the political blocs. This 'inspiration' resulted in the US-brokered Erbil Agreement. Leaders of political blocs agreed to give Nouri a second term (and end the eight-month plus stalemate) in exchange for Nouri agreeing to give them certain things. The primary demand by the Kurds was that Article 140 of the Constitution be implemented (finally). Iraqiya's primary demand was that an independent national security council be created and headed by a member of Iraqiya. Nouri used this contract to get his second term. Then he trashed the contract. The White House had given their word that not only was the contract legally binding but that they would stand by it. They did nothing. In the summer of 2011, the Kurds, Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqiya began publicly calling for Nouri to honor the contract. He blew them off creating the current stalemate on which numerous political crises have been stacked. John Barry's "'The Engame' Is A Well Researched, Highly Critical Look at U.S. Policy in Iraq" (Daily Beast): What was in it for the White House? Well they were allowed to leave behind US forces in Iraq after the drawdown (wrongly billed as "withdrawal") of December 2011. They were able to leave "trainers," CIA, FBI, Special-Ops and more. And the White House is able to add more. Back in September, Tim Arango (New York Times) reported: Iraq and the United States are negotiating an agreement that could result in the return of small units of American soldiers to Iraq on training missions. At the request of the Iraqi government, according to General Caslen, a unit of Army Special Operations soldiers was recently deployed to Iraq to advise on counterterrorism and help with intelligence. More troops sent in. This month, Press TV and The Voice of Russia both reported that the US military was deploying more US troops into Iraq from Kuwait. Then there's the Memorandum of Understanding For Defense Cooperation Between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Iraq and the Department of Defense of the United States of America which was signed December 6th. As we noted in the December 10th and December 11th snapshots, this allows US troops in Iraq for joint-patrols and counter-terrorism missions. Maybe that's why Barack Obama has backed thug Nouri? John Glaser (Antiwar.com) reports today: The Obama administration has kept largely quiet about Maliki's behavior, aside from about $2 billion in annual aid and tens of billions in military assistance. While this keeps the halls of power in Washington and the oil corporations happy, even the best case scenarios are damning, for Iraqi citizens as well as the geopolitics of the region. "Maliki is heading towards an incredibly destructive dictatorship, and it looks to me as though the Obama administration is waving him across the finishing line," Toby Dodge, an Iraq expert at the London School of Economics said earlier this year. "Meanwhile, the most likely outcomes, which are either dictatorship or civil war, would be catastrophic because Iraq sits between Iran and Syria." In 2010, Nouri was su Violence slams Iraq today as both the month and the year wind down. Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) notes Iraq witnessed "a wave of bombings and shootings." EFE counts 23 dead and seventy-five injured. Specific incidents of violence? All Iraq News notes a Baghdad mortar attack which left "multiple" people injured, an undisclosed number of people were injured in a Tuz Khurmatu car bombing, a Mosul polling stationg was attacked leaving 2 guards dead, there was an attack on a Sahwa leader's home in Diyala Province today that left 1 of his bodyguards dead, 3 Musayyib bombings have left 4 people dead and another seven injured, a Khalis car bombing has left fiften people injured and 2 Balad Ruz bombings left 4 members of one family dead and a child injured. Alsumaria notes that Ammar Youssef survived an attempted assassination by bombing today in Tikrit -- two civilians were injured in the bomb targeting the President of the Salahuddin Province Council. Alsumaria reports a Baghdad car bombing has claimed 3 lives and left sixteen injured. All Iraq News adds that the victims were largely part of a convoy planning a pilgrimage to pay respects to Imam Hussein. AP explains Imam Hussein is the grandson "of the Prophet Muhammad" who died in the 7th century. Press TV notes that the death toll in the Baghdad bombing has risen to 4 and 1 in Latifyah and 1 in Tuz Khurmatu. There was also a bombing in Hilla and Reuters quotes hospital worker Mohammed Ahmed who states, "We heard the sound of a big explosion and the windows of our office shattered. We immediately lay on the ground. After a few minutes I stood up and went to the windows to see what happened. I saw flames and people lying on the ground." On Hilla, Nehal el-Sherif (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) reports, "Seven people were killed and four wounded when gunmen blew up three houses, security sources told the German news agency dpa. The attack followed a car bombing that killed one person and wounded 17 near a Shiite mosque in the city." All Iraq News also notes that visitors to a Shi'ite shrine in Babylon were targeted with a car bombing, leaving 1 dead and three injured. And Alsumaria notes a Kirkuk rocket attack that left 5 police officers dead and six other people injured. RTE offers, "No group has claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, which targeted government officials, police patrols and members of both the Sunni and Shia sects." Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) observes: The latest attacks also came amid continuing anti-government demonstrations in several Sunni-dominated cities protesting against marginalization by the Shiite-led government as well as the alleged arrest of hundreds of Sunnis. The demonstrators also accused the Shiite-dominated security forces of arresting women instead of the wanted male of their family members. The protests were first sparked last week after the Iraqi security forces arrested chief of the Sunni Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi's protection force and nine bodyguards over charges of terrorism. The Middle East Monitor offers this take, "The demonstrators are demanding to an end to what they allege is the Iraqi government's 'marginalisation and exclusion policy'; they're also asking for the release of prisoners as well as an end to inhumane treatment in the country's prison." Protests continued over the weekend. Al Bawaba News noted, "Pressure is mounting on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to step down, after the largest scale protests so far saw tens of thousands of Iraqis gather on Friday to call for his removal." All Iraq News reported that Minister of Defense Saadoun al-Dulaimi received a list of demands from members of the council of Anbar Province whose citizens passed on the demands: They want the detention of women stopped, they want detainees released and Article 4 of the Constitution reviewed. The Defense Minister was visiting Anbar Province one day after Friday's massive demonstration took place in Falluja (with a conservative estimate of the protesters being 60,000). Al Mada noted that Nouri pronounced Friday's protests in Mosul and Ramadi "uncivilized"; however, rock throwing wouldn't emerge until Sunday. Mosul is the capital of Nineveh Province. All Iraq News reported that Council Members have informed the central government in Baghdad that their citizens demand the release of prisoners an end to Article 4 and an end to the Justice and Accountability Commission. Article 4 is how Nouri dubs various Iraqi rivals 'terrorists.' And the Justice and Accountability Commission is what Nouri uses to prevent people from running in elections. They have no job, they have no real role. Any Saddam Hussein loyalists would have long ago been captured. But Nouri uses this Article 4 to destroy his political rivals. Alsumaria added that Nineveh Provincial Council announced Saturday a general strike in solidarity with the protesters. It's a 72-hour strike (medical facilities will not be on strike). Today Alsumaria reports that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi has declared that Parliament will abolsih Article 4. He compares Article 4 to the Sword of Damocles hanging over the neck of Iraqis. Atheel (or Ethel) al-Nujaifi is the governor of the province. He's also the brother of Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi. Alsumaria notes that the governor declared Saturday that Nouri al-Maliki can end the current crisis within 24 hours just be returning the arrested to their provinces. Al Mada explains that Nouri has repeatedly targeted Atheel al-Nujaifi. Protests continued on Sunday with most of the press attention going to Ramadi where Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq was involved in an incident. Chen Zhi (Xinhua) reports that al-Mutlaq's office issued a statement claiming there was an assassination attempt on him while he was by the protesters and, following the assassination attempt, his bodyguards fired on the protesters. His office also claims that his bodyguards were injured. Citing witnesses and video, AP states that the bodygaurds fired on protesters who were making demands and throwing "rocks and bottles." AP notes that two protesters were injured by the gunshots. Reuters speaks with local witnesses and ends up with the same sequence of events AP has. Salma Abdelaziz, Yousuf Basil and Mohammed Lazim (CNN) report: Some demonstrators Sunday called for al-Multaq, who is Sunni, to submit his resignation to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government. Protesters chanted, "Leave! Leave!" and threw stones at him, witnesses told CNN. The deputy prime minister's bodyguards opened fire in an attempt to disperse the crowd as protesters hurled stones at the stage, Anbar provincial council member Suhaib al-Rawi told CNN. A protester with a gunshot wound was among five people injured, al-Rawi said. Details about the other injuries were not immediately clear. All Iraq News counts 1 protester dead and four injured. Samantha Stainburn (Global Post) observes, "It is not known if the injured protests were shot intentionally or accidentally." The statement al-Mutlaq's office issued can be seen as an attempt by the politician to cover what happened. Why he was stupid enough to go to a protest is beyond me. Yes, he is Sunni and, yes, he is in the Iraqiya slate. But Saleh al-Mutlaq is not popular. He and Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi (also Sunni and Iraqiya) were both targeted by Nouri in December of 2011. While Tareq ended up having to leave the country and being convicted of 'terrorism,' Saleh sailed right through. In May, Nouri dropped his efforts to strip Saleh of his office. By that point, there had been months of speculation in the Iraqi press that Saleh al-Mutlaq had cut a deal to save his own ass, that he was now in partnership with Nouri al-Maliki. This seemed to be even more true when Saleh was seen as undermining efforts to get a no-confidence vote against Nouri as spring was winding down. Saleh al-Mutlaq is seen -- rightly or wrongly -- by Sunni Iraqis as someone who protects himself and does nothing for other Sunnis (whether they're politicians or average citizens). His actions on Sunday did nothing to alter that opinion. Today Dar Addustour observes that Mutlaq was seen as attempting to distract protesters from their legitimate demands for and that his words were seen as throwing shoes at the protesters. (Remember, throwing shoes is a major insult in Iraq.) Kitabat adds that al-Mutlaq further insulted the protesters by refusing to get on the platform to address them. Al Mada notes the Mosul sit-in continued today. They also report that, according to a police source, six people taking part in a sit-in in Salahuddin Province were arrested yesterday and that the Salahuddin Provincial Council is warning Baghdad against ignoring the demands of the protesters. Alsumaria reports that Speaker of Parliament al-Nujaifi declared today that the government must offer real solutions and not fall back on procrastination. On death and violence, Mark Sweney (Guardian) notes that of the 121 journalists killed worldwide in 2012, the International Federation of Journalists points out five were in Iraq. IFJ notes these are the top countries: 1) Syria: 35 journalists killed 2) Somolia: 18 journalists killed 3) Pakistan: 10 journalists killed (tie) Mexico: 10 journalists killed 5) Philippines: 5 journalists killed (tie) Iraq: 5 journalists killed The five Iraqi journalists killed were Salahaddin TV's Kamiran Salaheddin, Al Adwa's Farqad Husseini, Dyali TV's Ziad Tareq, Al Gamaheer's Samir Shikh Ali and Sama Al-Mossoul TV's Ghazwan Anas. This list does not include Safir editor-in-chief Safi Qasis who has been missing since December 9th and is hopefully still alive. Yesterday, the Iraq Journalists Syndicate released their report. There were five Iraqi journalists killed in 2012. Aswat al-Iraq noted, "The Iraqi press Syndicate said on Saturday that five journalists have been killed in Iraq in 2012 by armed group raising the number of media men who have been killed since 2003 to 373." Xinhua also noted it, "Five journalists were killed in Iraq's violence during 2012, bringing the number of the journalists killed in the country to 373 since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, an Iraqi journalists' body said on Saturday." It's a shame that the so-called Committee to Protect Journalist couldn't get it right. According to their report released earlier this month, no journalists were killed in Iraq. It doesn't make their top 20 because no one died. How shameful. mohammed tawfeeq al bawaba dar addustour rod nordland tim arango the voice of russia john glaser chelsea j. carter At what point do human rights matter?

Historic building renovated under Brasher Group’s leadership March 6, 2023 March 5, 2023 / kylelpj By Judith Roberts More and more businesses continue to move into downtown Ruston, and the Brasher Group is just one of the newest owners of one of the historic buildings in the area. What was formerly Martha’s Boutique, the Brasher realty group has moved into the 212 North Trenton space, which was constructed in 1940, and has renovated the building. “Hopefully, we can be an asset by bringing people downtown,” said Kim Brasher. “I think it’s exciting because I talk to other people on the street and they’re like, ‘When you get done, I want to do this. Will you help me pick my awning?’ And it’s kind of like your neighbors — when you work in the flower bed, you know, they want to work in their flower beds. So, it’s very exciting to see that.” The historic building was part of the first movie theatre in Ruston, Kim Brasher said, and the mural that decorates one entire side of the interior of the business was once advertisements on the outside. “We tried to save as much as possible and add some modern touches,” she said. “We wanted to preserve the history.” Realtor Briley Brasher Cotton said she was already enjoying hearing out-of-town friends remark on how the downtown area continues to grow. “I think for me it’s been fun to improve what we have and make things better, but also keeping the historical part of it,” Cotton said. “It’s quaint but grown so much.” Much of the building had been devoted to space for the former boutique is now space for offices and includes a much more open floor plan. The Brashers took out the drop ceiling from the boutique took down part of the sheetrock and found a well-preserved wooden ceiling and the art mural from more than 60 years ago. “We are historical building, so we have to follow all the historical guidelines,” Kim Brasher said. “You take a building and revitalize it. You take it back to the history of the building but give some things a bit of a facelift. It’s nice to see.” While the new location for the Brasher Group has been open just a little over two weeks, Kim Brasher said she already has a new appreciation for the downtown area. “I see downtown differently now that I’m down here and I’m walking the streets more,” she said. “Before, I would shop downtown and go into stores, but I’d get out of my car and go into the store. And now, I’m actually walking from here to the Children’s Shoppe, or walking from here to The Fashion. I see things. I see buildings differently. I don’t know why, but I’m just noticing things I never noticed before. And it’s so cool. And it’s like I just appreciate it, I think, more than I did before.” ← Museum brings back Chautauqua lectures Notice of death — March 6, 2023 →

The Mind Slows & Flows Published November 13, 2017 at 940 × 788 in Lisa’s Poetry

Meant To Go Together by Rachel | Sep 17, 2012 The title of this song is a bit misleading, because mostly it’s about things that are NOT meant to go together. In fact, Ialmost used a line from the song — “…onions on chocolate ice cream” — as the title. And while that would have no doubt piqued your curiosity, I decided it was a little too random (not to mention that I would never have found an appropriate photo for the album cover!). I had a few goals for this song as I was writing it: 1) it needed to be silly, 2) it needed to have strong visual references, and 3) it had to have at least some educational value. The first two were a no-brainer, which you’ll see once you listen to the song, but the third didn’t come to me until I was almost finished writing the song. I’ll explain after you listen: Meant To Go Together by Listen & Learn Music The first two verses are obviously made up of things that don’t go together, which provides the opportunity for kiddos to provide new words so that each line makes sense. I corrected both verses at the end of the song, but for use in an actual music therapy or classroom setting, I think it would be much more fun for students to come up with their own versions. And of course, the entire song could be rewritten with new funny verses (either by you or kiddos). How fun would that be to see what wacky lines a group of students comes up with? I’m thinking there’s an art project just screaming to go along with this song! We All Will Sing Together

Varbergs BoIS FC vs Helsingborgs IF Live Scores, 18 Jul 2022 Follow Varbergs BoIS FC vs Helsingborgs IF live scores, results & detailed statistics such as starting line-ups, match live events and goals. Varbergs BoIS FC is going head to head with Helsingborgs IF starting on 18 Jul 2022 at 12:00 UTC-5. The match is a part of the Allsvenskan. Varbergs BoIS FC played against Helsingborgs IF in the season 2022, round 14. On Livescores, you can find all previous Varbergs BoIS FC vs Helsingborgs IF results sorted by their H2H matches. Livescores also provides the best way to follow the live score of this game with various sports features: Find out who scored in a live match and live statistics such as ball possession, shots, corner kicks, big chances created, cards, key passes, duels and more. Time Start: Monday, 18 July 2022 12:00 (UTC-5, Chicago, USA) Varbergs BoIS FC vs Helsingborgs IF: Match events Varbergs BoIS FC vs Helsingborgs IF: Line-Ups & Tactics Varbergs BoIS FC vs Helsingborgs IF: Match Statistics

WAYNE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL - WAYNESBORO, TN LIVE BROADCASTING CHANNEL FOR WAYNE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, WAYNESBORO, TN, HIGH SCHOOL Channel's Comments: WAYNE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL - WAYNESBORO, TN

Moon Souls' Podcast Action Plan: Be Mindful As the year draws to a close, we look forward to 2016 with bright eyes and eager hearts. In this episode, we start the new year with an Action Plan of how we intend to live and do things in 2016. We're doing away with unrealistic new year's resolutions and instead, focusing on improving and being mindful of how we're already living our lives. If you want to share with us your Action Plans, or if you have suggestions, comments and feedback, email us at [email protected]

« Third Sunday In Advent Reflection Reflection on the Two Kings » Reflection on the Innkeeper December 20, 2021 by metzgerl Written by Jeff Taylor, a contemporary author. None of the biblical accounts of the birth of Jesus even mentions the innkeeper. In fact, the only reference to a manger or an inn is in the Book of Luke. “And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” On the basis of that single sentence, we convict the innkeeper of shutting Jesus out. Perhaps we have been too hard on him. I think the innkeeper is an improbable hero. He had no reason to know that the strangers at his door were about to bring the Messiah into the world. Had he known, perhaps he would have made room for them, but that would have meant that some other weary travelers would need to be displaced. Yet, rather than making excuses, the innkeeper was resourceful, and gave what he could give—not a room or even a corner in his already crowded inn, but the stable that demonstrates that the King of the world is at home with the humblest of the humble. The arrival of the long-expected Messiah stood out in contrast to peoples’ expectations. He did not come in a manner befitting of a king. No pomp and circumstance, no great earthquake, no thunder and lightning, no burning bush, but humbly and anonymously in a barn to a young unmarried woman. The Jesus born in those surroundings would grow up to teach us to believe the unbelievable, to be prepared for the unexpected, and that the poor and meek will occupy a prominent place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Less prominent than even the lowly shepherds and animals, the innkeeper is neither mentioned by the writers of the gospel nor placed in the crèches that adorn our mantels and tables during Christmastime. Rather, he was and is behind the scenes, humbly and anonymously playing a major part in God’s great plan. He serves as a reminder to us that God uses what we have. Perhaps we should be more like the innkeeper. SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:6 MUSIC VIDEO: The Song of the Innkeeper Performed by Jason Gray

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IU Health to fund new recovery center for moms and kids By Marion L. Miele on May 17, 2022 Welfare State Nichole Haines says she’s an “open book”. The 33-year-old speaks candidly about her addiction, substance abuse issues and her experience with the Indiana Department of Children’s Services. But four years ago, when Haines said she was at “bottom,” the Fresh Start Recovery Center saved her life. Fresh Start, an addiction treatment center that allows women to live with their children while receiving treatment, was created by Volunteers of America – Ohio and Indiana. Roche at 125:A major pivot to COVID-19 while focusing on precision medicine The new residence which will be on the west side of town, is supported by Indiana University HealthCommunity Impact Investment Fund and is designed to be an “extension” of the Fresh Start program. This will allow women to stay with their children while in transitional housing, said John von Arx, president and CEO of Volunteers of America. “We strongly believe that if we can, we can stop this substance use disorder and treat and keep mom in a place where she’s going to do just that – recover – just keep her child with them in a very structured setting. has the greatest chance of family and preservation,” von Arx said. Keeping families together in adversity The first Fresh Start Recovery Center was established in Indianapolis in 2015 in response to a problem posed to Volunteers of America by DCS, von Arx said. The opioid crisis was contributing to skyrocketing child withdrawal rates. The success of the program has led to additional centers in Winchester, Evansville and Columbus. During the 2016 financial year, Indiana had more children in its child welfare system than any surrounding state, including those with much larger populations. According to federal data from the Administration for Children and Families, Indiana had 29,315 children in foster care that year. Learn more about Fresh Start: Drug addiction program keeps mothers and children together The program aims to prevent “having a DCS case open in the first place,” von Arx said. A DCS spokesperson said the agency had no comments yet. Although the treatment program has yielded “many excellent results,” von Arx said, a hole in the organization noticed was the period between the end of treatment and the real world. There was a gap in support, a gap that the organization thought it could fill. This is where the new recovery residence comes in. Funded by a $1.4 million grant from IU Health, the center will be the first of its kind in Indiana, designed to give pregnant women and mothers recovering from substance use disorder substances a place to go with their children after completing treatment for additional support before they enter the world of rents and mortgages. “It was the leap from successfully coming out of residential treatment to getting that longer-term outcome where this family is really on their way to a happy, successful life,” von Arx said. Haines’ Path to Recovery Haines told IndyStar that she had struggled with addiction since she was 14. She has two daughters, aged 6 and 14. Four years ago, Haines said she was in an abusive relationship and had two overdoses. During her second overdose, she was accompanied by her youngest daughter, Destannie, so DCS got involved, she said. It was not her first encounter with the agency, she said, and her daughter was removed from her custody. She asked her parents for help, but they stipulated that she should go to rehab. After checking into a 14-day rehabilitation center, she was able to secure a spot at the Fresh Start Recovery Center. His recovery date is September 28, 2017. She couldn’t see her daughter for about three months, she said. It was tough being in the facility and watching other moms have their kids, but it also made her want to “push even harder,” she said. “When a mother has her child snatched away, your hope kind of goes out the window,” Haines said. “And it’s so hard when you’re on the streets like that to get back on track.” The program gives mums ‘a good solid foundation’ for recovery Kevin Moore, senior vice president of behavioral health for Volunteers of America – Ohio and Indiana, emphasized that the program will provide support for moms. The first 30 days of Fresh Start focus on treatment, recovery planning and skill building. Then, participants enter the second phase of the treatment program, which prepares residents for life in the community, Moore said. This is where transitional housing for recovery comes in. After: Advocates want a clinician-led response to mental health crises. Here’s what they mean “When they’re ready to take that step into more permanent housing, they have a good solid footing and they’re able to make that next transition a lot easier,” Moore said. The association is currently seeking locations on the west side of Indianapolis, with plans to open the facility in the winter of 2023. While capacity at this center is limited, the organization plans to continue to focus on how they can increase housing capacity both at the center and beyond. The recovery residence will house between 10 and 12 women and up to two of their children under age 5, Moore said. Moore said that although many women have older children, the center only offers childcare, no schooling, so they focus on “little kids who need to stay connected to mom.” Women will have their own living, sleeping and bathroom space, and there will also be community spaces for children to play and meetings to take place. The organization expects a stay of six to nine months, but that can “vary significantly” depending on the needs of the family, according to Moore. There will be staff on site at all times to provide support and services, Moore said. This can include childcare, transportation, medical care and employment. This holistic approach to recovery recognizes that many different factors can lead to addiction: family stress, domestic violence, economic hardship, etc. “We know that just focusing on addiction in isolation from everything else isn’t a very good approach,” Moore said. “You need to be able to noticeably improve other aspects of their lives as well.” Brittany Collins, housing subsidy coordinator and family coach for the organization, said she has been advocating for a new center like this for years. Allowing mothers to stay with their children is “the missing piece”, she said. “The interest is for them to have reunification or to have a safe environment with their children, even if they have children with them,” she said. “But if the resources aren’t there, if they have nowhere to go, they can’t take their children with them, so it’s quite disappointing. A lot of girls feel hopeless that we just didn’t have not that before.” Lawyers took ‘a ton of bricks off my shoulders’ Eventually, DCS approved weekend visits, allowing Haines’ youngest daughter to stay with her at Fresh Start. The center had a playroom and many resources for children and mothers. “They had everything you would need,” she said. VOA staff members also vouched for her in court, Haines said. “DCS made it look like I would hardly ever get my daughter back because I had a second DCS case,” she said. “You have (a) mistake like this against you, giving you no hope. So when people like them fight for you, it shows you hope and it makes you thrive even more.” She regained full custody of her daughter in 2019, two months after leaving the center. After: From hiding his religion to using it as a platform, this man is raising millions Haines still speaks with Collins, who has been instructed to work with her in her recovery, on a regular basis. Haines calls Collins her “guardian angel” and said she has felt the continued support since graduating from Fresh Start. “I was already at my wits end not being able to take care of my child,” she said. “It meant everything to me. It took a ton of bricks off me…knowing that these people are going to be involved with me, even though I (left) their establishment.” Collins said Haines is “a hard worker”. “Working with me and VOA and her sobriety and recovery, she just blossomed,” Collins said. The recovery is “not linear” Haines said having the support of other mothers at her treatment center “makes you stronger.” Recovery is tough and it’s “not linear,” Moore said. That’s why, to really see the impact of Fresh Start and what the positive impact of this new program will be, the nonprofit examines how each family is progressing towards recovery. “Does this mother keep custody of her children and do they live in a safe and healthy environment focused on recovery?” said Moore. “That’s when you start making an impact on the community. It’s with one family at a time, and that’s exactly where we’ll be focusing our work.” Haines wants people who might be struggling with some of the same things she’s going through, that recovery is “worth it.” “It’s possible,” she said. “Don’t give up. There is hope. If you really want it, there are people who will help you succeed.” Reach IndyStar Trending Reporter Claire Rafford at [email protected] or on Twitter @clairerafford. Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses the National Assembly It is revealing that Fry excludes China from the list of failed “socialist” states Social Protection Program: SC sets a deadline for the implementation of “One Nation, One Card”: Everything you need to know about the program and who it covers Sarwar blames Opp for hampering economic policies

What a life! Got this on a recent boat ride with my hubby in the 10,000 Islands of Everglades National Park; there were 4 of them playing; so much fun to watch! Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: boating, dolphin, everglades, Everglades National Park, Florida, National Parks and Monuments, Parks, Ten Thousand Islands, Travel and Tourism, United States « must hurry, on break Words like silver »

Report on Career Guidance Session Conducted on 27/01/16 We started the day off on an enlightening note, eagerly looking forward to the guiding words of Mr. Denis Rodrigues, who graced the occasion with his knowledge and expertise in the field of Career Guidance. The session began with “clapping therapy” to rejuvenate the minds of the students and grab their attention. What followed was an interactive session posing questions such as “Who am I?” and prompts to discover one’s strengths and weaknesses. Students were asked about their passion and career choices. They were given exposure into the various streams and related vocations that they could take up. He went on to guide them through a step-wise process of making a career choice. The Speaker left a spark in the minds of the students that would indeed result in a fire of passion that would guide them towards the perfect career path.

For those looking for a beautiful bride to marry, Sweden is now one of the most popular destinations. The country has an amazing selection of brides with stunning beauty and sophistication. If you are looking for a Swedish mail-order bride, there are many options available. Whether you’re interested in traditional weddings or something more modern, you can find your perfect match here. What to Expect from Swedish Brides for Marriage Swedish brides have a lot to offer when it comes to marriage. They are known for their strong family ties, loyalty, and dedication to their partners. Most Swedish brides come from educated backgrounds and have a strong sense of independence when it comes to making decisions in their lives. Additionally, they are also known for being excellent cooks with hearty meals that bring everyone together around the table. Swedish brides tend to be very open-minded individuals who embrace new cultures and customs easily. This makes them ideal partners if you are seeking someone who is willing to explore and learn new things with you while still remaining loyal and dedicated to your relationship. Additionally, they also make great parents as they will put their children first above all else in life. With the help of a Swedish wife, you can expect your family life to be full of joy as well as stability and security. Finding Your Perfect Swedish Wife When looking for a potential Swedish mail-order wife, there are many places where you can start searching online, such as international dating sites or social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. There is no shortage of options available when it comes to finding the perfect match for yourself, so take some time exploring all these different sources before settling on an option that feels right for you! Be sure to research thoroughly about each potential candidate before committing yourself fully so that nothing stands between both of you in the future! Swedish Dating Sites: Reviews “I’ve been using Dating services for over six months now, and I’m really impressed with the quality of matches I’m getting. The website is easy to use, and the people I’m connecting with are all looking for real relationships. The customer service staff is also very helpful in answering any questions or concerns that I have. Highly recommended!” “Dating websites are a great way to meet people and find potential matches in one’s area. The website is easy to navigate, and the variety of profiles available is impressive. The website has many features that make it stand out from other similar sites, such as the ability to message others directly and get recommendations based on preferences. Highly recommended!” “Dating platforms have been a great experience for me so far. The site is well-designed, and it’s easy to find potential matches in my area. I’ve had a lot of success with the website, making real connections with people who are looking for the same things as me. I highly recommend it!” Choosing a Swedish bride is an incredibly exciting decision that can open up many possibilities for you and your future together! With these tips in mind, we hope that your search is successful and that you find the perfect partner who will bring love, joy, and stability into your life! Good luck! Previous Previous post: Russian Brides for Marriage: Everything You Need to Know Next Next post: Thai Brides for Marriage: What You Need to Know

« Staff worker • Playing by ear » Dwarf star October 30th, 2018 in Comedy, Incredibly Strange, Little People, Real People with Real Problems by lpcoverlover | 14 Comments Venus and Larry “Comedy Jackpot” Here’s a super rarity. No liner notes or bios, label info, dates or any information found online. Does anyone know this one? https://lpcoverlover.com/2018/10/30/dwarf-star-2/trackback/ #1 Jeremy says: October 31st, 2018 at 8:29 am This looks like it may have been a vanity pressing, possibly by Columbia. I have a completely different album with that same “colored lines” pattern. It’s for some Columbia records corporate event that they recorded. #2 GG Allin says: November 5th, 2018 at 7:29 pm If you’d enter it on DISCOGS, I’m sure a thread in the forums would lead to some info. #3 dwasifar says: November 18th, 2018 at 10:07 pm Someone over at rateyourmusic.com is looking for this record, saying they are his parents: https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/venus_and_larry/comedy_jackpot/ #4 Brian Phillips says: They recorded at least two albums. This one and Venus and the Baja County Jesters – Wild Country which was recorded on (according to one site) on a label called “Passport” back in 1970 and have them based in Albany, OR. http://nwmusicarchives.com/artist/venus-the-baja-county-jesters/ Their daughter is looking for a copy of either album, here is her contact information: https://www.discogs.com/user/mia71655 A picture of the other LP is here: https://tinyurl.com/yaz32rw4 His name is/was Larry Ford. Venus is from Mexico City. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAV96_oRLMk There are at least three musical Larry Fords: One is a Grammy-winning religious singer, another plays Jazz on the trumpet. Further information!! “Venus” was “Venus DeMars” who was better known as an ecdysiast. Go here and fast-forward to 5:34: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5cbvtr From this site: http://barebonesez.blogspot.com/2013/02/john-collier-on-tv-part-six-alfred.html “Saving the most bizarre for last, the role of Maria was played by an actress who went by the name of Venus de Mars. You won’t find any other film or television credits for her, but Norman Lloyd explained that she was a Mexican striptease artist who performed at the Main Street Follies burlesque house in Hollywood. She also turns up in a 1961 article about the Sunset Strip, where John Weaver reports that she stood 37 inches tall and was “known for her extraordinary tassel work.” Last update: If the newspaper is correct, in 1956, she was 21, so she was born in 1935. There are two articles, one from 1956 and another from 1964, so that is at least an eight year career for her dancing. The “Baja…” album came out in 1970, which would make her 34 or 35 at the time of the LP’s issue. I can’t help on label information on Comedy Jackpot, sorry! I gotta get out more, but here is a full article, which also mentions movie appearances: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3DNWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1ucDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6780%2C4395799 May 12th, 2020 at 9:21 am https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14849171/venusdemarsadsaltlaketribsunsep30-62/ #9 Mia Admire says: I know this because THAT is my parents. I would love to purchase that from you. #10 Mia Admire says: May 2nd, 2021 at 9:53 am This is my parents.i would very much like to purchase this album from the person who posted it. A little of the corresponding information is a bit off though. #11 lpcoverlover says: June 28th, 2021 at 3:47 pm Hi Mia, nice to hear from you. Please let us know what you can about this record! All the best. #12 Brian Phillips says: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14849234/medford-mail-tribune/ #13 Jim Tilton says: November 13th, 2021 at 10:02 am I was the original drummer for “Venus and the Baja Country Jesters.” What more info would you like? November 19th, 2021 at 2:37 pm Jim Tiltin- yes on the Wild Country Album, but not on the Comedy Jackpot. They ( my parents) did not have the jesters at Comedy Jackpot time.

Category: Tips And Tricks 8 Tips To Get You Out Of A Creative Rut Today I’m going to be dispelling the myth that if you’re in a creative rut you need to go to an exotic location. Here are eight things you can do to get out of a creative rut. Create an Assignment You may find that if you give yourself an assignment. for example, a photo a […]

Published Jan 24, 2021 • 6 min read Well, obviously that didn't go as expected! This post is going to focus on the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year and how I went with them. There's plenty that happened in 2020 that I'm not going to cover but the two main themes were "baby" and "pandemic" 🤷‍♂️. A new approach to goals I really don't recall what inspired the approach to goals I took in 2020 - in hindsight I should have recorded my thoughts on the matter - but it essentially breaks down like this: A focus area (e.g. guitar, swedish) A final outcome. This is my end goal with the focus areas. For example for Swedish the outcome I'd wanted was "to be at a point where I can express myself clearly in Swedish and learn without resorting to another language". 2020 milestones. These were specific things I wanted to achieve in the focus area in 2020. For guitar my aim was "to be able to play and sing 6 songs from memory, with at least 3 of songs being of intermediate difficulty." Next steps. These were individual, short-term tasks/goals to reach the 2020 milestones. My intention was that they would be very achievable - as an example for my Fitness focus area my first task was to "go for a run". Achieving one task would then require the creation of a new task that would get me closer to the associated milestone, e.g. "go for a run 3 times in 1 week". For the milestones and next steps I tried my best to follow the SMART criteria for goal setting. Some focus areas had no final outcome as they were something I'd like to be a lifelong process (e.g. getting better at guitar). I also had one focus area - Improve the World - that had no 2020 milestone, as I was uncertain of what path it would take and how I might measure it. I'd say I had mixed success with this system. I don't think I reached my milestones for any of the focus areas, and yet for some I did find myself making regular progress. I'm going to stick with the system in 2021 I think. Let's delve a bit more into how each focus area and how I'd like to continue with it in 2021: This is the one I'd say I had the most progress with, at least for the first half of the year. My milestone was "to be able to play and sing 6 songs from memory, with at least 3 of songs being of intermediate difficulty." I'm not quite there, but I'm not far off I'd say. Two things made this pretty easy to progress with. First was having very clear and linear next steps, i.e. "Learn to play song X without reading a tab". The second was having a young daughter who really enjoyed sitting and listening to guitar. The latter, however, started to backfire once she started moving and wanted to hold both the guitar and phone I was using to learn the songs with! In 2021 I'm going to change my focus here to be less on rote memorisation and more about learning the fundamentals of guitar/music theory - concepts like chord progressions, keys, etc. My initial milestone will be to finish the Intermediate level of Justin Sandercoe's guitar lessons. I say initial as I'm a little uncertain what I may already know so it's hard to gauge the time I'll need to put in. My milestone was to "release an EP or something equivalent of music that I'm proud of and would listen to if made by another artist". I utterly failed at this, not even completing a single "next step". I'd like to keep the same milestone for 2021, but I'll need to work on how I can create smaller goals for myself to help me get there. I had three goals here: Be regularly building things Work on a larger project Build something of my own design I'd say I've kind of accomplished the latter two, but it's more of a coincidence as a recently got interested in Cyberdecks and have started constructing my own. My initial intention for this though was to focus on creating musical instruments with electronics, and I haven't done a lot with that. I'm a little uncertain if I want to actually keep this as a focus area for 2021. I'm going to leave it as a maybe for now. My milestones here were "to be able to speak Swedish for daily errands like ordering food, etc." and "to be able to read a magazine article or short story with reasonable comprehension without using a dictionary". The first one I'm kind of there, though there's not a lot of outside communication in these pandemic times, so that's more theoretical than anything. The second milestone I've definitely not reached though. I don't think I'll change much here for 2021, though I need to think more about how I can be more consistent in striving for this one. My milestone was "run 365km in 2020". I didn't come anywhere close to this 😅. I'm not good at motivating myself to do exercise, however one thing I discovered in 2020 that I found worked better was Ring Fit Adventure. So for 2021 I'm going to structure my fitness goals around that! Improve the world As mentioned previously I didn't have a milestone for this one as I wasn't really sure where I wanted this to go. Instead I had one next action which was to attend meetups in Stockholm in the hope of gaining inspiration for how I could use my skills to do something better for the world. The pandemic threw a spanner in the works on that one. The other main action I took in this direction was to donate more to charities. I think this focus suffered the most from not having clearly defined goals, so that's something I'd like to change for 2021. I still don't think I'm going to box myself in by defining a milestone here, but I'll aim to make the next steps as actionable as possible. steely dan’s 20 jazz funk greats liked this Sean Hansford liked this Sean Hansford shared this Jan 25, 2021 • Original link

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a full-service LOGO • WEBSITE • PHOTOGRAPHY • COLLATERAL Lucid was created as a new venture for one of San Antonio's top dentists. The founder of Dominion Dental Spa sold her practice with the goal of helping treat those suffering from sleep apnea. Her dental and business experience, combined with our branding expertise, have helped create one of the new prominent sleep apnea treatment centers in San Antonio. The goal for this brand was to come up with logo that was simple and easily recognizable. The client wanted a modern brand that would stand out from the competition in the sleep apnea field. We wanted to create a unique icon to pair with the company name so we began with a traditional "L" script, simplified it, and removed some of the curves in order to create a more modern look. We chose a blue to violet color scheme in order to give the logo a more "dreamy" feel. We also created a custom type face with some of the edges of the letters rounded to provide some additional visual interest. We created a unique and interactive website that easily catches the attention of the incoming visitors. The website serves not only as a point of contact for potential patients, but also includes ways for them to quickly and easily schedule their appointments. We created a background video for the website that gives a glimpse to potential patients of what they can expect in a typical appointment. The photoshoot included working photos and headshots in order to help new comers familiarize themselves with the office and staff. As with many of our clients, we were tasked with designing their business cards, digital stationary and marketing materials. © Copyright Luna Creative LLC. Design by Luna Creative. The works or trademarks shown on this website are the property of their respective owners, companies & organizations.

Palo Alto homes sales going way over asking price in first month of 2012 February 1, 2012 Real Estate News No Comments Desirable Palo Alto started off the New Year with many home sales exceeding asking price by crazy amounts. The year began with a total of 21 sales in the first 3 weeks of the month compared to 17 total closings in January 2011 and, on top of that, many of the homes were sold significantly higher than the listing price. Palo Alto luxury real estate is on fire right now and some of the homes were high double digits over asking and most had multiple offers. I don’t believe this is a case of real estate agents under pricing the home with the hopes of multiple offers as all the homes have been priced very fairly for the size, location and condition. I think it’s a case of buyers with pent up energy looking for homes and just not enough inventory out there. Going back to my days of basic economics, high demand and low supply means… overbidding. This is a good sign for sellers of Palo Alto homes, especially for the homeowners who have been sitting on the fence and waiting to get out from under water as now is definitely the time to sell. There are more, but just a couple of examples of recent Palo Alto homes for sale with high ratios of sales versus asking price are: 185 Walter Hays listed at $1,398,000 and sold for $1,655,000 in 7 days (18.4 % over asking price) 769 Rosewood Drive listed at $1,050,000 and sold for $1,515,000 in 4 days (44.3% over) 971 Maddux Drive listed at $1,195,000 and sold for $1,361,000 in a week (14.1 % over) I work on a lot of off market sales too and information throughout our offices are further verifying the asking price to sale price ratios listed above. Off market, or off MLS, are probably 20-30% of sales happening in Palo Alto, Atherton and Menlo Park, so make sure your agent is well connected to get you in the game, or call me.

The Race for Fourth Place in the Premier League Remains Wide Open LWOSports Staff MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba of Manchester United look dejected with Craig Cathcart of Watford in action during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Watford at Old Trafford on February 26, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images) In what has become something of an annual spectacle, the race for fourth spot in the Premier League is coming right down to the wire. Many teams are still in with a chance of clinching the last Champions League qualification position on offer in the English top-flight, but Vwin has stated that three of the traditional big six – Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United – seem at present to be the favorites. They will, no doubt, battle it out until the final day. Whether the youth of Mikel Arteta and his sprightly young stars, the experience of Antonio Conte, or the talent available to Ralf Rangnick will prevail remains to be seen, but either way, it promises to be a thrilling fight. The remaining fixtures for Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United for the race for the last Champions League spot None would have seen this coming before the season started, nor indeed three matches into the campaign when they sat bottom of the table, but Arsenal are currently in a much better position than any of their top-four rivals. The Gunners are sitting in fourth, one point ahead of Manchester United in fifth. Not only this, though, but they also have three games in hand on the Red Devils as well as on West Ham United below them. The situation gets even better for Mikel Arteta’s side when you take into account their form. Arsenal have won their last four matches and are unbeaten in the league since coming unstuck against a fantastic Manchester City side on New Year’s Day. The North London club do, however, still have to face many of the Premier League’s top teams. Chelsea, Tottenham, United, and Liverpool all await them in their final 13 matches, with top-four rivals West Ham United and Eddie Howe’s in-form Newcastle United also left to play. Despite the potential difficulty of their final fixtures, though, Mikel Arteta has to consider his team the favorites for fourth place as we approach the business end of the 2021/22 season. While the Gunners have been one of this campaign’s biggest overachievers, it is safe to say United have been the most disappointing. When the season started, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s Red Devils were tipped to be involved with Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool in an enthralling and exclusive title race. With just ten games left to play for the Manchester side, however, things are looking slightly less rosy. Poor runs of form have left them a shocking 22 points off Pep Guardiola‘s City in top spot, and with their performances, even in their victories, having left much to be desired, it could be a rough run-in for United fans. While they started the season with plenty, the Red Devils are now struggling for attacking options, with Mason Greenwood suspended due to unforeseen circumstances, Anthony Martial having left on loan, Edinson Cavani rarely available, and Marcus Rashford in a spell of poor form. They are now relying on a trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, and academy talent Anthony Elanga to provide the goals, but this sudden lack of depth has proven tragic for Ralf Rangnick. Like Arsenal, United’s run-in features four of the traditional big six, the Red Devils having played only Manchester City in the second half of the season. The only source of comfort for United fans is that the other teams they have left to face, including Norwich City and an out-of-form Everton, should present much less of a challenge. As those who watch the Red Devils on a regular basis will know only too well, though, when this United side is expected to win a game, you can expect anything but. Antonio Conte’s men have been a picture of inconsistency of late. They have flip-flopped from smashing Leeds United and Everton to being humiliated by the likes of Burnley and even Championship side Middlesbrough. This will need to change if they want to stand a fighting chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, and the perfect place to start would be this weekend’s vital fixture against Manchester United. Win it, and Spurs go above Rangnick’s side with two games in hand, lose and the point gap between themselves and local rivals Arsenal will grow even larger while their position becomes increasingly precarious. With markedly easier remaining fixtures than their top-four rivals, however, Conte will see this as his way in the back door of Champions League qualification. Previous articleThe Russell Wilson Trade: Where do the Seahawks go from here? Next articleMaking Sense Of Carson Wentz’s Last Chance Top 5 Premier League Players From Ireland How the Premier League and English Football should handle COVID-19 Norwich City v Sheffield United Preview (Matchweek 29)

Primary Central Nervous System Lymphomas and Related Disease Biology, Pathology, and Treatment Yasuo Sugita (編) 書籍発行日 : 2019年1月 ポイント : 260 pt (2%) This book presents a comprehensive description of a diagnostic and therapeutic aid for primary central nervous system lymphomas and related diseases. The 22 chapters detail the biology, pathology, and treatment of primary central nervous system lymphomas. Chapters 1-8 provide basic information on the biology of primary central nervous system lymphomas, and Chapters 9-18 are devoted to the basic pathology of primary central nervous system lymphomas and related diseases. The epidemiology, neuroimaging, and treatments of primary central nervous system lymphomas are discussed in Chapters 19-22. Pathologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiologists, and other physicians will find this book of great benefit in diagnosing and combating dangerous tumors, primary central nervous system lymphomas, and related diseases. Although recent advances in neuroscience have provided physicians with important information regarding primary central nervous system lymphomas and related diseases, the prognosis of patients with primary central nervous system lymphomas remains unsatisfactory. Furthermore, it is often difficult to clinicopathologically differentiate between primary central nervous system lymphomas and other brain lesions, such as malignant gliomas, infarctions, metastatic brain tumors, demyelinating diseases, and inflammatory diseases. A variety of primary central nervous system lymphomas and related diseases have also been highlighted in recent years. This book has been designated principally as a diagnostic and therapeutic aid for physicians with regard to primary central nervous system lymphomas and related diseases. The 22 chapters detail the biology, pathology, and treatment of primary central nervous system lymphomas. Chapters 1-8 provide basic information on the biology of primary central nervous system lymphomas, and Chapters 9-18 are devoted to the basic pathology of primary central nervous system lymphomas and related diseases. The epidemiology, neuroimaging, and treatments of primary central nervous system lymphomas are discussed in Chapters 19-22. I sincerely hope that this book will be of practical use to pathologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiologists, and other physicians in diagnosing and combating dangerous tumors, primary central nervous system lymphomas, and related diseases. Yasuo Sugita, MD Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine PART Ⅰ．BIOLOGY Chapter 1．Angiogenesis of primary central nervous system lymphomas: The role of endoglin (CD105) Chapter 2．The perivascular microenvironment in primary central nervous system lymphomas: The role of chemokines and the endothelin B receptor Chapter 3．The signaling of ghrelin and its functional receptor, the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, promotes tumor growth in brain tumors Chapter 4．Programmed death 1/Programmed cell death ligand 1 in malignant lymphoma Chapter 5．The perivascular microenvironment in primary central nervous system lymphomas: The role of programmed cell death 1 and programmed cell death ligand 1 Chapter 6．SHP-1 expression in primary central nervous system B-cell lymphomas in immunocompetent patients reflects maturation stage of normal B cell counterparts Chapter 7．Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in primary central nervous system lymphomas Chapter 8．Role of tumor-associated macrophages in malignant lymphoma PART Ⅱ．PATHOLOGY Chapter 9．Intraoperative rapid diagnosis of primary central nervous system lymphomas: Benefits and pitfalls Chapter 10．Pathology of primary B-cell lymphomas of the central nervous system Chapter 11．Pathology of primary T-and NK-cell lymphomas of the central nervous system Chapter 12．Epstein-Barr virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the central nervous system, not otherwise specified Chapter 13．Iatrogenic immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders Chapter 14．Epstein-Barr virus-positive lymphoproliferative disorder associated with old organized chronic subdural hematoma Chapter 15．AIDS-related primary central nervous system lymphomas Chapter 16．Lymphomatoid granulomatosis of the central nervous system Chapter 17．Central nervous system lymphomas with cognitive symptoms: The pitfall of diagnosis in the early stages of dementia Chapter 18．Tumefactive demyelinating disease mimicking primary central nervous system lymphomas PART Ⅲ．TREATMENT Chapter 19．The epidemiology of primary central nervous System lymphomas Chapter 20．Diffuse large B-cell type lymphoma of the central nervous system: Characteristic findings on MRI Chapter 21．Therapeutic options for Primary central nervous system lymphomas Chapter 22．Treatments of primary central nervous system lymphomas

Tag Archives: Isao Kimura Shichi-nin No Samurai (1954) Posted on December 19, 2009 by dustedoff I first heard about this film when I was a child—The Magnificent Seven was being shown on TV, and one of my parents said it was based on Seven Samurai. End of story, for then. I’ve grown up since. I’ve heard about the brilliance of Akira Kurosawa. And I’ve recently read that Shichi-nin No Samurai (Seven Samurai) was supposedly the first film ever to use the concept of a group of unconnected people being brought together for a common cause. It therefore seemed high time to finally see the film for myself. Having just finished watching it, I’m still stunned. This is a mind-blowing film, colossal and profound, gut-wrenching and brooding and action-packed and funny and romantic and… Well, simply unforgettable. Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Akira Kurosawa, Bokuzen Hidari, Daisuke Katô, excellent film, Isao Kimura, Japanese cinema, Keiko Tsushima, Kokuten Kôdô, Minoru Chiaki, samurai, Seiji Miyaguchi, Seven Samurai, Shichi-nin No Samurai, Takashi Shimura, The Magnificent Seven, Toshirô Mifune, warrior, Yoshio Inaba, Yoshio Tsuchiya

Deuce (50th Anniversary Remaster) Deuce (50th Anniversary Remaster) Rory Gallagher Label: UMC (Universal Music Catalogue) Subgenre: Bluesy Rock Interpret: Rory Gallagher 50th Anniversary Edition: 1Used To Be (50th Anniversary Edition)05:05 2I'm Not Awake Yet (50th Anniversary Edition)05:36 3Don't Know Where I'm Going (50th Anniversary Edition)02:47 4Maybe I Will (50th Anniversary Edition)04:15 5Whole Lot Of People (50th Anniversary Edition)04:56 6In Your Town (50th Anniversary Edition)05:45 7Should've Learnt My Lesson (50th Anniversary Edition)03:35 8There's A Light (50th Anniversary Edition)05:58 9Out Of My Mind (50th Anniversary Edition)03:09 10Crest Of A Wave (50th Anniversary Edition)05:51 Used To Be - Alternate Takes: 11Used To Be (Alternate Take 1)05:09 I'm Not Awake Yet - Alternate Take: 13I'm Not Awake Yet (Alternate Take 1)05:47 Don't Know Where I'm Going - Alternate Take: 14Don't Know Where I'm Going (Alternate Take 1)01:49 Maybe I Will - Alternate Takes: 15Maybe I Will (Alternate Take 1)05:30 Whole Lot Of People - Electric Alternate Takes: 20Whole Lot Of People (Electric Alternate Take 1)01:44 21Whole Lot Of People (6 String Acoustic Alternate Take 1)03:56 22Whole Lot Of People (Deuce Session / Alternative Acoustic Take / 1971)03:41 23Whole Lot Of People (12 String Acoustic Alternate Take 1)02:41 In Your Town - Alternate Takes: 24In Your Town (Alternate Take 1)08:59 Should've Learnt My Lesson - Deuce Album Session / Alternative Acoustic Take / 1971: 28Should've Learnt My Lesson (Deuce Album Session / Alternative Acoustic Take / 1971)03:04 29Should've Learnt My Lesson (Deuce Album Session Outtake / 1971)07:38 Should've Learnt My Lesson - Alternate Take: 30Should've Learnt My Lesson (Alternate Take 2)06:16 There's A Light - Alternate Takes: 32There's A Light (Alternate Take 1)07:20 Out Of My Mind - Alternate Takes: 35Out Of My Mind (Alternate Take 1)02:19 Crest Of A Wave - Alternate Takes: 38Crest Of A Wave (Alternate Take 1)05:34 Home Demos: 40Don't Know Where I'm Going (Home Demo)04:41 41Maybe I Will (Home Demo)03:27 42Should've Learnt My Lesson (Home Demo)02:05 Radio Bremen (Live): 43Should've Learnt My Lesson (Radio Bremen / 21/12/1971)05:56 44Crest Of A Wave (Radio Bremen / 21/12/1971)05:28 45I Could've Had Religion (Radio Bremen / 21/12/1971)07:16 46For The Last Time (Radio Bremen / 21/12/1971)05:55 47Messin' With The Kid (Radio Bremen / 21/12/1971)05:15 48Don't Know Where I'm Going (Radio Bremen / 21/12/1971)02:08 49Pistol Slapper Blues (Radio Bremen / 21/12/1971)02:21 Total Runtime03:55:49 Info zu Deuce (50th Anniversary Remaster) Zur Feier des 50. Jahrestages von Rory Gallaghers zweitem Soloalbum aus dem Jahr 1971 wird ein Deluxe-Boxset des Albums vorgestellt, das einen neuen Mix des Originalalbums, achtundzwanzig bisher unveröffentlichte alternative Aufnahmen, ein BBC Radio In Concert" mit sechs Songs aus dem Jahr 1972 und sieben Radio Bremen-Radiosessions enthält. When asked “How does it feel to be the best guitarist in the world,” Jimi replied: “I don’t know, why don’t you go and ask Rory Gallagher.” – Jimi Hendrix “There are a million guys who sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan, but I never heard anybody who could really pull off sounding like Rory Gallagher.” – Slash “As soon as I heard Cradle Rock, I was hooked. I thought, ‘This is what I want to be when I grow up.” – Joe Bonamassa “I really liked Rory, he was fine guitarist and singer and lovely man.”- Jimmy Page Rory Gallagher, Gesang, Gitarre, Mundharmonika Gerry McAvoy, Bass Wilgar Campbell, Schlagzeug, Percussion Check Shirt Wizard - Live In '77 (Remastered) The Best Of (Remastered) Photo Finish (Remastered) Against The Grain (Remastered) Defender (Remastered) Rory Gallagher (Remastered) Tattoo (Remastered) Jinx (Remastered) Top Priority (Remastered) Fresh Evidence (Remastered) Live! In Europe (Remastered) Blueprint (Remastered) Calling Card (Remastered) Irish Tour ‘74 (Remastered) Stage Struck (Remastered) Deuce (Remastered) Rory Gallagher (50th Anniversary Edition Remaster) Cleveland Calling, Pt.2 (Remastered) Live In San Diego '74 (Remastered) After a career cut short by illness and a premature death, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Rory Gallagher left his mark in the blues and rock worlds. His hard-charging, intensely rhythmic playing style on his 1961 Stratocaster still casts a long shadow over rock & roll: Queen's Brian May imitated not only his playing but his gear early on; he credits Gallagher with the root of his sound. Eric Clapton said it was Gallagher who got him "back into the blues." Johnny Marr acknowledges a great debt as well: After learning how to play the guitarist's classic Deuce album track-for-track at 13, he revealed Gallagher's influence throughout his career. Marr also said that he received mentorship and advice on his conduct on-stage and off. Even U2's the Edge and Slash sing his praises and credit his influence. While Gallagher didn't tour the U.S. very often, he lived on the stages of Europe. But he was well-known on Yankee shores for his marathon-length, no-holds-barred live shows at clubs and theaters across North America. While never a major presence on radio in the United States, Gallagher nonetheless racked up a handful of semi-hit singles with "Laundromat," "I Walk on Hot Coals," "Shadow Play," and "Philby," as well as a slew of acclaimed albums from 1971's Deuce and the remarkable Irish Tour in 1974, through Calling Card in 1976 and Top Priority in 1979. Even after the hits, Gallagher continued to pump out high-quality albums including 1982's Jinx and 1990's Fresh Evidence. Even after his accidental death on an operating table in 1995, Gallagher continued to win over new fans and influence artists of many stripes, including the mystery writer Ian Rankin, who created a posthumous compilation called The Continental Op in 2013 comprised of the guitarist's many songs about spies and suspense. Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Irish Republic, on March 2, 1948. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Cork City in the south, and at age nine he became fascinated with American blues and folk singers he heard on the radio. An avid record collector, he had a wide range of influences, including Leadbelly, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker. Gallagher would always try to mix some simple country blues songs into his recordings. He began his recording career after moving to London, when he formed a trio called Taste. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 1969 in England and later picked up for U.S. distribution by Atco/Atlantic. Between 1969 and 1971, with producer Tony Colton behind the board, Gallagher recorded three albums with Taste before they split up. He began performing under his own name in 1971, releasing his 1970 debut, Rory Gallagher, for Polydor Records in the U.K. The album was picked up for U.S. distribution by Atlantic, and later that year he recorded Deuce, also released by Atlantic in the U.S. His prolific output continued, as he followed up Deuce with Live in Europe (1972) and Blueprint and Tattoo, both in 1973. Irish Tour 1974, like Live in Europe, did a good job of capturing the excitement of his live shows on tape, and he followed that with Calling Card for Chrysalis in 1976, and Photo Finish and Jinx for the same label in 1978 and 1982. By this point, Gallagher had made several world tours, and he took a few years of rest from the road. He got back into recording and performing live again with the 1987 release (in the U.K.) of Defender. His last album, Fresh Evidence, was released in 1991 on the Capo/I.R.S. label. Capo was his own record and publishing company that he set up in the hopes of eventually exposing other great blues talents. Some of Gallagher's best work on record wasn't under his own name; it's music he recorded with Muddy Waters on The London Sessions (Chess, 1972) and with Albert King on Live (RCA/Utopia, 1977). Gallagher made his last U.S. tours in 1985 and 1991, and admitted in interviews that he'd always been a guitarist who fed off the instant reaction and feedback a live audience can provide. In a 1991 interview, he said: "I try to sit down and write a Rory Gallagher song, which generally happens to be quite bluesy. I try to find different issues, different themes and different topics that haven't been covered before...I've done songs in all the different styles...train blues, drinking blues, economic blues. But I try to find a slightly different angle on all these things. The music can be very traditional, but you can sort of creep into the future with the lyrics." Gallagher passed away from complications after a liver transplant on June 14, 1995, at age 47. In 2019, to mark what would have been Gallagher's 50th year of recording, his estate released the four-disc anthology Blues, featuring rare and unreleased recordings from the '70s to the '90s. (Richard Skelly, AMG)

Interpret "Babyface" Label: Capitol Records Genre: R&B Biographie Babyface 11-time GRAMMY Award®-winning recording artist Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, singer, songwriter, producer, philanthropist, and record label owner, has been revolutionizing the contemporary pop/Urban music landscape ever since scoring consecutive multi-platinum landmark albums with Tender Lover (1989, with R&B smashes “It’s No Crime,” “Tender Love,” “Whip Appeal,” “My Kinda Girl”); For the Cool In You (1993, with hit singles “For the Cool In You,” “Never Keeping Secrets,” “And Our Feelings,” “When Can I See You”); and The Day (1996, with “This Is For the Lover In You” and “Every Time I Close My Eyes”). As co-founder with L.A. Reid of Atlanta’s LaFace Records in 1989, Edmonds nurtured the careers of megastars TLC, OutKast, Goodie Mob, Usher, and (starting in 1992) Toni Braxton. Paralleling those achievements is Babyface’s extensive songwriting and production credits from the ‘90s forward. He has produced and written/co-written hits for everyone from Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Boyz II Men, to Mariah Carey, Madonna, Eric Clapton, Mary J. Blige, John Mellencamp, Aretha Franklin, Fall Out Boy, P!nk, Beyoncé, Anthony Hamilton, and many others. Under Edmonds’ belt are more than 125 Top 10 R&B and pop hits, 42 R&B #1 hits, and 51 Top 10 Pop hits (including 16 #1’s), which have generated cumulative single and album sales of more than 500 million units worldwide. His most recent productions with other artists include Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Keri Hilson, Ledisi, Colbie Caillat, Jennifer Hudson, and Ariana Grande. At the same time, Babyface is an active touring artist, performing concerts across the U.S. and around the world on a regular basis. Edmonds is the recipient of numerous awards, including Soul Train Music Awards, BMI Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and American Music Awards. He received the third BET Walk of Fame Award (following previous honorees Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston), and was named BET’s Entertainer Of The Year at the First Annual BET Awards Ceremony. Most recently he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His charitable work has garnered him the Essence Award For Excellence, The City of Hope Award, and Variety magazine’s “Top of the Town” Honoree Award. Music isn’t the only way that Babyface gives back. The passionate philanthropist is very active in supporting Carousel of Hope, which benefits the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, and Larry Ruvo’s “Keep Memory Alive,” committed to improving the lives of patients and their families facing the challenges of brain disorders. He has performed at several fund-raising events on behalf of Faster Cures and personally donated generously to VH-1 Save the Music. In addition to contributing to other worthwhile organization, including the United Negro College Fund, Babyface is a former national spokesman for Boarders Babies and helped raise more than $500,000 for a transitional home, The Little Blue House, in Washington, D. C. He is also a dedicated supporter of the David Foster Foundation for organ transplant patients and the Mike Milken Prostate Cancer Foundation. In 2008, Edmonds and longtime partner Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid combined their musical prowess and charitable efforts to co-write and co-produce “Just Stand Up” with heavyweights Beyoncé, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Leona Lewis, Ciara, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, and Miley Cyrus, to name a few. The song served as the backbone of a multi-purpose breast cancer awareness special. Edmonds and Reid were subsequently honored by the Noble Awards for their contribution to Stand Up To Cancer.

Michael Howles-Banerji ’14 writes, "I got married in October 2014. We moved to Redmond, Washington, in January 2015 for my new job as a software development engineer for Microsoft."

Terry Austin Classic X-Men 23, 1988 “Psi War!” Posted on February 3, 2020 by billyd75 I’ll freely admit that I love origin stories. I see people on social media decry films and comics that recount them, but I just can’t help myself. One of my favorite origin stories, is that of Professor Xavier (and the X-Men). Of course, Spider-Man is the one that gets retold a lot, but I can’t recall this one being retold many times. Honestly though, does anyone not get pumped when they see names like Chris Claremont (writer), John Byrne (pencils), and Terry Austin (inks)? This reprint book gives us a tale from the youth of Professor Charles Xavier. But first, he’s talking with Lilandra in his office. You see, the X-Men are missing and presumed dead (after an altercation in the Savage Land). He then begins to think that maybe he should never have recruited them for his cause. His mind drifts back to a trip he made to Cairo years ago. As he was walking through the city, a girl (a young Ororo Monroe, A.K.A. Storm!) stole his wallet. He chased the girl down, and retrieved his wallet, but was struck down by a mental attack. He then makes his way inside a cafe to meet the person responsible. He then comes face to face with Amahl Farouk. He is a mutant, and a very powerful telepath, just like Xavier. The difference is that he’s evil, and uses his powers for personal gain. After a quick introduction, they meet on the Astral Plane for combat. The battle is fierce, but eventually, Xavier proves to be the superior combatant! This story isn’t one filled with action, but it does show you not only the origin of Xavier but his first encounter with another mutant. Seeing Xavier in this different light (pre-X-Men) is quite a thrill and I can only imagine how much bigger of one it was for readers back in 1979. There’s also a back up story by Claremont and John Bolton. A neat little story involving Nightcrawler! And to top it all off, we get a cover (and pinup) by Art Adams! The original cover is by Dave Cockrum (X-Men 117, the last image). Star-Lord Special Edition 1, 1982 Posted on January 7, 2019 by billyd75 Two names that are synonymous with the Bronze Age are most certainly Chris Claremont and John Byrne (and Terry Austin). Their collaboration on the character Iron Fist was the beginning, but then the real feast came in the X-Men, of course. One lesser known partnership between the two juggernauts was in an issue of the magazine Marvel Preview (#11 to be exact). Claremont would write a few more stories after this one but not with Byrne on art. This special edition reprints that story, plus adds some framing sequences with art by Michael Golden (only posting the Byrne artwork though, as that’s how it was originally released)! And I’ll definitely include the great wrap-around (sort of…first and last images) cover by Terry Austin! Enjoy! Marvel Fanfare #1, 1982 “Snow” Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas! As I write this post a few days before the “big day,” I wanted to toss out a holiday themed story, and this one is great! Everybody loves Santa Claus, and nobody would want to see him hurt, but in this story, he gets mugged by some thugs, and it’s up to Daredevil to stop this senseless violence in the streets of Hells Kitchen! Some good humor in the story as well, when Heather and Debbie coerce Foggy into playing Santa Claus for some kids because the regular guy backed out! Great stuff to contrast this gritty story! One of the most underrated guys in the biz, is without a doubt, Roger McKenzie. This guy preceded Frank Miller on Daredevil (he actually wrote some great stories before Miller was writer, and was doing pencils), and for that, he gets overshadowed, but certainly shouldn’t be! Trust me and check out those stories! The artistic team of Paul Smith and Terry Austin bring their “A” game for this story, but that’s no surprise as that team always seemed to gel. Throw in Marvel stalwart colorist Glynis Wein, and letterer Shelly Leferman, and don’t forget the always reliable editor Al Milgrom, to round out the creative team on this holiday treat! Cover by Frank Miller! Enjoy! Doctor Strange #68, 1984 “Sword and Sorcery” As the month draws closer to the end, so does my spotlight on Doctor Strange. One issue that I must talk about is this one, issue number sixty-eight. It features not only the Doc, but another one of my favorite characters, the Black Knight! Also, the lady named Victoria Bentley, and her relationship with both men. Dane Whitman (the current Black Knight and the one from this story), was just recently released from his curse that had entrapped him in stone, but he seems to now have some type of madness that is deadly for those around him! A duel between the Knight and the Sorcerer Supreme is upon us! This story was during the fantastic run of Roger Stern. He also wrote the great story that featured the second war between Dr. Strange and Dracula! The artist, Paul Smith, had a brief run on the title, and did a solid job as well. Having a great inker like Terry Austin didn’t hurt either though, and we know all about his exploits with people like John Byrne, for example. Written by Roger Stern, pencils (and cover) by Paul Smith, inks by Terry Austin, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Jim Novak, and edited by Carl Potts! Enjoy! Doctor Strange #53, 1982 “Land of the Pharaohs” This issue holds a ton of sentimental value for me. It was the first Doctor Strange comic I bought back in the day, and it blew me away. I always thought the Fantastic Four was a good team, so when I saw them on the cover, that was enough to entice me into buying the issue. Marvel using guest appearances wasn’t new, but this story had a twist. The Doc traveled back in time to check something out, and wound up witnessing the FF battle the “Pharaoh from the Future,” Rama-Tut. Now today, we all know that Rama-Tut, Kang, and Immortus are all the same man, just at different points in his life. This character is one that I absolutely love, and for a myriad of reasons. First, he’s ruthless, and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Secondly, he’s taken Thor’s best shots, and still keeps coming back to get what he wants. And, well, you get the picture. I’m in love with rapacious conquerors! The title had recently taken a turn with its creative direction, and who better than to usher in something new than Roger Stern (writer), Marshall Rogers (pencils), Terry Austin (inks), Jim Novak (letters, and a hold-over from the last team), and Al Milgrom (editor)! This new group set out to do something totally different, and they sure made good on that! The first thing they did was to have Clea dump the Doc! Now, it’s time for you to enjoy some great work by the creators! Doctor Strange #38, 1979 “Eye of the Beholder!” To close out the 1970’s, Chris Claremont had a short stint on this title, as it had become a bit of a merry-go-round of creative teams for the last couple of years. Claremont took his turn (as if he didn’t have enough on his plate with the then resurgent X-Men!), and didn’t disappoint. He brings a new character to the book, named Sara Wolfe. She’s an “old friend” of the Doc’s, and you can immediately see the “Betty and Veronica” approach taking a foot-hold on the book. Matched with the eerie artwork of Gene Colan, this book definitely reminds you of a horror story. Speaking of the story, Wong gets captured by an unknown foe, then the Doc must face Native American demons, for his eternal soul! Written by “Superscribe” Chris Claremont, pencils by Gene “The Dean” Colan, inks by “Delightful” Dan Green, letters by “Terrific” Tom Orzechowski, colors by “Boisterous” Bob Sharen, and edited by “Joyful” Jo Duffy! Don’t forget the awesome cover by Bob Hall and Terry Austin! A great creative team for the greatest sorcerer in the universe! Enjoy! Superstar Artists- John Byrne! Pt. 2 After seeing some of John Byrne’s awesome work on the Fantastic Four in my earlier post, I thought it was time for some of his other work, you know, stuff off of the beaten path. His early Avengers work, the West Coast run, Silver Surfer, and a Hulk story from Marvel Fanfare that will knock your socks off will be featured in today’s post. So, get ready to be dazzled! Enjoy! Another week, and another post that spotlights a giant in the comic book world! John Byrne has accomplished many things as an artist and a writer, but most hold him high for two specific runs in his lifetime (3 for me). First, is probably his X-Men work alongside longtime stalwart, Chris Claremont. That era of X-Men really put them on the map, and resurrected that team from the dead (HUGE thanks to Len Wein, Dave Cockrum (who’ll get his own spotlight soon!), and editor Marv Wolfman, as well). I’m going to start out with some of his work on Fantastic Four, and then move on to other titles. From action to the mundane, he could do it all. So, without further delay, get ready for some classic Byrne! Enjoy! The Avengers #185, 1979. “The Yesterday Quest” I don’t know if it’s possible to imagine a better comic book. Mark Gruenwald & Steven Grant (plot), David Michelinie (script), John Byrne (pencils), Dan Green (inks), Costanza (letters), and Slifer (colors). Oh, and did I forget to mention George Perez and Terry Austin on the cover? The story is one of my all time favorite Avengers stories. It digs into the past of Wanda & Pietro Maximoff (Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver), and also showcases Modred, Ch’Thon, and the High Evolutionary! Enjoy!

Thinking in terms of Legacy October 20, 2018 | Vicki As I write this, I’m putting the finishing touches on a book manuscript. It will be sent to the editor in the morning, and following about a month of substantive edits, it will go into the hands of a copy editor to take care of things like commas and periods. After that, it will be readied for print. The book will be released in March 2019. I’ve had the privilege of co-writing the manuscript with my friend and colleague Angela Crocker. Angela is well known as a digital thought-leader, offering expertise in a wide range of digital life skills. This book is her fifth and my second. The book has been a collaborative effort and a labour of love. It required us to first craft a shared vision regarding what the manuscript would be and what shared perspective we’d take. We devised an outline, a list of resources, a meeting schedule and set manuscript milestones. Then we had to roll up our sleeves and write. As we dug into research and explored topics, new ideas emerged and we negotiated changes as we incorporated our new findings. Our aim: always to make the manuscript better. The book is called Digital Legacy Plan: a guide to the personal and practical elements of your life before death. It will be published by Self Counsel Press and it is already listed for advance sale on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.ukand Barnes and Noble. It’s the real deal. The subject matter is sensitive, death being a relatively taboo subject, and writing about it forced us to look at our feelings about death and dying and our own digital footprints. We’ve had to step back at times and give each other room to reflect on losses, revisit our own grief. We’ve had to really listen to each other and respond with empathy and respect. It’s taken a kind of personal leadership from both of us to ease our project over the bumpy spots, and stay focused on reasons why the book matters. I’m writing about this, partly because digital legacy planning is an interesting subject for a column, but also because Election Day is here. What’s important is that you vote. For those who are running, what’s important is what comes after the vote. At the end of the day, we will have a newly elected mayor, council and school board. For some, this will be a completely new role. Others will bring experience with them. Collaboration is not easy. It requires skillful communication and buckets of good intentions. It will be important that our new civic leaders find their way to a shared vision for the community. They will need to practice a kind of give-and-take and a willingness to negotiate and find common interests that are not required while campaigning, but is crucial to governing. They will need to see big picture, and at the same time grasp a vast array of new information. Angela and I chose to work together. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and we have a good measure of our capacity to stickhandle our differences. For the newly elected, it’s a different story. They will be working with people that they may not know, or whose platforms they opposed. Still, they will be called upon to make decisions collaboratively, for the good of the whole. For some people, certain issues are more emotional than others. Some may be heavily attached to promises made during the election and focus on quick outcomes. Others may take a longer view. Perspective is everything, and a shared one is hard won. Decisions taken now will have an impact quite possibly far into the future. Given the context of my book project, I can’t help but think in terms of legacy. The people we elect tomorrow carry the future in the hands. It is the community they are stewarding, and their legacy belongs to all of us. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This article first appeared in the Maple Ridge News.

Airlite for the Bosco Verticale of Treviso CA' DELLE ALZAIE Airlite exceeds the target of € 500 thousand thanks to the participation of more than 150 investors and decides to extend the campaign until 30 November 2019, in order to involve the many investors who have expressed their willingness to join the project and who have contacted the company in recent weeks. Already reached over € 670 thousand of adhesions. DISCOVER AIRLITE'S CAMPAIGN The excellent news doesn't end here: the company has signed a very important agreement with the famous Milanese architect Stefano Boeri and with Cazzaro Costruzioni, a company that has been working for over 50 years in the building sector, for the project of the Bosco Verticale in Treviso, the "Ca' delle Alzaie". Ca' delle Alzaie will consist of three buildings with residential units with very high technological equipment, accompanied by the unmistakable green terraces of trees, plants, shrubs and flowers, in the name of biodiversity and the reduction of particulate matter, guaranteeing a particular microclimate for better living comfort. A great result for the company, which has the opportunity to take part in a prestigious project oriented towards respect for the environment, a central value within Airlite's mission. PARTICIPATE IN THE CAMPAIGN

Senator Elizabeth Warren Demands Answers From Fidelity for Allowing Bitcoin in Retirement Plans Two U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren, have sent a letter to Fidelity Investments demanding answers regarding the company’s decision to allow bitcoin investments in 401(k) retirement plans. “Investing in cryptocurrencies is a risky and speculative gamble, and we are concerned that Fidelity would take these risks with millions of Americans’ retirement savings,” the lawmakers wrote. US Lawmakers Concerned About Fidelity Allowing Bitcoin Investments in 401(k) Plans U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has sent a letter to Abigail Johnson, the CEO of Fidelity Investments, questioning the financial services giant’s plan to allow bitcoin investments in 401(k) accounts. The letter, dated May 4, is also signed by U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN). The lawmakers wrote: We write to inquire about the appropriateness of your company’s decision to add bitcoin to its 401(k) investment plan menu and the actions you will take to address ‘the significant risks of fraud, theft and loss’ posed by these assets. The letter notes that Fidelity’s announcement followed the Department of Labor expressing “serious concerns” about cryptocurrency investment options in 401(k) plans, citing “significant risks of fraud, theft and loss” posed by crypto assets. Senators Warren and Smith stressed: In short, investing in cryptocurrencies is a risky and speculative gamble, and we are concerned that Fidelity would take these risks with millions of Americans’ retirement savings. The two senators proceeded to highlight the volatility of bitcoin compared to stocks in the S&P 500. They also noted that the price of the cryptocurrency was influenced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s tweets and the “high concentration of bitcoin ownership and mining exacerbates these volatility risks.” The lawmakers additionally warned: We are also concerned about Fidelity’s potential conflicts of interest and the extent to which they may have affected the decision to offer bitcoin. The letter references Fidelity’s announcement in 2017 that it had been mining cryptocurrency. Since then, the financial services firm has ramped up its crypto offerings, including offering its own crypto fund for wealthy customers. With the latest announcement, the senators said: “Fidelity has decided to move full speed ahead with supporting bitcoin investments,” claiming that the firm is doing so “Despite a lack of demand for this option — only 2% of employers expressed interest in adding cryptocurrency to their 401(k) menu.” In conclusion, the two senators asked Fidelity five questions and requested answers by May 18. They want to know why Fidelity ignores the Labor Department’s crypto warning, the details of the company’s bitcoin risk assessment, the fees customers will incur, how Fidelity addresses its own conflicts of interest, and how much the company has earned from crypto mining activities. What do you think about Senator Elizabeth Warren questioning Fidelity on its decision to allow bitcoin investments in retirement accounts? Let us know in the comments section below.

Manisha captures travel & lifestyle photography Category: Personal Life in London: final goodbye on 19 June 2017 4 October 2017 By Manisha 2 Comments Last week I flew back to my all-time favourite city to write my final exam. Since my semester already ended at the end of March and my last exam was planned 2 months later, I decided to go home in between. The exam was for my Labour law course, a quite interesting one since both UK and EU law were discussed and a lot of recent developments have taken place in this area. I had plenty of time to mentally prepare myself for it and when exam day finally arrived, I felt totally ready for it. After the 2.15 hours of intense writing, I was finished and felt relieved. From that moment on, it was time to enjoy my remaining days in the city to the max! Continue reading “Life in London: final goodbye” My Erasmus-exchange experience on 6 April 2017 6 April 2017 By Manisha Wow. It’s still hard to believe those 3 months in London passed by so quickly, but it feels good to be back in Holland again. The moment I arrived home Sunday night and entered my room, everything felt a bit unfamiliar to me. I was so used to my room in London that I really needed to adapt my mind-set. Also, the fact that I lived in a buzzing world city abroad and in a quite peaceful village at home was a striking difference. I have to accept the fact that I won’t be able to see world-famous sights every day anymore and the possibilities are a bit more limited here. However, focusing on the advantages helps overcoming all this: my family and friends are the number 1 reason why I will always return to Holland with a smile. I can’t wait to spend quality time again with all my loved ones. Doing the Erasmus-exchange was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m sure almost everyone who has done the same can relate to this. It was such an amazing experience to go into the deep, to live and study abroad in a new city and to get in touch with new people from all around the world. Besides that, I definitely learned more about myself within those 3 months. Once you start living in a country where you’ve never been or only a few times and you don’t know anyone, you’ll truly challenge yourself by figuring out your way of life. No one is there to keep an eye on you, so all the choices you make are up to you. I started noticing certain things about myself I never realized before, and that was really eye opening for me. The beginning is always the hardest part: I missed my family, certain things were unfamiliar to me and I had to make new friends. The latter wasn’t a problem at all, because almost all exchange-students were in the exact same situation as me. This is definitely one of the most fun parts of being on an exchange: since no one knows anyone yet, you’re more open to meet new people and willing to become friends more quickly. It was a really unique experience to study at a different University. The education system, teaching methods and facilities were all quite new to me, which made my time at Queen Mary University of London definitely an interesting one. The University has a campus in Mile End, where all my lectures and seminars were taught. One of the features I liked the most: the international atmosphere. I’ve never seen so many students with different nationalities in one institution. There was no clear majority, which was the reason why I felt at home very easily. This multi-cultural feature is reflected by the large number of societies (a quite popular phenomenon at my University); almost every big country has its own. Besides following lectures and other obligatory tasks, I had plenty of time to explore the city. Within a short period of time, I visited most parts of the city and I felt like I needed to look beyond its borders. I planned a day-trip to Stonehenge & Bath, a city-trip to Cambridge, a day-trip to Cambridge and I visited Dover (blog posts about all these places are coming soon!). It was great to discover what the UK has got to offer, apart from its capital city. All in all, this exchange was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far. I returned home with new friendships and wonderful memories. For everyone who is contemplating studying or working abroad, I’ll only encourage you to go for it! Lots of love, Manisha Life in London: the countdown begins… on 27 March 2017 27 March 2017 By Manisha 3 Comments It feels like I just moved in a couple of weeks ago, but in fact: my exchange has almost ended! This week the last lectures will be held and after that the long study break starts here. Since only one of my modules is examined by an exam, which is planned at the end of May, I’ve decided to go back home in the period after the semester ends. I’m planning on applying for an internship or finding a part-time job in the next couple of months. Besides that, my cousin is getting married soon: this is a is special occasion I definitely don’t want to miss. Since my lectures are only on Wednesday and Thursday this week, I’ve got plenty of time to make the most out of my remaining days. What I’ve planned for the last couple of days: an afternoon tea, a daytrip to Cambridge, shopping sessions to buy presents for my family/friends and hanging out with friends. The end is near, but I’m eager to make my last days in London memorable ones! I took these pictures on the 42th floor of Duck&Waffle, a restaurant/bar situated close to the Liverpool Street Station. Manisha is a freelance lifestyle photographer based in the Netherlands. On Manisha Captures, she shares her work, stories & creative endeavors with the world. Have a look and get inspired! Follow Manisha captures on WordPress.com Write down your e-mail address to follow this blog!

Chiropractic Care to Prevent Sports Injuries Home > Chiropractor Blog > Chiropractic Care to Prevent Sports Injuries by Mapleview Chiropractic | Mar 4, 2022August 22nd, 2022 | Chiropractor Blog As an athlete, you have probably heard about the benefits that chiropractors offer when it comes to recovering from sports injuries. You may have even gone through a treatment plan at one time or another. What you might not know is that chiropractic care can also be beneficial for preventing sports injuries and might also help you to be a better athlete. We often do not realize that our bodies are not performing optimally. Despite not having any pain or discomfort, you could be out of alignment to some degree. If this condition continues, it is only a matter of time before a muscle starts complaining about the extra work it is doing or joints start wearing more to the point pain begins. It isn’t unusual for an athlete to disregard mild discomfort as part of being so active, but it is important to note that there is a big difference between the achiness of a hard workout and pain from pushing too far.4 With a regular chiropractic adjustment, you will be less likely to experience sports injuries and your body will perform better. Many sports entail putting your body in an awkward position regularly or overusing one particular set of muscles. Misalignments are more common in these cases. The best thing to do is schedule an appointment with a chiropractor who offers chiropractic care for preventing and treating sports injuries so that they can learn more about you and develop a plan to keep you safe and doing what you love. If you are in the Barrie, Ontario area, reach out to us at Mapleview Chiropractic Centre to learn more about what we can do keep you free from pain as you enjoy sports for pleasure or for competition– or even just to keep up with your kids!

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Auction Login Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Live Auction (#266) 11/10/2020 8:00 AM PST CLOSED! Lot #8Lot #8 - Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Melinda May's S.H.I.E.L.D. Costume Lot closed - Winning bid:N/A Estimate: $2,000 - $3,000 Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV Series) Melinda May's S.H.I.E.L.D. costume from Season 1 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Throughout the season, May wears her signature costume both as The Bus' pilot and, eventually, while working as an agent in the field. This lot consists of a blue leatherette vest marked for the principal performer, a navy polyester blend long-sleeve shirt with a S.H.I.E.L.D. patch on the right shoulder, a pair of navy blended-fabric pants marked for the principal performer, and a pair of black leatherette high-heeled stunt boots. The lot is in excellent overall condition with minimal wear from production, including some light scuffing to the boots. Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000 This is an original asset used in the production of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The asset is made available through a partnership between Prop Store and Marvel & ABC Studios. This is not a replica, but rather an original item from the making of the production. This item comes with a Prop Store Certificate of Authenticity. If you have any questions on this lot please email us here. Auction Format Each lot is open for bidding for 12 days. If any bid is placed within the final minute of the Auction Period, the Auction Period will automatically be extended by 1 additional minute. Please note that the timer may reflect that the remaining Auction Period is "0" but the Auction Period has not concluded because it has been extended by a bid made within the last minute. It is the bidder's responsibility to refresh the page to determine whether the Auction Period has been extended. In any event, the Auction Period for any lot shall not be deemed completed until it states "Closed." Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and bank transfer. Buyer's Premium of 25% will be added to all winning bids. Invoices will be sent once bidding on all auction lots have closed. Payment must be received within 7 days of the initial purchase. Customers within California will be subject to 9.5% Sales Tax on the final winning bid and Buyer's Premium. Customers within Illinois will be subject to 6.25% Sales Tax on the final winning bid and Buyer's Premium. Customers within Washington state will be subject to 10.1% Sales Tax on the final winning bid and Buyer's Premium. Customers outside California will not be charged Sales Tax. Payment plans of up to a maximum of 3 months are available for any lots with a final hammer price of over $100. All lots are available for viewing by appointment only during the auction period. Please email us. We strongly advise all bidders to request a shipping quote prior to bidding. Buyer pays all shipping costs. The buyer is responsible for all fees including duties, taxes, VAT, customs and other charges for items shipped. All property must be shipped at the buyer's expense. It is each buyer's sole obligation and responsibility to be aware of, to comply with, and to bear all relevant import duties, taxes, VAT, customs and other fees charged by buyer's local government and/or tax authority. Prop Store will ship all packages with the full value of the goods declared. Buyer understands and agrees that Prop Store shall have no obligation or responsibility for any import duties, taxes, VAT, customs, shipping or other charges for the items shipped. It is the Buyer's responsibility to ensure that any property purchased from Prop Store enters the shipping location lawfully, that all duties and taxes have been paid and that all required export procedures, regulations, and laws were properly complied with. Buyer understands and agrees that Prop Store shall have no obligation or responsibility for complying with any export procedures, regulations, or laws applicable to the property. In the event that a customer refuses to accept a shipment due to import duty charges, and the item is returned to Prop Store, the customer shall be subject to a charge of 20% of the purchase price of the returned item, plus all shipping charges incurred in the shipment and return shipment of the item. The balance of the price paid for the item will be issued only as a store credit to be used against future purchases. Store credits are proprietary to each office of Prop Store, and may not be transferred to another office. 1. When making a bid, every bidder acknowledges that such bid is a binding offer to buy the lot at that price (plus the Buyer’s Premium, all applicable taxes and any and all shipping charges). All sales are final. 2. A Buyer’s Premium at a rate of 25% (the “Buyer’s Premium”) will be applied to all winning bids. The purchase price shall consist of your winning bid on the lot plus the Buyer’s Premium (the “Purchase Price”). 3. Unless bidder has been extended a payment plan by Prop Store, as set forth in paragraph 4 herein, bidder shall pay the Purchase Price in full within 7 calendar days of being invoiced. 4. For orders with a total hammer price above $1000, payment plans may be available in increments of up to three (3) months. Orders with a total hammer price below $1000 are not eligible for payment plans and payment will be due in full within seven (7) business days. Payment plans may be available in 1, 2, or 3 month increments. Bidders wishing to utilize the payment plan service, if approved by Prop Store, shall be required to pay a deposit of 20% of the Purchase Price (the “Deposit”), within 7 calendar days of being invoiced. The balance of the Purchase Price shall then be split over 1, 2 or 3 months, at Bidder’s option. The payments of the remaining balance shall be made as follows: 4.1.1 If the 1-month payment plan is selected, the balance of the Purchase Price shall be due within 30 days of the close of the auction. 4.1.2 If the 2-month payment plan is selected: 40% of the Purchase Price shall be due within 30 days of the close of the auction; 40% of the balance of the Purchase Price shall be due within 60 days of the close of the auction. 4.1.3. If the 3-month payment plan is selected: 26.66% of the Purchase Price shall be due within 30 days of the close of the auction; 26.66% of the balance of the Purchase Price shall be due within 60 days of the close of the auction; and 26.68% due within 90 days of the close of the auction. 4.1.4. Prop Store offers no grace period on payment plan deadlines. If the Bidder does not adhere to payment deadline as set forth above, the bidder shall be deemed to be in default. In the event of default all funds already paid to Prop Store shall be retained by Prop Store as liquidated damages. Moreover, Prop Store and/or the Seller shall also be entitled to any other remedies available, whether in law or equity. 4.1.5. No title to any Property shall pass to Bidder except upon payment in full of the purchase price, including the Buyer’s Premium due, and any and all other sums due to Prop Store and/or the Seller. Among other remedies available to Prop Store and the Seller, Prop Store and/or the Seller shall be entitled to immediate possession of the lot purchased by Bidder, if delivered to Bidder. 5. Where Lots are not collected within 14 calendar days from the due date of payment, whether or not payment has been made, a storage fee of 3% of the Hammer Price per month shall be charged to the Buyer. If the Buyer has failed to pay the Purchase Price and the cost of shipping and handling, Prop Store, at its option may cancel the sale. 6. Prop Store vouchers and other discount codes are not valid as payment for auction items. 7. Only the memorabilia item shown in the photos of a given product listing is included in the sale. Mannequins, display stands, and scale measures are not included with your purchase, unless expressly stated in the product description. 8. Bidder agrees that Prop Store will charge the credit card provided at registration for all items purchased at auction, and any future Prop Store auctions in which Bidder participates if not paid within 7 calendar days after invoicing. 9. Bidder shall be charged in US Dollars for the Purchase Price. Sales tax, as required by law, shall be applied at the state's prevailing rate when being shipped to the following states: California - 9.5% Illinois - 6.25% Kansas - 6.5% Michigan - 6% North Carolina - 6.75% New York - 8% Ohio - 7.25% Utah - 5% Washington - 10.1% Wisconsin - 4.85% Arizona: 5.6% Delivery addresses outside of these states will be exempt from state sales tax. 10. Terms of Guarantee of Attribution 10.1. Prop Store warrants the attribution of each Lot as stated in the title block (film title and item title) of that Lot in the Auction catalogue, subject to any revisions (which may be given in writing or online before or during the Auction at which the Lot is purchased by the Buyer); this is Prop Store's Guarantee of Attribution. Buyers should be aware that multiple examples of props and costumes are frequently used during production and it is often impossible to determine whether a specific piece has been used on-camera. Any specific on-camera usage known to Prop Store will be noted within the description, but no warranties are given by Prop Store on that description. 10.2. If a Buyer demonstrates, to Prop Store’s reasonable satisfaction, that the Guarantee of Attribution is materially incorrect, the sale will be rescinded if the Lot is returned to Prop Store in the same condition in which it was at the time of sale. In order to satisfy Prop Store that the Guarantee of Attribution is materially incorrect, Prop Store reserves the right to require the Buyer to obtain, at the Buyer’s expense, the opinion of two experts in the field, mutually acceptable to Prop Store and the Buyer. 10.3. In the event a sale is rescinded in accordance with condition 10.2, Prop Store shall repay to the Buyer the Purchase Price. Repayment of the Purchase Price shall be the Buyer’s sole remedy for an incorrect Guarantee of Attribution, to the exclusion of all other remedies to the extent permissible at law. It is specifically understood that this will be considered the Buyer’s sole remedy under this clause 10. 10.4. The Buyer expressly agrees that Prop Store shall not be liable in whole or in part, for, and the Buyer shall not be entitled to recover, any special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages including loss of profits or value of investment or opportunity cost. 10.5. Bidders are aware that description revisions may occur on some Lots, and should inquire before the Auction whether any description revisions have occurred on a given Lot and/or examine a lot before bidding on it. Prop Store will make all reasonable efforts to make description revisions readily available during the Auction. 10.6. Except as expressly provided in these Conditions Prop Store shall have no liability to the Buyer in respect of a Lot and all and any implied warranties and conditions are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. 11. Warranties and Representations. 11.1. The copyright in all images, illustrations and written material produced by or for Prop Store relating to this auction, is and shall remain at all times the property of Prop Store. The purchase of these items does not include ownership in or to the trademarks registrations, copyrights and/or any other intangible intellectual properties associated with this item. Therefore purchase of this item does not permit the Bidder to replicate or to exploit this item otherwise. Bidder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Prop Store and its directors, employees, affiliates, contractors and agents from any third-party claims, actions, suits, judgments, losses, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) asserted against or incurred by Prop Store that arise out of or result from any act or omission by Bidder arising out of or relating to Bidder’s infringement of any copyrights or trademarks in or to the items or Images. 11.2. Prop Store neither warrants nor represents that your use of any materials displayed on the site will not infringe rights of third parties not owned by or affiliated with Prop Store. 11.3. Prop Store makes no warranty or representation regarding the fitness for any purpose or merchantability of any lot sold. All lots are sold “as is.” 11.4. Bidders are aware that description revisions may occur on some Lots, and should inquire before the Auction whether any description revisions have occurred on a given Lot and/or examine a lot before bidding on it. Prop Store will make all reasonable efforts to make description revisions readily available during the Auction. While Prop Store uses reasonable efforts to include accurate and up to date information in this auction, Prop Store makes no warranties or representations as to its accuracy. Prop Store assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the content of the auction. Any reference images appearing within Prop Store's auction listings are solely for reference purposes and are not intended or deemed to be a representation or warranty of the item depicted within the image. 11.5. All items are sold as collectibles and/or memorabilia for display purposes only, and are not deemed, intended, represented, or implied to be fit for any other purpose. Bidder assumes all risks of loss and/or injury, including, but not limited to, personal injury or property damage, arising from or related to any other use of the item. Bidder understands and agrees that Prop Store and the Consignor and their parent, related and subsidiary entities shall have no liability for any such loss or injury and Bidder expressly releases Prop Store and the Consignor and their parent, related and subsidiary entities from any such loss or injury. 11.6. Except as expressly provided herein, Prop Store shall have no liability to Bidder with respect to any Lot and all and any implied warranties and conditions are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. 11.7. Bidder expressly agrees that Prop Store shall not be liable in whole or in part, for, and Bidder shall not be entitled to recover, any special, indirect, incidental or consequential damages including loss of profits or value of investment or opportunity cost, for any breach of any warranty, representation, or guarantee set forth herein. 11.8. Each bidder acknowledges and agrees that the technology and the website provided by prop store in connection with the auction is “as is,” without any warranties of any kind and that prop store does not represent or warrant that the technology or the website will be uninterrupted or error free. Each bidder acknowledges and agrees that the prop store shall have no liability, responsibility or obligation for any claim, demands, causes of action or damages of any kind arising out of or relating to any interruptions or errors in the technology or the website offered or utilized in connection with the auction. 12. Bidder/s (including browsing) of this auction is at Bidder’s own risk. Neither Prop Store nor any other party involved in creating, producing, or delivering this listing is liable for any direct, incidental, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages arising out of your access to, or use of, the site. Prop Store also assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for, any damages to, or viruses that may infect, Bidder’s computer equipment or other property on account of Bidder’s access to, use of, or browsing in the Site or Bidder’s downloading of any materials, data, text, images, video, or audio from the site. 13. If any applicable conditions herein are not complied with (to a material extent), Bidder will be in default and in addition to any and all other remedies available to us by law, including, without limitation, the right to hold Bidder liable for the total purchase price, including all fees, charges and expenses more fully set forth herein, we, at our option and to the extent permitted by law, may (a) cancel the sale of that, or any other items sold to the defaulting Bidder, retaining as liquidated damages all payments made by Bidder, or (b) resell the purchased item, or (c) effect any combination thereof. In any case, Bidder shall be liable for any deficiency, any and all costs, handling charges, late charges, expenses of both sales, legal fees and expenses, collection fees and incidental damages. We may, in our sole discretion, apply any proceeds of sale then due or thereafter becoming due to Bidder from us or any affiliated company, or any payment made by Bidder to us or any affiliated company, where or not intended to reduce Bidder’s obligations with respect to the unpaid item or items, to the deficiency and any other amounts due to us or any affiliated companies. In addition, a defaulting Bidder will be deemed to have granted and assigned to us and our affiliated companies, a continuing security interest of first priority in any property or money of our owing to such Bidder in our possession or in the possession of any of our affiliated companies, and we may retain and apply such property or money as collateral security for the obligations due to us or to any affiliated company of ours. Payment will not be deemed to have been made in full until we have collected good funds. 14. Except where expressly stated to the contrary above, under no circumstance will Prop Store incur liability to a Bidder in excess of the purchase price actually paid. 15. Bids will not be accepted from those persons under the age of eighteen (18) without the written consent of said person’s parent or legal guardian. Written consent must acknowledge the terms and conditions of sale. The written consent constitutes an agreement by the parent or legal guardian to be bound thereby on behalf of the bidder. 16. The terms and conditions of sale herein described shall be enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its choice of law provisions. 17. Any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the sale of the item between Bidder and Prop Store shall be submitted to arbitration in Los Angeles County, California before an arbitrator from the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (“JAMS”) and conducted under its Comprehensive Arbitration Rules, as the exclusive remedy for such claim or controversy. Both parties further agree that the arbitration shall be conducted before a single JAMS arbitrator who is a retired California or federal judge or justice. By agreeing to arbitrate, the parties waive any right they have to a court or jury trial. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding. The parties further agree that, upon application of the prevailing party, any Judge of the Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Los Angeles, may enter a judgment based on the final arbitration award issued by the JAMS arbitrator, and the parties expressly agree to submit to the jurisdiction of this Court for such a purpose. The prevailing party shall be entitled to recover the party’s attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in connection with the arbitration. Bidding Increments The following are the set bid increments for the Auction. • $50 - $500 by $25 • $500 - $1,000 by $50 ​• $1,000 - 5,000 by $100 • $5,000 - $10,000 by $250 • $10,000 - $20,000 by $500 • $20,000 - $30,000 by $1,000 • $50,000 - $100,000 by $5,000 • $100,000+ at the Auctioneer’s Discretion This is our Privacy Policy. It tells you how we collect, process, and maintain data received from you on our site. This privacy policy is effective as of June 5, 2015 and is updated regularly. If you have any comments or questions on this privacy policy, please email them to [email protected]. Our site address is www.propstore.com Our company name is The Prop Store of London, Inc. d/b/a Prop Store Our registered address is 28014 Harrison Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91505 We may collect, maintain, and use the following data about you: Your first and last name; Your home address or other physical address provided by you; Your telephone number; and In order to register to bid in our Auction and to use our site, you must create an online account. Once you have created your account, you may update or change your personally identifiable information at any time through your online account. 4. How we use what we collect We use information about you to: • Present site content effectively to you; • Provide information, products and services that you request, or (with your consent) which we think may interest you; • Carry out our contracts with you; • Allow you to use our interactive services, if you want to; • Tell you our charges; and/or • Tell you about other goods and services that might interest you or for our general marketing purposes. If you do not wish to have us use the collected data for our marketing purposes, you can opt out by checking the box on our registration form, or by contacting us at any time at [email protected]. 5. 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At our option, we may also email you. However, it is your responsibility to review our website for any changes to our Privacy Policy, regardless of whether we notify you of the same. Buyer pays all shipping costs. The buyer is responsible for all fees including duties, taxes, sales tax, customs and other charges for items shipped. All property must be shipped at the buyer's expense. It is each buyer's sole obligation and responsibility to be aware of, to comply with, and to bear all relevant import duties, taxes, customs and other fees charged by buyer's local government and/or tax authority. Prop Store will ship all packages with the full value of the goods declared. Buyer understands and agrees that Prop Store shall have no obligation or responsibility for any import duties, taxes, customs, shipping or other charges for the items shipped. Propstore.com © 2022 Propstore Ltd Go to propstore.com All Auctions My Lots My Account About Auctions Buy Now Sell Welcome to Propstore Auction Step into the electric world of auctions. Our live auctions are showstoppers, with bidding possible in person, via phone, or online. We also host regular timed auctions with online-only bidding. Auction info All catalog items The Reserve Price is the minimum price the Seller will accept for a Lot. The Reserve Price will not be more than the lowest estimate given by Propstore. Please increase your bid to ensure it is above the reserve. Bids placed now are max bids which will be executed on your behalf once the auction starts. These bids will be executed at the lowest possible price during the auction, as dictated by other bidding activity. Please follow the auction closely as most bidding activity occurs while the lot is closing - should you be outbid, you will be able to increase your bid at any point until the lot is sold. Incl. 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The End of an Era: Portugal's Golden Visa Program Comes to a Close The Portugal Golden Visa program has been a popular investment scheme for foreign investors seeking residency in the European Union. Under the program, investors who meet certain criteria can obtain a residency permit in Portugal, allowing them to live and work in the country,, and travel freely within the Schengen area. The program has been a significant source of foreign investment for Portugal, particularly in the real estate market, and has contributed to the country's economic growth in recent years. However, the Portuguese government announced its decision to end the Portugal Golden Visa program. The decision came amid concerns about the program's impact on the housing market and the need to focus on other areas of investment. Although there is confirmation that the Portugal Golden Visa program will be ending, the extent of the changes and whether it will be completely terminated is still unclear. Portugal Golden Visa Ending: What You Need to Know The Portugal Golden Visa program, which has been a significant source of foreign investment for the country, is coming to an end. This has sparked concerns and questions for those currently participating in the program or considering it. Here's what you need to know about the potential changes and what may happen next. Changes to Golden Visa Application Process The government has proposed changes to the Golden Visa Program that could potentially affect the program's future. The program will potentially be completely terminated.Other immigration programs, such as the D7 Visa or Digital Nomad Visa, may or may not be impacted if these measures are approved. However, it's important to note that the current law is expected to remain unchanged for at least the next 45 days as of February 16th, 2023. At present, neither the government nor Parliament is privy to the exact nature of the final amendments to the law. It is still unclear when the proposed changes will take effect or what the final wording of the law will be. Current Golden Visa Holders in Portugal If you're a current Golden Visa holder in Portugal, there's good news. The government aims to renew existing Golden Visa cases but add extra requirements to use Golden Visas to address the housing issue. This means that the changes proposed may not impact your current residency status in Portugal. Grace Period for Golden Visa Holders It's also important to note that even if the changes are approved, there may be a grace period for current Golden Visa holders to adjust to the new requirements. However, the timing of the implementation of the amendments is not announced yet, so it's unclear how long this grace period may be. Implications for the Portuguese Real Estate Market The Golden Visa program has played a significant role in the growth of the Portuguese real estate market over the last decade. With the program's impending end, the real estate market is expected to be one of the sectors most affected. Real estate investments have been the most popular way to obtain a Golden Visa, accounting for over 90% of all issued visas. However, the Portugal Golden Visa ending is not likely to cause a sharp drop in real estate investment. The demand for luxury properties in major cities like Lisbon and Porto is not expected to drop significantly, as the number of transactions by Golden Visa applicants constituted for a negligible portion of all transactions. This will probably not lead to a drop in property prices, contrary to what the government expects Portugal Golden Visa ending could also have wider implications for the Portuguese economy. The program has been a major driver of foreign investment and has contributed significantly to the country's GDP. Its end could lead to a reduction in foreign investment and a slowdown in economic growth. Overall, the implications for the Portuguese real estate market and economy are significant. It remains to be seen how the market will adapt to the end of the Golden Visa program and whether alternative investment programs will be able to fill the void left by the program's end. Economic Impact of Ending Golden Visa Program The potential termination of the Golden Visa program in Portugal could have significant economic consequences. The program has been a crucial driver of foreign investment in the country, particularly in the real estate sector. According to the Portuguese Real Estate Professionals and Brokers Association, the program has attracted close to 7 billion in investment and created thousands of jobs since its introduction in 2012. If the program ends, Portugal could see a significant decline in foreign investment. As a result, the country could experience economic stagnation, higher unemployment, and a slowdown in the real estate market. This could affect not only those involved in the real estate sector but also other industries, such as construction and tourism. In addition, the termination of the program could lead to a loss of government revenue. The program has generated millions of euros in revenue from application fees and taxes on real estate purchases. The government would need to find alternative sources of revenue to offset this loss. Another potential consequence of ending the Golden Visa program is the impact on Portugal's international reputation as an investment-friendly country. The program has attracted investors from around the world, and its termination could send a negative message to the global investment community. In conclusion, the Golden Visa program has been a significant contributor to Portugal's economic growth and real estate market. The potential termination or changes to the program can have far-reaching implications, impacting both the country's economy and those who have invested in it. While the government has not yet provided clarity on the program's future, it is crucial to stay informed and prepared for any changes that may come. We recommend consulting with legal and financial experts to explore alternative investment options and navigate any potential consequences. Overall, the Golden Visa program has been a unique opportunity for investors worldwide, and it remains to be seen how the program's end or changes will impact Portugal's future as a real estate investment destination. For those looking to explore the Portugal Golden Visa program, Get Golden Visa is a trusted investment immigration agency that offers full-service support to help investors navigate the process. 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A pair of No. 13 seeds are among the underdogs drawing heavy action at sportsbooks ahead of the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 on Thursday. Furman, the No. 13 seed in the South region with a first-round matchup with No. 4 seed Virgina, is first the most heavily bet team against the spread at BetMGM, leading in total handle and tickets. Furman (5.5) faces Virginia on Thursday afternoon. The public sees Virginia as an upset candidate due to analytics that pick at the Cavaliers' slower pace of play and late-February losses to Boston College and North Carolina, two non-tournament teams. The Paladins won the Southern Conference championship and enter March Madness having won 14 of their past 15 games. They raked in 73 percent of the total bets and 82 percent of the handle in their matchup with Virginia, according to BetMGM numbers. It was a similar story at BetRivers, where Furman had drawn 78 percent of the money against the spread as of Tuesday. Kent State, the No. 13 seed in the Midwest, is piquing the public's interest in a matchup with No. 4 seed Indiana. Kent State's line opened at 6.5 at BetMGM before quickly moving to 4.5, as the Golden Flashes had amassed 72 percent of the tickets and 81 percent of the handle by Tuesday. BetRivers reported Kent State earning 58 percent of the tickets and 77 percent of the handle ATS, and DraftKings Sportsbook noted that 37 percent of the bets and 47 percent of the money had been placed on Kent State to pull off the upset in money line betting. The Golden Flashes won the MAC title with a 93-78 thrashing of top-seeded Toledo and finished the season 28-6. On Friday night they'll get a crack at Indiana, a strong team that nevertheless experienced an up-and-down season with a few blowout losses in Big Ten action. BetRivers also noted Tuesday that No. 14 seed Kennesaw State (11) was the most wagered-upon first-round play in terms of total handle. Kennesaw State is set to face No. 3 seed Xavier in the Midwest region Friday, and with the Musketeers allowing 74.1 points per game this season, the public bet nearly 87 percent of the money on the Owls to keep it within 11 points in their first NCAA Tournament appearance all-time.

Houston Heflin’s New Blog and Website Houston’s blog has moved to a new location. He has more educational resources at his related website. If you don’t know Houston, here is his bio from his new site: Dr. Houston Heflin is the founder and director of Prepare To Grow Ministries. He attended Abilene Christian University (B.S., M.S.) and The Southern Baptist Theological […] Homeostasis – The Challenge of Spiritual Maturity Homeostasis – a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group – Webster’s Dictionary We tend to gravitate toward the things we are most comfortable with. We are most comfortable with the things we […] Is The Bible ANTI-Family – Part 4 As mentioned previously, this article boldly states that the Bible is actually ANTI-family. The last point Pearlstein makes is based on the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. He cites passages like Luke 14:25-27, “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not […] Have a Wonderful Worship this Morning! (Psalm 113) I love to think that while I am still sound asleep on Sunday morning that the worship has already started in some areas of the world and as I lay my head down on my pillow to go back to sleep, God is still being praised. Not only is God worshiped 24/7, he is being […]

Botox & Xeomin Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Laser Skin Revitalization Laser Skin Conditions Liposuction & Subcision Liquivida IV Hydration Stretch Marks & Scar Treatment Gym Club Program MD Touch Aesthetics and Wellness operates in a state-of-the-art facility located in the beautiful city of Coral Springs, Florida at 8884 Royal Palm Blvd. You can find us in the same exact plaza as Comprehensive OB/GYN, just a few doors down the corner. The facility has been designed with your comfort in mind. Now that its well-anticipated completion has arrived, MD Touch Aesthetics and Wellness is excited to welcome all new and existing patients! Our Physicians’ mission is to bring high quality, professional and innovative healthcare to the South Florida community. Each of our doctors are trained in the latest surgical techniques and medical advancements, offering a wide array of procedures in our beautiful office. At MD Touch Aesthetics and Wellness, our Board-Certified Physicians are dedicated to providing you with the individualized and professional care you require. Carlos J. Jurado M.D., PhD, F.A.C.O.G., CCS Dr. Carlos J. Jurado completed his education and training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Puerto Rico and San Juan City Hospital. He is a Board-Certified physician and Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, with 30 years of experience. In his pursuit and commitment to obtain the highest qualifications and training to better serve his patients, Dr. Jurado received a PhD degree in Philosophy, with concentration in Clinical Sexology from the Maimonides University and a Certification in Clinical Sexology from the American Academy of Human Sexology. He also is a certified Robotic surgeon and has been performing minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries since 2011. Dr. Jurado has received certifications of training by the “American Academy of Anti-Aging medicine and the Age Management Medicine Group. He has developed an integrated approach to promote “wellness”, improve quality of life and reduce risk of disease for both men and women. Dr. Jurado Wellness Protocols (DrJWP) “Our protocols are developed using the latest evidence base advances in age management medicine. We integrate; Bio-identical Hormones Replacement Therapy, nutrition, supplements, diets, exercise and lifestyle improvement to assist you to reach better health and quality of life”. “Living well and healthy is a decision we have to make every day.” Dr. Marsh McEachrane is a Board-Certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist who has been practicing in Broward County since 1991. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. He then went on to complete his medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine at Baltimore, Maryland. From there, he completed his post graduate training with specialization in Obstetrics & Gynecology at McGill University Medical System in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dr. McEachrane is a certified da Vinci Robotic surgeon. He is certified in his aesthetic practice for the administration of Botox, fillers, and injectable and laser treatments of spider veins. His practice also includes laser skin rejuvenation and laser hair removal treatments. Marsh McEachrane M.D., F.A.C.O.G., FACS Jessenia Magua M.D., F.A.C.O.G. Dr. Jessenia Magua received her undergraduate education from Northwestern University and medical degree from University of Illinois College of Medicine. Her OBGYN Residency was completed at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Wisconsin. Dr. Magua is a native Floridian who is a highly trained, Board-Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist. In her office, patients receive compassionate care from a doctor who puts her patients at ease and explains things to them in terms they can understand. Dr. Magua understands how difficult it can be to feel confident when you are distracted by an aged or unrefreshed appearance that does not match how you feel internally. All her patients agree that she is easy going, caring, and a good listener. Dr. Magua treats the full spectrum of female issues including facial rejuvenation, vaginal rejuvenation with Thermiva, surgical vaginal reconstruction (including anterior and posterior repairs and labial reconstruction), and menopause management with hormone replacement therapies. She is trained and has over 10 years of experience with Botox, Dysport, and filler injections. She gravitated towards aesthetics because of the rewarding feeling of seeing instant gratification in her patient’s appearance and therefore confidence. She specializes in lip augmentation, cheek lifts, and lip flips. She also does “mini neck lifts” with Botox by paralyzing the platysma muscle. Toye N. Jackman is a retired Veteran of the United States Army. She was originally from Detroit, Michigan and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Toye held various leadership positions and received a multitude of awards, commendations, and accolades while in the Army. After retiring from the United States Army after 20 years of active federal service, she received formal education at Keiser University. She earned her Associate of Science degree in Sports Medicine & Fitness Technology and her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics & Nutrition. She is currently earning her Masters of Science degree in Nutrition with a concentration in sports nutrition from Nova Southeastern University. Toye is passionate about and fascinated with nutrition and how the application of dietary therapeutic lifestyle changes can help people reach their health and wellness goals. As a staff member of MD Touch Aesthetics and Wellness, she is dedicated to providing excellent, evidence-based nutrition healthcare. She is an active member of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, The Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and The South Florida Academy of Nutrition and dietetics. Toye is a proud mother of three four-legged angels, a 4-year old Labradoodle named Elliot, a 4-year old Goldendoodle named Brynne, and a 13-year old Yorkshire terrier named Levhi. She enjoys being physically active through weight training, biking with her dogs regularly, and playing games with her family. Toye N. Jackman RD, LDN Joseph P. McLoughlin PA-C, MPH Mr. Mcloughlin has over 40 experience in the medical field. He began his medical career in the U.S. Naval Hospital Corps. and continued on into civilian life attending various colleges including Florida Atlantic University and Broward Community College for undergraduate work. On his way along he became and worked as a Respiratory Therapist as well as a Registered Cardiovascular Technologist working both as a Critical Care Respiratory Therapist in ICU and in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory while attending undergraduate studies for Physician Assistant. Mr. Mcloughlin was fortunate enough to attend the Nova Southeastern University. Mr. Mcloughlin received his Master of Public Health degree there while being part of the Physician Assistant Program graduating class 2003 and receiving the Chancellor’s award. He is a Surgically trained Physician Assistant with over 15 years of training and experience assisting in surgical procedures in a vast array of specialties including Cardiac, Vascular, Endocrine, Obstetric/gynecologic, colorectal, Neurologic and Orthopedic, as well as, extensive Davinci robotic surgical training and experience. Recently he has trained in Cosmetic Surgery with Dr. Neil Goodman M.D. for 30 months in Palm Beach Florida, specializing in Tumescent Liposuction. Most recently he has partnered with a renowned Obstetric/gynecologic surgeon Dr. Carlos Jurado MD, PhD. and opened an office based liposuction program. Jaira Hernandez become a National Certified Medical Assistant in 2014. She earned her Medical Skin Care Diploma in Cortiva Institute in 2017 and is a Licensed Medical Aesthetician. After Jaira gained years of skin care experience in Best Shape Med Spa, she opened her own Spa in Pompano Beach. She specializes in acne problems, aging, hyperpigmentation, and body shaping. As Staff member of MD Touch Aesthetics and Wellness, she is dedicated to providing excellent service in skin care. Jaira Hernandez 8884 Royal Palm Blvd. Coral Springs, FL 33065 © All rights reserved 2021 MD Touch Aesthetics & Wellness

This Is Not A Buffet. This doppelgänger tape was realized by Carroll for her public presentation: “Possibilities and Inequities: The Ethical Imagination in the Unsuspecting Materials of Policy, Planning, and Radio Frequency as the Work of Art,” for the American Academy in Berlin that took place on March 31, 2016 at the Museum The Kennedys. The president of the Academy, Gerhard Casper made a brief introduction that was followed by the introduction by Professor König, who introduced Carroll. Special thanks to the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Laurie Schwartz, Charles Atlas and Lady Bunny, Luhring Augustine Gallery in New York and Kim Eustice and Ruth Noack. Photos by Alyssa Deluccia. Video/photos by Joachim Feske and John Eltringham for the American Academy in Berlin. Here is the link to the presentation: This Is Not A Buffet. Professor König Introducing Mary Ellen Carroll Mary Ellen Carroll giving her public presentation

Official travel 22 September 2022, Washington, United States of America - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu (2R) listens to William Hare (R), a Associate Dean of Land Grab Programs at the University of the District of Columbia during a visit by the DG to the university campus in Washington, DC. © FAO/Roberto Schmidt

An Exploding Vape Pen Is at the Center of a Florida Man's Death May 9, 2018 admin 579 Views 0 Comment Center, death, exploding, Florida, Man&#039s, Vape Authorities in St. Petersburg, Florida believe a vape pen may have killed a man last Saturday after it exploded in his face, according to reports in the Miami Herald. So far, there are no specifics available about what kind of vape pen was being used when the accident occurred, but Spectrum News 9 reports that St. Petersburg Fire Rescue was called to a house on the 300 block of 19th Avenue North after a fire was called in on Saturday. Inside, the firefighters found smoke coming out of a second-story window and the body of 38-year-old Tallmadge D’Elia, who had multiple injuries to his face caused by an exploding vape pen. “They [vape pens] have a lithium battery and they start to generate heat,” Lt. Steve Lawrence, a spokesperson with St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, told Spectrum News 9. “In this case, we believe that exploded.” While authorities say the exploding vape pen caused the fire, they do not know if D’Elia was killed by the explosion or the fire at the moment. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the official cause of death. Exploding Vape Pens The long-term health effects of vaping have been reported on extensively over the last few months, including a January report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine that concluded that most e-cigarette products contain and emit potentially toxic substances through first and second-hand smoke. Even though this would possibly be the first known death caused by an exploding vape pen in the United States, this isn’t the first time someone has been injured in a similar accident. Back in January 2017, an Idaho man lost nine teeth when his vape pen blew up in his face, and a man working in New York’s Grand Central Station suffered leg burns when his vape pen blew up in his pocket in November 2016. While the FDA says it doesn’t know exactly what causes vape pens to explode, they agree that it’s most likely related to battery issues and recommend using a device with built-in safety features such as firing button locks, only using the charger that came with the device and never charging the device overnight. For other tips to avoid dangerous explosions, visit fda.gov. TikTok is being used by vape sellers marketing to teens Floyd's death spurs 'Gen Z' activists to set… Apple to invest $1.2 billion in silicon design center in… The CDC has issued multiple travel advisories as the death… An influential Covid-19 model often cited by the White House… Trump and his aides are discussing whether mortality rates… Elon Musk Got Himself Sued by the SEC for Fraud After He Sent a 420 Tweet Recipe: Dark Chocolate Chili Mug Cakes Disney's 'Star Wars' Park Might Make You One of Those Adults Who Are a Little Too “Into” Disneyland

PM Kvirikashvili Mulls Media Ombudsman’s Office Carlota González / 6 March, 2017 March 6, 2017/ By Civil Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili proposed establishment of the Media Ombudsman’s Office tasked to monitor the country’s media environment and its development. Commenting the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to suspend the enforcement of the Supreme Court’s March 2 decision, which reinstated the ownership rights of Rustavi 2 TV to its former co-owner, Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated that the Government will honor the decision like it honors “the decisions, the recommendations and the ideas of European institutions, which make a special contribution to our country’s democratic development.” Speaking at his meeting with a group of media experts and non-governmental organizations on March 6, the Prime Minister underlined that the Government “has proven its commitment to democratic values with actions, which has been repeatedly recognized by numerous international organizations and evidenced by international rankings.” He also emphasized that rule of law, respect for human rights, including freedom of speech and expression, and judicial independence “are the results of our Government’s policy” and remain to be the Government’s “top priority.” Giorgi Kvirikashvili emphasized that the independence of the judiciary “is a foundational element of a democratic state” and “any interference with its work or disrespect of its decisions is totally unacceptable, as is limiting the freedom of expression.” “These are the very values that our European friends and partners uphold, such is the principle of European democracy, and we expect the support and the backing from our European partners in building exactly such a state,” the Prime Minister added. PM Kvirikashvili also stated that “in parallel to protecting the property rights and the independence of the judiciary, no fundamental rights should be violated.” “Indeed, it first serves our interests, the interests of the Government, to protect our own greatest achievement, freedom of speech and expression and media pluralism. Therefore, there cannot be any doubts about this,” he noted. “That’s why, I propose to establish the Media Ombudsman’s Office, consisting of the most reputable international media rights activists,” he stated and added that the Office “will monitor Georgia’s media environment and development, including the processes around Rustavi 2, the Public Broadcaster, and the media environment as a whole.” Kvirikashvili emphasized that the Government “is open to cooperation” and invited European media experts for cooperation. “We are invested in protecting and empowering our institutions, and we will spare no effort to ensure the development of our country in accordance with the European and democratic values,” he concluded. 6 March, 2017 in Georgia, News. Tags: human rights, Media Ombudsman’s Office, Pluralism Georgia: Media Freedom at Risk Grand Chamber of Supreme Court Grants Rustavi 2 TV to Its Former Owner US praises Georgia’s judicial reforms, media pluralism, human rights protection ← Grand Chamber of Supreme Court Grants Rustavi 2 TV to Its Former Owner Georgia: Media Freedom at Risk →

25 years of press freedom in Ghana: Time for media sector reforms Bastian Silvestre / 16 May, 2018 16 May, 2018 / By Myjoyonline It’s been 25 years since Ghana returned to democratic rule under the Fourth Republican constitution, which became operational in 1993. The constitution contains elaborate provisions on human rights. In particular, the constitution, under Chapter 12, contains very progressive provisions for media independence and freedoms. Since the inception of the current constitution, the media landscape in Ghana has witnessed very significant changes. In the broadcasting sector for example, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of media organisations; diversity of ownership; diversity in the types and forms of media; and spread of media organisations across the country. Prior to 1993, there was just the single, state-owned, government-controlled radio and television network operated by the Ghana Broadcasting Co-operation (GBC). 25 years on, GBC’s monopoly has not only been quashed, the state broadcaster now has literally no influence in the broadcast sector. Latest available figures by the National Communications Authority (NCA), indicate that 367 radio stations were operational in the country by September 2017. This is out of 471 authorisations that had been granted by the authority. For Television, the NCA’s records show that there were 34 stations operational as at June 2016. These figures may have increased by now. In terms of print media, even though there were a considerable number of publications besides the state-owned Ghanaian Times and Daily Graphic, the number of newspapers and magazines in the country has also witnessed a significant increase. The online media space has also been buzzing with dramatic changes. According to global digital and population data website, Internet World Stats, there were just 30,000 internet users in Ghana as at the year 2000. By 2017, the number had increased to 10.1million. The ever-increasing penetration and access to the internet and mobile phones, has aided the growth of technology-driven media outlets. There are currently dozens of news websites, hundreds of personal blogs and tens of applications for optimising and sharing news. New media technologies, particularly social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, among others, have expanded opportunities for crowd-sourced news and individual news generation by so-called citizen journalists. As at the end of 2017 for example, there were 4.9million Facebook subscribers in Ghana. Overall, therefore, there appears to be a symbiotic relationship between the gradual growth of Ghana’s democratic culture and the expansion of the media industry. Despite the expansion in numbers, diversity of ownership, pluralism and spread of media outlets in the country during the last 25 years, all has not been well with the Ghanaian media industry. Major regulatory gaps have emerged, the major regulatory body has become lethargic, professional standards have dwindled, safety of journalists conditions are plummeting, and media organisations continue to struggle for survival. So after 25 years, Ghana’s media sector requires major reforms that will help strengthen the media to play their crucial role in national development. The following are, in no particular order, some of the areas requiring major reforms and attention in the Ghanaian media sector: Regulatory reforms: Regulatory reforms are required particularly for the broadcast sector. At this stage, the country desperately needs a broadcasting law to regulate and sanitise the broadcasting sector. The ongoing digital migration process also makes it crucial for a broadcasting law to be enacted. The absence of a broadcasting law over the years has made the sector prone to a number of challenges and abuses. These have included manipulations in frequency allocations, abuse of license authorisation conditions, lack of transparency in ownership, concentration of ownership, and unfair competition for rural-based and community radio stations. Reform of the National Media Commission: The purpose and vision behind the creation of the National Media Commission (NMC) were noble and progressive. Over the years, the Commission may have played a critical role in giving full effect to the constitutional requirement for the insulation and independence of the state-owned media. But 25 years on, there is an urgent need to begin a process towards reforming the NMC to make it more purposeful and useful going forward. Should the NMC continue have the current colossal number of members paid by the state? Shouldn’t the Commission now have the power to impose sanctions on recalcitrant media? Shouldn’t the Commission be made to publish annual reports of its activities as a way of accounting to the public? Should the Commission still be appointing managing directors of state media or that should be the function of the boards as constituted by the Commission? These and many more questions need to be addressed through a reform process. Transformation of GBC: GBC has played a major role in Ghana’s development especially prior to the adoption of the current constitution and in the early years of the Fourth Republic. 25 years on, a toxic combination of mismanagement, political interference, weak supervisory oversight and a culture of overzealous ‘unionism’ has made GBC almost irrelevant in the broadcast industry. There has always been talk about a need to fully transform GBC into a true public service broadcaster that is funded transparently by the public and held accountable by the public. The time to do this is now. Any further delays will only worsen the plight of the once vibrant state broadcaster. Media Sustainability: Across the world, sustainability of private media organisations remains one of the major challenges. The case in Ghana is not different. Media organisations are struggling to remain financially viable and sustainable. Different business models have been tested and are being tested and none has been found to possess the magic of turning things around for media businesses. The situation in Ghana, as in other developing countries, is worsened by the capture of online advertising revenues by global digital media giants, especially google and Facebook. Besides, technology has made it possible for local audiences to access the content of western-based traditional media giants that are more endowed to invest more in quality content. As a result, the media in Ghana, as in other developing countries, are increasingly resorting to and focusing on what may simply give them more clicks, more listers and more viewers – sensationalism, celebrity news, gossip, among others. In other words, what is happening is what a recent publication by the US-based Centre for Media Assistance (CIMA) described in a publication as “media feast and news famine.” This trend is increasingly reducing the trust, credibility and relevance of the Ghanaian media. As a nation, we need to begin a conversation about media sustainability. Media Capacity and Professionalism: Another area requiring attention is the lowering professional standards and general capacity gaps of the media. Over the years, a lot of resources have gone into capacity building for journalists. The results have not been much impressive. There is, therefore, a need to look into new capacity building models and strategies. Journalism schools also need to begin to modify and adapt their traditionally theory-based curricula to the needs and requirements of contemporary journalism. It is only when journalists are more professional that the media can play its very crucial role in society. And that is the only way the media can regain the trust, confidence and support of the public. Safety and Welfare of Journalists: Journalists’ safety is as crucial as the work that they do. Unfortunately, safety of journalists conditions in Ghana has been deteriorating in recent times. This is closely linked to the general conditions under which journalists work. Journalists are among the poorly paid workers in the country. It’s time to take a critical look at both safety of journalists conditions and the general working conditions of Ghanaian journalists. Source: https://www.myjoyonline.com/opinion/2018/may-16th/25-years-of-press-freedom-in-ghana-time-for-media-sector-reforms.php 16 May, 2018 in Africa, Columns, Digital Media, Ghana, journalistic genre. Tags: libertad de prensa, Media Pluralism, Pluralismo en los Medios, press freedom NMC Jabs Gov’t Over RTI Bill ← A wake up call? La Eurocámara pide explicaciones por escrito al Gobierno por la manipulación en TVE →

Professor Paul Clarke Director, Frazer Institute Frazer Institute Director Frazer Institute +61 7 344 36917 [email protected] View researcher profile Researcher biography Paul Clarke is Director of the Frazer Institute, a leading translational medical research centre studying cancer, autoimmune diseases, infection and immunity, and the genetic basis of disease. Professor Clarke became Director in 2017 and was previously Associate Dean (Research) in Medicine at the University of Dundee in Scotland, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester in England, and Research Fellow at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. Professor Clarke studied Biochemstry at the University of Bristol and undertook research for his PhD at the University of Dundee. Frazer Institute, formerly UQ Diamantina Institute, is named in honour of its Founding Director, Emeritus Professor Ian Frazer, co-discoverer of the Gardasil HPV cervical cancer vaccine. Frazer Institute is part of The University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine and is a key partner in the Translational Research Institute, a $360 research facility at the Princess Alexandra Hospital precinct in Woolloongabba. Scientists and clinical researchers at Frazer Institute develop new methods for the prevention, detection and treatment of human diseases. Clarke, Paul R. (2021). Keep it focused: PRMT6 drives the localization of RCC1 to chromosomes to facilitate mitosis, cell proliferation, and tumorigenesis. Molecular Cell, 81 (6), 1128-1129. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.02.026 Guo, Li, Mohd, Khamsah Suryati, Ren, He, Xin, Guangwei, Jiang, Qing, Clarke, Paul R. and Zhang, Chuanmao (2019). Phosphorylation of importin-α1 by CDK1-cyclin B1 controls mitotic spindle assembly. Journal of Cell Science, 132 (18) jcs232314, jcs232314. doi: 10.1242/jcs.232314 Clarke, Paul R., Allan, Lindsey A. and Skowyra, Agnieszka (2018). Timed degradation of Mcl-1 controls mitotic cell death. Molecular & Cellular Oncology, 5 (6) e1516450, e1516450. doi: 10.1080/23723556.2018.1516450 Allan, Lindsey A., Skowyra, Agnieszka, Rogers, Katie I., Zeller, Désirée and Clarke, Paul R. (2018). Atypical APC/C-dependent degradation of Mcl-1 provides an apoptotic timer during mitotic arrest. The EMBO Journal, 37 (17) e96831, e96831. doi: 10.15252/embj.201796831 Skowyra, Agnieszka, Allan, Lindsey A., Saurin, Adrian T. and Clarke, Paul R. (2018). USP9X limits mitotic checkpoint complex turnover to strengthen the spindle assembly checkpoint and guard against chromosomal instability. Cell Reports, 23 (3), 852-865. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.100 Hou, Ying, Allan, Lindsey A. and Clarke, Paul R. (2017). Phosphorylation of XIAP by CDK1-cyclin-B1 controls mitotic cell death. Journal of Cell Science, 130 (2), 502-511. doi: 10.1242/jcs.192310 Hain, Karolina O., Colin, Didier J., Rastogi, Shubhra, Allan, Lindsey A. and Clarke, Paul R. (2016). Prolonged mitotic arrest induces a caspase-dependent DNA damage response at telomeres that determines cell survival. Scientific Reports, 6 (1) 26766, 26766 .1-26766 .11. doi: 10.1038/srep26766 Colin, Didier J., Hain, Karolina O., Allan, Lindsey A. and Clarke, Paul R. (2015). Cellular responses to a prolonged delay in mitosis are determined by a DNA damage response controlled by Bcl-2 family proteins. Open Biology, 5 (3) 140156, 140156-140156. doi: 10.1098/rsob.140156 Wu, Zhige, Jiang, Qing, Clarke, Paul R. and Zhang, Chuanmao (2013). Phosphorylation of Crm1 by CDK1-cyclin-B promotes Ran-dependent mitotic spindle assembly. Journal of Cell Science, 126 (15), 3417-3428. doi: 10.1242/jcs.126854 Lu, Quanlong, Lu, Zhigang, Liu, Qinying, Guo, Li, Ren, He, Fu, Jingyan, Jiang, Qing, Clarke, Paul R. and Zhang, Chuanmao (2012). Chromatin-bound NLS proteins recruit membrane vesicles and nucleoporins for nuclear envelope assembly via importin-α/β. Cell Research, 22 (11), 1562-1575. doi: 10.1038/cr.2012.113 Fu, Wenxiang, Tao, Wei, Zheng, Puwei, Fu, Jingyan, Bian, Minglei, Jiang, Qing, Clarke, Paul R. and Zhang, Chuanmao (2010). Clathrin recruits phosphorylated TACC3 to spindle poles for bipolar spindle assembly and chromosome alignment. Journal of Cell Science, 123 (21), 3645-3651. doi: 10.1242/jcs.075911 Clarke, Paul R. and Allan, Lindsey A. (2010). Destruction's our delight Controlling apoptosis during mitotic arrest. Cell Cycle, 9 (20), 4035-4036. doi: 10.4161/cc.9.20.13522 Harley, Margaret E., Allan, Lindsey A., Sanderson, Helen S. and Clarke, Paul R. (2010). Phosphorylation of Mcl-1 by CDK1-cyclin B1 initiates its Cdc20-dependent destruction during mitotic arrest. Embo Journal, 29 (14), 2407-2420. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2010.112 Hitakomate, Ekarat, Hood, Fiona E., Sanderson, Helen S. and Clarke, Paul R. (2010). The methylated N-terminal tail of RCC1 is required for stabilisation of its interaction with chromatin by Ran in live cells. Bmc Cell Biology, 11 (1) 43. doi: 10.1186/1471-2121-11-43 Dikovskaya, Dina, Li, Zhuoyu, Newton, Ian P., Davidson, Iain, Hutchins, James R. A., Kalab, Petr, Clarke, Paul R. and Naethke, Inke S. (2010). Microtubule assembly by the Apc protein is regulated by importin-β-RanGTP. Journal of Cell Science, 123 (5), 736-746. doi: 10.1242/jcs.060806 Clarke, Paul (2009). Control of apoptosis and autophagy by cellular signalling pathways. FEBS Journal, 276 (21), 6049-6049. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.07328.x Seifert, Anne and Clarke, Paul R. (2009). p38α- and DYRK1A-dependent phosphorylation of caspase-9 at an inhibitory site in response to hyperosmotic stress. Cellular Signalling, 21 (11), 1626-1633. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2009.06.009 Allan, Lindsey A. and Clarke, Paul R. (2009). Apoptosis and autophagy: Regulation of caspase-9 by phosphorylation. Febs Journal, 276 (21), 6063-6073. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.07330.x Hutchins, James R. A., Moore, William J. and Clarke, Paul R. (2009). Dynamic localisation of Ran GTPase during the cell cycle. Bmc Cell Biology, 10 (1) 1471. doi: 10.1186/1471-2121-10-66 Berglund, Fredfk M. and Clarke, Paul R. (2009). hnRNP-U is a specific DNA-dependent protein kinase substrate phosphorylated in response to DNA double-strand breaks. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 381 (1), 59-64. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.02.019 Clarke, Paul R. and Allan, Lindsey A. (2009). Cell-cycle control in the face of damage - a matter of life or death. Trends in Cell Biology, 19 (3), 89-98. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2008.12.003 Seifert, Anne, Allan, Lindsey A. and Clarke, Paul R. (2008). DYRK1A phosphorylates caspase 9 at an inhibitory site and is potently inhibited in human cells by harmine. Febs Journal, 275 (24), 6268-6280. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2008.06751.x Clarke, Paul R. and Zhang, Chuanmao (2008). Spatial and temporal coordination of mitosis by Ran GTPase. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 9 (6), 464-477. doi: 10.1038/nrm2410 Bennett, Lara N., Larkin, Conor, Gillespie, David A. and Clarke, Paul R. (2008). Claspin is phosphorylated in the Chk1-binding domain by a kinase distinct from Chk1. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 369 (3), 973-976. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.02.154 Clarke, Paul R. (2008). Signaling to nuclear transport.. Developmental Cell, 14 (3), 316-318. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2008.02.005 Chen, Qiang, Zhang, Xiaoyan, Jiang, Qing, Clarke, Paul R. and Zhang, Chuamnao (2008). Cyclin B1 is localized to unattached kinetochores and contributes to efficient microtubule attachment and proper chromosome alignment during mitosis. Cell Research, 18 (2), 268-280. doi: 10.1038/cr.2008.11 Martin, Morag C., Allan, Lindsey A., Mancini, Erika J. and Clarke, Paul R. (2008). The docking interaction of caspase-9 with ERK2 provides a mechanism for the selective inhibitory phosphorylation of caspase-9 at threonine 125. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 283 (7), 3854-3865. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M705647200 Allan, Lindsey A and Clarke, Paul R (2008). A mechanism coupling cell division and the control of apoptosis. SEB experimental biology series, 59, 257-265. Hood, Fiona E. and Clarke, Paul R. (2007). RCC1 isoforms differ in their affinity for chromatin, molecular interactions and regulation by phosphorylation. Journal of Cell Science, 120 (19), 3436-3445. doi: 10.1242/jcs.009092 Clarke, Paul R. and Sazer, Shelley (2007). Mitosis: Ran scales the alps of spindle formation. Current Biology, 17 (16), R643-R645. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2007.06.023 Clarke, Paul R. (2007). Anchoring RCC1 by the tail. Nature Cell Biology, 9 (5), 485-487. doi: 10.1038/ncb0507-485 Allan, Lindsey A. and Clarke, Paul R. (2007). Phosphorylation of Caspase-9 by CDK1/Cyclin B1 Protects Mitotic Cells against Apoptosis. Molecular Cell, 26 (2), 301-310. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2007.03.019 Clarke, Paul R. and Sanderson, Helen S. (2006). A mitotic role for BRCA1/BARD1 in tumor suppression?. Cell, 127 (3), 453-455. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2006.10.020 Bennett, Lara N. and Clarke, Paul R. (2006). Regulation of Claspin degradation by the ubiquitin-proteosome pathway during the cell cycle and in response to ATR-dependent checkpoint activation. Febs Letters, 580 (17), 4176-4181. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.06.071 Sanderson, HS and Clarke, PR (2006). Cell biology: Ran, mitosis and the cancer Lconnection. Current Biology, 16 (12), R466-R468. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2006.05.032 Brady, S. C., Allan, L. A. and Clarke, P. R. (2005). Regulation of caspase 9 through phosphorylation by protein kinase C zeta in response to hyperosmotic stress. Molecular and Cellular Biology, 25 (23), 10543-10555. doi: 10.1128/MCB.25.23.10543-10555.2005 Clarke, Catriona A. L., Bennett, Lara N. and Clarke, Paul R. (2005). Cleavage of claspin by caspase-7 during apoptosis inhibits the Chk1 pathway. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280 (42), 35337-35345. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M506460200 Clarke, PR (2005). A gradient signal orchestrates the mitotic spindle. Science, 309 (5739), 1334-1335. doi: 10.1126/science.1117842 Clarke, CAL and Clarke, PR (2005). DNA-dependent phosphorylation of Chk1 and Claspin in a human cell-free system. Biochemical Journal, 388 (2), 705-712. doi: 10.1042/BJ20041966 Clarke, PR (2005). The Crm de la crème of mitosis. Nature Cell Biology, 7 (6), 551-552. doi: 10.1038/ncb0605-551 Martin, MC, Allan, LA, Lickrish, M, Sampson, C, Morrice, N and Clarke, PR (2005). Protein kinase A regulates caspase-9 activation by Apaf-1 downstream of cytochrome c. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280 (15), 15449-15455. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M414325200 Hutchins, JRA, Dikovskaya, D and Clarke, PR (2005). Regulation of Cdc2/cyclin B activation in xenopus egg extracts via inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc25C phosphatase by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. (vol 14, pg 4003, 2003). Molecular Biology of the Cell, 16 (3), 1568-1568. Hutchins, JRA, Moore, WJ, Hood, FE, Wilson, JSJ, Andrews, PD, Swedlow, JR and Clarke, PR (2004). Phosphorylation regulates the dynamic interaction of RCC1 with chromosomes during mitosis. Current Biology, 14 (12), 1099-1104. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2004.05.021 Hutchins, JRA and Clarke, PR (2004). Many fingers on the mitotic trigger - Post-translational regulation of the Cdc25C phosphatase. Cell Cycle, 3 (1), 41-45. Clarke, Paul R and Zhang, Chuanmao (2004). Spatial and temporal control of nuclear envelope assembly by Ran GTPase. Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology (56), 193-204. Wozniak, R and Clarke, PR (2003). Nuclear pores: Sowing the seeds of assembly on the chromatin landscape. Current Biology, 13 (24), R970-R972. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2003.11.046 Hutchins, James R. A., Dikovskaya, D. and Clarke, P. R. (2003). Regulation of Cdc2/cyclin B activation in Xenopus egg extracts via inhibitory phosphorylation of Cdc25c phosphatase by Ca 2+/calmodium-dependent kinase II. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 14 (10), 4003-4014. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E03-02-0061 Allan, LA, Morrice, N, Brady, S, Magee, G, Pathak, S and Clarke, PR (2003). Inhibition of caspase-9 through phosphorylation at Thr 125 by ERK MAPK. Nature Cell Biology, 5 (7), 647-654. doi: 10.1038/ncb1005 Zhang, Chuanmao, Goldberg, Martin W., Moore, William J., Allen, Terence D. and Clarke, Paul R. (2002). Concentration of Ran on chromatin induces decondensation, nuclear envelope formation and nuclear pore complex assembly. European Journal of Cell Biology, 81 (11), 623-633. doi: 10.1078/0171-9335-00288 Hutchins, JRA, Dikovskaya, D and Clarke, PR (2002). Dephosphorylation of the inhibitory phosphorylation site S287 in Xenopus Cdc25C by protein phosphatase-2A is inhibited by 14-3-3 binding. Febs Letters, 528 (1-3), 267-271. doi: 10.1016/S0014-5793(02)03327-6 Moore, WJ, Zhang, CM and Clarke, PR (2002). Targeting of RCC1 to chromosomes is required for proper mitotic spindle assembly in human cells. Current Biology, 12 (16), 1442-1447. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(02)01076-X Timinszky, G, Tirian, L, Nagy, FT, Toth, G, Perczel, A, Kiss-Laszlo, Z, Boros, I, Clarke, PR and Szabad, J (2002). The importin-beta P446L dominant-negative mutant protein loses RanGTP binding ability and blocks the formation of intact nuclear envelope. Journal of Cell Science, 115 (8), 1675-1687. Zhang, CM, Hutchins, JRA, Muhlhausser, P, Kutay, U and Clarke, PR (2002). Role of importin-β in the control of nuclear envelope assembly by Ran. Current Biology, 12 (6), 498-502. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(02)00714-5 Clarke, PR and Zhang, CM (2001). Ran GTPase: A master regulator of nuclear structure and function during the eukaryotic cell division cycle?. Trends in Cell Biology, 11 (9), 366-371. doi: 10.1016/S0962-8924(01)02071-2 Nicolas, FJ, Moore, WJ, Zhang, CM and Clarke, PR (2001). XMog1, a nuclear Ran-binding protein in Xenopus, is a functional homologue of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Mog1p that co-operates with RanBP1 to control generation of Ran-GTP. Journal of Cell Science, 114 (16), 3013-3023. Zhang, CM and Clarke, PR (2001). Roles of Ran-GTP and Ran-GDP in precursor vesicle recruitment and fusion during nuclear envelope assembly in a human cell-free system. Current Biology, 11 (3), 208-212. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(01)00053-7 Curman, D, Cinel, B, Williams, DE, Rundle, N, Block, WD, Goodarzi, AA, Hutchins, JR, Clarke, PR, Zhou, BB, Lees-Miller, SP, Andersen, RJ and Roberge, M (2001). Inhibition of the G2 DNA Damage Checkpoint and of Protein Kinases Chk1 and Chk2 by the Marine Sponge Alkaloid Debromohymenialdisine. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276 (21), 17914-17919. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M100728200 Goldberg, MW, Rutherford, SA, Hughes, M, Cotter, LA, Bagley, S, Kiseleva, E, Allen, TD and Clarke, PR (2000). Ran alters nuclear pore complex conformation. Journal of Molecular Biology, 300 (3), 519-529. doi: 10.1006/jmbi.2000.3891 Zhang, CM and Clarke, PR (2000). Chromatin-independent nuclear envelope assembly induced by Ran GTPase in Xenopus egg extracts. Science, 288 (5470), 1429-1432. doi: 10.1126/science.288.5470.1429 Hutchins, JRA, Hughes, M and Clarke, PR (2000). Substrate specificity determinants of the checkpoint protein kinase Chk1. Febs Letters, 466 (1), 91-95. doi: 10.1016/S0014-5793(99)01763-9 Zhang, CM, Hughes, M and Clarke, PR (1999). Ran-GTP stabilises microtubule asters and inhibits nuclear assembly in Xenopus egg extracts. Journal of Cell Science, 112 (14), 2453-2461. Swanton, Eileithyia, Savory, Peter, Cosulich, Sabina, Clarke, Paul and Woodman, Philip (1999). Bcl-2 regulates a caspase-3/caspase-2 apoptotic cascade in cytosolic extracts. Oncogene, 18 (10), 1781-1787. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1202490 Cosulich, SC, Savory, PJ and Clarke, PR (1999). Bcl-2 regulates amplification of caspase activation by cytochrome c. Current Biology, 9 (3), 147-150. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(99)80068-2 Hughes, M, Zhang, CM, Avis, JM, Hutchison, CJ and Clarke, PR (1998). The role of the Ran GTPase in nuclear assembly and DNA replication: characterisation of the effects of Ran mutants. Journal of Cell Science, 111, 3017-3026. Cosulich, SC, Worrall, V, Hedge, PJ, Green, S and Clarke, PR (1997). Regulation of apoptosis by BH3 domains in a cell-free system. Current Biology, 7 (12), 913-920. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(06)00410-6 Nicolas, FJ, Zhang, CM, Hughes, M, Goldberg, MW, Watton, SJ and Clarke, PR (1997). Xenopus Ran-binding protein 1: molecular interactions and effects on nuclear assembly in Xenopus egg extracts. Journal of Cell Science, 110 (24), 3019-3030. Cosulich, SC, Horiuchi, H, Zerial, M, Clarke, PR and Woodman, PG (1997). Cleavage of Rabaptin-5 blocks endosome fusion during apoptosis. Embo Journal, 16 (20), 6182-6191. doi: 10.1093/emboj/16.20.6182 LeRomancer, M, Cosulich, SC, Jackson, SP and Clarke, PR (1996). Cleavage and inactivation of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit during apoptosis in Xenopus egg extracts. Journal of Cell Science, 109 (13), 3121-3127. Avis, JM and Clarke, PR (1996). Ran, a GTPase involved in nuclear processes: Its regulators and effectors. Journal of Cell Science, 109 (10), 2423-2427. Cosulich, SC, Green, S and Clarke, PR (1996). Bcl-2 regulates activation of apoptotic proteases in a cell-free system. Current Biology, 6 (8), 997-1005. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(02)00644-9 Cosulich, Sabina and Clarke, Paul (1996). Apoptosis: Does stress kill?. Current Biology, 6 (12), 1586-1588. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(02)70779-3 Clarke, PR, Klebe, C, Wittinghofer, A and Karsenti, E (1995). Regulation of Cdc2 Cyclin-B Activation by Ran, a Ras-Related Gtpase. Journal of Cell Science, 108 (3), 1217-1225. Hoffmann, Ingrid, Clarke, Paul R. and Draetta, Giulio (1995). The cdc25 Phosphatase: Biochemistry and Regulation in the Eukaryotic Cell Cycle. Advances in Molecular and Cell Biology, 13 (C), 151-164. doi: 10.1016/S1569-2558(08)60010-7 Clarke, PR (1995). Cyclin-Dependent Kinases: CAK-handed kinase activation. Current Biology, 5 (1), 40-42. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(95)00013-3 Clarke, P.R. (1994). Signal Transduction: Switching off MAP kinases. Current Biology, 4 (7), 647-650. doi: 10.1016/S0960-9822(00)00144-5 Clarke, PR, Siddhanti, SR, Cohen, P and Blackshear, PJ (1993). Okadaic acid-sensitive protein phosphatases dephosphorylate MARCKS, a major protein kinase C substrate. Febs Letters, 336 (1), 37-42. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(93)81604-X Clarke, PR, Hoffmann, I, Draetta, G and Karsenti, E (1993). Dephosphorylation of Cdc25-C by a Type-2A Protein Phosphatase - Specific Regulation During the Cell-Cycle in Xenopus Egg Extracts. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4 (4), 397-411. doi: 10.1091/mbc.4.4.397 Hoffmann, I, Clarke, PR, Marcote, MJ, Karsenti, E and Draetta, G (1993). Phosphorylation and Activation of Human Cdc25-C by Cdc2 Cyclin-B and its Involvement in the Self-Amplification of Mpf At Mitosis. Embo Journal, 12 (1), 53-63. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05631.x Clarke, PR, Leiss, D, Pagano, M and Karsenti, E (1992). Cyclin A-Dependent and Cyclin B-Dependent Protein-Kinases Are Regulated by Different Mechanisms in Xenopus Egg Extracts. Embo Journal, 11 (5), 1751-1761. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05227.x Thomas, L, Clarke, PR, Pagano, M and Gruenberg, J (1992). Inhibition of Membrane-Fusion Invitro Via Cyclin-B But Not Cyclin-a. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 267 (9), 6183-6187. Thomas, L., Clarke, P. R., Pagano, M. and Gruenberg, J. (1992). Erratum: Inhibition of membrane fusion in vitro via cyclin B but not cyclin A (Journal of Biological Chemistry (1992) 267 (6183-6187)). Journal of Biological Chemistry, 267 (19). Hoffmann, Ingrid, Clarke, Paul, Karsenti, Eric and Draetta, Giulio (1992). cdc25‐C is ACTIVATED BY PHOSPHORYLATION AT MITOSIS. Biology of the Cell, 76 (2), 213-213. doi: 10.1016/0248-4900(92)90225-P Mackintosh, RW, Davies, SP, Clarke, PR, Weekes, J, Gillespie, JG, Gibb, BJ and Hardie, DG (1992). Evidence for a protein kinase cascade in higher plants: 3‐Hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA reductase kinase. European Journal of Biochemistry, 209 (3), 923-931. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1992.tb17364.x Clarke, PR and Karsenti, E (1991). Regulation of P34Cdc2 Protein-Kinase - New Insights Into Protein-Phosphorylation and the Cell-Cycle. Journal of Cell Science, 100, 409-414. BUENDIA, B, CLARKE, PR, FELIX, MA, KARSENTI, E, LEISS, D and VERDE, F (1991). REGULATION OF PROTEIN-KINASES ASSOCIATED WITH CYCLIN-A AND CYCLIN-B AND THEIR EFFECT ON MICROTUBULE DYNAMICS AND NUCLEATION IN XENOPUS EGG EXTRACTS. Cold Spring Harbor Symposia On Quantitative Biology, 56, 523-532. Carling, D, Clarke, PR and Hardie, DG (1991). Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein-Kinase - Hydroxymethylglutaryl-Coa Reductase Kinase. Methods in Enzymology, 200 (C), 362-371. doi: 10.1016/0076-6879(91)00153-N Clarke, PR and Hardie, DG (1990). Calmodulin-dependent multiprotein kinase and protein kinase C phosphorylate the same site on HMG-CoA reductase as the AMP-activated protein kinase. Febs Letters, 269 (1), 213-217. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(90)81157-J Clarke, PR and Hardie, DG (1990). Regulation of Hmg-Coa Reductase - Identification of the Site Phosphorylated by the Amp-Activated Protein-Kinase Invitro and in Intact Rat-Liver. Embo Journal, 9 (8), 2439-2446. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07420.x Carling, D, Clarke, PR, Zammit, VA and Hardie, DG (1989). Purification and characterization of the AMP‐activated protein kinase: Copurification of acetyl‐CoA carboxylase kinase and 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA reductase kinase activities. European Journal of Biochemistry, 186 (1-2), 129-136. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1989.tb15186.x Lu, L. Q., Ren, H., Guo, L., Jiang, Q., Clarke, P. R. and Zhang, C. (2016). The assembly and function of the Annulate Lamellae pore complexes in Xenopus Egg extract and cultured mammalian cells. Annual Meeting of the American-Society-for-Cell-Biology (ASCB), San Francisco, United States, Dec 03-07, 2016. BETHESDA: AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY. Fornerod, Maarten and Clarke, Paul R. (2008). To the centre of the volcano. Workshop on the Mechanisms of Nucleocytoplasmic Transport. NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. doi: 10.1038/embor.2008.51 Allen, TD, Kiseleva, E, Rutherford, SA, Bagley, S, Clarke, PR and Goldberg, MW (2000). Structural modifications of nuclear pure complexes associated with transport.. AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY. Goldberg, MW, Rutherford, S, Cotter, L, Kiseleva, E, Allen, TD and Clarke, PR (1999). Structural effects of Ran on the nuclear pore complex. AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY. Buendia, B, Clarke, PR, Felix, MA, Karsenti, E, Leiss, D and Verde, F (1991). Regulation of Protein-Kinases Associated with Cyclin-A and Cyclin-B and Their Effect On Microtubule Dynamics and Nucleation in Xenopus Egg Extracts. 56Th Cold Spring Harbor Symp On the Cell Cycle, Cold Spring Harbor Ny, 1991. PLAINVIEW: COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY PRESS. doi: 10.1101/SQB.1991.056.01.059

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The Queen’s Prerogative Published by afrozenforest on January 5, 2022 January 5, 2022 Much to the dismay of her political opponents, Queen Mother Elanor’s reforms have taken firm root in Rosewoodian society. Even before it was decreed and made law, the people of Rosewood have maintained a tradition of fairness towards the fairer sex. Being France’s first Queen, Lady Elanor made sure to extend as many privileges as possible to the women of the Capital. In her wisdom, she knew the extent of the Royal Family wanes beyond the walls. Instead of enacting laws affecting her entire Kingdom, but granting minimal freedoms, she chose to concentrate all her efforts on the City of Rosewood, where the most esteemed members of society dwell. Unlike the countryside and other rural areas of France, the women of Rosewood are famous for their liberties. Physically, women are allowed to express their beauty through their natural hair. While most women in France would find it indecent to reveal their hair to unknown men, the women of Rosewood enchant visitors and citizens alike with their feminine allure. If a woman has let her hair down, it means she is unmarried. If her hair is well-kept and tied up, perhaps even covered, it means she is likely married or a widow. The way women in Rosewood dress is what shocks most visitors. The norm has always been that women ought to conceal as much of their figure as possible. Men will most often wear tunics that are thigh or knee-length. Women in rural areas will wear calf-long tunics or ankle-long dresses or kirtles. In Rosewood, however, working women are known to wear knee-length tunics as well, usually always paired with long cloth-woven stockings meant to cover any skin. This maintains that most women, even though having fewer restrictions on what they were allowed to wear, still desired to carry themselves with decency. The Right to Skin, as it is colloquially known, extends to the arms as well. While rural women almost never expose their forearms, save for the hardiest peasant woman, the women of Rosewood may wear their dresses, kirtles, and tunics forearm-length, elbow-length, and sometimes even short-sleeved. These garments would also oftentimes be supported by a belt. Finally, the Queen’s Right to Skin extends even to the chest area. The women of Rosewood, usually the young, unmarried, and working sort, enjoy a unique freedom wherein they may wear designs that reveal their necks, the top part of their chest and back, as well as dress designs that show the shoulders. While cloaks and capes are mostly reserved for men, there is no law prohibiting women from wearing them. However, they will probably be mistaken for a man if they are hooded. The Right to Skin sparks the most controversy during the months of Summer, which is when the Church becomes most desperate to curb the seemingly immoral practice. Most families still maintain the Catholic virtue of decency, however, society in the City is slowly becoming more and more tolerant of women’s freedom. Whether or not this trend will die out in the coming years remains to be seen. In the Kingdom of France, as is the case with most of Europe, daughters are the legal dependents of their fathers, and then of their husbands. A woman’s primary role is to bear and raise children. In Rosewood, however, women are given more career opportunities, thus giving them less time to devote to their families. Most women will give up their work for the sake of their children, however, some women rise through the ranks of their respective life paths and become influential, some even having successful families. These women will often have to carry their children with them wherever they go or employ the aid of a servant woman to keep their home for them, thus also keeping an eye on their sons and daughters. Therefore, married women still retain the right to make deals, serve as witnesses, and take loans. Women are freely admitted into artisan guilds, most labor if they can handle it, and women are known to volunteer for the City Watch as well, an old tradition dating back to the Age of the Empire. Female criminals are rare, but will often be given more lenient punishments depending on their situation. Pregnant women cannot be executed until they have given birth. Additionally, no woman may be burned as punishment for her crimes within the Walls of Rosewood. Due to being lenient towards women, those who are destitute may easily find themselves working for criminal gangs, enticed by the promise of easy reward with lesser risk. The drawback of being famous for their beauty and freedom is that the women of Rosewood are infamous for their indecent and decadent behavior. Whether it is a fact of life or merely a stigma that developed over time, it exists both within and outside the Walls. This is amplified by the fact that, besides outright crime, the poor and destitute women of Rosewood will often turn to prostitution. Harlots, whores, and Jezebels, as they are known within the City are identifiable by their clothing or lack thereof. They will either wear a striped article of clothing, which is unusual for the time, or they will expose their knees, feet, navel, or perhaps more of their chest or back than they are allowed to. Alternatively, women may enter sex work within bathhouses, as it is a public secret that some bathhouses offer “additional services” in addition to regular baths. Prostitution is of course against the law, and the Church abhors it since it promotes premarital sex and may lead to bastard children. Rome has been pressuring Rosewood to crack down on its immorality for ages, however, the Crown, Parliament, and Archbishopric have refused to take any action, claiming that “men and women are equal parts of the same whole, and should be treated as such. Brothers and sisters, all from the same Father.” Women do enjoy certain liberties, but will always be victims of strange looks if they choose to leave the comfort of their Walls. The Queen’s Prerogative can only stretch so far. Categories: History Tags: 1220CanonVEA The Way of Love On the Topic of Slaves Stories from the Fall of Rosewood (1168) The French-Breton Border Conflict (1221-1222) The Age of Terror (1206-1208) User-Submission All the practices of medieval love, romance, marriage, and divorce practiced by commoner and noble alike. The current state of the institution of slavery across Medieval Europe. Who trades in slaves, who captures them, who are doomed to become slaves, and more. Survivors from the Fall of Rosewood recounting meaningful moments from their lives relating to that dreadful day.

AboutМедуза по-русски News FeedRU meduza Silencing dissent Russia’s Constitutional Court judges are at risk of losing the right to criticize its rulings publicly What’s a dissenting opinion? Do Russia’s Constitutional Court judges express dissenting opinions often? Are judges being deprived of the right to dissent? So no one will find out about dissenting opinions? What will happen if a judge breaks these new rules? But Krasheninnikov says that this is common practice in many Western countries… Will these amendments be adopted? The State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation has prepared amendments to the new law “On the Constitutional Court” ahead of its second reading. According to the proposed changes, judges will be prohibited from “criticizing” the rulings of the Constitutional Court “in any form,” as well as from “making their disagreement with decisions public in any form.” They will no longer “have the right to disclose dissenting or concurring opinions in any form, or refer to them publicly.” The committee’s head, lawmaker Pavel Krasheninnikov, referred to common practices abroad. According to him, judges in many Western countries, whose functions are similar to those of Russia’s Constitutional Court judges, do not have the right to express their dissenting opinions publicly. A dissenting opinion is when a judge expresses disagreement with a court ruling in written form. And it’s not just Constitutional Court judges that have the right to express dissent. That said, in other courts, a dissenting opinion is simply attached to the case file, whereas in the case of the Constitutional Court it’s published along with the decision adopted according to a majority vote. The fact that dissenting opinions from Constitutional Court judges were made public gave them a special value, although they don’t involve any legally significant consequences. The Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) maintains that a dissenting opinion “can contribute to improving the content of the [court’s] decision and can assist both in understanding the decision and the evolution of the law.” The existence of dissenting opinions speaks to the principles of open justice and pluralism of opinions. The Consultative Council of European Judges is the Council of Europe’s advisory body on the independence, impartiality, and competence of judges. The Council of Europe was established in 1949 as an international forum aimed at ensuring peace, cooperation, and the development of human rights on the European continent. The council’s resolutions aren’t legally binding, but there are a number of important agencies that operate under it, including the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The Council of Europe unites 47 states; Russia joined it in 1996. The CCJE A dissenting opinion contains an alternative approach to resolving a legal problem. Of course, it isn’t the only factor in the evolution of the law, but it is an important one that influences legal doctrine, judicial practice, and legislation. Russian Constitutional Court Judge Gadis Gadzhiev — one of the record-holders in writing dissenting opinions — gives the following example from his own legal practice: his opinion on the need to establish various degrees of incapacity within the law was subsequently transformed into a Constitutional Court judgement. Later, amendments were made to Russia’s Civil Code. From 1992 to 2019, judges issued more than 400 dissenting opinions and opinions (partial disagreements) on the Constitutional Court’s rulings. The most resonant ones often gain media coverage. For example, in 2017, Judge Vladimir Yaroslavtsev wrote a dissenting opinion on why the court should not have considered the Justice Ministry’s request for Russia not to fulfil a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling on the Yukos case. The ECHR ordered Russia to pay about 2 billion euros (that’s about $2.4 billion today) in compensation to the nationalized oil company’s former shareholders. At the time, the majority of Constitutional Court judges supported the Justice Ministry, resulting in the second instance where Russia refused to comply with an international court ruling (since amendments were made to the Russian constitution giving Constitutional Court judgements priority over international law). If the judges disagree with only part of the decision, for example some aspects of the reasoning, the document is simply called an “opinion.” Judge Konstantin Aranovsky’s opinion on the Constitutional Court ruling that rehabilitated victims of political repression have the right to state housing is a good example. He challenged the notion that Russia is the legal successor of the repressive Soviet regime, but didn’t dispute the right to housing. No. Formally, Constitutional Court judges will still have the right to express dissent. But dissenting opinions will no longer be published simultaneously with court rulings, as they are now. And the judges themselves will not be able to share dissenting opinions with journalists. Krasheninnikov said that they plan to apply “the general procedural rule that [a dissenting opinion] shall not be promulgated and [shall be] kept only in the case materials.” This is still unclear. Judges’ opinions are supposed to be attached to the minutes of Constitutional Court sessions and kept with these records (this procedure is outlined in a new section introduced to article 76 of the law “On the Constitutional Court”). The parties to the case have the right to familiarize themselves with these minutes unconditionally. Other participants in the proceedings, for example experts, require permission from the Constitutional Court to access these records (according to article 59, section four of the law “On the Constitutional Court,” which hasn’t been amended). The procedural codes that Krasheninnikov refers to also provide an opportunity for participants in court proceedings to familiarize themselves with a dissenting opinion on the case. For example, an individual involved in criminal proceedings has the right to file a petition to familiarize themselves with a judge’s dissenting opinion within three days of the announcement of the sentence. This matter is dealt with similarly in civil and administrative proceedings. If those involved in Constitutional Court proceedings have the right to familiarize themselves with dissenting opinions, then they can find out about the content of these documents. However, the court could interpret the law in such a way that access to dissenting opinions becomes unavailable, including for those involved in these hearings. A dissenting opinion will not be part of the session minutes, but rather an appendix to these transcripts. Nothing prevents the Constitutional Court from denying access to the appendix, interpreting this document as part of the secrets of the deliberation room, where its decisions are made. Trial participants being able to familiarize themselves with dissenting opinions in civil, criminal, and administrative cases is important for appealing verdicts. However, there is no higher authority above the Constitutional Court, so it’s impossible to appeal its decisions. This could provide additional reasons to believe that those involved in court proceedings have no need to get acquainted with dissenting opinions from Constitutional Court judges. This, in turn, could reduce the motivation of the judges themselves. If opinions won’t be published anyway, why write them? Perhaps only for future historians exploring the Constitutional Court archives many years from now. A judge who violates these new prohibitions could be deprived of their mandate. Involvement in almost any public activity that contradicts the official line of the Constitutional Court could be interpreted as an act “defaming the honor and dignity of a judge” or considered committing acts “incompatible with their position.” Moreover, in the event that the amendments are adopted, only the Constitutional Court will have the right to dismiss judges — for now, the Federation Council also has this ability, upon a proposal from the president. Countries around the world handle dissenting opinions differently. Researchers have traced this institution back to the Anglo-Saxon legal tradition, but dissenting opinions are also widespread across continental Europe As of 2012, only seven of the European Union’s 27 member states do not recognize this right: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, and Malta. In Russia, dissenting opinions within the Constitutional Court have been around since its creation in 1991. Judges were not forbidden from making these opinions public and at some point they began publishing them in official sources. It’s not unlikely that the references to common practices abroad (which Russian legislators ignore easily in other cases) are correct in this case. Taking into account the fact that the Constitutional Court is already more or less controlled by the president (currently, the head of state is not only empowered to initiate the appointments of judges to the Constitutional Court, but also able to initiate their dismissals), dissenting opinions are one of the court’s few remaining manifestations of judicial independence. In fact, officially speaking, the Constitutional Court is itself of the same opinion. But now judges are effectively being deprived of this possibility. Most likely, yes. The amendments are being prompted by the parliament’s legislative committee and its chairman Pavel Krasheninnikov, who was one of the main figures involved in the entire constitutional reform. Read more about the impact of Russia’s constitutional reform Russia’s constitutional reform proposal would remove the word ‘independent’ from a current federal law’s description of the Constitutional Court Text by Olga Kryazhkova Constitutional lawyer and PhD Candidate in Law Translation by Eilish Hart Meduza in Russian Support Meduza The Naked Pravda Weekly Daily Underreported stories. Fresh perspectives. From Budapest to Bishkek. © 2023 Meduza. All rights reserved

BH Development 1501 Mt. Diablo Blvd. #260 Walnut Creek CA 94596 BH Development is a Walnut Creek based real estate Development Company that specializes in retail development. BHD's most notable project is The Corners, which includes Tiffany & Co., Pottery Barn Kids, The Apple Store, Tommy Bahama, and Va de Vi.

Westfield State University to present ‘Marisol’ theatre performance By Westfield State University Theatre Arts program production celebrates Puerto Rican Heritage Month WESTFIELD, Mass.—Westfield State University’s Theatre Arts Program will present Puerto Rican playwright José Rivera’s “Marisol” during Puerto Rican Heritage Month, Nov. 17–20 at 8 p.m., with a matinee on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. in the Ely Campus Center Studio Theatre, 577 Westfield Avenue, Westfield. Winner of a 1993 Obie Award for Playwriting, “Marisol” explores the gritty reality of life for a Puerto Rican woman living in the Bronx. When she barely escapes an assault on the subway, Marisol is catapulted into the midst of a nightmarish, dystopian reality in which angels are battling to overthrow God. Eric Parness, assistant professor of English, is directing the play, which will star eight student actors. Tickets are $12 general public/$10 faculty and staff/$5 Westfield State students and are available at https://westfield.universitytickets.com/?cid=185. Founded in 1839 by Horace Mann, Westfield State University is an education leader committed to providing every generation of students with a learning experience built on its founding principle as the first public, co-educational college in America to offer an education without barrier to race, gender, or economic status. This spirit of innovative thinking and social responsibility is forged in a curriculum of liberal arts and professional studies that creates a vital community of engaged learners who become confident, capable individuals prepared for leadership and service to society. For more information on Westfield State University, visit www.westfield.ma.edu, www.twitter.com/westfieldstate, or https://www.facebook.com/WestfieldStateUniversity.

Who is Canada’s most successful driver? Canadian drivers for years have been winning races and championships throughout North America. The likes of Scott Goodyear, Greg Moore, Paul Tracy, Alex Tagliani, Patrick Carpentier, Michael Valiante and of course Jacques Villeneuve have been fan favorites over the past 20 years. But did you know Canada’s most successful international racing driver is actually making his Rolex 24 At Daytona debut this weekend. Unless you are a massive fan of specific international championships, you may never have heard the name Bruno Spengler. But when you look at his record in the German DTM championship – the series renowned as the toughest and most hi-tech touring car series in the world – you’ll quickly see he is a unique talent. While born in France, Spengler grew up in Quebec but actually started his racing career in Europe. After two season in European Formula 3, Spengler was hired by Mercedes-Benz to enter the DTM. After finishing 16th in his first season, he went on a brilliant run of result finishing 2nd, 2nd, 5th, 4th, 3rd and 3rd for Mercedes over six seasons. A switch to BMW in 2012 for their return to the DTM elevated Spengler to the title of DTM Champion. The Canadian is contesting the Rolex 24 for the first time aboard the No.25 BMW alongside Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner and Augusto Farfus. After eight hours of the race today, Spengler’s car was 4th in the GTLM class. “I love it. My first experience in a 24 hour race,” Spengler said. “It was a good stint because I started in the sun light, then the sun went down and I went into the night. It was a lot of fun out there, but there is a lot of traffic, of course, so it was not so easy. “I think we have a little damage to the rear of the car, but hopefully it will hold until the end of the race. Otherwise it went smoothly, I had not contact in my stint, I tried to be as consistent as I could and I think it worked. Now I am going to cheer for my teammates until I drive again.”

Book Low Cost Air Tickets Online On Domestic & International Flights SpiceJet Posted on November 12, 2019 October 1, 2019 by Karly Flight Status Info Get current information about flights arriving and departing at Sacramento International. This is in large part because of the fact that foreign airlines compete directly with US ones, and in many of the countries in which they operate, fare sales are simply not as tied to how far in advance you book as they tend to be in the US. It’s not at all uncommon to find a rock-bottom fare on an international flight a week or even a day before travel. Flights to neighbouring Caribbean countries have historically been expensive due to limited demand, yet prices have fallen in recent years and additional routes have been added. The earlier you book your tickets, the more reasonable a deal you can expect to get. Google is not a travel agent so they’ll send you directly to the airline for booking if you click on a link (though they may receive an affiliate commission). Use Twitter, Facebook or regularly check budget airline webpages to keep you in touch with specials before they sell out. With more than 650 domestic and international flights operations daily, BWI Marshall Airport is the easy choice to get you where you need to go. Skyscanner’s app and website are only the beginning of how we can help you score cheap international flight deals. More than 20 fascinating and exciting destinations – including Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – generously welcome travelers. FlyPDX People, who have a passion to travel, explore new lands and visit important tourist destinations always try to find cheap international flights. For South Caicos, both flights (15 minutes) and a ferry service (90 minutes) is available. This happens because the airlines update their computerized ticket booking system in the midnight on a daily basis. That region’s cheapest time to buy is 207 days before a trip. There doesn’t seem to be one that gets the cheapest flight 100{7a97a41a9aea48a2413b3e54c7f46a62a2ce8465b76cb40d9b1eec4132161122} of the time. 31, Airlines for America said. In my opinion, Google Flights is the best way for the average person to research airfare. The consequences of this are hard to say, especially since people miss flights all the time. By purchasing a ticket from Turkish Airlines, you can fly to more than 300 destinations in over 110 countries. On our flight search page, enter the airport you will be flying from, then enter the arrival airport. Airfares however, are controlled by the airline carriers. Cheap International Flight Tickets A United Airlines Boeing 737-800 on the apron at the Providenciales International Airport. Traveling internationally can be stressful because of the high ticket prices. Flights from London, Paris and Amsterdam are among those grounded amid fears about the survival of India’s largest private airline. The flights operated by Air Deccan connect different destinations like Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Vizag, Imphal, Port Blair, Bangalore, Cochin, Madurai and so on. Alternatively, you can call your local travel agency for some surprisingly cheap air travel package. Still take your time and do some more research, because in many cases you will find another travel site that will offer it for a bit cheaper. The airline cancelled all international flights until Monday when, according to reports, it will meet its lenders again to try to secure funding. We recommend using Skyscanner’s Best Time to Book feature, which combs through reams of pricing data to determine with remarkable accuracy when the best time to book your flight is. Using Skyscanner’s Best Time to Book tool, you can see how many weeks in advance to book your international ticket and the cheapest month to travel. When Is The Best Time To Book A Flight In 2019? Updated International Airlines Flight Booking offers booking information about the various international airlines operating flights throughout the world. If price is most important, you should plan to purchase your flights within this range. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) enforces the Secure Flight program to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of an improved watch list to identify known and suspected terrorists. There are plenty of services that have access to these fares but it incredibly important do book through a trustworthy agent who isn’t a reseller of mileage tickets (a service that isn’t technically allowed by many frequent flier programs). The prices go up and down all the time, so as long as your travel dates aren’t set in stone, you may find some good bargains. A flight, which is chartered does not involve scheduled booking, but it is flexible enough to fit into the plan of travellers. PLEASE NOTE: Flight information is maintained by the respective airlines and updated regularly. Of course, CheapAir says varying events and circumstances in each region can increase airfare to that area. Whenever you get going to search for cheap travel international, you should give Travelocity a first try. The airlines scramble to get all the seats filled and consequently lower the prices for the remaining tickets. To purchase a ticket with cash, contact a travel agent or book your flight at the airport. Start browsing for cheap international flight deals and book your trip now. As a general rule, you will get better value on your flight tickets if you buy more at the same time, but only if they are with the same airline, or airlines in the same alliance (e.g. Star Alliance).

A Miracle in the Desert. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Back in the 80s (during my visits), Dubai was just sand, dust storms and not much to talk about. Almost four decades later, this emirate of the United Arab Emirates has transformed into an ultramodern, expensive, super luxurious, clean and choreographed, much admired and visited city in the Middle East. From the 830m-tall Burj Khalifa to the artificial offshore water and animal park resort Atlantis The Palm, and of course amazing luxury shopping malls, high rises and architecture, this country holds so many surprises. I am here to see Sir Elton John perform at the Autism Rocks Arena, a popular arena for many celebrity concerts, which filled with over 8,000 die-hard Elton John fans. The Rocket Man took the stage in a sparkling green jacket, matching dark-glasses, and personality that was larger than life! He rocked the arena for an unforgettable 130 minutes with all-time favourites like ‘I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues’, ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘Tiny Dancer’. He got standing ovations for hits like ‘Crocodile Rock’ and ‘I’m Still Standing’. And he got another roaring applause for his dedication of ‘Your Song’, to his late mother who had passed away just a few weeks before. Last but not least, he returned on stage for an encore of his heartrending song, ‘Candle in the Wind’. What an amazing night it was! And, Dubai was proving to be more than what I expected from a desert city. Located about 40 minutes from the city centre in Dubailand is the Miracle Garden, a very befitting name for this extraordinary place. Known as the world’s largest natural flower garden, over 110 million flowers are displayed in the most picturesque way in over 72,000sq meters of land. Massive sculptures are carefully laid out in the most precise and perfect flower arrangements. From giant butterflies, to enormous ants, huge hearts, pretty posies, and a massive, life-sized Airbus 380 Emirates airplane, which is an award-winning masterpiece. In fact, it is the largest flower arrangement to be recognized by the Guinness World Record. Amazing! We spend hours walking and walking amongst these colourful petunias, geraniums and others, each arrangement prettier, larger and more colourful than the last. FYI, the Miracle Garden is open from October to April and remains closed from May to September when the weather turns to 40C. Right next door is the recently opened Dubai Butterfly Garden – world’s largest indoor butterfly garden and sanctuary for over 15,000 butterflies from 26 species. Another beautiful masterpiece. Synonymous with Dubai is the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Soaring over the city at an impressive 2,716 feet (828 meters) and boasting 200 stories (160 habitable), the $1.5 billion Burj Khalifa is twice the height of New York’s Empire State Building and three times as tall as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It breaks other world records too: tallest free-standing structure in the world, highest number of storeys, highest occupied floor, highest outdoor observation deck, elevator with the longest travel distance and the tallest service elevator. Did you know that the Burj’s appearance is based on a flower called the Spider Lily (Hymenocallis), which is native to southern states of America, South America and Mexico. Right next to the Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Mall, a veritable shopper’s paradise. It has over 1,200-plus shops and 150 restaurants, an indoor theme park, an ice rink, a huge indoor waterfall, a choreographed outdoor fountain and the giant Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. OK then! Come dinner time and we are sitting at the edge of the Dubai Fountain, located at the base of the Burj Khalifa. And then the world’s largest choreographed fountain begins to sing and dance for us. This popular dancing water show jets water streams as high as 150m in the air. Each colourful, illuminated jet sways and dances in time to various musical numbers from around the world, producing what has become the one of the most popular shows in Dubai. Two showings occur in the afternoon (1pm and 1:30pm), except on Fridays (1:30pm to 2pm) and evening displays begin at sundown and take place every 30 minutes until the final song plays at 11pm. The Dubai of today is a far cry from that of the 80s. This metropolis is clean, sparkling clean in fact, luxurious, expensive, state-of-the-art, and abundantly green…quite a feat for an oasis in the desert. No wonder, it has become a destination on everyone’s bucket list. For more exciting things to do in Dubai, check out this link. ← An Urban Wetland. A Walk in the Park A stroll down Jalan Surabaya. Jakarta Indonesia → Category: Dubai, Featured, Journey Log, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates Tags: Autism Rocks Arena, Burj Khalifa, Butterfly Garden, Dubai, Dubai Fountain, Dubai Shopping Mall, Miracle Garden, Sir Elton John, United Arab Emirates

Mindful Money Methodology: Avoiding Issues of Concern 3rd Feb. 2021 Mindful Money is providing radical transparency for KiwiSaver funds. Now you can find out what is in your portfolio, categorised into sectors that have been shown to be the main issues of concern for New Zealanders. This paper sets out the methodology for analysing KiwiSaver portfolios, and the funds they invest in. And it outlines the research approach to identifying companies in each of the issues of concern. By: Barry Coates, CEO Mindful Money For most investors, the starting point for ethical investment is finding out where your money is being invested. Unsurprisingly, members of the public are concerned if their hard-earned savings are invested in companies that are inconsistent with their values – maybe because they are a big emitter of greenhouse gases or produce cigarettes or make weapons. Now members of the public can find out whether these companies are in their KiwiSaver portfolio. This radical transparency is at the heart of Mindful Money’s platform. We’re not only telling investors the company name, but also whether they are companies that raise concerns for most members of the public. Developing this database is complex, and it has taken years of research and analytics. Mindful Money has developed an integrated list of companies that fall into the categories of issues for concern. These have been drawn from extensive research across a range of proprietary and public research sources. This paper provides the methodology for the choice of issues of concern, the definitions and materiality, sources of research, analysis of portfolios and matching of companies to portfolios. It should be read in conjunction with the broader Methodology used by Mindful Money in the development of its online platform. Types of Avoidance Avoiding investments that are inconsistent with the values of the investor has traditionally been the main strategy for ethical investing. These exclusions can either be on the basis of all companies in a sector (sectoral exclusions, such as tobacco) or on the basis of company practices (company exclusions, such as human rights violations). Mindful Money’s list of exclusions includes both categories. Issues of Concern As outlined in Mindful Money’s Methodology page, the issues of concern were identified in a 2018 public survey by Mindful Money and the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA), and subsequently updated in 2019 and 2020. The issues of concern that are shown on Mindful Money’s platform are those identified as important by more than 63% of the population. They are (in order of perceived importance): human rights & environmental violations pornography/adult entertainment Other issues, like junk food, that registered a high level of concern, have been tested in successive annual surveys, along with new issues such as predatory lending, diversity on corporate boards, and privacy concerns related to social media. Definition of the Issues of Concern In order to define the list of 'companies of concern' the two parameters that are most important to establish are the definition of the issue of concern and the threshold (or level of ‘materiality’). Some issues are complex because of a lack of accepted standards, as well as research on which companies breach those standards. For example, animal welfare was the highest issue that New Zealanders wanted to avoid in the 2018 survey, but the standards for factory farming and animal cruelty are not widely accepted and there is a lack of available data. Mindful Money is joining with partners to undertake research in order to provide this information in future. The companies identified on the platform currently are those using animals for testing non-pharmaceutical products. There are dilemmas in the choice of each of the definitions. For example, some countries (eg. China) have government regulations that require testing on animals for some kinds of non-pharmaceutical products (eg. cosmetics). This is used as an argument to argue against this exclusion. However, a number of companies with high standards of animal welfare have made the decision not to sell into those markets. On another perspective, some NGOs argue that the definition is not wide enough - they consider animal testing is cruel, whether or not the product is used for pharmaceuticals that may have human health benefits. Invariably the choice of the definition and the level of materiality is a judgement call and there is no ‘right answer’. Mindful Money’s view is that it is better to try to find the level that most of the public would be comfortable with, and the standard that is acceptable across a large portion of the ethical investment providers, rather than dismissing the definitions as too difficult and ignoring public concern. The current definitions and materiality for each of the issues is outlined below: Animal testing for non-pharmaceutical products Any involvement Human rights and Environment Violations of human rights and environmental norms Practices that cause significant adverse impacts on the environment and/or society, related to violations of global norms Manufacture, distribution or retail of tobacco products Any involvement for producers; >10% for retail and distribution Owns or operates gambling establishments or supplies specialised equipment Production of palm oil and ownership of plantations Manufacture of small arms or controversial weapons (nuclear, landmines or cluster bombs) or military weapons or military equipment Any involvement in small arms or controversial weapons; >10% for other categories Exploration, production, refining, and transport of oil, gas and thermal coal, including ownership of reserves >5% Any involvement for coal, oil sands or Arctic oil Adult Entertainment/Pornography Production of material or ownership of establishments Development or growing of genetically modified seeds or crops Manufacture, distribution or retail of alcoholic beverages Production >10% revenues: retail/distribution >25% These definitions will be tested and reviewed on an annual basis, along with the review of whether these are the issues of greatest public concern. Identifying Companies in each Issue of Concern The companies in each issue are researched, using a combination of public sources, proprietary research undertaken by ratings services, notably one of the leading global agencies, Sustainalytics, and Mindful Money research. The public sources vary across the different issues and include some specialised agencies. The following sources have been analysed in the preparation of Mindful Money’s company list, and some (but not all) of these sources have been included: Norges Bank (Norwegian Superannuation Fund) DNB Financial Services Wespath Carbon Underground Cruelty Free Investing International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications GeneWatch Mindful Money is unable to publish the exclusions lists in their entirety because they include research that has been provided under non-disclosure agreements. Analysing fund portfolios All KiwiSaver and retail investment fund providers are required to submit six monthly listings of the holdings in their portfolio to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Disclose Register. The Mindful Money analysis is based on these returns, along with the quarterly performance updates for each fund that are also submitted to the Disclose Register. Many of the funds available to investors invest in other funds. This is common practice, not only for so-called 'passive funds' that invest only in other funds, but even for the funds that are called 'active funds'. In order to provide a full portfolio view, including the funds within the portfolio, Mindful Money has researched the 'inside funds', and the funds inside those funds. Wherever possible, we have obtained the full portfolio (around 98% of inside funds) and top ten holdings of most of the other inside funds. This full portfolio view is not available to the public from other sources. Matching Companies The final step is to match the companies in the portfolios with the companies in the issues of concern. This is an iterative process, using automated fuzzy logic matching of company names and manual verification. The results are displayed on the Mindful Money platform as a percentage of fund value in the issue of concern, and a listing of each of the company names. The data alongside the company name represents the share of its portfolio held in that company. There is a threshold value of 0.01% of the portfolio applied to the company listing. This means, in some cases, that the total for companies of concern will be higher than the sum of the individual companies, since there are often many companies with very small holdings of <0.01%. Further information is available on the Methodology page or on the Choosing the Fund that Fits page. Or contact Mindful Money at [email protected].

Trip to Ireland (September/October 2017) The Roncalli House Bed and Breakfast ... a ten-minute walk from downtown (just west of Galway, Ireland)

Chris Risher’s Meridian Police Station Under Threat By ELMalvaney on September 4, 2013 • ( 7 ) A few years ago, Meridian’s spectacular Beaux Arts city hall reopened after a major renovation that brought it back to its original splendor. Across the side street to the south is a much different building from a different, more recent… Read More ›

Value-Structure of Indian Administrative Service The book Relates to Indian Administrative Service and its value-structure. It concerns more than the values of the bureaucrats as in the beginning. The author has included a chapter on socio-economic background of Indian Administrative Service of Himachal Pradesh Cadre for the year 2000-01. In the introductory chapter, the author provides a theoretical framework of the study with explanations of the terms "Values" and "Orientations". In the chapter of introduction, the author has ably given. the universe of study, aims and objectives and method of data-collection. In the first chapter the author has given in detail the review of most important books and articles relating to "culture of bureaucrats". The author has also given reasons for the utility of the research study to the literature of Public Administration. The author has most vividly explained orientations of I.A.S officers serving the H.P. State. A notable effort of the author is her decision to include a chapter on "Patterns of Interaction and Interrelations of I.A.S. Officers and Political Elites of H.P." The book contains a chapter on the least discussed and least researched subject in the discipline of Public Administration- "Administrative Procedures and Practices". Another notable feature of the book is "Structural-Functional Characteristics of bureaucratic organisation of the state of H.P. Bhutia Students: Their Educational Aspirations And Problems by Dr Kunzang Peden Bhutia & Dr. Yodida Bhutia Educational Management, Administration and Leadership [PB] by Savita Mishra & Vipin Sharma Indigenous Knowledge System: Traditions and Transformations by SAVITA MISHRA SANTOSH KUMAR BEHERA SUDIP BHUI Educational Psychology [Paperback] by Mukunda Sarma & Kishor Kumar Back to Education & Psychology

Minnesota loses season opener to Black Bears by Chris Lempesis Coming into Friday’s season-opening contest with Maine, Minnesota’s men’s hockey team was looked at as a young team that would experience a good share of struggles early on. For most of the first 20 minutes of play Friday, the Gophers did nothing to change that notion. Third-ranked Minnesota lacked direction and rhythm and, thanks to a pair of odd Black Bears goals, trailed 2-0. But, late in the period, the Gophers broke out of their funk and, although they never were quite able to come back, ultimately losing to 11th-ranked Maine 3-1 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, they showed that they could be good sooner rather than later. “There were so many more positives for me than negatives,” coach Don Lucia said. “We got better as the game went on and to me, those are real, real positives that we can take out of this game.” The beginning of the improvement came with 1:06 to play in the first. It came on a goal by the player wearing the jersey of a guy whose defection was a big reason Minnesota is expected to struggle. Freshman forward Jay Barriball – donning the same No. 26 that now-departed phenom Phil Kessel wore during his one season at Minnesota – cut the deficit in half by recovering a rebound near the front of the crease and getting the puck around Maine goaltender Ben Bishop before falling down. The play was just one of many for Barriball in a solid first-game showing. “Jay’s a hockey player. He’s a throwback,” Lucia said. “He’s one of those guys that, he’s not that big but he plays with a lot of jam and I thought he was really good tonight.” Barriball’s play was indicative of the Gophers’ entire group of freshmen forwards, all six of whom saw the ice Friday night. The group was responsible for a majority of Minnesota’s quality scoring chances, most of which came in the second and third periods. The group definitely outshined the upperclassmen on the team. “We all got good skill,” Barriball said. “We all work hard. So I think we fit in well.” The offensive showings of the youngsters came as a bit of a surprise to Lucia. That doesn’t mean he was disappointed by it, though. “I thought they played physical,” Lucia said. “They made plays with the puck and looked like they belonged.” What the performances were lacking were strong finishes. But that had more to do with Bishop’s play. As the Gophers dominated the offensive play in the final 40 minutes, especially the second period, Bishop was the best player on the ice. The 6-foot, 7-inch netminder stopped all 25 shots he faced in the final two frames and was just about the only reason Maine came out of the contest with a win. The man who coaches Bishop, Tim Whitehead, said he believes those freshmen – Minnesota’s whole team, really – ultimately will learn how to capitalize on those chances as the season progresses. “At the end of the year it’s going to be a very, very strong team,” Whitehead said. “I think we’re very lucky to have played them when we did” Hirsch out for Friday Senior forward Tyler Hirsch was suspended for Friday’s game as a result of being late to a team meeting Friday. “We talked about this year how important discipline was going to be with what happened last year,” Lucia said. “We wanted to set some examples early and I think that it was done and I think it was warranted and I think they’re great lessons for everybody.”

Jimmy Webb Alongside Kenny White By Editorial Staff on October 22, 2013 No Comment Kenny White and headliner Jimmy Webb delivered banter and piano tunes to a sold-out crowd at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Montclair Friday night. Jimmy Webb and Kenny White: Keys Plus Comedy Equals a Full House After a long week of work and other business necessities, what better way to wind down and de-stress than with good music and laughs? Many people found that kind of refuge at a sold-out show at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Church, in which Kenny White and Jimmy Webb performed. About a half hour before doors opened at 7:30 p.m., a long line had already formed from the entrance to the near end of Church Street, from the right side of the church. Not only was this entirely vocal- and piano-driven show special for the attendees and performers themselves, but also the Outpost volunteers, specifically Gina, who celebrated a birthday there. “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had,” she quipped, meaning every single word. Not only was it because of the performance, but the fact that she loves being a volunteer. © Rodolfo Clix | Dreamstime Stock Photos Enter Kenny White, a New York City-based singer-songwriter and studio musician, approaching the grand piano bench. He started it off with “Shoot the Moon” and “She’s Coming on Saturday.” After that, he brought out Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Angela Reed, and together they performed “Who’s Gonna Be the One,” a song he says he wrote about a girl six months before actually meeting her. Then, Kenny White performed a song about his distaste for a great part of today’s radio and pop hits. Aptly entitled “Comfort in the Static,” it is not a song of bitterness, but rather of humor, especially with the lyric: “Sure, I’m bitter!” After a few more jazzy numbers, including “In My Recurring Dream” and a song about his love for Italy, which he states that he has never performed before, it was time for intermission, and attendees headed out the doors towards the lobby to show their support by purchasing CDs, T-shirts and various goodies. One highly popular treat was a double chocolate cookie called Death by Chocolate, brought graciously by everyone at Montclair Bread. Oklahoma native Jimmy Webb, the man whom everyone flocked to in the somewhat chilly weather to see, opened his set with a moving cover of “Highwayman,” originally by 80’s outlaw country supergroup the Highwaymen. After that, Webb gave an anecdote of how he was close friends and shared many memories with the late classic country luminary Waylon Jennings, who was one-fourth of the Highwaymen. Jimmy Webb performed “Galveston,” another cover originally performed by another old-time country star Glen Campbell. Growing up attending a Baptist church but not religious now, Webb states that Campbell is his main inspiration in wanting to become who he is today, and that he loves the Unitarian Church. Jimmy Webb also wholeheartedly thanked “everyone coming in such great numbers.” A song he wrote for the 1960’s group the Fifth Dimenison, “Up, Up and Away,” was a part of his set list and had nearly everyone in the room singing along. Jimmy Webb continued to entertain the crowd with witty banter about his musical life and songs such as “All I Know,” which he has also performed with Linda Ronstadt and Art Garfunkel in the past, respectively. The next two Outpost events will take place on Nov. 1 and Nov. 15. The Grand Slambovians and Lauren Fox will be playing at the shows, both of which will have a food collection drive that takes non-perishable food products. On Dec. 6, Joseph Arthur will be performing, and that day Outpost will be collecting unopened toys for Toys for Tots. Although attendees were not allowed to use cameras since the artists requested that no photography be allowed that night, Studio042 supplied beautiful programs for everyone to have as keepsakes. Jimmy Webb, Kenny White, Outpost in the Burbs, piano Jimmy Webb Alongside Kenny White added by Editorial Staff on October 22, 2013 View all posts by Editorial Staff →

Caricatures of Love March 3, 2018 mothertobrobarians I used to love sappy romantic comedies… before I got married. The Notebook was my jam just about every other Friday night, along with frequent showings of Ten Things I Hate about You and Love Actually. All were routinely accompanied by a too- large bowl of ice cream or buttery popcorn. And as I watched I would heave heavy sighs, swoon over their grandiose expressions of “love,” marvel at the subtleties woven into their unspoken language, and, generally speaking, turn into a puddle of ridiculous, nonsensical tears. Film Title: The Notebook. James Garner (left) stars as “Duke” and Gena Rowland (right) stars as “Allie” in New Line Cinema’s epic story of love lost and found, THE NOTEBOOK. Photo: 2004 Melissa Moseley/New Line Productions. Talk about embarrassing. And then I got married and realized very quickly it was all garbage. Total, utter garbage. Those movies, storylines, books, articles… every single one only a caricature of love- distorted, exaggerated, and unrealistic. Within the whole are bits of color and pieces of lines that seem honest, that give some sense of an image, but everything else is bloated and unnatural; a false representation of the facts. I think I’ve watched The Notebook once since being married, and I’m fairly certain I rolled my eyes through the entire thing (or however much I could stomach). Because I know now that actual married life doesn’t get edited and coiffed like the beautiful people and magical moments in those types of stories. The endings don’t often bring satisfying closure. I doubt my husband and I are going die peacefully next to each other while holding hands. There are no hidden lagoons filled with swans in the Midwest. Notice how markedly absent all the in-between years are in that movie. You know why? Because the in-between years don’t win awards and sell millions of books. But it’s in those very years of mountains, valleys and endless plains, grinding out the monotonous tasks of daily living and raising a family, physical changes, emotional roller coasters, misunderstandings, running from and then back to each other over and over- it’s in the in-between where love develops its roots, spreads, and grows. After nine years of marriage, love in our house looks a lot like my husband cleaning out my van just because, washing the dishes after dinner, folding a load of laundry, or calling the cable company to negotiate our current rate. Talk about sexy. Have YOU ever had to deal with your cable company? Lord have mercy. Now, I’m going to make an important distinction here: love and desire are not the same thing. Desire is a feeling, love is a choice. Desire is emotional, love is action. Desire isn’t reliable, love is. Caricatures of love would have us believe that desire is love. Oh no. “4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) Tell me that you’re “falling out of love” with someone and I will tell you that is impossible. I will also probably roll my eyes. That has to be one of the most ludicrous expressions ever created by western culture. Maybe your desire has waned because you’ve discovered something you don’t like, or you feel too tired to put in the work of growing roots so you stop trying, or the hard parts feel way too hard so you let your lack of desire dictate your decision to choose to love that person. There is no “falling out of love,” only lack of desire. When you love someone you are choosing hard labor. Desire is not enough to carry any relationship very far. Desire is driving a car, but leaving it on the side of the road when it breaks down. Love is driving that same car, but staying to fix it no matter the location or weather condition; choosing not to walk away despite how impossible the brokenness may seem. Desire can also disguise itself as love’s sustenance, and without it love dies. LIE. What sustains real love is choosing patience instead of irritation, kindness instead of frustration, selflessness instead of selfishness, hope instead of despair, protecting instead of damaging, persevering instead of abandoning. At one point a number of years ago my husband and I were walking the line of divorce. I told him that I didn’t think I loved him anymore. Looking back, what I realize I actually meant was “I don’t want to be patient or kind to you anymore. I would rather be angry. I don’t want to honor you. I would rather be selfish. I’m keeping a running tally of all the things you’ve done and are still doing wrong. I don’t trust you. I don’t have hope for our future. And I certainly don’t feel like persevering through this mess.” I had to choose love over succumbing to a lack of desire in those moments, as did my husband. We did not like each other, but we made the decision to say yes every time we wanted to say no. It was incredibly difficult, but suffering produced perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (see Romans 5:3-4). Don’t look for an accurate image of love in the caricatures. They will always be misleading. And never trust desire to dictate love’s decisions. When you choose love, you are choosing the whole- not parts. You are embracing the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the easy and the hard. You accept the pain along with the joy. When you do these things and love this way, you nurture the roots of your relationship. And when you learn to love well, desire often reappears or is strengthened in unexpected ways. Jesus didn’t pick and choose. He loved us wholly and then commanded us to “love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) I’m sure the human side of him tired and hurt from the constant heartache, of feeling so deeply and passionately for humanity yet knowing the thoughts and hearts of the people surrounding him and bearing the weight of their rejection over and over. Still He persisted, fought, and died for us… all for the sake of love. Even though we deserved none of it. Loving means dying to oneself to bring life to another. It means serving instead of waiting to be served. It means giving instead of expecting to receive. It means holding on even when everyone around you would understand if you let go. I took this photo many years ago when I was a college student studying abroad in Mexico. When I look at this picture I see decades of two lives intertwined spent living, working, struggling, fighting, celebrating, laughing, crying, persevering- two people who didn’t give up on each other despite the influence of a world so steeped in desire. They made it. I wish I could go back and ask them what life is like on the other side of the in-between. But I guess that all just depends on how well we choose to love each other where we are right now. Peace & Love, Amy (Important Note: This essay is not a case for justifying abusive relationships of any kind. If you are in such a relationship, please get out and seek help.) Previous Post All the Little Things Next Post Beyond Natural Eyes

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Tens Placement For Peripheral Neuropathy – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Tens Placement For Peripheral Neuropathy Tens Placement For Peripheral Neuropathy Pain caused by nerves is more commonly regarded as neuralgia is caused and triggered by a number of things and can be very difficult to treat. It is characterized by a sharp pain or a tingling feeling, sometimes accompanied by spasms, especially if experienced in the lower back. However it is possible to achieve nerve pain relief, although it might take some time. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, running from the bottom of the back, through the hip, knee and to the ankle. When this nerve is damaged or has pressure exerted on it, it can cause intense sciatic nerve pain deep inside the leg. This is called sciatica. Sciatica can be caused by a number of things. If the piriformis muscle which is located deep in the hip joint, chokes the nerve this can cause sciatica. Herniated or slipped disks can put enormous pressure on the sciatic nerve, resulting in pain. More serious conditions such as cancer can result in sciatica as well, if a tumor is putting pressure on the nerve. Tens Placement For Peripheral Neuropathy The 5 False Facts Your Doctor Mistakenly Promotes Tens Placement For Peripheral Neuropathy {Tens Placement For Peripheral Neuropathy Number Of Medicare Beneficiaries In Usa With Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Peripheral Neuropathy Wiki – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Imatinib Peripheral Neuropathy – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Imatinib Peripheral Neuropathy Overview Imatinib Peripheral Neuropathy Pain caused by nerves is more commonly regarded as neuralgia is caused and triggered by a number of things and can be very difficult to treat. It is characterized by a sharp pain or a tingling feeling, sometimes accompanied by spasms, especially if experienced in the lower back…. Read More Imatinib Peripheral Neuropathy – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!)Continue Peripheral Neuropathy Articles – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Peripheral Neuropathy Articles Overview Peripheral Neuropathy Articles Pain caused by nerves is more commonly regarded as neuralgia is caused and triggered by a number of things and can be very difficult to treat. It is characterized by a sharp pain or a tingling feeling, sometimes accompanied by spasms, especially if experienced in the lower back…. Read More Peripheral Neuropathy Articles – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!)Continue Non Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Causes – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Non Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Causes Overview Non Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Causes Pain caused by nerves is more commonly regarded as neuralgia is caused and triggered by a number of things and can be very difficult to treat. It is characterized by a sharp pain or a tingling feeling, sometimes accompanied by spasms, especially if experienced… Read More Non Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Causes – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!)Continue How To Prevent Peripheral Neuropathy – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) How To Prevent Peripheral Neuropathy Overview How To Prevent Peripheral Neuropathy Pain caused by nerves is more commonly regarded as neuralgia is caused and triggered by a number of things and can be very difficult to treat. It is characterized by a sharp pain or a tingling feeling, sometimes accompanied by spasms, especially if experienced… Read More How To Prevent Peripheral Neuropathy – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!)Continue Peripheral Neuropathy Opiod – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Peripheral Neuropathy Opiod Overview Peripheral Neuropathy Opiod Pain caused by nerves is more commonly regarded as neuralgia is caused and triggered by a number of things and can be very difficult to treat. It is characterized by a sharp pain or a tingling feeling, sometimes accompanied by spasms, especially if experienced in the lower back…. Read More Peripheral Neuropathy Opiod – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!)Continue Peripheral Neuropathy Due To Diabetes – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!) Peripheral Neuropathy Due To Diabetes Overview Peripheral Neuropathy Due To Diabetes Pain caused by nerves is more commonly regarded as neuralgia is caused and triggered by a number of things and can be very difficult to treat. It is characterized by a sharp pain or a tingling feeling, sometimes accompanied by spasms, especially if experienced… Read More Peripheral Neuropathy Due To Diabetes – How To Cure Nerve Pain (For Good!)Continue

This Day in History (18-Nov-1727) – Maharaja Jai Singh-II of Amber laid the stone of pink city of Jaipur Jai Singh II, a child prodigy, came to the Rajput throne in 1699. The young lad quickly impressed the 71-year-old Aurangzeb who awarded him the title ‘Sawai’, meaning one-and-a-quarter. Jai Singh II, having proved his soldiering ability further enriched his coffers and fulfilled his other passions – the arts and sciences. The impressive giant stone instruments which he devised for the open-air observatories at Jaipur, Delhi, Ujjain and Varanasi stand testimony to his scientific prowess. After ascending the throne, he shifted the capital from Amer. He studied the architecture of several European cities and drew up plans for constructing a larger and well-planned city. After building close bonds with the Mughals and sure that there could be no danger to his throne, Sawai Jai Singh, envisioned his dream project, the building of Jaipur. The foundation stone was laid by him in 1727 and an eminent architect from Bengal, Vidyadhar Bhattacharaya, was asked to design the city. Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, following the principles of Shilpa Shastra, and referencing the ancient Indian knowledge on astronomy, further developed and discussed the plan with Jai Singh. It is said that the foundation of the city was laid down on 18th November 1727 by Jai Singh himself. It took minutely planned strategies and 4 years for the city to come to form. The city was named Jaipur as ‘Jai’ means victory and was also the ruler’s first name. That it was later chosen as the capital of Rajasthan formed from the amalgamation of various kingdoms, was a tribute to both Jai Singh and Bhattacharya. The city was planned in a grid system of seven blocks of buildings with wide straight avenues lined with trees, with the palace set on the north side. Surrounding it are high walls pieced with ten gates. The site of the shops were chosen after careful planning and they are arranged in nine rectangular city sectors (chokris). Jaipur was the first sizable city in north India to be built from scratch, though the famous pink colour symbolizing welcome, came later when Ram Singh II received the Prince of Wales in 1876. The colour was chosen after several experiments to cut down the intense glare from the reflection of the blazing rays of the sun. To this day, the buildings are uniformly rose pink. http://www.indianage.com/search.php http://www.jaipurtravel.com/history-of-jaipur.htm http://www.jaipur.org.uk/history.html November 18, 2015 Mukund Sathe Amber, astronomy, Aurangzeb, Delhi, History, Jai Singh II, Jaipur, Mughal, open-air observatory, Pink city, Prince of Wales, Rajput, Ram Singh II, Sawai, Shilpa Shastra, Ujjain, Varanasi, Vidyadhar Bhattacharaya

Tabasum Mulla How To Get the Most Out of Your Shrink Sleeve Machine In order for your business to be successful, you need to invest in quality product labels. This is because product labels serve as an important marketing tool that can help you to attract new customers and boost sales. Additionally, quality product labels can help to improve the overall image of your business. In addition to choosing the right manufacturing options, you also need to invest in quality materials for your product labels. This will ensure that your labels look good and can withstand the wear and tear of everyday use. A shrink sleeve label machine is a fantastic solution, but you need to know how to use it. If you want to learn more, read on to find out how to get the most out of your shrink sleeve machine. How can you get the most out of your shrink sleeve machine? First, it's critical that you understand what a shrink sleeve machine is. A shrink sleeve label machine is a machine that applies a shrink sleeve label to a container. The machine typically applies heat to the shrink sleeve label, causing it to shrink and adhere to the container. Shrink sleeve labels are much more tamper-proof than traditional labels. This also makes them water and weather-resistant, which is a plus for products that are sold outside. If you're looking to get the most out of your shrink sleeve label machine, there are a few key tips to keep in mind. First, always make sure to use the correct type of heat shrink film for your machine. Using the wrong type can cause the film to jam or not form correctly around the label. In addition, check that the label is positioned correctly on the product before shrinking. If it's not lined up correctly, it can cause the film to warp and the label to peel off, which is the last thing you want to happen when you're preparing to take your products to market. When loading the sleeves into the machine, they need to be inserted evenly and smoothly. If they are not loaded correctly, it can cause them to bunch up or fold over while they are being shrunk, which will affect the overall appearance of the finished product. You'll need to apply pressure to the sleeve material and it is necessary to do so evenly in order to avoid air bubbles and wrinkles. This will ensure that the finished product looks neat and professional. Why are your product labels so important? Most people think of a product’s packaging as simply a way to protect and contain the product until it reaches the consumer. However, for small businesses, product packaging can be a powerful branding tool. In fact, the right product label can communicate a great deal about your business, its products, and its values. When choosing a product label, keep your target audience in mind. Your label should be attractive and interesting to consumers, but it should also accurately reflect your company’s branding and the function of your products. When it comes to making informed decisions about what to put into their bodies, consumers rely heavily on product labels. From deciphering the ingredients list to understanding the nutritional information, product labels provide an overview of what’s in a particular product and how it might affect the consumer’s health. That’s why manufacturers need to take the time to create accurate and informative labels. The information on a product label should be easy to understand, without a lot of complex jargon. Educating your customers has also been proven to help improve customer loyalty. When it comes to creating an effective product label, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, your label should accurately reflect the product's features and benefits. It should also be visually appealing and easy to read. In order to create an effective label, you'll need to consider the target audience and what will appeal to them. You'll also need to think about the overall branding strategy for your product. Follow this advice and you'll be well on your way to building a thriving business. How to Start a Home-Based Crafting Business Six Critical Benefits of Security Fencing for Your Place of Business Role Of Leadership In Building A Business Risk of CFD Trading: Can You Lose Money? What is the recipe for successful onboarding? A Guide To Deep Learning For Businesses What Idea Management Means In Business Development Different Film Transfer Methods (The Updated Ways) Careers That Can Make Good Money How To Improve Employee Retention? How to Create a Dragon Logo?

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Tag Archives: Macy's Thanksgiving Parade WEST SIDE STORY at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade This was definitely my favourite performance from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Yes, we’ve seen “America” countless times before and, sure, it would have been great to see a number like “Cool” instead. But putting that point to one side, … Continue reading → Posted in Broadway, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances | Tagged Broadway, Leonard Bernstein, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances, Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story | Leave a comment BILLY ELLIOT at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Of the performances I’ve watched so far, Billy Elliot is one that I’ve enjoyed more than many of the others. Strange, perhaps, as this song has never been one of my absolute favourites in the score and I only really … Continue reading → Posted in Broadway, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances | Tagged Billy Elliot, Broadway, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances | Leave a comment BYE BYE BIRDIE at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade So this is the Bye Bye Birdie clip from Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. It’s quite fun watching Uncle Jesse go though the moves, although director-choreographer Robert Longbottom hasn’t done anyone any favours with his lame choreography – although the idea of … Continue reading → Posted in Broadway, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances | Tagged Broadway, Bye Bye Birdie, Dick van Dyke, John Stamos, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances | Leave a comment RAGTIME at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade I found the Ragtime performance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade underwhelming. The setting is lovely, but the lip synchronization is very out at the beginning and I found the performer’s bodies lacking in energy, which is fine when the camera … Continue reading → Posted in Broadway, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances | Tagged Broadway, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Musicals, Performances, Ragtime | Leave a comment

How to Find Your Artistic Voice We were talking to an artist friend of ours a while ago, a guy known for a very specific style of work, and we asked him how he developed his voice. How hard was it? “You know what’s funny?” he said. “It was only when I stopped trying so hard, stopped stressing out about it, that my voice really broke through.” Which basically sums up what’s so confusing about developing your voice as an artist. It seems to be both effortless and impossible. And we think that’s because when we talk about “voice,” what we’re really talking about is honesty. When someone tells you that you’ve “found your voice,” what they’re really saying is you’ve found yourself — and how the heck do you go about doing that? In Cinematography No Style: A Conversation with Sea Chant It’s funny. One of the reasons we were so excited to talk to the creative husband-and-wife duo Sea Chant was to find out how they’ve cultivated such a distinct visual style. Everything they do is beautiful, colorful, almost hyperreal. They have a consistency of voice that a lot of beginning photographers and filmmakers strive for. But when we asked how they’ve done it, the conversation took a surprising (and great) 90-degree turn. It turns out Andrew and Carissa Gallo have no interest in aesthetic consistency, in voice development — in being “Sea Chant-y.”

Melissa Zuckerman Hello MWMA Families, My name is Melissa Zuckerman. I am the Library Media Specialist at MWMA. I've been at MWMA since the beginning and work hard to grow our beautiful library. I received my B.A. in Child Development in 2002 from California State University, Chico (yes, I'm a California transplant), and earned my M.S. in Library Science in 2008. From 2008 through 2014 I worked as a Children's Librarian for the Weber County Library, where I realized how much I loved working with school-age children and decided to make a small career change. Our Library gives students the opportunity to practice the Montessori principles beyond the classroom. Students explore literature and technology in meaningful and appropriate ways while building the skills needed for today's 21st century learner. Email: [email protected]

Tag: sam “Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can’t carry it for you… but I can carry you!” From: Samwise “Sam” Gamgee Genre: Movies/Books Who said it?: The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the final entry of The Lord of The Rings, The Return of the King. The final chapter closes out Frodo Baggins and his friend Samwise “Sam” Gamgee’s trial/adventure to take the One Ring into Mordor to destroy it by tossing it into the fires of Mount Doom. The quote comes from near the end of the movie but somewhere in the middle of the book. Frodo and Sam (played in the films by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, respectively) have entered Mordor and are making the trek to the top of Mount Doom. Tired and exhausted, Frodo collapses. Sam tried to comfort his comrade by telling him about their home. The Shire. However, Frodo only feels paranoia from carrying the One Ring for so long. Sam then makes his decision on how they should press on… Geek wisdom: You don’t have to go through hardships all by yourself. Friends will support you whenever you have a heavy burden to carry. They may not be able to solve the problem or completely take the load off. However, true friends will be there for you to assist you in whatever way they can. Author Victor de la CruzPosted on November 14, 2015 October 21, 2015 Categories Books, MoviesTags baggins, but i can carry you, frodo, i can't carry it for you, lord of the rings, mordor, mount doom, one ring, return of the king, sam, samwiseLeave a comment on “Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can’t carry it for you… but I can carry you!”