text
stringlengths 81
105k
| source
stringclasses 3
values | is_member
stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|---|
Mud Hens pitcher Evan Reed charged with sexual assault
Mud Hens pitcher Evan Reed was charged July 30 with sexual assault related to a March incident in Detroit when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Evan Reed
Reed, 28, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct for alleged committing “an act of penetration through force or coercion” when he “had reason to know the victim was physically helpless or mentally incapacitated or mentally incapable to consent,” according to a news release from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years.
He is expected to turn himself in to authorities accompanied by his attorney Ben Gonek and be arraigned in 36th District Court in Detroit at 10:30 a.m. July 31, according to the prosecutor’s office
The alleged assault occurred in Detroit the day before the Tigers’ home opener on March 31.
The incident was reported by a 45-year-old Oakland County woman, who said she was at a bar in Royal Oak around 10 p.m. March 29, where she met Reed and they danced, according to the release. Afterward they sat in a booth with others and chatted. At some point, the woman finished an alcoholic drink and “began to feel odd.” After midnight, she and Reed left the bar and went to a Detroit hotel, where she alleges Reed sexually assaulted her around 7:30 a.m. March 30 and then asked her to leave.
“It is important to note that in any case the investigation must be thorough and all witnesses must be located and interviewed. This protocol remains the same if the alleged defendant is wealthy, privileged, a known figure or even a promising athlete,” Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy said in the release.
Reed was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2007. He joined the Tigers organization in 2013, and shuttled between Detroit and Toledo last season. He made his major league debut with the Tigers in May 2013. He started the 2014 season in Detroit and was sent to Toledo in late June.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, July 30th, 2014 at 12:52 pm and is filed under Baseball, Community, Crime, Mud Hens, Sports.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
I'm getting about the same thing trying to update "tf" (team fortress 2) on Ubuntu 7.10 (just updated it yesterday). DSL connection near Seattle, WA. Come to think of it, might have been "Connection Closed", I'll have to check when I'm home in 10 hours.
This was fixed by time. Now when it runs, it's downloading a newer version. (so they probably had it down for an update)
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Mounting tensions with Syria sink US stocks
NEW YORK (AP) — Fears of an escalating conflict in Syria rippled across financial markets on Tuesday, sinking stocks, lifting gold and pushing the price of oil to the highest in a year and a half.
The increasing possibility of U.S. military strikes raised worries on Wall Street that energy trade in the region could be disrupted, raising fuel costs for consumers and business.
"If Syria becomes drawn out and becomes a long-term issue, it's going to show up in things like gas prices," said Chris Costanzo, investment officer with Tanglewood Wealth Management.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 170.33 points, or 1.1 percent, to 14,776.13, the lowest in two months.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 26.30 points, or 1.6 percent, to 1,630.48 and the Nasdaq composite fell 79.05 points, or 2.2 percent, to 3,578.52.
"The law of unintended consequences and the history of previous military interventions in the region is not a recipe for political and economic stability," said Neil MacKinnon, global macro strategist at VTB Capital.
The sell-off in U.S. stocks was broad. All 10 industry sectors in the S&P 500 index were in the red, and only 31 of the index's 500 stocks rose. Utilities and other high dividend-paying stocks mostly escaped the selling.
The impact wasn't just in stocks. Gold prices advanced and government bond prices jumped because traders see those investments holding their value better in times of uncertainty. Gold rose $27, or 2 percent, to $1,420 an ounce while the yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.71 percent from 2.79 percent.
While Syria itself has little oil, traders feared an intervention in Syria could cause further instability in the Middle East and possibly disrupt the flow of oil from the region. Oil surged $3.09, or 2.9 percent, to close at $109.01 a barrel, the highest closing price since February 2012.
"People worry about this becoming a worst-case scenario and turning into a regional conflict," said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Asset Management.
Energy prices dragged down the airline industry on concerns that higher oil prices could lead to higher fuel costs. United Continental Holdings, the world's largest airline by revenue, dropped $2.15, or 7.2 percent, to $27.71 and Delta Air Lines lost $1.16, or 5.7 percent, to $19.11.
Stone said oil prices could start weighing on consumer spending down the road, but it is still too early to gauge the longer-term impact.
In corporate news, discount shoe seller DSW jumped $6.43, or 7.9 percent, to $87.75 after the company reported an adjusted profit of 97 cents per share, easily beating analysts' estimate of 80 cents per share, according to FactSet.
J.C. Penney fell 18 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $13.17 after the company's biggest investor, Bill Ackman, said he plans to sell his entire stake in the discount department store chain.
The tensions with Syria overshadowed two positive reports on the economy.
The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index rose to 81.5 in August, up from 80.3 the month before. Economists had expected 79, according to FactSet.
The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 12.1 percent in June from a year earlier, nearly matching a seven-year high. But month-over-month price gains slowed in most markets, a sign that higher mortgage rates may be weighing on the housing recovery.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Upcoming Events
Catholic Theologians Call to Abolish the Death Penalty
In the wake of the September 21st executions of Troy Anthony Davis in Georgia and Lawrence Brewer in Texas, over 350 Catholic theologians, including JSRI's Alex Mikulich, have called for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States. The statement can be found here.
The statement has received extensive news and media coverage. For example:
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Tag Archives: west texas
Post navigation
In the summer of 1980, if I remember right, we traveled from Kansas to northern Arkansas to visit my Dad’s older brother, Uncle Don. He, my Aunt Mary and my cousins lived in Harrison, near Dogpatch. I also remember something about getting some Cavender seasoning, since it’s made in Harrison. (I still use it today, although I prefer the salt-free form).
As we traveled to Harrison, my seven-year-old mind seemed to record us being on some sort of mountainous hill. One road went to Harrison while another road seemed to lead to another town down in a distant valley. A look at a map reveals it might’ve been Omaha, Arkansas.
To this day, 32 years later, I still wonder about that town. What was its name? What secrets did it hold? What stories did it tell? Or, did it exist solely in my imagination?
I have resurrected and transported the town approximately 800 miles southwest into West Texas in a short story I am working on, titled Garth, Texas. In this lengthy, in-progress short story, a road goes up a hill, reaching a zenith; what lies on the road beyond the zenith is completely unknown to anyone seeing the road from the main road it bisects.
But to those who travel to the top of the road, they will see a sharp, gradual decline as the road slopes downard for about five miles. And in the distance is a tiny speck of a town.
Forget defeat, headaches, past-due bills, the death of your favorite pet duck, the election of a woefully-inexperienced president, a traffic jam when you’re already late, finding out the man/woman of your dreams is already married, running out of iced tea and a check-engine light on your car’s dashboard. Nothing is more agonizing than writer’s block.
Let me take stock. I have a novel and several short stories in the production stage. Currently, I’m about two-thirds done on my rough draft of The Game Show and am about a third into my short story whose name I’d rather not divulge. Both are suspenseful thrillers with characters that seem alive and well.
My problem? I am not sure what to write next.
In my short story, for instance, a man stumbles upon a town that’s not on the map in West Texas and learns, much to his dismay, the locals already know who he is and want to punish him for past deeds. What happens next is something I can’t quite figure out.
Same for the book about a game show where more meets the eye. And, of course, same for the short story about the astronomer who discovers a strange planet and a long short story about a man who buys a gorgeous house at way below its appraised price.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I think I may need to google “Lois Duncan” and “writer’s block” and see what she wrote about it in The Writer magazine. We’ll see if that helps.
Richard Zowie’s first short story was a very forgettable one, written on a single sheet of notebook paper when he was eight. Scorpions in a lake. Blech. Post comments here or e-mail Richard at [email protected].
Please keep in mind that this is not a critique of Mr. Bradbury’s book Zen in the Art of Writing. This blog posting is simply what I’ve gathered from the book and how I think I can apply it to my own fiction writing career. It’s also my motivation to finish this book and to move onto others.
I’ve often wondered how to best describe Bradbury as a writer to those unfamiliar with his work (my two favorite Bradbury books are The Illustrated Man and Fahrenheit 451). Perhaps Stephen King said it best: with Mr. Bradbury, everything’s green and wondrous and seen through a lens of nostalgia.
“The Joy of Writing” chapter
Mr. Bradbury believes it’s imperative to write with zest and gusto. Writing should be pleasurable, so have fun with it. This type of mentality helps a person put out 2,000 or so words a day. If you find it a burden, then you may have a problem. The same rings true for other professions. To be a successful chef, Gordon Ramsay has said you must a passion for cooking. Actors have told me that getting in front of a camera or on stage requires a love for performing; if your motivation is fame or fortune, forget it.
What should a person write about? Things that you love or hate. One example Mr. Bradbury references is seeing a photo in Harper’s Bazaar that used Puerto Ricans in the background as “props”. Upset by this, Mr. Bradbury wrote a short story where a Puerto Rican man taunts such a photographer by always appearing in his photographs and making some type of gesture that ruins the picture. In his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, King recounts working at a mill and hearing a crazy story about how giant rats lived in the cellar of a decrepit building. Wheels spun and soon King wrote the creepy short story Graveyard Shift.
Sometimes we write about our fears. One short story I’m working on focuses on one of my worst fears: having an automobile breakdown in the summer heat in the middle of nowhere. The main character is on the run from the police but has his car break down in one of the more rural areas of the country: West Texas.
Sometimes, Mr. Bradbury feels writing a story can be as simple as finding a character who wants or doesn’t want something with all their heart. Give them orders, let them go and follow them and write what you see happening. Darn the outlines and character profiles, full speed ahead!
Writing also requires a person to read voraciously and diversely. Books, magazines, anything you can get your hands on. Myself, I suspect much can be learned even by reading bad prose. You learn how not to write and what doesn’t work. For me, what comes to mind is one particular sci-fi novel written by a scientist who simply wasn’t a good writer. Another involves a curious delve into trasy western paperbacks where the methaphors are so bad they’re comical. Obviously, this is best kept at a minimum while energies should be focused on good writing and what does work.
Finally in this chapter, Mr. Bradbury reminds us that life is indeed very short. Write. A writer writes now. Procrastination is the death of writing. This is indeed something I can relate to: my twenties flew by and now, at 37, I’m beginning to wonder what happened to my thirties. If only we lived on a planet like Pluto, where the days are six days long instead of a measly 24 hours.
Up next, the chapter “Run Fast, Stand Still”.
Richard Zowie is a professional writer. He’s worked as a journalist and columnist and also blogs and writes fiction. Post comments here or e-mail him at [email protected].
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Screenshots of 4Videosoft TRP Video Converter
4Videosoft TRP Video Converter Publisher's Description
4Videosoft TRP Video Converter is considered as the best TRP video conversion software, which helps you convert TRP videos to all popular video formats, like MP4, FLV, AVI, ASF, WMV, 3GP, MOV, M4V, MPG, WMV, as well as all audio files including AAC, M4A, MKA, MP2, MP3, WMA, etc. Moreover, this TRP Converter can also convert TRP files to iPod, Apple TV compatible formats.
With this special TRP Video Converter, you shall have rich options to adjust video settings and set audio properties. Moreover, this excellent TRP conversion tool provides other functions: adjust video effect, crop movie, join several files together and trim any segment as you like. You can easily convert TRP video files and freely enjoy them on different players.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Hi all! It's been a long while since I posted here. I am pleased to announce that Jamie's Revenge 2 shall be released in late September/ Early October. After being in development for 5 years in my very little spare time, I can't wait for you all to play it. I hope you all enjoy it. Right now I am running thorough tests to ensure it is as glitch free as possible. Until then, you may all enjoy this screenshot of the last world. Enjoy:
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Straight waveguide can be manufactured with different flange types. The available body materials include copper/brass, aluminum. We also supply other special configurations to meet customer's specific requirements.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
{"whToggleConfig":{"cardsList":{}},"enableGeolocation":false,"fragmentIdMap":{"c4":{"uuid":"44e446c9-4d5b-4b48-a7b7-ee91bb1f6705","section_title":"Categories","content":{"categoryList":[{"guid":"1d73e2c7-995a-4e27-a424-734e366888f7","id":"v3-health-and-fitness","friendlyName":"Health & Fitness","friendlyNameShort":"Health & Fitness","count":9,"chain":["v3-health-and-fitness"],"slug":"v3-health-and-fitness","uuid":"1d73e2c7-995a-4e27-a424-734e366888f7","shortName":"Health & Fitness","level":0,"isHighlighted":false,"isParent":false,"isChild":false},{"guid":"5b41fbfb-ce9b-42e2-8210-53dc8295da4a","id":"dental","friendlyName":"Dental","friendlyNameShort":"Dental","count":9,"chain":["v3-health-and-fitness","dental"],"slug":"dental","uuid":"5b41fbfb-ce9b-42e2-8210-53dc8295da4a","shortName":"Dental","level":1,"isHighlighted":false,"isParent":false,"isChild":false},{"guid":"9486cd15-b1c4-4a12-901b-8475d9037641","id":"dentist","friendlyName":"All Dentist","friendlyNameShort":"Dentist","count":9,"chain":["v3-health-and-fitness","dental","dentist"],"slug":"dentist","uuid":"9486cd15-b1c4-4a12-901b-8475d9037641","shortName":"Dentist","level":2,"isHighlighted":true,"isParent":true,"isChild":false},{"guid":"593cf79b-f34e-46dc-852f-faef3ca8afc7","id":"teeth-cleaning","friendlyName":"Teeth Cleaning","friendlyNameShort":"Teeth Cleaning","count":9,"chain":["v3-health-and-fitness","dental","teeth-cleaning"],"slug":"teeth-cleaning","uuid":"593cf79b-f34e-46dc-852f-faef3ca8afc7","shortName":"Teeth Cleaning","level":2,"isHighlighted":false,"isParent":false,"isChild":false}],"selectedUUID":"9486cd15-b1c4-4a12-901b-8475d9037641","locationURL":"abu-zaby","category":{"guid":"9486cd15-b1c4-4a12-901b-8475d9037641","depth":0,"uuidPath":["c09790ba-a6b9-40fc-ad81-4cdf25260b5e","1d73e2c7-995a-4e27-a424-734e366888f7","5b41fbfb-ce9b-42e2-8210-53dc8295da4a"],"name":"Dentist","shortName":null,"singular":null,"plural":null,"permalink":"dentist","seo_name":null,"root":{"guid":null,"depth":0,"uuidPath":null,"name":"Local","shortName":null,"singular":null,"plural":null,"permalink":"local","seo_name":null,"root":null,"chain":null},"chain":["v3-health-and-fitness","dental","dentist"],"id":"dentist"},"locale":"en_AE","local":"/coupons","i18n":{"locale":"en_AE","country":"AE","brandId":"groupon","translations":{"modules":{"wh_templates_controller":null}},"scope":"modules.wh_templates_controller"}}},"c9":{"uuid":"323f3e91-1504-49f1-8360-b650fdb5fd5f","content":{"category":"Dentist","locationName":"Abu Dhabi","categoryLinks":{"links":[{"anchorText":"Braces in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/braces","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Teeth Cleaning in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/teeth-cleaning","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Dental in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/dental","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Teeth Whitening in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/teeth-whitening","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Dentist in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/dentist","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Health & Fitness in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/v3-health-and-fitness","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Dental Implant in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/dental-implants","indexed":true}],"listHeading":"Popular Searches","tag":"CrosslinksCategoryLink"},"geoLinks":{"links":[{"anchorText":"Gym in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/gyms","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Sport in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/sports","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Medical in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/medical","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Sport in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/sports","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Natural Medicine in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/natural-medicine","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Weight Loss in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/weight-loss","indexed":true}],"listHeading":"Searches Nearby","tag":"CrosslinksGeoLink"},"columnLayout":"two-up"}},"c5":{"uuid":"e62c6513-ed49-4d92-893b-f813e4a45b64","content":{"locale":"en_AE","rapi":[{"uuid":"47795427-2fb1-49cb-a9c8-0c12d36a0dad","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/medical-speciality-centre-l-l-c-24","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/i7hfvZRbEZGgt4KChWhb/gu-2048x1229/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/i7hfvZRbEZGgt4KChWhb/gu-2048x1229/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Dental Consultation with Fluoride, Cleaning, Filling or Whitening at Medical Speciality Centre*","announcementTitle":"Dental Consultation with Cleaning","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Dental Consultation with Cleaning","redemptionLocation":"Medical Speciality Centre","merchant":{"id":"medical-speciality-clinic","uuid":"cc6aa8f9-ec50-7976-7dd4-151c49d91721","name":"Medical Speciality Centre","websiteUrl":null,"recommendations":[{"ratingDistribution":{"1":1,"2":0,"3":2,"4":3,"5":8},"rating":4.21,"source":"groupon-users","totalMessage":"14","percentMessage":"93","prominentDisplay":true,"total":14,"percent":93}],"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":9900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED99","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":9900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED99","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"b26368db-333b-4333-acfd-8ecb3485e657","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":10,"soldQuantityMessage":"10+","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Clients can take care of their teeth with a clean, scale and polish, or opt for a coloured filling or a session of teeth whitening</p>"}],"features":{"showFullTitle":true,"captionPadding":true,"showPriceBadging":true,"showStarRatingsOnDealCard":true},"isTouch":false}},"c1":{"uuid":"d84fc92a-f86d-4bdb-9974-443eb90a277a","content":{"parents":[{"url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons","anchor":"Coupons"},{"url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby","anchor":"Abu Dhabi"},{"url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby/v3-health-and-fitness","anchor":"Health & Fitness"},{"url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby/dental","anchor":"Dental"},{"url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby/dentist","anchor":"Dentist"}],"pageUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby/dentist","pageName":"Dentist","pageType":"local-state-category","keywordPage":null,"location":{"uuid":"77b57a6e-e4d4-4444-b1fa-008651a16ad7","searchLocale":"en_AE","name":"Abu Dhabi","fullName":"Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates","shortName":"Abu Dhabi","localName":"Abu Dhabi","type":"state","url":"abu-zaby","timeZone":"Asia/Dubai","attributes":{},"center":{"lat":23.66667,"lng":54},"lat":23.66667,"lng":54},"category":{"uuid":"9486cd15-b1c4-4a12-901b-8475d9037641","name":"Dentist","shortName":"Dentist","singular":"Dentist","plural":"Dentists","url":"dentist","path":["v3-health-and-fitness","dental","dentist"],"uuidPath":["c09790ba-a6b9-40fc-ad81-4cdf25260b5e","1d73e2c7-995a-4e27-a424-734e366888f7","5b41fbfb-ce9b-42e2-8210-53dc8295da4a"]},"showPage":true,"showKeywords":false,"links":[{"href":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons","anchor":"Coupons","bloodhound":"breadcrumbs-2","hideForMobile":true},{"href":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby","anchor":"Abu Dhabi","bloodhound":"breadcrumbs-3","hideForMobile":false},{"href":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby/v3-health-and-fitness","anchor":"Health & Fitness","bloodhound":"breadcrumbs-4","hideForMobile":true},{"href":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby/dental","anchor":"Dental","bloodhound":"breadcrumbs-5","hideForMobile":false},{"href":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-zaby/dentist","anchor":"Dentist","bloodhound":"breadcrumbs-6","hideForMobile":true}],"localHome":"/coupons"}},"c3":{"uuid":"e6a8e3d3-ca91-4a83-bda8-0bb0593c0c5d","content":{}},"c6":{"uuid":"ed7b4aac-d8e0-4b13-988d-5c94e28d27be","content":{"locale":"en_AE","rapi":[{"uuid":"eafec00e-9b0e-4135-ac6b-7679b69eb6d5","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/royal-star-dental-clinic-3","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/2xasU8G4YjJAsqeyrW2LuBtAZCyt/2x-1296x864/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/2xasU8G4YjJAsqeyrW2LuBtAZCyt/2x-1296x864/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Dental Check-Up, Scaling, Polishing and Oral Hygene, Zoom Whitening or Tooth Filling at the Royal Star Dental Clinic*","announcementTitle":"Dental Scaling and Polishing","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Dental Scaling and Polishing","redemptionLocation":"Abu Dhabi","merchant":{"id":"royal-star-dental-clinic","uuid":"9fcee2b3-0bcb-401b-a2a0-876584bd17fd","name":"Royal Star Dental Clinic","websiteUrl":"http://www.royalstar.ae/?fbclid=IwAR1DKbwRE1_gP3DOQvCbu4qRYf3GZYWgbPUnoVJq-AMfwmegBx27jieaRnE","recommendations":null,"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":17900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED179","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":17900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED179","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"440e64f2-10c6-4c0e-8301-f0d3e34d0b9d","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":0,"soldQuantityMessage":"0","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Up to two clients can make their smiles shine bright with a scale, polish and whitening, receive a check-up or a tooth filling treatment</p>","soldQuantityGTZero":false},{"uuid":"213fedc9-527a-4360-a999-a51d13a054df","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/amrita-medical-center","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/iam/2a6jnjzdcetMjDWZGiPCZm6rYEaS/2a-2048x1229/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/iam/2a6jnjzdcetMjDWZGiPCZm6rYEaS/2a-2048x1229/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Choice of Dental Treatment for One or Two at Amrita Medical Center*","announcementTitle":"Oral Hygiene Session","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Oral Hygiene Session","redemptionLocation":"abu dhabi","merchant":{"id":"amrita-medical-center","uuid":"bc189e0b-929a-df34-9402-82dd510b34c8","name":"Amrita Medical Center","websiteUrl":"https://www.amrita.ae/","recommendations":[{"ratingDistribution":{"1":0,"2":0,"3":0,"4":0,"5":2},"rating":5,"source":"groupon-users","totalMessage":"2","percentMessage":"100","prominentDisplay":true,"total":2,"percent":100}],"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":17900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED179","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":17900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED179","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"0489e274-e932-414b-bbae-465b4f53ed65","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":5,"soldQuantityMessage":"5","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Customers can take advantage of a dental procedure of their choice, ranging from laser whitening to a stain removal treatment</p>"},{"uuid":"703ae871-3cb1-4423-881d-f8339b58cab1","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/juman-pearls-dental-clinic-4","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/iam/4GBT1Ec4Cmjhdxs4EApQBYK5pKnY/4G-2048x1229/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/iam/4GBT1Ec4Cmjhdxs4EApQBYK5pKnY/4G-2048x1229/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Choice of Dental Package at Juman Pearls Dental Clinic*","announcementTitle":"Clean, Scale and Polish","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Clean, Scale and Polish","redemptionLocation":"Abu dhabi","merchant":{"id":"juman-pearls-dental-clinic","uuid":"7559ef1c-b8b5-42f4-90f9-6bca4fdf50b9","name":"Juman Pearls Dental Clinic","websiteUrl":"http://www.jumanpearls.ae/#/home","recommendations":[{"ratingDistribution":{"1":0,"2":0,"3":0,"4":5,"5":13},"rating":4.72,"source":"groupon-users","totalMessage":"18","percentMessage":"100","prominentDisplay":true,"total":18,"percent":100}],"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":11900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED119","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":11900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED119","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"b150dad0-136a-4715-be19-8057b975a1af","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":100,"soldQuantityMessage":"100+","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Dental health can be assessed with a dental treatment of choice; includes consultation as well as scale and polish</p>"},{"uuid":"b987e674-0048-4e3e-8265-f4df02a8e46b","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/health-shield-medical-center","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/fR3u7B9YUSdfu1StD15q/Zn-2048x1229/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/fR3u7B9YUSdfu1StD15q/Zn-2048x1229/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Dental Consultation with Fluoride, Clean, Scale and Polish, or Teeth Whitening at Health Shield Medical Center*","announcementTitle":"Dental Package at Health Shield Medical Center","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Dental Package at Health Shield Medical Center","redemptionLocation":"Abu Dhabi","merchant":{"id":"health-shield-medical-center","uuid":"95da0c92-7dd6-4239-b499-29ab2f1b1f4c","name":"Health Shield Medical Center","websiteUrl":"http://www.healthshield.ae/","recommendations":[{"ratingDistribution":{"1":1,"2":0,"3":0,"4":5,"5":21},"rating":4.67,"source":"groupon-users","totalMessage":"27","percentMessage":"96","prominentDisplay":true,"total":27,"percent":96}],"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":12900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED129","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":12900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED129","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"10d8f961-f81a-46e5-a0e1-c7972fcc3799","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":190,"soldQuantityMessage":"190+","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Clients can treat their pearls to a fluoride application, clean, scale and polish, or Zoom teeth whitening treatment; consultation included</p>"},{"uuid":"bd6fcf83-e63c-4fa9-a694-74758d78fc07","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/apollo-medical-centre","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/PSdKbrkXnUeWmaPfRyF5pDtB1vS/PS-900x540/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/PSdKbrkXnUeWmaPfRyF5pDtB1vS/PS-900x540/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Choice of Dental Service with Consultation at Apollo Medical Centre*","announcementTitle":"Clean, Scale and Polish","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Clean, Scale and Polish","redemptionLocation":"Abu Dhabi","merchant":{"id":"apollo-medical-centre","uuid":"e1f636d0-8ebc-ee80-b304-6462e6913ea9","name":"Apollo Medical Centre","websiteUrl":"http://apollogulf.com","recommendations":[{"ratingDistribution":{"1":0,"2":0,"3":0,"4":1,"5":0},"rating":4,"source":"groupon-users","totalMessage":"1","percentMessage":"100","prominentDisplay":true,"total":1,"percent":100}],"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":11900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED119","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":11900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED119","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"d27527e9-b9de-40e9-b0f4-c199c0e92198","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":40,"soldQuantityMessage":"40+","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Customers can take care of their pearls with a scale and polish, restore their smile with teeth whitening, or opt for dental veneers</p>"},{"uuid":"22f6b43a-32ce-4c6f-8493-c3f8705cb05f","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/creative-dental-center-12","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/7ny16pML371MxvttEkUYK/shutterstock_55134100-700x420/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/7ny16pML371MxvttEkUYK/shutterstock_55134100-700x420/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Choice of Dental Services: Clean, Scale and Polish, Teeth Whitening or Up to 20 Veneers at Creative Dental Center*","announcementTitle":"Dental Scale and Polish, Teeth Whitening or veneers","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Dental Scale and Polish, Teeth Whitening or veneers","redemptionLocation":"Creative Dental Center LLC ","merchant":{"id":"creative-dental-center","uuid":"883f1387-129e-4a5c-934b-ded84844c46f","name":"Creative Dental Center","websiteUrl":"http://creativecdc.com/","recommendations":[{"ratingDistribution":{"1":0,"2":0,"3":1,"4":0,"5":1},"rating":4,"source":"groupon-users","totalMessage":"2","percentMessage":"100","prominentDisplay":true,"total":2,"percent":100}],"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":13900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED139","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":13900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED139","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"1328a8d5-c8d8-495d-89af-d8b6deab10eb","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":30,"soldQuantityMessage":"30+","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Patrons can have their oral health checked or choose from an array of dental services such as teeth whitening or veneers</p>"},{"uuid":"5858a445-ca57-4c06-9278-260db80ef0e0","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/swiss-dental-medical-center-l-l-c","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/EsAC4f9SBpYFzM26xz2szq2wJwp/Es-960x576/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/EsAC4f9SBpYFzM26xz2szq2wJwp/Es-960x576/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Choice of Dental Services at Swiss Dental Medical Center*","announcementTitle":"Scale and Polish","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Scale and Polish","redemptionLocation":"Swiss Dental Medical Center","merchant":{"id":"swiss-dental-medical-center-l-l-c","uuid":"bdd8f8a1-4b5d-201e-05c7-56f7d7f6ddfa","name":"Swiss Dental Medical Center","websiteUrl":null,"recommendations":[{"ratingDistribution":{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3,"4":0,"5":2},"rating":3.8,"source":"groupon-users","totalMessage":"5","percentMessage":"100","prominentDisplay":true,"total":5,"percent":100}],"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":10900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED109","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":10900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED109","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"991701e8-ae6c-4c39-a6a7-22f6b0fc24e7","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":20,"soldQuantityMessage":"20+","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Customers can have a dentist examine their pearls and offer a scale and polish, or opt for teeth whitening with a fluoride application</p>"},{"uuid":"f125d462-a80a-4d3d-b43d-1e3ab108d874","dealUrl":"https://www.groupon.ae/deals/novadent-dental-center","grid4ImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/k5SpdMbPeVo3yCujFofs4k/000019355835_2048x1229-2048x1229/v1/t300x182.jpg","channels":[],"displayOptions":[{"name":"discount","enabled":true},{"name":"quantity","enabled":true},{"name":"timer","enabled":true},{"name":"merchandisingType","value":"other"},{"name":"showRedemptionLocations","enabled":true},{"name":"showPrice","enabled":true}],"largeImageUrl":"https://img.grouponcdn.com/deal/k5SpdMbPeVo3yCujFofs4k/000019355835_2048x1229-2048x1229/v1/t440x300.jpg","title":"Scale and Polish with Oral Hygiene Session, Teeth Whitening or Panoramic X-Ray for One or Two at Novadent Dental Center*","announcementTitle":"Clean, Scale and Polish","shortAnnouncementTitle":"Clean, Scale and Polish","redemptionLocation":"Abu Dhabi","merchant":{"id":"novadent-dental-center","uuid":"a1911b5a-9660-3de7-b25d-ada32b6edfc4","name":"Novadent Dental Center","websiteUrl":"http://www.novadent.ae","recommendations":null,"ratings":null,"twitterUrl":null,"facebookUrl":null},"reviews":null,"priceSummary":{"discountPercent":0,"minimumPurchaseQuantity":1,"price":{"amount":17900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED179","currencyExponent":2},"value":{"amount":17900,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED179","currencyExponent":2},"regularPrice":null,"pricingMetadata":null,"redemptionOffer":{"minimumPurchaseValue":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"maximumDiscount":{"amount":0,"currencyCode":"AED","formattedAmount":"AED0.00","currencyExponent":2},"redemptionCount":null},"quoteId":"fef7e489-263e-467b-a88d-60058e5c9b76","additionalRedemptionOffers":[]},"uiTreatment":[{"uuid":"03567e7f-40b5-4743-9466-2ec2d75631af","slug":null,"name":"Local","description":"Default template","logoImage":null}],"isTravelBookableDeal":false,"soldQuantity":4,"soldQuantityMessage":"4","locations":[],"highlightsHtml":"<p>Pearls can be cleaned, scaled and polished by a dentist; add an oral hygiene session, laser teeth whitening or a panoramic X-ray</p>"}],"features":{"showFullTitle":true,"captionPadding":true,"showSEOListView":true,"showPriceBadging":true,"showStarRatingsOnDealCard":true},"isTouch":false,"classNames":"block-grid cui-two-up cui-medium-two-up cui-small-one-up two-up"}},"c2":{"uuid":"e34de00e-f716-4448-abfb-5d911c3859c6","content":{"title":"Abu Dhabi Dentist Coupons"}},"c12":{"uuid":"e868587f-34c9-4fcb-b665-51b188d9e273","content":{"category":"Dentist","locationName":"Abu Dhabi","categoryLinks":{"links":[{"anchorText":"Braces in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/braces","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Teeth Cleaning in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/teeth-cleaning","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Dental in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/dental","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Teeth Whitening in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/teeth-whitening","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Dentist in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/dentist","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Health & Fitness in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/v3-health-and-fitness","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Dental Implant in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/dental-implants","indexed":true}],"listHeading":"Popular Searches","tag":"CrosslinksCategoryLink"},"geoLinks":{"links":[{"anchorText":"Gym in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/gyms","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Sport in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/sports","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Medical in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/medical","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Sport in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/sports","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Natural Medicine in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/natural-medicine","indexed":true},{"anchorText":"Weight Loss in Abu Dhabi","url":"https://www.groupon.ae/coupons/abu-dhabi/weight-loss","indexed":true}],"listHeading":"Searches Nearby","tag":"CrosslinksGeoLink"},"columnLayout":"two-up"}},"c8":{"uuid":"7ff8003e-e6d5-11e5-9730-9a79f06e9478","content":{"meta":[],"editorial":null}}},"translations":{"all":"All {{categoryName}}","article_by":"BY: ","article_url":"articles","bought":"bought","browseByRegion":"Browse {{country}}","categories":"Categories","categoryDealsInLocationHeader":"{{categoryName}} Deals in {{locationName}}","citiesUrl":"cities","close":"Close","dealsInPopularCities":"Deals in Popular Cities","discoverLocalDeals":"Discover Local Deals","events_path":"events","facebook_like":"Like it!","featured_video":"Featured Video: ","googleplus_share":"Share this on Google+","home":"Vouchers","local":"Coupons","localDealsBlurb":"Make any day special with deals on the latest things to do, eat and see in and around your city.","more":"More","more_resources":"More Resources","moreCitiesLink":"More Cities","popularCategories":"Popular Categories","multiple_locations":"Multiple Locations","top_deals_heading":"Top Deals On {{categoryName}} In {{currentMonth}} In & Around {{locationName}}","popular_deals_heading":"Most Popular {{categoryName}} In & Around {{locationName}}","top_events_heading":"Events In {{currentMonth}} & {{nextMonth}} In & Around {{locationName}}","columbus_top_reviewed_heading":"Best Reviewed {{categoryName}} in {{locationName}}","readLess":"Read Less","readMore":"Read More","recommendedMerchants":"Recommended Merchants","regionGuideHeading":"{{regionName}} Guide and Deals","regionType":" ","relatedContent":"Related Reads","selectLocalMerchants":"Select Local Merchants","twitter_share":"Share with Twitter","video_home":"Videos","widgetTitle":"Learn More","view_deal":"View Deal","view_all":"View All","online_deal":"Online Deal","hide_deals_like_this":"Hide Deals Like This","show":"Show","hide":"Hide","backTo":"Back to","book_now":"Book Now","claim":"Claim","get_coupon":"Get Coupon","free_to_claim":"Free to Claim","cash_back":"Cash Back","free_event":"Free Event","discount_off":"OFF","zero_concert_deal_msg":"We are sorry. There are currently no shows available at this venue. Please check back later.","local_path":"vouchers"}}
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
The FAM Newsletter
You know those letters you get at Christmas that tell you what your friends and relatives and possibly a neighbor you don’t remember sharing a street with have all been up to? What if those letters were from your favorite writers and filled with wonderful things to read?
That’s what the FAM Newsletter is: your source for all the wonderful work you may have missed or just want to read again. The author’s previous Split Lip work can be found by clicking on their name, and their good news is also hyperlinked.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
The Law & Order franchises are famous for recycling actors: One episode's stripper is the next episode's ADA. But no one individual — save for series regulars or semi-regulars — has been more prevalent in the series as actress Teresa Yenque. She has appeared in seven episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU — as… »1/17/12 1:35pm 1/17/12 1:35pm
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Calculate your savings
Discover Commuty
Commuty is a web and mobile application designed for a better parking and mobility management within companies. Commuty manages your parking policy (incl. priority rules for spots and employees, dedicated parking spots, visitors parking spots, etc.), invite your employees on the platform, include alternative transport means (carpooling, bicycle, etc.) and provide you reporting of the use of your parking.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Culture, Lifestyle, and Commentary
03/17/2011
And the secret to profit from the country / place combination bets? The field bet, when used alone, is not a good bet. Must be used with other bets or a progression to make it profitable for the crapshoot experience. These seven different field numbers (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12) can make a total of only 16 times, leaving 20 for the other numbers. If a 5, 6, 7 or 8 rolls is lost. So if you place a field bet on himself, will win 16 times and lose 20 times (in 36 rolls theoretical). According to Barry Rosenstein the field is only worth 1:1 - that is, if you bet $ 5, you win $ 5. For example, if you bet $ 5 on the field and 4 rolls, you win only $ 5 (1:1) instead of $ 9 (9:5) who would win if you place 4.
02/03/2011
The internet is a great educational tool, but if not properly used it can be very disappointing. MyWebSearch does everything possible to make your internet search simpler and more effective. It helps to know about what top level domains(TLD) are and how they can help you identify sites. Here are a few of the major TDL's in use today: .com are commercial company domains. They are the majority of the web sites on the internet. .org domains are used for organizations.They can be any type of organization. .gov domains are used for governments and government agencies. It generally refers to federal level organizations, but it could also refer to the state level organizations. .edu domains refers to educational institutions. .net refers to Internet network services or network companies
03/18/2010
With the economic crisis seemingly far from subsiding, many families have taken to homesteading. Although not as rustic as the real deal that has permeated American folklore, today's homesteading still has plenty of challenges and many perks.
"We feel we own our land and our lives again," one homesteader said as he puts the finishing touches on a roof of the home he and his wife bought on a 200 hundred plot of land in Idaho. "The land was inexpensive and beautiful," he adds.
More and more homesteaders are finding solace from immersing themselves in solitary areas, in hopes of escaping former financial trouble or the society that they feel is on sharp course with implosion.
03/17/2010
One of the least hit real estate markets in the country during the recession was Texas'. One main reason is Texans were never willing to pay the kind of prices for housing that other areas of the country were. This caused many areas in Texas to remain outside of the housing bubble.
With this in mind it is not surprising that Real Estate is Texas' third most important industry according Texas Real Estate. "The importance of Texas Real Estate activity in the Lone Star State cuts across State Boundary lines and affects the economy in other parts of the country. The complex web of inter-related finances which reflects the state of our modern economy means that what happens in Texas affects the rest of the USA and, more than likely, the rest of the world," says the magazine.
One area of particular interest that is still growing is the Austin condo market. Many people are still able to find god deals that are low risk for the buyer. Austin, Texas remains a desirable place to live as many transplants from different places in the U.S. have made their way giving it a cosmopolitan feel.
Other areas in Texas that have remained strong and good for investment is San Antonio and suburban Dallas.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
AI - AltimatOS Installer is a custom installation utility that will guide new users through the task of installing AltimatOS on to their computer. The overarching goal is to make AI intuitive and user friendly, yet not sacrifice the flexibility necessary needed for all three branches of AltimatOS (Desktop, Workstation, and Server). The technologies used in AI are Perl 5, PerlQt, RPM5, and GNU PartEd.
Goals:
The goals of the AI project are to develop an easy to use, and easy to maintain installer for AltimatOS. To acheive these goals, the user interface must conform to standard human interface design paradigms, be well documented both in the code and externally, and be flexible enough to be extended for other purposes.
Technologies:
The rapid application development aspects of Perl and Qt allow us to speed the development of AI and keep the interface attractive. Additionally, to develop the partitioning software, we aim to wrap the GNU PartEd command line tool with our PerlQt frontend. To optimise the application to run quicker, we use the Inline::C Perl 5 module to gain access to system level APIs that make certain slower code paths in Perl execute much faster. Finally, to innovate and lead the way for other distributions, AltimatOS' AI uses RPM 5, the main upstream development version of RPM from to install the operating system.
Overview of the Installer:
AI is comprised of two seperate applications ai amd aftwizard and a number of reusable PerlQt and plain Perl 5 modules. The ai application has been designed install the packages from the planned live DVD, and to get the common required configuration files written to disk. The second application, aftwizard, is meant to guide the user in completeing the system's configuration. The various libraries and modules developed for AI will be reused for other tools in AltimatOS.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
This December Skateistan's aiming to raise 35,000 USD and they need your help to KEEP SKATEISTAN ROLLING. By joining their biannual fundraising drive you can empower Afghan and Cambodian youth. Donate now at http://skateistan.org
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Data Use Policy
1. Information we receive and how it is used
Information we receive about you
We receive a number of different types of information about you, including:
Your information
Your information is the information that's required when you sign up for the site, as well as the information you choose to share.• Registration information: When you sign up for Just Croydon, you are required to provide information such as your name, email address, birthday, and gender.• Information you choose to share: Your information also includes the information you choose to share on Just Croydon, such as when you post a shout, upload a photo, or comment on a story.It also includes the information you choose to share when you communicate with us, such as when you contact us using an email address, or when you take an action, such as when you follow another member or like an organisation.
Your name, profile pictures, gender and networks are treated just like information you choose to make public.
Other information we receive about you
We also receive other types of information about you:• We receive data about you whenever you use or are running Just Croydon, such as when you look at another person's profile, send or receive a message, search for a friend or a Page, click on, view or otherwise interact with things.• When you post things like photos on Just Croydon, we may receive additional related data (or metadata), such as the time, date, and place you took the photo.• We receive data from or about the computer, mobile phone, or other devices you use to access Just Croydon, including when multiple users log in from the same device. This may include network and communication information, such as your IP address or mobile phone number, and other information about things like your internet service, operating system, location, the type (including identifiers) of the device or browser you use, or the pages you visit.• Sometimes we get data from our affiliates or our advertising partners, customers and other third parties that helps us (or them) deliver ads, understand online activity, and generally make Just Croydon better. For example, an advertiser may tell us information about you (like how you responded to an ad on Just Croydon or on another site) in order to measure the effectiveness of - and improve the quality of - ads.As described in "How we use the information we receive" we also put together data from the information we already have about you, your followers, and others, so we can offer and suggest a variety of services and features. We may also put together data about you to serve you ads or other content that might be more relevant to you.
We only provide data to our advertising partners or customers after we have removed your name and any other personally identifying information from it, or have combined it with other people's data in a way that it no longer personally identifies you.
Public information
When we use the phrase "public information" (which we sometimes refer to as "Everyone information"), we mean the information that is always publicly available.
Public information is exactly what it sounds like: anyone, including people off Just Croydon, will be able to see it.
Your public information:• can be associated with you (i.e., your name, profile picture, shouts, etc.) even off Just Croydon;• can show up when someone does a search on Just Croydon or on a public search engine;Information that is always publicly available
The types of information listed below are always publicly available:• Name: This helps people find you. If you are uncomfortable sharing your real name, you can always delete your account.• Profile Picture: This help people recognize you. If you are uncomfortable making any of these photos public, you can always delete them. When you upload a new profile picture the previous profile picture will be replaced.• Gender: This allows us to refer to you properly.• User ID: These allow you to give out a custom link to your timeline or Page, receive email at your Just Croydon email address, and help make Just Croydon Platform possible.Information that is not publicly available
The types of information listed below are not publicly available:• Email Address: Although people can search for you by this.• Date Of Birth
User IDs
User IDs are a way to identify you on Just Croydon. A User ID is a string of numbers and allows a custom link to be generated to your profile that you can give out to people or post on external websites.
How we use the information we receive
We use the information we receive about you in connection with the services and features we provide to you and other users like your followers, our partners, the advertisers that purchase ads on the site and websites you use. For example, in addition to helping people see and find things that you do and share, we may use the information we receive about you:• as part of our efforts to keep Just Croydon products, services and integrations safe and secure;• to protect Just Croydon's or others' rights or property;• to measure or understand the effectiveness of ads you and others see, including to deliver relevant ads to you;• for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research and service improvement.Granting us permission to use your information not only allows us to provide Just Croydon as it exists today, but it also allows us to provide you with innovative features and services we develop in the future that use the information we receive about you in new ways.While you are allowing us to use the information we receive about you, you always own all of your information. Your trust is important to us, which is why we don't share information we receive about you with others unless we have:• received your permission;• given you notice, such as by telling you about it in this policy; or• removed your name and any other personally identifying information from it.We store data for as long as it is necessary to provide products and services to you and others, including those described above. Typically, information associated with your account will be kept until your account is deleted. For certain categories of data, we may also tell you about specific data retention practices.
We may enable access to public information that has been shared through our services.
We may allow service providers to access information so they can help us provide services.
Deleting and deactivating your account
If you want to stop using your account, you can either deactivate or delete it.
Deactivate
Deactivating your account puts your account on hold. Other users will no longer see your timeline, but we do not delete any of your information. Deactivating an account is the same as you telling us not to delete any information because you might want to reactivate your account at some point in the future.
Deletion
When you delete your account, it is permanently deleted from Just Croydon. It typically takes about one month to delete an account, but some information may remain in backup copies and logs for up to 90 days. You should only delete your account if you are sure you never want to reactivate it.
Certain information is needed to provide you with services, so we only delete this information after you delete your account. Some of the things you do on Just Croydon aren’t stored in your account, like posting to a group or sending someone a message (where your friend may still have a message you sent, even after you delete your account). That information remains after you delete your account.
2. Sharing and finding you on Just Croydon
Always think before you post. Just like anything else you post on the web or send in an email, information you share on Just Croydon can be copied or re-shared by anyone who can see it.
As a general rule, you should assume that information, unless specified, will be publicly available.
Finding you on Just Croydon
To make it easier for people to find you, we allow anyone with your contact information (such as email address) to find you through the Just Croydon search bar at the top of most pages - even if you have not shared your contact information with them on Just Croydon.
Access on phones and other devices
Once you share information with your followers and others, they may be able to sync it with or access it via their mobile phones and other devices. For example, if you share a photo on Just Croydon, someone viewing that photo could save it to a device. Similarly, if you share your contact information, they may be able to sync that information.
What your friends and others share about you
Links
Anyone can add a link to a story. Links are references to something on the Internet; anything from a website to a Page or timeline on Just Croydon. For example, if you are writing a story, you might include a link to a blog you are referencing or a link to the blogger’s Just Croydon profile.
Organisations
Just Croydon Organisations pages are public. Companies share information about their products and communities discuss topics of interest.
Because Organisations are public, information you share with an Organisation is public information. This means, for example, that if you post a comment on an Organisation page, that comment may be used by the Organisation owner off Just Croydon, and anyone can see it.
When you "like" an Organisation, you create a connection to that Organisation. You may be contacted by or receive updates from the Organisation, such as in your Activity Feed and your messages. You can remove the Organisations you've "liked" through your profile or on the Page.
3. Advertising and Just Croydon content
Advertising
Just Croydon offers a range of products that allow advertisers to reach people on and off Just Croydon. In addition to the information we provide in this section, you can also learn more about advertising products, how they work, our partnerships, and the controls you have, by visiting our “Advertising on Just Croydon” page.
When we deliver ads, we do not share your information (information that personally identifies you, such as your name or contact information) with advertisers unless you give us permission. We may provide advertisers with information when we have removed your name and other personally identifying information from it, or combined it with other information so that it no longer personally identifies you. For example, we may tell an advertiser how its ads perform or how many people viewed or clicked on their ads or install an app after seeing an ad.
So we can show you content that you may find interesting, we may use all of the information we receive about you to serve ads that are more relevant to you. For example, this includes:• information you provide at registration or add to your account or profile,• things you share and do on Just Croydon, such as what you like, and your interactions with advertisements or partners,• keywords from your stories, and• things we infer from your use of Just Croydon.For many ads we serve, advertisers may choose their audience by location, demographics, likes, keywords, and any other information we receive or infer about users. Here are some of the ways advertisers may target relevant ads:• demographics: for example, 18 to 35 year-old women• topics or keywords: for example, “music” or people who like a particular song or artist;• Page likes (including topics such as products, brands, religion, health status, or political views): for example, if you like an article about gluten-free food, you may receive ads about relevant food products; or• categories (including things like "artist" or a "dancer"): for example, if a person "likes" the "Croydon Arts Network" Page, we may infer that this person is likely to be an art fan and advertisers of the arts could ask us to target that category.Advertisers and their partners sometimes use cookies or other similar technologies in order to serve and measure ads and to make their ads more effective.
Just Croydon content
4. Cookies, pixels and other similar technologies
Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored on your computer, mobile phone or other device. Pixels are small blocks of code on webpages that do things like allow another server to measure viewing of a webpage and often are used in connection with cookies.We use technologies like cookies, pixels, and local storage (like on your browser or device, which is similar to a cookie but holds more information) to provide and understand a range of products and services.
We use these technologies to do things like:• make Just Croydon easier or faster to use;• enable features and store information about you (including on your device or in your browser cache) and your use of Just Croydon;• deliver, understand and improve advertising;• monitor and understand the use of our products and services; and• protect you, others and Just Croydon.For example, we may use these tools to know you are logged in to Just Croydon or to know when you are interacting with our advertising or partners.
We may ask advertisers or other partners to serve ads or services to computers, mobile phones or other devices, which may use a cookie, pixel or other similar technology placed by Just Croydon or the third party (although we would not share information that personally identifies you with an advertiser).
Cookies and things like local storage help make Just Croydon work, like allowing pages to load faster because certain content is stored on your browser or by helping us authenticate you to deliver personalized content.
To learn more about how advertisers generally use cookies and the choices advertisers provide, visit the Network Advertising Initiative at http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp, the Digital Advertising Alliance at http://www.aboutads.info/, the Internet Advertising Bureau (US) at http://www.iab.net or the Internet Advertising Bureau (EU) at http://youronlinechoices.eu/.Refer to your browser or device's help material to learn what controls you can often use to remove or block cookies or other similar technologies or block or remove other data stored on your computer or device (such as by using the various settings in your browser). If you do this, it may affect your ability to use Just Croydon or other websites and apps.
5. Some other things you need to know
Contact us with questions or disputes
If you have questions or complaints regarding our Data Use Policy or practices, please contact us by email at [email protected]
Responding to legal requests and preventing harm
We may access, preserve and share your information in response to a legal request (like a search warrant, court order or subpoena) if we have a good faith belief that the law requires us to do so. We may also access, preserve and share information when we have a good faith belief it is necessary to: detect, prevent and address fraud and other illegal activity; to protect ourselves, you and others, including as part of investigations; or to prevent death or imminent bodily harm.
Information we receive about you may be accessed, processed and retained for an extended period of time when it is the subject of a legal request or obligation, governmental investigation, or investigations concerning possible violations of our terms or policies, or otherwise to prevent harm. We also may retain information from accounts disabled for violations of our terms for at least a year to prevent repeat abuse or other violations of our terms.
Access requests
You can access and correct most of your personal data stored by Just Croydon by logging into your account and viewing your profile and your My Account section.
Notifications and Other Messages
We may send you notifications and other messages using the contact information we have for you, like your email address. You can control most of the notifications you receive, using controls we provide within your My Account section.
Affiliates
We may share information we receive with businesses that are legally part of the same group of companies that Just Croydon is part of, or that become part of that group (often these companies are called affiliates or partners). Likewise, our affiliates may share information with us as well. This sharing is done in compliance with applicable laws including where such applicable laws require consent. We and our affiliates may use shared information to help provide, understand, and improve our services and their own services.
Service Providers
We give your information to the people and companies that help us provide, understand and improve the services we offer. For example, we may use outside vendors to help host our website, serve photos and videos, process payments, analyse data, conduct and publish research, measure the effectiveness of ads, or provide search results. In some cases we provide the service jointly with another company. In all of these cases our partners must agree to only use your information consistent with the agreement we enter into with them, as well as this Data Use Policy.
Security and bugs
We do our best to keep your information secure. We try to keep Just Croydon up, bug-free and safe, but can’t make guarantees about any part of our services or products.
Change of Control
If the ownership of our business changes, we may transfer your information to the new owner so they can continue to operate the service. But they will still have to honour the commitments we have made in this Data Use Policy.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Minnesota charities scrambling to recover millions of dollars invested with businessman Tom Petters violated a basic duty to be prudent with donated money, according to experts in nonprofit finance.
For at least five years, religious nonprofits, led by Fidelis Foundation, based in Plymouth, made large, unconventional loans to businessman Tom Petters' company -- supposedly secured by merchandise -- in return for interest payouts of 19 to 22 percent.
Six charities had more than $27 million invested with Petters when federal authorities alleged last month that he and others had run a massive Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of more than $3 billion.
Petters, an entrepreneur with major holdings in Sun Country Airlines, Polaroid and other companies, is now jailed on federal fraud and money-laundering charges. He maintains he is innocent, though four others implicated in the alleged scheme have pleaded guilty to related charges.
As the criminal case developed, several of Petters' companies were put into receivership and 10 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Private investors lent far more to Petters' companies than did charities. But experts in nonprofit management say that charity boards of directors have special responsibilities to be financially prudent with donated, tax-exempt money.
And they say the charities dropped the ball for years by making the Petters' investments.
According to financial statements and charity officials, Fidelis Foundation invested most of its assets in Petters' companies, more than doubling its exposure over the past five years. It also made investments in Petters' company for six other charities, including Minnesota Teen Challenge, a drug treatment program, and Mars Hill Media, which produces faith-based advertising, Christian books and recordings.
Steve Klingaman, a Minneapolis nonprofit consultant and author of an upcoming book on running them, said it is highly unusual for a nonprofit to concentrate its investments in such high-interest loans. Most charities park money in conventional, secure investments offering modest returns, he said.
"Frankly, it doesn't even pass the smell test -- you look at it and how could they possibly make those kinds of returns?" Klingaman added.
That view is shared by Kate Barr, executive director of the Nonprofits Assistance Fund, which advises charities on management and finance. She said the charities' investments in Petters Co. Inc., a financing vehicle, and other Petters entities constitute a case study in how not to run a nonprofit.
"If you are going to ... put all your eggs in one basket and it is a basket that has no liquidity and no market value, how could that possibly be a prudent investment?" Barr said.
Joseph Smith, president of Fidelis Foundation, said the nonprofit has retained a lawyer to attempt to recover the money. Mars Hill already has filed a lawsuit seeking to recover its $800,000 investment.
Over the years, the Petters investments generated millions of dollars of income that helped ministries, Smith said. Merchandise-backed loans to Petters "seemed to be a logical transaction" and everyone assumed the products existed, he added.
"I recognize it has been devastating to the ministries -- it has been harmful to us, there is no doubt about it. We're all saddened by this, but it wasn't like it has always been that way," he added.
He and Fidelis board chairman Craig Howse declined to answer questions about how the board got involved in the Petters investments.
One of Fidelis' major supporters is Frank Vennes Jr. of Shorewood. He became a millionaire philanthropist by brokering investment deals for Petters' businesses, according to court papers. Vennes has not been charged in the fraud, but is identified in court papers as being part of it. He has 1987 convictions for money laundering and other crimes, and has said he underwent a religious conversion in prison.
Although Fidelis, like most charities, doesn't identify its donors, Vennes is known to have been a major contributor to the foundation and other religious charities.
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., last year cited his philanthropy, including his backing of Fidelis Foundation, in a letter supporting a presidential pardon for him. She withdrew the letter after the federal fraud case was disclosed, saying she "may have too hastily accepted his claims of redemption."
Vennes is listed in corporation records of a company that donated a St. Louis County property to Fidelis. And he was part of a group that purchased a building from the Minneapolis schools in 2006 and donated it to Fidelis for use by Hope Academy, an inner-city school, and other nonprofits, according to Russ Gregg, the school's executive director.
Vennes' other connection to Fidelis is through his lawyer, Howse, who is the foundation's board chairman and a member of its finance committee. Howse cited attorney-client privilege as the reason he couldn't answer questions about Vennes, his contributions to Fidelis, or Howse's role in the foundation's investments with Petters. Vennes also declined to comment.
Vennes has told his friends in the Christian community that he is innocent of wrongdoing. Smith, the president of Fidelis, said he believes Vennes is a victim of the Petters fraud. Vennes' companies are listed as major creditors in the Petters' bankruptcy cases.
Brian Gudmundson, a Minneapolis attorney who represents a group of ministers and nonprofits suing to recoup their investments with Petters, said: "For now they are giving Frank [Vennes] the benefit of the doubt."
Jon Pratt, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, said relationships between donors and nonprofit officials generally have raised concerns with the IRS, which is changing disclosure requirements on tax forms.
He said he didn't have enough facts to comment on whether the Vennes-Fidelis-Howse connections are a conflict of interest. But he added: "It makes you want to know more."
Poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to a collision between a Navy destroyer and a commercial container ship that killed seven sailors, Navy officials said, announcing that the warship captain will be relieved of command and more than a dozen other sailors will be punished.
Gunnar Birkerts, an internationally acclaimed modernist architect who designed buildings including the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, and the University of Michigan Law Library, has died. He was 92.
On the floor of the Honda Center, the USA Gymnastics championships are imbued with a sense of normalcy and routine. Of tumbling runs and coaching tweaks. Of blaring music and chalk dust. Of leaps and leotards. Of the search for who's next.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Elder abuse at nursing homes is real, and it’s quite disturbing and disheartening.
While it may be shocking to even think that some people, let alone nursing home staff, are capable of hurting or abusing elders, statistics reveals just how monstrous and awful some of the nursing homes in Los Angeles and all across California are.
Fact: nearly 10% of all of our country’s nursing homes had violations and were either a priori deemed dangerous or had documented cases of serious injury or abuse-caused death of elderly residents.
Fact #2: over 40% of nursing home residents have reported elder abuse, and a staggering more than 90% said they have witnessed another resident of the facility being abused.
The statistics are surely disturbing, especially if you’re considering to place your parent or grandparent in a nursing home in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California anytime soon.
Disturbing elder abuse incident grabs headlines
A reputable Los Angeles-based law firm JML Law, which has handled elder abuse cases in California for the past 35 years, warns that placing your loved one in a nursing home without examining the facility’s standards of care, hiring practices and other factors poses a series of risks.
You wouldn’t want your mom or dad, grandma or grandpa, abused at the facility where they are supposed to be treated with care and love.
One elder abuse incident, in particular, has recently sent off waves of shock all across the U.S., when a hidden camera footage showed a celebrated World War II veteran asking for help and gasping for breath, while nursing home staff in his room laughed at him.
The video was leaked as part of a lawsuit into the death of James Dempsey, 89, of Woodstock, Ga., a decorated World War II veteran, who passed away back in February 2014. It took staff nearly an hour to call 911 after Mr Dempsey was found unresponsive.
The hidden camera video shows Mr Dempsey asking for help six times, before becoming unconscious while gasping for air. Lawyers representing Mr Dempsey’s two sons and two grandchildren were successful in holding the Northeast Atlanta Health and Rehabilitation nursing home staff liable for the war veteran’s death.
Family members had installed the hidden camera in Mr Dempsey’s room before his death. Without the footage, the family would not have known how the war veteran died or that the nursing home staff’s inexcusable actions, failure to respond and unlawful conduct caused his death.
Note: the nursing home’s lawyers attempted to keep the video sealed with an appeal, but eventually failed.
How to avoid placing your loved one in an abusive nursing home
This case alone makes you wonder: since little to no nursing homes are equipped with cameras – and surviving family members rarely get to see footage of their loved one’s death at a nursing home – how many elderly residents of these facilities die due to staff’s failure to respond?
Speaking from their own experience, Los Angeles elder abuse attorneys at JML Law, who have had unparalleled track record of obtaining compensation for elder abuse neglect, unlawful misconduct and other wrongdoing at nursing homes, hundreds of nearly 1.5 billion elderly residents in the U.S. may be dying due to failure to respond, failure to assess and failure to act, and other forms of elderly abuse at nursing homes, every year.
Elder abuse attorneys at JML Law perform background checks on nursing homes in Los Angeles and all across California; they examine patients’ medical records, interview nursing home residents, they look into care facility hiring practices as well as standards of care, among many other things.
Hiring a Los Angeles elder abuse attorney to perform these checks may be the only way to ensure that you’re placing your parents or grandparents in a safe, abuse-free facility.
Consult an elderly abuse lawyer by calling JML Law at 818-610-8800 today or send an email to get a free initial consultation.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Add some gorgeous sparkle to your favorite outfit! This pendant comes with an 18" rolo chain and features two oval and pear cut peridots. The smaller pear cut peridot is bezel set to the bail right above the larger oval cut and prong set peridot. Housing both gemstones is two-tone floral scrollwork details.
Details
Metal:18K yellow gold embraced™ over sterling silver and palladium
Stone Information: One oval cut 11.5 x 9.5mm and one pear cut 5 x 3mm
Setting Type: Prong and Bezel
Approximate Total Weight: 4.74ct
Measurements: Pendant: 13/16"L x 3/8"W
Chain: 18”L
Chain Type: Rolo
Clasp: Lobster
Collection: Gems en Vogue
Country of Origin: China
Pendant can be removed from included chain.
Vendor warranty: One year from the date of purchase. Includes a gemstone romance card with purchase.
All weights pertaining to gemstones, including diamonds, are minimum weights. Additionally, please note that many gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. Click here for important information about gemstone enhancements and special care requirements.
Vermeil Plating:
Pronounced "vermay," vermeil is an electroplating process in which 14K gold or higher is coated over sterling silver. Officially designated by the jewelry industry, items may only be sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns) of gold over the silver. Regular gold plating is less than 2.5 microns.
The "vermeil" technique of plating sterling silver with gold originated in France in the 1750s. It differs from "gold filled" or "gold plated" in terms of the thickness or thinness of the microns over sterling silver. "Gold filled" pieces have a much thicker layer, between 15 and 45 microns, which is mechanically bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. Vermeil is a more expensive version of "gold plated". It does not wear off as quickly as gold plating does. However, over time, vermeil wears off and therefore will require re-plating.
Gold/Platinum Embraced Silver or Bronze:
Our platinum and gold embraced collections feature layers of platinum or gold over sterling silver or bronze for a lustrous, radiant finish everywhere you look and touch.
Store your plated jewelry in a jewelry box lined with felt or anti-tarnish material. Items should not be stacked as this may cause damage to the plating surface.
Do not use excessive pressure when cleaning with a polishing cloth or soft brush, as this may cause damage to the plating.
Over time your plated items will need to be re-plated. Contact your local jeweler for information on plating services.
Peridot: Peridot features a lively yellow-green color that is transparent with an oily luster. The iron that creates peridot’s color is an integral part of its structure, so the gem is only found in various shades of green. It is most prized in lime hues, but Italian peridot is a rich olive color and popular American peridot is a beautiful light yellow-green. The Romans called peridot “evening emerald” because its exquisite green color was said to glow at night. This is perhaps because the stone exhibits double refraction, meaning that when looking through the stone, objects appear double. So when looking into a faceted peridot, the number of bottom facets appears to be double the actual number, creating a glittering sensation.
Pronounced PEAR-A-DOE, the word “peridot” comes from the French word meaning “gem.” It is the gem variety of the mineral olivine and ranks a 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs Scale.
Born in cauldrons of fire, peridot is considered the “volcanic gem,” since small crystals of it are often found in the rocks created by volcanoes. In fact, Hawaiian legend called peridot the divine tears wept by Pele, goddess of the volcano. The island of Oahu even has beaches made out of olivine grains, but they are much too small to cut into peridot. Samples of the gem also have been discovered in meteorites that have fallen to Earth, many of which are more than a billion years old.
Peridot traces its jewelry roots to 3,500 years ago. The stone was first mined by the ancient Egyptians on the volcanic island of Zebargad in the Red Sea. Known as the “serpent isle,” it was infested with poisonous snakes that interfered with mining activity until one Pharaoh had them all driven into the sea. Today, Native Americans mine most peridot on the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona. Interestingly, a lmost all peridot sold in Hawaii is from Arizona, despite the fact that peridot is produced by Hawaii's volcanoes. The gemstone is also found in Norway, Brazil, China, Egypt, Italy, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. An exciting new deposit was discovered in Pakistan in 1994, yielding some of the finest peridot ever seen, including one stone that weighed more than 300.00ct.
Peridot is among the oldest known stones and has been mined as a gem for thousands of years. As early as 1575 to 1350 B.C., the ancient Egyptians used peridot beads in their ceremonial jewelry. In fact, it is believed the stone was one of the favorite gems of Cleopatra and that some of the “emeralds” she wore were actually peridot.
Ancient Egyptians also carved small drinking vessels out of large chunks of peridot. Priests would drink soma from them in rituals, believing the soma would put them in touch with the nature goddess, Isis. Legend has it that King Soloman traded cedar trees from Lebanon for 12 soma drinking cups and 144 liters of soma. The Egyptians made this trade for ramp logs to build their pyramids at Gisa, while King Soloman was said to have been enlightened by drinking soma from the peridot cups. Today, Mexican hill tribes still drink soma from green glazed cups to put them in touch with nature and their ancestors’ spirits. Additionally, some Native American Indians in Arizona use tea made from peyote ground with peridot crystals in their rituals.
Peridot has also been important to other cultures throughout history. Late in the Ottoman Empire (1300 to 1900), peridot was a highly prized gem and Turkish Sultans amassed some of the world’s largest collections of the gemstone. It is mentioned in the Bible under the name of “chrysolite,” and was used to decorate medieval churches with samples that were most likely carried back to Europe by the Crusaders. Large stones weighing more than 200.00ct adorn the Shrine of the Three Magi at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
Throughout the ages, peridot has been believed to hold mystical powers of protection and healing. The ancients regarded the stone as a symbol of the sun and wore it in amulets to prevent nightmares and drive away evil spirits. It was even favored by pirates to protect them against evil. Peridot was said to be useful for calming raging angers, curing nervous afflictions and promoting quiet sleep. It was also believed to strengthen any medicine drunk from goblets carved from the stone. South American Shamans used peridot to ward off snakebites and the evil spirits who have taken the form of mosquitoes who bring the sleeping sickness. They also say the heating of magic mushroom tea by peridot takes them on trips to the ancestor heavens.
Today, peridot is believed to bring the wearer success, peace and good luck. To be most powerful, it is said that the stone should be mounted in gold and surrounded with small diamonds. With powers that are thought to bring protection and health, modern folklore also says it can be used to attract love and calm anger while soothing nerves and dispelling negative emotions. T he gem is believed to protect the wearer from bad dreams when set in gold.
Peridot is considered the birthstone of August. Given as a symbol of fame, dignity and protection, this gem is also traditionally given to couples celebrating their 16 th wedding anniversaries.
Palladium:
A selection of our jewelry is made of sterling palladium alloy. Palladium is a member of the platinum group of precious metals. By replacing a portion of the copper content used in standard sterling silver with palladium, this proprietary formula renders a precious metal with superior performance attributes. Sterling palladium is five times more tarnish-resistant than standard sterling silver and has strength similar to that of 14K gold.
Palladium has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939, originally as an alternative to platinum for making white gold. Its naturally white color requires no rhodium plating. Additionally, palladium is proportionally much lighter than platinum and is ideal for use in heavier gemstone jewelry. It is a more expensive alloy than nickel, but it seldom causes the allergic reactions that nickel alloy can.
Store your plated jewelry in a jewelry box lined with felt or anti-tarnish material. Items should not be stacked as this may cause damage to the plating surface.
Do not use excessive pressure when cleaning with a polishing cloth or soft brush, as this may cause damage to the plating.
Over time your plated items will need to be re-plated. Contact your local jeweler for information on plating services.
Description
Gems en Vogue 4.74ctw Pear Shaped Peridot Pendant w/ 18" Rolo Chain
Add some gorgeous sparkle to your favorite outfit! This pendant comes with an 18" rolo chain and features two oval and pear cut peridots. The smaller pear cut peridot is bezel set to the bail right above the larger oval cut and prong set peridot. Housing both gemstones is two-tone floral scrollwork details.
Details
Metal:18K yellow gold embraced™ over sterling silver and palladium
Stone Information: One oval cut 11.5 x 9.5mm and one pear cut 5 x 3mm
Setting Type: Prong and Bezel
Approximate Total Weight: 4.74ct
Measurements: Pendant: 13/16"L x 3/8"W
Chain: 18”L
Chain Type: Rolo
Clasp: Lobster
Collection: Gems en Vogue
Country of Origin: China
Pendant can be removed from included chain.
Vendor warranty: One year from the date of purchase. Includes a gemstone romance card with purchase.
All weights pertaining to gemstones, including diamonds, are minimum weights. Additionally, please note that many gemstones are treated to enhance their beauty. Click here for important information about gemstone enhancements and special care requirements.
Vermeil Plating:
Pronounced "vermay," vermeil is an electroplating process in which 14K gold or higher is coated over sterling silver. Officially designated by the jewelry industry, items may only be sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch (2.5 microns) of gold over the silver. Regular gold plating is less than 2.5 microns.
The "vermeil" technique of plating sterling silver with gold originated in France in the 1750s. It differs from "gold filled" or "gold plated" in terms of the thickness or thinness of the microns over sterling silver. "Gold filled" pieces have a much thicker layer, between 15 and 45 microns, which is mechanically bonded to the base metal with heat and pressure. Vermeil is a more expensive version of "gold plated". It does not wear off as quickly as gold plating does. However, over time, vermeil wears off and therefore will require re-plating.
Gold/Platinum Embraced Silver or Bronze:
Our platinum and gold embraced collections feature layers of platinum or gold over sterling silver or bronze for a lustrous, radiant finish everywhere you look and touch.
Store your plated jewelry in a jewelry box lined with felt or anti-tarnish material. Items should not be stacked as this may cause damage to the plating surface.
Do not use excessive pressure when cleaning with a polishing cloth or soft brush, as this may cause damage to the plating.
Over time your plated items will need to be re-plated. Contact your local jeweler for information on plating services.
Peridot: Peridot features a lively yellow-green color that is transparent with an oily luster. The iron that creates peridot’s color is an integral part of its structure, so the gem is only found in various shades of green. It is most prized in lime hues, but Italian peridot is a rich olive color and popular American peridot is a beautiful light yellow-green. The Romans called peridot “evening emerald” because its exquisite green color was said to glow at night. This is perhaps because the stone exhibits double refraction, meaning that when looking through the stone, objects appear double. So when looking into a faceted peridot, the number of bottom facets appears to be double the actual number, creating a glittering sensation.
Pronounced PEAR-A-DOE, the word “peridot” comes from the French word meaning “gem.” It is the gem variety of the mineral olivine and ranks a 6.5-7.0 on the Mohs Scale.
Born in cauldrons of fire, peridot is considered the “volcanic gem,” since small crystals of it are often found in the rocks created by volcanoes. In fact, Hawaiian legend called peridot the divine tears wept by Pele, goddess of the volcano. The island of Oahu even has beaches made out of olivine grains, but they are much too small to cut into peridot. Samples of the gem also have been discovered in meteorites that have fallen to Earth, many of which are more than a billion years old.
Peridot traces its jewelry roots to 3,500 years ago. The stone was first mined by the ancient Egyptians on the volcanic island of Zebargad in the Red Sea. Known as the “serpent isle,” it was infested with poisonous snakes that interfered with mining activity until one Pharaoh had them all driven into the sea. Today, Native Americans mine most peridot on the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona. Interestingly, a lmost all peridot sold in Hawaii is from Arizona, despite the fact that peridot is produced by Hawaii's volcanoes. The gemstone is also found in Norway, Brazil, China, Egypt, Italy, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. An exciting new deposit was discovered in Pakistan in 1994, yielding some of the finest peridot ever seen, including one stone that weighed more than 300.00ct.
Peridot is among the oldest known stones and has been mined as a gem for thousands of years. As early as 1575 to 1350 B.C., the ancient Egyptians used peridot beads in their ceremonial jewelry. In fact, it is believed the stone was one of the favorite gems of Cleopatra and that some of the “emeralds” she wore were actually peridot.
Ancient Egyptians also carved small drinking vessels out of large chunks of peridot. Priests would drink soma from them in rituals, believing the soma would put them in touch with the nature goddess, Isis. Legend has it that King Soloman traded cedar trees from Lebanon for 12 soma drinking cups and 144 liters of soma. The Egyptians made this trade for ramp logs to build their pyramids at Gisa, while King Soloman was said to have been enlightened by drinking soma from the peridot cups. Today, Mexican hill tribes still drink soma from green glazed cups to put them in touch with nature and their ancestors’ spirits. Additionally, some Native American Indians in Arizona use tea made from peyote ground with peridot crystals in their rituals.
Peridot has also been important to other cultures throughout history. Late in the Ottoman Empire (1300 to 1900), peridot was a highly prized gem and Turkish Sultans amassed some of the world’s largest collections of the gemstone. It is mentioned in the Bible under the name of “chrysolite,” and was used to decorate medieval churches with samples that were most likely carried back to Europe by the Crusaders. Large stones weighing more than 200.00ct adorn the Shrine of the Three Magi at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
Throughout the ages, peridot has been believed to hold mystical powers of protection and healing. The ancients regarded the stone as a symbol of the sun and wore it in amulets to prevent nightmares and drive away evil spirits. It was even favored by pirates to protect them against evil. Peridot was said to be useful for calming raging angers, curing nervous afflictions and promoting quiet sleep. It was also believed to strengthen any medicine drunk from goblets carved from the stone. South American Shamans used peridot to ward off snakebites and the evil spirits who have taken the form of mosquitoes who bring the sleeping sickness. They also say the heating of magic mushroom tea by peridot takes them on trips to the ancestor heavens.
Today, peridot is believed to bring the wearer success, peace and good luck. To be most powerful, it is said that the stone should be mounted in gold and surrounded with small diamonds. With powers that are thought to bring protection and health, modern folklore also says it can be used to attract love and calm anger while soothing nerves and dispelling negative emotions. T he gem is believed to protect the wearer from bad dreams when set in gold.
Peridot is considered the birthstone of August. Given as a symbol of fame, dignity and protection, this gem is also traditionally given to couples celebrating their 16 th wedding anniversaries.
Palladium:
A selection of our jewelry is made of sterling palladium alloy. Palladium is a member of the platinum group of precious metals. By replacing a portion of the copper content used in standard sterling silver with palladium, this proprietary formula renders a precious metal with superior performance attributes. Sterling palladium is five times more tarnish-resistant than standard sterling silver and has strength similar to that of 14K gold.
Palladium has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939, originally as an alternative to platinum for making white gold. Its naturally white color requires no rhodium plating. Additionally, palladium is proportionally much lighter than platinum and is ideal for use in heavier gemstone jewelry. It is a more expensive alloy than nickel, but it seldom causes the allergic reactions that nickel alloy can.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Macro-Prudential Regulation
NOTE NUMBER 6
PUBLIC POLICY FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR
JULY 2009
Macro-Prudential Regulation
FINANCIAL AND PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT VICE PRESIDENCY
Avinash Persaud Fixing Fundamental Market (and Regulatory) Failures
Avinash Persaud This is not the fir s t int e r na t io na l b a nk ing c r is is t he wo r ld h a s s e e n .
(avinash@intelligence
-capital.com) is chairman
The p re vious on e s o c c ur r e d wit ho ut c r e d it d e f a ult s wa p s , s pe c i a l
of Intelligence Capital investme nt ve hi c le s , o r e v e n c r e d it r a t ing s . I f c r is e s k e e p r e p e a t i n g
Limited and emeritus
the mselve s, it s e e m s r e a s o na b le t o a r g ue t ha t p o lic y m a k e r s n e e d t o
professor at Gresham
College in London. caref ully consid e r wha t t he y a r e d o ing a nd no t jus t “ d o ub le u p ” b y
sup e rf icially re a c t ing t o t he s p e c if ic f e a t ur e s o f t o d a y ’ s c r is i s . W h i l e
This is the sixth in a
series of policy briefs on we cannot hop e t o p r e v e nt c r is e s , we c a n p e r ha p s m a k e t he m f e w e r
the crisis—assessing the and mild er b y a d o p t ing a nd im p le m e nt ing b e t t e r r e g ula t io n — i n
policy responses, shedding
light on financial reforms
p articular, more m a c r o - p r ud e nt ia l r e g ula t io n.
currently under debate,
There is a widely held view that the current finan- 85th.1 If crises keep repeating themselves, it seems
and providing insights
cial crisis resulted from an insufficient reach of reasonable to argue that policy makers need to
for emerging-market policy
makers.
regulation and that the solution is to take existing carefully consider what they are doing and not
regulation and spread it without gaps across insti- just “double up.” It also means that policy makers
tutions and jurisdictions. If this were to be the should not superficially react to the characters
main policy response, it would be a mistake for and colors of the current crisis. The last 84 crises
several reasons. The most important one is that occurred without credit default swaps and special
at the heart of the crisis lay highly regulated insti- investment vehicles. The last 80-something had
tutions in sophisticated jurisdictions—Northern nothing to do with credit ratings. The solution
THE WORLD BANK GROUP
Rock, IKB, Fortis, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS, to the crisis is not more regulation, though more
Citigroup. If there were no mortgage fraud, no comprehensive regulation may be required in
tax secrecy, and no conflicts of interest, a crisis some areas. Instead, it is better regulation—in
would still have occurred. And while risk did shift particular, regulation with a greater macro-
outside the capital adequacy regime, the special prudential orientation, as recommended by
investment vehicles were not secret and supervi- numerous recent official reports.2
sors had the discretion to look at how regulated
institutions were managing risks and to respond What is macro-prudential regulation?
if necessary. It seems banal today to point out that the reason
This is not the first international banking crisis we try to prevent financial crises is that the costs to
the world has seen. By some estimates it is the society are invariably enormous and exceed the
MACRO-PRUDENTIAL REGULATION FIXING FUNDAMENTAL MARKET (AND REGULATORY) FAILURES
private cost to individual financial institutions. degree of leverage, and interconnectedness with
We regulate to internalize these externalities in the rest of the system.
the behavior of such institutions. One of the main The existing framework of banking regulation
tools regulators use to do this is capital adequacy was insufficiently macro-prudential and had been
requirements. But the current approach to capi- recognized as such by commentators for some
tal adequacy is too narrow. Capital adequacy lev- time (see Borio 2005; Borio and White 2004; and
els are set on the implicit assumption that we can Persaud 2000). Moreover, the emphasis on micro-
make the system as a whole safe by ensuring that prudential regulation may have contributed to
individual banks are safe. This represents a fal- the buildup of some macro risks.
2
lacy of composition. In trying to make themselves Through many avenues, some regulatory
safer, banks and other highly leveraged financial and some not, often in the name of prudence,
intermediaries can behave in ways that collec- transparency, and sensitivity to risk, the growing
tively undermine the system. This is in essence influence of current market prices has intensi-
what differentiates macro-prudential from micro- fied homogeneous behavior in financial systems.
prudential concerns. These avenues include mark-to-market valuation
Here is an example of macro-prudential of assets; regulator-mandated market-based mea-
concerns. Selling an asset when it appears to be sures of risk, such as the use of credit spreads
risky may be considered a prudent response for in internal credit models or price volatility in
an individual bank and is supported by much market risk models; and the increasing use of
current regulation. But if many banks do this, credit ratings, where the signals are slower mov-
the asset price will collapse, forcing risk-averse ing but positively correlated with financial mar-
institutions to sell more and leading to general kets. Where measured risk is based on market
declines in asset prices, higher correlations and prices, or on variables correlated with market
volatility across markets, spiraling losses, and prices, it can contribute to systemic risk as market
collapsing liquidity. Micro-prudential behavior participants herd into areas that appear to be
can cause or worsen systemic risks. A macro- safe.3 And measured risk can be highly procycli-
prudential approach to an increase in risk is to cal, because it falls in the buildup to booms and
consider systemic behavior in the management rises in volatile busts.
of that risk: who should hold it, and do they have
the incentive to do so? If it is liquidity risk, is it Macro-prudential regulation and the cycle
in the interests of the system if all institutions, The economic cycle is a major source of homo-
regardless of their liquidity conditions, sell the geneous behavior, so addressing it is a critical
same asset at the same time? Risk in a financial macro-prudential concern. In the up phase of
system is more than an aggregation of risks in the cycle, price-based measures of asset values
individual institutions; it is also about endog- rise, price-based measures of risk fall, and com-
enous risks that arise as a result of the collective petition to increase bank profits grows. Most
behavior of institutions. financial institutions spontaneously respond by
Macro-prudential regulation concerns itself expanding their balance sheets to take advan-
with the stability of the financial system as a whole. tage of the fixed costs of banking franchises and
By contrast, micro-prudential regulation, con- regulation; trying to lower the cost of funding by
sisting of such measures as the certification of using short-term funding from money markets;
those working in the financial sector and rules and increasing leverage. Those that do not do so
on how financial institutions operate, concerns are seen as underleveraging their equity and are
itself with the stability of individual entities and punished by stock markets. In the more prosaic
the protection of individuals. Micro-prudential words of former Citigroup CEO Chuck Prince,
regulation examines the responses of an indi- in a July 2007 interview with the Financial Times,
vidual bank to exogenous risks. By construction, “when the music is playing, you have to get up
it does not incorporate endogenous risk. It also and dance.” By contrast, when the boom ends,
ignores the systemic importance of individual asset prices begin to fall and short-term fund-
institutions resulting from such factors as size, ing to institutions with impaired and uncertain
assets or high leverage dries up. Forced sales of Politicians want to reap electoral benefit from
assets drive up their measured risk, and the boom the sense of well-being and prosperity during
inevitably turns to bust. a boom. Policy officials convince themselves,
One of the key lessons of this crisis is that and try to convince others, that the boom is not
market discipline is little defense against the an unsustainable credit binge but the positive
macro-prudential risks that come with the eco- result of structural reforms that they have put
nomic cycle. The institutions that have been into place. Booms have social benefits. They are
most resilient to the crisis, such as HSBC and associated with a higher appetite for risk and a
J.P. Morgan, had lower equity “ratings” (lower perception that risks have fallen, and this often
3
price-earnings ratios) than those that proved to means greater access to finance for the previ-
be less resilient, such as Northern Rock, Bear ously unbanked and underinsured. Booms are
Stearns, Fortis, and Lehman Brothers. Market not quite a conspiracy of silence, but there are
discipline has an important role to play in the few who gain from their early demise. So booms
efficiency of the financial sector, but it cannot be tend to be explained away, excused, and accom-
on the front line of defense against crises. modated, allowing them to grow larger and larger
One reason that market discipline was seen as and thus to cause more damage when they even-
such an important pillar in the precrisis approach tually collapse.
to banking regulation was the implicit model that
regulators had in mind: financial crashes occur Countercyclical charges and buffers
randomly as a result of a bad institution failing, In light of the observations above, there is a grow-
and that failure becomes systemic. The histori- ing consensus around three ideas: Capital require-
cal experience is rather different: crashes follow ments need to have a countercyclical element in
booms. In the boom almost all financial institu- order to, in the words of the G-20 communiqué
tions look good, and in the bust almost all look of April 2, “dampen rather than amplify the finan-
bad. Differentiation is poor. The current crisis cial and economic cycle” by “requiring buffers of
is another instance of this all-too-familiar cycle. resources to be built up in good times.” There
But if crises repeat themselves and follow booms, should be greater emphasis on rules rather than
banning the products, players, and jurisdictions supervisory discretion to counterbalance the politi-
that were merely the symptoms of the latest boom cal pressures on supervisors. And these rules should
will do little to prevent the next one. include leverage limits and liquidity buffers.
Moreover, the notion that some financial The references in the G-20 communiqué echo
products are safe and some are not, and that a statement by the Basel Committee on Banking
the use of unsafe products is the problem, also Supervision following its March 2009 meeting,
looks suspect in a boom-bust world. The booms recommending the “introduction of standards to
are often a result of things appearing to be safer promote the buildup of capital buffers that can be
than they are. Securitization was viewed as a way drawn down in periods of stress.” These statements
of making banks safer. Diversified portfolios of by the G-20 and the Basel Committee, coupled with
subprime mortgages were viewed as having low similar conclusions by other official reports, sug-
delinquency rates. Micro-prudential regulation gest that the argument in favor of macro-prudential
is necessary to weed out the truly reckless insti- regulation has been won. But how countercycli-
tutions and behavior. But it needs to be supple- cal capital charges and liquidity buffers are to be
mented with macro-prudential regulation aimed implemented has not yet been addressed in great
in part at acting as a countervailing force against detail. Given the politics of booms, the how is almost
the decline of measured risk in a boom (and thus as important as the whether.
excessive levels and interconnectivity of risk tak- In practical terms, Goodhart and Persaud
ing) and against the rise of measured risk in the have recommended that regulators increase the
subsequent collapse. existing or base capital adequacy requirements
Supervisors have plenty of discretion, but (based on an assessment of inherent risks) by two
they find it hard to use because of the politics multiples calculated using a few simple, transpar-
of booms. Almost everyone wants a boom to last. ent rules.4
MACRO-PRUDENTIAL REGULATION FIXING FUNDAMENTAL MARKET (AND REGULATORY) FAILURES
The first multiple would be a function of the which increases systemic fragility and intercon-
growth of credit and leverage. Regulators should nectedness. This private incentive to create sys-
meet with monetary policy officials (where they temic risk can be offset through new capital or
are separate) in a financial stability committee. reserve requirements. It is partly this notion that
This meeting would produce a forecast of the the G-20 communiqué refers to when stating that
growth of aggregate bank assets that is consis- the G-20 leaders have agreed to introduce mea-
tent with the central bank’s target for inflation sures “to reduce the reliance on inappropriately
(or other macroeconomic nominal target). The risky sources of funding.” Liquidity buffers, with
forecast would have a reasonable band around their size related to maturity mismatches between
4
it reflecting uncertainty. If a bank’s assets grow assets and liabilities, would have similar effect.
above this band, the bank would have to put aside But once again there is little discussion of meth-
a higher multiple of its capital for this new lend- odology and implementation. Measuring the true
ing. If its assets grow less than the lower bound, maturity of bank assets and liabilities is not a
it may put aside a lower multiple. straightforward exercise.
For example, suppose that the financial stabil- In the framework set out in the Geneva Report
ity committee concluded that growth in aggre- (Brunnermeier and others 2009), assets that can-
gate bank assets of between 7.5 percent and 12.5 not be posted at the central bank for liquidity
percent was consistent with its inflation target of 3 can be assumed to have a minimum maturity
percent. Growth in a bank’s assets by 25 percent, of two years or more. If a pool of these assets
or twice the upper range, may lead to a doubling was funded by a pool of two-year term deposits,
of the minimum capital adequacy level from 8 there would be no liquidity risk and no liquidity
percent to 16 percent of risk-weighted assets. A charge. But if the pool of funding had a maturity
related approach is to have one minimum capital of one month and so had to be rolled over every
adequacy requirement for “bad” times and one month, the liquidity multiple on the base capital
that is twice that level for “good” times, with good charge would be near its maximum—say 2, so the
and bad times being determined by bank prof- minimum capital adequacy requirement would
itability. Of course it is impossible to ascertain rise from 8 percent to 16 percent.
whether these capital levels would have made In a boom in which the first countercycli-
the system safe, but the consensus today is that cal multiple is also 2, the final capital adequacy
they would have at least made it safer. requirement would be 32 percent of risk-weighted
Financial stability committees exist in many assets (8 percent 2 2). Liquidity multiples
countries. But they generally work poorly because would make lending costlier, since banks tradi-
their deliberations have no consequence. tionally fund themselves short and lend long.
Requiring such committees to agree on a sus- But the liquidity multiples would give banks an
tainable level of growth in bank assets could incentive to find longer-term funding, and where
make their work more penetrating and action they cannot do so, a liquidity buffer or liquidity
oriented. reserve that could be drawn down in times of
The second multiple on capital requirements stress would buy time for institutions to deal with
would be related to the mismatch in the matu- a liquidity problem.
rity of bank assets and liabilities. One significant
lesson of the crisis is that the risk of an asset is Can the cycle be measured?
determined largely by the maturity of its funding. Many people, most notably former U.S. Federal
Northern Rock and other casualties of the crash Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, voice the
might well have survived with the same assets if concern that it is very hard to know when we
the average maturity of their funding had been are in a boom. Of course, measuring the cycle
longer. The liquidity of banks’ assets has fallen far is what inflation-targeting central banks do on
more than the credit quality of those assets. a daily basis. But this misses the point a little. If
If regulators make little distinction on how the purpose of countercyclical capital charges
assets are funded, however, financial institu- were to end boom-bust cycles, we would need
tions will rely on cheaper, short-term funding, to be more confident about the calibration of
booms than we are today. But if the purpose is were still performing from a credit point of view,
to lean against the wind, our calibrations can be but had become highly illiquid, had long-term
less precise. funding. In the absence of fair-value accounting
Recall that without countercyclical charges, standards, they would not have joined the selling
the natural inclination in a boom is to lend even frenzy that compounded the crisis. Second, with-
more because measured risks fall. The precrisis out the mark-to-market volatility, institutions with
regulatory approach took the economic cycle long-term funding would have been more willing
and amplified it. The goal instead should be to to buy these assets. That would have provided
moderate the worst excesses of the cycle, not to greater price support, limiting the spiral of losses
5
kill it. Indeed, the cycle is an important source that endangered so many banking institutions.
of creative destruction in our economic system.
Compensation
Valuation and mark-to-funding accounting In the G-20 communiqué and elsewhere, great
Many commentators consider accounting issues attention is given to dealing with the incentives
to be central in the crisis. They argue that the use of individual bankers and traders. But there are
of fair-value accounting has added to the spiral clear limits to how much governments should
of sales. But suspending fair-value accounting is be involved in private firms’ decisions on execu-
not helpful in an environment made worse by tive pay. While measures to lengthen bankers’
uncertainty. Instead, financial institutions should horizons are necessary, greater hopes should be
complement mark-to-market accounting with placed in macro-prudential regulation pushing
mark-to-funding valuations (see Brunnermeier banks to develop incentive packages that better
and others 2009). promote through-the-cycle behavior. If that failed,
Under mark-to-funding valuations there are however, regulators should certainly do more to
essentially two alternative prices for an asset: address the important issue of incentives.
today’s market price and the discounted present
value of the future earnings stream. In normal Macro-prudential regulation beyond the cycle
times these two prices are nearly the same. But The other dimension of macro-prudential regu-
in a liquidity crisis the market price falls substan- lation is the cross-sectional one: how to manage
tially below the present value. If an institution the buildup of risks arising from the structure of
has short-term funding, the realistic price to use the financial system.
is the market price. If it has long-term funding,
the present-value price is a better measure of the Risk assignment
risks faced by the institution. Under a mark-to- Requiring the banking system to hold more capi-
funding accounting framework, a weighted aver- tal on average will not improve the resilience of
age of the market price and present-value price the financial system as a whole unless there is
would be used whose weights would depend on also a better match of risk taking to risk capac-
the weighted average maturity of the institution’s ity. Indeed, piling up capital requirements may
funding. The combination of liquidity charges act as an anticompetitive barrier, reinforcing the
and mark-to-funding value accounting would cre- specter of a few banks holding a government
ate incentives for institutions to seek longer-term hostage because they are too big to fail.
funding and would encourage a tendency for Micro-prudential regulation was often accom-
illiquid assets to be owned by institutions with panied by a misguided view of risk as an absolute,
longer-term funding. constant property of an asset that can be mea-
At first sight, mark-to-funding would not sured, sliced, diced, and transferred. This is an
appear to alleviate the problem facing banks elegant view of risk and has the merit of allowing
today—in fact, it could make matters worse— banks to build highly complex valuation mod-
because they have short-term funding. But this els and to sell highly complex risk management
proposal would have had two ameliorating effects products to handle and distribute risk. But it is
in the crisis. First, many of the bank-owned spe- also an artificial construct that has little bearing
cial investment vehicles that managed assets that on the nature of risk.
MACRO-PRUDENTIAL REGULATION FIXING FUNDAMENTAL MARKET (AND REGULATORY) FAILURES
In reality, there is not one constant risk. The rent system, the natural risk absorbers behave like
three broad financial risks—credit risk, liquid- risk traders, selling and buying when everyone
ity risk, and market risk—are very different. else is doing so.
Moreover, the potential spillover risk from some- Capital requirements encouraging those with
one holding an asset depends as much on who is a capacity to absorb a type of risk to hold that
holding the asset as on what it is. Different hold- risk not only will make the system safer without
ers have different capacities for different risks. destroying the risk taking that is vital for eco-
The distinction between “safe” and “risky” assets nomic prosperity; they also will introduce new
is deceptive: one can do a lot of damage with a players with risk capacities. This would both
6
simple mortgage, for example. strengthen the resilience of the financial system
The capacity for holding a risk is best assessed and reduce our dependence in a crisis on a few
by considering how that risk is hedged. Liquidity banks that appeared to be well capitalized during
risk—the risk that an immediate sale would lead the previous boom.
to a large discount in the price—is best hedged
over time and is best held by institutions that do Systemic institutions
not need to respond to an immediate fall in price. Not all financial institutions pose systemic risks.
A bank funded with short-term money market Regulation should acknowledge that some banks
deposits has little capacity for liquidity risk. Credit are systemically important, and others less so.
risk—the risk that someone holding a loan will In each country supervisors establish a list of
default—is not hedged by having more time for systemically important institutions that receive
the default to happen but by having offsetting closer scrutiny and require greater containment
credit risks. Banks, with access to a wide range of behavior. Critical factors that determine sys-
of credits, have a far greater capacity than most temic importance for an institution, instrument,
to diversify and hedge credit risks. or trade are size of exposures, especially with
The way to reduce systemic risk is to encourage respect to the core banking system and retail
individual risks to flow to where there is a capacity consumers; degree of leverage and maturity
for them. Unintentionally, much micro-prudential mismatches; and correlation or interconnectiv-
regulation did the opposite. By not requiring firms ity with the financial system.
to put aside capital for maturity mismatches and by In the past, interconnectivity has been under-
encouraging mark-to-market valuation and daily stood to include issues such as payment and set-
risk management of assets by everyone, regulators tlement systems, and these remain vital. Today,
encouraged liquidity risk to flow to banks even interconnectivity may also include institutions
though they had little capacity for it. By requiring that behave in a highly correlated manner even
banks to hold capital against credit risks, regula- if individually they appear small relative to the
tors encouraged credit risk to flow to those that size of the financial system.
were seeking the extra yield, were not required to Goodhart and Persaud, as members of the
set aside capital for credit risks, and had limited UN Commission of Experts on Reforms of the
capacity to hedge that risk. No reasonable amount International Monetary and Financial System,
of capital can remedy a system that inadvertently have urged the commission to recommend
leads to risk-bearing assets being held by those establishing a list of systemically important instru-
without a capacity to hold them. ments. And where instruments are declared sys-
What can regulators do? They need to differ- temically important because of their volume,
entiate institutions less by what they are called link to leverage, or interconnectivity, they rec-
and more by how they are funded. They should ommend requiring that the instruments be reg-
require more capital to be set aside for risks where istered and, where appropriate, exchange traded
there is no natural hedging capacity. This will and centrally cleared.
draw risks to where they can be best absorbed.
They also must work to make value accounting Host and home country regulation
and risk management techniques sensitive to A gathering view is that financial institutions are
funding and risk capacity. Instead, under the cur- global and so financial regulation needs to be
global. But reality does not rhyme so easily. The for individual institutions to lend more. Micro-
crisis would not have been averted by more inter- prudential regulation is not enough; it must be
national meetings, and it has taught us that there supplemented by macro-prudential regulation
is much that needs to be done at the national level that catches the systemic consequences of all
to strengthen regulation. Countercyclical and institutions acting in a similar manner. While we
liquidity charges cannot be set or implemented cannot hope to prevent crises, we can perhaps
globally but need to be handled nationally in make them fewer and milder by adopting and
accordance with national cycles. implementing better regulation—in particular,
Although there is a clear need for cross- more macro-prudential regulation.
7
border sharing of information and coordination of
regulatory actions and principles (particularly in
micro-prudential regulation), the setting of capital
rules and banking supervision is likely to switch Notes
back from “home country” to “host country.” This The author would like to thank Constantinos Stepha-
should not be resisted because it would have two nou, Aquiles Almansi, and Damodaran Krishnamurti
additional benefits, particularly for emerging for their comments, although the views expressed in
economies. First, if foreign banks were required to this policy brief remain those of the author.
set up their local presence as independent subsid- 1. For a discussion on the history of financial crises, see
iaries that could withstand the default of an inter- Reinhart and Rogoff (2008).
national parent, it would reduce exposure to lax 2. These include the April 2 communiqué of the G-20
jurisdictions more effectively than trying to force leaders, the Turner Review (FSA 2009), the G-30 report
everyone to follow a standard that could be inap- (2009), the de Larosiere Group report (2009), the UN
propriate and would in any case be enforced with Commission of Experts recommendations (2009), and
different degrees of intensity. Second, nationally the 11th Geneva Report (Brunnermeier and others
set countercyclical charges could give common- 2009).
currency areas or countries with fixed or managed 3. See Persaud (2000) for a discussion on how, through
exchange rates a much-needed additional policy the financial sector’s use of value-at-risk models, “the
instrument—one that could provide a more dif- observation of safety creates risk and the observation of
ferentiated response than a single interest rate risk creates safety.” The late economist Hyman Minsky
could to a boom in one member state and defla- also argued in more general terms, and long before
tion in another. This policy instrument may also the advent of value-at-risk models, that risks are born in
be important in emerging economies, where, per- periods of stability.
haps as a result of the absence of developed bond 4. The original ideas were published in Goodhart and
and currency markets, interest rates are not an Persaud (2008a, b) and expanded in Brunnermeier and
effective regulator of the economic cycle. others (2009).
Conclusion References
Warren Buffett famously remarked that you Borio, C. 2005. “Monetary and Financial Stability: So
see who is swimming naked only when the tide Close and Yet So Far.” National Institute Economic
runs out. By this, he probably means that while Review 192 (1): 84–101.
fraud and unethical practices are going on all Borio, C., and W. White. 2004. “Whither Monetary and
the time, they become visible only when the veil Financial Stability? The Implications of Evolving
of rising market prices is removed. They are not Policy Regimes.” BIS Working Paper 147, Bank for
the cause of the tide going out; they are merely International Settlements, Basel.
revealed by it. We must continue to clamp down Brunnermeier, M., A. Crockett, C. A. E. Goodhart, A.
on fraud and ethical abuses and promote trans- D. Persaud, and H. Shin. 2009. The Fundamental Prin-
parency, but this is not enough to avoid crises. ciples of Financial Regulation. Geneva Report on the
We cannot avoid crises without avoiding the World Economy 11. Geneva: International Center
booms—booms that are always underpinned for Monetary and Banking Studies; London: Centre
by a good story explaining why it is prudent for Economic Policy Research.
MACRO-PRUDENTIAL REGULATION FIXING FUNDAMENTAL MARKET (AND REGULATORY) FAILURES
de Larosiere Group. 2009. Report of the High-Level Group
on Financial Supervision in the EU. Brussels.
FSA (U.K. Financial Services Authority). 2009. The
Turner Review: A Regulatory Response to the Global Bank-
ing Crisis. London.
Goodhart, C. A. E., and A. D. Persaud. 2008a. “How to
crisisresponse
Avoid the Next Crash.” Financial Times, January 30.
———. 2008b. “A Party Pooper’s Guide to Financial
The views published here
Stability.” Financial Times, June 5.
are those of the authors and
G-30 (Group of Thirty). 2009. Financial Reform: A Frame-
should not be attributed
work for Financial Stability. Washington, DC.
to the World Bank Group.
Persaud, A. 2000. “Sending the Herd off the Cliff Edge:
Nor do any of the conclusions
The Disturbing Interaction between Herding and
represent official policy of
Market-Sensitive Risk Management Systems.” First the World Bank Group or
Prize Essay, Jacques de Larosiere Award in Global of its Executive Directors or
Finance, Institute of International Finance, Wash- the countries they represent.
ington, DC.
Reinhart, C., and K. Rogoff. 2008. This Time Is Different: To order additional copies
A Panoramic View of Eight Centuries of Financial Crises. contact Suzanne Smith,
NBER Working Paper 13882. Cambridge, MA: Na- managing editor,
tional Bureau of Economic Research. The World Bank,
UN Commission of Experts on Reforms of the Interna- 1818 H Street, NW,
tional Monetary and Financial System. 2009. Recom- Washington, DC 20433.
mendations. New York: United Nations.
Telephone:
001 202 458 7281
Fax:
001 202 522 3480
Email:
[email protected]
Produced by Grammarians, Inc.
Printed on recycled paper
This Note is available online:
http://rru.worldbank.org/PublicPolicyJournal
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
DIY Air Brushed Picture Frame
I am sharing this picture frame I restyled using the eBrush, made by Craftwell. If you haven't tried out the eBrush yet, it's really really cool. It's an air brush that uses markers as its ink. You can read my review of it here.
This project is actually VERY similar to a journal I made back in February. I loved how the journal turned out and I thought it would be neat to use the same technique on a picture frame, so here it is!
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
As your browser does not support javascript you won't be able to use all the features of the website. We strongly recommend you to enable the javascript in your old browser's settings or download a new one.
Here's What Cost GlaxoSmithKline PLC Nearly $10 Billion in Market Cap in October
What happened
Shares of U.K.-based Big Pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline(NYSE: GSK) tumbled during the month of October, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, losing nearly $10 billion in market cap in the process. The culprits for the drop appear to be its weaker-than-expected third-quarter operating results and rumblings about a large acquisition.
So what
The clearest issue for GlaxoSmithKline, which is more commonly known as GSK, was its disappointing third-quarter results. On a constant currency basis, pharmaceutical sales inched higher by just 2%, vaccine sales were flat, and consumer healthcare grew by a steady 2%. That's an overall increase in sales of just 2%, with sales in Europe actually declining. The company cited strong growth in new products, but pointed to divestments and generic competition to mature drugs as the culprit for its pedestrian sales growth in pharma. Comparably, GSK's revenue was pretty much right in line with Wall Street's expectations.
Image source: Getty Images.
Unfortunately, the company's bottom-line missed by about 20%, with adjusted operating profit increasing by 5% on a constant currency basis, and adjusted EPS flat year-over-year. The finger-pointing mostly goes to an 11% hike in research and development costs, and a 3% increase to its cost of sales.
In addition to its disappointing earnings report, GSK also announced that it's considering a bid for Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) consumer-health unit. The deal, which could be worth more than $10 billion if it were to become a reality, would expand GSK's consumer-health offerings, which generally provide modest growth and solid pricing power. However, a deal of this magnitude could put GlaxoSmithKline's superior 5% yield at risk, according to some pundits on Wall Street. GSK's dividend is arguably the greatest lure of owning this stock, so a cut would be concerning.
Now what
I'd have to admit that buying Pfizer's consumer-health division would be a bit perplexing considering that GSK completed a major reorganization back in 2015. In a three-part asset swap with Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline wound up jettisoning its oncology division, bolstering its vaccines segment, and forging a consumer-health joint venture with Novartis, all while collecting billions in additional cash from Novartis as a result of the deal. Though GSK generates more than half of its sales from pharmaceuticals, and investors are typically fans of balance with regard to operating segment contributions as a percentage of sales, bringing a slow-growth segment like Pfizer's consumer-health division into the fold is a head-scratcher.
Image source: Getty Images.
If there is a bright spot here, GSK's next-generation respirator and HIV products are on fire. Breo Ellipta delivered 43% constant currency growth, along with 57% sales growth from Anoro Ellipta, while GSK's HIV therapies, Tivicay and Triumeq, also saw respective quarterly sales growth of 41% and 29% from the prior-year period.
At just a tad over 12 times forward earnings, and sporting a superior dividend, GSK has all the hallmarks of an income stock that could provide benefits to long-term investors. While not without risks, especially if GSK struggles to find its new identity following its reorganization, the company's respiratory and HIV segments appear to be on track. That's enough for me to suggest value and income investors take a closer look at GlaxoSmithKline.
10 stocks we like better than GlaxoSmithKlineWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*
David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and GlaxoSmithKline wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
With Builderall, there isn’t any requirement in doing this, everything consisting of the hosting is with your month-to-month payment.
App Builder
Builderall likewise permits you to develop your own IOS or Android applications.
The integrated in app creator makes it easy. There is no have to spend the money hiring a professional any more.
Email Marketing and Automation
If you have a site now, possibilities are you have an e-mail marketing service.
Every blogger or Affiliate Marketer knows, that the money is in the list!
Know what else? There’s no need to pay another e-mail marketing service for this!
Builderall has it’s own Email Marketing and Autoresponder tool; consisted of in the monthly cost!
What’s better than that? You do not need to pay any extra when you reach over 1,000 subscribers, or 2,000 … or perhaps 5,000!
Builderall permits you to have 10,000 customers, all consisted of in their low regular monthly expense! Builderall Affiliate Center
So how much Can having an autoresponder integrated in save you?
To put it into perspective for you, Clickfunnels $97/month bundle does not consist of the autoresponder. To obtain this with Clickfunnels, you need to select the $297/month package.
Unlimited Websites
Yes, you just read that correctly. Builderall permits you to produce limitless sites on as much as 3 domains! These are not your typical WordPress websites, either. They are SMART sites, designed to help you increase your traffic, along with your leads.
All your websites are quickly handled within the same control panel on Builderall, for easy access.
As the owner of numerous WordPress sites, this was a significant deal for me.
No have to keep changing WordPress accounts to browse from website to website, or having to type my website directly into the search bar.
All of your sites remain in list format for you, it’s as simple as selecting whichever site you ‘d like to go to.
Animated Video Creator
If you are needing to make animation videos for sales presentation, this is likewise included.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
b68026692e SimplyRAR. 14:48:41 03/31/14 Mon. Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forumFFE Gaming::FFE ZERO RECON CHATFFE Gaming::FFE ZERO RECON CHAT. Changes in version 0.1.3.1 (08/01/2010) Solved an error produced on preferences file update (only when updating from a previous version) that blocks the extraction. This version has no improvements, just changes on the default options so it can be submitted to the App Store. Changes in version 0.1.4 (05/11/2010) Changed lowercase name keka to Keka, as it seems to be better (Tracker ID 3012724) Visual changes in Process, Password and Exit windows (Thanks to kemeng for the tips) Added key shortcut in Process window to pause and continue (Space bar) Added two shortcuts for main two actions in Password and exit windows: Esc (to exit) and Enter (to proceed) Some minor changes in window placement Default format for new users will be Zip instead of 7zip.
- HQ::General::Spam in a canPage 1 of 1•Share•. Education Games Home & Personal Internet Multimedia & Design Utilities iOS Tools MacUpdate Promo MacUpdate Desktop 6 MUMenu Add/Edit App Developers Company About Us Advertise Career Opportunities Support Privacy Policy . Next Thread. Version 1.0.8: In this version only change rar Update rar 3.51 with 3.80 UniversalBinary sorry the website is offline and I don't modify other I hope you enjoy =) download install purchase purchase . MacUpdate Discover New Mac Apps. Changes in version 0.1.3.2 (24/01/2010) Now MACOSX folder is excluded when extracting a file New localizations : Chinese Traditional and French. Create now Already have an account? Sign in now. Its unstable, just for testing purposes Code of format selection simplified Better growl implementation If keka closed and drag files to archive and cancel, process window doesn't close If main window open, on cancel process main progress indicator continues activated If cancel pressed, when extracting/compressing again keka hangs Files not extracted correctly now are deleted . Brandt and PSW Group) Added Hungarian translation (Thanks to Andrs Oravecz) Added queued operations counter to the badge Added AES256 zip encryption support (Experimental, must enable Dev enviroment) [Ticket 18] Timed the auto-exit so the compression-extraction sound can be played (1 sec) Fixed badge error where number of operations can be negative and icorrect Fixed a bug causing never ending operations when compressing Volumes (Thanks to ChipMcK) [Ticket 56] Fixed absolute path management for TAR, TGZ and TBZ compression (Thanks to chris.alme) [Ticket 76] Fixed some English strings (Thanks to mboman) [Ticket 86] Fixed split menu string in English and Spanish (Thanks to Lotusbrod) Fixed Lion specific error that keeps a badge number in the Launchpad (Thanks to Edward) [Ticket 57] Fixed some English strings (Thanks to Costi and Alyshah) Fixed a cosmetic bug in the toolbar in Snow Leopard . Changes in version 0.1 Beta 2 (28/09/2009) Now keka runs in 64 bits when possible Added a dock menu where format, method and performed action can be selected Added always compress/extract options in preferences and in dock menu New option to don't close keka when no window is opened New object in window bar and dock menu to open keka default window Prevent to close keka with cmd+Q when a process is running Changed binary names with keka prefix to better control of them Made a cleaning open processes when keka crashes Updated to Growl 1.2b7 Now Growl notifies the name of the new compressed file Corrected minor cosmetic issue (quit and hide menu items).
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
GIPA to Gosford City Council to determine the classification and purpose of several parcels of land within the Local Government Area. The GIPA was a representation on the behalf on the community, with the aim of achieving transparency and understanding of Crown Lands in the area, in the absence of any…
GIPA request to NSW Police Force for training materials related to PTSD training. The information requested was in relation to the way officers and cadets at the NSW Police Force Academy were instructed in dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including PTSD suffered by themselves and their colleagues. GIPA Request…
GIPA request to Blue Mountains City Council for: Maintenance reports since 1 January 2014 relating to 170-174 Laura Mall, Leura Engineering reports since 1 January 2014 relating to 170-174 Laura Mall, Leura Any business papers for Council meeting on 8 December 2015 relating to 170-174 Laura Mall, Leura
GIPA request to NSW Police Force for training materials related to TASER weapons. Information was provided in an extensive hard copy document which has been scanned in 28 parts. A highlight of the documents provided was the recommendation that police aim the weapon at the centre of body mass…
GIPA request to the NSW Police Force for: Correspondence, documents and/or information concerning or in response to Questions on Notice in the Legislative Council numbered 0856 to 0861 asked by David Shoebridge on 9 March 2016 How many people were searched by police officers as a result of a police…
GIPA request for: All communications from 1 June 2014 and 30 June 2015 between the Department of Education and the office of Education Minister Adrian Piccoli, the office of Premier Mike Baird, the Department of Planning and NSW Public Works regarding negotiations between the City of Sydney and the Department…
GIPA request to NSW Department of Justice and Primary Industries: All documents, agreements, options, arrangements or determinations relating to the disposal, sale or potential sale and/or lease or potential lease, of all or part of the Newcastle Court House (former) on Church Street Newcastle, including all or part of the…
GIPA to the Department of Education for: The total amount paid by TAFE NSW or related bodies to the Boston Consulting Group for the production of the 2015 report “The NSW Vocational Education and Training market and TAFE NSW’s competitive position within it”. The brief or instructions provided to Boston…
Following questions were posed in a GIPA application to the NSW Police Force. Information was released relating to some but not all questions was released. We have lodged an internal appeal and will update with any further materials received. How many warnings have been given to those “associating” under the…
GIPA 1 All documents relating to protocols developed by the NSW Police Force in August 2014 for non-government agencies to use when notifying them of historical allegations of child sexual assault. (We note the existence of such protocols was identified in the NSW Ombudsman’s Issues Paper 8: Experiences of Police…
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Translate
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Summer, Glorious Summer!
My garden looks its best in the Summer. A lot of the plants I’ve selected for colour seem to be the ones that flower in summer, which is great because that’s when the garden gets the most use. The most obvious of these flowering plants would have to be the Bougainvillea Vine which I’ve trained to grow over a pergola. It’s a really nice place to sit as it provides a bit of shade from the harsh New Zealand sun.
The garden has changed quite a bit as it’s matured over the last few years, so I realised it was time to update the header on my Blog. I’ve been waiting for the Bougainvillea to be in full bloom so I could get a few nice photos. The header photo I decided to use was a panorama shot I took from the roof of the sleepout. This year the pergola was a great place to take a few family photos too.
One of the plants I’ve really enjoyed this year would have to be the Hydrangeas. I’ve tried propagating a few over the last couple of years from cuttings and was pleased to see them flowering nicely this year (year 2). The most interesting aspect of this for me was seeing how the colours varied from the original plants I took the cuttings from, as the variations in soil acidity resulted in different coloured blooms. And what blooms they were after giving them a good feed in spring. They make terrific cut flowers too.
We’ve been spoilt this year with the number of cut flowers we’ve been able to take in the house.
Like these red beauties (which I forget the name of), plus a few others which I forgot to take photos of...
The big disappointment this summer was that despite my 2 plum trees fruiting super-abundantly, beyond expectations, the fruit was mostly spoiled by an infestation of worms and several days of torrential rain just as the fruit was ripening which caused them to split. I can see I’m going to have to be super vigilant next year and may need to relent as regards my organic, ‘no-spray’ policy.
Sponsored Links
About Me
I'm from Auckland, New Zealand. I'm a graphic designer, web developer and print management consultant by profession. I started off as a printer having served a printing apprenticeship back in the early '80's but quickly moved into design, advertising and marketing and have been in the industry now for more than 30 years helping businesses to promote themselves and their products and services.
I have many interests besides this including gardening, fishing, photography, DIY and spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy reading and discussing the bible.
If you wish to discuss any of the above, feel free to contact me or make a comment on any one of my posts and I'll respond as soon as I can. Have a great Day!
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Patek Philippe’s signature collection
was launched in 1932 and came
to represent the epitome of a round
wristwatch. Elegant in its simplicity,
the Calatrava is timekeeping at its
most classically understated.
GOLDEN ELLIPSE
When the Golden Ellipse was
launched it became an instant classic,
perhaps unsurprisingly, because the
distinctive case shape – a rounded
rectangle or linear oval – is based on
the principle of the Golden Section.
GONDOLO
Rigorous geometry and pure
lines of modernism, characteristic
design features of the Art Deco
movement, are recognizable in
the Gondolo collection, inspired
by classic models from the 1930s.
AQUANAUT
Inspired by the Nautilus collection
of elegant sports watches, the
Aquanaut was devised for a younger
audience that had an attachment to
classical values as well as a passion
for modernity.
NAUTILUS
With Patek Philippe’s first
sports watch, the company introduced
a timepiece that was both
rugged and streamlined.
The current Nautilus collection
is a result of the subtle evolution
of the original 1970s models.
COMPLICATIONS
Timekeeping instruments that provide functions beyond
indicating the time and date are called complicated watches.
In Patek Philippe’s workshops, this class of timepiece is
segmented into complications and grand complications.
“Useful” complications offer add-on functions that
are user-friendly, such as the legendary Annual Calendar.
This ingenious complication “knows” how many days each
month has and only needs to be corrected once a year at
the end of February. Another compli cation gaining significance
in the life of present-day nomads is the time-zone
indication as implemented in the Calatrava Travel Time –
it simultaneously displays the local time in two different
zones. This watch is available in a ladies’ version. Patek
Philippe’s World Time watch goes a step further and displays
all 24 time zones at the same time. It is based on a
principle devised by the ingenious Genevan watchmaker
Louis Cottier in the 1930s and perfected and patented by
Patek Philippe in 1999. The mechanism makes it possible
for the wearer to switch the watch easily from one time
zone to the next without compromising the rate accuracy
of the movement. Meanwhile, the moon-phase display
enjoys an enduring popularity. This poetic complication
indicates the gradual day-to-day progression of the moon’s
face in a curved dial aperture. But the mechanism behind
it is more sophisticated than meets the eye. It is so precise
that the display faithfully tracks the true lunation for
122 years and 45 days. Only then must it be corrected by
one day. “Useful” compli cations also include different
types of chronographs from classic manually wound chronographs
with column wheels to innovative self-winding
Annual Calendar chronographs with monocounter.
All these timepieces are crafted in Patek Philippe’s ateliers
in Geneva. Many of them are endowed with an Annual
Calendar mechanism, a moon-phase display, or a powerreserve
indication and they belong to a group of watches
that illustrates the subtle line between “useful” complications
and grand complications.
GRAND COMPLICATIONS
Grand complications represent the paragon of horology
and challenge the watchmaker to the ultimate degree.
This apotheosis of haute horlogerie has been a part of the
Patek Philippe heritage since the company was founded
in 1839. No other watchmaker has been involved in
the highest sphere of horology for such a long time
without interruption; no other company has created
such an impressive portfolio of complicated watches.
With 33 complications, the Calibre 89 was the world’s most
complicated portable timepiece when it was presented in
1989. Grand complications include intricate mechanisms
such as the tourbillon, which compensates variations of
the center of gravity of balance springs in vertical positions,
and the repeater function, which tells the time acoustically
by striking gongs. Split-seconds chronographs also belong
to this category, as do perpetual calendars and various
astronomical indications including sunrise and sunset
displays, and stellar progressions. All these mechanisms are
highly complex and correlated with one another in various
ways. Often, they are enriched with further refinements
such as retrograde displays or instantaneous calendarswitching
mechanisms. A Patek Philippe tourbillon consists
of 31 parts, yet weighs a mere 0.3 grams. Patek Philippe’s
minute repeaters draw on a tradition established over
150 years ago. Their sound as they strike the hours, quarter
hours, and minutes is considered to be the benchmark
of acoustic-time indication. Astronomical watches are
another domain in which Patek Philippe has shown
unprecedented prowess. The Sky Moon Tourbillon is a
prime example: it needs both sides of the watch to accommodate
all of its features. But these grand complications
are not spectacular, one-off showpieces. They belong to
Patek Philippe’s established collection and aptly demonstrate
the excellent skills the Geneva workshops employs
on a daily basis.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Video Gaming
Handing you the controllers
Keep all the family happy with numerous consoles, video games and controllers. With pricesavvy, make the best choice before buying! Would you prefer a Nintendo DS, a PlayStation 3, an Xbox 360 or a Wii? Are you in need of fun games to play alone or with friends, music games where you become a rockstar, fighting games, adventure or sport games where you can defeat your opponents? We have what you need!
Would you prefer to buy in store? Enter your town and see the "Shops near you".
Toslink digital audio cable Toslink male - Toslink male white 1.00 m
This digital audio cable with Toslink connectors is suitable for connecting an audio device, such as a DVD player, Blu-ray player or game console, to your amplifier.Data SheetColour: White Type: Optical Length: 1 mGoldplated: No Connector 1: Tosli...
Toslink Digital audio cable Toslink male - Toslink male 3.00 m black
This digital audio cable with Toslink connectors is suitable to connect an audio device such as a DVD, Blu-ray player or game console to an amplifier.Data SheetColour: Black Type: Optical Length: 3 mGoldplated: No Conductors: 1 Connector 1: Toslin...
Brand :
valueline
Availability :
9 days
Guarantee :
2 years
£3.46
Delivery
Free
Toslink Digital audio cable Toslink male - Toslink male 5.00 m black
This digital audio cable with Toslink connectors is suitable to connect an audio device such as a DVD, Blu-ray player or game console to an amplifier.Data SheetColour: Black Type: Optical Length: 5 mGoldplated: No Conductors: 1 Connector 1: Toslin...
This digital audio cable with Toslink to 3.5 mm connectors is suitable to connect an audio device such as a DVD, Blu-ray player or game console to an amplifier.Data SheetColour: Black Type: Optical Length: 3 mGoldplated: No Conductors: 1 Connector...
RIFT Standard Edition key
RIFT? is the complete and full-featured MMO experience you?ve been waiting for! Adventure in the world of Telara as either a noble Guardian or technomagical Defiant and enter a dynamic fantasy where 8 primal forces battle for control and the
Availability :
In stock
Delivery time:
1 day
£34.99
£17.49
Delivery
Free
-17 %
[US]World of WarCraft PC/MAC CD-Key
The online role-playing game World of Warcraft set in the Warcraft universe is a massive multi-player. World of Warcraft will introduce new, uncharted territories and new deadly foes.
Availability :
In stock
Delivery time:
1 day
£24.59
£20.49
Delivery
Free
-37 %
Duke Nukem Forever - PC
Did the Alien bastards not learn their lesson the first time? Duke has been on hiatus for some time now, kicking back and franchising himself on the fame he gained from saving Earth from the first invasion.
Availability :
In stock
Delivery time:
1 day
£34.99
£21.99
Delivery
Free
-51 %
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Uncut - UK Version)
This game is a first-person shooter with stealth and tactical play aspect that puts players in the role of a shadow soldier fighting in a variety of historically representative fictional Black Ops missions of the Cold War era. Created with the input of
Availability :
In stock
Delivery time:
1 day
£39.99
£19.69
Delivery
Free
-37 %
Duke Nukem Forever - PC
Did the Alien bastards not learn their lesson the first time? Duke has been on hiatus for some time now, kicking back and franchising himself on the fame he gained from saving Earth from the first invasion.
Availability :
In stock
Delivery time:
1 day
£34.99
£21.99
Delivery
Free
-17 %
Rift Gamecard 30 Days Prepaid
The prepaid gamecard is a comfortable payment method to receive 30 additional days of gametime for RIFT. Follow the included descriptions and you are ready to play again in a few minutes.
Availability :
In stock
Delivery time:
1 day
£8.87
£7.39
Delivery
Free
-17 %
World of Warcraft - Addon - Wrath of the Lich King - WotLK
Wrath of the Lich King will add a rich variety of content to an already massive game, building on the foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade.
Availability :
In stock
Delivery time:
1 day
£17.99
£14.99
Delivery
Free
-17 %
[Europe]World of Warcraft - GameCard (60 days Pre-Paid)
Please Note: This product is only compatible with the UK version of World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft 60 days game time.
Magic Made Fun
Begin as a disciple...and end up as the Master!Did you know Nintendo DS was magic? It is now, as making magic first teaches users how to perform incredible magic and card tricks, then acts as an assistant as they perform for others. Once users learn how...
Inazuma Eleven 2: Firestorm
The game follows the journey of teenage goalkeeper and team captain Mark Evans, and carries directly on from the ending of the first game Inazuma Eleven. After winning the football tournament at the end of the previous game, the school is suddenly attacked
I Did It Mum: Picture Book
Magical Stories On The Nintendo DS With I DID IT MUM Picture Book. An all-new interactive story-book to delight children everywhere! With classic fairy tales from Europe and Asia, children will adore their first magical introduction to the world of books....
Bill And Ben
The nation's favourite flowerpot men are back after thirty years in hibernation, re-potted, with no strings attached and ready to play with children aged between two and five years old. Now more than forty years since the television show was first screened
Sword Of The Stars - A Murder Of Crows
While the four civilized races battle back the voracious Zuul and seek advantage over each other, a ghost from the past returns to the galaxy in the form of the manipulative Morrigi. Already known for their dark crow-shaped attack drones and deadly traps,...
Availability :
1 day
£4.99
Delivery
£0.99
Xbox Live 12 month Gold Membership Card
Get more with Gold. With Xbox Live Gold, you get a growing library of free games, the most advanced multiplayer, exclusive member discounts of up to 75% and more. Play games like Titanfall⢠and Halo with your friends on a network powered by over 300,000...
Hidden Expedition: Devil's Triangle
While leading a mission to the Bermuda Triangle to find a lost member of your team, you find yourself trapped on a mysterious uncharted island. In this electrifying hidden object adventure you'll unravel challenging puzzles, uncover the secrets behind...
Sony PlayStation 4 1TB Ultimate Player Edition Console
Massive Amount of Space for more of your Games and Extras. Gamer Focused, Developer Inspired The PS4? system focuses on the gamer, ensuring that the very best games and the most immersive experiences are possible on the platform. The PS4? system enables...
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Professional and enthusiast programmers have been able to ask their questions freely on online community site Stack Overflow for the last six years. Now, Australian-based enterprise software firm, Atlassian, has announced its own version for the enterprise, Confluence Questions 1.0.
Initially launched as a beta version last September, which has since been trialled by Atlassian customers, including Boeing and Dow Jones, Confluence Questions 1.0 is team documentation collaboration add-on for Confluence that allows enable teams or entire companies to share their questions and answers in a central internal location.
Confluence group product manager Bill Arconati described the platform as "Quora for your enterprise where it's a platform that gives employees one place to ask questions and quickly get answers".
Arconati said the Q&A software addresses the main problem companies currently face, which is company knowledge management.
"Often once a question gets answered the answer goes nowhere; it's not reported or made searchable for future generations to benefit from. There is no knowledge capture or value created," he said.
"Meanwhile, the people with the knowledge get bombarded with the same questions over and over again, and if they ever leave the company the knowledge goes out the door with them."
Arconati said users have the opportunity to pose questions based on topics to have them answered by experts within the company in different formats including images, videos, tweets, code snippets, and text. They also have the chance to opt-in and self-identify themselves as experts of other topics.
"People can answer and get multiple answers. You can also, through the wisdom of the crowd, ensure the best quality answer rises to the top and then all of that is searchable later through Confluence like your company intranet and have all your knowledge in one place," he said.
According to Arconati, Confluence Questions 1.0 is the first step for the company in developing knowledge sharing for enterprises.
"This is the beginning; we have a broader vision for knowledge sharing where we want to allow Q&A to be like googling the minds of your employees, so we have pretty big ambitions there. There is a lot of room to get a lot of knowledge through employees and this is our first step on that," he said.
Since completing a degree in journalism, Aimee has had her fair share of covering various topics, including business, retail, manufacturing, and travel. She continues to expand her repertoire as a tech journalist with ZDNet.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Bring a little bit of the Middle-East to your night out with our range of intense and long-lasting Shisha flavours. A unique social experience, serving Shisha direct to your VIP booth when you're looking for something a little different to the usual.
ATIK: DJ Gentleman Jonny smashing up the Main Room with all the best Dance, EDM, Chart & Hip/Hop mixes every Saturday from 10pm. Brand new Sound & Lighting effects, C02 Cannons, Confetti Cannons & VIP Balcony fit for a KING!
Curve: Our Sexy New RnB room is born! The best Edinburgh has to offer in RnB with DJs from across the city every week. New state of the art sound system brings this room to LIFE!
Vinyl: The Retro room has been given a facelift and is back to entertain the crowds! New Lighting Rig & Sound System on Edinburgh's ONLY light up dancefloor! With DJ Nick every Saturday bringing you all the best of 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s & 00s all night long into the wee hours.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Discourse 26: The Eighth Chapter Concludes – The Journey of the Soul After Death
The Eighth Chapter of the Bhagavadgita deals with the subject of life after death. The Puranas, the Upanishads, the Yoga Vasishtha and the Bhagavadgita contain many varieties of descriptions of the condition of the soul after it leaves this body. The Puranas, especially, go into a detailed, lurid description of the condition in which the soul finds itself—particularly if it has not done any merit, or if the merit it has done is so negligible that the wrongs it has committed outweigh the good or are on an equal footing with it.
The stories in the Garuda Purana and such other scriptures, even in the Bhagavata, are really frightening. When the soul departs from the body in the case of these lower, unpurified and negligibly religious souls, it is taken away by the messengers of Yama and placed before the Lord of Death for judgment.
It is said that Yama asks the soul, “What have you done?”
Ordinarily, it cannot remember anything. It will say, “I don’t know.”
The shock of separation from the body removes all memory, and it cannot remember what it has done in the previous life. It is said that then a hot rod, called a yamadanda, is kept on its head, and immediately it remembers its entire past. It knows every detail of the actions that it did, both good and bad.
The soul says, “I have done a little good, but have also made many mistakes and performed so many erroneous actions.”
Yama asks, “What do you have to say about it now?”
The soul replies, “I have got relatives. They will expiate them for me. They will conduct yajnas, charities, worship, sankirtans, bhajans and meditations in my name, and I shall be free from the consequence of the sins that I have committed or the mistakes that I have made.”
“Go then!” says Yama, “And see what they do.”
Apparently, it takes ten days for the soul to be brought back, so some ceremony is usually done on the tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth days. The soul hovers around, observing what the relatives are doing, and Yama’s messengers stand behind like policemen to see what is done. If an expiatory ceremony is done in the name of the soul, such as the Bhagavata Saptaham, the Rudra Yaga, the Narayana Bali and the Vishnu Yajna, and varieties of charities are done, and all those things that were dear to the soul are also given in gift, the effect of these good deeds is credited to the account of the soul and it is exonerated to that extent.
But suppose this is not done and, like modern boys, the relatives do not believe in these observances: “If our father died, let it go, that’s all. We won’t bother about it,” and there is no charity, no goodwill, and they behave as if nothing has happened; or, they do not even believe that something happens after death because they think that there is no life after death. If that is the case, the soul is dragged back. When the policemen know that someone is a culprit, and it is confirmed, they deal with him very severely. If they know that he is going to be released and nothing is going to happen to him, they do not bother much about it. But if his relatives have done nothing, it is certain that he is going to be punished, so for one year they drag the soul to the kingdom of the Lord of Death. At first they brought it within ten days because they wanted to know what was happening. When it is certain that it is going to be punished, they drag it, pull it, scratch and beat it, and it will be hungry and thirsty and bleeding. That is why another ceremony is done after one year; it takes one year for the soul to return to the abode of Yama. The varshika (annual) ceremony is very important. If nothing has been done on the tenth to thirteenth days after the passing of the soul, at least something should be done on the anniversary so that some mercy may be granted by Lord Yama before the sentence is passed.
If the soul has no merit at all, it will be sent to the land of punishment, whatever the punishment be. In the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, the Garuda Purana, etc., the type of punishment and difficulties that the soul has to undergo are described in such gory language that we would not like to be born into this world again.
When the soul is expunged of all its sins by suffering in the prison of Yama’s hell, it is released. It is said that then it is sent to Rudraloka, and will not be allowed to leave. To release the soul from Rudra’s clutches, Rudra Yajna is done. Then it is sent to Vaikuntha, so Vishnu Yajna is done; and after many, many years, the soul attains moksha. This is how a bad person gets purified in a very painful way, and then finally attains blessedness.
Or, if the soul has a tremendous attachment to relations and to wealth, it can be reborn into this world. A Muslim gentleman lived near a house in which a Hindu family had a little baby. The baby was very beautiful. The Muslim wanted to fondle it, sit it on his lap, but the Hindus would not allow the Muslim to touch the baby, which greatly disturbed him. The child grew up, and then the Muslim died. This child, which had grown up, started talking in Persian.
They asked, “What is this matter? Who are you?”
He replied, “I am that Muslim gentleman who wanted to caress this child, and you didn’t allow it; and now I am possessing it!”
This is the effect of attachments. And very intense attachments, which do not even give the soul time to take birth in this world, convert it into a ghost. Preta yoni is the outcome and, as described in the Bhagavata Purana, it hovers around in space, hungry and thirsty.
Here the Bhagavadgita describes the more glorious paths to the higher realms. Those who are not spiritually awakened but have done immensely good deeds reach a lower kingdom called Chandraloka, the realm of the moon, where they stay invisibly and enjoy the fruit of their good deeds. When the momentum of their good deeds, charitable deeds, etc., is exhausted, they come back into this world. But if a person is spiritually awakened and is not merely a good man—not merely a charitable or a philanthropic person—then the path is different. These two paths are called the northern path and the southern path.
Yatra kāle tvanāvṛttim āvṛttiṁ caiva yoginaḥ, prayātā yānti taṁ kālaṁ vakṣyāmi bharatarṣabha (8.23): “I shall now tell you,” says Bhagavan Sri Krishna, “about that path treading which one returns, and that path treading which one does not return. These two paths I shall describe to you now—uttaramarga or jyotirmarga, and dakshinamarga or dhumamarga, as they are called.”
Agnir jotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam, tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ (8.24): Everything is filled with light, everything is filled with divinity, and everything is superintended over by a divinity. The fire of cremation—that is the agni, the physical fire, which has a divinity of its own—assumes a divine form in the case of a person who is to rise up to the celestial realms. Then there is a divinity superintending over the daytime, in contrast with the night. If a person passes away during the daytime, and during the bright half of the lunar month, and during the northern movement of the sun, he shall reach the solar orb—Suryaloka. From there, he will be taken up further.
The Upanishads describe many more stages than the ones mentioned here. And at a particular stage beyond the sun, a superhuman entity is supposed to come and take the soul by the hand. Up to the solar orb, or even a little beyond, is called the realm of lightning. That is, beyond the sun, the lightning of Brahmaloka flashes forth. The individuality consciousness of the soul slowly gets diminished at that time, and it is not aware of any self-effort. It does not know that it is moving at all, inasmuch as the ego is almost gone. It is said that at that time an amanava purusha deputed by Brahma himself comes down in a luminous form, and leads the soul to the abode of Brahma, the Creator. This is the path of krama mukti, or gradual liberation, in which the soul is supposed to be glorying in Brahmaloka until Brahma himself is dissolved at the end of time—at the end of a hundred years of his life—and then the Absolute Brahman is reached.
But there is a possibility of immediate salvation without passing through all these stages—a hundredfold promotion, as it were. It is the dissolution of the soul in the supreme Brahman at this very spot. The soul need not have to travel in space and time because it is a jivanmukta purusha, one who has attained to a consciousness where there is no distance to be travelled. For him, there is no solar orb or anything else. He has spread his consciousness everywhere, in all beings: sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ (12.4). He is the soul of all beings, like Suka Maharishi, Vyasa, Vasishtha, etc. When his soul spreads itself everywhere in the cosmos, where is the question of moving? Na tasya prāṇā utkrāmanti (B.U. 4.4.6): His pranas do not depart, as is the case of other people. Brahmaiva san brahmāpyeti: They dissolve here, just now. That is, the moment the soul departs the body, it enters the supreme Brahman, the Absolute, then and there, without having to pass through all these stages. But in the case of krama mukti, the graduated steps mentioned in the Bhagavadgita, it is different.
The divinity of fire, the divinity of daytime, the divinity of the lunar month’s bright half, and the divinity ruling over the northern movement of the sun will take care of the soul and bring it up. In the Moksha Parva of the Mahabharata there is the story of a great ascetic who rose up from his body, and a little flame rising up through the sky could be seen. It rose higher and higher until it reached the orb of the sun, where a divine being emerged from the solar orb and received it. According to our tradition, the sun is not a material substance. It is a divinity—hiranmaya purusha—in which a golden-coloured Narayana is seated. Just as a human being is not a body, the sun is also not a body; and just as we see only the body of a person and do not see what the person is on the inside, we do not see divinity of the sun. We see only its outer appearance, which we call helium, atomic energy, etc., in just the same way as we call a person bone and flesh, nerves, blood, etc.—which is not a correct description. So there is something beyond the human concept here. Divinities are everywhere in the cosmos, in every atom, which is also controlled and enveloped by the universal God. If God is everywhere, why should He not be in every atom and in everything? In the case of such a realisation, there is immediate dissolution.
Dhūmo rātris tathā kṛṣṇaḥ ṣaṇmāsā dakṣiṇāyanam, tatra cāndramasaṁ jyotir yogī prāpya nivartate (8.25). There are those who have not spiritually awakened themselves, have not done spiritual meditation, and have an insufficient devotion to God. Even if they are very good people, highly charitable and humanistic in their approach, they will not be allowed to move along this northern path to the sun. They will not go to Brahmaloka. They will go to a lower realm, called Chandraloka. The smoke which rises from the fire during cremation will be their guiding principle. The dark half of the lunar month, and the southern movement of the sun, signify a deficiency in divine powers and a lesser chance of the soul going up along the path of brightness. It will reach Chandraloka, where it will enjoy the fruits of the good deeds it has done. Whatever good deeds were done will have their effect. Every action produces a reaction. Any good, charitable deed will bring the soul an abundance of joy in Chandraloka; but the soul will come back, because anyone who has not realised the universality of God will come back. Only a soul who is totally devoted to God will gradually pass through these stages of divine ordinances to the Ultimate Being. But if we are united with God here itself, we will immediately merge into God.
Śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate (8.26). Broadly speaking, these are two paths of the soul after death. Either we go that way or we go this way, according to our karma and our spiritual status. Śuklakṛṣṇe gatī hyete jagataḥ śāśvate mate, ekayā yāty anāvṛttim anyayāvartate punaḥ: By the one path, one does not come back to this world; by the other path, one returns.
Naite sṛtī pārtha jānan yogī muhyati kaścana, tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna (8.27). Having known clearly that these are the two paths, who would like to tread the lesser path? “Therefore, be a yogi, O Arjuna, and try to tread the upper path.” Whoever knows the merits and demerits of these two paths will certainly pursue the path of merit rather than the path of demerit. It is the lack of knowledge that prevents us from working for our own salvation. But if we know that such a thing exists, and that even after death our karmas will pursue us wherever we go—that even if we go to the nether regions, we will be caught by the nemesis of our actions, the results of what we have done, because there is a law which punishes us—we will obey the law. And if we know that there are these two paths, and there is a chance of our entering into the lower one, we will certainly work to attain the higher one. Knowing this, we will certainly become wiser and, therefore, work for a state of establishment in yoga—union with the divinities in the various graduated scales of development, or with the Supreme Absolute itself, whatever the case may be. Either way, one will be a supreme yogi who is united with the Absolute now, or one will be a graduated yogi who will move systematically through the stages mentioned. Anyway, knowing this, one will not come to grief. Tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu yogayukto bhavārjuna: “Therefore, become a yogi, Arjuna!”
Vedeṣu yajñeṣu tapaḥsu caiva dāneṣu yat puṇyaphalaṁ pradiṣṭam, atyeti tat sarvam idaṁ viditvā yogī paraṁ sthānam upaiti cādyam (8.28). These discourses that you are hearing now as satsanga—the knowledge of these wonderful things beyond this world that you are gaining—is greater than all the good deeds that you do by way of charity, and all the sacrifices that you perform. All the merits that you will accrue by doing charity, good deeds and even the study of scriptures like the Vedas, and by doing austerity and living an abstemious life will bring you some good results. But this phala of satsanga, the blessing of this highly purifying training that your soul is undergoing by listening to these glorious eternal realities, certainly has a greater capacity to produce an effect than all the charities, studies and scriptures, etc. It transcends even the Vedas, and you attain to that place, that abode, which is the Ancient One. With this, we conclude the Eighth Chapter.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Not too many updates today and that’s mainly because my wife & I finally closed on our first home this past Wednesday—a 4-bedroom (plus a den), 2-car garage, new construction with a tiny backyard, which is just the way I like it since I hate mowing the grass ;) Anyways, because of our schedules it’s a little difficult finding the time to get everything we need done, so all of our spare time is pretty much being devoted to the house, with our sights set on being fully moved by August 20th. So, just a FYI in case updates seem a little slow the next few weeks…
News & Tidbits:
First off, for any Lian Hearn fans out there, I recently learned that the winner of the Tales of the OtoriGIVEAWAY will get a nice little bonus—some signed bookplates courtesy of Ms. Hearn herself! I’m not sure how many bookplates there are, or which ones, but it definitely makes a great prize even better. So sign up HERE for the giveaway and look out for my review of the last book in the series “Heaven’s Net Is Wide” later this month (hopefully). And following up on my REVIEW for Joe Haldeman’s “The Accidental Time Machine”, there’s now an extract from the book HERE thanks to the author.In other book related news, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist is hosting a couple of giveaways that I’d recommend signing up for, including a copy of Daniel Abraham’s “A Betrayal In Winter” (Sign Up HERE), which is another book I hope to review soon, and “Sandworms of Dune” by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson (Sign Up HERE). Regarding the former, FantasyBookSpot has their own giveaway going HERE for SIGNED copies of “A Betrayal In Winter”.Newsarama has been keeping busy with a number of interesting articles including an INTERVIEW with Spawn creator Todd McFarlane that was conducted for the Write Now! magazine issue #16, an INTERVIEW with Austin Grossman, the author of the debut novel “Soon I Will Be Invincible”, NEWS on Wonder Woman and Batman animated DVDs, the latter of which would take place between the films Batman Begins and the forthcoming The Dark Knight, and over at the blog, there is this interesting piece HERE on 44 things said at the Warren EllisComic-Con panel. Newsarama also got an exclusive scoop HERE on a Darkchylde motion picture. I’m sure not many have heard of the Darkchylde comic book, but it was a pretty cool indie back in the day that was probably best known for its titillating artwork :DIn film adaptation news, artist Michael Hauge’s (The Wind In the Willows, The Wizard of Oz, The Hobbit) upcoming graphic novel “In The Small” has been picked up by Warner Bros. Pictures. According to Variety, Universal has gained the rights to Daniel Silva’s bestselling series of spy novels featuring recurring character Gabriel Allon, the latest of which was just released on July 24, 2007—“The Secret Servant”. Variety also reports that Guy Walks Into A Bar has acquired the rights to the first-person shooter videogame “Painkiller” from DreamCatcher Interactive. Another videogame, id Software’s (Doom, Quake) Return To Castle Wolfenstein, has been secured by producer Samuel Hadida (Silent Hill, the Resident Evil franchise) with Roger Avary (Beowulf, Silent Hill) writing & directing. And Virgin Comics in cooperation with New Regency (The Fountain, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is turning the comic book Virulents into a movie with John Moore (The Omen, Behind Enemy Lines) directing. Finally, just how desperate is Hollywood for material? First, I hear that Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) is involved in a movie based on the popular board game Monopoly, and then Disney recently purchased the rights to “The Dangerous Book For Boys”, basically a nostalgic compendium “covering essential boyhood skills such as building tree houses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age old question of what the big deal with girls is…” Doesn’t exactly sound like blockbuster fare, but then again I didn’t think Disney could make a successful movie based on a theme park ride (Pirates of the Caribbean) and look how that turned out :)In other news, Universal is remaking the Japanese ninja film “Shinobi” (2005), which is based on the book, “The Kouga Ninja Scrolls” (1959) by Futaro Yamada. There’s actually an anime based on the novel as well called “Basilisk”, which I’ve seen and is pretty interesting. The remake is supposed to be a modernization of the story according to Variety. Also being remade is the film Death Race 3000 (1975) that starred Sylvester Stallone (Rambo, Rocky) & David Carradine (Kill Bill, Kung Fu), with the updated version to be directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, AvP) and starring Tyrese Gibson (Transformers, Waist Deep).Finally, IGN has a couple of exclusive movie trailers to check out: The Nines starring Ryan Reynolds (Smokin’ Aces, Van Wilder) & Hope Davis (The Matodor, The Weather Man) HERE, and GabrielHERE, which is about warring angels and looks like a cross between Underworld & The Matrix.
Hey, thanks! I might have to wait on that hamburger though. Since the house is brand new, and because we've been renting an apartment we have to purchase everything including a fridge, washer / dryer, stove, landscaping, etc. So, we still got a lot left to do, but it's definitely worth it :D
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Tasting what? Biodynamic wines?
Before you freak, let me just tell you my theory: you can’t be a great biodynamic wine maker unless you are a great winemaker.
If you’re a great wine maker, going biodynamic* can add a whole other dimension to your wines. More aromatics, more flavor components, subtle structural and finishing elements.
I saw this again at yesterday’s “Return To Terroir” tasting, an annual event I attend sporadically. There were great wines and not-so-great. But this year, everyone seemed to feel biodynamic isn’t a gimmick any more. It’s a growing system for people who are passionate about their grapes, their vineyards and their wines – in a certain way.
Winemaker/farmer Mike Benziger calls biodynamic a natural “energy management system.” Basically, I think he is successful by paying very close attention to his vineyards and treating them like an integral part of Mother Earth instead of like grape-growing machines. Modestly, he claims that in starting to farm biodynamically, “the biggest change is in the farmer!”
*Want to know more about what biodynamics is – and isn’t? Jim Fullmer was at this tasting, too, bringing biodynamic bread, cheese, yogurt, etc. He’s the exec director of the US branch of the biodynamic certifying organization Demeter http://www.demeter-usa.org/
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Iverson paid for funeral, but can't stop its cause
Allen Iverson this week did something that a bunch of people were quick to label as good, a few to dismiss as self-serving and the rest of us, I think, to receive as basically the only thing Iverson could think to do, which makes him fairly human in the face of a tragedy that transcends stardom.
Iverson's act
Iverson will pay for the funeral of a man who died three years after he was shot in southwest Philadelphia because he refused to hand over his Iverson jersey to a group of teens. Story.
When Iverson offered to pay for the funeral of Philadelphian Kevin Johnson, he set into motion several conversations at once. The root was the circumstance of Johnson's death itself: It came from complications more than three years after Johnson, then 19, was shot and left paralyzed because he refused to surrender his Iverson replica jersey to a group of teenagers at a Philly trolley stop.
Iverson was, and remained, Johnson's favorite player. Johnson, who lived as a quadriplegic with his mother until his death Tuesday, will be buried with an Iverson jersey. Technically, his ventilator failed late last week, leaving Johnson in a vegetative state; but more broadly, his life changed forever because somebody was willing to shoot him over a uniform.
And Iverson himself can do absolutely nothing about any of that, no more than he can prevent the next crime that's related to a material thing with some connection to sports. He couldn't prevent Johnson's shooting any more than Michael Jordan could prevent the 2005 death of Steven Terrett, who died on Chicago's South Side after apparently being shot by robbers who wanted his brand new Air Jordans.
So Iverson did the only thing he could think of, which was to call Johnson's grieving mother and ask if he could cover the cost of the funeral. Of course he can, and of course it is a decent and grounded gesture, even if it represents the slipperiest of slopes.
I have no trouble believing Iverson was hit hard by the news. Despite his own history with weapons (Iverson once pulled a gun on a cousin while trying to locate his wife, with whom he was feuding), the Sixers' star sounded genuinely anguished Wednesday while discussing Johnson's fate.
Iverson recited gun-death statistics, including "almost 400 people in Philadelphia" this year (actually 357 as of this week). "It's just terrible, what's going on in Philadelphia," he told reporters in Seattle before the Sixers played the Sonics. "I just feel like I've got to do something more than I have been doing to try to help this situation as much as I can."
And that's the rub, of course. The thing about being famous, or infamous, and monied is that it sometimes fosters the notion of a power that does not actually exist -- the power to transform society. As much as Iverson's words ring real, at the end of the day he is still a paid entertainer, not a social engineer. He won't solve gun crime in the inner city with a thousand free jerseys, or a million of them. But he will suffer all the same when something goes wrong that is even tangentially in his name.
Charles Barkley first elicited some awe, and then guffaws, when he once upon a time told viewers of a Nike commercial, "I am not a role model." Even Barkley now realizes that athletes in America are role models by definition, not choice. But his words have always been the source of great debate, just by the sheer audacity of what he (or the Nike scriptwriter) had to say.
I'm now convinced that Barkley uttered those words with such sincerity and passion because, deep down, one of his great fears was that somebody would use him as a role model, and what kind of deal was that? He was young, rich, on the prowl. Where was the upside to someone using him as a model for anything other than life in the NBA?
There is a component to their lives that famous people, famous athletes, can never fully control, and that is what direction the public or the fans will take when it comes to them. For his part, Iverson's public past is a checkered one -- gun charges, marijuana charges -- and even though it may be deep past, the record of a star never really goes away. It had to strike the 31-year-old point guard that he is now officially part of the concerned sect of society, the people who want the violence to end sooner rather than later. He sounds an awful lot like a grown-up.
"It was tough to see somebody die for something senseless like that, over a jersey, over something material," Iverson said. "Life is way more precious than a jersey."
If Iverson is looking for a way to channel his need to do something about the situation in Philadelphia, he can always follow Kevin Johnson's lead. Johnson spent the last three years of his life visiting schools and youth groups to warn kids and adults alike about the consequences of gun use. He was the living and suffering example of how badly it can go, and there are two other young men in prison as a result of their roles in that 2003 incident.
Of course, Iverson can't change the situation by himself. Neither could Michael Jordan, and neither can anyone. But Iverson can do what he can do, and judging by his words this week, it is what he wants. Take him at those words, and keep watching.
Mark Kreidler's book "Four Days to Glory: Wrestling With the Soul of the American Heartland," will be published by HarperCollins on Jan. 23, 2007, and may be preordered on amazon.com. Reach Kreidler at [email protected].
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
How much does your Frenchie weigh, please? It takes 50 mg/lb of ibuprofen to cause gastrointestinal ulceration and 150 mg/lb to cause renal failure. Swelling of the face can indicate a hypersensitivity reaction to a drug but also envenomation, a food, vaccines, and other chemicals.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Detailed Description
This is the interface for a joint.
It works by constraining the relative motion between the two bodies it attaches. For instance if all motion in along the local X axis is constrained then the bodies will stay motionless relative to each other along an x axis rotated and positioned by the Joint's transform.
Works like the above translational constraints, but for rotation about the respective axes. Set force_update to true if you want to apply changes right away.
virtual void iJoint::SetTransConstraints
(
bool
X,
bool
Y,
bool
Z,
bool
force_update = true
)
[pure virtual]
Sets the translation constraints on the 3 axes.
If true is passed for an axis the Joint will constrain all motion along that axis. If false is passed in then all motion along that axis free, but bounded by the minimum and maximum distance if set. Set force_update to true if you want to apply changes right away.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose.
Judy (McGee) Russell
January 17, 1942 ~ April 20, 2019 (age 77)
Tribute
Service Details
Tribute Wall
Send Flowers
Judy McGee Russell, 77, of Clarksville, TN, passed away on Saturday, April 20, 2019, at St. Thomas West in Nashville, TN.
Judy was born on January 17, 1942, in Tennessee Ridge, TN to the late Roy McGee and Lucille Langford Morrison. She was also preceded in death by her husband, John Draughon Russell and son, David "Truck" J. Russell.
Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. at the Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Chapel with Pastor Paul Scott officiating. Visitation will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 11:00 a.m. until the hour of service at the funeral home.
Judy was a retired Nurse with Clarksville Memorial Hospital. She was a member of Hilldale Baptist Church.
Judy is survived by her son, John D. (Lori) Russell II and sister, Wanda Morrison.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Loaves and Fishes, P.O. Box 3241, Clarksville, TN 37043 or Good Samaritan Ministries, 346 Union Street, Clarksville, TN 37040.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Pages
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Black Alternate History Month
This year, I am going to be scheduling posts a little differently. I have experimented with theme months before to varying degrees of success, but have never been serious about keeping it going by coming up with new themes. My research into genre, however, has shown that alternate history is often dominated by "great men" who win (or lose) military battles, while being created mostly by white, American males.
So in 2015, I am going to try and highlight different perspectives on alternate history, spending more time on overlooked events and minority voices. Since February is Black History Month here in the United States, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to cover Africa-American alternate history and creators.
Although I give a lot of credit to Turtledove for introducing me to alternate history, one of the first non-Turtledove books I read was Lion's Blood by Steven Barnes. Called one of the most unusual alternate history novels ever published by Emily Stamm of io9, Lion's Blood showcased a world where civilization flourished in Africa and the Middle East, while Europe remained barbaric and primitive. In this timeline, black Africans have colonized what would have been North America, using white slaves sold to them by Viking raiders for the heavy labor.
What made Lion's Blood significant was that it did not just create a mirror universe like the film White Man's Burden. Barnes set out to make this world as plausible as possible and while there are some parallels and squashed butterflies to be found, you still get a unique world that shows off Barnes' skill as world builder. In fact I still haven't read the sequel, Zulu Heart, for that very same reason. Its not that I did not enjoy Lion's Blood, its that I am afraid to sequel will ruin the original for me.
Of course if you ask alternate historians (which I have) to recommend works of alternate history written by or based on African-Americans, most would recommend Terry Bisson's Fire on the Mountain. In this timeline, John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry touches off a massive slave rebellion that has wide reaching consequences for the entire world. Cory Doctorow called it "one of the best alternate histories I've read" and said it showed a different side to the usually absurd Bisson. Successful slave rebellion alternate histories like this aren't unheard of (see the "The Lions are Asleep This Night" by Howard Waldrop or, hell, the real world Haitian Revolution), but if we speak of blacks as slaves, then our minds usually turn to the American Civil War.
Yet African-Americans are usually either portrayed as having it worst off that our timeline (with good reason) or not mentioned at all in an American Civil War alternate history, especially in those featuring an independent Confederacy. In fact, I find later to be a worse portrayal as it confines an entire people's experience to the footnotes. This has often come up when reading web original alternate histories on the subject, but even mainstream publications are not exempt from this omission. Perhaps someone will write about this odd phenomenon in the future...
So for the month of February I am going to try and shine a light on African-American alternate history by not only posting articles on the subject or talking with African-American creators, but also highlighting news I come across on the Weekly Update and any other news posts I write in the coming weeks. If you would like to participate in some way, whether as a guest poster or an interviewee, contact me at ahwupdate at gmail dot com. Thanks and I hope you guys enjoy our exploration of this corner of our favorite genre.
* * *
Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
The amazingly unlikely true story of how a grumpy old man and lifelong bachelor won the love of a beautiful young woman and started a family – and all by writing a curmudgeonly blog about his lonely journey to the grave.
Now who would have predicted that?
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
The wonders of true Northumberland (Tyne to Tweed)
14st 2lb; zero alcohol; 1,416; Earthly Paradise?
I wrote a column in the paper yesterday, much savaged by someone in the design department who found it less interesting than yet another bloody picture of Bamburgh Castle, which expressed my great enthusiasm for tasteless jokes, and my disappointment that the City specialists in this area had not yet come up with a real cracker about Bear Stearns. I have now spent the best part of 48 hours thinking of little else, and drawn a blank. I feel that there must be something to be made of the fact that my next-door neighbour would say “Bear Stearns” if he were trying to convey the concept of bare stones. Rock, stones … is there a lesson here somewhere? Maybe it’s just that you should never entrust your savings to any organization that sounds like it might once have boasted Fred Flintstone as a customer.
Today I had lunch in Newcastle’s substitute for The Ivy with one of my very few remaining clients and a couple of the region’s top business journalists. My contribution was confined to filling any gaps in the conversation with Heather Mills jokes, and really, really enjoying my food. I had not realized how much my appreciation of flavours and textures would improve if I stopped stuffing myself all the time. I carefully chose what looked like the least fattening things on the menu, though for some reason they both came on a base of undercooked spuds, proudly billed as “Heritage potatoes”, presumably because the Heritage people had outbid the National Trust in some sort of sponsorship deal. Then I went mad and ordered the bitter chocolate mousse with blood orange granita, mainly because my provincial ignorance is so vast that I had no idea what a granita was (and partly to test their assurance that there were no Heritage potatoes at all involved in this course). Now I know exactly what a granita is, I’m wondering whether that infamous former restaurant in Islington, where Blair legged over Brown, would have done half as well if they had called it by its English name: Slush Puppy.
I drove back home in good time to take the dog for a walk up the hill from Biddlestone, past the isolated cottage of Singmoor. I had forgotten what a superb short walk this is, offering one of the best effort to reward ratios in the county. After a comparatively gentle climb, panoramic views open out in all directions, from the coast to the Simonsides and Cheviots.
Vue panoramique numero un: towards the coast
Vue panoramique numero deux: towards Simonside
I heard the calls of skylarks and curlews, two of the most spirit-raising sounds I know. I stopped to lean on my stick in a rare moment of total contentment, and reflected how incredibly lucky I was to be able to combine this experience with lunch in a sophisticated metropolitan restaurant in a single day. Oops, I’m beginning to sound like one of those “Passionate People, Passionate Places” adverts from the local tourist board. It’s crap, really. Stay away.
On my descent, I passed a man reversing his van at high speed up the rocky track towards Singmoor. From the speed at which he was doing it, I deduced that he had a lot of practice in this art, and that it was his usual way of tackling the hill. It took me back to the ancient book called How To Drive A Car, which my father kindly lent me when I turned 17. That advocated tackling steep hills in reverse to increase traction, in the same helpful spirit that it recommended opening the windscreen to improve visibility in fog. It devoted an entire chapter to the art of double de-clutching. I was greatly disappointed when I got to my first driving lesson and found that this arcane knowledge was no longer required, but then I was also a bit flummoxed by the fact that the handbrake turned out to be on the inside of the car.
Now I come to think of it, something very similar happened with The Joy Of Sex and what Viz refers to as the female “go” button, but that’s a story for another time and place.
No comments:
About Me
Keith Hann is a serial quitter: professionally as a historian (the last days of the British Empire), then an investment analyst (the last days of the British food industry) and finally as a financial public relations consultant (the last days of pretty much any company that was deluded enough to hire him). In each case he packed it in just when there might have been some chance of making a few quid out of it. Then there is his personal life score: engagements 4, marriages 1. For the last few years Keith has been indulging himself as a hobby journalist. It seems unlikely that he will ever make a living out of this. And if he ever shows signs of making it Big, his resignation will be going straight into the post. In November 2007 Keith started blogging (a) to take the mickey out of the genre, (b) because a misguided friend told him that it was the ideal way to secure his Big Break as a writer, and (c) to chronicle the final days of a dying breed of solitary English curmudgeon. Nothing remarkable about any of that, except that it somehow convinced a beautiful, funny young woman that she had finally met the man of her dreams. As we always say Up North, there’s nowt so queer as folk.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
I have noticed that the in-game volume in voices, Music and Sound Effects automatically revert to its original volume by it self.
This is not that big of a deal, but quite annoying as I cant hear what my friends are saying on Skype over the in-game Music, voices and sound effects.
Is there a way to actually get the settings to stay the way I want without having it revert back to its original loud volume.
I recently reinstalled Win XP(call me nostalgic ), but this bug is really getting on my nervs, it prevents me from multitasking, say watch a move on my second monitor. Please fix this asap. Somethimes this game can get boring if your waiting for something to finish and you want to multitask
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Followers
Privacy Policy
Saturday, December 09, 2017
Saturday Morning Western Pulp: Western Novel and Short Stories, October 1956
Well, that's one of the oddest Western pulp covers I've run across. I'm not sure I actually like it, but it's certainly eye-catching. The artwork is by Stanley Borack, who did the covers for a bunch of men's adventure magazines. Inside this issue of WESTERN NOVEL AND SHORT STORIES are stories by Elmore Leonard, Noel Loomis, S. Omar Barker, Edwin Booth, John H. Latham, and William Vance, which is a fairly strong line-up of writers.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Special Reports
Quantum computing: Same plot, shorter film
IBM (NYSE: IBM) states that its quantum computing architecture will eclipse anything classical computing can produce once it can entangle 50 quantum bits (qubits). When IBM announced its quantum cloud service in March 2017, it sat at 5 qubits; by June it had reached 16 qubits. This development trajectory suggests the IBM Q Series will eclipse classical computing in two to three years. On the other hand, quantum pure play D-Wave recently released a system doubling the qubit performance from 1,000 to 2,000. The differences between the two architectures are nuanced and reminiscent of the high-performance computing development arcs of the past 40 years. In classical computing, niche vendors such as Cray and Tandem innovated around special-purpose computers addressing mission-critical, niche applications before general-purpose computing architectures could provide the same compute output at commercially acceptable price points. Quantum will likely follow the same path: niche innovation followed by general-purpose adoption.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
I make mention here & there about friends & families expecting handouts when you start a new business that might be beneficial to them. I also make mention of the creative professional job field and how it’s often not taken seriously. Some of the posts are a little snarky and angsty, let’s be real. I’ll admit it. This time, though, I really want to explain why friends and family can have a very negative, detrimental effect on your business when they expect freebies. I’ve had real-life experience with how to handle friends + family that don’t want to pay.
Let’s start with this: the expectation placed upon you as a new or growing business to provide goods and services for your family and friends is frustrating, is it not? You have this awesome new product that you can’t wait to show people. You know it’s going to be a total hit, and you’re filled with excitement over releasing this new thing. And then, your pal says, “Man, that’s awesome! Say, if you send one of those my way, I’ll be sure to mention where I got it from.” There’s the ever popular, “But I can give you exposure!” And the excitement vanishes, because you have a pit in your stomach over the uncomfortable position you’ve suddenly been thrust into.
Do you attempt to put on a smile, be positive, and thank your friend, sending the stuff their way, knowing that it’s not how you intended for it to be received? Or do you politely decline, and feel really weird about telling your pal that they have to pay for it?
Let’s say that you send it even though you didn’t intend for it be this way. What’s the positive here? Sure, your pal could promote the hell out of this awesome new thing for you and bring some business your way. That’s great, right? (And totally uncommon.) But what about the underlying, unsaid thing? You know… where your friend [may have inadvertently] devalued your hard work by asking for this thing for free. *gasp!* I said it. You didn’t really want to send it, you didn’t really want to give it away for free, and now you have this really weird feeling and you can’t put your finger on it. Pretty sure that’s the feeling of hard work not being appreciated.
As a business owner and instant customer service rep, you’re going to feel the pull of obligation to do what you’re asked. Declining or refusing would be rude, right? They might say bad things about you, right? And they said they’d put in a good word for you, right?
WRONG. The fact that your pal even asked you is the rude part.
Here’s why.
Confidence.
Your friend may very well have good intentions in asking for this thing from you with the intent of helping you out. Let’s get that straight. MOST of the time, there are good intentions. However, asking for this thing for free, and then qualifying it with any number of statements about referrals, recommendations, free exposure will really shake a person’s confidence. You probably don’t even realize that you’re subconsciously starting to question yourself. Is what I’m doing not worth payment? Is it a good idea, but not good enough for people to pay me for it? Does my friend think it’s not worth the price I’m asking?
Cost.
Running a business ain’t cheap. You know it, I know it. In order to make money, you often have to spend money. And a whole lot of time. Unless you have a solid plan to release a number of your items for free, and it’s in your budget, it’s expensive. I’ve felt obligated, more than once, to provide a service to a friend with the hope of referrals. I’ll admit it, and that’s why I can sit here and tell y’all that it’s a bad idea.
What happened next was shocking. (That sounds like clickbait, doesn’t it?)
The referrals I received expected the same freebie treatment. They legitimately said, “You gave it to so-and-so like this, I was hoping you’d be able to do the same.”
We settled on a discounted rate in the end. I sank a lot of time into something that was worth a lot more than what I received. See? Costly.
Expectation.
Providing a freebie when you would normally be paid for it creates an expectation that you will always provide a freebie. They will expect the same to always occur, more often than not. Then, you’re stuck in a hard position. Do you feed the expectation in order to keep the peace, or do you push back and feel that you’re risking a relationship? Let’s face it. If you feel that you’re risking a relationship by saying no, it’s probably not a relationship you want to carry on with a person. Friends & family, please don’t put your favorite business owner in this position!
There’s really no winner in a situation like this, where someone expects or requests free products or services.
If you’re a friend or a family of a business owner, the best way that you can support them is to support their business by feeding it. If they have something that is useful to you, whether it’s a product or service, stand behind them by being a patron and full supporter. It means a lot to a business owner to know that someone they’re close to is willing to support them. One good way to support them is by paying for the product or service, rather than expecting a handout. In fact, it means a lot more than any client they didn’t have a previous relationship with. It shows that you value their work and the time they’ve spent. It also keeps both of you out of an awkward position.
You are not alone, business owner, if this is happening to you. My best recommendation is to stick to your guns. If you feel weird, awkward, or like you’re being used, you should politely pass on the opportunity. You spend countless hours working toward what you have going on, so you should be treated like it!
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Today is the day when we will see what we are made up of: whether we have enough conviction in our beliefs and courage to stand up against this injustice. Khan Saab has and he has proved it in his 45 years of service for Pakistan. And I am so proud of him not just as a PTI member but as a Pakistani. Let’s hope Pakistan today decides its destiny forever and to get out of this misery and slavery. What we are seeing is unprecedented history unfolding in front of our eyes- 19th August 2014.
This day will be remembered like 14th August as second Independence Day or the black mark upon our conscience and history.
The most beautiful day today in the history of Pakistan. Today the ” The Red Zone” will become ” The Freedom Zone”
If we remained in our homes today , then never will we get out again as tools of injustice will suffocate us.
Red & Green are PTI colours. Today they will meet again.
Let’s Live today for just one day as we have been dead for many years. If we don’t come out, then we are dead anyway. Time to decide
Today you decide and let that decision be forever remembered by our generations and we can be proud of what we did, saw and participated in this history. Let’s become immortal today.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Charms & Pendants
CraftKitsandSupplies carries over 100 different styles of charms and pendants, ideal for beaded bracelets, beaded necklaces, beaded keychains, and other craft projects. We have charms and pendants such as, cross charms, cross pendants, glass charms, glass pendants, sterling silver charms, sterling silver pendants and many more other charms and pendants. Charms and Pendants are great for all types of events and craft projects, such as, birthdays, christmas, and school projects.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Post navigation
Liquor Licensees Look To Expose LCB’s “Big Lie”
OCEAN CITY — After weeks of sitting back and watching the Liquor Control Board for Worcester County (LCB) go on the defensive, the county’s licensees threw a counter punch on Wednesday by revealing that they aren’t the only ones who have been paying too much for their liquor.
At a press conference at the Buxy’s Salty Dog Saloon in Ocean City, Worcester County License Beverage Association (WCLBA) President Doug Buxbaum tried to poke holes in what he called “the big lie the LCB has always loved to tell”, concerning the LCB’s prices to not only the licensees but also the people of Worcester County.
“[The LCB] has taken advantage of their power for too long as they have been gouging the residents and the licensees all along when they have claimed to be trying to help us,” said Buxbaum. “We are trying to once and for all dispute and put an end to the spew of misinformation.”
Buxbaum presented figures and a handful of examples that showed that the residents and the licensees of Worcester County have been paying heftier prices at both the retail and the wholesale level than those in neighboring Wicomico County. He also showed that despite the LCB’s claim that it has been losing hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the poor economy, added costs, and lower prices, its gross profits have risen each year since 2006.
“For a bottle of Don Julio tequila for instance, the Maryland Beverage Journal price is $29.99,” said Buxbaum. “If you were to buy it in a retail store, off the shelf in Worcester County, you would pay $52.99 for it, or a $23 or 77% markup. In Wicomico County, you would pay $48.99 for the same bottle.”
Further price comparisons between the two counties showed that Worcester has in some cases, as much as 28% higher prices than that of Wicomico County, even though the Maryland State Law requires suppliers or wholesalers to sell liquor to the state’s four county dispensaries (Worcester and Wicomico, as well as Somerset and Montgomery) at the exact same price.
Last week, LCB Executive Director Brian Sturgeon said publicly that the dwindling revenues that the quasi governmental monopoly has returned to Worcester County was largely based on an across the board drop in pricing structure last year, as per a request from the County Commissioners, and an increase in the LCB’s operational costs.
“We lowered our prices to help the licensees and when we finally saw the numbers that came in for our contribution to the county for this year, we thought, damn, we have to do something to fix this, because we made a huge mistake and lowered the prices too much,” said Sturgeon.
The $110,000 that the LCB reportedly returned to Worcester County is the lowest total in well over a decade and is just a mere fraction of the almost $900,000 that was returned to the county in 2003 and far short of the approximated $777,000 given back just two years ago.
“Everyone knows that you can’t continue to run a business the way they have been,” said Buxbaum. “If I lost that much money, I would be on the street, and so would all of you in this audience. We feel that the pricing is causing people to go to Delaware or to other places in the state to buy their liquor, and we want to keep the business in this county to help the people who live here. It’s just another glaring reason why Worcester County needs to get out of the liquor business.”
Buxbaum said that the relationship between the LCB and the local licensees started to sour last year, when he says, the board arbitrarily elected to raise markup prices from 18% to 22%, but he noted that things really got heated last March when the LCB ran a $5 special promotion for bottles of Stolichnaya vodka, but didn’t offer the deal to everyone.
“We, as licensees, have to be prepared for continued price increases,” said Buxbaum. “We are considering a class action suit against the LCB for unfair pricing schemes and for not offering the deal to all the licensees as they are required to by law. They say that they did, but the fact is that they didn’t. In all the cases where they say that they were trying to help us, they have showed no proof. It’s just been words, and at best, half truths.”
If abolished, the licensees of Worcester County would see about 25% coming back to their proverbial bottom lines, but according to some licensees in attendance on Wednesday, the biggest impact could be on both the revenue returned to the county.
“Their six stores don’t pay taxes on inventory or personal property tax,” said Buxbaum. “So that alone, if those stores became private enterprise, would recoup more than six figures to the county.”
In addition, the WCLBA will be pitching the merits of having an economic impact study done by the Worcester County Commissioners in hopes of having a plan in place to replace the revenue given back to the county annually. According to those on the licensee side of the debate, the way to replace the revenue seems to be the lone subject where they aren’t quite yet in a seemingly unified voice.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Buxbaum also took umbrage with LCB Chairman Don Hastings’ claim that only “six or seven licensees out of 187 were the ones trying to get them abolished”.
“We are more than 100 members strong at the WCLBA, and we are all together in our belief that the train is on the track and it’s time for the LCB to go, once and for all,” said Buxbaum.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World's Economy
Raghuram Rajan was one of the few economists who warned of the global financial crisis before it hit. Now, as the world struggles to recover, it's tempting to blame what happened on just a few greedy bankers who took irrational risks and left the rest of us to foot the bill. In Fault Lines, Rajan argues that serious flaws in the economy are also to blame, and warns that a potentially more devastating crisis awaits us if they aren't fixed.
The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe
In The Euro, Nobel Prize-winning economist and best-selling author Joseph E. Stiglitz dismantles the prevailing consensus around what ails Europe, demolishing the champions of austerity while offering a series of plans that can rescue the continent - and the world - from further devastation. Hailed by its architects as a lever that would bring Europe together and promote prosperity, the euro has done the opposite. As Stiglitz persuasively argues, the crises revealed the shortcomings of the euro.
Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises
On January 26, 2009, during the depth of the financial crisis and having just completed five years as President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Timothy F. Geithner was sworn in by President Barack Obama as the 75th Secretary of the Treasury of the United States. Now, in a strikingly candid, riveting, and historically illuminating memoir, Geithner takes listeners behind the scenes during the darkest moments of the crisis.
The Courage to Act: A Memoir of a Crisis and Its Aftermath
In 2006, Ben S. Bernanke was appointed chair of the Federal Reserve, capping a meteoric trajectory from a rural South Carolina childhood to professorships at Stanford and Princeton, to public service in Washington's halls of power. There would be no time to celebrate, however - the burst of the housing bubble in 2007 set off a domino effect that would bring the global financial system to the brink of meltdown.
Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics
Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans - predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth - and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.
Jay Friedman says:"Great book if it's your first about Behav. Econ"
Publisher's Summary
In the fall of 2008, 15 of the world's leading economists - representing the broadest spectrum of economic opinion - gathered at New Hampshire's Squam Lake. Their goal: the mapping of a long-term plan for financial regulation reform.
The Squam Lake Report distills the wealth of insights from the ongoing collaboration that began at these meetings and provides a revelatory, unified, and coherent voice for fixing our troubled and damaged financial markets. As an alternative to the patchwork solutions and ideologically charged proposals that have dominated other discussions, the Squam Lake group sets forth a clear nonpartisan plan of action to transform the regulation of financial markets - not just for the current climate - but for generations to come.
They look at the critical holes in the existing regulatory framework for handling complex financial institutions, retirement savings, and credit-default swaps. They offer ideas for new financial instruments designed to recapitalize banks without burdening taxpayers. To lower the risk that large banks will fail, the authors call for higher capital requirements as well as a systemic regulator who is part of the central bank. They collectively analyze where the financial system has failed, and how these weak points should be overhauled.
Combining an immense depth of academic, private sector, and public policy experience, The Squam Lake Report contains urgent recommendations that will positively influence everyone's financial well-being - all who care about the world's economic health need to pay attention.
What the Critics Say
"If you asked me to recommend one thing to read on reforming financial regulation, [The Squam Lake Report] would be it. (Clive Crook, The Atlantic)
"The Squam Lake Report is an excellent primer on the workings and failures of today's sophisticated financial system. Few can fail to be impressed with the scholarship the Report brings to the subject of reform. (Alan Greenspan)
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
JYJ's recent short showcase tour in the USA has been super encouraging, demonstrating the amount of fan support they've got and that their talent and work ethic still charm everyone who works with them the world over. I love this performance for MTV K for showing off their live talent (so much better than that weird video...) and of course a little bit of charisma :)
Junsu's voice is just getting better and better (he's starting to look more like his brother too imo). I love (love love!) what they have all been wearing during this showcase- a kind of 'anno-nu' sophisticated glam rock, which is unexpected and has the potential to be tacky, but so perfectly executed that it looks like $$$.
Yoochun is wearing an awesome long sweater in this shoot that I am super jealous of, and is it just me or did he change his eyebrows since about a year ago? ♥
JYJ's recent short showcase tour in the USA has been super encouraging, demonstrating the amount of fan support they've got and that their talent and work ethic still charm everyone who works with them the world over. I love this performance for MTV K for showing off their live talent (so much better than that weird video...) and of course a little bit of charisma :)
Junsu's voice is just getting better and better (he's starting to look more like his brother too imo). I love (love love!) what they have all been wearing during this showcase- a kind of 'anno-nu' sophisticated glam rock, which is unexpected and has the potential to be tacky, but so perfectly executed that it looks like $$$.
Yoochun is wearing an awesome long sweater in this shoot that I am super jealous of, and is it just me or did he change his eyebrows since about a year ago? ♥
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Keeping a secret this big is going to take lots of balls. Specifically, rugby balls. THE CAD Bryan Leech is a cad. Or, he *was* a cad. No one is quite certain. Once the quintessential playboy, Bryan claims he’s done with wild parties and weekend benders. No more one night stands leading to mornings he can’t remember; no more binges and blackouts; no more exploits plastered all over the tabloids and rag sheets. According to Bryan, he’s cleaning up his act. The only problem is, no one believes him.THE CO-ED Eilish Cassidy never thought she’d be a mother at nineteen or still in college at twenty-four. Cut off from every member of her family except her favorite cousin, she’s finally managed put her life back together. Stronger and wiser, Eilish enters her last semester of university determined to stand on her own. Now she just needs to find an internship. The only problem is, her best option—by far—places her directly in the path of her son’s father, and he doesn’t remember her at all.
THE PLAN Bryan is determined to prove he’s changed. Eager to settle down with the right woman, he’s got his sights set on the gorgeous redhead who seems terribly familiar. Eilish is determined to hide her secret. She’ll do anything to keep her child safe, even if that means ignoring her own wishes and desires. But what happens when Bryan starts to remember? And what will it take for Bryan to convince the girl he forgot that she’s unforgettable?
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books. She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.
About Penny Reid
SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing). By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces the OSH Act's Whistleblower Statute along with 21 other whistleblower statutes for various industries. This Legal Insight discusses these whistleblower statutes and employee rights under them.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), often referred to as Health Care Reform, was enacted to establish near universal health care in the United States. This Legal Insight covers the ACA provisions that employers need to know.
You said it...
The biggest advantages of using XpertHR are: (i) knowing that the information can be relied on as accurate and that it comes from a credible resource and (ii) the ease in which the information can be obtained.
Karen Felix, Marketstaff-PEO/HRO
Explore XpertHR
Learn More
Get In Touch
Connect With Us
The materials and information included in the XpertHR service are provided for reference purposes only. They are not intended either as a substitute for professional advice or judgment or to provide legal or other advice with respect to particular circumstances. Use of the service is subject to our terms and conditions.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
UCSD took a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh as Imoto's double to left field scored Amani Proctor.
However, the Tritons could not hold on as the Savage Storm came from behind in the bottom half of the final inning. Following back-to-back singles and a sacrifice, Southeastern laid down two successful squeeze bunts to close out the game in walk-off fashion.
Michelle Escamilla (1-3) pitched 6.1 innings for UCSD, giving up four hits while striking out one and walking two.
The Tritons continue bracket play Saturday, taking on Central Oklahoma at 10 a.m. followed by a match-up with Minnesota State-Mankato at 4 p.m. You can follow Saturday's games live via GameTracker.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Friday, 27 August 2010
White Box Fever I
The imminent launch by Wizards of the Coast of the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials line with the release of the Dungeons & Dragons Red Box Set has peaked the interest of many a gamer. Especially the older gamer who recalls Frank Mentzer's red box version of Basic Dungeons & Dragons from days of yore, looking back upon the core set as a standard by which many an introductory RPG can be measured. After all, for them it was their introduction to the hobby, just as it was mine. If the original Red Box set is remembered with such fondness, it begs the following questions. Does the hobby twenty five years on have its equivalent, an introductory RPG that can invoke the same sense of wonder? That can do as good a job of introducing a new player to the hobby? Over the next few weeks, in the lead up to the release of the new Red Box Set, Reviews from R'lyeh will take a look at what is available, beginning with the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set for Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition.
The publication of Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition back in 2008 was highly anticipated. It saw a major redesign and change in playing philosophy from what had gone before for the last thirty years. Yet it appeared that Wizards of the Coast was marketing this redesign with a surprising indifference and bar picking up a copy of the Player's Handbook, there was no easy way in which to start or learn the game. This remained a problem until the publication of the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set a few months after the release of the three core books, the Player's Handbook, the Monster Manual, and the Dungeon Master's Guide. What you find in the box are a sixteen-page “Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Quick-Start Rules,” a sixty-four “Dungeon Master’s Guide;” a sheet of over fifty double-sided counters; three sheets of double-sided dungeon floor tiles; and a set of polyhedral dice. Everything is done in full colour and illustrated with that muscular style of artwork that has come to dominate the hobby's leading Dungeons & Dragons variants.
There not being one of those handy sheets that explains what is inside the box, the starting point is the Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Quick-Start Rules or player's book. More of a booklet, being staple bound, than a book, this very efficiently explains the game's rules and mechanics, focusing as the current version of Dungeons & Dragons does, on combat. It is rounded out with five pregenerated characters, a Dwarf Fighter, a Halfling Rogue, an Eladrin Wizard, a Human Cleric, and a Dragonborn Paladin. These are fully detailed, and each of them includes the extra feats, powers, and hit points to be added at second and third level. What this booklet omits are rules for character generation, though this is to be expected, since the Starter Set is intended to be a stepping stone onto the player's handbook. Also omitted are descriptions of the classes, the roles, and the races of these characters, though the races are described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide in terms of being monsters.
Much of the same rules and details are repeated from the Quick-Start Rules in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, but this book expands on this information to guide the DM through the process of running the game. There is advice in sidebars on being fair and a detailed breakdown of what goes into making up a monster in Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition. This is all in preparation for the book's scenario, “Beneath the Village of Harken: An Adventure,” which looks to be set in the same location as the scenario, H1: Keep on the Shadowfell. The scenario makes use of most of the included dungeon tiles and a few of the tokens. At just three encounters in length, it can be completed in an evening and is enough to give everyone involved a taste of what Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition is like. Reading closely, the mini adventure includes some pointers to the DM to help him run the scenario, and in some ways, these are the most useful feature in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The second half of the book guides the dm through the process of Building Encounters and adding traps and hazards to an encounter. This only takes up a few pages as the rest of the Dungeon Master’s Guide is devoted to a bestiary. Nearly thirty pages of monsters!
Physically, both booklets are presented on the same slick, glossy paper used throughout the Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition. Without a card cover, both booklets feel flimsy and not as hardwearing as I would like. One issue with both booklets is the lack of index, the inclusion of which would have aided the prospective player or DM wanting to look up a particular term or rule. Both the tokens and the dungeon tiles are much better done, having been printed on sturdy cardboard. The tokens include lots and lots of monsters as well as those for the pregenerated characters. There is actually quite a lot of variety in the tiles and beyond the confines of the Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Starter Set a group is likely to get quite a lot of use out of them.
The awful truth is that the Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Starter Set is not very good, and not very good for two reasons. The first reason is that it does not explain enough. Its explanation of roleplaying is cursory at best, wholly inadequate at worst, and neither booklet gives a single example of play anywhere. There should have been at least two pages devoted to this, just as there should have been another two pages devoted to a detailed example of how to referee a session. Also, where is example of solo play? And while that make look like a cliché to our jaded eyes, it would get a player going as soon as he opened the box.
The second reason is the inclusion of just a single, very short adventure that can be completed in one evening. After that, the DM is expected to write the next adventure. Really? After running a single session of three encounters? In a product that is meant to get the characters from first to third level? Writing an adventure is an incredibly daunting prospect especially if all that you have seen and run is just three encounters. There should have been at least one more adventure in the box, if not more, these additions serving as examples as well as the opportunity for the players to experience the feeling of their characters going up a level or two.
If you want an introduction to Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition, then H1: Keep on the Shadowfell does a better job. All right, so it does not include the character and monster tokens, but it offers more extensive play and the possibility of the characters rising in level.
The terrible truth is that Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Starter Set feels like an afterthought, something put together in a hurry to have a product aimed at the younger market in time for Christmas. Worse, it feels like the designers have just cut and pasted large chunks of material from elsewhere without consideration for box's intended audience. Indeed, the only time that this audience is directly addressed is in the little pieces of advice in the all too short scenario.
As an introduction to roleplaying, the Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Starter Set is useless. As an introduction to Dungeons & Dragons, the Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Starter Set is little better. Both because of the lack of examples and the all too cursory explanations. The result is a product with which you cannot get playing out of the box with any ease and a product that needs an experienced player to help teach the game to the neophyte player. In which case, why not buy a copy of the Player's Handbook and H1: Keep on the Shadowfell instead?
The Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Starter Set should have made the prospective new player go "Wow!" and want to make him play. It does nothing of the sort and with the release of the Red Box Essentials set is going to be relegated to gaming history as a disappointing and missed opportunity. If you consider that Dungeons & Dragons is the world's biggest and most popular RPG, it almost behoves Wizards of the Coast to have a product available that effectively and easily introduces players to the hobby. We can only hope that the Red Box Essentials will do exactly that, because Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition Starter Set does anything but...
For Your Information
A gamer for over thirty-five years, Pookie has been reviewing games and saying mostly nice things about them for ten of them. His reviews have appeared in Steve Jackson Games' Pyramid and Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society, Campaign Magazine, Games International, The Unspeakable Oath, at OgreCave.com, and elsewhere. Currently they appear regularly at Reviews from R'lyeh.
He has edited titles for Triple Ace Games for the Sundered Skies setting; for Goodman Games' Age of Cthulhu line; for Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplay; for Call of Cthulhu from SixtyStone Press; and various others.
Other facts about Pookie:
He is English.He likes tea.
He has been known as Pookie since he was seven.The nickname has nothing whatsoever to do with small bears and is more leptoidal in nature.The Klingon in him is fond of prunes.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
About Me
Moved to Kelowna from Vancouver in 1970. Worked at Western Star Trucks for 26 years before they did me a favour. Now I'm having a ball, live alone, have
two great married sons and daughter in laws a beautiful grandaughter Isabella and a new grandson Diego who all live close by. Update......no longer living alone. I've met a beautiful lady who has everything except good taste in men!
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Easy To Use Patents Search & Patent Lawyer Directory
At Patents you can conduct a Patent Search, File a Patent Application, find a Patent Attorney, or search available technology through our Patent Exchange. Patents are available using simple keyword or date criteria. If you are looking to hire a patent attorney, you've come to the right place. Protect your idea and hire a patent lawyer.
Portal server that provides a customizable user Interface for access to
computer networks
Abstract
A portal server presents an HTML page that comprises a plurality of modules
that are formatted in a predetermined layout. Each module represents a
network resource that can be accessed by a user through the portal. Some
of the modules can be user-selectable, whereas others may be mandatory
elements of the portal. Similarly, some aspects of the layout may be
user-controllable, while others are fixed. The modular nature of the
portal enables the various resources to be readily and independently
updated by the entities who provide them, without affecting other features
of the portal. The portal server includes an administration interface that
enables an administrator to select from various layout styles, as well as
control access to site information and services. A variety of
customizations can be done to the portal without requiring programming
skills. As a result, individual businesses and other entities can exercise
complete ownership of their portals, from a hosting, branding and design
perspective.
a permission class configured to instantiate a first permission object, the first permission object defining a first set of users having access to, and a first set of administrative privileges associated with, the information object;
wherein the first set of administrative privileges includes permission to instantiate a second permission object, the second permission object defining a second set of users having access to the information object;
whereby, upon installation on the network, the classes are executable by a processor on the computer network.
2. The portal server framework of claim 1, further comprising a descriptor class configured to instantiate a descriptor object, the descriptor object defining a set of administrative properties associated with the information object.
3. The portal server framework of claim 1, further comprising a permission context class configured to instantiate a context object for each permission object, the permission context object defining the users and the privileges for the
permission object.
4. The portal server framework of claim 1, wherein the second permission object defines a second set of users having access to, and a second set of administrative privileges associated with, the information object, wherein the second set of
administrative privileges includes permission to instantiate a third permission object, the third permission object defining a third set of users having access to the information object.
5. A method of providing a portal server on a computer network, the method comprising:
providing a permission class configured to instantiate a first permission object, the first permission object defining a first set of users having access to, and a first set of administrative privileges associated with, the information object;
wherein the first set of administrative privileges includes permission to instantiate a second permission object, the second permission object defining a second set of users having access to the information object; and
whereby the classes are executable by a processor on the computer network.
6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising providing a descriptor class configured to instantiate a descriptor object, the descriptor object defining a set of administrative properties associated with the information object.
7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising a permission context class configured to instantiate a context object for each permission object, the permission context object defining the users and the privileges for the permission
object.
8. The method according to claim 5, wherein, the second permission object defines a second set of users having access to, and a second set of administrative privileges associated with, the information object, wherein the second set of
administrative privileges includes permission to instantiate a third permission object, the third permission object defining a third set of users having access to the information object.
9. A computer program product for providing a portal server on a computer network, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable medium; and,
computer program instructions, recorded on the computer readable medium, executable by a processor, for performing the steps of:
instantiating an information object encapsulating information; and
instantiating a first permission object, the first permission object defining a first set of users having access to, and a first set of administrative privileges associated with, the information object;
wherein the first set of administrative privileges includes permission to instantiate a second permission object, the second permission object defining a second set of users having access to the information object.
10. The computer program product according to claim 9, further comprising computer program instructions for performing the step of instantiating a descriptor object, the descriptor object defining a set of administrative properties associated
with the information object.
11. The computer program product according to claim 9, further comprising computer program instructions for performing the step of instantiating a permission context object for each permission object, the permission context object defining the
users and the privileges for the permission object.
12. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the second permission object defines a second set of users having access to, and a second set of administrative privileges associated with, the information object, wherein the second
set of administrative privileges includes permission to instantiate a third permission object, the third permission object defining a third set of users having access to the information object.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to the mechanisms via which users access information provided over computer networks, such as the Internet, intranets and extranets. More particularly, the present invention relastes to a portal
mechanism via which users gain access to resources at various network sites.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Browser applications have become ubiquitous tools for accessing the vast amounts of information that are available via computer networks, such as the Internet and the like. At its basic level of operation, the browser permits a user to connect
to a given network site, and download informational content from that site, such as an HTML document, for display at the user's computer. To view additional information, or a different type of information, the user designates a new network address, e.g.
a different HTML file, whose contents then replace the previously displayed information on the user's computer.
To alleviate the need to navigate from one network site to another to view different types of informational content, portals are being employed on a more common basis. In general, a portal is an entry point or gateway for access to Internet web
sites, or the like. One of the prominent advantages of a portal is the fact that information stored at a plurality of different network addresses, including different sites, can be simultaneously viewed on the display, rather than limiting the user to
information from one site at a time. Most companies and organizations provide different types of portals for a variety of purposes, including portals for the general public, intranet portals for their employees, and extranet portals for their customers,
vendors, supplies and other parties with whom they transact business.
While the organizational needs served by a portal continue to grow, so have the complexity and cost of developing, deploying, administering and continually enhancing portals. To maintain the continued interest of portal users, administrators
must carry out an ongoing effort to maintain portal content that is fresh, deep, customizable and sufficiently broad that their constituents will consider them to be a meaningful gateway to the Internet. On its intranet, an employer must often compete
with public portals for the attention of its employees. Furthermore, companies and organizations are forced to either maintain staffs of highly skilled engineers and content developers, or to outsource these tasks. Meanwhile, Internet-related
technologies are proliferating and maturing, and Internet users' expectations continue to increase. Maintaining an effective portal often competes with and detracts from the resources available for an organization's primary goals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the foregoing concerns associated with the ongoing maintenance of an effective portal, the present invention provides a portal server that streamlines the processes involved in offering a feature-rich portal. The portal server
provides services through a library of object-oriented classes, such as classes in the Java programming language developed by Sun Microsystems, that give access to various databases, web servers, scripting environments and mail services.
At the user interface level, the portal server presents an initial view, or front page, that comprises a plurality of modules that are positioned in a predetermined layout. Each module represents a resource of a particular type that can be
accessed by the user utilizing the portal. Some of the modules can be user-selectable, whereas others may be mandatory elements of the portal, as determined by an administrator, for example. Similarly, some aspects of the layout may be
user-controllable, while others are fixed. The modular nature of the portal enables the various resources to be readily and independently updated by the entities who provide them, without affecting other features of the portal.
In another aspect of the invention, the portal server includes an administration interface that enables an administrator to select from various look-and-feel templates, as well as control access to site information and services. A variety of
customizations can be done to the portal without requiring programming skills. At the same time, however, script writers can change pages, and programmers can extend functionality through additional classes.
As a result, individual businesses and other entities can exercise complete ownership of their portals, from a hosting, branding and design perspective. The features and advantages of the present invention that offer these capabilities are
described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures, which illustrate exemplary embodiments thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a general block diagram of an exemplary network system in which the present invention can be implemented;
FIG. 2 is an illustration of an exemplary front page of a portal;
FIG. 3 is a diagram of the high-level architecture of the portal server;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an object model for a module;
FIGS. 5a and 5b are diagrams illustrating two exemplary page layouts;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a user object model;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the permission object model;
FIG. 8 is an overview of one implementation of the portal server;
FIG. 9 illustrates the initialization and front page files for one implementation;
FIG. 10 illustrates front-page and edit views of a module;
FIG. 11 illustrates the front page and edit views in greater detail;
FIG. 12 illustrates a customized front-page view;
FIG. 13 depicts the execution environment for one implementation of the portal server.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
To facilitate an understanding of the present invention, it is described hereinafter with reference to specific implementations thereof. For example, the software programs that underlie the invention can be coded in different languages, for use
with different platforms. In the description that follows, examples of the invention are described in the context of web sites that employ Java Server Pages (JSP) or Active Server Pages (ASP). It will be appreciated, however, that the principles that
underlie the invention can be implemented with other types of computer software technologies as well.
1. Overview
A general depiction of a networked computer system in which the present invention can be implemented is illustrated in FIG. 1. In essence, the computer system enables individual users of communication devices 10, including personal computers
10a, workstations 10b, web access devices 10c, and the like, to view informational content provided by various servers 12a-12n. The communication devices 10 are connected to the servers 12 by means of a suitable communications network 14, such as a
local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, or the like. To view the content provided by the servers, the devices 10 run a browser application 16. At the servers 12, the available content and services are stored on suitable storage media,
such as magnetic or optical disk drives, in a format that is capable of being read by the browser applications, such as HTML or XML. Typically, each segment of information that can be accessed at once, e.g. file, is referred to as a web page, and has an
associated network address. Thus, by entering a particular address in a browser application, the user is presented with one page of information that is stored at a particular server. A collection of web pages that relate to a common topic and are
interlinked with one another may form a web site.
At its basic level of operation, a browser is designed to display one web page at a time. In such a case, the user is required to navigate from one web page to another in order to view different types of information available on different sites. Quite often, however, the user desires to be able to view a variety of different types of information at once, and then select the particular type of information that is of most interest at that time. For instance, within a corporate context, a user may
desire to have quick access to various resources and data provided by the employer, while at the same time being able to view information provided over the Internet, such as news headlines, financial data, and vendor data. To this end, therefore,
portals have become popular mechanisms that enable users to access information from multiple different network sites at once.
The present invention is particularly directed to a server application and framework that dynamically constructs and maintains portals for display to users. An example of a portal display that incorporates features of the present invention is
illustrated in FIG. 2. The portal comprises an HTML web page 18, identified as a "front page". In essence, each page presents a predetermined layout of encapsulated modules containing the resources that are available to the user. The top of the page
may include a suitable banner 20 containing a corporate logo or the like, and one or more navigation buttons 22 or links, that permit the user to access specific pages associated with the sponsor of the portal, e.g. the user's employer. Below the
banner, another set of buttons or links 24 are displayed, which permit the user to personalize the portal. In the illustrated example, the personalization buttons enable the user to revise the layout of the portal, change its color scheme, and edit that
user's account, e.g. change a password.
Below the banner 20 and the personalization buttons 24, one or more modules 26 are displayed. Each module provides the user with access to a particular type of resource, such as news headlines or stock quotes. As will be apparent from the
discussion that follows, these resources can be applications, databases, services, informational content, e-commerce offerings, and the like, that are available from one or more of the servers 12a-12n. Some of these resources may be provided by the
employer (or other provider of the portal), whereas others may come from independent third parties. By interacting with any one of these modules, the user can access the information or services provided by that module. Thus, by clicking on a headline
in the "News" module, the user can be presented with the full text of the news story to which that headline pertains.
In the example of FIG. 2, the modules are arranged in two columns, or groups. Through the ability to personalize the layout of the portal, the user can determine which modules appear in each of the groups, as well as their order of appearance
within the groups. In addition, the user can edit the content of individual modules, by means of an "Edit" button 27. For the "News" module, for instance, the user can select which news sources are to be used for the selection of headlines, as
explained in greater detail hereinafter.
2. High-Level Architecture
The functionality associated with the portal is provided by a portal server, running on one or more of the servers 12a-12n. Referring to FIG. 3, the portal server can be viewed as a client/server model. The client interface is provided by HTML
code generated by the portal server to run in a user's browser application. The server consists of process management services that are provided by a web server and suitable class libraries. These libraries connect to other servers and use other
resources as needed, including a data store which provides object persistence via a suitable database interface. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, this functionality might be provided by a JDBC interface over a SQL database. In another
embodiment based upon an LDAP environment, user management can be provided via JNDI over LDAP. The server can connect to other network resources, for example to acquire information from the Internet or an intranet.
Prior to any customization by an administrator, the portal server can provide a set of web pages that constitute a default, self-contained portal web site. One implementation of the portal server includes a Java Server Pages (JSP) web site, for
use under any web server that supports Java servlets and JSP. Another implementation comprises an Active Server Pages (ASP) web site, for use under Internet Information Server (IIS) provided by Microsoft Corporation. Both of the implementations under
these different scripting environments can use the same Java libraries and services; the primary difference between them is the web site upon which they are based (JSP or ASP), and how the web site interfaces with the Java libraries.
3. Object Model
An object-oriented software system consists of software objects. A software object represents an actor within an overall system design. Such actors may correspond to real-world concepts, or may exist purely to support the overall design.
Software objects encapsulate the data and logical processes of the actor. This encapsulation makes objects easy to use, because the user of an object need not know how the object performs its processes. Software objects are also extensible: other
objects can be built on top of existing objects, allowing the new object to expand the concept of the old object without having to rewrite the functionality. These properties of software objects make object-oriented systems flexible and extensible.
An object model comprises a collection of objects that work together in documented relationships. The portal server is an object-oriented system built on such an object model, illustrated in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7. The objects that make up the portal
server architecture include Components, Managers and Services, Modules, Views, Pages and Page Ordering, Layouts, Users, Permissions, Content Parsers, Data Storage and Tasks.
3.1 Components
Components are a set of loosely related classes used to create wrappers to provide simplified access to other objects within the architecture of the portal server. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one component 28, designated as the
"Portal Services Component," is employed as a single point of access for methods that are external to the portal server. The function served by the Portal Services Component is access to other objects within the architecture. Since the Portal Services
Component provides a single point of access, it allows a very simple distributed object registry profile for use in object brokers. Only the Portal Services Component need be registered. Other objects can be accessed by calls to the Portal Services
Component. An example of an object broker is the Microsoft Common Object Model (COM). When running under an ASP web site, for example, the Portal Services Component can be published as a Microsoft COM/ActiveX control. An instance of this class is
created once at web server startup in an ASP environment.
In contrast to the ASP environment, under a JSP web site, any JSP page has access to any Java object made visible in the classpath. However, the Portal Services Component can still be used as a single point of retrieval for important objects
within the architecture. This architecture provides simplicity as well as compatibility with the ASP version of the portal server.
3.2 Managers and Services
Managers and Services perform similar functions, but in slightly different and complementary ways. A Manager encapsulates details for handling the creation and manipulation of a set of objects. A Service can encapsulate any identifiable
Application Programming Interface (API) within the portal server. Managers can be implemented as Services within the portal server; however, Services are not restricted to being Manager implementations. Both Managers and Services allow for run-time
replacement of their implementation with specific versions adapted to user-specific needs.
Two examples of Managers are a module manager and a user manager. Modules follow a "singleton" design pattern, meaning that there is one instance of a module for the lifetime of a server session. The class of module managers, therefore,
maintains those module instances, and handles their persistence. The user manager class is an abstract class whose purpose is to manage the persistence of User objects. Classes that extend this class could, for instance, store users in a SQL database
or an LDAP server or Java serialization.
To be useful to a broad range of portal providers, a portal framework must easily allow different implementations of key services. Services such as user management, flexible schema storage, and search engines are likely to be different for
different portals. To facilitate a high degree of customization, the portal server includes technology for allowing configuration-data driven resolution of service implementations within the portal server. This technology provides a means of allowing
runtime resolution of the specific class used to implement the service, as well as configuration of all its properties.
Essentially, a Service allows a few lines of configuration data within the computer system's startup configuration files or registry to specify details of the run-time implementation, including the actual class to be run to provide the service.
This allows the portal provider to use existing implementations or define their own, and substitute their chosen implementation into the system without rewriting source code that uses the implementation.
The portal server Service includes the following elements:
1. a format for specifying configuration directives identifying the service implementation, by type and by name;
2. a format for specifying and locating configuration directives used by the service implementation;
3. A Service Manager class, which acts as the factory for loading and retrieving individual Service Managers;
4. A Service Manager API, which an implementation must satisfy to act as service manager to a particular service type; and
5. a "Service" API, which an implementation must satisfy to act as a Service.
Given these elements, a process can utilize a Service by calling the Service Manager class, and asking for a particular service manager by its type. Once the service manager is retrieved, it can be used to retrieve a particular service, by
giving the name of the service. Once the service is retrieved, it can be used for its intended purpose.
3.3 Modules
Modules are objects that encapsulate a specific, bounded portion of content at a network address, and allow that portion to be administered as a unit. For example, a module might display news, sports scores, stock quotes, or weather forecasts.
Site and end-user content preferences are expressed by the set of modules displayed on a portal page. FIG. 4 illustrates the module object model. A module 29 follows the "singleton" design pattern, the same as Java servlets, which means that the portal
server keeps only one instance of the module, which persists for the lifetime of a web server session.
3.3.1 Module Types and Descriptors
Each new class that implements the module interface defines a new module type. Each module type has a module descriptor object 30, that defines metadata for the module, such as its name, administrative properties, and default settings. A module
descriptor gets its initial data from an XML document. The metadata for a module can be customized simply by editing the XML document. Since XML documents are quite easy to change, the module descriptor provides another point for the customization of
the portal server. Each module descriptor represents a module type that can be added to a portal using an administration GUI (described hereinafter). A module that has been added to a portal is an instance of its module type.
3.3.2 Views
Views are the means by which the portal server isolates the presentation logic so that it can be more easily customized. The Module View 32 is the display logic for a particular view, or mode, of a particular module. Examples of views are the
front page of a portal, where the module is displayed within a box or other graphical region (as shown in FIG. 2); the page where a user customizes a module (for example, selects news categories or stocks of interest); and the page where the portal
administrator customizes the global properties of a module. A new view object is created for each HTTP request.
The Module View interface defines constants identifying these and other common views. Modules can also create custom views to handle module-specific processes. Implicit to most methods in this interface is that the Module View contains an HTTP
request, an HTTP response, and other page-specific data, all of which is encapsulated within a Portal Page Context object 34. However, this interface specifies no method for setting that information. This architecture provides flexibility for the
creating module to independently manage and create its views. Any object can perform some process at the start of a Module View by implementing a Page Start Handler object 36, and passing itself to the view via its constructor.
Each module view's purpose is to create an HTML page, or part of an HTML page, displaying some aspect of the module's data. Module views can generate their HTML through any means desired. To this end, therefore, certain types of modules can be
defined for the portal administrator to use as building blocks in the construction of a portal site. For example, a "clip" module can capture specific HTML elements from an HTML page, so that only those elements are retrieved as the content of a module. In contrast, an "include" module can be defined that is capable of capturing the entirety of an HTML page for inclusion in a module. In these types of modules, the HTML data can be embedded in the Module View class. Other types of exemplary building
block modules comprise an XML inclusion module, which retrieves an XML style sheet and generates the HTML for display as the content of a module; a transaction module which can employ a script to obtain filtered data from a network location for display
in a module; a JSP module, which can execute a JSP page and display the contents of that page as the contents of the module; and a module that creates a framework for multiple JSP pages providing common module views.
Using JSP with modules has a number of advantages:
1--Modules that use JSP are easier to maintain than modules that embed their HTML in a Java class. If a module's JSP file is changed, all users of that module see the changes immediately, with no recompiling of Java class files required.
2--Once a module is built using JSP, HTML knowledge is all that is required to change the module's look-and-feel.
3--Because the HTML generation is controlled by JSP, the Module View objects can be very thin.
A module subclass can be defined that enables creation of new module types using only JSP. Modules that do not need their own new methods can use this subclass and JSP files for all of their functionality. Each module view corresponds to a JSP
file that contains the HTML and logic for that view. The portal server allows a Module View, which is a class object, to execute a JSP page and add its results to the overall HTML page being constructed.
3.3.4 Portal Page Context and Portal Page Info
A Portal Page Context object 34 extends the Page Context class 46, which can be a class within the javax.servlet.jsp package provided by Sun Microsystems. The Portal Page Context object contains everything a Module View needs to know about its
execution environment. A Portal Page Info object 48 tells the modules about the display characteristics of an HTML page that is being constructed. By using the Portal Page Info object passed to them via their page context, all modules on a page can
coordinate their fonts, colors, and other display characteristics.
3.4 Page Layout
Multiple modules are presented to the user, for example, within an HTML pages. The present invention enables the addition of modules to a page to take place in a flexible manner, which provides control to both a portal administrator and the end
user. Several alternative methods for achieving such a result can be used.
3.4.1 Layouts and Groups
A Layout 38 contains the Groups 40 on a specific HTML page of the portal, and Groups contain a set of modules specific to one user of the portal. Hence, in the example of FIG. 2, the Layout for the illustrated page contains two groups, e.g. left
column and right column, and the two groups contain three and two modules, respectively. A module constructs a Module View that is specific to the user and context, and the view assembles the HTML presentation. The JSP or ASP code enumerates through
groups and then enumerates through the modules within each group.
A Group Template 42 is a pattern used by a Group object to create itself. Unlike a regular Group object, the Group Template is not user-specific.
A Layout Template 44 holds a collection of Group Template objects. A regular Layout is created by patterning itself from a Layout Template.
3.4.2 Pages, Page Layout and Page Ordering
An alternative to Layouts and Groups can use Pages, Page Ordering, and Page Layouts. This alternative can provide better built-in support for multiple-page designs, such as those typical of a "tabbed" user interface. In a tabbed user interface,
the end user mouse-clicks on one of a series of tabs to move between pages. Each page has its own content and layout.
The site administrator can create pages, and can publish them for availability by end users. The general steps for an administrator to create a page and make it available to users are as follows:
1. Create the page by identifying its descriptive information: e.g. title and description;
2. Establish the page layout, as a set of columns and/or rows in which modules are to be grouped. Columns and rows form cells. Characteristics of cells, such as relative or absolute widths, are set as part of this step. The administrator can
be shown a grid that visually reflects the layout of cells within the page. FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate two examples of such a grid. The layout of FIG. 5a is row-centric, i.e. it comprises two horizontal rows of module cells, whereas the layout of FIG.
5b is column-centric;
3. Specify modules for cells within the page. The administrator can leave the set of modules completely up to the end user, or can add modules to cells within the page. The administrator can decide whether a given module is optional to the end
user, or is required. The administrator can also lock entire cells, effectively dictating a predefined set of module content;
4. Assign styles to elements of the page;
5. Assign appearance settings, such as fonts and color;
6. Publish the page, making it available to one or more user groups, and establishing the order of this page relative to others.
Once a page has been published, it can become available to end users. They can control which modules are on the page, within the restrictions established by the administrator. For example, users might be able to choose modules and rearrange
them within the cells of one page, but the portal administrator might lock the content and arrangement of another page.
Page ordering is controlled by a Page Ordering object within the object model. This object holds the collection of published pages, and supports re-ordering of the pages. This is a portion of the API that can be used, for instance, to affect
the relative tab positions of published pages. In an implementation of the administration user interface, it can use the API to allow the portal administrator to re-order pages visually.
3.4.3 Manager Classes
The Layout Manager class 50, the Group Manager class 52, and the Module Manager class 54 manage object persistence. For each defined layout, the Layout Manager maintains information regarding the groups contained in that layout. The Group
Manager, in turn, maintains information describing the modules that comprise each group. The module Manager determines the particular characteristics of each module in a group, e.g. which news sources the user has selected for display in a "News"
module.
3.4.4 Templates and Styles
Templates and Styles collectively provide a Templates API. In one implementation, there are three main classes in the Templates API: the Style class, the Template Manager class and the Template class.
The Style class corresponds to a single style. The Style class contains methods to display itself (the execute methods) and to make itself persistent. The Template Manager class is used to create, retrieve and store Template objects. The
Template class corresponds to a single style type. The main function of this class is to associate default Styles with particular templates and to create Style objects. Default Style associations for every template can be made on a system-wide,
peruser-group, per-page, or per-user-group-per-page basis.
3.5 Users
A User object 56 represents an end user of the portal. FIG. 6 illustrates the User object model. Referring thereto, a User Group 58 is a site-defined group of users, to support permissions, described below. Registered portal users can be
assigned to one or more user groups. Examples of user groups are Engineering and Sales, or Beginning and Advanced. The user data and group assignments can be stored in an LDAP directory or a database. User groups enable different portals to be
targeted to different users, as well as to distribute different administrative functions to selected users. User Query 60 is an interface for searching and retrieving users. An instance of the User Query class is created via the User Manager 62, which
is the abstract implementation of a class to manage User persistence. Classes that extend the User Manager class could, for instance, store user data via a SQL database, an LDAP server, or Java serialization.
A User Set 64 contains a set of User objects, and could be implemented in a relational database, for example. The User Group Manager 66 is an interface to the underlying representation of user groups.
The portal server manages user retrieval and authentication through a general API composed of the User Manager, User, and User Set classes. A portal server configuration property specifies the actual classes that are used at runtime. This
design makes it possible to plug in any desired user manager implementation.
The portal server can employ various user manager implementations. Examples include one that is SQL-based and another that is directory server-based (JNDI over LDAP). A variation of the SQL user manager performs its user authentication against
NT domain user accounts.
3.6 Permissions
Properties are associated with modules to determine which modules users can access, which ones they can customize, which ones they cannot remove from their front pages, and which ones they can minimize on their front pages. For instance, in the
example of FIG. 2, the "Company Directory" module does not include an edit button 27, so that the user is not able to edit its content. In one implementation of the invention, a permissions architecture can be employed to control what a user group can
do to a particular object. In this implementation, permissions can be associated with the Modules and Users classes. User group permissions determine whether one group can perform any administrative tasks over another group (for example, view the group
membership, add members to the group, delete members from it, etc.).
Module permissions determine what a user group can do to a particular module. A standard set of permissions can apply to every module. Some of these can be end-user permissions (for example, whether a module is available to the members of the
user group, whether the user group members can customize the module, etc.), while others are administrative permissions (for example, whether user group members can add new instances of a module or edit a module's end-user permissions). In addition, a
module can have custom permissions that control access to functionality that is particular to that module. For example, a discussion board module might have custom permissions controlling whether a group is allowed to post messages to the board and
create new discussion categories.
The various types of permissions can be set via an administration tool, which is preferably web-based. In addition, delegated administration modules, such as User Manager 62 and Module Manager 54, can enable user groups to perform specific
administrative tasks without having access to the full range of administrative privileges available through the administration tool.
FIG. 7 illustrates the permission object model. The core of the permissions API comprises four interfaces. A Permission object 72 is a string ID (such as "enabled"), a list of groups that are allowed the permission, and an "everyone" Boolean
that determines whether the permission is on or off for everyone. This Boolean supercedes the group list. A Permission Context object 74 is a set of permissions. Each object that has permissions defined on it, like a module, has one Permission Context
object containing all of the permissions for that object. Permission Catalog 76 is a static, class-wide list describing the permissions allowed in a Permission Context object. A catalog is used to initialize and update the permissions in an object's
Permission Context. A Permission Catalog Item 78 is the definition of a permission within the Permission Catalog. Each item describes a permission's ID (e.g., CAN_EDIT), friendly name (e.g., "Can edit module"), and a default seed value for the
"everyone" Boolean.
Each module has one Permission Context object 74 containing all the permissions defined for the module. There is one Permission Catalog that defines the standard module permissions. Each module defines a custom Permission Catalog. The catalog
can be empty by default, but permissions can be added to the catalog by defining them within the module's descriptor file. All permissions referenced in the catalog are created when the module is instantiated.
3.7 Content Parsers
One of the significant advantages of the portal framework of the present invention is the fact that the resources that are made available to the user via the modules can come from a variety of third-party sources. Consequently, however, the
content for the modules may be largely unstructured, which can be problematic when it is to be made available for manipulation and display within the portal. To this end, therefore, a parsing technology is employed for retrieving data from external web
sites and various other sources, translating the data into XML, and returning structured results as objects for use by other entities, such as modules. A Content Parsing object is used for executing a transaction script and obtaining the results
produced by it. The Content Parsing Manager class, which manages Content Parsing objects, can be instantiated by a web server or called directly using code.
Once the Content Parsing Manager is created and the script package loaded, transactions are created. Only one script package need be used per Content Parsing Manager. Since initializing a Content Parsing Manager can often involve time-consuming
one-time setup operations such as loading and parsing a package file, preferably a single instance is created for each web server "application," while multiple Content Parsing objects are created to handle individual user actions.
The Content Parsing script provides a level of abstraction between a source of data, e.g. headlines from a news source, and the manner in which the data is used. If a change occurs in the data source, only the script needs to be updated, and not
the various entities that use the data, such as modules, Java programs, JSP files, etc.
3.8 Data Storage
A portal is supported by an extensible database schema at the data storage tier of the overall architecture so that new data storage requirements do not in turn require a database administrator to modify the structure of underlying tables. The
Data Storage object is a dynamically extensible, hierarchical data store, consisting of folders and documents, that enables modules to be developed that can store their own custom persistent properties, without having an impact on the overall schema.
The Data Storage object can also be employed to solve another problem, namely the performance hit associated with retrieving web content. The Data Storage object provides an infrastructure that can be used to cache web content. Recently used
data can be stored in a memory cache, and content can be programmatically expired and/or uncached. The memory cache holds onto data with weak references, i.e. when memory gets scarce, garbage collection can be performed on the cache. The following API
provides an interface to an abstract storage system:
1--Data Storage: the data store itself
2--Data Storage Folder: a folder within the Data Storage object. Folders can have an unlimited number of string or integer properties and can contain Data Storage Documents as well as subfolders. A folder within the Data Storage object is
accessed by its path, similar to the operation of a file system.
3--Data Storage Document: a document within the Data Storage object. The document can be a string, a serializable object, a DOM Document, the contents of a URL, or a byte array. Each document can have an unlimited number of string properties.
Different implementations of the Data Storage class, with different persistence mechanisms, are possible. One version could use a relational database, another could use LDAP, and yet another could use custom machinery. In a SQL and file system
implementation of the Data Storage class, document contents are stored in the file system. For instance, a document containing a Java object is serialized and written to a file. A document containing text has the text written as a simple bytestream to
file. A document containing a URL has the contents of the URL downloaded and written as a bytestream to file. A relational database keeps track of document names and where in the file system their contents are stored. Every document, when created or
retrieved, is automatically put into a memory cache. The memory cache can be cleared by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) when resources are running low.
The portal server can be scaled by load balancing across multiple machines. Many web sites cannot be replicated across servers because of state cached in memory that gets out of synchronization. The portal server of the present invention can
notify all servers in a cluster that cached content has changed.
3.9 Task
Services frequently need to be able to execute jobs according to a schedule. An example is a cache cleanup routine, which must be run, transparent to any user, on a regular basis, e.g. every 15 minutes. Another example is a news headline purge
routine that should run every few days to remove headlines older than a specified number of days. In the portal server, these scheduled matters are handled by a task. A task is a collection of one or more subtasks coupled with a schedule. Tasks can be
set up to run as external programs, Java programs in separate JVMs, on separate threads in the current JVM, or on the current thread.
A schedule defines run times. It is made up of an interval, interval units, and constraining variables:
1--Maximum number of repetitions (if left at 0, unrestricted);
2--Start date (if left blank, can start immediately, depending on other constraints);
3--End date (if blank, never expires);
4--Arrays of allowed days of week, days of month, and months (specifying any of these constrains the schedule to run only on days that match the array contents; the effect of constraining arrays is cumulative).
The Persistent Scheduler class executes from a collection of persistent tasks described in its database. It reads the database for all current tasks, finds those due to be executed, and executes them.
A Task Scheduler object can iterate over scheduled tasks until there are no more to schedule, or until a shutdown time. Direct Task is an interface for a task that can be executed directly, instead of by indirection. This interface is useful
for single tasks that do not need input parameters.
4. Initialization Architecture
The portal server can have different initialization strategies, e.g. one for an Active Server Pages (ASP) version and another for a Java Server Pages (JSP) version. These strategies solve the problem of allowing dynamic web pages to obtain
access to Java objects within the object model.
4.1 ASP Version
The ASP version of the portal server can run under Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS). The bridge between IIS and Java classes is the Microsoft Component Object Model (COM), an operating system service for connecting objects that are
written in different languages. The portal server registers one of the classes within its class library as a COM object, e.g. PortalServices. When a browser first accesses the IIS portal server ASP pages, an instance of PortalServices is created within
the JVM. This PortalServices object provides a path to other portal server objects so that they do not also have to be registered with COM.
FIG. 8 summarizes how the portal server works under ASP. IIS serves HTML and ASP pages for an IIS web application. According to the IIS definition, an "application" is the collection of files in a particular web directory and its
subdirectories. Each application must have an initialization file, named global.asa, in its root directory.
The starting point for an IIS application is default.asp. FIG. 9 shows the role of global.asa and default.asp in one possible portal server IIS implementation. Everything under the portal directory is part of the portal server application. The
global.asa file in this directory is portal server's application initialization file. An OBJECT tag in global.asa creates one instance of the PortalServices COM component at web server startup.
At the start of a user's session, the global.asa file finds the correct User object, and the default.asp file creates the Layout object. ASP is used for the pages served to the user. JSP can be used to generate the module HTML within those
pages, using the portal server's JSP execution environment. This technique constitutes JSP wrappering within an ASP environment
4.2 JSP Version
Unlike some scripting environments, standard JSP does not have the built-in capability to know when the web server has started, or to know when a new user has begun a session. By contrast, ASP has the notion of the global.asa file, in which code
can be placed that is executed before any page in the directory is accessed by a particular user. Accordingly, the JSP version of a portal web site can be designed to ensure that initialization code is executed before any page of the site is run. The
initialization code can be in a file that contains a session start method and an applications tart method. This file is preferably included at the top of every JSP file to ensure that the application and cur rent user have been initialized correctly.
5. User Session Control
A portal server session begins when a user first accesses any portal server page, and ends after a period of inactivity that is configurable via the web server, e.g. 20 minutes.
Identifying information about registered site users is stored in a database. A registration page enables new users to be added to the database; a login page enables users to identify themselves to the portal server by entering their user name
and password. The login information can be stored as a browser cookie so that users don't have to log in each time they visit a site.
When a user accesses the portal site, the portal server checks for a cookie identifying the user. Site access can be controlled through a combination of cookies and two administrative flags: one indicating whether guest access is allowed and the
other indicating whether new users can register themselves. If no cookie is found, the portal server can send one to the browser when a registered user logs in.
If a user is identified as a registered user, the portal front page creates a User object as well as a Layout object, which it uses to build the User's custom front page. For a guest user, a guest user account can be used. A guest user can
access only the guest front page, the login page, and (if self-registration is allowed) the registration page.
Each portal server web page checks for the User object cached in the session; if none exists, the login page is displayed instead. This check prevents unauthorized access to any portal server page.
A site can change this behavior through portal server scripting pages--for example, to send unregistered users to some other site.
6. Module Display Within a Portal Page
Once a user has been registered, that user's front page is displayed via the browser application, for example as depicted in FIG. 2. Each module generates HTML, which the front page displays at that module's spot, as designated by the layout. A
module displays various sets of information. For example, a news module displays various categories of news. On the front page, the news module displays news headlines. When the user clicks the module's edit button 27, the module displays the list of
available news categories as well as the categories a user has already selected. A module provides these display capabilities by having a separate "view" object in charge of each type of display. FIG. 10 displays the front-page and edit views for the
news module.
These two views create only the portion of a module that is surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 10, namely its substantive content. The front page and user edit page create the rest of the displayed features.
A module view object contains the display logic for its module. When a user accesses the portal, each module on the front page creates an object that generates the HTML for its front-page view. When the user clicks the edit button of a module,
the edit view object creates and displays the user edit page. FIG. 11 shows the display logic in more detail, again using the news module as an example.
A layout page, which is accessed by one of the personalization links 24, lists all modules that are available to any user group to which the user belongs. Users can add, remove or reorder the modules that are included in their layouts by means
of this page.
Modules allow attributes to be added easily, without concern over the method of storage. The portal server provides custom properties, which support an easily extensible storage mechanism. FIG. 12 illustrates how the hypothetical news module
could use the Data Storage object to customize a view for a particular user. The Data Storage object stores any administrative customizations that a module might have. In the case of the news module, these customizations could be default news
categories that individual users can override for their own front pages, categories that users are required to include on their own front pages, or a combination of the two.
A module can have custom properties as well. A module might use a custom property for values an administrator would change frequently--such as reminders or a "tip of the week."
6.1 Multithreaded Module Preparation
Since the portal server partitions a web page into logical components, i.e. modules, they can do much of their work separate, simultaneous threads. Multithreading permits multithreaded page requests to yield faster page response time, especially
for heavily dynamic and network-bound pages. For example, if three modules are making network connections to get their data and each one takes two seconds, the response time for a single-threaded application would be at least six seconds. However, a
multithreaded portal server's response time could be closer to two seconds.
7. JSP Hosting
An ASP version of the portal server can include a JSP execution environment that is available to module views, as depicted in FIG. 13. JSP files are manipulated via a Java servlet, a Sun Microsystems specification analogous to the CGI
specification. The ASP version of the portal server can include a servlet host and JSP servlet to execute JSP files.
A JSP version of the portal server can also use this internal servlet host. Alternatively, the JSP version can use the web server's JSP servlet, by making a Servlet API call for inclusion of the module's HTML output within a web page being
constructed.
8. Site Look-and-Feel, and Communities
Users of a portal web site typically belong to one or more user groups that are important to the portal provider. The user groups may constitute communities united by a special interest, common job role, common membership in a department or
group, etc. Very commonly, the portal providers may want to create a different look to their sites for each of the different user groups. In other words, stylistic elements of the page can be varied depending on the user's group membership.
To provide for this facility, these general provisions are required:
1. a means of associating formatting intelligence with specific portions of a page, thus defining a style;
2. a way of associating a user group with the style;
3. a way of identifying which of a user's group memberships takes primacy in choosing styles.
Each of these provisions is addressed in the description to follow.
8.1. Styles and Templates
A "style" is a portion of software source code affecting the look-and-feel of a user interface. For styles to be useful, their code must be packaged in a way that makes them easy to administer and to include in a user display.
Since it is a portion of user interface source code, a style cannot be useful outside of a context. A "template" is a category to which a style can belong. Templates provide the context in which a style will be used. Templates also provide a
means of retrieval for the currently selected style.
In an HTML-based implementation, styles and templates are the means by which a page can provide a different look-and-feel for different portions of the page and for different user groups.
The usefulness of styles and templates depends on how easy they are to create and to incorporate within a page. Both "templates" and "styles" can be created dynamically, as part of an administration user interface. This dynamic creation process
involves the following general steps:
1. define the template, by describing it to the administrative user interface;
2. create the style's source code in a file, using whatever language and technique is appropriate to the deployment and to the types of templates to which the style will apply;
3. define the style in association with a template;
4. upload the style files to the portal web site.
Once a template has been created and has one or more styles associated with it, the styles can be retrieved for use in a page. Part of the API for the Template object includes methods for retrieving styles. Once retrieved, the API for the Style
object allows the style to be executed, creating the desired portion of the user interface.
8.2. Style-to-group Mapping
Styles provide the means of delivering a particular look to a template. To support the notion that different user groups will have different styles, a style within the template's set can be identified as the desired style for a group. This can
be made more sophisticated to allow defaulting to a style when the user's group does not explicitly have a style associated with it.
8.3. User Primary Group
Users can belong to multiple user groups. To create a look-and-feel tailored to the user's group membership, one approach is to choose one of the user's groups as the "primary user group". This group is the one used to select user interface
look-and-feel, by asking the Template object to return the style associated with the user group.
To achieve this purpose, there must be some way of assigning the primary user group to the user, from among the set of groups to which the user belongs. For instance, an administrative user interface can include a way to flag one of the groups
as "Primary".
Once the primary group has been chosen for the user, it can be used as the basis to make decisions. To support this, the API returns the primary group. In one implementation, the User object includes a method to return the user's primary group. Given the primary group, the portal web site can be written to exploit the style association with user group. For instance, the rule can be "for a given template, get the style associated with the user group, and execute the style."
8.4 Group-specific module layout
An important aspect of creating a site for a user community is the ability of the portal administrator to create pages whose modules are specific to that group. This can be supported by allowing each page to have module contents by group. The
ability to add modules to pages can be made specific to a group.
8.5. Special Provisions for Delegated Administration
In a system which allows "delegated administration" where users other than a portal administrator have some control over the look and feel of a portal page, care must be given to what template definition and style definition capabilities are made
available to delegated administrators, and how those templates and styles are allowed to be added to the web site. Since styles define actual pieces of code affecting the appearance of the web site, they should be treated as potential viruses, and
subjected to source control as with the rest of the site.
Thus, while a portal administrator can add styles without restriction, and can make them live immediately, users acting as delegated administrators must be restricted so that they cannot introduce ill-behaved code. One way to accomplish this is
to restrict what delegated administrators can add to the system to be only HTML, rather than JSP or ASP code. This restriction lessens the potential for serious harm to the server, but places no restriction on the content being added to the site's
pages.
8.6. Viewing the End Result
Given the many provisions for an administrator to control the look-and-feel of a site by user group, and since users can belong to many different groups, an administrator can easily lose track of what the resulting portal site might look like to
the end user. A solution to this problem is to give the administrator the ability to check out the end user site, by allowing them to quickly and easily "log in" as that user. This can be provided from the portion of the administrative interface that
allows editing of the user record. This portion is only accessible to an administrator who necessarily has access to the user's login, so security is arguably not compromised by providing this access. A single button within the user editing pages can
provide this access.
9. Administration
As discussed in previous sections, a useful feature of the portal server is a web-based administration tool that enables administrators to perform many tasks through simple browser actions. These tasks can include any or all of the following:
8--Running various graphical utilities, such as one that sweeps obsolete data from the Data Storage object and database; one that diagnoses the current operating conditions of the portal; one that maps images to document mime types; one that
explores the contents of the Data Storage object; and/or various utilities for setting up portal services.
9.2. Delegated Administration
A portal web site can be administered entirely by one or more portal administrators who have access to all the administration capabilities of the system. However, depending on the nature of the portal site and its user communities, this central
administration can create a large workload for those administrators, and may violate privacy of some of the communities. A remedy to these problems is the ability to delegate specific portions of administration to trusted members of user communities.
Because modules are the portal server's means of distributing content in a controlled fashion to user communities, they can serve as an excellent basis for distributing administration capabilities to a subset of users. Specifically, modules can
be written to provide certain administrative capabilities, and those modules can be assigned to user groups, so that only members of those user groups will have access to the modules. Typically, of course, the user group to which an administration
module is assigned is carefully restricted to a very limited number of authorized users, but this decision is left to the portal administrator.
10. Summary
From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides an architecture for a portal server that offers a number of features and advantages. One such feature is its platform independence. The portal server can work with UNIX,
Linux, and Windows NT, as well as with leading web servers, application servers, and databases. Further advantages lie in the fact that installation is rapid. An entire working portal can be up and running very quickly: in hours or days, rather than
weeks or months that were required prior to the invention. Organizations can, at their own pace, change all aspects of the look-and-feel of the portal, integrate their own content, and use the portal server's development tools to extend out-of-the-box
functionality. The portal server is preferably based on Java, JSP, JDBC, XML, and other standards-based technologies, thereby promoting integration with existing systems and reducing required learning time.
It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are
therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalence
thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Allin is a crisp, generic email template that has been primarily designed for newsletters. However, due to the nature of the design and layout, you can shape it to be whatever you want!
Need an email template that gives you the flexibility of being able to change the layout every so often, but without having to completely re-design it every time? Allin keeps your newsletter consistent without it having to look the same every time you send it out.
There are four colour schemes to choose from, and well-structured code for you to use your own scheme!clean, customizable, dark theme, email campaign, flexible, generic, mordern, news, newsletter, product, slick, well-documented
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
God dwells in the lowliest of men
21st Sunday after Trinity Mark 10:35-45
What will we make of this familiar encounter in Mark’s gospel?
James and John, come to Jesus with a request and somehow you know there is going to be trouble when they try to get him to agree with them before they even say what it is that they want . They want a shortcut. The encounter goes something like this. Hi Jesus, you know how we’ve been helping you out in your ministry? Well, how about a little favour in return – “give us whatever we ask for.” And what do they want? They want the best seats in the new kingdom. When Jesus conquers the Romans, they want to be at his left hand and his right hand – his NUMBER 1 and NUMBER 2 guys. They want the power and the glory and the influence that they think they deserve for being his faithful followers all this time; And they want to make sure it's them and not Peter or Matthew or God forbid, Judas that get the good seats. So here they are up front and getting in first. Maybe we don’t like their approach – after all they are a bit pushy!
But the other disciples are showing their true colours as well.
In verse 41, “And when the ten heard it, they began to be angry with James and John.” They were jealous and probably upset that they hadn’t had the good idea to ask Jesus about sitting next to him in glory. Or maybe they had been secretly thinking: ‘if we just keep our heads down and work hard, I’ll bet Jesus will give us whatever we want.’ But now James and John have stepped in and made their request, trying to elbow their way into first place. We learn from Matthew’s account of this story that they even had their Mum there as well, pleading for ‘My Boys’ and all of a sudden, the hearts of the other ten disciples are revealed: they wanted the same thing as James and John, but they were too proud to say so.
But as the disciples usually do, they have it all wrong, even though Jesus continually explains his future, which will be suffering and death on the cross. Jesus tells them ‘you do not know what you are asking’. They think Jesus coming into his glory will be one thing, when it actually will be quite another.
What about us? Are we the direct James and John type, telling God straight ‘this is what I want?’ Or maybe we go for the indirect route? Go to church, say our prayers and keep our heads down, hoping that God is noticing and will answer all our requests. Human nature is not always nice and like the disciples, it is sadly true that we too have the ability to be just as self-seeking.
So how does Jesus respond to his two bold disciples?
He could have said “Because you asked for so much, I am not going to give you anything.” Or, “You’ve pushed me too far this time. You are no longer my disciples.” He could have told them they were incredibly immature and selfish. No, instead Jesus asks the question “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
In replying the brothers engage their mouths before their brain.
“Oh yes! We are able!” But of course they still don't understand what Jesus means.
Jesus has in his mind his suffering and death. He has in his mind, the cross. “Drink the cup” reminds us of Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, where he prays that this cup would pass, and he would pray ‘but not my will but yours be done, O Father.’ That cup of suffering will be a bitter cup. Jesus talking about the cup and baptism are all veiled references to his death. The disciples couldn’t understand what he was talking about at the time, but with the benefit of hindsight both they and we come to understand in time.
Jesus was saying, “I’m not going to be king. I’m not going to be wealthy. I’m not planning to be popular. I’m not who you think I am. I am going to give my life, on a Roman cross, for the sins of the world.”
And in verse 45, Jesus shares his mission statement: It is central to Mark’s gospel. It is the message he is at pains to get across.
“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Here we have Jesus’ closest friends behaving like power-hungry men who are trying to use Jesus to get what they really want. And how does Jesus respond?
Does he say, “Ok, here’s the deal. You put in three years of blood, sweat and tears, and I’ll make sure you get a good position in my administration.” You don't know what you are asking. Very soon the Roman soldiers would bow down before Jesus, not in worship but in mockery. They dress will dress him in a fine robe of purple, not in honour but for a sadistic show. They will place a mock scepter in his hand, and then they will beat him with it. They will not sit him on a jeweled throne of high honour; rather he will be hung, on a cross, in shame. Not wearing a golden crown, but one of thorns.
Jesus is trying to explain that life in His kingdom is different. In the world, the greatest have servants. In his kingdom, they are the servants. Jesus knows our human frailty where we can so easily be concerned about our own little kingdoms, our own little thrones. Where we want to be our own masters, set our own rules, re-defining sin as what someone else does wrong, and not what we do wrong..
Sadly, much of our world is ruled by people who lord their authority over others. But imagine a world where people use their authority to serve like Jesus. Imagine what it would be like if everyone who attended Church was eager to serve their neighbour. And what if that service was self-forgetful, where we didn’t keep track, of how well we were doing in our serving others?
Imagine if we brought this attitude into our jobs and our families and our neighborhoods? That is the Kingdom we pray for week after week as we say the Lord’s prayer, ‘Thy kingdom come here on earth’, then there will be a community of people who are soaked in the love of God, active in loving and serving each other.
When Toyohiko Kagawa, who lived in Japan, met Christianity he was captured by its call to serve. He prayed, 'O God, make me like Christ.' To become like Christ he went to live in the slums of Tokyo to care for others. He chose to live in a shed that was about two meters square. On the very first night he was asked to share his room and bed with a man with a contagious skin disease, which caused terrible itching, the first test of his aim to serve. He welcomed the poor man. Then a beggar asked for his shirt and he gave it. The next day the beggar came back for Kagawa's coat and trousers. He gave them and was left wearing a ragged kimono. At first the slum dwellers laughed at him but they soon came to admire him. Kagawa wrote:
God dwells in the lowliest of men. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. He stands with the juvenile delinquents. He is there with the beggars. He is among the sick; he stands with the unemployed. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. Before he goes to church let him visit the hospital. Before he reads the Bible let him visit the beggar.
We need a revolution – not a stand against authority but a willingness to serve and to be served, if this was how every Christian lived we would take the world by storm, it would be overwhelmed by love.
And so we pray, bring on the revolution – and may it start here with us - Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Father Chad Hatfield: I am Father Chad Hatfield, I am the Chancellor of St. Vladimir’s, and again, I want to welcome you all to this beautiful day of celebration, our Orthodox Education Day. With the Pochaev icon visiting our campus, the Mother of God has truly blessed us with blue sky and a multitude of wonderful activities.
We are about to hear our keynote speaker for this year’s Education Day. We do everything at St. Vladimir’s these days by committee—sometimes by committee, and subcommittee, and subcommittee of the subcommittee, and by following that process we came to a full agreement on this year’s theme, which is, Many Cultures, One Faith.
Some folks have said to me today, it is a little more of a carnival atmosphere, and I do not know about you, but I like carnivals. We do have dancing and other things, like food, that do remind us that Orthodoxy is a very broad, catholic faith. There is no part of humanity which is excluded from embracing the fullness of the faith. The wonderful thing about this, then, is it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the fact that our Orthodox faith is not passed on to us through our DNA. It is something that we acquire through ascetical exercise, through prayer, through fasting, through almsgiving. It is something that we do, not as our religion of choice, but as the way we live our life. It is who we are.
And when it came time for all of these various committees and their subcommittees, and whatever else, to reflect upon who would be the perfect keynote speaker for such a theme, there was instant agreement. We all said, at the same time, we need Father Michael Oleksa, and he graciously agreed to come down to us. It was my joy to serve the brother priests in the Diocese of Alaska with Father Michael.
In one sense I am his successor, because he was once the Dean of St. Herman’s Seminary in Kodiak, and I was once the Dean of St. Herman’s Seminary in Kodiak. Our wives like each other like sisters, and so there is a kind of familiar bond that happens with anyone who serves in the Dioceses of Alaska, whether you are there or not. There is something that happens by the Grace Divine, and it is a thing that we all cherish.
One of the blessings that Alaska gives the rest of the Church is that it is one of those places where Orthodoxy is truly part of the culture, where it is not something as a foreign object that has been injected in. When those first missionaries arrived, it was their stated goal not to make little Russians out of those whom they called The Americans, but to plant Orthodoxy within that culture, and that is what has happened there.
Father Michael, of course, is a world-renowned missiologist. We are developing a missiology program here at the seminary, which is in the very neophyte stages, but certainly, Father Michael will be part of how we develop this program, eventually, to an actual Master of Arts in the field of Missiology.
Only last week, I had an email from a young preacher, a missiologist in Australia, and he asked me if I could name five top Orthodox missiologists. Of course, at the top of the list, would go Father Michael. Missiology is an interesting field. We could certainly trace it to the Book of Acts, but you know, when you type it in on your keyboard, if you have spellcheck, it will say you have a misspelled word.
Missiology is sort of at the place where theology was 50 years ago. It is still acquiring its niche amongst other academics. So this is an education day and we are to be educated by one of the best missiologists in the field of Orthodoxy and culture, the author of numerous books and articles, including two published by SVS Press, which are available today: Orthodox Alaska and Alaskan Orthodox Spirituality, which is a fairly new reprint that we have, and Father Michael will be happy to sign it, of course, for a fee, with checks made out to St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary. (laughter)
Please welcome a brother whom I love dearly, Father Michael Oleksa.
Father Michael Oleksa: Well, I must say, thank you very much, Father Chad, for that gracious introduction, but when I left St. Vladimir’s Seminary, after my first full year here, I had no idea I was going off to become any kind of missiologist. It is an interesting story, and I will begin there, because I am basically just a storyteller, and I think that is what mission is, the telling of stories. Our Lord dedicated most of His teaching ministry to the telling of parables and stories, and so I think that has sort of been part of our job since the beginning, the telling of stories.
I had, in early childhood, a fascination with Native Americans. When I was 3, 4, 5 years old, people would ask me, “What do you want to be, Michael, when you grow up?” And I would say, “an Indian.” Being of Ukrainian and Pennsylvania Dutch background, my mother did her best to convince me that that was simply not possible.
I put those ambitions aside and came here to St. Vladimir’s for my first visit as a college student in what we called the new dorm. It is now an old building, not even used for housing. We had a student, a senior, about to graduate, with a map of Alaska on his wall, covered with pins. I did not know if he was doing voodoo on the state, or about to invade it.
I asked him, “What is this map, and why the pins?” He said, “These are our parishes: The Eskimos, the Indians, the Aleuts.” I said, “Wait a minute, there are Native Americans who are Orthodox Christians?” I had not heard about this, I had not put two and two together. He said, “Of course, don’t you remember? Alaska was part of the Russian Empire for 127 years.”
In Pennsylvania, that historical event took up two paragraphs in fifth grade. It had passed out of my memory. “This I have got to see,” I decided. “Some day, these two great interests of my life, the Church, and Native Americans, converging? I have got to see this for myself some day.”
That was 1966. Three years later, as a student here, of St. Vladimir’s, a letter came, not to me, but to another student. It went something like this: “We here in this village have been Orthodox Christians since the time of St. Herman. We have not had a resident pastor since his death (which was 1837, if you recall). We have been waiting patiently for a priest. We wrote to the bishop three years ago and asked for one. He said, ‘I cannot send you a priest, you have no house.’
“So we took an older house from our community and we put in the wiring and the plumbing, and we wrote and said: ‘We have a house, send us a priest.’ The bishop wrote back, ‘How can I send you a priest? You have no salary. There is no means of support.’ So at the end of the last fishing season we took a collection, and now we have several thousands of dollars in the bank, and we can support a priest for at least a year—‘We can get things started, send us a priest!’ The bishop wrote back, ‘I have to come clean. I don’t really have a priest to send.’ They wrote back: ‘In that case, send us someone who will be a priest.’”
That letter was forwarded here to a particular student, who was an inveterate New Yorker. I had a roommate just like him at Georgetown. His idea of the West was New Jersey, and he saw no reason, ever, to go there—the city was sufficient. I was interested in, needless to say, going to Alaska. He asked, first, his roommates, one of whom was Ted Bazil, by the way, “You want to go to Alaska? You want to go to Alaska?” He did not know I had been eager to go to Alaska for years. He handed me this letter, and two weeks later, I was there, and the rest is history. It has been 40 years now.
I got to Kodiak, and it was one of the most extraordinary journeys, though we do not have to go into the geography of it all. We took off in a plane called a Grumman Goose. A Grumman Goose has two engines, has wheels, and also pontoons. It can land on water, take off on water, land on land, and take off from land. We waddled off the beach and belly-flopped into the ocean, the two propellers got going and we eventually took off. We landed on the beach in front of the village, and belly-flopped down into the water. The two engines kept it going enough to waddle onto the shore, and there I was: Old Harbor Alaska, May, 1970.
Hundreds of kids gathered around me. I was the first guy, probably, from that far away, to ever come from that direction. The Russians had come from the other side in boats. I remember noting, though I don’t think I was disappointed, that all the kids spoke English. All the kids were wearing Nike Keds. It was cold, they were wearing Eddie Bauer parkas. They were eating pizza. They all spoke English. The cultural difference between myself and them was not at all pronounced. I was the only one in 4th century attire. (laughter)
But as I came to reside in that village over the next decade or so, I came to this conclusion, and it is my main point for the whole afternoon: My students did not see the world the same way I did. That is very hard to detect when they are so much like you. It took a lot of years to piece it together, but it is what I present to you as my first definition of what a culture is. A culture is a way of seeing the world, and there isan Orthodox way of seeing the world.
When we talk about one faith, I think this is where we have to start. We, as Orthodox Christians, regardless of national background, regardless of language, regardless of nationality or ethnic histories, do have an Orthodox way of seeing the world. Everything we do in the Church—our prayer, our fasting, our feast days, our holidays, everything we do in church school, every sermon, every hymn, every prayer, is geared to passing on that Orthodox way of seeing to the next generation, and to anybody else who wants to join us, who is interested.
Let me explain this idea of a culture as a way of seeing, because here is the problem: You cannot see your own culture. If it is the way you see, then you cannot see it. It is like someone trying to examine their eyeglasses while they are still wearing them.
A better metaphor would be something like this: I have to give credit here to C.S. Lewis who writes in an essay called, Meditations in a Tool Shed. He was not talking about culture, but I am adapting it to my purposes. He says in this essay, “I went to my tool shed this afternoon on a sunny day (like we have now in Crestwood), and I closed the door behind me, and at first I couldn’t see a thing. My eyes had not yet adjusted from the brightness outside to the darkness within. What I could see very clearly,” he says, “were the shafts of light coming through the cracks in the ceiling.”
Many of us have had this same kind of experience. You see that beam of light right in front of you, and you can see every particle of dust there in that brightness. You cannot see the shed, though, as soon as you have stepped into it. You step into that beam of light, and your whole perspective changes. While you are in the beam of light, you cannot see the beam of light. When you are in the beam of light, you cannot see the shed.
What do you see? You see the world beyond. Stepping into the beam of light, instead of looking at it, you see the world outside, you see the tree that overhangs that corner of the shed. You see the blue sky and the white clouds, and 93 million miles away you can see the sun, but when you are in the beam of light, you cannot see the beam of light.
A culture is a way of seeing, but while you are in it, you do not notice it. You do not know how American you are until you leave the country. It took Alexis de Tocqueville, the Frenchman, to tell Americans what it meant to be American, because no American could have written that book.
For about 10 years I was looking at Native Alaskan culture, but I had to make the effort of moving out of my way of seeing, and stepping into theirs. I cannot say I have made a 100% transition, but I can sort of peek into this one, and get back into my own, and I can compare and contrast them. That has been, really, my life—to try, as an Alaskan Orthodox priest, to convey what you see when you are in the Aleut or the Yupic Eskimos or the Tlingit Indian beam of light and how that is different from the Pennsylvania way of seeing that I left behind. It is different. But you have to get out of your own and into the other.
I started by saying, however, that I believe that we have a common Orthodox way of seeing. What do I mean by that? It does not matter what ethnic background, it does not matter how long you have been Orthodox—a thousand generations, or one. We have an Orthodox way of seeing, and it is something that the Church conveys to us, as I mentioned, in all the things that the Church gives us, but especially Holy Week and Pascha.
This is what I posit to you this afternoon, as the very definition and goal of Orthodox education. We spend a lot of time preaching, we spend a lot of time praying, we spend a lot of time fasting, but none of those things are the goal. What is the goal? It is something we cannot express in words or we could just tell you. What is the goal, of everything we are doing in the Church?
You cannot put it into words, but I think when we start to talk about it, it comes down to something like this: You are in Church, Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday, Great and Holy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, sometime during those sacred Holy Days. Maybe it is Pascha, itself, maybe during Bright Week. All of a sudden, if you are the priest, if you are in the choir, if you are a reader, something happens. You cannot speak anymore. You cannot sing anymore. You are so overwhelmed with a sense of love, joy, peace, beauty and holiness that it overwhelms you and overcomes you. If you had to speak, if you had to continue to sing, it feels like you would just burst into tears.
Do you know what I am talking about? I think every Orthodox Christian I have ever asked that question says, “Yes.” But we do not talk about it, do we? If we said to our neighbor, “Did you get it?” They would say, “No.” Because it never happens to any two people, I think, at exactly the same time. And if you tried to talk about it, people would say, “Well, you are crazy.”
I think that is why, at the end of St. Mark’s gospel, the women are told to go tell everybody what has happened and they say nothing to anyone because they are afraid. What were they afraid of? They were afraid people were going to say, “You are out of your mind. That does not make any sense. We have no idea what you are talking about.”
So this is our little Orthodox secret, isn’t it? We all have this experience, but we never talk about it. But ultimately, that is what it is all about. There is no way to provoke it. There is no way to instill it. In fact, it would be completely artificial if we tried to emotionally stir people up, because then it would be completely man-made. It is a sudden, unexpected gift.
I once met a kid, a teenager, who was 16 at the time, I remember that, who waited after a weekday liturgy where there were not very many people, and not very many singers, it was not an overwhelmingly beautiful liturgy, it was a kind of everyday, one could say almost normal, if there is such a thing, celebration of the liturgy. He waited for me to leave the altar and afterward he came up to me and said, “Father, I have to tell you something.”
What was it? He said, “From the beginning of the liturgy, from the time you said, ‘Blessed is the Kingdom,’ to the very end, to the final amen, I do not know how to say this, but I was overcome with such an experience of joy that if I would have had to speak, I would have burst into tears.” I said, “When did you say this experience started?” He said, “At the beginning of the liturgy.” “And when did it end?” “An hour-and-a-half later.” I said, “That is extraordinary. I have had moments of this, but an hour-and-a-half? Isn’t that amazing?” He said, “But that is a confirmation of everything I learned in Church school, and everything anyone has every taught me or preached. I know it is real.” No one induced it, no one provoked it. It was not artificially stirred up. It was a gift. It turns out that young man had a lot of difficult and painful trials ahead of him years later. God gave him that experience for that long of a time so that he would be able to get through those difficult years.
But this is our Orthodox culture, our way of seeing the world, because once you have had that experience, everything else falls into place, doesn’t it? I remember having that experience overwhelmingly here at my first Pascha when I was still in college and I came as a college student to the chapel that no longer exists, but the experience is there forever. Once you have had it, it is an eternal event.
I think people come to church, I knew people in Kodiak, certainly, who went to church and tried to talk about this, but because there are no words for it, they would say, “I expect at least a moment of that every Sunday, and when it doesn’t happen, I am disappointed, but I come back next Sunday in the hope.” I think even Mother Theresa mentioned having this experience for one week in her life, and never having it again. But having it once is enough. It grounds you.
Faith is loyalty, or faithfulness, to that experience, and not explaining it away. That is why faith is a virtue. I am convinced God, in His own way, touches each of us with precisely that experience, whether it is in church or someplace else, and then we all have to make up our mind, “Was that real? Or was that indigestion?”
There is a not too great movie called Grand Canyon, in which Steve Martin, who usually plays a comic role, plays, in this particular movie, the role of a serious movie producer. He is making millions, he is fantastically wealthy, but he is making horrible, violent films. Then one day, in this film, he gets himself mugged and becomes the victim of violence. One of his friends, who has never really liked any of his movies much anyway, comes to visit him as he is convalescing. He is sitting up in his hospital bed, and the beautiful sunlight is streaming in and he is speaking almost in Elizabethan English. He has seen the light.
In other words, what has happened in Orthodox terms is, he has had one of those moments of joy, peace, and all the rest, and he is overwhelmed, and he almost cannot speak, and he says, “Everything I have ever done is garbage. Nothing I have ever done is worth anything.” It is a complete repentance, precisely because he sees his life in the light of that experience. “I am going to have to change everything,” he says.
Weeks later, as the movie progresses, this same woman is visiting him at his Hollywood mansion and he is describing his next, even worse, movie. And she reminds him about the experience he had in the hospital. He says, “Oh that, I must have been delirious.” He had to explain it away because if he took it seriously, everything had to change.
Those of us who have had this experience as Orthodox Christians, overwhelmingly, in the Church, and overwhelmingly, in the context of worship, we know what happened to that guy in that hospital bed, because we look forward to it, and we cannot provoke it, and we cannot induce it, but we have had it. That is our culture. Our way of seeing the world derives from that overwhelming experience of the love, joy, and peace of the Holy Spirit, given to us, unexpected, undeserved, and unprovoked, but we know it is true.
Everything we do as religious education, is not so much to induce that, because that it impossible, but I would put it this way, it is sort of to put ourselves in alignment with it, so that God, if He so chooses, can grant it to us. He cannot grant it to us if we stay home Sunday morning reading the Sunday paper. That will not put us in that alignment. You see, we have to get out of bed, we have to be there, we have to be attentively participating in the worship of the Church, and then it just happens.
It is God’s free gift to us, and we all know what that means, and it seems that we have it more collectively, more of us at pretty much the same time during Holy Week and Pascha. That is when we know it. That is when it hits. That is when the alignment for hundreds of millions of Orthodox Christians happens simultaneously. That is our culture. That is the faith that unites us.
At that same time, we have our own, as we are celebrating today, individual, national, and ethnic cultures, sort of a different definition of culture. I have been talking about this for some years. The first definition of culture, the way you see the world—that is what makes us Orthodox.
But there is another definition of culture. I will not spend too much time on it, but when I teach this class at the university, I give my classes three definitions of culture. The second one is that culture is the ballgame of life as you understand and play it. I realized, growing up in Pennsylvania, as my mother was of German and Pennsylvania Dutch background, and my father of Slavic Carpatho-Russian background, that they played the game of life by different rules.
It led to some conflicts at times. For example: Some ballgames have a clock. They are timed. You know what I mean? Baseball does not have one, but basketball does, football does, hockey does. The clock is part of the game. You call time-out as part of the strategy, and the clock determines who wins. Whoever has the most points when the clock runs out wins the ballgame, so the clock is an integral part of the game, itself.
There are cultures like that. My mother’s German culture was like that. Her great-grandmother left Germany 100 years ago, and brought with her one family heirloom we still have—a grandfather clock. It chimes every 15 minutes. In this culture, or in this ballgame, the clock is part of the game. Being late is a serious violation of the ballgame rules. Late is wrong. Late is inconsiderate. Late is sinful. Peoples’ salvation becomes endangered by lateness. Never be late. This is drilled into you in that culture. Then you go to Germany and you meet 80 million people who believe the same thing.
I was in Germany not too long ago. I had to buy a ticket from the Eastern Frontier near the Polish border to travel to a different community, a small village on the Dutch border. In other words, cross the whole country, transferring from a small place to a larger, to a very big one, and then back down again, to a very small one. I went to the cashier, I do not speak much German, and to speak to the lady, I wrote it down.
She gave me a ticket. It was a long perforated thing with about seven different parts. And I looked through it, and there in the middle, I noticed I had three minutes between the transfer from one train to another. I went back to the lady and pointed to this and said, “Nicht gut.” She immediately disagreed. “Ist gut!”
Now, we could not debate this in German, because my German was not adequate, and her English was not much better, but she got out of her kiosk and she inacted it. She said:
What she was showing me, that I could not read in the German text, was that my arriving train and my connecting train were on the same platform, so all I really had to do is get off, make five steps, wait for the second train, the doors would open, provided, of course, the two trains arrived exactly on schedule but it’s Germany! Of course, they do! Being on time is almost a national obsession, it is the ballgame of life, as that culture understands and plays it.
That is the way my mother understood appointments, schedules, being on time. An appointment meant no later than, and it was always better to be a little early, because late is “no gut.” Right? My father did not play the same ballgame. My father, as I said, was of Slavic descent. My Ukrainian grandmother did not have a grandfather clock in her house. They were rural people. Rural people do not believe the ballgame of life is timed. Not all ballgames have clocks. Baseball doesn’t, tennis doesn’t, golf doesn’t. In fact, most ballgames do not have clocks. In that culture, the basic unit of time is not the hour or the minute.
By the way, who gave us that concept? Who invented the 60-second minute and the 60-minute hour, and the 24-hour day? The Babylonians. It is something else we can blame the Iraqis for. And why? Because they lived in cities, and if you wanted to meet your friend in a community of 80,000 people, you have to arrange ahead of time. “I will meet you next Tuesday at Fred’s Restaurant.” But you had to have the concept and the word for Tuesday, and 2:00 in your vocabulary. Everybody knew where Fred’s was, but in a village, there is no such need.
I have lived in towns in Alaska, some of them with 200, at the most 300, people. If you want to see somebody it is quite easy. You walk out your door, you walk over to their house, and if they are not home, they cannot be far away. The basic unit of time is the day. The sun comes up and the sun goes down.
On a farm, or in a small village, you say to Grandpa, “What are you going to do tomorrow, Grandpa?” He says, “I am going hunting.” He is going hunting—all day. He is going fishing—all day. He is plowing the field—all day. He is painting the barn—all day. The basic unit of time is the day. So if it happened that day it was on time. (laughter)
I think that was my father’s idea of on time. Now, my mother considered this a personality flaw. I could call home from Alaska any given day, ring, ring, “Hi Mom.” It was always mom, my father never answered the phone, and on weekends, he did not put his hearing aid on, so he did not even hear it ring.
“Hi Mom.”
“Oh, hi Michael, how are you?”
“I’m fine, how are you? Blah, blah, blah. How’s Dad?”
“Oh!”
“What’s the matter, Mom?”
“He had a doctor’s appointment this week.”
“Was he sick?”
“No, just an appointment, just a checkup.”
“Well, what was the problem?” (I already know.)
“We were late. I got him out of bed at 8:00 a.m. His appointment wasn’t until 11:00. I gave myself three hours’ leeway. He showered, he shaved, he had breakfast, two cups of coffee, then he took the morning crossword puzzle into the bathroom, and I couldn’t get him out. We didn’t leave the house until 11:00, his appointment was at 11:00, we didn’t get there till 11:30. I was mortified! There is something wrong with your father.”
“Can I talk to Dad?”
“Yeah, he’s right here. Here, talk to your son.”
She summons my father to the phone—a man of few words. Some of you have dads like this, too, right?
“Hi Dad.”
“Hi Michael.”
“How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Mom said you had a doctor’s appointment this week.”
“Yeah.”
“Were you sick?”
“No.”
“Just a checkup, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Mom said you were late.”
“Not really.”
“Not really? Mom just told me that you got there at 11:30 when your appointment was at 11:00.”
“Yeah.”
“You weren’t late, Dad?”
“Not really.”
And then you get into my father’s beam of light. I ask him to explain, and much to my amazement, he does! He says, “If you get there at 11:00, they never take you. They put you in an overheated, uncomfortable waiting room with boring, outdated magazines, and an assortment of sick people, some of whom have, certainly, deadly communicable diseases. So why would you want to sit there when, as an alternative, you can show up at 11:30, supported by your walker, at the age of 86, looking as feeble as you can, and they take you right in?”
And I’m thinking, “Who’s winning this ballgame?”
And then I go to Russia, and if there are 80 million people like Mom in Germany, there are 100 million like Dad in Russia. I learned this the hard way, as in most cross-cultural situations, you do it wrong, and then you figure out what you did that wasn’t appropriate.
I was teaching at St. Tikhon’s Institute in Moscow 15 years ago, and one of my colleagues said, “We are having a name’s day party for my son. Come over to the apartment 7:00 Friday evening. All my mother’s punctuality lectures kick in, I get there at 6:55. We ring the doorbell, the Russian hosts come, open the door, and look rather perplexed. They admit us, escort us to the room where all the hors d’oeuvres and the zakouski are, and we are invited to serve ourselves, the beverages are all set out, and the hosts go back to the kitchen. The doorbell does not ring again for two hours! The other Muscovites do not begin to appear until 9:00, 9:30, 10:00. We do not sit down to the party till 11:00 that evening.
Now if this had been a German party, it would have started at 7:00, as the invitation read, and by 11:00 it would have been over. But this is a Russian party. It is just getting started at 11:00, and there is no way to tell how long it is going to last. There is no way to predict how many toasts will be raised. There is no way to tell ahead of time how many folk songs the group will spontaneously burst into. There is no way to tell when the professor of Russian literature will arise and begin reciting Pushkin’s poetry for 20 minutes, after which, of course, we need to drink toasts to Pushkin, poetry, and professors of poetry. (laughter) There is no way to tell ahead of time when the pianist in the group will invite everyone into the parlor for a concerto, after which we will return to the table.
The Russian party is not a timed event! And when they say 7:00, it does not translate into English, it does not mean no later than 7:00. That is the German ballgame. We are playing the Russian ballgame. The Russian ballgame has no clock, remember? So when they said 7:00 it meant something like this: “We are having an open house at our apartment, beginning at 7:00. Come when you can.” Now if they put it that way, would you show up at 6:55? No, right?
I asked my Slavic and Balkan parishioners, “If I was having a party and told you to come at 7:00, about what time would you really come?” No one would come at 7:00. They all said, variously, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, and 9:00. “What’s wrong with these people?” There is nothing wrong, we are just not playing the same ballgame, you see. We are not seeing the world the same way. There is nothing wrong with that, it is just different, but you had better know what ballgame you are playing before you start the game.
We are not clear about this, so sometimes at inter-Orthodox gatherings and events, we have these cultural problems. It is not the way we, as Orthodox, see the world. We are on the same page as Orthodox Christians there, we talked about that earlier, but on this ethnic cultural level, we are different, and that is okay, but we should know that about each other, especially at a multi-ethnic, multi-national seminary like St. Vladimir’s.
There is a third definition of culture I offer you in these last 15 minutes or so, and this may be the most useful for us all. Your culture, besides being the way you see the world, or the ballgame of life, as you play it, is also the story that you accept as your own. And here again, we come full circle, because we, as Orthodox Christians, accept certain stories as our own story.
At every liturgy we recite the central events of that story in the Anaphora. “God created the world, and when we had fallen away, He did not cease to do all things until He has brought us up to heaven and endowed us with His Kingdom which is to come.” That is our story. That is our story as Orthodox Christians. That binds us together, again, regardless of ethnic background, nationality or language.
But there is also the story, here in America, of each group as they came. As we prepare, the Orthodox Church in America, for our All-American Council next year, the Metropolitan Council, the Holy Synod, the Planning Subcommittee, have all advised us and encouraged us, “Let’s think about our story. What is our story, as Orthodox Christians in America?”
I think that is why they really invited me to talk about this, because our story in America starts, as you all know, in Alaska. The story begins rather horribly, in a certain sense, with freelance traders coming to Alaska and getting furs from the natives and intermarrying with them, and baptizing their wives and children, and building the first chain.
The second chapter began in 1784 when Grigory Shelikhov arrived with a boatful of cannon and armed men. The idea was, “We are not going to trade with the natives for these furs, we will just extort them. We will tell those native Alaskans, get out there and bring in the furs or we will blow up, not your houses or yourselves,” because they needed the men as manpower, “we will blow up your food supply. We will bombard your smokehouses, so that you will go hungry this summer. You might not die, but it is not going to be comfortable.”
They were being forced, at gunpoint, really, to do the bidding of Grigory Shelikhov and his men. The battle between the Kodiak Aleuts and Grigory Shelikhov and his cannon and all that, occurred at a village that is, today, called Old Harbor. That was the village that invited me to Alaska. I knew nothing about this when I arrived. “Why is the village called Old Harbor?” “Well, the new harbor in the town of Kodiak was founded in 1791, but the original harbor, the old harbor, is here, where the battle occurred.” It is the oldest parish in North America, Three Saints, the same feast day as the chapel here at St. Vladimir’s.
Then Shelikhov went back to Russia because he wanted all the other competition put out of business. He appeared before Catherine the Great (I am not quite sure how he got an appointment), and said, “I single-handedly conquered 10,000 native people. I brought them all into the Empire as taxpayers, and I deserve to be knighted.” He wanted to be Sir Grigory. “I deserve a trade monopoly, control of all commerce between the Russian Empire and the New World, and by the way, throw in Korea, Japan, and the Phillipines.” There was nothing bashful about Grigory Shelikhov.
Catherine was reading laissez-faire economic theory, popular at that time in France, and turned Grigory down flat. She did not even knight him. She gave him two ceremonial silver swords, pinned a medal on his chest, and dismissed him. But Grigory was more tenacious than that. He decided to play the church card. He said to Her Majesty on his second appointment, “I tell you what, I have already personally baptized, I don’t know how many, natives (which, by the way, was not true), and I have built a church (which was not true), and I will supply the church with all its necessary bread, wine, candles, incense, out of my own pocket, if you will just give me permission to recruit a priest to go to Kodiak Island.”
Now Catherine was smarter than Grigory. She said, “Grigory, you just told me you conquered 10,000 Aleuts. One priest will not be enough. I give you permission for ten, at your expense.” Now where is he going to get ten men to go to Alaska, which had not yet been mapped? On the globes of the world, it was still empty. It was like jumping into an unknown planet. He realized he was not going to get married men to go there, their wives would not put up with that, right? So he went to Valaam Monastery and he recruited eight monks and two novices. Grigory was responsible for providing transportation from the Finnish border to Alaska. In a certain sense he did, he bought the monks new boots. They walked 8000 miles!
Don’t you think that is part of the story every Orthodox Christian in North America should know, not just if you are Russian, or Alaskan? Our faith came to North America on foot. The monks walked 8000 miles. And when they sailed into Kodiak and they went into almost immediate conflict with Shelikhov’s men and his foreman, Alexander Baranov, who was oppressing, exploiting, and virtually enslaving the people the monks called, The Americans, because they had come to bring Orthodoxy to The Americans. They had come to bring the Orthodox Christian faith to anyone in North America, of any nationality, of any tribe, of any language, whoever would listen, whoever would accept the gospel, whoever wanted to be invited into this Kingdom which is to come, into which we have been baptized, and which we know in our bones is real, and true, and beautiful, and glorious, and for which we have no words.
It was that joy, the joy that we started with in this talk, that impelled those monks to come. They were not building an empire, they were not creating Russofile Aleuts—Aleuts who, in Alaska, would learn Russian language and salute the Tzar. That was not their mission. That was not their purpose. They were not transplanting another faith from somewhere else and bringing it to America. They were bringing Orthodoxy, that vision of the Kingdom, to people who had no way of knowing it even existed, and they succeeded beyond anyone’s possible imagination. They baptized thousands in their first year, and that laid the foundations of our Church in North America.
That is the beginning of our story, no matter what your own ethnic heritage may be. The story is that the Church came to America to bring the Orthodox faith in America to Americans, and they defined the Americans as Aleuts, Eskimos, Indians—the indigenous tribes. St. Innocent actually learned those languages and devised alphabets for them so they could have the scripture and the prayers and catechisms in their own language. But that was not the end in itself, hoping that, if they had it in their own languages, that alignment would happen, that they would get it. That love, joy and peace which we know to be the very reality of the Kingdom could be their experience, as well.
And they got it, because they embraced the faith, and have held onto it, tenaciously, for 200 years. When I came to Old Harbor, they had not had a priest, as I mentioned, in 140 years, practically, but when they sang the Paschal hymns, you knew they got it. The whole village was filled with that joy.
One of the great joys as a pastor in one of those small villages is that you get to see your whole parish every day. They are not far away. You walk out your door, and their houses are right there. On Pascha, in the middle of the afternoon, usually after vespers, I could go to every house in my village with a hand cross and an epitrachil and shout to them, “Christos Voskrese!” And the whole house would erupt, even some of those who were still in their bunk beds, recuperating from the all night service, responding, “Indeed He is risen! Voistinu Voskrese!” You could say it to them in their language, and they would say it in their language. You could say it in English and they would respond in English. The town was filled with that joy.
Doing that in the big city now, you would have to get in your car and call ahead and make an appointment. But in a village, it is just the organic, natural thing to do. The joy is there. They understood it, they got it, and they have been passing it on from grandparent to grandchild now for two centuries. That is what is organic about it, you see. It is that continuity in the same place, in the same church, on that same land, that has by now been sanctified by hundreds of years of that Paschal joy, in that place, celebrated by those people.
They knew they needed a priest. They wanted their kids to study the scripture, to know the commandments, to learn the prayers, in their own language, because the kids that I was teaching were the first English-speaking generation. But they already had the joy. They already had that experience. Their story is unique. Every parish in our Church in North America, regardless of ethnic background, has a story.
I want to conclude with this theme of story. What is the story of your parish? How long have you been there? If you have recently become Orthodox, you probably belong to a parish that has existed for a generation or two before you showed up. Who were the people who built that church? Do you know? What is the story that you have adopted as your own story?
And do you know Chapter 1 and Chapter 2? Maybe not. But it is your story. You have become part of a family. I remember when I was a kid, back in the 1950s, we had this thing called visiting. Some of you remember visiting, right? It usually happened on Sunday, because the stores were closed in those days. The relatives often just dropped by unannounced, and people brought out simple refreshments, and the aunts and the uncles sat around and told stories, reminiscing, telling the new members of the family, the sister-in-law who did not know their brother when he was 7, 8, and 9, and the mischief he did when he was a kid, and the trouble he got into at school that day. It was sort of like tattle-tale-ing on your own relatives to the new members of the family, so they would understand more fully the family into which they had now married, because by marrying into that family, that had become their story, too.
The theme of our next All-American Council is, The Household of Faith, and in preparation for that, we are asking each parish and each deanery to organize some way in which we visit with each other to hear the story—to hear the story of that place and that family, that community, the struggles that they went through.
My parish back in Pennsylvania is about 80 years old now, and I am 60 years old, so I was not there when it got started, but when I was a kid, the founders were still there. They were only one generation older than me, so I can tell the kids in that parish what the founding people were like, because I knew them. They never had a chance to know them, but I did, here at St. Vladimir’s Seminary.
We moved out here in the 1960s. We have been in Crestwood 50 years. How time flies. Do the students who are here today know what it was like when St. Vladimir’s was downtown at Columbia? Have they heard the stories of the amazing faculty who founded this school? Those of us who were blessed to have studied under Father Schmemann, Father Meyendorff, Father Florovsky, Professor Arseniev, Professor Verhovskoy]—we’ve got stories. (laughter) But do the students and faculty today know those stories?
You see, as family we have to tell the story, because we have to know the struggles and the difficulties, the temptations, the passions, that they endured to make what we now take for granted possible. If we do not tell the story, they will not know, and if we do not tell it soon, it will not be left on earth for anyone to know.
We are reaching the time when we need to talk about our story, and share it with the next generation, and maybe we need to share it with each other. “Remember the time when Father John…?” (Oh, don’t get me started) “Remember the time when Father Alexander…? Remember the time when Prof said…?” You see what I am saying? That is our culture. That is the culture of this place, and this institution.
When you realize all the struggles, all the sacrifices, all the blessed events that have made Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 possible, then Chapter 3 can begin, and we can embrace the legacy, the sacred legacy, I would say the legacy of holiness with which we have been blessed, but we do not even know it is there.
On the one hand, we have an Orthodox culture that is based on what we get in church, no matter where, in the Anaphora, the sacraments, Holy Weekend, Pascha, and that we share, that is the one faith we have, we also have many cultures, and not just ethnic cultures—the founding of the Greek church across town or the Serbian church up the river, or the Russian colony further up. There are those stories, too, and that is all part of ours.
I visited Serbia when I was Dean of St. Herman’s Seminary in Kodiak. They invited all the deans of all the Orthodox seminaries in the world to come. We had a banquet, and at the banquet the seminary choir from Belgrade sang some hymns in Greek, and then they sang some folk tunes in Serbian and Bulgarian, and then they changed the repertoire again and they sang some liturgical hymns in Russian.
I turned to the delegate from Bulgaria sitting next to me and I said to him, “Would you do this in Bulgaria, too?” He said, “Oh no, we do not do Greek in Bulgaria.” I turned to a Romanian, and I said, “Would you do Slavonic in your country?” He said, “No, we do not do Slavonic in Romania.” Then I asked the Serbian hosts, “Why do you do all of these?” They said, “If it is Orthodox, it is ours.”
Shouldn’t that be our motto? If it is Orthodox, it is ours. If it is Serbian, it is ours. If it is Georgian, it is ours. If it is Ukrainian or Russian, it is ours. If it is Yupic Eskimo, it is ours. If it is Romanian, it is ours, because the one faith includes and blesses all of those other cultures, all of those languages, all those cuisines which we are enjoying today, all that folk music, all that history, all those stories, because all those stories are ours.
Our effort, I believe, now, in the 21st century, with so many amazing, wonderful stories—I would go further—sacred stories, that are ours, has to be to know it, to preserve it, and to embrace it as our own, and then to go forward with that story, bringing Orthodoxy, bringing the joy, the peace, the love, the beauty of the Kingdom of God, to all Americans in North America. That would fulfill the mission of St. Herman and those monks who walked those 8000 miles—one vision, one faith, many cultures, and they are all ours, to the glory of God, and the salvation of America, the land we love. Amen.
Questions or comments? You can reach us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or write to Archpriest Chad Hatfield at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Ancient Faith Radio is a listener-supported ministry. Please consider donating online at https://www.ancientfaith.com/support or sending a check to: Ancient Faith Radio, PO Box 748, Chesterton, IN 46304. Thank you!
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Abstract
One of the earliest lineage restriction events in embryogenesis is the specification of the primary germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. In Xenopus, germ layer specification occurs prior to gastrulation and requires the transcription factor VegT both for the cell-autonomous specification of endoderm and the generation of mesoderm-inducing signals. In the absence of VegT, ectoderm is formed in all regions of the embryo. In this work, we show that VegT-depleted vegetal cells (prospective endoderm) behave like animal cells in sorting assays and ectopically express early markers of ectoderm. To gain insight into how ectoderm is specified, we looked for candidate ectoderm-specific genes that are ectopically expressed in VegT-depleted embryos, and examined the role of one of these, the LIM homeobox gene Xlim5, in ectoderm development. We show that overexpression of Xlim5 in prospective endoderm cells is sufficient to impair sorting of animal cells from vegetal cells but is not sufficient (at similar doses) to induce ectoderm-specific genes. In whole embryos, Xlim5 causes vegetal cells to segregate inappropriately to other germ layers and express late differentiation markers of that germ layer. Inhibition of Xlim5 function using an Engrailed repressor construct or a morpholino oligonucleotide causes loss of animal cell adhesion or delay in neural fold morphogenesis, respectively, without significantly affecting early ectoderm gene expression. Taken together, our results provide evidence that a primary role for Xlim5 is to specifically regulate differential cell adhesion behaviour of the ectoderm.
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This record was last updated on 07/03/2016 and may not reflect the most current and accurate biomedical/scientific data available from NLM.
The corresponding record at NLM can be accessed at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12736213
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Allentown City Council issues Mayor Pawlowski an ultimatum on proposed water system lease
Coming to the support of one of its own frustrated members, Allentown City Council unanimously voted Wednesday to issue an ultimatum to the administration of Mayor Ed Pawlowski.
The essence of council’s ultimatum: show us how much money has been spent on the proposal to lease the city’s water and sewer systems for the next 50 years or we will not approve anything to advance that proposal.
Council member Jeanette Eichenwald said for weeks she has been asking how much money the administration has spent on that lease proposal, which council has not yet embraced and some residents adamantly oppose. But she can’t get answers “and the numbers keep increasing and increasing.”
“I’m surprised my fellow city council people aren’t joining me in this quest to find out this information,” she said.
Said council chairman Julio Guridy: “I join you on that, Ms. Eichenwald. I know you have asked that question before. I think you deserve an answer.”
“Absolutely,” agreed council member Peter Schweyer.
Eichenwald estimates the administration has spent more than $500,000 to develop and promote its proposal to lease the water and sewer systems. She wants to know exactly how much is being spent and from what part of the city budget all that money is coming.
“There has been no accounting of that half a million dollars,” she said.
At Wednesday night’s council meeting, Eichenwald asked City Controller Mary Ellen Koval and City Managing Director Francis Dougherty: “When will we be receiving this information? How much money has been spent? And from what [budget] line items?”
Dougherty said he submitted Eichenwald’s request for that information to City Finance Director Garret Strathearn, but has not received an update.
“I find that absolutely unacceptable,” said Eichenwald.
Council vice president Ray O’Connell told Dougherty “you’re the boss” and suggested he should tell the finance director: “I need it by this time.”
Much if not all of the unknown expenses involve Public Financial Management –PFM—which Eichenwald calls the administration’s lead consultant on the proposed sewer/water system lease.
On Sept. 27, PFM moderated a four-hour-long council meeting where it recommended leasing the water and sewer systems as the best of several options to resolve the impending pension crisis.
Koval told council: “Nothing as yet has been paid to PFM. There is no invoice at this time pending for PFM.”
Said Eichenwald: “I find it almost unbelievable that PFM would not issue a bill month after month after month.”
Dougherty said PFM is notorious for not submitting bills on time or on a regular basis.
O’Connell said it’s imperative that somebody get on the phone with PFM and say “What’s going on? We’re getting questions from city council.” He added:“It’s a right for us to know. It’s also a right for taxpayers to know.”
Eichenwald finds it “unbelievable, sad and frustrating” that the administration does not know what PFM is charging.
A couple of residents suggested PFM will be paid out of revenue from the lease, but Guridy dismissed that as speculation.
The administration wants council to approve a resolution authorizing the city to seek a Request for Proposals—RFP --from qualified prospective bidders who want to lease and operate Allentown’s water and sewer systems.
The proposed resolution authorizes the mayor to give a draft of that lease to those bidders, to engage in negotiations with them and to issue an RFP with the final form of the lease.
Council has called a special meeting for 7 p.m. Oct. 31 to vote on that RFP resolution.
But Wednesday’s motion, which Eichenwald persuaded council to pass, states“that council be provided with information related to all expenses for legal, financial and other advice, including financial obligations, in connection with the RFP for water and sewer up until Oct. 26.” It also states that “such information be provided by the end of the business day on Friday Oct. 26 and that no further action be taken on a concession agreement unless such information is provided to council.”
In other words, Eichenwald said if council does not have the financial information it seeks, the Oct. 31 meeting will be postponed.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
January 19, 2005 "Mammalian Cell Processing Using Acoustic Technology for Cell Retention in Bioreactors and for Viral Transfection Applications" Professor James Piret, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Biotechnology, University of British Colombia, Canada
February 9, 2005 "Research and Production of Membrane- Electrode-Assembly (MEA) For High Performance Polyelectrolyte Fuel Cell (PEM-FC)" Professor Israel Cabasso, Director of the Polymer Research Institute, State University of New York-esf (Environment Science and Forestry) at Syracuse
February 23, 2005 "Polymers and Particles at Interfaces by Directed Assembly" Professor Todd S. Emrick, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst
March 26, 2003“The Chemistry and Art of Forming Nanostructures” Professor Younan Xia, Department of Chemistry, University of Washington,
April 9, 2003“New Materials as Emitting Layers for Multi-Color LEDs” Professor Ana de Bettencourt- Dias, Chemistry Department, University of Syracuse
April 23, 2003“Our Energy Policy- A Time for a Change” Professor Jeff Tester, H. P. Meissner Professor of Chemical Engineering Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
;;; ----------------------------------------------------;;; Filename: trigraph.ss;;; Author: Damir Cavar <[email protected]>;;;;;; (C) 2006 by Damir Cavar;;;;;; This code is published under the restrictive GPL!;;; Please find the text of the GPL here:;;; http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt;;; ;;; It is free for use, change, etc. as long as the copyright;;; note above is included in any modified version of the code.;;; ;;; This script assumes that the text is raw and encoded in UTF8.;;;;;; Functions:;;; 1. The text file is loaded into memory.;;; 2. Trigrams of characters are created from the corpus.;;; 3. The absolute counts are relativized.;;; 4. The hash-table is dumped (serialized) to stdout.;;;;;; If the command line parameters contain more than one text file,;;; the above results are accumulated over all the input text files.;;;;;; Usage:;;; mzscheme -r trigraph.ss test1.txt test2.txt ... > language.ss;;; ----------------------------------------------------
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Stonehearst Asylum
On Christmas Eve, 1899, Edward Newgate [Sturgess] arrives at the imposing gates of Stonehearst Mental Asylum, eager to be granted an apprenticeship with the superintendent.
Delighted to share his knowledge and philosophy, Dr. Lamb [Kingsley] agrees and immediately takes Edward on a tour of the asylum, proudly introducing his staff and the troubled patients in his care, including the hauntingly beautiful Eliza Graves [Beckinsale] – a captivating woman whose violent aversion to intimacy has ensured her permanent residence at Stonehearst.
As the days pass, Edward observes Lamb’s modern methods. The “medieval” practices so favored by his predecessor, Dr. Salt [Caine], have been abolished and his patients are never sedated, segregated or locked up. Instead, they are celebrated as individuals in their natural, unadulterated state of lunacy. Lamb’s vision is to build an enlightened society within the walls of his establishment, where the patients are respected and mingle with the staff as equals.
However, one night Edward notices a strange thumping noise coming from the vent in his sleeping quarters. Intrigued, he follows the sound down into the dark asylum cellar. At first unsure of his surroundings, he is astonished to discover Dr. Salt, locked behind bars with Matron Pike and their orderlies. As Dr. Salt tells of Lamb’s deadly past, a dawning horror engulfs Edward and he realizes the lunatics have taken over the asylum.
With fresh awareness, Edward can only watch as Lamb’s lawless utopia starts to crumble; there is no heat, little food, and his grand experiment is reaching terrifying new levels of fanaticism. Knowing he must intervene before it is too late, Edward struggles to find a way to save Lamb’s prisoners and restore order at Stonehearst, but his efforts will be futile without the love and affection of the mysterious Eliza Graves.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Summary
Chapter 1
A/N: Hey everyone! am Mandalore, also known as Mandalore the Freedom on Fanfiction. So after few friends of my told about this site, I decide try give it my shot at it, hopefully I'll do a good job at the stories here.
Anyway, you may hear mentions of Cin Vhetin, who is a character of fellow Fanfiction writer, Vhetin1138. I have permission from him, so don't worry about copyright here. I'll be sure put up links for his stories on my profile if you're ever interested in reading his stories. Anyway enjoy.
I don't own Star Wars or it's characters, those belong to their rightfully owners.
"... Hmm looks like this place is busy." Said a Mandalorian in red and gray armor(Jos Beroya's armor) equip with two swords on his back and two blasters on his holsters, passing drunken people in a bar.
This is Parjir Cadera, a young Mandalorian bounty hunter, looking try help his clan in bad times, the Death Watch attack from a week ago left a lot of damage to repair, though he was glad see some of his missing cousins were now safe.
But still, he lost his father in that battle, his hatred for the Death Watch grew ever since. If that wasn't enough, he ran into Gaalar and his thugs the other day. 'Should have knock his teeth out for insulting Cin like that.'
He had heard a lot about Cin Vhetin, never met him but he respected him, more Mandalorian than Gaalar, he wished he could have seen that beat down he gotten from Janada Bralor he heard about. He hoped Cin Vhetin be recovering from that injury from the fighting he heard he had gotten, they need all hands in repairing.
Galaar Snake could say all he want about Cin Vhetin. The Mandalorian has done a lot more for the Mandalorians then Galaar Snake will ever do.
For now, he was on Nar Shaddaa, was hunting down a criminal who murder about 5 people. Coward didn't put up a fight, just beg for mercy, a good kick to the head was it took.
Easiest job ever... Of all time.
For now he decided hit nearby bar, he heard there were running rooms here, he had figure he'll stay the night till his squad leader, Ulick and his squad mates will come pick him up.
After passing some drunken patrons, nearby getting hit by vomit. He shook his head in disgust, he was able see the bar keeper, a tall Nikto in light brown armor.
The Nikto raise brow once he see's Parjir coming towards him. "There something I can do for you Mando?" He rarely seen Mandalorians here, this is probably the third, though they were never wearing armor like this one before.
Parjir took sit on stool. "Was looking renting a room, possibly a drink?" Nikto nodded to him, "sure, the room will be 25 credits, and the drink 15 credits. Anything else?" Parjir shook his head and handed him the credits, Nikto grabbed bottle of ale and pour a class of it before handling it to Parjir.
"Thanks." Nikto went off tend to other costumers. Parjir took off his helmet, setting it down on the counter. Parjir was pretty young, looking be 19 then anything.
Human with fair skin, short brown hair and small beard, blue eyes that seen speak wisely then someone his age, a nasty scar on his left eye, looking be from a shock staff. Parjir took drink of his ale, going slow, not wanting get himself drunk.
He glaze around, watching others go on with their business, yeah this seemed like typical kind of bar you would find in Nar Shaddaa, still at least it's clean, his seen worst places before.
However just as he set his drink down, he noticed something going in back, he could make out three Weeguays men, looking be from a gang if their outfits might anything. They were messing around with a green skin Twi'lek dancer in a purple bikini.
He didn't like the look in those men's eyes. He grabbed his helmet, placing it on as he went over see what was going on, he was finally within hearing reach.
"Come baby, we got credits, we can just go back to my place and have a fun time." Said one of the Weeguays, getting little too close then he should, the Twi'lek didn't take kindly to that.
She pushed him away. "Back off asshole! am a dancer, not a hooker. Go find someone else suck your small cocks." That seemed piss off the Weeguays.
One of them raised his hand up to smack her. "Why you little bitch!" However before he could hit her, someone grabs his hand, he turns angry. "Hey! who you try-" his breath was cut off once he saw Parjir in full armor, glaring at him behind his helmet.
"The lady ask you step away, I suggest you do so." The Weeguay pull his hand back, his buddies however try muscle in. "Who you think you are bucket head! we'll just looking good time, besides in case you didn't notice, we'll with the Skull Breakers, toughest gang around here." If that scared Parjir, he didn't show it.
He cross arms, looking bored. "That suppose mean something? just means your cowards who like pushing others around, and with a stupid name at that." That didn't sit well with them.
"Why you bastard! get him!" He and his buddies charged at Parjir, the first swing his arm up hit Parjir, host we he simply grabbed his hand, and toss him over a table.
"Woah!" He crushes down on it, breaking it. Parjir turns around, before other thug knew what hit him, Parjir side kicked him in the face.
SNAP!
The watchers wince once they heard something break, he fell down, blood coming out of his noise and mouth, out cold.
The last one looked quite scared now, he quickly pull out a blaster. "Take this!" Just as Parjir was about bring his blaster out, the Twi'lek dancer from before grabs the thug's wrist, twisting it.
He fell down in pain before the Twi'lek deliver a swift knee to face, knocking him out cold.
Everyone cheered at that, the Nikto bar keeper then came over, calming everyone down. "Alright alright, that's enough everyone! back to your drinks." He turns to Parjir, "as for you, thanks for taking care of these idiots, kriffing Skull Breakers been trying muscle in here, getting tried of these idiots causing trouble."
Parjir noticed broken table, the Nikto beat him to the punch. "Don't worry about it, was about get rid of it anyway, go back enjoy your drink." He walks away, likely tend to the customers.
Parjir turns to the Twi'lek dancer, now finally getting better look at her, she looked about 23 or so, light green skin, very attractive he'll admit, but he wasn't worry about that now.
"You alright ma'am?" His mother always taught him respect women, he took that lesson to heart. The dancer raise a brow at him, surprise at his manners.
"Am fine, idiots didn't touch me or anything, thanks for help though, nice know there's still good people in galaxy." She then took closely look at him, he sound quite young, she never get over how tough Mandalorians can be, even at young ages.
"Why I might as well thank you for helping you out, let me buy you a drink." She grabbed Parjir's hand and started leading him away, swaying her hips.
Parjir was so confused now, why must women be so confusing? "By the way, the names Jace." Jace could already tell she and Parjir were gonna get along fine.
"Huh, so that's why you're here?" Said Parjir as he sat on a chair within small room, Jace herself was sitting on the bed, few empty classes on a counter.
They decide go to Parjir's rented room to get away from the noise, after that, they just started talking, eventually leading why Jace was stuck on Nar Shaddaa.
Jace nodded. "Yeah, I have no idea how, but those damn Imperials figure out that I did help that rouge Clone Trooper out, been on run since. Nar Shaddaa seemed like best place hide." She leans back, propping up her breasts up, as if hoping get Parjir's attention.
She looked to Parjir, he was quite a looker, she was honest surprise hear he wasn't in a relationship with anyone. 'Wonder how Mandalorian women make a move on their men?' She shrug, probably just same as others.
Parjir himself actually felt little sorry for Jace, being force be stuck on a stink hole planet like Nar Shaddaa and having dance for pervert men like some object, he didn't like it, he had strong sense of honor, his mother would say he gets it from his father.
He figure he can help her out. "Why not you come with me? the Skull Breakers will likely come running for you, the cowards wouldn't be brave enough go to Mandalore get you." Jace eyes widen, here was a young Mandalorian she just met, and yet his offering her a chance get away from this hell hole! it sounded too good be true.
She gave a look to Parjir. "What's the catch? would your people be willing take a outsider like me to their homeworld." Jace heard lot of things about Mandalore from various of people coming to bar, though she rather see it herself see if their true.
Parjir shrug. "No catch, you can say I just don't like injustice go on, besides. Wouldn't be first time we hid someone." Parjir was thinking about that Jay there, the outsider woman whom saved Mand'alor, Fenn Shysa. She earned lot of respect from him for that.
Jace thought about it, she didn't see anything that would suggest he was lying to her, and it did sounded like good deal, better then staying for Skull Breakers come for her.
"... Alright, I accept, I'll just need go over with my boss." She gets up from the bed, but not before stopping front of Parjir, she leaned and gave small kiss on his lips, shocking him.
"Thanks, your the nicest guy I met in 3 years, it's nice know galaxy hasn't beaten out of them yet." She walks out of the room, giving Parjir smile before she closed the door.
Parjir himself shook his head, getting his bearings. "Well... I didn't expect that." He better get some sleep for tomorrow, he still need meet up with rest of his squad.
"Alright, you have everything?" Said Parjir was he stands by the door with Jace, now wearing some civilian clothes, carrying few items and a backpack.
Jace nodded, though her boss was disappointed see her go, he agree to Jace's terms and paid her money he owe her, after saying goodbyes to her fellow dancers, she was ready head off.
Parjir nodded and open door for Jace, she smile at this. "Why thank you, your quite well mannered." Parjir simply nodded, and went outside with Jace.
"Alright, my squad's ship should be at docking area, so we shou-" Parjir and Jace stopped once they saw what was front of them.
Standing front of them were couple dozen armed thugs, ranging from different races, all pointing blasters at them. Parjir spotted a very familiar Weeguay with bandages on his face, looking piss off as hell.
"You really think you were gonna leave without saying a goodbye? how rude of you." He walks towards them, till he was only couple inches away from them, holding two blaster pistols.
Before the thug even knew it, both Parjir and Jace punched him in the face, that was all it took for the fight break out.
"Why does it got be us get the kid? couldn't we just wait for him come to us." Said a green Verpine in orange and blue Mandalorian armor, carrying a Verpine sniper rifle on his back.
This is Meash Deshra, the hacker of the team, can be jackass at times but is someone you can count on help you.
Standing next to him was a tall Female Togorian in yellow and orange Mandalorian armor, equip with a karma, carrying two Mandalorian rippers on her holsters, and a beskad equip to her back.
This Alfeda Kra'ae, she's the medic of the team, though you can clearly see she is a female with softer face features with her gray stripe fur, her eyes just spill gruffness.
Alfeda glares at Meash. "Because we'll running late, we need get back to Mandalore about what's been going on with those missing Rangers."
Their squad leader, Ulick Lok had debriefed them about the concerning matter, it had Ulick worried, she can honesty say she was concerned about it too.
Meash nodded grimly, he might not act like it, but he always hated hearing about things like involving his fellow Mandalorians. "Alright, alright I get it, still you know the ad'ika gonna get into trouble, him and his sense of justice."
Alfeda will admit, Parjir's strong sense of right and wrong has gotten him into trouble before. It's what landed with him getting in fight with some Imperials running down a shop owner, they were lucky they were able hide the bodies.
However the two then started hear blaster fire and... screaming? They see couple people running away from direction the firing was coming from.
The two ran to where the noise was coming from, dodging people as they ran away, before they finally came to where fighting was going on.
The two could see Parjir slicing through thugs, while they could see a green skin Twi'lek and couple people in light armor shooting at the thugs from ruined vehicle.
"Get the fuck out of here you Skull Breaker bastards!" Yelled a Nikto as he hits one of the thugs with his blaster. Parjir finished off another Exchange thug, before he uses his jetpack boost himself up before he super punched a Rodian thug.
Meash sigh. "What I tell ya, the kid just can't stay out of trouble." Alfeda was already taking out her Mandalorian rippers out. "Enough talk, I could use a good fight release stress." She joins into the fight, shooting down any stupid thug in her way.
Meash took out his Verpine sniper rifle. "That woman really needs get laid." He joins into the fight, sniping thugs left to right.
From nearby building, a male Duro poke his head out from a window. "Would you people kriff off the freaking blasters already?!" He was force duck when few shots hit his way, angering him further.
He brings out a blaster rifle and starts shooting below him. "Is this what you want huh!"
forgrace1989:
Overall I really loved all the Riders of Tyr books, each character and story was written well in a sense of description making you able to picture the characters in your head, making you love the characters as well as wanting to know what happens next. Just waiting on Thors story! Hope he finds a...
Salome:
You knew from the beginning of the the story what was going to happen it might have been better if Salome wasn't really dead and she had to face her in the ring again and if they then stood together to bring down the figting ring. 🤔Maybe Jack should have held Magdalene as a prisoner to keep Salom...
Beverly Clemente:
The story was interesting you could tell the author wrote this when 15 i do believe is what i read needs a vertrr ending like Jason got caught and his friends nack in prison and her and her friend together giving different identities lives a new place to start out
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Theo Epstein celebrated winning the World Series by eating a goat
Monday, November 7, 2016 13:15
% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.
Put Theo Epstein in the Hall of Fame now. The Chicago Cubs president of Baseball Operations has officially ended two of the longest droughts in sports, one in Boston and one in Chicago, to claim stake to greatest MLB executive ever. So how did Theo celebrate bringing a title to a franchise that hasn’t had one in 108 years? Well he belted out “Go Cubs Go” atop Murphy’s Bleachers, which was cool. But this, this is much better. Epstein and members of the Cubs front office ate goat while sitting in the left field bleachers at Wrigley Field. Yep, goat. https://twitter.com/Suntimes/status/795356751348559872 Via the Chicago Sun Times:
“We were on the phone with Jed. He was recapping the game, and in the background, Theo says he wanted roasted goat for lunch,” restaurateur Kevin Boehm said, referring to Jed Hoyer, the Cubs’ executive vice president and general manager. “I said we’d make it happen.” Boehm is co-owner of Boka Restaurant Group with Rob Katz. They enlisted chef Stephanie Izard to prepare the goat. It’s a specialty at her Girl & the Goat restaurant, which is part of the Boka group.
The group ate a 9 1/2 pound roasted goat while enjoying their World Series. Epstein has already said he’s going on a bender after winning it all and this is just perfect.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Hello crazy people! It’s the dog days of summer. The heat level alone in your apartment would be enough to induce panic, if the strange rash on your shin that won’t go away wasn’t already worrying you and all your friends had mysteriously disappeared to their “beach houses” and not invited you, making your feel paranoid and exacerbating your attachment disorder. And do you know where your therapist is?
No!! She’s disappeared like the children of Hamelin, and you have no idea where she might be, apart from that strange guilty murmur of something that sounded like “Manhasset” when you were clinging to her hand at your last session.
How can they do this to us? It’s not like they’re people, exactly. Why should they get a break from you? You don’t get a break from you! And what the hell are you supposed to do for the next three weeks?
Well, you’re in luck, because I’m here with my Top Ten Tips to Cope with Great Manhattan Shrink Exodus of 2010. And I’m not even going to bill you.
1. Take 12-hour showers. In these over-stimulated times, the humble shower stall is the closest thing we have to an isolation tank. There’s a reason they are used to calm unruly prison inmates. Nobody can bother you in the shower, unless they are there to murder you, à la Psycho. But that doesn’t happen very often.
2. Call your mother. Is your maternal figure of the “What, you forgot you had a mother” variety? Make her eat those words. She’ll always take your calls, and she has to listen to whatever narishkeit you’ve got to dish out — it’s part of the non-verbal contract she signed when she allowed herself to be inseminated with you. Don’t have a mother? Cultivate relationships with your father/literary agent/spouse/cat, and failing any of those–
3. Call my mother. Outside of New York City, therapists stick around through the month of August. My mother, Dr. Aveva Shukert Ph.D, of Omaha, Nebraska, stands ready to take your calls and your insurance information.
4. Retail Therapy. It even has the word “therapy” built in. Sure, the pleasure is short lived and you sometimes throw up when you see your credit card statement lurking in the mailbox and maybe even leave it there for a few days before you can bring yourself to open it, but a few hours in the soothing womb of Bergdorf Goodman does the mind and the soul good. (When I go to Bergdorf’s, I like to pretend it’s my house, and all the other people there are my servants. My shrink and I have not yet discussed this.)
5. Track down your shrink and his family. Show up at their vacation house with your goldfishhanging around your neck in a Mason jar of water and refuse to leave until you have driven your shrink crazy and you become the shrink.
7. Find a therapy “buddy.” Got another friend in desperate straits and needing their 50 minutes on the couch? Take turns playing “shrink and patient” and put all the therapy language you’ve expensively acquired over the past 15 years to good use. It’s sort of like playing “school,” except with pharmaceuticals and abandonment issues (so it’s more like “college.”)
8. Go on vacation your own damn self. It’s shocking, and it may seem impossible. But you can do it. Baby steps.
9. Convert to Christianity. I’ve heard they don’t need therapy unless really bad things happen to them. Maybe it’s a rumor, but it may be worth a shot.
10. No matter what anybody says, don’t publish your new book in August when your shrink is away. That is just truly insane.
BONUSTIP: Make use of storefront psychics and palm readers. Yes, they are probably charlatans. But they also tell you a lot of things you already know about yourself, and even with the pricey combo package of healing crystals, zodiac charts, and having your wallet stolen, they still probably cost less than one session on Park Avenue.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Maritime Security
Lithuanian P15 delivered by Denmark
Denmark has transferred patrol ship P15 to the Lithuanian Navy at a ceremony at Korsør Port in Denmark, the Lithuanian government announced on 24 November.
The new ship will replace Storm-class LNS Sėlis (P32) - currently serving in the Patrol Ships Division of the Lithuanian Navy - from January 2017.
The Flyvefisken-class vessel was delivered to Lithuania under an agreement signed by the Lithuanian armed forces and the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization in September 2016. The package included the P15 vessel and two anti-submarine detection sonar systems for patrol ships.
The P15 is the fourth ship of class. The first three ships, Žemaitis (P11), Dzūkas (P12) and Aukštaitis (P14), began service in the Lithuanian Navy in 2008-2010.
The Patrol Ships Division of the Lithuanian Navy is responsible for patrolling territorial waters and exclusive economic zones, along with convoy and search and rescue operations.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
The most versatile screen surface and the premier choice when ambient light is controllable. It evenly distributes light over a wide viewing area while colors remain bright and life-like, with no shifts in hue. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Overview: 40704
Great for high usage applications.
In-the-ceiling screen with automatically operated door to conceal screen when not in use.
Doors may be finished to match all types of ceilings.
Standard with a Decora style three position wall switch.
Matte White fabric seamless up to and including 16' high.
High Power fabric seamless up to and including 6' high.
40704 Details:
Required Options:
Please select a hinge type to complete your order. Note your choices in the "Special Instructions for Order Processing" field at checkout.
Installation Hinge Types:
The Executive Electrol screens allow you to choose from three (3) different hinge types specific to your installation. You must select a hinge for your order to process.
Options:
Please request any options in the "Special Instructions for Order Processing" field at checkout. Any additional charges will not appear online but will be added during order processing.*Note: By requesting options, you are agreeing to any additional charges listed below. Please note listed price in request.
Case Colors:
The Executive Electrol screens come standard with a black powder-coated finish for the case and brushed aluminum doors. There is an additional color option.
White Case - $69.00 additional charge.
White Doors - $69.00 additional charge.
Built-In Control Options:
The Executive Electrol screens offer control options that can be built into the casing. These options allow the screen to be controlled by various external devices, such as interface panels or infrared remote controls, or allow for different electrical requirements.*Note: Please note option letter in request.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
All Versions
There is a simple way for PowerShell to play back WAV sound files:
# find first available WAV file in Windows folder$WAVPath=Get-ChildItem-Path$env:windir-Filter*.wav-Recurse-ErrorActionSilentlyContinue|Select-Object-First1-ExpandPropertyFullName# load file and play it"Playing $WAVPath..."$player=New-ObjectMedia.SoundPlayer$WAVPath$player.Play()"Done!"
The
first part of this script finds the first WAV file it can get inside
the Windows folder, and selects its path. Of course, you can assign the
path to your favorite WAV file to $WAVFile in the first place.
Next,
the Media.SoundPlayer loads and then plays the WAV file. Note how
Play() plays the sound: it is played in a separate thread, and
PowerShell will immediately continue.
You can use this to create an acoustic progress bar: it will play for as long as PowerShell is busy doing something:
# find first available WAV file in Windows folder$WAVPath=Get-ChildItem-Path$env:windir-Filter*.wav-Recurse-ErrorActionSilentlyContinue|Select-Object-First1-ExpandPropertyFullName
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
UNDP project with inter-agency collaboration adopt RA 9184 as its procurement policy/procedure in our agency, since RA 9184 will be the procedure our existing BAC composition will be adopted. question, is it possible for another government agency to be a member of the TWG for the procurement of the said project? hope to clarify this matter. thanks
The law does not prevent government agency from inviting experts from other government agencies or private individual to form part of its TWG for as long as they have the legal, financial and technical competencies to act one. they will be entitled to honoraria.
olrac_tm wrote:UNDP project with inter-agency collaboration adopt RA 9184 as its procurement policy/procedure in our agency, since RA 9184 will be the procedure our existing BAC composition will be adopted. question, is it possible for another government agency to be a member of the TWG for the procurement of the said project? hope to clarify this matter. thanks
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Son of Va. Congressman pleads guilty to assault charge
WASHINGTON – The son of Virginia Congressman Jim Moran has pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend, who called the incident an accident, outside a Columbia Heights bar earlier this month.
Patrick Moran pleaded guilty to simple assault and he was sentenced Wednesday to one year of probation. He must attend domestic violence counseling and perform community service, according to D.C. Superior Court records.
He was arrested on a felony assault domestic violence charge Dec. 1 outside The Getaway, in the 3400 block of 14th Street NW, after police saw him grab his girlfriend by the back of her head and “slam her head into the metal trash can cage in front of the nightclub,” according to court records.
The altercation left Moran’s girlfriend bleeding heavily from her nose. Her nose and right eye were swollen and she was taken to a hospital for treatment, court records say.
Moran left his father’s re-election campaign earlier this year after being caught on tape discussing how to commit voter fraud.
Moran’s girlfriend Kelly Hofmann released a statement calling the Dec. 1 altercation “an accident that has been blown out of proportion.”
“The statements in the police report are inaccurate. Pat and I were arguing, one of my high heels gave out, and I fell into the side of a trashcan. On impact, I fractured my nose. False conclusions were made as a result,” Hofmann says in her statement.
Jim Moran, a Democrat, issued a written statement to WTOP responding to his son’s guilty plea.
“Patrick and Kelly are both good kids and I hope their privacy will be respected. They look forward to putting this embarrassing situation behind them,” the statement says.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Hair - Mane Event
Shampoos, Conditioners, Deep Treatments…Oh My! If you've ever suffered from a bad hair day or wished you could rock the locks in the magazines, check out Mane Event for up to the minute info on the latest in hair care.
Color Your World – How Color Influences Fashion & Beauty
The fashion and beauty industries are constantly evolving. Innovative ideas appear on the scene, often reflecting the tenor of a nation. These ideas become a trend. In 2013, there is a decided trend toward certain color palettes.
Colors that are taking front and center this year include emerald, dust blue, nectarine, Monaco blue, African violet, grayed jade, poppy red, lemon zest, tender shoots and linen as well as cool blue-green, and pistachio green.
Don’t underestimate the impact of color. It can make you look younger, improve your mood and enhance rather than detract from your appearance. It can warm up or cool down skin.
Color is a trigger. A woman puts on a red cardigan sweater, and it reminds her of a sweater her beloved grandmother wore when she used to snuggle with her. Color evokes memories and emotions.
The ‘it’ color has been tangerine tango, but it is being replaced by Monaco blue, according to the Panton Color Institute’s director Leatrice Eiseman. This blue is nautically-inspired. In addition, pop art-motivated colors such as chartreuse-green and the palest yellow are on the map this year.
Green is thought of as a cool color, but it can become warm when produced in misty jade coupled with lilac and punctuated with pops of chartreuse, sun orange or rich orchid. A misty jade colored ensemble is pastel yet powerful.
Red comes in an array of different shades, from deep blood red to red with orange undertones. Make sure the red you choose is flattering to your skin tone. When a color is ‘trendy’, somewhere within that trend is the perfect shade for your particular skin tone. Some designers tout blue as the ideal color because nearly everyone looks good in it.
When purchasing clothing, note whether the color is flattering to your skin tone. Hold the fabric next to your race. Those with fair skin may look washed out in faded hues or neutral pastels. Bold, vivid colors are preferable. If you have olive skin, opt for highly saturated colors in Kelly green, cobalt blue and deep purple. Warm colors may make you look sallow and bland.
Women of all ages would love to have that natural rosy glow even when they’re not feeling particularly well. Vibrant pink is a good choice for most skin tones and perks up the complexion.
Add some sparkle. Diamond engagement rings, wedding rings, cocktails rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets add glisten and glimmer to any wardrobe and perk up even the dullest ensemble. When jewelry is coupled with vibrant colors you are sure to look your best. Some women prefer gold metal while others prefer silver or white gold. Determine which metal most enhances your skin tone and, ultimately, your appearance.
If you are one of those who have a color phobia, start out slowly. Buy a scarf or even a piece of jewelry fashioned out of one of the trendy hues and try it. A shot of color is not going to overwhelm you, and you may discover that it does a lot to compliment your appearance. Try colored denim pants. The color burst is on your lower half and is not as startling as a bold color next to your face.
Jill Smith is a fashion and beauty contributor for several publications and websites and loves to write about picking out the perfect diamond engagement rings.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
SportsNation Blog Archives Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson wins at Daytona
Jimmie Johnson hasn't won the Sprint Cup since 2010 (we know -- what a drought, right?), but it looks like he's back in championship form. Johnson has won four races this season and is 49 points ahead of Clint Bowyer, who's in second place despite winning zero races. Our analysts have Matt Kenseth as the driver with the best shot of taking Johnson down, but will it be déjà vu all over again when the 2013 Chase is finally over?
Who will win the Sprint Cup this season?
57%
Jimmie Johnson
43%
The field
(Total votes: 23,483)
Which driver has the best chance of beating out Jimmie Johnson for the Sprint Cup title this season?
Brad Keselowski just needed to finish 15th-or-better to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup title. He did that, but got some help too when top challenger Jimmie Johnson was forced to the garage with 39 laps to go, ending his day and clinching the championship for Keselowski. That came one week after Johnson crashed out last week at Phoenix. So did Keselowski -- who won Dodge's first series title since 1975 -- win the Cup, or did Johnson lose it?
THEMVIKINGZ:
Jimmie Johnson was trying so hard to psyche him out on ESPN this week. Keselowski basically laghed at it, then went out and took the Cup.
Pretty cool."
SteelBrightblade:
Rooted for brad since he wrecked carl at dega. Just protectin his line. Well deserved"
Thomasg2488:
Gordon finally wins at Homestead and Keselowski (my 2nd favorite driver since racing for Jr.) wins the championship and denied JJ the title. And Lewis Hamilton won a fantastic United States Grand Prix. Perfect race day."
forums_mp:
Congrats Brad! Well deserved. I still think they need to tweak the chase format. Amidst all the mechanical issues a 'grade forgiveness' should be allowed."
rafter510:
I might not be a keselowski fan but well deserved win of the championship there's more in the future to come with his talent level"
BradSmith71374:
Guess he is in trouble next year. Dodge yanked his car and now he will be rolling in the back next year. Dodge thinks highly of their car and drivers. LMAO. Good luck next year Brad. LOL"
Each week, the NASCAR Now (Weekdays on ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET) crew will select the best burnouts of the past weekend. Which car will come out on top? Well, that's up to you. Watch the video above, cast your vote and tune into NASCAR Now to see who wins!
Each week, the NASCAR Now (Weekdays on ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET) crew will select the best burnouts of the past weekend. Which car will come out on top? Well, that's up to you. Watch the video above, cast your vote and tune into NASCAR Now to see who wins!
Manny Pacquiao packs quite a punch, as Antonio Margarito's medical bills will attest after their bout. But even Pacquiao can't match the power Jimmie Johnson has at his disposal when he's behind the wheel. Another weekend brought another chance to celebrate a champion, but is Johnson a bigger deal than Pacquiao?
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
Nov 13, 2018
The Advantages of CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
You might produce private folders to hold your images if your paper will most likely have lots of photos. In case you were CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpa paper depending on the topic sentence over, for instance, you may start your introduction with a couple of sentences explaining the state of the Catholic Church as well as the personalized of selling extravagances at the right time of the Protestant Reformation. Occasionally you state that it has to be vital to compose my paper to permit you to advance with the training. Reading examples of reaction documents is likewise an extra method whereby you can easily learn exactly how to make up a response paper to docudrama.
The period paper composing requirements to be executed with a comprehensive treatment and prior to hand work about this issue. Thus, it is a significant and very indispensable component of every student’s life as well as need to never be ignored. It is something that several students dread. The expression paper writing is very important to be discovered on the reduced level of education and learning given that if the base of the expression paper is solid after that the trainees will not fear the expression paper tasks in their future scholastic years. To start with, it’s vital to be familiarized with the areas of research paper writing. Research paper writing is the basic work to do CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpin the leading elevations of education. The expression paper writing is extremely intriguing endeavor to do since undergoing various resources, finding brand-new info about subjects is insightful and also interesting.
A term paper is the consequence of an entire great deal of research study, so once you’re prepared to start creating, it can be testing to recognize where to start. In the event you were CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpa paper reliant on the topic sentence above, for circumstances, you could begin your intro with a pair of sentences explaining the state of the Catholic Church and also the custom-made of marketing indulgences at the appropriate time of the Protestant Improvement. Whichever technique you use to arrange your concepts, you are going to recognize that after your organizing session, you are going to have a more clear image of exactly how you should try your term paper and also it is likely to make your term paper much simpler to compose. Prior to beginning creating your introduction, you need to establish what you would like your term paper to claim. Some pupils create a paper until they get to the minimal required length and stop.
CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
Composing well is essential. Thus, term paper writing is a substantial and also very important portion of every pupil’s life and should not be forgotten.
CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help – Is it a Scam?
The Fundamentals of CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help That You Will be Able to Learn From Beginning Right Away
Writing papers may well be the chance for you to find out more pertaining to the subject you’re examining than every other part of a course. Creating term papers isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds. Term documents additionally make the trainee to establish some real effort into their researching abilities. They are as well vital for you to end as well as take threats up sending a suboptimal one. The crucial elements of a term paper title page Whether you’re creating secondary school term papers or scholarly study documents, the components need to be arranged in one of the most proper manner for the research paper to function.
The Demise of CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
What You Should Do to Find Out About CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help Before You’re Left Behind
Our essay writers will permit you to compose the optimal oxford style papers by providing you with premium writing solutions. Additionally, the authors offering independent essay composing solutions should can providing essays without any grammatical mistakes. After you are ended up writing, you can continue to keep one of the most valuable ones and also get rid of the continuing to be section of the factors.
You might think what you’re composing is negative or plain silly, once you’ve got it down on paper you might return and also take an appearance at what you have actually written. Creating an outstanding essay is difficult as it needs great creating abilities and devotion of great deals of time. Of all, scholastic essay writing one should figure out a company from which to get the scholastic essay composing services.
At the close of the university application essay CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpprocedure, the essay used to the client is in its extremely best form. Our essay CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpbusiness will certainly offer you with expert essay CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpservices to trainees that are prepared to locate brand-new ideas which will certainly assist them in their academic writing. Your college application essay CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpassignments are offered just to the writer that’s educated in that certain topic.
The Do’s and Don’ts of CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
Fairly a huge collection of topics it is possible to find here. Choosing a topic for your essay could seem no challenge, but in reality, it’s a difficult work. The subject of your essay have to be debatable sufficient, to bring food for thought every When looking for to get an understanding into exactly how to make up a good masters essay, you wish to take note of a a great deal of small peculiarities.
Distinct individuals have their different manners of writing, that’s the method of composing content. Writing a research task is not an actually hard job if you recognize the correct way to do it. You must choose what you’re likely to compose about, make sure that you understand enough concerning the subject you chose.
The Appeal of CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
The Fundamentals of CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help Revealed
A term paper is the consequence of an entire lot of study, so when you’re prepared to start creating, it can be testing to comprehend where to start. Your term paper will arrive right into your e-mail inbox, which is why you require to supply active email when registering to the site.
Academic documents are an enormous section of any person’s education and learning, and also greatly answerable for the quality one gets at the close of the term. CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpa term paper might not be as complicated as it appears. A terrific term paper CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpfirm is a superb firm that gives students with internet term paper help. Term papers are exceedingly essential that you take dangers as well as end up sending a suboptimal one. CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpgreat term papers will surely aid you remain in college.
Type of CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help
Insightful speech CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpnevertheless, requires the knowledge of many necessary things to do to ensure high exceptional shipping. Furthermore, speech CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpabilities are likewise essential so regarding generate quality papers. Instead, the personalized made speech CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpservices have to be given at affordable as well as incredibly cost-effective costs.
CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Help Can Be Fun for Everyone
Prior to starting CIS 351 Syracuse University Assignment & Homework Helpyour intro, you must identify what you would like your term paper to claim. The intro can differ from a couple paragraphs for a temporary paper (35 pages) to a range of internet pages and also simply a chapter for a senior job or thesis. It is the initial paragraph of your paper.
The perfect solution for such trainees is to browse for custom creating companies which give personalized documents written utilizing different manners of referencing as well as citations. Trainees utilizing an instance essay are not as likely to make couple of drafts unlike trainees that do not have an instance essay.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
6. In May 2003, President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier in a flight suit,
stood under a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished," and triumphantly announced that major combat operations were over
in Iraq. Asked if he had any regrets about the stunt, Bush said he would do it all over again.
7. Vice President Cheney said that Iraq was "the geographic base of the terrorists
who have had us under assault for many years, but most especially on 9/11." The bipartisan 9/11 Commission found that Iraq
had no involvement in the 9/11 attacks and no collaborative operational relationship with Al Qaeda.
8. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said that high-strength aluminum
tubes acquired by Iraq were "only really suited for nuclear weapons programs," warning "we don't want the smoking gun to be
a mushroom cloud." The government's top nuclear scientists had told the Administration the tubes were "too narrow, too heavy,
too long" to be of use in developing nuclear weapons and could be used for other purposes.
10. According to the Administration's handpicked weapon's inspector, Charles
Duelfer, there is "no evidence that Hussein had passed illicit weapons material to al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations,
or had any intent to do so." After the release of the report, Bush continued to insist, "There was a risk--a real risk--that
Saddam Hussein would pass weapons, or materials, or information to terrorist networks."
13. The Bush Administration failed to commit enough troops to capture Osama bin
Laden when US forces had him cornered in the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan in November 2001. Instead, they relied on local
warlords.
18. The Bush Administration did not devote the resources necessary to prevent
a resurgence in the production of poppies, the raw material used to create heroin, in Afghanistan--creating a potent new source
of financing for terrorists.
30. The Bush Administration awarded a multibillion-dollar no-bid contract to
Halliburton--a company that still pays Vice President Cheney hundreds of thousands of dollars in deferred compensation each
year (Cheney also has Halliburton stock options). The company then repeatedly overcharged the military for services, accepted
kickbacks from subcontractors and served troops dirty food.
33. The Bush Administration paid Iraqi-exile and neocon darling Ahmad Chalabi
$400,000 a month for intelligence, including fabricated claims about Iraqi WMD. It continued to pay him for months after discovering
that he was providing inaccurate information.
36. Top Bush Administration officials accepted $127,600 in jewelry and other
presents from the Saudi royal family in 2003, including diamond-and-sapphire jewelry valued at $95,500 for First Lady Laura
Bush.
45. In 2000, candidate George W. Bush said "the vast majority of my tax cuts
go to the bottom end of the spectrum." He passed the tax cuts, but the top 20 percent of earners received 68 percent of the
benefits.
53. In 2000, candidate George W. Bush promised to increase the maximum federal
scholarship, or Pell Grant, by 50 percent. Instead, each year he has been in office he has frozen or cut the maximum scholarship
amount.
55. The Bush Administration, in violation of the law, refused to allow Medicare
actuary Richard Foster to tell members of Congress the actual cost of their Medicare bill. Instead, they repeated a figure
they knew was $100 billion too low.
57. The Bush Administration stunted research that could lead to new treatments
for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, spinal injuries, heart disease and muscular dystrophy by placing severe restrictions
on the use of federal dollars for embryonic stem-cell research.
60. The Bush Administration created a prescription drug card for Medicare that
locks seniors into one card for up to a year but allows the corporations offering the cards to change their prices once a
week.
63. In a case before the Supreme Court, the Bush Administrations sided with HMOs--arguing
that patients shouldn't be allowed to sue HMOs when they are improperly denied treatment. With the Administration's help,
the HMOs won.
70. The Bush Administration has spent $270 million on abstinence-only education
programs even though there is no scientific evidence demonstrating that they are effective in dissuading teenagers from having
sex or reducing the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.
75. Days after
9/11, the Bush Administration told people living near Ground Zero that the air was safe--even though they knew it wasn't--subjecting
hundreds of people to unnecessary, debilitating ailments.
78. The Bush Administration
said that even though the weed killer atrazine was seeping into water supplies--creating, among other bizarre creatures, hermaphroditic
frogs--there was no reason to regulate it.
84. The Bush Administration,
without ever charging him with a crime, arrested US citizen Josť Padilla at an airport in Chicago, held him on a naval brig
in South Carolina for two years, denied him access to a lawyer and prohibited any contact with his friends and family.
87. The Bush Administration
refuses to support the creation of an independent commission to investigate the abuse of foreign prisoners in American custody.
Instead, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld selected the members of a commission to review the conduct of his own department.
94. In June 1990
George Bush violated federal securities law when he failed to inform the SEC that he had sold 200,000 shares of his company,
Harken Energy. Two months later the company reported significant losses and by the end of that year the stock had dropped
from $3 to $1.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Crack on with the writing, I think it gives life meaning. If I wasn’t writing I would just think “I’ve had a shit childhood, shit life, and I still haven’t got a boyfriend.” But because I’m a writer I think my path was never meant to be easy or what on earth would I have to write about? http://bit.ly/1ER5cLY
Emily Dickinson’s passage ‘This is my letter to the world, That never wrote to me-‘ might say it. It’s like telling a partner your intimate self, but not have a partner, you tell the world that has rejected you…this is who I am, come and love me, too.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Greg Olsen (middle), your jacket should not be pulling like that at the torso. You're going to pop a button.
Same to you Derek Anderson (left). See how your lapel is flaring out and the shoulders are bunching? It's not just that it looks bad, it's that these guys literally can't move in these suits.
Only Luke Kuechly (right) is even approaching well-dressed. But you see how his collar doesn't quite reach his lapel? That's called collar-gap, and that means he chose the wrong collar type for the jacket he's wearing.
But I don't blame them entirely.
There's an easy excuse. These guys are super broad, huge men. It's hard to find clothes that fit. But that not the problem. These are rich men. They can afford perfectly fitting, custom suits.
It's that they're products of the sad state of men's magazines which constantly show suits pulling at the middle button. Sure, it looks slim in a still image on the page. But when you wear clothes you need to be able to, like, actually move.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Bollard
An impact absorption apparatus includes a force transfer member including a base and a sidewall extending from the base, the base including an opening, a shock absorber disposed within the force transfer member and resting on the base, the shock absorber including a through hole, a plate disposed within the force transfer member and resting on the shock absorber, the plate including a through hole, and a fastener that extends through the base opening, the shock absorber through hole, and the plate through hole, the fastener including an end protruding from the base opening, the fastener end configured to secure the force transfer member to a support surface. The force transfer member is configured so that when an impact force is applied to the force transfer member, the force is transferred from force transfer member to the shock absorber.
Latest McCue Corporation Patents:
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/078,600, filed on Nov. 13, 2013 which claims the benefit of the priority date of U.K. Application No. 1220541.5, filed on Nov. 15, 2012.
This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,444,343 which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to a bollard and to a method of fixing the bollard to the ground.
In supermarkets and retail stores, objects such as freezers refrigerators, shelving and product displays are susceptible to damage due to collisions with items such as shopping trolleys, floor scrubbers and pallet jacks. For example, freezer and refrigerator cases typically include a glass or transparent plastic door for viewing the products inside without opening the door. The glass can be shattered or the plastic scratched, upon impact with shopping trolleys. Since the body of many of these floor fixtures is constructed of lightweight metals or hardened plastic it can be easily dented or cracked by such impacts. Likewise, in industrial locations such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities, both internally and externally, product storage, doorways and equipment are susceptible to damage due to collisions with heavy equipment, such as delivery vehicles and forklifts.
A bollard protects objects and fixtures from collisions with all types of vehicles. Bollards are commonly employed inside a store to protect store fixtures and outside a store to protect outdoor structures from collisions, to indicate parking areas, to block vehicle and heavy equipment access to a particular area, and to direct flow of traffic. Bollards can also be used to block vehicular access for security reasons.
There are two primary types of bollards; plate-mounted bollards and core-drilled bollards. Plate-mounted bollards conventionally involve a steel plate having three or four bolt holes and a bollard extending perpendicularly from one face of the plate. The plate sits on the floor and bolts are used to fasten the plate, and therefore the bollard, to the floor through the bolt holes. There is no significant disruption to the ground or floor, other than the bolt holes, which are in some instances pre-drilled. On the other hand, core-drilled bollards conventionally require a major disruption to the ground or floor with the creation of a hole two to four feet deep and having a larger diameter than the bollard itself, for example eight inches to two feet, or larger. Concrete is poured into the hole and the bollard is placed in the concrete and held vertically while the concrete cures. In some instances, concrete is also poured into the hollow bollard itself. Installation of a core-drilled bollard is significantly more expensive than with a plate-mounted bollard, and takes significantly more time to complete. However, there are locations where the core-drilled bollard is required due to its ability to absorb larger impacts than the plate-mounted bollard.
Plate-mounted bollards are conventionally utilised in areas where impacts are more likely to be less severe, and involve lighter objects, or where no significant impacts are likely and the bollard serves more as a marker. For example, inside a grocery store in front of a freezer case any impact would likely be from a shopping trolley or floor polisher. Such an impact would be considered to be low-energy, or relatively minor. Accordingly, a plate-mounted bollard would be appropriate for this type of installation. However, in a warehouse with heavy equipment, such as delivery vehicles and forklifts, impacts are more likely to be more severe, or high-energy. A vehicle backing up may accidentally collide with a bollard. Accordingly, a core-drilled bollard would be more appropriate in these types of settings.
SUMMARY
There are a substantial number of installations where a conventional plate-mounted bollard does not provide quite enough impact protection; however, a core-drilled bollard is significantly over-sized for the application. Yet, a core-drilled bollard is installed because the conventional plate-mounted bollard falls short of providing the required protection. Likewise, there are installations where a core-drilled bollard is necessary to provide protection against likely impacts, yet a plate-mounted bollard is installed because they are less expensive or there are logistical problems with drilling four foot deep holes for the core-drilled bollard installation. Other factors may influence the selection of a plate-mounted bollard or a core-drilled bollard.
To address this issue, a bollard having an impact absorption mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,156 B2. This patent discloses a plate-mounted bollard which includes an internal impact absorption mechanism that enables the bollard to absorb impact forces greater than conventional plate-mounted bollards. The bollard makes use of a force transfer process that shifts impact forces to areas better able to resiliently absorb the impact without causing damage to the bollard, the impact absorption mechanism, or the ground in which the bollard is installed. The impact absorption mechanism consists of an internal resilient core rod mounted at its proximal end to a base plate which is fixed to the ground. Impact forces are then transferred through an outer shell to the distal or upper end of the internal resilient core. With energy from the impact force being distributed along the maximum length of the resilient core rod, the rod flexes and the full length of the rod is utilized to absorb the impact energy.
Although the bollard of this patent is an effective solution to the provision of a plate-mounted bollard in situation where a core-drilled bollard would normally have been preferred, this bollard is relatively complex and expensive to manufacture and maintain and is not an ideal solution in all circumstances.
It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bollard comprising an elongate outer tubular cover, an elongate inner tubular core located within the outer tubular cover, a damper located at a lower end of the inner tubular core, and a washer arranged to locate the damper against the inner tubular core, wherein the outer tubular cover and the inner tubular core are both substantially circular in horizontal cross-section and the outer tubular cover is able to rotate relative to the inner tubular core.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of fixing a bollard to the ground comprising receiving an elongate outer tubular cover, an elongate inner tubular core, a damper, a washer and one or more bolts, passing the or each bolt through the washer, damper and inner tubular core and into the ground, and placing the outer tubular cover over the inner tubular core such that the outer tubular cover is able to rotate relative to the inner tubular core.
Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a bollard that can be used as a plate-mounted bollard that will provide effective collision protection and will also disperse the energy from a low level collision, without any damage to the bollard. The outer cover and the inner core transfer collision energy to the damper within the bollard, which absorbs and disperses the energy of a collision. The bollard is relatively simple to manufacture and install and comprises a small number of relatively straightforward components. The outer tubular cover and the inner tubular core are both substantially circular in horizontal cross-section and the outer tubular cover and the inner tubular core are preferably not connected together. This form of construction of the bollard allows the outer cover to rotate relative to the inner core and this further helps to disperse the energy from a collision, as the rotation of the outer cover will absorb energy prior to any further energy being transmitted to other components within the bollard.
In a general aspect, an impact absorption apparatus includes a force transfer member including a base and a sidewall extending from the base, the base including an opening, a shock absorber disposed within the force transfer member and resting on the base, the shock absorber including a through hole, a plate disposed within the force transfer member and resting on the shock absorber, the plate including a through hole, and a fastener that extends through the base opening, the shock absorber through hole, and the plate through hole, the fastener including an end protruding from the base opening, the fastener end configured to secure the force transfer member to a support surface. The force transfer member is configured so that when an impact force is applied to the force transfer member, the force is transferred from force transfer member to the shock absorber.
Aspects may include one or more of the following features.
A diameter of the opening of the base may be greater than a diameter of the fastener. The force transfer member may be a bumper and the sidewall of the bumper may include an impact deflection portion and one or more flanges extending from the impact deflection portion. The impact deflection portion may have a substantially semi-circular shape. The base may have a substantially semi-circular shape. The shock absorber may have a substantially semi-circular shape.
The plate may have a substantially semi-circular shape. Each of the one or more flanges may include a notch causing at least a portion of the flange to be elevated above the support surface. The notch may have a rectangular shape. The notch may have a triangular shape. Each of the one or more flanges may have a substantially triangular shape. The impact absorption apparatus may be configured to evenly distribute a force of impact from the force transfer member into the shock absorber.
The shock absorber may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be a rubber material. The fastener may be a bolt.
The sidewall may have an elongate tubular shape with a first cross-sectional diameter. The impact absorption apparatus may include a cover having an elongate tubular shape with a second cross-sectional diameter greater than the first cross-sectional diameter. The sidewall may be disposed within the cover and the cover is able to rotate relative to the sidewall.
Advantageously, the outer tubular cover and the inner tubular core are both ground-contacting, with the inner tubular core being closed at the lower end, wherein the washer directly contacts the damper and the damper directly contacts the closed lower end of the inner tubular core. This provides the most effective arrangement of the components, with the outer cover and the inner core both grounded. The inner core is closed at the ground-contacting end with a flat plate which has the washer clamping the damper against the flat plate of the inner core.
Ideally, the inner tubular core comprises one or more spacing elements on the external surface thereof. In the preferred embodiment, each spacing element comprises a substantially horizontal ring around the inner tubular core and the inner tubular core comprises two spacing elements on the external surface thereof. The spacing elements provide two main functions, firstly in that they support the rotation of the outer cover around the inner core, during any collision, and secondly they can provide their own shock-absorbing function during a collision. The outer tubular cover can comprise one or more holes, each hole locating a fixing lug. At least one hole is located below a spacing element and the respective fixing lug extends inside the outer tubular cover in a position below the spacing element. The provision of the holes and lugs relative to the spacing elements provides a simple way of retaining the outer cover in position relative to the inner core, without there being any direct connection between these two components.
Among other advantages, embodiments more evenly distribute forces of impact into the shock absorber than conventional impact absorbing bollards or rack guards.
The bollards and rack guards can receive repeated impacts without needing to be replaced. This is advantageous when compared to conventional bollards and rack guards which can be destroyed by a single impact.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 and 2 are views of a vertical section through a bollard in the ground,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an inner core of the bollard,
FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the inner core of FIG. 3,
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an outer cover of the bollard,
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a damper of the bollard, and
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a washer of the bollard.
FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of an impact absorption apparatus.
FIG. 9 is an exploded rear perspective view of the impact absorption apparatus.
FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the impact absorption apparatus.
DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 shows a bollard 10 in the ground 28. The Figure shows a vertical section through the bollard 10. The bollard 10 comprises an elongate outer tubular cover 12, an elongate inner tubular core 14 located within the outer tubular cover 12, a damper 16 located at a lower end of the inner tubular core 14, and a washer 18 arranged to locate the damper 16 against the inner tubular core 14. The outer tubular cover 12 and the inner tubular core 14 are both substantially circular in horizontal cross-section and the outer tubular cover 12 is able to rotate relative to the inner tubular core 14. The outer cover 12 and the inner core 14 are not connected together. The outer cover 12 and the inner core 14 are both ground-contacting.
The washer 18 directly contacts the damper 16. The inner core 14 is closed at the lower end and the damper 16 directly contacts the closed lower end of the inner core 14. The inner core 14 also comprises two spacing elements 20 on its external surface. Each spacing element 20 comprises a substantially horizontal ring around the inner core 14. The outer cover 12 has two holes 22, each hole 22 locating a fixing lug 24. Each hole 22 is located below a respective spacing element 20 and the respective fixing lug 24 extends inside the outer cover 12 towards the inner core 14 in a position below the respective spacing element 20.
The bollard further comprises three bolts 26, each bolt 26 passing through the washer 18, damper 16 and inner core 14 and into the ground 28. The bolts push together the washer 18, damper 16 and inner core 14 so that any collision energy is ultimately transferred to the damper 16 which disperses the energy from any collision. The bolts 26 anchor the bollard 10 to the ground 28 and keep the bollard 10 in position. Should any object strike the bollard 10 in a collision then the energy of that collision is directed to the damper 16 through the outer cover 12 and the inner core 14 and the energy is dispersed in this way.
FIG. 2 shows a view similar to FIG. 1, with an arrow indicating the fact that the outer cover 12 can rotate relative to the inner core 14. Although the inner core 14 is fixed relative to the ground 28 by the bolts 26, the outer cover is not actually physically connected to the inner core 14 and is not restrained in any way. There is no connection between these two components of the bollard 10. This allows the outer cover 12 to rotate. This provides further collision damage protection, as the initial energy from any collision with the bollard 10 will be first dispersed as rotational energy, rotating the outer cover 12.
This collision protection is assisted by the spacing elements 20 that are fixed to the outside of the inner core 14. The bollard 10 is provided with two spacing elements 20 that are each formed as a ring around the inner core 14. The spacing elements 20 form part of the inner core 14 and are not fixed to the outer cover 12. The spacing elements 20 have a horizontal thickness that is slightly smaller than the gap between the outer cover 12 and the inner core 14. The spacing elements 20 are made from steel and are designed to reduce the surface contact between the outer cover 12 and the inner core 14, thus reducing the friction between the two parts thereby allowing the outer cover 12 to rotate.
The outer cover 12 is provided with two holes 22, vertically one above the other. These holes 22 receive lugs 24 that can be screwed into position. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, these lugs 24 are flush to the outer surface of the outer cover 12 but extend inwards from the outer cover 12 to touch the inner core 14. The lugs help to retain the outer cover 12 in position, while not restricting the rotation of the outer cover 12 during a collision. Each lug 24 is below a respective spacing element 20, and this prevents the removal of the outer cover 12, once the lugs 24 are in position. The position of a hole 22 (and therefore a lug 24) below a respective spacing element 20 also allows the outer cover 12 to move upwards in a collision, to further disperse energy from that collision. So, although the lugs 24 prevent the full removal of the outer cover 12, they do not stop the outer cover rising upwards during a collision.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the inner core 14 of the bollard 10 in an upright position as it would be in use in the bollard 10. The two spacing elements 20 can be seen on the exterior of the inner core 14, one of which is towards the upper end of the inner core 14 and the other of which is towards the lower end of the inner core 14. These spacing elements 20 provide the dual purpose of creating spacing between the inner core 14 and the outer cover 12 when the bollard is in use and providing shock absorption in the event of a collision.
A vertical section through the inner core 14 is shown in FIG. 4, which shows again the position of the spacing elements 20. At the lower end 30, the inner core 14 is closed, so that the essential form of the inner core 14 is a circular cross-section elongate tube that is closed at one end. The closed end 30 is provided with three holes 32 to receive the bolts 26, when the bollard 10 is constructed in position. The inner core 14 is manufactured from a steel tube with a circular steel plate 30 used to close the one end of the inner core 14. Holes are drilled into steel plate 30.
As discussed above, the inner core 14 of the bollard 10 is ground-contacting, with the lower end 30 lying horizontally on the ground 28, with the elongate tubular part of the inner core 14 extending upwards in a vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 3. The bolts 26 fasten the inner core 14 in place, passing through the washer 18 and damper 16 and then through the holes 32 in the base plate 30 that forms the lower end of the inner core 14. The bolts 26 are anchoring the inner core 15 tightly to the ground 28 and ensure that the inner core 14 is fixed in a rigid upright position.
The outer cover 12 is shown in a perspective view from above in FIG. 5. The outer cover 12 forms the exterior of the bollard 10 and any collision with the bollard 10 will be directly onto the outer cover 12. As discussed above, the outer cover 12 sits directly on the ground 28 and is not actually connected to any other part of the bollard 10 or indeed to the ground 28. The outer cover 12 is free to rotate during a collision in order to dissipate as much as energy as possible, without causing damage to any of the components of the bollard 10 or to the ground 28.
As can be seen in this Figure, the outer cover 12 is provided with holes 22 that lie on the same vertical line. These holes 22 are located so that they are underneath respective spacing elements 20 on the exterior of the inner core 14, when the bollard 10 is assembled in position. The lugs 24 fit into the holes 22 and can be screwed in so that they are flush with the outer surface of the outer cover 12 and will be so positioned that they extend under the respective spacing element 20. This will prevent unauthorised removal of the outer cover 12 as the lugs 24 will retain the outer cover 12 under the spacing elements 20.
The essential form of the outer cover 12 is a circular cross-section elongate tube that is closed at one end. It is constructed of robust plastics material that will not dent or easily be deformed. The outer cover 12 is a moulding which can be coloured to ensure that is visually stands out as much as possible. At the upper end of the outer cover 12 is a grooved section 34.
The damper 16 is shown in FIG. 6, which shows a perspective view of the damper 16. The damper 16 is provided with three holes 36 that receive the bolts 26 that are used to hold the damper 16 in position. The damper is made from rubber or some other suitable deformable plastics material that will absorb and disperse as much as possible of the energy of any collision with the bollard 10. The damper 16 is held tightly against the inner core 14 by the washer 18 and the collision energy travels from the outer cover 12 to the inner core 14 to the damper 16, which disperses the energy of the collision.
The washer 18 is shown in perspective view from above in FIG. 7. The steel washer 18 is provided with three holes 38 that receive the bolts 26 that are used to hold the washer 18 in position. The washer 18 presses down on the damper 16 as the bolts 26 are tightened to retain the inner core 14 against the ground 28. This ensures that the inner core 14, the damper 16 and the washer 18 are all tightly pressed together and held in position once the bollard 10 is assembled. This will mean that in the event of a collision, the energy of the collision will reach the damper 16, which disperses as much of the energy as possible.
The bollard 10 has a very simple construction and is very easy to assemble. The damper 16 and the washer 18 both have a circumference that matches the interior shape of the inner core 14 and are placed in the bottom of the inner core 14. The inner core 14 can be placed onto the ground 28 and retained in place using the bolts 26. The outer cover 12 is then placed over the inner core 14 and the lugs 24 are screwed into the holes 22 as far as possible in order to prevent the unauthorised removal of the outer cover 12. In this way, the bollard 10 is assembled in position.
Referring to FIG. 8 in another embodiment, an impact absorption apparatus 90 utilizes a similar impact absorption mechanism as the inner core of the bollard described above but does not require an outer cover. The impact absorption apparatus 90 includes a bumper 80, a shock absorber 84 and a free top plate 86. The bumper 80, the shock absorber 84, and the free top plate 86 are held in an assembled position using a fastener such as a bolt 88.
Referring to FIG. 9, the impact absorption apparatus 90 of FIG. 8 is shown in an exploded state to better illustrate the individual elements mentioned in relation to FIG. 8. The bumper 80 includes a fixed bottom plate 82 (i.e., a base) and a sidewall including a rounded front portion 81 and two substantially triangular flanges 83 extending from the rounded front portion 81.
The rounded front portion 81 extends from a top end 87 of the bumper 80 to a bottom end 89 of the bumper 80. In some examples, the rounded front portion 81 has a hollow, semi-circular shape (e.g., the shape of a half of a pipe). In general, at least a portion of the rounded front portion 81 at the bottom end 89 of the bumper 80 rests on the ground (not shown).
The rounded front portion 81 has two ends 94 from which the two substantially triangular flanges 83 extend. The flanges 93 also extend from the top end 86 to the bottom end 90 of the bumper 80. In some examples, a width of each of the flanges 93 increases as the flanges 83 extend from the top end 87 toward the bottom end 89, resulting in the triangular shape of the flange 93. In general, at least a portion of each of the flanges 93 at the bottom end 89 of the bumper rests on the ground (not shown).
In some examples, each of the flanges 93 includes a notch 92 at the bottom end 89 of the bumper 80. The notch 92 causes at least a portion of the flange 93 to be elevated from the ground (not shown). In some examples, the notches 92 in the flanges 83 lessen the amount of force that is required to cause the bumper 80 to lean or pivot when it is struck by an object. In some examples, the length and depth of the notches 92 can be adjusted based on an expected force of impact for a given application. If an impact has enough force, the bumper 80 will eventually pivot to the extent that the flanges 83 contact the ground. In this case, the triangular shape of the flanges 93 along with the strength of their material causes the bumper 80 to stop transferring force into the shock absorber 84 and instead act as a hard-stop barrier
The fixed bottom plate 82 has a shape which corresponds to an interior of the rounded front portion 81 (e.g., a semi-circle) such that it can be affixed into the rounded front portion 81 at its bottom end 89, substantially capping the bottom end 89 of the rounded front portion 81. The fixed bottom plate 82 includes a hole 94 through which the bolt 88 can be inserted. In general, the hole 94 has a diameter which is greater than a diameter of the bolt 88. The greater diameter provides clearance between the inner edge of the hole 94 and the bolt 88. The clearance allows the bumper 80 to move with two degrees of freedom about the bolt 88 and ensurEs that the bumper 80 can pivot to a certain extent before the bolt 88 makes contact with the inner edge of the hole 94. Without the larger diameter hole, the bolt 88 would be easily damaged upon impact.
The shock absorber 84 has a shape corresponding to the interior of the rounded front portion 81 (e.g., a semi-circle) such that it can be inserted into the rounded front portion 81, resting on the fixed bottom plate 82. In general, the shock absorber 84 is fabricated using an elastomeric material such as rubber. The shock absorber 84 includes a hole 96 through which the bolt 88 can be inserted. The hole 96 has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the bolt 88.
The free top plate 86 has a shape corresponding to the interior of the rounded front portion 81 (e.g., a semi-circle) such that it can be inserted into the rounded front portion 81, resting on top of the shock absorber 84. The free top plate 86 includes a hole 98 through which the bolt 88 can be inserted. In general, the hole 98 has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the bolt 88. The free top plate 86 is not directly attached to the bumper 80.
When the bumper 80 is assembled as is shown in FIG. 8, the shock absorber 84 is inserted into the front portion 81 of the bumper 80, resting on the fixed bottom plate 82. The free top plate 88 is then inserted into the front portion 81 of the bumper 80, resting on the shock absorber 84. The bolt 88 is then inserted through the respective holes in the free top plate 86, the shock absorber 84, and the fixed bottom plate 82 and into a support surface such as a receiving member anchored in the ground (not shown). The bolt 88 is tightened such that the shock absorber 84 is held snug in place between the free top plate 86 and the fixed bottom plate 82.
In operation, when an object impacts the bumper 80, the bumper 80 pivots about the bolt 88, leaning away from the impact until the flanges 83 make contact with the ground. As the bumper 80 leans, the fixed bottom plate 82 leans and presses against the shock absorber 84 which in turn presses against the free top plate 86. Since the free top plate 86 is held in place by the bolt 88, the shock absorber 84 compresses between the two plates 82, 86, absorbing the force of the impact.
In some examples, the pressure exerted on free top plate 86 by the shock absorber 84 causes the free top plate 86 to lean such that it is maintained in an orientation that is substantially parallel to the fixed bottom plate 82. By maintaining a substantially parallel orientation between the fixed bottom plate 82 and the free top plate 86, the force of the impact is more evenly distributed into the shock absorber 84 than would be the case if the two plates 82, 86 were angled relative to one another.
Once the force of impact on the bumper 80 relents, the resilient material used in the shock absorber 84 returns to its original shape, which in turn returns the bumper 80 to its original position.
Referring to FIG. 11, a front perspective view of the bollard illustrates the rounded bumper portion 81. In some examples, the rounded bumper portion 81 causes objects impacting the bumper 80 to glance off of the bumper 80, thereby reducing the amount of force transferred from the bumper 80 into the shock absorber 84 by the impact.
In some examples, the bumper is fabricated using a metallic material such as steel. In such cases the fixed bottom plate is welded into the interior of the front portion of the bumper. In other examples, the bumper is fabricated using a plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride. In such cases, the fixed bottom plate is either attached to the interior of the front portion of the bumper using a high strength epoxy or integrally formed with the front portion of the bumper.
In some examples, the notches in the flanges are rectangular in shape. In other examples, the notches are triangular in shape.
Claims
1. An impact absorption apparatus comprising:
a force transfer member including: a base having an opening; and a bumper including a sidewall extending from the base, the sidewall of the bumper including an impact deflection portion and one or more flanges extending from the impact deflection portion, each of the one or more flanges including a notch causing at least a portion of the flange to be elevated above a support surface,
a shock absorber disposed within the force transfer member and resting on the base, the shock absorber including a through hole,
a plate disposed within the force transfer member and resting on the shock absorber, the plate including a through hole, and
a fastener that extends through the base opening, the shock absorber through hole, and the plate through hole, the fastener including an end protruding from the base opening, the fastener end configured to secure the force transfer member to the support surface, and
the force transfer member being configured so that when an impact force is applied to the force transfer member, the force is transferred from force transfer member to the shock absorber.
2. The impact absorption apparatus of claim 1 wherein a diameter of the opening of the base is greater than a diameter of the fastener.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Orioles are ramping up their efforts to make a move, extending several offers to free agents on Wednesday -- including closer Grant Balfour -- and continuing trade discussions, although it remains to be seen if they will have anything to show for it when they board a plane and head back north on Thursday afternoon.
"We've got offers out to hitters, we've got offers out to pitchers that are both starters and relievers," Dan Duquette, executive vice president of baseball operations, said. "Our effort is there, we just haven't closed a deal yet."
The Orioles watched several pieces that they'd liked come off the board during the third full day of the Winter Meetings, including pitcher Bartolo Colon -- who signed a two-year, $20 million pact with the Mets -- and first baseman/outfielder Logan Morrison, who was traded from Miami to Seattle.
Is Duquette, who was confident earlier in the week that the club would add players, feeling any pressure to make a move as the Meetings wind down?
"We are going to try to get something done," he said. "Sometimes you can lay the groundwork [at the Winter Meetings] and make a deal a day or two after. That would be good. But we would certainly like to get something done here this week."
Duquette said that the market has pretty much set itself, and he expects some trades during the Meetings' final days. Whether any of those moves involve the Orioles -- who have prioritized pitching and a left-handed bat -- remains to be seen.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Meta
Elected Judges and Denial of Due Process
Posted by judicialethicsforum on Wednesday, March, 4, 2009
(The following is on judicial elections and due process, from Understanding Lawyers’ Ethics (3d ed. 2004).I’m concerned that those on the court who are hostile to recusal (e.g., Justices Scalia and Breyer) will use the extreme facts of the W.Va. case to sharply limit the statutory and constitutional recusal requirement.)
The most important potential significance of White is the strong suggestion in the opinions of Justices O’Connor and Ginsburg (writing for a total of five justices) that no judge subject to reelection can decide a controversial case without violating due process.As discussed earlier in this chapter [9: “The Impartial Judge”], due process is denied if there is a “possible temptation to the average . . . judge . . . which might lead him not to hold the balance nice, clear, and true. . . .”There is substantial reason to believe that elective judges are influenced in controversial cases by the threat of being voted out of office.Particularly in a case involving issues like the death penalty or abortion rights, therefore, there is a strong argument that a decision by such a judge violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Indeed, Justice O’Connor’s concerns ultimately go beyond the controversial case, to challenge the entire system of electing judges.She concurs separately to express her objections to “judicial elections generally.” Referring to the state’s claim of a compelling interest in “an actual and perceived … impartial judiciary,” she notes that “the very practice of electing judges undermines this interest.”Defining impartiality as being free of any stake in the outcome of a case, she explains that when judges are subject to regular elections, “they are likely to feel that they have at least some personal stake in the outcome of every publicized case.” That is, elected judges “cannot help being aware that if the public is not satisfied with the outcome of a particular case, it could hurt their reelection prospects.” Moreover, even when judges succeed in overcoming their concern with voters’ displeasure, “the public’s confidence in the judiciary could be undermined simply by the possibility that judges would be unable to do so.”
O’Connor refers to a law review article that quotes former California Supreme Court Justice Otto Kaus’ statement that ignoring the political consequences of controversial cases is like “ignoring a crocodile in your bathtub.”She also relies on an article that cites statistics indicating that judges who face elections are far more likely to override jury sentences of life without parole and impose the death penalty.
In addition, O’Connor discusses the pernicious effects of campaign fundraising in judicial elections, noting, for example, that the thirteen candidates in a partisan election for five seats on the Alabama Supreme Court in 2000 spent an average of $1,092,076 on their campaigns.Not surprisingly, lawyers and litigants who appear before the judges are among the major contributors to judges’ campaigns, and “relying on campaign donations may leave judges feeling indebted to certain parties or interest groups.”
When lawyers and litigants appear to be buying influence with campaign contributions, the appearance of partiality goes beyond the highly publicized case, tainting any case in which money may have passed.Thus, O’Connor’s ultimate due process challenge is to the entire system of judicial election of judges, in cases of both major and minor public interest.
Justice Ginsburg analyzes some of the Court’s most important cases requiring disqualification of state judges on due process grounds.Her analysis provides three conclusions.First, a litigant is deprived of due process where the judge who hears his case has a “direct, personal, substantial and pecuniary” interest in ruling against him.Second, the judge’s interest is sufficiently “direct” if the judge knows that “his success and tenure in office depend on certain outcomes.”Third, due process does not require a showing that the judge is biased in fact as a result of his self-interest.Rather, the cases have “always endeavored to prevent even the probability of unfairness.”
Ginsburg’s immediate focus in White is on the judge who has made or implied a commitment to voters to decide cases a certain way, and who fears voter retaliation if she fails to deliver.Her remarks, however, apply equally to any judge whose reelection may depend upon not offending voters in the next election.Such a judge may be thought to have a direct, personal, substantial, and pecuniary interest in ruling against certain litigants, Ginsburg notes, “for she may be voted off the bench and thereby lose her salary and emoluments” if her decision displeases the voters.Quoting The Federalist No. 79, she adds: “‘In the general course of human nature, a power over a man’s subsistence amounts to a power over his will.’”
The Chair of the ABA Commission on the 21st Century Judiciary[, Edward W. Madiera,] agrees.“The commission found,” he has written, “that the greatest threats to the impartiality and independence of judges, whether real or perceived, are posed by the prospect of ouster from office based on the content of judicial decisions.”
Because states can no longer prevent judicial candidates from announcing views on legal and political issues, some states will very likely abandon judicial elections.To the extent that they do not, a litigant in a case involving a controversial issue will have a strong argument that due process requires disqualification of any judge who is subject to reelection.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
The warlock is a very fun and rewarding class to play, but it takes a lot of skill and finesse to play a warlock to its full potential. As a warlock, you will need to learn to use your pets, manage your threat, and collect Soul Shards. As you grow in levels, your strategies will change slightly, you will have to learn to adapt to new situations and new spells. But however your strategy adjusts, it can usually be boiled down into a few basic concepts.
The different approaches to combat really depend on the pet you are using. So let's look at the pets that a warlock can have, and in what situations we would use them. Before we do however, we should first explain a key concept of the warlock: the Soul Shard.
Soul Shards are a unique Warlock resource displayed in the user interface beneath the player's health and mana bars similar to Death KnightRunes. The resource works in tandem with the Soulburn spell, to empower the next spell the player casts, granting it a special effect, such as increasing its damage or making it an instant cast. Warlocks have 3 Soul Shards that can be used during a fight and will not be able to gain additional shards during combat. Soul Shards are not required outside of combat,[1] with the intent that warlocks make full use of the resource in every fight, though Blizzard may add a mechanic to regen shards in combat if it's found it's needed in order to handle variable combat length.[2]
Soulburn has no mana or health costs and is off the global cooldown, but has a 45-second cooldown. Secondary effects are outlined here.[1]
[Seed of Corruption] + Soulburn = If the Seed of Corruption detonates, all targets will be afflicted by [Corruption] and the Soul Shard will be returned. If the Seed of Corruption fails to detonate, the Soul Shard is not returned. This effect is enabled through a talent in the Affliction tree.
Contents
Before level 10, a warlock will only be able to summon the Imp, which is a pet that casts fireballs at enemies. It can gain access to a stamina buff called Blood Pact, as well as a damage shield called Fire Shield. The Imp is the only pet that requires no reagents to summon. (edit: since the release of cataclysm, many changes have been made to warlocks, including removing the requirement of a reagent to summon any pet)
In general, the Imp represents the mage type of pet. Lots of damage output, but not a lot of hitpoints. They are best NOT taking damage alone (if you can take some for the pet he'll live longer), and they are best suited for cases when you are in a group where someone else can tank. If you use the Imp alone, you are best suited using the pet to deliver the most amount of damage as it can, while you do the same. The key with the Imp is to kill the monster before it can do too much damage to either you or the Imp.
Warlocks that have specced into Dark Pact use Imps often because of their high Spirit and Intellect. They can leave an Imp Phase Shifted and steal its mana, and the Imp will never take damage or draw aggro while it regenerates mana during the whole fight. The Imp is essentially a mana battery in these cases. The Blood Pact stamina bonus, when improved by talents, can be as effective as a Power Word: Fortitude in some cases. This also allows for quicker regeneration of mana since you have more health to fuel Life Tap.
After level 10, the Imp is generally not used for solo playing unless the warlock has run out of soul shards, since his utility for leveling is outstripped by the voidwalker and succubus. Though, some warlocks choose to "AoE" grind mobs like some mages do by casting all DoTs on one target, choose new target, DoT that one, and so on. For this the imp is useful as both a mana battery and for the stamina buff.
In end-game raids the Imp is useful primarily for Blood Pact. The fact that phase shift prevents him from dying as long as he doesn't use firebolt is also a plus. The Blood Pact ability is regarded so high that there are guilds that require warlocks to always use the Imp.
However, many players that request the presence of an Imp don't have a full understanding of Blood Pact (which is limited to a 20 yard range). As warlocks are a ranged class, they will usually try to stay at a maximum range, which will be around 30 yards. That means that the melee class in the party may not get the benefits of the Blood Pact. In boss fights, a good warlock will step forward and request the Imp to stay at a position where most players are inside the 20 yard range, and then step back again to a safer distance.
At level 10, after completing a quest, you will be able to summon the Voidwalker. This pet is a tank, meaning he can absorb a lot of damage, but is not very useful at dealing it. The key ability of the Voidwalker is Torment, an ability which acts as a taunt. What that means is that he can cause monsters to find him more threatening than you. That is a good thing, as letting the Voidwalker absorb damage will keep you from having to, and he has much better armor. And if it comes down to one of you being killed...well, better him than you.
Later abilities of the Voidwalker include Sacrifice, which hurts the Voidwalker by a percentage of health to give you a stronger version of the priest spell Power Word: Shield, Suffering, which is an AoE taunt, and Consume Shadows, an out of combat pet self heal. Sacrifice can be particularly useful if your Voidwalker's health is low and he's about to die regardless.
To summon a Voidwalker, you will need to use a Soul Shard. If you don't have any, you're stuck with the Imp until you get one. For this reason, it is best to always have a few Soul Shards handy in case your pet dies, and you need to replace him. Beginning with patch 1.12, a soul shard is refunded to the caster any time a summoned pet despawns rather than dies (for example, if you move too far from your pet).
The tactics used with the Voidwalker are usually centered around letting him take the damage, while you hurt the monster in a controlled manner. After ordering the Voidwalker to attack your selected target, most experienced Warlocks start out with Curse of Agony. Using Curse of Weakness is not normally effective when soloing because while it decreases the amount of damage the target does per hit, the lack of damage from not using a Curse of Agony means the battle will take longer and the monster will get in more of those hits. The net result is a longer battle with the same or more total damage done to your Voidwalker. Curse of Agony is applied before the other DoTs because it takes the longest to complete its full duration (24 seconds). After Curse of Agony comes Corruption (18 second duration at most ranks), and then Immolate (15 seconds for full damage).
This DoT order has several advantages. First, it ensures that full damage from all the DoTs is done in the shortest amount of time. Second, it does the least amount of damage in the beginning. Neither Curse of Agony nor Corruption do any damage for 3 seconds after you cast them, and Curse of Agony starts off slow. This allows your Voidwalker to get a taunt in before you start really pissing off the monster. Third, it allows you the most flexibility. It's not uncommon for your Voidwalker to have his taunt resisted, but since the damage you've done is so low in the beginning, the monster might not turn to attack you. Even if it does, it won't be hard for the Voidwalker to get aggro back. If you see your Voidwalker being resisted, you can always hold off on Immolate until after he's built up more threat.
The strategy of finishing off the monster after this depends on the talent spec of the Warlock. Affliction Warlocks will use a combination of Life Tap and Drain Life to do additional damage while restoring health and mana. Destruction Warlocks will use a combination of Shadow Bolt, Conflagrate, and Immolate to finish the monster off a good deal faster, but without the replenishment.
In longer fights, you may need to use Health Funnel to give your pet some needed life, but be aware that those heals will raise your threat level a good amount, and may result in the monster going after you.
At level 20, you will get the rogue pet, the Succubus. Besides having a 'distinct' look, the Succubus is capable of dealing out damage. While it is contended by users, the Succubus is intended to deal out more damage faster than the Imp, but be less able to absorb damage than the Voidwalker. Basically the succubus is a middle ground pet. It is important to remember that she will also need to be summoned with a Soul Shard, so you need one ready to call her.
The Succubus starts with an ability called Lash of Pain. This is basically an instant-cast direct damage ability that deals about 30 damage (rank 1) to the target. Later the Succubus will gain Seduction which is a charming ability. This is useful against humanoid encounters, and can help you deal with multiple monsters at once.
The tactics around the Succubus are similar to the Imp: deal damage fast and share the pain between you. Approach the combat in the same way as the Voidwalker: open with a curse, DoT, follow up with DD, but in this case, do not hold back on the damage being dealt, even if it puts the monster on you. The damage absorption of the Succubus will only help slightly, so you'd rather just dish out the pain.
The Succubus is the best pet with which to practice a soloing technique called "drain tanking." Attack with the pet and apply DoTs of your choice. Eventually the aggro generated by your spells will pull the mob onto you, at which point begin spamming Drain Life to offset the damage you're taking from the mob, as well as Life Tapping to replenish your mana. Meanwhile, your Succubus should be ideally positioned to apply Lash of Pain to the mob's back. Drain tanking is only feasible as a play style if you take some key talents in the Affliction tree, but if done well you can take down mobs surprisingly fast and come out with only a small net loss of health/mana.
Succubi also seem to be very useful in a group where a tank is already present. Having the ability to dish out more damage, and even the occasional charm is definitely worth using. She also tends to create some oohs and ahhs because of her scantily clad appearance. The distinctive look of the Succubus will also make it clear what to target, and her reduced size compared to the Voidwalker makes fighting at close quarters easier.
Despite her lack of taunting, the Succubus can generate some hate on herself with her damage output (mainly when you have talents that increase her DPS: Unholy Power, Improved Succubus, Improved Lash of Pain). To keep your somewhat fragile pretty alive, Soothing Kiss will reduce the aggro toward her (similar to the rogue's Feint ability) and keep her dealing out damage without risk of dying.
Always have Soothing Kiss on autocast when in a group, and never when playing solo.
If timed perfectly, the mob will start running towards you in the end but spend some time running.
If you share the damage with the Succubus, you minimize recovery time as you both regain lost hp at the same time.
This strategy takes into account that the Succubus can't take much damage, and so using DoTs is too slow.
Using the talents Improved Succubus and Improved Lash of Pain really makes this strategy shine.
At level 30 you get the Felhunter. The Felhunter is very useful against other casters, using spell lock, which interrupts an enemy caster's spell, and--for six seconds--prevents the caster from casting any spell from the same class of magic. The felhunter's "Devour Magic" ability removes negative magic on you (or positive magic on an enemy) and heals the felhunter every time he performs it.
Careful threat management can make fighting with the Felhunter smooth and painless. Send the Felhunter in to attack, and watch the mob's health bar. As soon as the Felhunter hits the enemy for the first time, cast Curse of Weakness -- this will not cause enough threat to draw the mob away. Wait until the mob's health bar has decreased visibly by a tick, then cast Corruption (and Siphon Life if you have it). You may want to use Life Tap at this point to recoup the mana you have used.
Wait until the mob's health has decreased a significant fraction -- experiment with different enemies and see how this varies. Then use further attacks, such as Immolate, Shadow Bolt, your wand if you have one, or perhaps even a direct melee weapon attack. You can also use Drain Life to restore the health you lost by using Life Tap. If the mob does turn away from your Felhunter to attack you, don't panic; just cool it for a moment, stop attacking, and it'll go back. At this point some of your DoTs may be wearing off; you can judge whether and when to put them back based on how easy it is to draw the threat back onto you. It takes finesse, but you can usually dispatch enemies your level and come out with almost full health and mana. Your Felhunter may be a little worse for the wear, but pets recover very quickly.
At level 50 you can get the Infernal. The infernal is not a pet you will be using frequently, seeing as it can only be summoned once per 10 minutes, it requires a reagent, and it disappears after 1 minute.
The spell to summon the infernal has a 2 second cast time, and when the infernal lands it will deal a small amount of shadow damage to all enemies around it as well as stunning them for 2 seconds. The Reagent needed to summon one is called an "Infernal Stone"
The infernal comes with a good chunk of health, fire immunity, fear immunity, and a permanent immolation aura that deals fire damage to every enemy around it every 3 seconds. It also hits pretty hard, and tanks well in PvE if you ever decide to use it for that.
Its fear immunity makes it a useful tool against enemy priests.
The infernal is useful for attracting attention in group PvP. If you send your infernal in to attack an enemy group, chances are they will focus their firepower on the infernal, giving your group members an easier time.
The information in the paragraph below is obsolete post patch 3.0.3.:
Prior to a certain patch, the summoned Infernal would roam free. Now, he comes enslaved after summoning and will die after one minute. Before patching, the only way to get the ability to summon an Infernal was to find a Book in Lower Blackrock Spire (LBRS). While the book is still available in LBRS, the spell can also be learned through a quest chain in Bloodvenom Falls, given by Niby The Almighty. After defeating Kroshius (55 non Elite Infernal) and El Pollo Grande (Niby's summoning, non Elite) you will get the spell.
At level 60, you obtain the Curse of Doom spell, and can quest for the Ritual of Doom. Curse of Doom, when dealing the killing damage to any mob, has an estimated 100% chance of summoning a Doomguard if the mob grants experience, but it must be enslaved in order to command him. Ritual of Doom, however, will always summon one, at the cost of the health of a party member (no longer kills anyone), and come enslaved for 15 minutes then will despawn. The Doomguard is more frail than the Infernal, but has far more abilities. He attacks in melee, and has a devastating crippling attack (a spell called "Cripple") which slows opponent's attacks and movement, and he can stun with War Stomp. The tactics for using Doomguard are similar to the Voidwalker, except that Doomguard does tremendous amounts of damage and may require some healing. In PvP, Doomguard will wreak havoc on the enemy with his stuns and cripples, unless one of those enemies is another warlock, in which case he can be banished immediately.
Warlocks can get this pet from investing 41 points in the Demonology tree. The Felguard's aggro-holding ability is significantly better than the voidwalker's. This goes for his melee damage as well, comparable to the succubus, and for this reason makes them both obsolete except for sacrifice, seduce, and the versatile Master Demonologist's buffs that these demons grant. His abilities include a Demonic Frenzy, taunt, cleave, and intercept (which charges an enemy and stuns them for 3 seconds). He is great for PvP and soloing, and can even hold his own in a raid if kept healed. When facing an enemy warlock who has one, it is advisable to banish it, hence removing the buffs this demon gives him.
An effective method of grinding mobs with a Felguard: Attack the first mob, DoT it two or three times while the Felguard builds some aggro, and then let the Felguard continue with the next mob before the first is dead. That way, the Demonic Frenzy will stay at +50% attack power.
A warlock is allowed one curse per monster. Multiple warlocks can cast the same or different curses on a monster. However, most do not stack (i.e. two Curse of Tongues will not delay casting time any more than one). Curse of Agony and Curse of Doom are the only curses that stack on a monster. The choice of curses to use depends on the situation. Get a feel for the duration of each curse or an addon that tracks spell duration on targets so you can recast a curse when one wears off (namely Curse of Agony and Curse of Exhaustion).
The following is a list of curses and their effects:
Curse of Agony - Damage over time curse. The damage dealt increases as with the duration so it is ideal for longer fights. 24 second duration.
Curse of Doom - Deals 3200 damage to its target after 60 seconds. Note that the damage dealt from this spell IS affected by Damage Gear. If this damage kills the target a doomguard will appear.
Curse of the Elements - Reduces the target's fire, frost, arcane, and shadow resistance and increase damage from those types. 5 minute duration.
Curse of Recklessness - Lowers the target's armor and slightly increases its attack power. Makes the target immune to fear as well, both all fear-spells and the automatic running off with 15% health, very useful in dungeons. 2 minute duration. (Removed in patch 3.1)
Curse of Tongues - Increases the casting time of the target's spells. 30 second duration.
Curse of Weakness - Decreases the amount of damage the target deals in combat, and decreases armor by 5% (Armor decrease as of patch 3.1). 2 minute duration.
When you do not want to aggro a monster too much it is best to use Curse of Weakness. Since you can't use Curse of Recklessness as of Patch 3.1, you'll want to make sure you kill the mob you're fighting faster before it flees too far and brings more trouble.
When you want to dish out damage, it is best to use Curse of Agony. The damage applied will start slow, and increase over the life of the curse. This means you may pull aggro onto yourself, so use with caution.
Curse of Tongues is best used against spell casting mobs, as it will slow their spellcasting on you.
Curse of the Elements is obviously useful to reduce a mob's ability to resist a particular class of spells. This is very useful when grouped with Mages, Shadow Priests, other Warlocks, and in Wrath of The Lich King, maybe Elemental Shamans and Death knights. Also, Curse of Elements is frequently used when a warlock is low on health. This curse will increase the amount of damage done, and thus health gained by spells like Siphon Life and Drain Life.
All in all, it is best to suit the curse to your immediate needs and be ready to shift them as your needs shift. Changing curses in mid-fight, especially in PvP, is quite handy.
Warlocks are unique among mana-dependent classes in their ability to fuel their spells with their health, which they do by using Life Tap. They are also one of the two classes that can heal themselves by stealing health from enemies, via Drain Life, as well as Death Coil once every 2 minutes. (Priests can also drain health from enemies, with Devouring Plague.) Furthermore, they can heal their pets like Hunters do, but unlike Hunters, Warlocks heal their pets by sending them their own health (with Health Funnel). Because of these facts, Warlocks have a different relationship with their health and mana bars than other classes do -- health and mana are both resources that you can use, and there's even a conversion between the two, though it is one-way.
For one thing, Warlocks don't need to carry drinks around -- a Warlock can just Life Tap until his/her health is low, then sit down and eat some food. A Warlock with Cooking can get along quite well. Also, a Warlock with First Aid can effectively turn found cloth into mana by Life Tapping and applying a bandage. Undead Warlocks can Cannibalize humanoid corpses nearby, which is very useful for soloing in areas where you're killing humanoids (for instance, farming cloth). There's always the Healthstone, too. It is often a good idea to carry around a stack of drinks, though. For example, you've just been in a rather long fight, you have used your Dark Pact ability to steal all of your pets mana, and you don't want to life tap any longer because the danger having a low life percentage presents. In this situation a bandage and then life tapping to about even health and mana, then sitting down to eat and drink, will save you a lot of time and effort.
If you're playing a Warlock, you need to get used to going around with your health bar less than full. Your Demon Skin/Demon Armor no longer restores health (only healing by 20% (26% with talents), so don't depend on it to refill your health. Of course, you'll ideally want both health/mana bars to be full, but when that's not possible, it's a good general rule to have approximately equal-length health and mana bars so you'll have as much as possible of both resources. If a helpful healer comes along and heals you, thank him/her, and then use Life Tap to even out your bars again, if needed. If they're confused, explain this. Naturally, if the situation demands more health or more mana, adjust your balancing act accordingly.
Melee classes are known for doing sustainable damage -- that is, the damage they do doesn't directly deplete a limited resource. Spellcasters' damage is usually limited by their mana, but Warlocks have ways around this. If a pet or some allies are keeping a mob from attacking the Warlock directly, the Warlock can do quite sustainable damage by alternately using Life Tap and casting Drain Life on an enemy, and you might even end up with more health and mana than you started with. The Improved Drain Life talent helps with this. If you have curses and/or DoTs on the mob at the same time, it can add up to a sizable contribution to the total damage done.
You will typically have much more health than your pet, even the Voidwalker, so don't be afraid to heal it with Health Funnel if it gets low. The one thing to watch out for is that healing, even health donation like Health Funnel, can attract aggro. You can always Drain Life to recover the health that you gave your pet.
The effectiveness of Drain Mana has long been debated. However, it is plain to see that a Warlock can, in fact, gain fairly significant amounts of mana using the spell. For example, the highest rank of the spell, Rank 4, costs 310 mana and drains 136 mana every second for five seconds, resulting in a total gain of 370 mana (136 mana gained per second * 5 seconds - 310 mana cost). (Lower ranks of the spell have a virtually identical cost/result ratio, although the overall mana gained is, of course, lower.) Unlike Life Tap, which always costs life, this mana comes at no cost to you whatsoever, except that you will be dealing no direct damage to the mob for five seconds. However, since a significant percentage of a warlock's DPS comes from DoTs or his pet, especially for Affliction-based warlocks, this brief lapse in DPS should not prove too detrimental.
There are two major difficulties that prevent the effective use of Drain Mana. The first is that many mobs in the World of Warcraft simply have no mana whatsoever, and others may not have enough mana to be efficient "reservoirs" from which you can replenish your own stores. The second difficulty is that Drain Mana is channeled, meaning that it is very easily disrupted by damaging the warlock. Of course, Drain Life also faces this exact same problem. Thus, while a Drain Life/Life Tap combo may be useful for dealing sustained damage to a mob with no or little overall change to your health and mana, Drain Mana can very quickly increase your mana, allowing you to jump back into the fray with whatever ability you choose.
If you have Dark Pact, you can steal mana from your pet, which regenerates it quickly, and what's more, you can do this while you're running. This makes up for the fact that Life Tap is one-way, but you have to go pretty deep into the Affliction tree to get to Dark Pact (tier 7).
The Improved Drain Soul is an ideal ability for regaining mana. If you don't often rely on it other than for soul shards, it is a good strategy to cast Drain Soul on a mob right as it is about to die for a quick restoration of 15% of total mana, which can take a considerable amount away from downtime after a fight. The downsides to this is that it needs to be channeled while the mob dies, meaning you need to rely on your pet or party members or a DoT to kill it (something that must be considered if you are Destruction specced or dislike relying on DOTs), and that the spell takes up a considerable amount of mana to cast, which can be resolved by casting Drain Soul (rank 1) which is a cost of a mere 55 points. Remember that you need to keep track of soul shards so as you do not get overwhelmed by extras.
Beware of "playing your Warlock like a Mage". This means casting spells until you run out of mana, sitting down to drink water, repeat. Mages can conjure water and mana stones to help themselves get mana back, and there are even Mage talents to help with mana recovery and conservation, but Warlocks can't do these things, because they're not meant to work this way.
Warlocks need different amounts of stats depending on what they do. Leveling warlocks should have plenty of Stamina and Intellect gear. Eagle gear has both, and should be gotten until level 60ish, where you can get sorcerer gear, which gives both that, and +spell damage. PvP warlocks should get heavy Stamina, Intellect, and Resilience gear. spell damage isn't as important here, as you need to be able to survive. Raiding warlocks need spell hit, spell crit, spell damage, and to a lesser extent, stamina and intellect. For some boss fights, switching to a more PvP-esque gear set (primarily stamina) will be very important, such as the shade of aran fight.
Thinking of different speccings, Demonology Warlocks should get high stamina, as they can use it more efficiently, Destruction Warlocks should get spell damage and such, and Affliction Warlocks should be a fair mix.
Spirit used to be a no-no in general, for we Warlocks can Life Tap to regenerate mana, and use healthstones to heal ourselves, but with the release of Patch 3.0.3 Spirit now improves your + spell power and is therefore now considered a secondary (optional) stat. Any melee-suited stat is no good for us. do not, I repeat, do NOT get gear that is fit for a different class, just because it has spell damage or stamina. (I knew a warlock who had a tanking necklace, just because it had stamina, and a mage with a ret pally necklace, due to it having spell damage... embarrassing to raid with them actually...) (With the release of 4.0.3a, spirit is now useless, as we lifetap to regain mana, and it no longer adds to our spell power.)
When coming to the choice of weapons, always choose the one with the best stats for whatever type of Warlock you are. Staves and sword or dagger/offhand combinations are what most warlocks use. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, a good sword/dagger and offhand will often give you an increase to spell power that you would not be able to get from just a two handed staff alone.
The DPS of the weapon is completely irrelevant, as the Warlock will only be able to do very little melee damage.
A warlock may use his wand in farming situations, however, with proper preparation, life tap will get rid of the need to use a wand. My own wand, The Black Stalk, has yet to be used, as I use Life Tap and bandages or healthstones to get rid of the damage to my health... Plus, I'm 0/21/40, and I blast enemies for around 6x what they can do to me. (hehe)
Gear with +Healing doesn't benefit spells that heal by draining life (Drain Life, Siphon Life, etc.), but gear that has +shadow damage does. Of the gear that adds to damage for a specific school of magic, only Shadow and Fire are of any use to a Warlock. I suggest getting the Frozen Shadoweave set if you have tailoring as a profession, and if you are a demonologist, affliction, or shadow destruction warlock.
Note: +Healing does affect the health given by Health Funnel, but since it's usually only a minor grinding tool, don't stack plus healing for it.
Banish Rank 1 becomes useful when you don't want to keep the mob Banished for long. In addition Banish Rank 1 can be used together with Banish Rank 2 to time Curse of Doom. In group situations, use Rank 2 however, since it isn't nice to let that mob outta your CC until its time has come.
It is useful to use Life Tap rank one, if you are using Glyph of Life Tap, to keep the buff active without sacrificing much health in an AoE damage intensive fight.
Other tactics revolving around rank 1 spells became outdated with patch 3.0.2 as rank 1 spells consume as much mana as higher ranks of the same spells,
The general rule is that it is better to fight one mob at a time.
Some classes can optimize by grouping several mobs at the same time, and then AoE, but that is generally not the case for a solo Warlock.
Send in your Voidwalker. Begin fighting mob #1 as if mob #2 wasn't even there. As long as you do nothing to aggro mob #2, he will beat on your Voidwalker for the simple reason that's who he saw first and he has no other aggro triggers. Having your Voidwalker taunt mob #2 is not required until you finish with mob #1. Once mob #1 is dead, proceed with killing mob #2 like you normally would solo a single mob. Somewhere in this, you may need to use Health Funnel on your pet. Be aware that this will cause a high level of threat, which will bring the second mob to you if you have not yet turned your Voidwalker's attention to him.
If you have both Amplify Curse and Siphon Life, you can implement another strategy which will kill them both more quickly. Send in your Voidwalker as with Strategy 1. Hit mob #1 with Siphon Life, an Amplified Curse of Agony, Corruption, and Immolate. These DoTs should be sufficient to kill the mob on their own. Turn your Voidwalker to attack mob #2, DoTing him with the same DoTs (you will not be able to Amplify Curse again for 3 minutes). Add a Shadow Bolt or two to ensure his death. Sometime during this process, the damage from the DoTs on mob #1 will do enough to make him attack you. Don't let this divert your attention from mob #2, mob #1 will drop dead on his own like he had a heart attack soon enough.
This strategy is similar to Strategy 1 (admittedly I've only used it at low levels - pre suffering - and it works well). You first send your pet in to tank the two mobs, put all your dots on the one that your VW is primarily tanking, and then put all your dots on the mob that your VW isn't tanking. This will cause it to aggro you, so you fear it. While it's feared the dots are ticking off and the first mob is probably close to dead, so shadowbolt or whatever to finish it off. Now you can turn to the feared mob and finish it off however you like. Once you hit level 24 and your VW learns suffering, you can probably extend this strategy to 2 or 3 or even 4 mobs, depending on how long your VW will last against the unfeared mobs.
Fear the highest-level (or elite) mob. Send your Voidwalker in to taunt the other two mobs, and then focus all of your and your Voidwalker's attention on the lowest-level (or caster), taking it down as fast as possible. Meanwhile, be scanning around for the highest-level mob coming back at you, and re-Fear it. Now focus on taking down the mid-level mob. If your Voidwalker is low on health, cast Health Funnel--or, if you have Fel Domination, cast Sacrifice and summon a new one. Keep that pesky highest-level mob Feared. Once the mid-level mob is down, turn your Voidwalker's attention to the highest-level mob and taunt until it gains aggro (should be little trouble since you haven't done any damage to that mob). You may want to use First Aid or a Healthstone at this point if you've taken a few hits. Take down the last mob at your leisure.
Pull with a low cost curse (preferably Curse of Elements) Fear that mob (1) while sending your Voidwalker at (2).
Use Howl of Terror to fear the remaining mobs (3) and (4). DoT up (3) and (2) (in that order) with everything you got: CoA, Corruption and Immolate and switch back to (3). Shadow Bolt 'till it drops. If (3) breaks fear early, tank it while killing it as fast as possible.
Send the Voidwalker to (4) when it breaks fear.
Mob (1) should break fear now too, due to longer duration on single target fear. Re-cast Fear on it. Take (2)'s remaining health with a Shadow Bolt or two. If you cant take its health away like that, tank it for a while (you should have aggro from it) and reapply DoTs. Now we only got (1) and (4) left, both effectively take out of the fight. Heal the pet (or Sacrifice it and summon a new), and keep (1) Feared until you feel comfortable with taking it out. Take your time on the last two, its a breeze comparing to what you just managed. Micro-management at its finest.
Soloing 5 mobs is very difficult, and should only be attempted at the higher levels when more crowd and aggro control techniques are unlocked (such as Howl of Terror). An affliction or demonology warlock will have an easier time due to stronger and more mana-efficient DoTs and/or an Improved Voidwalker for better aggro control and sacrifice.
Send in your voidwalker and begin stacking DoTs; Improved Corruption is a must, and Curse of Agony is probably the best curse to use. As the mobs begin to attack you, have your Voidwalker use his AoE taunt (Suffering) and lure them back to him. He will probably lose health rapidly, so quickly fear a high health or high DPS mob (preferably a mage) while re-applying DoTs. At this point, you should consider letting you voidwalker drop aggro on one mob as he will be starting to get to near-fatal HP levels by now, he'll be unable to match the aggro from your DoTs, and you're still on high HP yourself. Try and focus on DoTing the 3 mobs which the Voidwalker is tanking, and forget about the other 2 - the feared one won't cause any trouble and you can cope with being attacked by a single mob. Use some Destruction moves on 1 of the 3 mobs the voidwalker is tanking until it dies, and then move on to the second. Fear the last one on your Voidwalker before he dies and DoT/death coil the one that's attacking you. Get ready for the one that was feared first, because he'll be back at full health, but hopefully he's far away by now and has a long run to go. Get your Voidwalker to attack the returning mob, as you'll have a chance to heal him a little before the mob returns and your Voidwalker needs to start building aggro immediately. By now, the mob attacking you ought to be weak, so unleash a quick and devastating combo on it - e.g. immolate, conflagrate and shadowburn. A destruction warlock has an advantage here. DoT the remaining 2 mobs and prepare for the final struggle.
At this point, you won't be on high health and your Voidwalker won't be either, assuming you haven't sacrificed him already. If he is still alive, then as soon as he aggroes one, get ready to sacrifice him because he'll die quickly and you can't afford to heal him. Once he's gone, chain fear the remaining mobs and let your DoTs kill them slowly. Using high DPS moves is risky here as they can break fear more easily and they're less mana efficient. Use your healthstone to heal a little, and finish them off with Shadowburn or Shadow Bolt. If one of the mobs starts to run, let him go because he'll run back by himself or when you apply Curse of Recklessness and will be easy to kill, assuming your DoTs have not done so already. Finish the last 1 off by whatever means necessary. Sit, eat, drink, and re-summon the pet of your choice. This is a very hard tactic that requires good aggro management and a decent amount of experience.
Note: This has been written for a destruction warlock because Destruction is commonly considered the hardest talent specialization for solo PvE. Affliction warlocks have improved DoTs and demonology warlocks can re-summon the voidwalker and thusly their shield. Therefore, if you are not a destruction warlock, you should adapt the above to your style.
Using the above with 2 or more mobs, if you can stay alive long enough to kill one, then you have made progress. If you are forced to run for your life, then wait until you are back to full mana and health, and there will be one less mob to kill. That should make it a lot easier.
This is usually only possible if you can take them one at a time and avoid aggroing any nearby adds, even non-elite adds, and is also made progressively easier at lvls 60+ and with better +dmg, +stam, +int gear.
There are several strategies you can use, depending on your build and the situation, but they all depend on the lock avoiding the heavy damage elites dish out.
Heavy Affliction locks can dot and kite using Fear and/or Curse of Exhaustion, the idea being to use Fear effects and CoEx to keep the mob off you while your DoTs tick away its life. If you use CoEx, it helps to have passive and active Speed buffs and effects. Since you can cast DoTs and CoEx while running away from the mob, you're pretty much running all the time in this scenario with the mob following you (hence the term 'kiting') except when you need to stop to cast Fear or turn around to cast Death Coil.
For an example of a lock dot kiting an elite, see this video of a 60 lock solo'ing Scholomance instance bosses.
Felguard Demo locks let their FG tank the elite, while they keep its health up with Health Funnel and Bandage, and mana up with Mana Feed. Certain curses like Weakness and Exhaustion help as well, though Recklessness will most likely do more harm than good since it buffs the elite's already high attack power and it has enough hp and armor to withstand the armor debuff. Also, Curse of Elements on the elite let you nuke it with Destro spells while your FG holds its aggro, just be careful not to pull its aggro from your FG though. A threat meter add-on is invaluable for maximizing your dps without pulling aggro from your FG.
Destro locks use Fear nuking, basically Curse of Elements/Agony -> Fear -> chain nuke -> repeat as necessary. What destro locks lack in CC and buffed minions they make up for in the ability dish damage quickly, so they depend on keeping the mob away with Fear while nuking it down as quick as possible, then re-Fearing before it can get back into melee range. Curse of Elements can serve two purposes here - help your Fear stick longer and buff your Shadowbolts, Shadowburn, and Shadowfury. Bring along plenty of mana pots and anything that provides or buffs mana regen.
The major caveat is if you use Fear, make sure there are no potential adds nearby. Even single non-elite adds can disrupt your strategy enough to cause you to die. Also, no matter what spec you are, keeping the mob's attention with a tanking minion (Voidwalker or Felguard) and keeping it alive with Health Funnel is your major priority should Fear not be an option.
The strategy is dangerous if there is a risk that the mob will attract other of the same type.
A Warlock using Demonic Sacrifice of the Voidwalker will regenerate health continuously, making the fight easier. (Unfortunately, Demonic Sacrifice was removed in patch 3.1)
It can be a good strategy to use Curse of Doom in this type of fights, as it will lessen the chance for damage to the mob, interrupting the Fear.
If possible, stay close to a wall or cave to eliminate the risk of the mob running too far away.
If a Voidwalker is available, it can be used get aggro in the beginning, giving enough time to apply some DoTs.
However, it is important to take the aggro away quickly, as the Voidwalker usually can't survive elites more than a short time.
When the Voidwalker lose aggro, set it on passive following.
Sacrifice it if needed.
You don't want it to run around, following the mob and maybe aggro other types of mobs.
This strategy will cost a Soul Shard.
The strategy is fine if enough damage can be produced.
If not, you will have an elite hitting on you and interrupting further spellcasting.
As Fear isn't used, the risk of aggroing adds is much less, and the risk of the elite despawning because of running too far away is eliminated.
This strategy is for Demonology specced warlocks who have the Felguard working for them. I suppose it could also be applied with the Voidwalker, but is much less effective because of it's weaker ability to hold aggro. A great addon for locks using this strategy is Omen3 because it tells you when you are about to pull aggro from your pet (or tank in other scenarios).
Cast a few Shadow Bolts if needed to drop target to below 25% health. If at any point in this part of the sequence your DoTs run out, renew them. Use your best judgment in weather or not to renew Immolate.
By now you should be able to have the Voidwalker aggro a new target. DoT this one after the Voidwalker hits it.
Continue DoT-ing mobs till you feel you have enough, then Howl of Terror.
(If it gets hairy you can always Sacrifice the Voidwalker, use Death Coil, single target Fear, Howl of Terror, and/or healthstone to make this survivable.)
Once you've spent 41 points into the Affliction tree and acquired Improved Howl of Terror, Dark Pact and Unstable Affliction, the method changes quite a bit. You no longer need, or want to run a Voidwalker. Instead, you will run an Imp, with all auto-casts besides Blood Pact and Phase Shift disabled. You want him to do nothing but provide free mana and a health buff. You will be taking the damage:
Before fights, summon a Succubus and sacrifice it (the +15% shadow damage buff will last 30 minutes). Once the tank obtains aggro, place Curse of the Elements on the mob and just fire away with shadow bolts until it's dead, watching your aggro. If another warlock is doing Curse of the Elements, use Curse of Doom on bosses and Curse of Agony on trash mobs. No damage over time spells are necessary. With this build, there have been some reports of 10,000 shadow bolt crits, so DoTs that can't crit are virtually useless.
NOTE: This speccing is now obsolete to being the best DPS Warlock Speccing, due to the 0/21/40 specc, and due to Blizzard nerfing the affliction talent tree.
The following advice/information is based upon a 41/0/19 setup. With this setup you gain The Unstable Affliction talent from the Affliction tree, but you sacrifice the Ruin talent from the Destruction tree.
Before we get started, I recommend that all Warlocks obtain the following Addons to help you maximize your damage while using this specc.
The Soulshatter, Shadow Ward, and Death Coil spells are your best friends and are widely underused by raiding Warlocks.
Purchase Health and Mana pots from the Blade's Edge Quartermaster using 30 silver and 50 Apexis Shards - Cheap if you are doing dailies!
It is a must to have at least 20 soul shards before raiding, and try to get more while running the instance.
Obtain the Talisman of Ascendance by reaching Revered With Argent Dawn. Follow the Argent Dawn reputation guide to maximize your playing time while doing this. Note that the spellcaster trinket from the Shattrath Badge of Justice guy has a better trinket.
Lets get started by getting your buttons setup:
Build your first macro
Type /m and hit enter in chat - this brings up the "Create Macros" window
Click "New"
Type a Name and click on an Icon
In the "Macro Commands" area type the information below
Note: There is no save or anything, you just drag the icon from the Macros window to Slot #2 on your castbar (slot #1 is probably your "Shoot" icon
Here is the macro content:
#show tooltip Pain (where Pain is whatever you want the tooltip to say when you mouse over it).
/cast Amplify Curse
/stopcasting
/castsequence Siphon Life
Now lets take a look at your talents/spells and how to use them (of course this is my setup, some talents require points to make casting times shorter)
Aside from demons, the Warlock also has another spell effective for Solo play: Fear.
If put to good use, Fear can actually neglect the need of demons up to level 20. A good Fear/PvP target works like this;
Put Corruption on the target. This should aggro the target to you. (Corruption, and not CoA, is because the Corruption rids your pull of Global Cooldown.)
Now, with the mob running towards you, cast Fear. This will cause the mob to run off.
Now pop Immolate/CoA.
When the mob comes running back, Re-fear.
If the mob has low health) Now cast Drain Soul for a successive Soul, OR
If the mob has 40% or more health left) Cast a Shadowbolt, and cast Drain soul.
What are the upsides of this tactic? Well, it can allow a lot of Soul saving for grouping. Also, when using this you technically don't have to worry about losing health, if timed right the mob won't be able to reach you.
Downsides? Well, you risk pulling more mobs, but that's cheap for a great PvE tactic, don't ya think?
At the release of The Burning Crusade, Warlocks also began being a prime Crowd Control choice for 5 man instances. There are several tactics to effectively render an enemy out of combat until the DPS (and you) take it down.
Fear causes one enemy to run around aimlessly for the duration of the spell, and has a chance to break on damage (most commonly direct damage). Because of this the old tactic of Fear-Dotting in instances has some what lost it's value. Even with this slight detriment, fear is still a powerful means of removing an Enemy from combat in a mob free environment.
The best way to Fear is to Searing Pain(Max rank, more damage is more threat generated) your target and immediately start casting Fear on it. Searing pain insures that when fear breaks, it comes back to you instead of taking out a healer. Once it is feared, maintain DPS on the main target until you see Fear break. When it breaks, recast fear unless it is that mobs time to be DPSed down.
Tank pulls.
Cast Searing Pain on your Fear Target
Instantly cast Fear right after
In the case of resistant mobs, or if your +spell hit rating is low, cast Curse of Elements after fear.
Sometimes it is required to fear in an area where mobs are still present. This is accomplished through use of Curse of Recklessness.
Once the mobs are pulled, again Searing Pain your Fear Target, and immediately cast fear. This is where it begins to get difficult, you need to let the mob run a certain distance away, and cast Curse of Recklessness on it. Let it come back and just before it enters Melee range(5yrds) you need to replace CoRecklessness with another curse(generally Curse of Weakness(rank1}.
Tank pulls the pack.
Cast Searing Pain on Fear Target
Immediately cast Fear.
Wait for the mob to run at least 20 yards then cast Curse of Recklessness.
When the mob is about to enter melee range. Cast another curse (generally Curse of Weakness)
Using your Succubus pet is also a means of controlling an add, and is generally preferred because it limits the mob to one spot. Crowd controlling with a Succubus is a little less idiot-friendly than fearing, but powerful all the same.
Seduce is broken by damage, so make sure you keep the mob further away to keep abilities like Thunder Clap, Cleave, and Swipe from breaking it.
Obviously, to use this tactic, you need to have your succubus out. This works much like fearing in how you personally control it.
The tank pulls, cast Searing Pain(Max Rank) on the seduce target and get your Succubus casting Seduce, this has a double sided effect. First, it keeps the mob off your Healer. Second, it keeps the mob off your Succubus, who is indeed rather squishy. After Seduce is cast, keep tabs on it while you DPS the first target. Seduce has a cast time, so it's prudent to hit Pet Follow and then Seduce again to make sure the mob is kept "entertained."
For Resistant mobs, cast Curse of Elements to ensure full duration of Seduce.
DPS the first target down.
Re-Seduce as required.
An additional (yet more time consuming) tactic is to Searing Pain, Seduce, and fear the mob while it's seduced. Seduce's duration (15seconds) is shorter than Fear's 18 seconds, and can open up some distance to recast Seduce. This tactic should be used in an Add free environment to prevent getting more mobs and possibly wiping the group.
Banishing, for the most part, requires no special tricks or advanced control tactics. Depending on the kill order, use either Banish (Rank 1) for mobs being killed soon after the primary target, or Banish (Rank 2) for ones further along, or for higher health primary targets.
Tank pulls
Banish the Banish target.
If it is second on the kill list, use Banish (rank 1).
If it is further along, or the primary target is high health, use Banish (rank 2)
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Canon Pixma MP970
This is quite a beefy All In One unit, so it scans, copies and prints via the PC. It can also copy when not connected to the PC and it also prints directly from a range of card media.
The is 46x40x22cm when closed. The output shelf opens automatically at print time and initially this adds 13cm to the depth. Having paper in the rear mounted tray adds 18cm to the 22cm height. Canon Pixma MP970 All the controls surround the screen that flips up in the central part of the top at the front and as this goes to just beyond 90 degrees you can choose the display angle. The screen is 7.5x5.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Welcome to Costa Blanca Realty International
Real Estate Agency in Altea, Alicante, Spain
Luxury Villa for sale in Altea Hills, houses and apartments in Altea and Altea la Vella for sale, modern Villas new built in Altea Hills with sea views, frontline apartment at the Port of Campomanes, cheap apartments and penthouses in Altea near the golf course Don Cajo in the Sierra de Altea, we offer you the best properties in Altea and Altea la Vella on the Costa Blanca for sale. Apartments in Mascarat and Port of Campomanes for sale. The best houses on the Costa Blanca can be found here. Buy apartment Altea, Apartment for sale Altea, property altea la vella, House for sale Altea la Vella, Villa Alfaz del Pi, Cheap house Alfaz del Pi, Real Estate Alfaz del pi, buy house alfaz de pi, house for sale alfaz del pi, Real Estate Altea, House for sale Altea, buy house altea, Real Estate Altea la Vella, buy house altea la vella, altea la vella villas for sale, apartment for sale altea, Luxury Villa for sale Altea Hills,
Luxury Properties at the Costa Blanca - If you are thinking of buying a house or a Luxury villa in Moraira and Altea, an apartment in Benissa or Calpe, or buy an exclusive house with sea views in Benitachell or a apartment in El Campello, our real estates agency in Moraira will show you a selection of the most beautiful houses and villas, extraordinary apartments and exclusive properties for sale on the Costa Blanca, Luxury Villas for sale in Moraira Benissa and Denia, Properties Moraira, buy house Moraira, house for sale Moraira, buy villa Moraira, property moraira, first line villa costa blanca north, immobilien altea la vella, premium villas costa blanca,
If you wish to buy a first line villa with sea views in Moraira like Cala de Advocat, a property in front of the sea in El Portet, El Tossal or Cala les Bassetes, a Premium Luxury Villa with a harbor nearby like Cala la Fossa or Playa del Puerto Blanco. Our Real Estate agency in Moraira offers a premium selection of the best modern Luxury High Class Villas and Premium Apartments at the coastal area of marina Baja and Marina Alta at the Costa Blanca in Spain available on the actual Market...... Luxury Real Estates costa blanca, Luxury Villa Altea, Property For Sale Costa Blanca, Villa For Sale Costa Blanca, Luxury Villa for sale Javea, Luxury Villa for sale Denia, Luxury Villa for sale Calpe, Luxury Villa for sale Altea Hills, luxury villa calpe for sale, villa calpe to buy,
If you would like to buy an apartment or a house in Albir, or a villa or a terraced house in Albir, a country house or a rustic property nearby La Nucia, in our real estate agency in Albir you will find a wide selection of exclusive real estate on the costa blanca for sale, be it seafront properties or houses with sea views, in the prestigious golf courses or in the charming towns on the Costa Blanca… house la nucia, property la nucia, villa la nucia, purchase properties la nucia, buy villa la nucia, house se view la nucia, cheap house la nucia, house for sale la nucia, reduced house la nucia, house by the sea costa blanca, house firstline spain, first line villa costa blanca, villa firstline moraira, waterfront house costa blanca
Real Estate Agents in Altea offering luxury villas in Altea, Houses and Apartments in Altea and Altea la Vella, Albir, Calpe, Benissa and Moraira on the Costa Blanca in Spain. We are a specialized Real Estate Agency offering properties like Apartment and House for sale in Altea la Vella, Altea, Albir, La Nucia, Finestrat, Moraira Calpe and Benissa. The best Properties for sale at the Costa Blanca you can find here.
Our Real Estate Offices in Altea cover for more than 20 Years the most attractive coastal areas on the Costa Blanca, from Altea, Albir, Moraira, Benissa, Calpe and on to Javea and Denia.
If you look for a House for sale in Altea or a property in a unique emplacement or in an elegant residential area, we can offer a huge portfolio of selected modern and classic real estates, Luxury Villas and Houses, Apartments and Penthouses in exceptional locations, for example, around the golf courses of Moraira, Altea or Benidorm, and beautiful houses in sale in the immediate vicinity of the picturesque bays of Albir, Moraira, Altea, Alfaz del Pi and Albir, or in the exclusive areas of Altea, like Altea Hills, Sierra de Altea, El Paradiso, Galera de las Palmeras or Santa Clara we are the right partner for you. We also work in all Moraira areas like Cumbre del Sol, El Portet, Pla del Mar, Partida Paitxi, Fanadix, andPartida Moravit.
Furthermore, we can offer you the best selection of the best Properties and new build Houses Waterfront Villas and luxury premium Villas and stunning modern Apartments for sale on the firstline or close to the beach in Calpe, Moraira, Benissa, Benitachell, Albir and Altea, and Javea.
Costa Blanca Realty is your austrian and german-speaking real estate agent with more then 20 years of experience in selling and buying the best residential and commercial real estate’s on the Costa Blanca in Spain. We also speak English, French, Spanish and Dutch.
And if you plan to sell your exclusive Villa, house or apartment on the Costa Blanca, please contact our multilingual Real Estate Agents for and personal appointment and a valuation of the actual Real Estate market on the Costa Blanca and a free appraisal for your Property.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Common Scenario: You plan a trip (which can take almost a month to a year), budget for that trip, and eventually fly on to relax and have the best time of your life.
After the spectacular trip, you go home with gifts and souvenirs and a month later an outâ??of-this-world cell phone bill.
Taking your mobile phone with you on a trip can be an additional bill waiting to be paid. Cell phone bills abroad, especially roaming fees, may cost you a whopping $4 to $5 per minute. You might not notice it, but while you are chatting and keeping in touch with loved ones from your hometown and while you are enjoying the beach sun or the spectacular view abroad, your service provider is also enjoying the increase in call charges. As the charges get higher, this can leave you surprised a week or a month after youâ??ve returned home. Going on a trip abroad is not just about preparing for the budget, the time and the place to stay. If you are planning on a trip, also consider preparing your mobile phones.
How Can You Avoid the Whopping Roaming Fees?
One way to avoid the outâ??of-this-world cell phone charges when you go abroad is to buy a Subscriber Identity Module, or more popularly known as a SIM card. A SIM card is a small smart card that you can insert and remove in a mobile phone. You can purchase a SIM card in the country of destination, thus your number will change into a local number and this can significantly decrease your mobile phone bills. If you insert a local SIM card to your phone, you can receive free incoming calls, and you would only have to pay 10-25 cents per minute for local calls, and just about $1 for calls overseas. That is a big difference from the $4-5 charged per minute of your would-be calls.
How to Use the SIM Card?
Using the SIM card is fairly easy; you just have to call the SIM card provider or the wireless carrier to request a code that would allow you to use the SIM card in your mobile phone. There are certain limitations for this however; those carrying Verizon or Sprint phones cannot use the SIM cards. If you are a user of these kinds of phones, you might want to buy a cheap mobile phone once you arrive at your destination country.
You may also opt to use an International mobile phone (which you might have to purchase) or international cell phone carriers, which operate on a standard called GSM or Global Services for Mobile. These mobile phones can be used virtually anywhere on the globe and are the standard for almost 205 countries (except Japan). The GSM system can also allow the user to use as many SIM cards as they need for the countries they are visiting. When searching around for plans becomes tiresome, try looking to find the best SIM only deals by comparing them. Cell phone use abroad may not need to be a burden; preparation and proper knowledge can save you from unnecessary hassles such as hefty cell phone bills.
This guest post is written by Dr. Amarendra. He writes for SimOnly-Deals.com, where you can compare pricing and plans before signing up for a sim plan.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Cozumel to Denver Last modified: May 22, 2019 4:17 -04:00
We've scanned 48,195,047,545 round trip itineraries and found the cheapest flights to Denver. American frequently offer the best deals to Denver flights, or select your preferred carrier below to see the cheapest days to fly.
How Much is a Flight from Cozumel to Denver?
Unfortunately we weren't able to find enough recent prices to provide a meaningful average. Running an airfare search now will update and compare prices. Find Flights
Where To Buy Cheap Flights from Cozumel to Denver?
The best way to find a great deal on airfare is to search multiple sites. When you run a search on FareCompare, we search multiple sites and fare sources all at once so you don't have to - which is why we think FareCompare is the best place to find cheap tickets. Airlines can adjust prices for tickets from Cozumel to Denver based on the day and time that you decide to book your flight. We have collected data from all airlines, and have found that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are often the best days to book flights. If you'd like to learn more, read our article about the best time to buy airline tickets.
How far in advance should I book tickets from Cozumel to Denver?
The chart below shows up-to-date information regarding how far in advance to book your flight from Cozumel to Denver.
Non Stop versus Connecting
Advanced Purchase
Non Stop
Connecting
< 7 days
MX$0
MX$0
7-14 days
MX$0
MX$13,982
14-21 days
MX$0
MX$0
21-30 days
MX$0
MX$0
30-60 days
MX$0
MX$14,590
60-90 days
MX$0
MX$0
90+ days
MX$0
MX$0
Cheapest Day To Fly from Cozumel to Denver
We've examined 57,595,778,181 itinerary searches that we've seen for departures in the next 90 days and found that the cheapest day to fly from Cozumel to Denver is Thursday. See the chart below to compare prices for other days of the week.
Compare Flight Prices from Cozumel to Denver by Month
Low priced flights are most commonly available by purchasing between one and three months in advance. International or holiday flights may need to be purchased even further in advance. The chart below shows the cheapest flight prices by month for Cozumel to Denver flights.
Month
Origin
Destination
Carrier
Depart Date
Return Date
Stops
Price
May
Cozumel
Denver
American
5/30/19
6/19/19
1
MX$13,982
June
Cozumel
Denver
American
6/26/19
7/7/19
1
MX$14,590
Cheap Last Minute Flights from Cozumel to Denver
Well that's unexpected... we weren't able to find enough weekend deals to make a good comparison. Run an airfare search now to update and compare prices. Find Flights
Connecting Flights vs Direct Flights from Cozumel to Denver
Looks like something's not right... we're not seeing expected schedules from Cozumel to Denver. Run an airfare search now to update and compare prices. Find Flights
One Way Flights vs Round Trip Flights from Cozumel to Denver
We have found that there is often no price difference between buying a round trip flight versus a one way flight. Increased flexibility is the main benefit when it comes to buying a one way flight from Cozumel to Denver. However, booking a round trip flight can be a simpler process. You can compare round trip and one way flights by using our flight comparison.
The average price for one way flights from Cozumel to Denver is MX$6,803.
The average price for round trip flights from Cozumel to Denver is not available.
Cozumel to Denver Flight Questions
Below are some common questions that asked about this flight route:
Question: What are the most popular connecting cities when flying from Cozumel to Denver?
Wondering which airlines fly out of Cozumel to Denver? We've gathered the average price of Cozumel airlines with flights to Denver. Different airlines offer different levels of comfort and service, so consider convenience when choosing your airline.
Below is the full flight schedule summary showing which days of the week individual carriers offer flights for the next 30 days.
Cozumel to Denver Airports
These are the major commercial airports we're currently monitoring in Cozumel and Denver. If your route includes a city with multiple airports, you may be able to find substantial savings by choosing an alternate airport.
World Regions
On FareCompare, you’ll find cheap flights for domestic and international travel. Since airlines change flight prices constantly, sign up for Fare Alerts and let FareCompare’s travel search engine monitor airline ticket prices of all major airlines, so you’ll be first in line to get the cheapest tickets.
Find a Deal
Connect
We are updating our Cookie Policy. FareCompare will use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist with navigation and product selection, analyze your use of our services, assist with our promotional and marketing efforts, and provide deals content from third parties.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
USGS and Partners Team Up to Track Down Nonnative and Invasive Fishes in South Florida
Non-native fishes found in Big Cypress
They compete with native fishes for food and space.
Release Date: March 29, 2017
The Fish Slam event discovered two nonnative fish species never seen before in Big Cypress National Preserve.
U.S. Geological Survey scientists teamed up with government, nonprofit, and university partners in South Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve to hold a scientific scavenger hunt for nonnative and invasive freshwater fish species.
Thirteen nonnative fish species were collected, including two not seen before on the Preserve: Nile tilapia and brown hoplo, also known as armored catfish. Last week’s Bio Blitz-like event, known as Fish Slam, marks the first nonnative fish survey in the Preserve in almost 15 years. Using canals and rivers like highways, nonnative fish in areas like the Everglades, Tampa Bay, and Naples may have an easy route into the Preserve, one of the most pristine parts of the region.
The sailfin catfish is one of 13 nonnative fish species discovered in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Credit: Kaitlin Kovacs, USGS. Public domain.
South Florida is well acquainted with nonnative and invasive species. Freshwater fishes like the Mayan cichlid and Oscar have become major problems in the region. Once a breeding population is established, nonnative fish species can reduce native fish populations by out-competing or preying on them.
“With conduits from the Everglades and the Tampa/Naples area, the Preserve could be a hot spot for nonnative and invasive fishes, but because it hadn’t been surveyed in more than a decade, we had no idea what kind of ‘biological pollution’ we would find,” said Pam Schofield, USGS research fish biologist. “Our goal for this Fish Slam was to figure out what species are out there. This information allows managers to be better-prepared to manage aquatic environments within the Preserve. It also gives us a more complete picture of the status of nonnative fishes across the state.”
Many of the nonnative fishes found in the Preserve may have been introduced by an accidental or intentional release, but it’s hard to really know, said Schofield. Nile tilapia, native to subtropical Africa, likely escaped from U.S. aquaculture facilities. Though sightings have been recorded throughout the state, it is not yet known if a population has been established in South Florida. Brown hoplo, however, have established populations throughout Florida, and may have been released into the canals as a food fish. Both Nile tilapia and brown hoplo compete with native fishes for food and space.
Fish experts from USGS, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Audubon Florida, the University of Florida, and Florida International University split into eight teams to sample 28 water bodies within the Preserve, including culverts, canals, ponds, and ditches. The teams relied on a variety of techniques, including hook and line, cast nets, minnow traps, and electrofishing.
Data for all species collected will be submitted to the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database, which tracks sightings of nonnative aquatic plants and animals in the United States and is publicly available online.
Fish Slam is the work of the Non-Native Fish Action Alliance, a group developed by USGS and FWC in 2013. The group consists of federal and state government agencies, universities, and nongovernmental organizations that work together to tackle the nonnative fish problem in Florida. USGS serves as the backbone of the alliance under Schofield’s leadership.
Nonnative fish species collected in Big Cypress National Preserve include, from top to bottom: blue tilapia, spotted tilapia, and Mayan cichlid.Credit: Kaitlin Kovacs, USGS. Public domain.
“It is impossible for any one organization or agency to keep tabs on all nonnative fish species in Florida; every year we see new species and spreading populations,” said Schofield. According to Schofield, Fish Slam activities have grown each year, as has the sense of community and shared responsibility to take on the problem of nonnative fishes.
What started as a small-scale, single-day fish survey in and around Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is now an expansive effort directed at areas throughout South Florida. Fish Slam has grown to a two-day, twice a year affair, and the list of participating organizations grows with each event.
“Participants pitch in to help survey for nonnative fishes, even when the event doesn’t take place within their jurisdiction” said Schofield. “By working together and rotating sampling areas, we are able to provide a collective impact greater than any one group. A consequence of this work is that we have enjoyed improvements in communication among agencies, and that has led to better research coordination outside our Fish Slam activities.”
Fish Slams have previously targeted freshwater bodies in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, but the group decided to conduct their first-ever slam in the Preserve after a personal invitation from Preserve staff.
"Big Cypress is delighted to host our partners and cooperators for our first-ever Fish Slam,” said Tony Pernas, NPS biologist with the Preserve. “This effort helps us detect and survey our nonnative fish populations, an undertaking we could not tackle alone.” According to Pernas, visitors and fisherman can help the Preserve by reporting their catch or sightings on Florida's IveGot1 app and website. This data will help with the detection effort and inform management actions.
The Fish Slam team will reconvene in Miami this November to continue nonnative fish sampling efforts.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
This plugin hasnt been tested with the latest 3 major releases of WordPress. It may no longer be maintained or supported and may have compatibility issues when used with more recent versions of WordPress.
Wp-D3
Description
D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG and CSS. D3’s emphasis on web standards gives you the full capabilities of modern browsers without tying yourself to a proprietary framework, combining powerful visualization components and a data-driven approach to DOM manipulation.
Ths plugin provides the current last version of D3 (v3.3) and a javascript editor to add javascript code into your post or pages and render it.
All extra .css or .js files can be uploaded to your WordPress blog and then included into the post/page easily using built-in functions.
Enjoy!.
Installation
Create a post in Visual Mode. The last toobar icon is a shortcut to the Wp-D3 Manager Editor.
Paste your code into the editor.
If you have any extra dependencies to .js or .css files upload them to your WordPress
installation using the WordPress Media Library and then add their URL to the list of includes that
appears when Wp-D3 Chart Manager’s ‘Include’ button is pressed.
In your D3 code, make sure that the chart is attached to a div with the same name as the current edition tab.
Press ‘Insert’ to add a shortcode into the current post with the chart reference.
Press ‘Save’.
Preview your post and have fun!.
FAQ
Is it possible to execute javascript code different than D3 one?
Technically you can use any .js file in your code if you upload it to the WordPress’ Media Library and then copy its URL to the Wp-D3 “Includes” dialog.
This plugin is designed with D3 in mind so any extra charting libs are not guaranteed to work.
What about including remote javascript files (i.e. hosted in another server)?
Browsers don’t allow the reference of javascript code hosted in a machine different of the localhost due to security concerns so this is not a limitation of the Wp-D3 plugin itself.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
x
follow on instagram
Jacob Senior Pictures | Bonham, TX
I can’t believe the time has finally come to be sharing my *not so little* brother’s senior pictures. I feel like I blinked and he became a young man… I could have sworn he was still the lanky pre-teen playing baseball, the cute third grader riding his bike around, our the chubby toddler climbing up on everything. But no. Now Jacob is in his last year of high school, going off to college in the spring, and I’m not emotionally ready for this!
I still remember the night my little brother was born… I was only seven years old, but the memory is still so vivid in my mind. My older brother, little sister and I were at my grandparents’ house waiting anxiously for my parent’s phone call from the hospital. They hadn’t found out the gender of the baby, so we were all on the edges of our seats wondering if it would be a boy or a girl. When finally the phone rang, and my grandma announced to the room that we had a little brother, my heart skipped a beat. I remember jumping up and down whooping, because I was so excited he was finally here and that I’d have a brother to love on.
Throughout the years it has been so fun watching him grow up. I love watching his personality develop and grow, seeing his passions emerge, and watching him become such a gentleman. Jacob is such a sweet guy, and one of the most loving people I know. He loves running, and is on the cross country and track teams. He was the blondest guy on the soccer team. He is first chair trumpet in the band. And he’s such a hard worker, in and out of school.
Taking these senior pictures for him was so special for me. I love that I was able to capture an exciting moment in his life, and portray who he is right now, so he can look back on them in years to come. I’m thrilled I was able to take these, and I can’t wait to capture more moments in his life through the lens of my camera.
I love you Jacob, and can’t wait to see how the Lord uses you for His glory!
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
10 Best Chainsaw Sharpeners 2019
After analyzing 209 products, scanning 1955 reviews, spending more than 36 hours of research and speaking with our test users, we think the Chainsaw Sharpener is the one of the Best Chainsaw Sharpener on the market.
【PERFECT FIT】We are the owner of the IELECMG brand, and the product sold on Amazon in the United States have undergone rigorous testing. Please select SOLD BY IELECMG at the time of purchase.About chainsaw sharpener The safe and easy chain saw sharpener makes your chain and grindstone fit together, sharpening your 14/16/18/20 inch chain saw with 2 holes anytime, anywhere.(Not suitable for ECHO 16 inch chainsaw)
【CHAINSWA SHARPENING DESIGN】Chain saw sharpening with two holes for fixing the sharpening knife, suitable for 14/16/18/20 inch chain saw work, gently squeeze the end of the guide rod during sharpening,it can be sharp sharpening.
【EASY TO USE】Chainsaw sharpener made of high-quality and durable materials, the chain saw sharpening tool is installed inside the rod sharpener to keep the chain and guide rod oiled, reducing friction and prolonging service life.
【CHAINSAW TOOL】Chain saw blade sharpener kit Lightweight and portable, the chain saw sharpening tool is easy to use outdoors. It is the most practical tool and best gift for your father or husband to increase productivity.
ADINC is a registered brand in United States. We never authorize any seller to use our brand. Please choose SOLD BY ADINC when purchasing. Other sellers sell fake and inferior products without quality assurance. This chain saw blade sharpener is lightweight and portable, the chain saw sharpening tool is easy to use outdoors. The new chainsaw teeth sharpener provide a simple and fast saw chain sharpening method. It only takes 3-5 seconds for your chainsaw to become sharp.
EASY TO INSTALL CHAIN SHARPENER:Just attach the chainsaw on the two holes of the sharpener. Then close and lock the sharpener. Finally, gengly squeeze the chainsaw. Your chain saw will become sharp after 3-5 seconds.
SAFETY & FAST CHAINSAW SHARPENING : this chainsaw sharpening kit is easy to use and protect your hands from harm.Your hands don't need to touch the whetstone, just squeeze the chain saw, the chainsaw can be sharpened in seconds.The upgraded design provides a quickly and easily method of saw chain sharpening.
BROAD COMPATIBILITY：this chainsaw chain sharpener just fit for 14" 16" 18" 20" with two holes on the outer part of the chainsaw blade. There are 2 pin on the chainsaw sharpener for fixing the chainsaw bar. The second pin is adjustable.The distance between these 2 pin (holes) is about 0.7-1.3inch.
SERVICE: Comes with a extra whetstone. Please notice: the whetstone is detachable. If the whetstone is loose after opening the package, this is normal, you just need to reinstall it, or contact us for help.Any question about the garden tool sharpeners or return request please contact us SELLER via AMAZON MESSAGE,we are glad to help you.
CONVENIENCE - Katzco complete chainsaw file kit contains every field tool you could possibly need to get your chainsaw back into its optimal condition. The roll-up tool pouch keeps everything you need in one location and allows for great portability so you can bring it wherever and whenever needed
VARIETY - This kit comes with a range of different files to meet any of your chainsaw sharpening needs. The premium fine tooth flat and round files is made for Fast filing and cutting. The round files come in the sizes of: 5/32", 3/16", and 7/32". The hardwood handle can attach to any of the files and the depth-gauge tool as well and can be used on any chainsaw.
QUALITY - These fine-tooth chainsaw files with the stained and finished wood handle allows for comfortable grip when using and will keep the chain sharp to allow for faster, safer work so you can get the most out of your chainsaw.
GETS THE JOB DONE - AFFORDABLE other chainsaw sharpening kits don't include as many accessories or are made of cheap material and result in poorer performance. However, these tools will never fail you and will get the job done for you each and every time. Not only is the Katzco chainsaw sharpening kit convenient and affordable, but it does the same job as more expensive kits if not better.
FAST SHARPER: Please select SOLD BY BIGOU brand purchase, BIGOU holds federal trademark registrations in the United States. Please do not buy low-quality products sold by other merchants. Fast and accurate saw chain sharpening method. The chainsaw sharpener allows the user to sharpen the chain during the sawing operation, it takes only 3-5 seconds from dim to sharp.
HIGH QUALITY: Our chainsaw Sharpener tool is made of high-quality and durable materials.It is installed inside the sharpener, keep the chain and the guide rod oiled, reducing friction and prolonging the service life.
EASY TO USE AND SAFE: The chainsaw sharpener is easy to use and protect your hands from harm. Just fix the chainsaw on the two hole of the sharpener, gently squeeze the chainsaw and press down until it touches the whetstone.
SAVE TIME AND PORTABLE: Our chainsaw sharpener tool is lightweight, portable and easy to use outdoors. The saw chain sharpening can improve work efficiency and save time. (Please notice: Check your bar and make sure whether your bar have two holes before you purchasing. Our chainsaw sharpener only fit two holes chainsaw bar )
You know what the problem with all of our cutting tools is? Sharp teeth cut, dull teeth don't. This chainsaw teeth sharpener makes it easy to sharpen your chainsaw in no time at all.
This chainsaw sharpening kit comes with the unique sharpening attachment with stone that will sharpen your chain in mere seconds.Our chainsaw sharpener is designed with 2 rivets, one rivet is fixed, the other is adjustable, fit 14 to 20 inch two holes chain bar. If your chain bar doesn't have the two holes towards the end, take a screwdriver to remove the inside metal plate which holds one of the rivets that is for the second bar hole.Remove this rivet, it will work.
The usage of the electric chainsaw sharpener, just insert the end of your blade into the sharpener, close and lock it shut, push the end of the sharpener against a log or tree, and just start running your blade. After just a few seconds, your saw will be as sharp as ever.
The quickness of the chainsaw sharpening kit is music to our ears, because it shouldn't take forever to get back in the game and get cutting again. This precision saw chain sharpening system is not only quick, but also accurate. It will sharpen your dull chain in just 3-5 seconds. I know it sounds like magic, but it really works.
There's no doubt about it, this is the best thing you can buy for your chainsaw, especially if you like to put in more time working as opposed to more time sharpening. And we offer 100% satisfaction warranty, we will refund you immediately if you don't like it.
✅【Material】plastic + oil stone, whetstone suitable for the sharpener mounted on the pole.
✅【Efficient】Provides a fast, simple and portable saw chain sharpening method. This allows the user to sharpen the chain during the work on the saw.
✅【Design】The chain sharpener is designed with 2 holes, one hole is fixed, the other is adjustable, suitable for 14",16",18",20", and does not support one hole chain saw. The black bottom is elastic and adjusts the distance of the sharpener.
✅【How to use】Attach，when the chain dulls，simply attach the bar-mount sharpener to the guide bar.Twin guide holes in the top of the bar make perfect alignment fool-proof. Sharpen，press the tip of the sharpener to a solid surface for 3-5 seconds. Cut，it's back to the job，worling faster with less effort.
✅【Safer】To protect your hands from injury, this precision chain saw sharpening system is not only fast but also very sharp, please ensure that the screws are locked and tightened during the installation process..In order to be safer in sharpening, remember to fix and tighten the screws when sharpening the knife to prevent the popping of wood chips from becoming more crazy .
Similiar Categories
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE
Some posts may contain affiliate links. Finderiko.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
5. – The Chicago TribuneCooking with Kass “The Tribune star arrived as any star should, accompanied by an assistant, a cameraman and a six-pack of beer. I assumed all the extra beer was there to quell any flare-ups in the charcoal grill Kass had hauled out onto the Tribune’s 22nd-floor balcony. I noted approvingly that he donned a chef’s white coat and used hardwood charcoal.”
4. – The Philadelphia InquirerTuna, packed in questions “Think Southern-fried chicken, and chances are the next words that come to mind are “secret herbs and spices.’’ To me, that’s Southern-fried baloney. Prolonged immersion in very hot grease is not a method that coaxes out bouquet; the only elements likely to survive are garlic and cayenne. But spicing aside, the sine qua non of good fried chicken certainly is the crust, the best being a simply seasoned flour- or cornmeal-based coating delicately but thoroughly welded to the skin in a crisp, delicious synthesis.”
3. – The LA TimesThe Sweet Dream Team “Slap a generous scoop of ice cream between two cookies, tidy up the edges and pop the whole thing in the freezer until it firms up. How difficult can it really be to make a great ice cream sandwich? The ice cream is easy. You can really let your imagination go, as far as flavors are concerned, though you’ll be better off choosing premium brands — they tend to freeze more solidly than less expensive types, which often contain stabilizers.”
2. – The NY TimesTurf War at the Hotdog Cart “In four weeks of business, the couple has been threatened at the depot where they park the truck; cursed by a gyro vendor who said that he would set their truck on fire; told to stay off every corner in Midtown by ice cream truck drivers; and approached by countless others with advice — both friendly and menacing — on how to get along on the streets.”
1. – The Washington PostFried Chicken Four Ways for the Fourth “For every reason you can come up with not to make fried chicken, there’s one that can’t be denied: It tastes great, especially when served alfresco in the summer. To hit the trifecta of tenderness, crunch and temperature, you’ve got to fry it at home. Some people make it better than others, of course, which sent us searching for finer points on how to do that.”
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Are you looking for work and be a web developer? Well this Infographic can help a lot in this anatomy of the curriculum of a web developer OR in other words, gives some useful tips that show you how it should be the curriculum of a web developer,
Asking your friend about the tips to make your curriculum is not the best option. Note that every profession is different, your resume should not only include your personal contact information, I hope to be useful the information shared in this infographic.
And Here For You 16 Examples Of Creative and Professional Web Designers And Developers C.Vs. Click On The Design To Download.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Man earns 5 years jail term for burglary,theft in Mangochi.
Mangochi First grade magistrate court has convicted and sentenced Medson Nelson,32 to five years imprisonment breaking into primary teacher’s house and stealing various items.
Mangochi Police prosecutor Sergeant Wonderful Lomoliwa told the court that, On September 28, 2017 during day time, unknown criminals broke into a house of Davie Mwale 29 a primary teacher at Mlambe primary school through the window when the owner was at work and went away with two cellphones(mint mobile and Huawei) to the value of K100,000-00 both.
Lomoliwa further said that, On January 9, 2018 the Police recovered the stolen cellphones through a call log follow-up which led to the arrest of Medson at Mpima trading centre in the district.
Appearing in court, the accused person pleaded guilty to all charges laid against him.
In his mitigation before sentence he begged for lenient penalty however the prosecutor prayed for a custodial sentence in order to deter other would be offenders .
When passing judgement his worship first grade magistrate Ronald M’bwana concurred with the state hence sentenced him to five years for house breaking and 8 months imprisonment with hard labour for theft and sentences to run concurrently.
Medson Nelson hails from Kafucheche village in Traditional Authority Chimwala in Mangochi.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Selling imperialist propaganda in an anti-imperialist wrapper
As we predicted a few weeks ago, the Washington war party seems to have seized the initiative from the “lame duck” Obama administration over Syria and is currently pushing hard for a direct confrontation with the Syrian Arab Army, and possibly with Russia. Extreme anti-Assad hate porn has been saturating the press in what looks very much like a bid to “normalise the unthinkable” and prep us for a major war.
So, why are Counterpunch and the Socialist Worker choosing such a time to present a piece on Syria by Ashley Smith that reads like a briefing from the Clinton campaign or Kagan’s Foreign Policy Initiative?
We aren’t going to leap on a bandwagon and accuse Counterpunch or the SW of discreditable intentions. Counterpunch in particular has been a source of hugely valuable anti-imperialist commentary for very many years and it would be incredibly arrogant for we newcomers not to give it every respect for that. But what are they thinking here?
Smith tries to present this piece as a condemnation of the “campist” left for its kneejerk siding with a “brutal dictator”( Assad), simply because he is being attacked by the US imperialists. Maybe the Counterpunch co-editor (Jeffrey St. Clair) who defended the piece was convinced by this? And it might be fair enough, if that was really Smith’s point. We’re the first to agree Assad isn’t beyond criticism and shouldn’t be sanctified by the “enemy of my enemy” syndrome. We’re the first to acknowledge he should be named a tyrant – if that is what he is. But Smith’s article doesn’t come close to producing any evidence that Assad is a tyrant or a “brutal dictator.” It doesn’t even try. It just settles for a lot of familiar misdirection, such as this:
The regime carried out a chemical weapons attack in a suburb of Damascus in 2013…
Why would such a gratuitous lie by omission be perpetrated by any author trying to bring honest analysis to bear? Why does Smith offer no balancing mention that even the corporate media has admitted there is no proof who perpetrated the Ghouta attack? Or that investigative journalists and people on the ground have amassed considerable amounts of data (see also here and here and here) pointing to it being perpetrated by the Turkish and US(imperial)-backed rebels?
But in case you’re thinking this is just an isolated slip of judgement on Smith’s part, do please read his entire article, and take note of these selected highlights:
“..The Syrian Revolution has tested the left internationally by posing a blunt question: Which side are you on? Do you support the popular struggle against dictatorship and for democracy? Or are you with Bashar al-Assad’s brutal regime, his imperial backer Russia, his regional ally Iran and Iran’s proxies like Hezbollah from Lebanon?..”
“…Since then, they [the US] have turned a blind eye to Assad’s massacre of some 400,000 Syrians, and his regime’s use of barrel bombs, chemical weapons and barbaric sieges of cities like Aleppo. Today, 11 million people–half the country’s population–have been displaced, with the Assad regime responsible for the lion’s share of the death and destruction…”
“..In reality, the U.S. retreated in general from outright regime change as its strategy in the Middle East after the failure of its invasion and occupation of Iraq. The main priority behind the alternative direction for U.S. imperialism pursued by Barack Obama is that the U.S. should avoid destabilizing regimes for fear of the chaos that ensues in the aftermath…”
“…The campist misreadings, however, have led them to the conclusion that the U.S. government is pulling the strings in the rebellion in Syria. Some have gone so far as to argue–absurdly–that the U.S. backs ISIS against Assad. Ironically, this puts the campists in agreement with Donald Trump, who, in his latest ravings, claims that Obama and Clinton were “founders” of ISIS.
“…In Syria, however, Washington’s goal is obvious, and has been for some time: It doesn’t want regime change. Perhaps the hated figurehead of Assad will be pushed aside, but U.S. policy from the beginning has been to preserve the core of Assad’s state….. Why? Above all, the U.S. fears an unpredictable outcome, whether as a result of the advance of the Nusra Front or ISIS–but especially in the form of a popular revolution…”
“…In its initial stages, the uprising in Syria had a nonviolent and mass character, but the savage repression and violence carried out by the regime militarized the conflict. The U.S. blocked the shipment of heavy weaponry, such as anti-aircraft systems, that would have strengthened secular and democratic forces that have borne the brunt of the Assad regime’s terror…”
“…Today, Washington’s goals are to wipe out ISIS and to secure a negotiated settlement in Syria that preserves the regime, if not Assad himself. In America’s camp, regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey have tried to push the envelope even further, backing various jihadist forces to strengthen their position in region and weaken their opponents, from Assad to Iran, as well as challengers from below such as the Kurds…”
“…On the other side of the international geopolitical rivalry, Russia–profoundly weakened since its defeat in the Cold War a quarter century ago–is reasserting its imperial power through its all-out support for the Assad regime in Syria…”
So, how many approved mainstream Syria-tropes has Smith managed to crowbar into his piece in the guise of telling it like it is to the comrades? Let’s run through the checklist :
The a priori demonisation of the “brutal” Assad regime (“responsible for the lion’s share of the destruction”)and its allegedly “imperial” territorially ambitious Russian backers, together with the sanctification of the allegedly “populist” alleged “rebels” without qualification, substantiation or historical perspective? Check…
Promotion of the myth that Assad is known beyond doubt to have committed the Ghouta atrocity, and total suppression of any contesting possibility? Check…
Promotion of the myth that “barrel bombs” are a form of terror weapon worse than conventional bombs or shells, and that they are being used by, and exclusively by, the Syrian regime? Check…
Promotion of the myth the US is a helpless bystander to the chaos, regardless of the mountain of evidence to the contrary? Check…
Promotion of the myth the US “fears” unpredictable outcomes, even though it routinely induces them wherever it goes (Libya, Somalia, Iraq, Ukraine)?Check…
Promotion of the myth the US only went into Syria to “stabilise” the situation and/or to “fight ISIS”? Check…
Promotion of the myth that Assad is directly responsible for the “400,000 dead”, when even the UN rep who estimated this figure was making a guess at the number killed in the five years of civil war as a whole? Check.
Promotion of the myth that Assad is “hated” in Syria and refusal to acknowledge the evidence to the contrary? Check.
Promotion of the myth that Aleppo, as a whole, is under siege by the SAA, and the denial by omission of the truth that the city is split in two or that al Nusra is shelling and killing civilians in the west of the city? Check
Denial by omission of the entire question of legality or the requirement to abide by international law, and framing the debate instead as one of who “we” want to see running Syria? Check…
The concomitant assumption by implication that “we” have some sort of moral obligation to overthrow governments we don’t like and to supply weaponry to anyone who opposes them? Check.
Impressive, no? If a paid government stenographer at the Guardian had written this they couldn’t have hoped to hit more approved talking points. Just like the US imperialists he claims to loath Smith tries to sell the idea Assad spontaneously started “assaulting” the “rebels” for no reason apart from evil (just like Yanukovich in Ukraine), and not as a response to the western-funded attempts at yet another phoney color revolution. He tries, just like the US imperialists, to make us see these poorly-defined “rebels” not as al Qaeda or ISIS or bands of mercenaries, but valiant heroes, struggling to fend off tyranny. He hopes we’ll be as dyslexic about the real legal and moral issue as he and his Washington friends are, and simply accept a priori our right/obligation to decide who gets to run Syria based on how much we like them.
But Smith doesn’t just sell on used mainstream lies,he also adds a few deceptions and reinventions of his own, aimed exclusively at getting his left wing audience to see regime change and armed intervention as the New Anti-Imperialism.
He starts by boldly reversing reality and presenting the “rebels”, not Assad as the target of US aggression. He tells us Obama doesn’t really oppose the Syrian government and that he “denied” the “rebels” the “heavy weaponry they pleaded for to stop the regime’s assault.” Given these “rebels” are currently bombarding western Aleppo (you know that place he doesn’t want to talk about) with US-donated mortars, rockets and sniper fire, this claim is about as stupid as it gets, and he ends up tying himself in knots of contradictions trying simultaneously to say Obama supports everything Assad stands for but also wants him – inexplicably – to go. He is so blatantly trying to weasel us into calling on Obama to send Tomahawks to the terrorist mercs (oops,sorry, “those who rose up for democracy and justice”) that it’s embarrassing. He thinks his audience are morons with short term memory loss and no idea how to use search engines, and by underestimating them only succeeds in making himself look a fool.
His phoney left, phoney social-justice warrior, phoney righteous indignation and general incompetence at creating a plausible alternative narrative only makes the lies he tells more repulsive. It’s a horrible display. As morally bankrupt as it is idiotic. It’s the Establishment-sanctioned war narrative in a red-painted, rainbow-tinged box.
123 Comments
Great article! An excellent deconstruction of how Western propaganda in “progressive media” works. Although I will still read Counterpunch to follow writers like Andre Vitcheck and Diana Johnstone, I’ve come to the conclusion that the presence of such honest voices is in part to lend an air of legitimacy to the the type of reporting documented in this article. This would include St. Clair and others rather childish rejections of any examination of the deep state as associated with JFK’s assassination, 9/11, etc. In a similar view Democracy Now’s reporting from Standing Rock, while much appreciated, helps to lend it badly needed credibility after its shameless repletion of State Department disinformation on by Libya and Syria. The danger posed by gatekeeper phenomenon is that too many in our culture seem smitten with the cult of personality and therefore have a hard time imagining a Chomsky, an Amy Goodman or a Jeffry St. Clair might have at best serious blind spots, and at worst, deceptive agendas. Again, this article is excellent work that is indeed appreciated by those of us not willing to let “progressive” sites or personalities set the boundaries of our own thought, research and actions.
Well Julian in my humble opinion visiting Spain at least twice a month for ” shopping ” and personal visiting with other non-Espanish nationals “, the economically priced, and the wide range of fresh produce is better than anywhere in Northern Europe.
And, among the British permanent residents they still feel, ‘post-brexit ‘ that they sense that they will not be materially disadvantaged, and, yes for the Nation of Spain they are being subjected to all of the right-wing policies of exclusion and austerity as to comply with the IMF and EU ” masters of the free world “.
Actually, Ms. Catte, 2) “Not critical enough” and b) ” ‘indistinguishable’ from the Syrian News Agency” come entirely from the mouth of ProyectileVomiting, and can thus be summarily dismissed.
And you say, “We also note none of the critics on either side has pointed out any actual errors of fact.”
Except that you provided no facts (Ed: better: “evidence”) to support your contention that “We’re the first to acknowledge he may entirely deserve to be called a tyrant. But Smith’s article doesn’t come close to exposing Assad’s real crimes…”
No idea what you’re on about Daniel. As I said I would in my reply to your comment, I edited the piece for clarity since you and other people were continually assuming I was suggesting I had a list of Assad’s “real crimes”, and the wording was loose enough to allow for such a misreading. I haven’t changed any factual statements at all.
“You’re welcome”? For what? Curb your passive aggressive demands for author recognition please. 🙂 I did link to your comment at the top of the piece as my reason for the small change of wording. If that’s not enough for you then well…write your own article.
Daniel Wirt MD of Humble, Texas employee of Memorial Hermann Northeastern Hospital has no credible on the subject of Syria., he has never been to Syria nor will he dare step foot into our country. He has spewed lies and anger toward Syrian people because they don’t believe as he does. Wirt should get over himself he is unimportant and unintelligent. Anyone that would follow Andrew, Samer, Afraa, Meri Wood, Jan Fearing (Janice Kortkamp) and other non Syrians about Syrian business is a huge fool. Wirt is sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong and doesn’t have a say about Texas much less the Syrian Arab Republic . Last I check this crazy whackjob is no expert on Syria. He should mind his own business, take care of his issues he has in Texas and leave Syrian business for Syrians. Not a lynch mob of wanna be losers that live miles away from Syria but make occasional trips promoting themselves on social media more than they are accomplishing a dam thing for our country. Daniel Wirt piss off you are unimportant.
I don’t have the time to explain why your attack on Smith’s article is flawed, except for the correct observation that obviously Assad is not responsible for all the 400,000 deaths (but surely most of them). However, this business is absurd:
The ridiculing of the mere idea the US backed ISIS to overthrow Assad, and the omission of evidence that shows this is exactly what they did? Check…
This is linked to an article by Nafeez Ahmed that references the 2012 Judicial Watch item that has been cited a thousand times, including by Seumas Milne, to make the case that the USA fostered the growth of Daesh. Like Milne, Ahmed omits the conclusion of the report:
THE DETERIORATION OF THE SITUATION HAS DIRE CONSEQUENCES ON THE IRAQI SITUATION AND ARE AS FOLLOWS;
-1. THIS CREATES THE IDEAL ATMOSPHERE FOR AQI [Al Qaeda in Iraq—don’t ask me why this stupid memo is in all-caps] TO RETURN TO ITS OLD POCKETS TN MOSUL AND RAMADI, AND WILL PROVIDE A RENEWED MOMENTUM UNDER THE PRESUMPTION OF UNIFYING THE JIHAD AMONG SUNNI IRAQ AND SYRIA, AND THE REST OF THE SUNNIS IN THE ARAB WORLD AGAINST WHAT IT CONSIDERS ONE ENEMY, THE DISSENTERS. ISI COULD ALSO DECLARE AN ISLAMIC STATE THROUGH ITS UNION WITH OTHER TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA, WHICH WILL CREATE GRAVE DANGER IN REGARDS TO UNIFYING IRAQ AND THE PROTECTION OF ITS TERRITORY.
What could possibly have allowed Milne or Ahmed to describe anything like this as the USA being pro- ISIS? Do the words “Dire Consequences” and “Grave Danger” mean something different to him than they do to the average person? Where is George Orwell when we need him to unravel such doublethink when “effectively welcome” and “a grave danger” go together?
Ahmed’s article also refers to the RAND corporation dated 2008 that supposedly advocates backing a Sunni revolt against Assad. However, you need to go the RAND report that was filed AFTER 2011 when an actual uprising began. That report states “Regime collapse, while not considered a likely outcome, was perceived to be the worst possible outcome for U.S. strategic interests.” Let me repeat this with emphasis:
“REGIME COLLAPSE, WHILE NOT CONSIDERED A LIKELY OUTCOME, WAS PERCEIVED TO BE THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME FOR U.S. STRATEGIC INTERESTS.”
This part of the conclusion of the report has no bearing on the facts made clear throughout that the US did enable ISIS.
So, you acknowledge we are right about the “400,000” alleged deaths. That’s a start. Let’s keep working those facts and staying away from the empty windbaggery that is your signature dish.
How about our claim Smith lies by omission when he describes Aleppo as being under siege by the Syrian army and ignores the fact western Aleppo is under attack by al Nusra “rebels”? Is that right or wrong?
And the Ghouta chemical attacks. Are we right or wrong to say Smith lies by omission in ignoring the evidence the “rebels” may have perpetrated these attacks?
“I don’t have the time to explain why your attack on Smith’s article is flawed, except for the correct observation that obviously Assad is not responsible for all the 400,000 deaths (but surely most of them).”
Excellent article provoking much wise commentary. The collective ‘enemy’ of all truth is “The Unspeakable” as made perfectly clear in James Douglass “JFK & The Unspeakable. Why he died & Why it matters”. Reading this book lifts the veil of deceit deliberately cast by the Corporatocracy; think the CIA’s Operation Mockingbird which explains how every seemingly trustworthy organ (like The Guardian, CounterPunch, New Statesman) all become assets of disinformation and propaganda. If you want to see how far the press have been prostituted, listen the JFK’s speech to the Press and his quoting Marx’s letter to his NY editor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q09oRZQCgHY
Try and overcome the engineered bias against President Kennedy and read Douglass book. The assassination of JFK is the litmus test of Truth. Understand that one truth, and suddenly the veil is lifted and the last 53 years make sense. Someone once said; The truth shall set you free. You have nothing to lose but your chains.
Counterpunch is confusing. On the same day (or maybe it was the same week) as Smith’s article they also published an article by Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement (the original one) whose point of view, obviously, is diametrically opposed to that of Smith. Now, a few months ago they had published an article by a certain Martin Boothroyd, another Assad-is-evil type, which horrified me so much that I asked Rick Sterling to contact Counterpunch (since he knows them better than I do) to find out how such an article had made it onto their site. Rick Sterling told me that these mistakes happen when Jeffrey St Clair, the main editor, is out. Fair enough. Then, a few weeks later an Assad-is-evil article by Joshua Frank appeared. Since Joshua Frank is one of the editors, that article could not have been something that got through when nobody was looking, but expressed the editorial line. Yet they still give room to Rick Sterling and others. As I say, I’m confused and so, it would seem, is Counterpunch.
Counterpunch is confusing. On the same day (or maybe it was the same week) as Smith’s article they also published an article by Rick Sterling of the Syria Solidarity Movement (the original one) whose point of view, obviously, is diametrically opposed to that of Smith.
What’s so confusing? Counterpunch has published over ONE HUNDRED articles by Rick Sterling promoting Assad and exactly ONE from Ashley Smith. Don’t you people realize how crazy you appear getting bent out of shape by ONE article that goes against the Baathist consensus? It would be identical to going nuts over pro-Assad articles appearing in the Guardian. Oh, gosh. I forgot about Jonathan Steele. Sorry…
What’s crazier? Pushing the imperialist line, in whole or in part, thereby justifying both direct and indirect U.S. intervention in Syria, which if successful at the cost of the utter dislocation of yet even more lives in countless numbers, would then result in a political, social and economic order far worse than that alleged to hold under the current one, or calling out the propaganda wherever and whenever it appears, so as to erode public support for the intended enslavement by means of murder and terror of yet another recalcitrant nation of the Middle East?
The U.S. establishment always, but always intervenes militarily on the side of autocracy and reaction, ultimately generating more misery than it claims to alleviate. If it didn’t, shrinking profit margins would soon beset corporate America. For the periphery must feed the center, always and no matter the cost.
So another question for you, Proyect: don’t you realize how pathological you sound when you accuse others of being Baathist shills for exposing the brainwashing that is the cover for the horrendous misery and misfortune of war inflicted upon the poorest of the poor by the richest of the rich?
These older socialist publications always had a strong jewish presence. Its amazing how many of these intellectuals commenting here will refuse to see the elephant in the room, when it comes to how the anti-war movement was hijacked by zioinists from the get go, and continue to be mislead while the US does Israel’s bidding.
Counterpunch is a very mixed bag: it still toes the US gov 911 line – you know, the eleven-box-cutters & wonderful NIST report.
For example…one person I never bother reading on the Middle East is Cockburn, who is too dependent on the Israeli POV.
Perhaps it would possible that you could appreciate that the ” multi- Murdering-Gangsters ” who carried out the 9/11 attacks and outrage were certainly not those actors as accused, like Bin Laden and a collection of passport-holding Saudi’s persons ” .
But more likely it was financed by the Saudi
Arabian Monarchy, a small price for them to remove the ” islamic co-existing secular state of the hated Iranian regime “. Obviously, without getting directly involved directly in the destruction of the President Saadam and his government.
This is the second time I have seen this sort of thing here. I understand that both Off-Guardian and Moon of Alabama, have a policy of not censoring comments–which is commendable–but this sort of Jew-baiting is quite troubling. It is just a reminder that the “anti-imperialism” that the two websites traffic in lacks a class basis. When Golden Dawn and David Duke issues statements on behalf of Assad, that’s a sign of a diseased organism.
Louis Proyect, it is you who are obsessed with Jew-baiting and anti-Semitism and smearing this website, Moon of Alabama and various other websites that happen to be critical of US and NATO actions in Iraq, Libya and Syria and their role and consequences in fomenting terrorist activity in those countries and beyond.
Whenever a commenter, over whom Off-Guardian has no control, happens to suggest that certain websites or publications have Jewish writers who might try to steer discussion away from critically analysing US foreign policy in the Middle East / North Africa region, you immediately jump in and try to sully the whole comments thread with accusations of prejudice and racism, and to besmirch the whole website as racist.
In short you are and have always been trying to do here what Al Sordi has said about the anti-war movement in the US: you are trying to stifle discussion here and to direct it and the posts put up by Off-Guardian writers onto a path more to your liking and agenda.
Just as you are doing and have done with Counterpunch.
So, now that you and your co-editors are making over Counterpunch into your little pet obsessed with false Marxist analysis and identity politics issues, you are not content to work on that pet project and to leave us alone? You have to remake Off-Guardian, MoA, Saker and other websites into Counterpunch clones? What does that say about your reconstruction efforts once they are done, that they turn out to be failures?
awesome stuff. i thought it might have been “just me” when i saw that article but thankfully not. it reads like a washington post or NYT editorial…but then the cockburns have had some odd opinions vis a vis “conspiracy theories” in the past so i guess even relatively smart and well-meaning journalists/webmasters can have their dumb moments.
Assads govt is secular and diverse as can be plainly seen in photos of him addressing parliament. Precisely the sort of leader the West never ceases crowing that they approve. Go look watch his interviews. For a man a heartbeat away from being anally raped by bayonet, he’s one cool customer. Just the sort of leadership a nation imperilled, as his so obviously is, requires.
1) “We aren’t going to leap on a bandwagon and accuse Counterpunch or the SW of discreditable intentions. Counterpunch in particular has been a source of hugely valuable anti-imperialist commentary for very many years and it would be incredibly arrogant for we newcomers not to give it every respect for that. But what are they thinking here?”
No, fake-left imperialism has infected Counterpunch for years now. Cockburn’s body was hardly cold when it started.
2) “We’re the first to agree Assad isn’t beyond criticism and shouldn’t be sanctified by the “enemy of my enemy” syndrome. We’re the first to acknowledge he may entirely deserve to be called a tyrant. But Smith’s article doesn’t come close to exposing Assad’s real crimes…”
Look, Assad is not beyond criticism because no one is. We aren’t interested in being Apologists for any regime. This isn’t the Trotskyite “neither X or Y”, it’s just simple rational common sense. Our caveat is ensuring these faux anti-imperialist can’t dismiss this critique as being the very “defense of Assad’s regime” they are claiming to deplore! They want to construct a faux debate along those lines, where they are the virtuous crusaders for objective truth and the rest of us are endorsers of tyranny. We are calling that premise by saying we’d have no problem with a reality-based critique of Assad but that Smith is not offering one.
-“Look, Assad is not beyond criticism because no one is.” Useless generalization (in which I presume you include yourself…)
-“We aren’t interested in being Apologists for any regime.” It is not the “Syrian regime” — it is the Syrian government, supported by about 80% of Syrians.
-“We are calling that premise by saying we’d have no problem with a reality-based critique of Assad but that Smith is not offering one.” That is OK, but that is NOT what you said.
You said, “We’re the first to acknowledge he may entirely deserve to be called a tyrant. But Smith’s article doesn’t come close to exposing Assad’s real crimes…”
If you can’t see the difference between these, then you (like Counterpunch) need a good editor.
Your statement poisons the well in the service of (false) “balance” rather than evidence (or as your own banner says, “Because facts really should be sacred”).
“Bias” is not a perjoritive term — one must go wherever the evidence leads. If you want to reserve judgment, you can say “we’d have no problem with a reality-based (Ed: better, evidence-based) critique of Assad, but Smith is not offering one”.
No, without offering any evidence you say, “We’re the first to acknowledge he may entirely deserve to be called a tyrant. But Smith’s article doesn’t come close to exposing Assad’s real crimes…” The latter sentence is reasonably read as you believe that Assad has committed “real crimes”.
Frankly, from the viewpoint of living in the eastern Mediterranean, and going in and out of Syria and working with Syrians to help the resistance / battle for survival, we think Assad is an absolute hero. And a decent and brave man, with a lovely hard-working wife.
IMHO the UK, France, Greece (you name the country) would be incredibly lucky to have such a leader.
Shut up Wirt, you have done enough damage for Syria harassing and spewing your silly immature and amateur remarks and false news about Syrian people. Just mind your own business you don’t know our President you only read the words of a few non Syrians that have been to syria 3-4 times big deal. You on the other hand will NEVER get a visa into our country. You have no knowledge of what Syrian secret police / military does or doesn’t do. You Texans have enough issues without playing guessing games about Syria. Don’t you have something better to do like bail your house out of 5 ft of water. Get a life and leave Syria for us Syrians to manage.
But your website repeats every single defense of Assad as an atrocity takes place alongside the rest of the Baathist left, from Moon of Alabama to Global Research. Taking up the Russian/Syrian/Iranian talking points in such a mechanical fashion betrays the kind of bad faith that destroyed the Communist movement. I have no idea whether any of the people who work on this website have ever been activists in a left group but you cannot build a solid movement based on this kind of cynical propagandism.
Stop reducing everything to a question of allegiance and dogma. This isn’t about taking sides, it’s about trying to tell the truth. Do you get that? Smith’s article lies directly and by omission. We try to put the record straight. It’s not ok to pretend Assad is provably responsible for the Ghouta chemical attack just because your personal set of slogans demand it
But you are not trying to “tell the truth”. You are simply repeating arguments that originate in the Syrian/Iranian/Russian news media. I genuinely feel sorry if you can’t recognize that. In fact, the Guardian just like every other bourgeois newspaper needs correction but just lazily trawling RT.com et al for ammunition compromises you.
I read Counterpunch from time to time. It seems to have wandered from some of its original viewpoints with the installation of a new editor. I wish I could find the source, but I read somewhere that a german woman writer lambasted the “new” counterpunch editorial oulook for having a perponderance of articles representing right wing ideology! Any help here securing that source would be appreciated. As an oblique aside
would anyone that reads this site have any insight as to expat life these days in Spain?
Regards,
Ashley Smith has produced a great list of unsubstantiated allegations, false analyses and outright lies. I have no idea what credentials Mr Smith has but he has to be the most uninformed writer this side of the BBC. His list of accusations will not stand up to the most rudimentary examination and wouldn’t look out of place on a Daesh notice board. Do these types of people expect to be taken seriously when they have clearly put such little effort into an article? I hope they don’t get paid for this drivel on CounterPunch.
Socialist Worker (.org) is a publication of ISO (international socialist organisation) in Chicago which, according to Jeffrey St. Clair, is an organization that is going nowhere by design. A while back he wrote a hilarious piece about the faux Marxists at ISO …
… which touches on a number of subjects and ends on a beautiful, almost wistful note. Very recommended reading.
It is beyond me why CounterPunch is re-publishing such trotskyite junk. In my experience all trots publications, from SWP papers and magazines to WSWS, are prone to taking the corporatist, globalist, imperialist side when these interests are at stake while dressing the whole thing up with nice articles about the suffering in Afghanistan, Haiti or austerity ravaged EU/US.
Something similar to the ‘CounterPunch incident’ seems to have happened a couple of days ago on the web site of the Delphi Initiative where one Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, argued that the destruction of ISIL was a strategic mistake. I haven’t read such appeasing, defeatist rubbish in a long time. The piece has now disappeared from the first page of the web site but it can still be accessed here. I wonder if the editors, people like Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson, were aware of this publication?
So true. I, too, have learned to be wary of the Trotskyites. They have always talked a good game about opposing imperialism and capitalism, but if it ever actually comes to a fight, they’re usually just not there.
If the country or movement opposing The Empire is not avowedly socialist, they’ll call it ‘fascist’; and if it is socialist, they’ll usually whine that it’s socialism is not pure enough. You just can’t win with these people! Either they are incurable defeatists, or else they are really devious gatekeepers.
And then they grow up and become neo-conservatives! It makes me think of that old movie Gremlins.
Trotskyites are the ‘permanent revolution’ advocates – an aim which is 100% identical with the supposedly ex-Trot US neocons. We have seen the results over the last 15 years in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan, CAR – across much of Africa in fact.
Trotsky himself (Lev Bronstein) was funded by New York bankers (Jacob Schiff in charge) and given 300 paid non-Russian aides to enter Russia and start the revolution. For the same reasons as today and 1989.
When not waging hot war Trotskyists are dedicated to transforming and shattering societies through Frankfurt School ID politics, PC, weaponised migration, multiculturalism, atheism etc. etc.
Trotsky himself (Lev Bronstein) was funded by New York bankers (Jacob Schiff in charge) and given 300 paid non-Russian aides to enter Russia and start the revolution. For the same reasons as today and 1989.
This is fascinating. The Russian counter-revolution backed by the West in the period immediately following the Bolshevik Revolution made the same argument about Jewish-Wall Street backing. When your “anti-imperialism” lacks a class basis, this is exactly what you can expect.
Ms. Catte, in fact ProyectileDysfunction and his fake-left imperialist friends ROUTINELY and repetitively attempt to justify and rationalize the outcome in Libya as positive. ProyectileVomiting clearly has no idea of the morbidity and mortality resulting from the public health disaster associated with transforming the African country with the highest human development index into a Takfiri terrorist hellhole (sorry that, I meant a “working class paradise”). Of course, the former Goldman Sachs employee and Columbia IT tech, now retired in comfort in NYC, knows all about working class paradises.
“Yeah, well. There have been only 906 deaths as a result of gun battles in Libya this year. I think the average Syrian would feel like they have entered heaven if the same conditions existed in Syria.”
A classic case of foot-in-mouth disease. The only other person I can think of who’d think and say something like this about Syria and Libya in such a breezy way would be Hillary Clinton.
I never thought Louis Proyectile would say something so disgusting. This is beyond trolling.
But Jen, really, it was “only” 906. “Surely” that’s a whole lot less than in Syria, and of these 906, “surely” Assad is also responsible for most of them, for Gaddafi is gone, and if not Assad, then his extremist Baathist proxies in Libya. Call it a gut feeling grounded in a class analysis, without the slightest equivocation between Jeeeeeeews and an unmentionable supremacist ideology that takes itself to be the all encompassing essence of Jewry.
Wirt you are 180 degrees away from the truth about Syria and know nothing except what you read from your selected few …who are non Syrian as well and clueless and classless just like you. Step back from Syrian business and fix your issues in Texas. You are no expert on Syria just a crazy “zealot”
“We have seen the results over the last 15 years in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan, CAR – across much of Africa in fact.
Trotsky himself (Lev Bronstein) was funded by New York bankers (Jacob Schiff in charge) and given 300 paid non-Russian aides to enter Russia and start the revolution. For the same reasons as today and 1989.
When not waging hot war Trotskyists are dedicated to transforming and shattering societies through Frankfurt School ID politics, PC, weaponised migration, multiculturalism, atheism etc. etc.”
“atheism” Oh yes, there’s so much atheism being promoted by the Western-backed jihadis in Syria. You really are a clown. And please explain how “PC” and “atheism” have “shattered” societies.
What an utterly stupid and vapid analysis. I think you’re in the wrong crowd here, elenits. This is an article written from a LEFT-WING perspective offering a LEFT-WING critique against those who allow themselves to be turned into playthings of capitalist-imperialism. This isn’t an echo chamber for fascist goons seeking to strip back women’s rights and scientific reason. Please take your reactionary filth and aggrieved white male entitlement syndrome elsewhere.
Since Alexander Cockburn died, CounterPunch has changed (in my mind not for the better). I have had some ugly exchanges with Josh Frank, the new editor of CP. It was regarding a CP ‘media of the day’ Politico article CP put on their website: it was an article demonizing Russia Today media outlet, not unlike what you would read in the Guardian demonizing Putin, Russia, etc. When I emailed Frank about the seemingly out of character link, he told me to “grow up” and arguing “Could you imagine a similar US propaganda “news” outlet airing unfiltered Putin’s Russia (in Russian)? Not a chance”. It was an ugly exchange, Josh Frank is an arrogant twat.
Why is anyone surprised. Many of these socialists and marxists are also zionists, like Frank. BTW Russia Today is the best and honest news and analysis one can find aired anywhere in the US. In comparison with RT, NPR looks like Stalinist propaganda, with its fluff, obfuscation, obvious bias and warm and fuzzy warm mongering.
I imagine that when Sordi refers to Frank as a “zionist”, he means that he is a Jew. Honestly, I have no idea what Joshua’s ethnicity is. Unlike me, he has never once identified as a Jew. But if being Jewish is the same thing as being a Zionist, that is rather hard to square with the late Israel Shahak’s books such as “Israel’s Global Role: Weapons for Repression”. Shahak, btw, was in Bergen-Belsen during WWII.
What did you expect.
I am not a bit supriced by this sites newest relevations of their agenda, in the end they always comes forth, sooner or later, they expose them selfs.
The same goes for Syrian theater, an copy of the Libyan theater, no expetions, and tyrants, huh, yea, that sort of definitions is intresting, but an waist of time since its the west whom sets the premisses for whatever perseptions we should have, they create the “reality” and we must follow.
I know what it is to be alone, all my friends watch BBC various shit channels, History channel and Discovery, witch is even wurser, if you dont watch TV as I do, I do recommend an day of just to watch the TV (the idiot tube) and I recommend the named channels and be stunned.
All the nonsense we have just read from those sites, is hammered 24/7 on the Tube, and hitler this and hitler that, and hitler in space, and they point at us an drool something about “insane conspiracys nuts”.
I even read in our MSM that Hitler was “nuts” because He lacked a Nut, hehe, and they whine about “fake moonlandings” and so on and screams about quasi-science/knowledge/history, etc, etc.
Its then you see it, the propaganda is all ecompasing in all directions 24/7, and thats why this shit channels are for free, even an knuckle dragging chimp in Africa have the same TV channels, gets the same propagannda, and gess what, to then penetrate the wall of bullshit is hard, and to kick their minds into another perseption is even harder.
I dont know what happened, but this downfall begun an decade ago, it all initated with the scam called AGW, and since then, their scams have just increased to be about virtually everything.
But I gess that the money power eats up whats left of the so called alternative sites, an word almost true.
And then to exposed them is good, never doubt that, no matter how painful it may be, its always the right thing to do.
And They arent alone, Antiwar is one of the bad ones, really bad one.
The AJ, well, shit in, shit out, and all about how evil Islam is, of course.
BreitFart is somehwere in the same leauge of drooling, and of course, islam is The enemy.
I dont know how may times I have debunked their hysterical and intended lies about Islam, when everything they say is an lie, cut and paist, the tools of dumb f….. to convince even dumber f…. about Islam and religion is general.
One of the reasons I dont trust the Poop for an split second.
I feel people dont wana or will, fully understands how critical the present is, its downright scary, and some of us have been warning about this for deacdes, and even now, when their full spectrum dominance is right infront of them, the Imperial banana republic UssA will never ever let that momentum halt, and people belive this chaos is unintended and an consequence of bad politics, that, people is an flatout lie.
They feed upon this chaos, that is their goal.
That is what creates money, the rest is bonus aka resouces.
I know everything will be desided the coming weeks, it ALL depends upon the Syrian war.
The last chance to stop the insane UssA.
The culimination of all that have been ongoing now for decades since the Afgan war and now, Russia and China.
You think the UssA will back down, huh, I know they never will do that, simply because they have no other options left.
And the war isnt going on in the UssA, and I also know the Yankees dont give an rats ass about europa, the europeans are blind and dumbed down to meer sheeps (pardon sheeps its just an stupid analogy) and will walk into a new slaughter house where millions more will die, and countrys layed bare, all to satisfy the blood thirsty Yankees.
I know it will happened, the war is coming.
If the editors of counterpunch are truly honest (I think they are), they could publish this article on their website as counterpoint. We all make mistakes. I mailed counterpunch to mention to them that this article is published on your website.
I’m pleased , and somewhat relieved , to see this dissection of Smith’s article here. I must admit , I’m getting to the point where I wonder if any trustworthy alt-media sites , particularly those that aggregate many authors , can be expected to remain trustworthy for much longer. The establishment is well aware of the threat these sites represent , and the truism that “everyone has their price” maintains , if not absolutely , at least nearly so. The contamination by propaganda may start at only a percent or two as the buyout or infiltration begins , then rises inexorably to become a significant fraction of the total content , rendering the site virtually worthless , trust-wise. We end up a web full of Truthdigs , or worse , Mother Jones.
Of course , if Hillary gets in , the process may be less incremental. She says she wants to rid the web of conspiracy sites ,by which she means , I suspect , any sites that try to peddle the truth. I don’t know where we go then. Carrier pigeons , perhaps.
The idea of allowing journalists to express opinions that may run counter to the general tone of a publication is admirable, and vital to a healthy democracy. Bt expressing opinions that deny well-established facts is nothing more than propaganda or outright lying.
Counterpunch should remember that it is not only the corporate media that peddles disinformation and lies. Next it’ll be pinching stuff from the Daily Mail. Actually, as long as it’s only the occasional piece by Peter Oborne, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Do you not think reproducing imperial propaganda of your own isn’t significantly different than Counterpunch? I mean, Ashley Smith’s agitprop is highly murderous but whether or not Assad is a “tyrant” is irrelevant given this isn’t why US/NATO is currently destroying the country. As with Saddam, who was also labelled a ‘brutal dictator” – the US & NATO were more concerned with raping, looting and plundering Iraq for profit and hegemony than concern for Iraqi people, obviously. Curious to why you parrot their war drumming.
Thank you for linking to that Facebook remark about Louis Proyect. He infests the comments forums here with his inanities. Hollywood probably doesn’t produce enough crappy war films to keep him occupied with reviews so he comes here instead.
I haven’t written for Counterpunch in over a year. I quit after Jeff St. Clair refused to publish an article that went against the general editorial grain which is the same as yours. You people are shrieking hysterically about one article out of a thousand that appeared on Counterpunch that didn’t meet your Baathist expectations? God forbid that you’d ever run a country. You’d be the first to jail and torture journalists.
i actually should have added a more positive note. I don’t disagree with this, i just take issue with the unnecessary agitprop given US/NATO plundering and looting Syria has little to do with Assad’s “behaviour” and everything to do with imperialism. Other than that, i have little issue with your piece
“We’re the first to agree Assad isn’t beyond criticism and shouldn’t be sanctified by the “enemy of my enemy” syndrome. We’re the first to acknowledge he may entirely deserve to be called a tyrant. But Smith’s article doesn’t come close to exposing Assad’s real crimes”
Smith is attacking Assad, you repeat it here. Get it? Assad isn’t the point. He is TOTALLY irrelevant. No need to even SAY this. Its propaganda. Their propaganda. Imperial propaganda. Why do you need to agree at all? What for if none of this is the point?
“We’re the first to agree Assad isn’t beyond criticism and shouldn’t be sanctified by the “enemy of my enemy” syndrome. We’re the first to acknowledge he may entirely deserve to be called a tyrant.”
Erm, sometimes to combat propaganda, you have to know what it looks like, how it works and how it continually demonises certain individuals, groups or entire nations. That means exposing it.
If we don’t expose examples of propaganda when and where they appear, how can we fight propaganda and the people who continually repeat and spread it? If Off-Guardian said nothing about Ashley Smith’s article and had not dissected and exposed its falsehoods, how would readers here, apart from yourself, be aware that Smith (and by implication, Counterpunch because Counterpunch should have known better) is repeating the same old lies?
Too often all that’s needed to brainwash people is the sheer mass and banal scale of repetition to exhaust them.
I just re-read the chain of emails and the article again and see what you’re driving at.
The real issue is why the West (and the Western MSM) reduces entire nations down to their leaders: Bashar al Assad = Syria, Vladimir Putin = Russia, Kim Jong Un = North Korea and so on and so forth. Aside from the fact that by reducing a nation’s complex politics to its leader, readers are led to assume that that leader’s overthrow will be easy and will instantly lead to “democracy”, and all that’s needed is will and determination (and no worrying about the hard work that will have to be done after the “tyrant” is removed), this constant stereotyping probably says something fundamental about the thinking of Washington, London et al and the elites that control them, and about the nature of Western political systems and their cultures.
President Assad becomes a convenient scapegoat for whatever the West wants to hang on him, regardless of his past and whether he personally has committed or ordered others to commit crimes. The actual person Assad has become irrelevant but what he is made to represent is relevant to people like Smith. He’s a convenient excuse and the means by which the West is trying to make a case for invading Syria, so he has to be continually flayed. The fact that increasingly the public can see through all this is neither here nor there because if there’s one thing the TPTB is incapable of, it’s connecting with the public in an intelligent way.
Your suggestion we should simply ignore these lies and propaganda because they “aren’t the point” seems as idiotically purist and self-defeaing as Smith’s article. The war machine is selling war with lies. We are countering those lies. That is very much the point.
I don’t think Jen is saying off-guardian should ignore the lies and propaganda about the war in Syria, she’s just saying they are being used in an effort to fool Western public opinion about the real geopolitical (imperial) reasons for the conflict. If you like, she’s taking Catte’s arguments a bit further.
We hear much the same views as Smith’s in the MSM here in France, relying on the fact that most of the public don’t actually know anything about Syria.
I saw it in Socialist Worker and, like others, was irked but unsurprised. Twas ever thus with an SW capable of sweeping from sectarianism to opportunism and back within a single paragraph. As for CounterPunch, I’ve seen other eyebrow raising pieces on Syria but don’t fret much. It’s a good source and the odd reactionary article no more damns it than the odd decent Graun piece by Gary or George redeems that now woeful organ.
The relatively benign self-constraining pseudo-leftism of SW belongs to an altogether different era when MAD prevailed and there was a relative stability even between the major power blocs, with everyone tacitly understanding the checks and balances. Today SW’s abdication and undermining of the antiwar perspective can’t be viewed in the same way. Smith is not just a pontificating deluded lefty, he’s a shill for war. We already have too many of them in the mainstream.
I don’t think it was ever benign, Catte. I agree on the even greater dangers today, but there’s plenty of continuity here. SWP’s opportunist “neither Washington nor Moscow” slogan, at height of the old cold war, was seen by many on the left, me included, as craven abandonment of unconditional but critical defence of the Soviet Union (its property relations NOT its hideous bureacracy) even as Reagan – his Star Wars driven by desire to negate MAD – made speech after chilling speech on the ‘Empire of Evil’.
Critical but unconditional defence – with context determining which way and how far the stick needs to be bent in either direction – still resonates today. Usually there’s at least a grain of substance to charges leveled at imperialism’s latest bogeymen but, as you and others imply here, the accuracy or otherwise of such charges is secondary, as is the hypocrisy of those making them. Such charges are never what the hostility is about and that’s why the slogan has cutting edge – connecting soundbyte to deep truth. Critical but unconditional defence, alas, is something SWP never did get; now, or back in the day. Its failures today on Syria are of a piece with its failures of four decades ago – on Ireland even more than the USSR – to stand up to the tide of a ‘public opinion’ manufactured by and for billionaires.
Speaking of opportunists, and at risk of going off-topic, I meant to add this extract from an open letter to Owen Jones I wrote back in January. (A reader’s response to which informed me of the existence of Off-Guardian.)
“You protest: Putin’s Russia isn’t the Soviet Union. No, but the cold war never ended. Why? Because as Naomi Klein so brilliantly showed in Shock Doctrine, Chapters 10-11, capitalism’s victory in that cold war did not deliver – as it had in Poland – the anticipated goodies. The fruits of privatisation, always intended to flow west, were pocketed by ex KGB: that semi-feudal oligarchy of overnight billionaires you and I loathe. You have to agree though; their robbing of the arch-robbers is funny if you’re in a good mood. The old cold war was about releasing immense Soviet assets to Wall and Threadneedle Streets, while opening up its markets to the same. So is the new one.”
I read that piece of yours and like it very much, though I do demur on that point. The flow of riches did flow west very satisfactorily in the Yeltsin years, when Russia was basically becoming one giant US-backed NGO. The flow stopped when Putin took over and replaced many of the robber-barons (like Khodorkovsky) with siloviki and statist types that favoured some sort of nationalism and national control over resources.
Maybe I’m too cynical in my old age Catte but I always felt the “Not W. Not M.” line got SWP off the hook. It’s easier to see now what a disaster for the 99% the fall of the USSR has been, in spite of all its repressive apparatus.
Theoretic cover for SWP’s strap-line was Tony Cliffe depicting the USSR as state capitalist, an issue that would further split the 4th International as other splinters insisted it was a “degenerate workers’ state”. Philistines as well as the sincerely bewildered mocked that dispute as arcane but I say it was important. Not as important, however, as the fact that even if Cliffe was right, state capitalism – IMO an important driver of the wars on Saddam, Gaddafi and Assad – is anathema to neoliberalism and on that basis alone the USSR should still have been defended. As should Assad now.
Really well put and absolutely true! . By “benign” I didn’t mean to describe the intent but the limited nature of its potential impact due the massive containing infrastructure of the MAD doctrine that largely prevented small bands of lunatics from hijacking war policy.
And maybe I’m wrong, because I was too young to understand the Vietnam war and its propaganda from an adult perspective, but wasn’t the traditional take of “neither Washington nor Moscow” at least trying to be a tad more evenhanded, and aiming at a would-be socialist critique of both sides? The likes of Smith and Proyect seem to have abandoned even this pretence and are simply and blatantly another outlet for the Western propaganda narrative.
Yes, I saw this article at CounterPunch and read it with shock as well. I just couldn’t believe my eyes. For a moment, I thought I was reading the New York Times! Very depressing …
I have been reading CounterPunch for nearly 15 years now, and I’ve even donated money to them. I hope this isn’t a harbinger of things to come. A ‘Guardianization’ of CounterPuch would be a really tragic occurrence. Sometimes I wonder if the late, great Alexander Cockburn was the one who kept them honest. I hope Joshua Frank and Jeffrey St. Clair don’t tinker with the content too much.
Says ProyectileDysfunction, the prototypical Left Boot of NATO (who thinks that Libya turned out just fine and dandy, a veritable working class paradise). No, Alexander Cockburn was not perfect and was variably prone to clinkers himself, but at least he had the good sense to keep Proyect on a very short leash — including stifling Proyect’s support for the imperialistic destruction of Libya.
I started writing for CounterPunch after Cockburn died actually. Furthermore, my intention was only to write film reviews, not the sort of thing I write on my blog. Unlike you people, I have varied interests rather than obsessively defending every barrel bomb attack as if failing to defend Assad will cause WWIII.
Exactly, Proyect. Your bullshit started appearing on Counterpunch before Cockburn’s body was cold. He obviously couldn’t stomach your crap. And what was about your first turd out of the gate? A piece celebrating Pussy Riot as revolutionaries.
You repeat copy and paste the same nonsense Wirt. You type really well with 1 hand. Get a life and actually learn something about Syria by Syrians instead of non Syrian ‘co called activists” that love their moment of fame and adoration. Look at what they have accomplished which is ZERO, and you …? Lets just say Syria will never be on your itinerary to travel to for the next 10 years . Judging by your appearance and your offensive behavior toward Syrians I doubt if you would make it another 10 years. I would invest in a good review mirror and strap it on your silly hat if I was you.
Smith sounds like another Christopher Hitchens. Anyone who deals in sophistry and lies is a fraud, whether they consider themselves Left or Right or whatever. All these organisations are full of some very dubious people. A lot of narcissistic personalities for whom politics is no more than a cloak.
I agree with you. I was indeed quite surprised but It is true that counterpunch does publish sometimes also articles that seems not to stick with their credo… It was the case often during the US election nomination campaign… but it was weird indeed and I agree with your disdain. This article has been (if I am not wrong) re published by others “alternative” media anyway…
It doesn’t really surprise me that this piece was first published in Socialist Worker. Socialist Worker is the house mag of the Socialist Workers’ Party, formerly known as IS (International Socialists). They were Trotskyists of a sui generis variety. This insofar as they believed that the Soviet Union was a capitalist-imperialist country and was essentially no better than United States imperialism. We used to call them ‘State Caps’. Of course the USSR whatever its sins was not a capitalist imperialist country no more than Russia, although capitalist, is not an imperialist country. Imperialism has got a specific economic and geopolitical meaning and a set of characteristics which are not congruent with classical and neo-imperialism. But our state-cap friends saw no difference and argued for a plague on both houses. The fact that the existence of the USSR was a serious constraint on US imperialism meant that the dangerous neo-con fantasies could not be contemplated, and the US was losing ground in contested areas in Africa with left-revolutions in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, not to mention East Asia. Both the US and USSR had their respective and respected spheres of influence and there was no question of the type of brinkmanship provocations so much in vogue at the present time.
Moreover the existence of the USSR made possible substantial gains by the working class in Europe and put some backbone into social democratic parties. The collapse of soviet communism had the knock-on effect of the collapse of European social-democracy, and this was not accidental. The USSR stood as an alternative, maybe not much of an alternative, but an alternative nonetheless. In the absence of the USSR, however, arab nationalism has been virtually wiped out and Anglo-zionist imperialism is rampant everywhere. Neo-liberalism and TINA now rule the day as the gains of the working class have been rolled back decades. I think that is what Putin meant when he said that the break-up of the USSR was a tragedy. A real capitalist/ imperialist monster arose to fill the geopolitical vacuum and it wasn’t Russia.
The article in question has all the characteristics of this equidistant purist approach. For example, Paul Mason, the Guardian’s out and out firebrand, and current cold warrior, was a member of an offshoot on the SWP – Workers Power – and he very much typifies this political phenomenon. The notion that Russia is as dangerous in the contemporary geopolitical situation as the United States/NATO, is frankly bizarre.
It was, indeed, an amazing piece of imperialist propaganda, right down to the ‘Russian empire’ nonsense and that is the clue.
It is the old Tony Cliff slogan “Neither Washington nor Moscow but International Socialism…” behind which the IS tendency has cowered since the war in Korea. I recollect the incredible difficulty of getting them ‘on board’ during the Vietnam war: at first Cliff et al were inclined, again, to view the idea of taking on imperialism, head on, as politically dangerous, likely to lose supporters, particularly in Academe, which is so vulnerable to McCarthyism.
The same attitude was displayed to Libya (down with the tyrant Ghadaffi, long live the proletarian revolution etc etc). It is the default position of a very influential and fashionable part of the ‘marxist’ left.
But then there has always been a tendency among those intrigued by the theoretical tools of Marxism to use casuistry to seek refuge among the imperialists. Most of the warmongers in Washington are former dabblers in marxism, ‘mugged’ as Irving Kristol remarked-and Chris Hitchens could have echoed- by the reality that the pickin’s are slim for anti-imperialists in Washington’s world but, for former anti-imperialists who can mimic the language of the left, the world is an oyster waking to be skewered and swallowed.
Yes, these guys have always been the worst kind of poseurs. Usually though these faux anti-imperialists at least try to use enough evasive language to avoid blatantly shilling for the West. Not Smith though.
I think you are absolutely right about the ex-Marxists. This was brought home to me recently when I was watching a video of a 2003 edition of Panorama entitled “The War Party”, which featured all the leading lights of the neo-conservative lobbyists surrounding the Bush administration at the time of their illegal invasion of Iraq.
During the programme, it was explained that most of the people involved in the pro-war movement were formerly activists on the American “Left”, who had switched to the “Right” and set up institutions like the American Enterprise Institute, and who had also become inveterate supporters of the fascist state of Israel, along with other fascist regimes.
Their Damascene (to use a phrase!) conversion to full-blown capitalism was marked by applying the label neo- to their conversion to conservatism. Thus, they were considered to be nouveau conservatives – a label they happily wore.
We have – I believe – seen something similar taking place in the UK too.
One example of this is the ex-Revolutionary Communist Party member Claire Regina Fox, now self-styled Director of the so-called Institute of Ideas – Britain’s version of the US American Enterprise Institute?
In both cases – it seems to me – they appear intent on currying favour with the established centres of power and wealth.
Maybe they were led to a realisation that that is more rewarding for them than flogging away for years on the Left?
In Fox’s case, there appears to be an additional element of contrarianism too which informs her strategy.
However, I think their day is drawing rapidly to a close.
The rise of Sanders in the US and Corbyn in the UK suggests a paradigm shift is taking place, in which the previously influential role of the mass media is coming to an end too. Put simply, most readers no longer trust them.
Maybe that is why writers like Ashley Smith are now submitting pieces for publication to smaller publications?
Maybe they think they are more acceptable to a smaller more influential Establishment grouping that way?
The aim remains to Balkanise Syria (and other Arab neighbours) into feeble statelets that the west can easily dominate and that will pose no threat to Israel. It ain’t rocket science. All lies and humanitarian mass slaughter serve this Satanic purpose.
Follow OffGuardian via Email
OffG on Twitter
OffG’s editors
About
OffGuardian is the creation of people from different parts of the world committed to the original vision which drew us together on The Guardian‘s CiF pages...Tired of being censored by our beloved, once-upon-a-time left-of-centre newspaper, in February 2015 we decided to create our own platform for airing our unacceptable opinions.
If you’re also sick of being stifled, moderated, slandered as 'Putinbots' or worse, and censored to oblivion on any of the Readers’ Comments sections of our mainstream press, come and tell us about it.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Add
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Broncos add former Pat Canadians Forward
SWIFT CURRENT SK – The Swift Current Broncos have added free agent Arthur Miller to their roster.
Miller, a 1997 born forward from Regina, played 3 games with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL this season before being placed on waivers. Miller is 5’9 and weighs 179 pounds.
Last year, Miller played with current Broncos Conner Chaulk and Tyler Adams for the Regina Pat-Canadians of the SMAAAHL. Miller had 31 goals and 54 points in 43 regular season games. That Regina team won the SMAAAHL league title and captured bronze at the Telus Cup National Midget AAA Championships.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
July 26, 2007
WHEN a majority of Supreme Court justices adopt a manifestly ideological agenda, it plunges the court into the vortex of American politics. If the Roberts court has entered voluntarily what Justice Felix Frankfurter once called the “political thicket,” it may require a political solution to set it straight.
"When"... "If"... "may".... The writer, Jean Edward Smith, author of a biography of FDR, is not exactly taking a position on what the Roberts Court is doing.
Still, there is nothing sacrosanct about having nine justices on the Supreme Court. Roosevelt’s 1937 chicanery has given court-packing a bad name, but it is a hallowed American political tradition participated in by Republicans and Democrats alike.
If the current five-man majority persists in thumbing its nose at popular values, the election of a Democratic president and Congress could provide a corrective. It requires only a majority vote in both houses to add a justice or two.
"[P]ersists in thumbing its nose at popular values"? Okay, now Smith seems to be taking a position, though there's no substance in his piece that backs this up, but even if it were backed up, it would be an idiotic point. He starts out fretting about a Court that enters the political sphere, and he ends up worrying about the Court failing to pick up the values of the political majority. So which is it?
Of course, I know: You want the Court to transcend politics but to transcend it in the direction that squares with your politics. I laugh at that.
Two more things:
1. Specify which cases are bothering you! If the "values" you prefer are so "popular," why can't Congress simply enact them as a matter of statutory law? I need to know what you're talking about before I can tell whether these new statutes would violate constitutional law. For example, if you're irked that the Court didn't strike down the "partial-birth abortion" statute, Congress doesn't have to restock the Court with Justices who will expansively construe abortion rights, it only needs to repeal its own statute!
2. The Constitution does create checks on the Supreme Court, and Congress can decide to use them. But such actions by Congress will themselves have a political effect. You need to look down the road and see if you like those effects too. It's not enough to say, wouldn't it be great to be able to suddenly appoint 2 new Supreme Court Justices at a point when we have a President who will nominate individuals we think will do things we like? You will need to explain why this solution is so important, and, when you that, you will probably end up in a debate that will portrays the Court as political. You may succeed in increasing the number of Justices at the expense of delegitimatizing the very Court you want to rely on. And when the next President comes in, he or she will have more power to choose Justices for openly political reasons.
59 comments:
Court packing is a "hallowed American political tradition"? That's ridiculous. The last time it was even attempted 70 years ago. And the last time done successfully was over 130 years ago. The republic is only 231 years old and the Supreme Court is younger than that. To say court packing is a hallowed tradition stretches the meaning of those words beyond the breaking point.
Once you come to the understanding that in the view of the Times, the Supreme Court is "thumbing its nose" at the political will of the majority when its decisions contradict the political beliefs of The New York Times, and the Court is the "defender of the Consitution" when its decisions support those same political beliefs, then the Times op-ed becomes understandable.
The editors of the Times are devoid of any consitutional principle when opinining on what is and is not a good court decision. Their opinions reflect only orthodox support for "rights" in favor of people they consider to be victims of our society, and waiver of certain rights by those deemed to be favored by our society (except in the practice of forcing others to give money to those deemed to be victims).
No doubt we can look back and find the Times supporting FDR's 1937 Court-packing proposal as well.
Smith may think it would be nice for the current congress to remake the court. But he needs to to think what the court will look like when the next Tom DeLay / George W. Bush combination gets the upper hand.
So one or two justices would provide corrective? How about 10 back at you? Guys like DeLay don't play for close calls.
"If the 'values' you prefer are so 'popular,' why can't Congress simply enact them ...[?] For example, if you're irked that the Court didn't strike down the 'partial-birth abortion' statute, Congress doesn't have to restock the Court with Justices who will expansively construe abortion rights, it only needs to repeal its own statute!"
It goes to the paradox I've noted before - the desperate attempt to protect a countermajoritarian device protecting a policy choice they claim enjoys majority support. Of course, it's no paradox in reality, just a smokescreen. No rational person would rely on a supermajoritarian device to maintain a policy they believed commanded majority support, so the conclusion is unavoidable that NARAL and so forth simply don't believe their own propaganda.
It's par for the course, needless to say, that the justices who Smith disagrees with are acting ideologically, while the other four (or five in many cases) are doing... What? Is he really so naive as to think the Ledbetter dissenters weren't being "ideological"? Or does he have a Dahlia-esque view where ideology is so broadly-defined as to sweep any judicial philosophy into its scope?
Smith may think it would be nice for the current congress to remake the court. But he needs to to think what the court will look like when the next Tom DeLay / George W. Bush combination gets the upper hand.
One of the most annoying recent tendencies of Democratic liberals and their supporters is to act as if "sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander" is a rule that should not bind them. When the Democrats started using the filibuster to prevent votes on appellate justices, they were warned it would come back to haunt them. But actually, it won't. Precedents only apply to the right sorts of people, doncha know. If Harry and Nancy want to do it, it's fine. As long as Congress remains in its natural state (Democratic), fine. But if through some vote-stealing Diebold, Cheney/Rove scheme the Republicans took over and used the same precedent to pursue their ends, it's "here come the brownshirts!"
When I was more of a liberal (I still don't quite believe I'm not one now), I admired the insistence on principle, even if sticking with principle meant our side lost some battles. Apparently, the new style liberal thinks that's wussy. Principles = what we want.
rhhardin said..."You get the least political court by reducing its size, not increasing it."
So presumably state Supreme Courts - most of which have 5-7 members - are much less political than SCOTUS, and three-judge panel hearings are much less political than en banc hearings? Is there any empirical data that backs up this assertion, or at least a sound theoretical rationale? I mean, ipse dixit isn't going to get you far.
I think this is a great idea. This congress can add two justices, and then the next congress can add two more, and the next can add two more, and then in a few decades, our Supreme Court will be a mass of 31 bickering partisan windbags. Hell, after a long enough time, the Court may be the size of the Senate.
I don't see what's wrong with my ipse dico, but if you insist : a large court just represents the general population in its direction, retirements and reappointments being frequent. A one-man court gets direction only once in 50 years.
You may not like the result for 50 years, but it won't be political. Almost by definition.
John Stodder said..."When I was more of a liberal ... I admired the insistence on principle, even if sticking with principle meant our side lost some battles."
Quite: “Legal minds tend to respond to a statement of clear and compelling principle.... Upon identifying a principle, they crave consistency. To stop and think who will win and who will lose is to sacrifice legitimacy.” Althouse, Electoral College Reform: Déjà vu, 95 Nw. U. L. Rev 993, 1007 (2001). To me, sticking to first principles - even when they produce a result I don't like - is a badge of honor. But on the other hand, cf. Althouse, The Humble and the Treasonous: Judge-Made Jurisdiction Law, 40 Case W. Res. L. Rev. 1035, 1039-40 (1990) ("By professing unconcern for practical reality and a pure, unalloyed love for an idea, one loses control over outcomes and argues unwittingly for bad results ... [T]here is something unprincipled about embracing an abstraction and taking it to its logical limit, without the stabilizing effect of considering policy implications").
To make an unsupported dogmatic assertion is the privilege of those who've earned it -- the index case being Pythagoras, from whose students the phrase originates, according to Cicero, who had earned authority strong enough that his students could simple say that he, pythagoras, himself said it, without offering reason. You haven't earned that kind of intellectual cachet. Don't feel bad - very few people have.
"a large court just represents the general population in its direction, retirements and reappointments being frequent. A one-man court gets direction only once in 50 years."
This is akin Prof. Turley's theory, but I don't think his theory (or yours) it's very persuasive. You could far more effectively accomplish the same thing as you and Jon are looking to do by having judges serve terms of office - an approach that would avoid the inefficiencies of a huge court. The perceived "problem" isn't plainly so, even if it were, the proposed remedy isn't clearly a solution to it, it has several foreseeable problems and will entail numerous unforeseeable problems.
It isn't enough to have an idea, to believe you might be able to improve on something that has worked and worked well for some time - even if you are one of those who, as Oakeshotte put it, who "never doubts the power of his reason (when properly applied) to determine the worth of a thing, the truth of an opinion or the propriety of an action." To paraphrase the way I put the point last year, in my view, traditional practise erect a rebuttable presumption that grows stronger with the passage of time, and even when the traditional solution is less than ideal, it at least has the virtue of being tried and tested. Its unintended consequences have already become apparent. That isn't to say that change should never happen - Burke, after all, warned that "[a] state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation" since without that capacity "it might even risk the loss of that part of the constitution which it wished the most religiously to preserve" - but nevertheless, when you have a law and a proposed change, the latter bears the burden of proof that it should be adopted, and when they seem co-equal, the former prevails. The longer the law has been on the books, the higher the burden of proof required. If you have a clearly dysfunctionally system, and you have a compelling alternative to bring forth, one which seems likely to cut a narrow path without displacing too much else, then great. But the lower in stature the problem or the higher in risk the solution (or particularly when both) the less persuasive it is.
I don't even agree with the apparent premise that the court ought to be a "representative" body swayed and "direct[ed]" by popular sentiment. Quite the opposite, if that were their purpose, there would be no need for life tenure in the first place.
Everything has its limits. Sometimes principles are in conflict. Especially in the case of a badly conceived law that, nonetheless, must be enforced until it's changed.
But it is easier to correct the tragic results of an unthinking obedience to principle than to correct the tragic results of a purely expedient mentality. As an earlier post said, if politicians unhappy with the Supreme Court try to cure it by adding two new members, the next regime will just double down -- add 4. And very quickly, the Supreme Court would lose authority and be seen as Congress, only more pretentious.
"Congress’s need for the information, though, is substantial. It has already turned up an array of acts by administration officials that may have been criminal."
If this were so, the piece would specify these supposed acts. The NYT doesn't, the Congress hasn't, and the supposedly malfeasant action that underlies this fictitious scandal is explicitly authorized by statute, see 28 U.S.C. § 541(c), and is in any event within the inherent power of the Presidency, as has been repeatedly reaffirmed by the Supreme Court.
John,In General Grant's famliar epigram, “I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution.” The difficulty arises when, as you say, an issue brings two or more principles into conflict.
"But it is easier to correct the tragic results of an unthinking obedience to principle than to correct the tragic results of a purely expedient mentality. As an earlier post said, if politicians unhappy with the Supreme Court try to cure it by adding two new members, the next regime will just double down -- add 4. And very quickly, the Supreme Court would lose authority and be seen as Congress, only more pretentious."
This is exactly what killed legal realism, as I understand it (and a point Ann has alluded to many times) - the court's authority, the reason why we obey its dictates, rests on the assumption that it is non-political, merely a proxy for the authority of the law. Legal realism's "painful candor" begged the question of why five unelected justices' opinions should trump 218 elected Congressmen, 51 elected Senators and one elected President's john hancock.
Adherence to principle has important normative value:
"While announcing a firm rule of decision can thus inhibit courts, strangely enough it can embolden them as well. Judges are sometimes called upon to be courageous, because they must sometimes stand up to what is generally supreme in a democracy: the popular will. ... The chances that frail men and women will stand up to their unpleasant duty are greatly increased if they can stand behind the solid shield of a firm, clear principle enunciated in earlier cases."
Scalia, The Rule of Law as a Law of Rules, 56 U. Chi. L. Rev. 1175 (1989). The problem I have with beinding rules to "consider[] policy implications" is that it necessarily makes the judge the arbiter of what is good policy - the detatchment from which being precisely the source of their authority. Indeed, it is precisely the "los[s] [of] control over outcomes" that makes formalistic rules so appealing: they cabin the discretion of the judge. "The Supreme Court's constitutional role appears to be justified only if the Court applies principles that are neutrally derived, defined and applied." Bork, Neutral Principles and Some First Amendment Problems, 47 Ind. L.J. 1, 35 (1971). I have grown very fond of a phrase PBS recently used to describe Justice Black: the text was his mandate, but is was also his limit. I tend to invert that: the text is judge's limit, but it is also a mandate to go as far as the text goes. Scalia's point in Law of Rules is normative as much as it is formalist: the mandate of the text is an authority a judge is more likely to use when s/he can ground the result firmly in the text or in the neutral, generally-applicable principles, the result of the application of which the judge doesn't appear to "control."
Here’s a long-view of the SCOTUS Bench. Link. You could fit in two more Justices (one on each end) and maintain decent sight-lines, but that wouldn’t require much in the way of expensive carpentry, and that’s a problem.
Maybe you could squeeze in four more Justices, but that’s still not so great a contract for the cabinet makers, so we really should try to do better.
Six new Justices would make for an expensive enough work project, but there really isn’t the room, and Congress would balk at funding a nifty new building for SCOTUS (if Congress isn’t getting one, too) and that might put the kibosh on the whole enterprise.
So, what to do, . . ., what to do, . . . ?
Wait a minute, I’ve got an idea!
We can pack the Court with seventy-two brand spanking new Justices and still keep the old building. It would require a brand new, very expensive bench and that would be win-win for everyone concerned!
The new bench would be based on a much-loved design that has proven its good looks and practicality well throughout the years, and here’s what it would look like, only much, much bigger. Link.
Althouse. Perhaps you should have left "Here's a NYT op-ed..." until the end. Otherwise the question of whether or not it's BS is immediately superceded by the question of what particular flavor of BS it surely is.
Politics shouldn't be the driving force behind justice, because that's anything but justice.
Understanding the problem and coming up with a solution? Not so easy
When Democrats do it, it's wrong.When Republicans do it, it's wrong.
Correcting it, encouraged or discouraged by academics, probably based on bias. The bias is likely political and therefore wrong.
How do you fix a problem that is a result of an inherently flawed justice system? You can't unless you go after the root of the problem, otherwise it'll just happen again. Going after the root problem isn't easy either, because then you have to admit that there is a flaw with how we define ourselves and few are willing to admit or accept when they are wrong. (likely psychological or a human biological trait)
What frightens most politically charged Americans is the strong sense of party loyalty and external group and corporate influences that have taken over American government. Partisan loyalty trumps principles and values that conservatives were often applauded for in the 20th century, partisan loyalty now trumps the 'save the world and baby seals' mentality for Democrats that gave them a reason to bat themselves on the back and Republicans a reason to acknowledge they "have a good heart, despite having no economic sense."
In many ways, the prior driving forces behind our political parties were flawed. The passion the values incited got in the way of reasoned policy and resulted in pork-filled legislation. The issues never seemed as divisive, or inspiring as much animosity as we're witnessing now through the advancement of technology and mass communication.
21st Century American Crossroads
One transition in American government that may revolutionize politics and policy is this hostility and distrust that exists between the elite and everyone else. The elite (educated, rich, powerful) are usually Republican, from my experience, though the language from Limbaugh/Coulter implies that "hollywood" liberals are the "elitists" against the "common man/working class." (You and me)
Historically, the U.S. has a tradition of 'attempting' to work together to get stuff done for Americans. That tradition changed to pretending to work together, and has further devolved into attempting to pretend to work together to shape American policy.
If gridlock fades and pork dies, what replaces it?
The jaded call it pork, but at least we gained something from gridlock and pork-barrel politics. At the very least, American political stability was achieved. Additionally, gridlock kept our politicians from getting out of control and President's from attempting to legislate from the White House. Republicans under the leadership of Bush, Cheney and Rove made the mistake of believing that their power was indefinite as long as they continued their attack on the American characterization of the other party. It amounted to a campaign that would assassinate the character of the entire Democratic party and it was working very well, until Bush came along and screwed it all up.
I'm of the opinion that 2008 belongs to the Democrats. Money, policy, merits of issues, 'actual ability to get things done', sadly, none of that matters. In the way that Republicans seized power through patriotism and alienating those that disagree on policy, Democrats will do the same by remaining in that arena. Pat Buchanan recently wrote a good article on the negative environment we will see and the difficult challenges America will face as the empire falls. This is how empires die
Democrats will make the same mistake Republicans have made. If there is one flaw all Americans share, it is the belief that our existence is central to the world cause. We belong to an egocentric society of fools prone seduction of power and the corruption of evil-- while, occasionally throwing partisans a bone.
The new party leadership doesn't exist in government
Now, with the power that we've granted Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Michael Moore, Jon Stewart, Al Franken, Bill O'Reilly, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and even blog writers, (such as Ann Althouse!) Internet forums, websites, etc, we're seeing a highly divisive and adversarial new political arena. Some people (me, for example) believe it is destroying the America we knew and replacing it with a battleground for partisan warfare.
Middle America tends to be 'progressive' or idealistic / the everyone live-and-let-live crowd. The problem is, in this new America and political system we've created and participate in, it is impossible for the idealist's vision of America to exist.
So what we're left with is a serious war between Republicans and Democrats for the heart of America.
Conservatives experienced an unprecedented extension of political power going back to Clinton's years
Republicans had a good shot at shaping American law and policy for decades to come and to a certain extent they won the jackpot with Bush's court appointments and an admittedly spineless Democratic leadership that was more concerned with their public image and political power than supporting their convictions. We'll see if the political move pays off in 2008 and beyond, but if it does pay off it'll be in large part because of Republican strategy failures and a poor sense of judgment due to excitement and the trance that Bush's rhetorical flute locked them in.
I'm a budding Libertarian/former Clintonian moderate Democrat. I was seeking conservatism for the longest time, my family is split evangelical Christian and Catholic, so it made sense for me to seek out conservatism.
I realize now that I sought out conservatism at the wrong time; the conservative government never bothered me much until it started leaning heavily on civil liberties and privacy rights. The Patriot Act is what probably set me on track for libertarianism as opposed to conservatism, then to be dubbed Unamerican and Unpatriotic for arguing against such policies was the last straw for me. Heck, I figured, no skin off my back, that's how power is won and it's how the country and the minds of millions of people are controlled.
From a personal standpoint, the challenge of achieving that kind of power is part of the American 'dream' that everyone interested in the political process is seeking.
Where Republicans went wrong, is they allowed their excitement to get the better of them. Bush's strong following of Evangelical Christians was a major boost in 2000 and the swift-boat ads and anti-terrorist/"pro-America" campaign was probably what tipped the scales in 2004. What Republicans didn't realize was how volatile and sensitive the political arena was. I know many here may disagree on this point, but the Fox news shows that are highly favorable towards Christian Conservative interpretations of life and politics and decision of Fox to refrain from covering the War, and a refusal to be 'honest' about President Bush's serious character flaws served as a smokescreen that blurred Republican vision and has landed the party a very serious blow for years if not decades to come.
When I was at the University of Wisconsin, my lawyer friends (some of which are brilliant, genius even) were very passionate about supporting President Bush, one of my best friends often talked about how EVIL and corrupt President Clinton (the liar!) was, and how morally bankrupt liberals were in general for supporting him after the revelations of monica-gate.
Back then, I suspected he listened to Rush Limbaugh and read occasional Ann Coulter fuel to energize him for his daily mental exercises; he battled many liberal thinkers throughout Madison, it was entertaining to say the least.
What I learned from him and what I was observing of the new conservative movement was a high tolerance for hate speech and encouraging the use of political rhetoric (pro-war = pro-America), and abusing language(anti-conservative policy = UnAmerican) in order to manipulate, coerce and deceive people into agreeing with conservative points or disagreeing with liberal ones.
It's my opinion that the "decline" of conservatism as we approach the 2008 elections has Bush and political strategists to blame for the response coming from bloggers, 'the media' and our millions of 'morally bankrupt' citizens that roam the streets.
Rush, O'Reilly, Coulter will urge you to fight these nitwits that comprise of a highly vocal minority that champion 'liberal' fools. What they won't tell you is that attacking people based on love for God and country is the surest way to invoke a FIGHT response from an otherwise weak collective with questionable leadership.
Language, rhetoric, it's a problem guys and it's going to haunt your party in 2008.
Fred, I really have no idea what motivated that baseless attack, and you're welcome to elaborate if you want, but funnily enough, glib hostility from a Paulista isn't something that particularly troubles me.
Yeah, Fred does have some issues. I assume it was a ironical comment on "hate speech" from his dissertation length comment above. Anyway, I was just going to point out that everything Fred lays at the feet of the Republicans, I see it at the feet of the Democrats. Funny how the rose tint distorts things depending on who is wearing the glasses.
Simon, I pushed out a long post above about how partisan abuse of language and rhetoric will haunt Republicans in 2008.
So, my use of "brilliant" to recognize your principles was intended as a compliment as I agree with Trey's praise for principled people. :)
"not so much" was a not-so-subtle way of saying:
I don't agree with the implication that people who think differently are something less than honorable. I appreciate 'passion' as much as 'logic.' Sometimes they conflict but both are admirable qualities in leaders and thinkers. :) As we've learned from this administration, honor and political affiliation are not one and the same, even if public opinion treats both similarly.
As for Ron Paul, it is his principles that I admire most about him! I admire people who stand by well-reasoned and logical decision making. It isn't easy to do, and I admit it is something I'd like like to aim for.
Jeff said..."Yeah, Fred does have some issues. I assume it was a ironical comment on "hate speech" from his dissertation length comment above."
Having authored several fairly lengthy comments myself, I feel compelled to point out that concision is a virtue, but that doesn't necessarily mean shortness. Sometimes an idea just takes so many words to express.
I wasn't trying to call out Republicans for doing something that Democrats are innocent of. I think I mentioned that Democrats are going to do the same thing, it's human nature.
The reason I brought up the 2008 elections was because I believe the war-rhetoric "with us or against us", the "unpatriotic" labels and "unAmerican" language, "liberals hate Jesus" language is gonna bite back due to Bush's problems in the White House.
Maybe you don't realize how much verbal abuse Democrats (even Ron Paul supporters) have taken over not agreeing on foreign policy. So my argument is that because liberals are raging right now over 2000 and 2004 (and the patriotism stuff) they are going to serve it back in spades. In the past do you recall Liberals ever bringing up military defense and the importance of God in their lives?
They very well may believe in God and even be strong Christians, but as a party they kept their mouths shut to appease the non-Christian groups. That is no longer true. The new battle for middle America will revolve around war, religion, and civil rights and liberties your common enemy will use Bush's failures to emphasize how wrong you were. (whether it is true or not)
To make an unsupported dogmatic assertion is the privilege of those who've earned it -- the index case being Pythagoras, from whose students the phrase originates, according to Cicero, who had earned authority strong enough that his students could simple say that he, pythagoras, himself said it, without offering reason. You haven't earned that kind of intellectual cachet. Don't feel bad - very few people have.
You might want to look into Galambosianism and go all the way. Particularly note the nondisclosure agreement.
Theo - thanks. And that's okay - I tend to repeat myself. ;) That's one reason (not the main one) why I like to quote directly from previous comments - the regulars know where I stand on most issues. I don't have to reinvent the basic building blocks every time, just put them together in hopefully new and interesting way.
On style and the medium - I think the main thing about writing in blogs and comments is that you have to abandon traditional rules of paragraphing. You've got to break a lot more often, otherwise it gets unreadable, even though that can sometimes be a pain (this is why for really substantive stuff, I tend to abandon the blog format altogether and just post a PDF from word). At the other extreme, I think if you adopt the "newspaper" approach to paragraphing, that just looks clunky and horrible. I see comments occaisionally that seem almost like a bad parody of a newspaper article, and you can tell this person hasn't got the hang of it.
"This is not the place, I'm sorry to say, to develop extended thoughts, unless, of course, you're Simon. ;-)"
Well, I look at what I write here and at SF as being part of a single, contiguous, developing body of thought, and to some extent, that goes for comments in other places as well. :)
Ron:"Ipse dixit is Latin, by the way."
Uh...Yeah...? And? I know that. :p
I'm not sure what you're referring to Galambos for by the way - in relation to the libertarian question? I'm not familiar with him, but from what Wikipedia says, I doubt I'd agree with him on much.
Trumpit said..."Whatever are you talking about, Sir? Do you ever know?"
If you gaze at those funny squiggles on your screen, they start to cohere into things we call "letters," which are the basic building blocks of what we call "written language." If you'd prefer, if reading's a problem for you, I can explain it for you in a vlog. I'll be sure to use small words for you.
Indeed so, but Cicero, who told the story to history, was Roman. ;) In any event, you're making it seem like I'm engaging in empty formalism instead of suggesting that you have to support assertions with citation or reasoning, a seemingly reasonable request.
downtownlad said..."But this is what the framers intended."
The framers intended to create (and indeed wrote, being the important point) that the size of the Supreme Court be determined by Congress. We're talking about subconstitutional principles of wise public policy, not the boundaries of constitutional permissability. Of course Congress could follow Bissage's suggestion and have an 81-Justice Supreme Court. They could also expand the House of Representatives to include 10,000 members (i.e. the Article 1 maximum of one representative for every 30,000 people divided into a population of 300,000,000), but that wouldn't seem a good idea.
The framers created a framework and left the detail to be taken care of within that framework. You want to permit gay marriage, DTL, pass a law. Nothing in the Constitution stops you from doing that. What stops you from doing it is your inability to make a coherent argument that might bring people onto your side, and your unfortunate tic of savaging even potential allies, anyone who doesn't meet your test of sufficient ideological purity (need we revisit the "everyone who hasn't moved out of wisconsin is a homophobe" incident?)
Ron,You're being obtuse. The term comes from the Roman Cicero's relation of things said by the Greek Pythagoras' students. Either go edit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipse_dixit#Origin to reflect your understanding of the history, or (more productively) back up your points with evidence, citation, or reasoning. This line of discussion is done.
But it is easier to correct the tragic results of an unthinking obedience to principle than to correct the tragic results of a purely expedient mentality.
Now, there's food for thought.
I think it resonates truth, with regard to the Supreme Court in particular. I would think quite the opposite, in other contexts.
Which leads instantly to the next questions, among others: What's the difference between Universal principles and universal ones? Where and how should First Principles be circumscribed, and even, perhaps, be vulnerable to trumping, as being more properly viewed as first principles within smaller realms of analysis?
After all, mission creep is a fundamental tendency of human nature, as invariably exhibited by humans both individually and collectively. Shouldn't that reality have some standing?
the editorial is further proof that the NYT is descending into the nether regions of moonbattery--does anyone, by the remotest of chances, know the NYT editorial position when FDR tried to pack the court? Would be interesting to see if they are consistent.
I may not be very smart or certainly a person of a wordly nature, but when I was in school we studied FDR's administration. And he, waaaay back then tried to pack the Supreme Court.To get all his NRA (socialist programs) passed. He tried to get a minium term limit to get justices to retire. And I believe he also tried to expand the court. But to no avail. Now I don't exactly have all the research on this subject but I'm sure out there in bloggo land someone can come up with the specifics.
It's really funny to watch the liberals, long the eager proponents of judicial activism to bypass legislators and voters, suddenly become unhappy over the ability of courts to influence the 'political sphere'.
New York Sen. Charles E. Schumer, a powerful member of the Democratic leadership, said Friday the Senate should not confirm another U.S. Supreme Court nominee under President Bush “except in extraordinary circumstances.”
“We should reverse the presumption of confirmation,” Schumer told the American Constitution Society convention in Washington. “The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts, or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito.”
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Welcome to the Local Church Depot
Below are ministry resources we recommend and use in our ministry. Some of them the ministry does get a referrer fee from so when you are filling out the forms please insert Dr. Buddy Bell or MOHI as the referree. If you have questions about any of the resources you can contact me at [email protected].
With email marketing it's easy for you to connect with your congregation, and members. Using our beautiful email templates helps your contacts to want to share your messages with their friends, spreading the word about your ministry helping you to grow.
Sign up for free - Our coaching and experience in email communication gets you started fast. You may want to check out the awesome Affiliate program click here .
All products and features are translated and supports the following language cultures
Free coaching & support
Start for FREE
Data Security
Social Media Tools
Anti-spam checking
Helps get your email delivered
Reports, Alerts, Analytics
Track who opens and links clicked
Intergrations & Applications
Makes it easy to run your business
Why Choose Sunday Streams?
The mission of Sunday Streams is to provide high quality service and support at
affordable prices. Below is a list of some of our features and qualities that allow
us to accomplish our mission.Free 30/day trial.
Toll Free Phone and Email Customer Support
All our streaming packages come with free phone and email support. We are here to assist you with every aspect of streaming such as getting setup for your first broadcast, fine tuning your settings to maximize the quality of your broadcasts, assisting your webmaster with integrating your broadcasts onto your website, and much more. When you call technical support you are talking with the programmers, developers, and founders of Sunday Streams. We look forward to helping you with any aspect of streaming so please don't hesitate to contact us.
High Quality Broadcasts
Our number one priority is to live stream the broadcast you send to us with extreme reliability and precision. We constantly monitor our streaming hardware and connections to ensure that we have plenty of available resources to ensure all your broadcasts are capable of having smooth, high quality audio and video. If you ever experience a technical issue, there may be a need to fine tune some of your settings, etc., so we encourage you to contact us to help you diagnose the situation so you achieve the best broadcasts possible.
Archiving Made Easy
With Sunday Streams there is no need to upload video files after your broadcasts to provide on-demand archives for your viewers. Your broadcasts are automatically recorded directly on our servers and are ready to archive the minute your stop your live broadcast by simply giving the broadcast a name and clicking a button to make it a public archive.
Mobile Support
The Sunday Streams platform supports both live broadcasts and on demand videos for Apple iOS as well as Android devices via HTML5 (including the latest devices that do not support Flash). The mobile device detection player system (Go Player and/or iFrame Embed) is included with all packages. Click here to learn more about these features.
Easy Embed Options
In addition to the traditional iFrame embed options that enable your viewers to watch your live and on-demand broadcasts on your own website, we also offer our Go Player, which is an easy to setup player that is hosted on SundayStreams.com. With the Go Player you instantly have the ability to show your live and on demand videos, offer your viewers the Bible, a place for notes, live online chat, your worship service schedule with countdown timer, geographic stats, your social media links, secure online giving, and other interactive tools for your viewers to enjoy while watching your live and archived worship services. Click here to learn more about these features.
Minimal Hardware Needs for Quality Broadcasts
Most churches already have almost everything they need to stream such as access to a computer, an Internet connection, and a video camera. The only other hardware needed is something to bring your video footage into your computer, and this can be accomplished with an inexpensive video capture device that connects your camera to one of your computer's USB ports. Please call us if you would like to discuss your setup over the phone. You can also stream to Sunday Streams with very expensive and sophisticated audio and video systems, but you don't have to invest in expensive equipment to produce quality Internet broadcasts.
Broadcast 24/7
You are able to broadcast whenever you want and as often as you want. For example, you can broadcast three services on Sunday, a funeral on Tuesday, a Bible study on Wednesday night, a pageant on Saturday, and also an evening service on Saturday. The only limitation is that we temporarily turn off the recording feature for clients who repeatedly broadcast continuously for more than 23 hours in a row.
Free Trial
Our 30-day free trial comes with everything our $49 package comes with. This includes all the features of the $49 package, all the free phone and email support, all the archive storage space, and all the bandwidth. The only thing missing is the cost. You don't even need to provide us with a credit card to try our free 30-day trial.
Affordable for Even the Smallest Churches
Over 95% of our clients pay $49 per month and nothing more because all our features and support is free as part of our $49 package. Some clients actually pay less than $49 per month because they take advantage of our yearly prepayment discount. You don't even need to provide a credit card to receive the 30-day free trial. However, if you happen to be a client who needs more bandwidth and storage space than what comes with the $49 package, then we'll let you know in advance about the affordable larger packages we offer. With Sunday Streams there are no surprises or hidden fees.
We are a family-run business so our livelihood is connected to providing a service that keeps our customers happy. More importantly, we look to the Bible for authoritative instruction in every aspect of our lives which includes the manner in which we conduct ourselves in business.
"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God; And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:22-24 (KJV)
Professionally Designed Site | No Setup Fee | Instant Setup
If you are looking for a professional designed, mobile ready, cost effective site try one of the designs below. Our designers put together 14 great looking church website templates. Each includes the template and starter content on the home page. You change the logo builder to add your church or ministry name, change the footer and contact us information and then build your content for your site.
Want to tweak your church website template design? All of the design and content tools are available to change your design now or update your site in the future. Like these designs but already have a ChurchSquare site? Let us knowand we can load the design to your site.
Have a specific church website template design in mind for your site? Are you good at design? You may want to start your church website template from scratch.
Click the button below and choose your layout and click the "magnifying glass" icon to select your color scheme. Once your site comes up you can use our design tools to refine the layout, colors, menu style, site banner, type and link styles, backgrounds, footer style and more! Our Flexible Design tools allow you to make a totally unique church website template that is all your own!
Comprehensive church website builder with an outstanding user interface. You interact with our Church Website Builder Software directly over the Internet. When you want to build, update or expand your church website you simply login and change or build pages on-the-fly.
Not a template but a website church template building system which allows you to create your own church template for a unique look and feel. You build your website by choosing the colors, layout, banner, website and page background, menu buttons and footer style. You can build your website with rotating banners and text overlays and wide range of template building tools to enure you build your website to fit your organization's individual communication style.
Our intuitive interface allows you to keep your church website up-to-date and your members coming back. Our website builder makes it easy: weekly tasks like announcements and church calendar updates are form-based pages, you build your content directly on the page through our website builder software. Staff can keep your website up-to-date with no special Internet skills.
Try our no-risk trial - go ahead and try our Church Website Builder and see the advantages for yourself. Our church site plans offer outstanding value, a wide range of functionality, special features designed for churches, an intuitive interface and outstanding template design flexibility. Don't worry, there are no costs unless you activate your site!
Church Website Builder adds eStore for up to 500 events and products to your web site
60
* Total site space is a combination of normal site space and Sitebuilder Media Space. Sitebuilder Media Space is used for the Flash Audio and Video and the Media Library components.
About Us
About Us – Lambslist & Microframe
Microframe, provider of Lambslist, was established in 1986 during a church service, when our founder saw a need for Children’s ministries to be able to discretely contact parents, if necessary, instead of having to interrupt a service. Over the past 25 plus years Microframe’s dedication to meet this need has led to recognition as the industry leader in Visual-Pager Systems, while offering churches additional solutions such as Vibrating-Pager Systems, Countdown Clocks/Timers, Hymn Boards, and Security Paging.
Our attention to quality products and excellent customer service eventually provided opportunities to serve more than 7 major markets, including restaurants, pharmacies, government offices, large industrial scale and mining companies, churches, and hospitals. The continued growth and expansion of products and new markets has not lessened Microframe's integrity, personal touch with customers, and vision to create well-designed displays.
Returning to our origins, several years ago we recognized the need for an affordable, simple, and secure check-in system allowing churches to provide a safe environment for the families attending, and offer features designed to help them operate the ministry more efficiently and effectively. Keeping those three pillars in mind Lambslist was born, and continues to evolve into the most complete and affordable check-in system in the industry.
We invite you to check out our 30-day FREE trial, and see why customers spanned across the globe are flocking to Lambslist. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Proven. Medi-Share is a healthcare sharing program where Christians share financial resources to pay each other's medical expenses. Since 1993, over $908 million has been shared and discounted among Medi-Share members. It's a proven biblical model of healthcare--Christians helping Christians.
Sensible Stewardship. Medi-Share gives Christians the assurance that their healthcare dollars are helping fellow believers who are living God-honoring lifestyles, based on biblical principles and service to others. With options that fit every budget, and even an incentive available for our healthier members, Medi-Share is sensible stewardship for Christians who don't want to be left alone to pay their medical bills.
Ministry. Christian Care Ministry is a not-for-profit ministry where the members make the rules--and their dollars don’t support unbiblical choices such as abortion, or drug or alcohol abuse.
Medi-Share is NOT INSURANCE. It's a New Testament way of thinking about healthcare, built on the principles of Christians bearing each other's burdens. For over 20 years, Medi-Share members have been faithfully sharing each other's medical bills, trusting the Lord to provide in their time of need through the voluntary gifts of other believers.
It’s Christians Helping Christians---and It Works!
Learn how Christians are EXEMPT from the mandate to purchase health insurance in the Healthcare Reform Law.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
PAPERBACK
Living Witness
About-
Because God calls his people to be a living witness to him, morality is mission. Conversely, immorality is "anti-mission," a failure to give true testimony or witness. This, in essence, is the theme of this stimulating and challenging volume. The whole life of the people of God, not just verbal proclamation, testifies to the church's faith--or lack of faith--in her Lord.
The contributors explain that mission and ethics are intricately and necessarily interwoven, and explore why this is so by unpacking the biblical and theological roots of "missional ethics," probing its limits and exploring its possibilities through examination of some foundational themes and a selection of specific issues.
Intended primarily for pastors and church leaders, this volume encourages reflection and conversation that will feed the life of the body of Christ. "Missional ethics" concerns all the ways in which Christian ethical practice flows out of, supports, and advances the wider mission of the church to proclaim the gospel.
Endorsements & Reviews-
"The Western church needs to rediscover not only its missional identity in an increasingly post-Christian context, but also its missional theology. So it's a delight to welcome this look at ethics from a missional perspective. But the significance of Living Witness goes beyond the academy, for it offers a thought-provoking contribution to the discussion of how we can be missional in the context of ordinary life."--Tim Chester
"This stimulating and groundbreaking collection explores the connections between two disciplines that are often treated separately: ethics and mission. In doing so, it sets God's calling to ethical living in a missionary context, arguing that the whole of our lives, not just our words, are to be a living testimony to the reality of the gospel. It deserves a wide readership, and will doubtless inspire fresh biblical reflection, challenge complacency, and encourage Christians to live out the whole of life as a response to the gospel."--Paul Weston, Lecturer in Mission Studies, Ridley Hall, Cambridge
"Here, at last, is a genuine step forward for the 'missional' conversation. Exploring the integral link between morality and mission, this theologically informed set of essays provides a rich resource on the centrality of ethics as encompassing the whole life of the people of God--called to live in a distinctive way as witnesses to the redemptive activity of God in the world. Concerned for the transformation of existing thinking and practices, the authors issue a strong reminder that mission occurs wherever God is at work through his people--in families and friendships, in the challenges that come with handling money as well as migration, in politics as much as in preaching."- Antony Billington, Head of Theology, The London Institute for Contemporary Christianity
Contributors-
Andy Draycott Jonathan Rowe
Bio(s)-
Andy Draycott is Assistant Professor of Theology, Talbot School of Theology at Biola University.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Friday, March 17, 2017
IRL : Cathedral bells to ring out in solidarity with refugees
The bells of St. Macartin’s Cathedral, Enniskillen, Northern
Ireland, will be ringing on March 19 to signal solidarity with
immigrants.
Taking place at 11.05am as morning service begins, the peal of 10
bells will ring out following an invitation to the Dean and bellringers
of St. Macartin’s Cathedral from the Dean of Waterford, the Very Rev.
Maria Jansson, who is originally from Sweden.
In the summer of 2014, a fascist demonstration was organised in the
area surrounding Västerås Cathedral in Sweden. As the rally began, with
swastikas and hate filled speeches, the cathedral bells tolled loud and
clear over the city, drowning out the sounds of hate and racism.
A spokesperson for St. Macartin’s Cathedral stated: “It is time for
the Christian message of love to raise its voice in protest and make a
call to solidarity. At a time when there is worldwide fear and disquiet,
we will use this opportunity to peal a very different message on that
day, in protest and in hope.”
The spokesperson described the rising cacophony of racism and
xenophobia across the world as alarming and said sometimes symbolic
actions can say it all.
“Bells sound alarm but also a gathering of people for good.
They are part of many cultures and religions, ringing out the old and
bringing in the new.
“That the bells will ring on St. Patrick’s weekend is appropriate;
St. Patrick was the stranger brought to this island as slave but who
returned later in life to transform our history, bringing the Gospel of
Christ, the gospel of love. St. Patrick’s Day is known across the world
wherever the Irish have gone seeking sanctuary, opportunity and a new
life. Issues of being the stranger and welcoming the stranger have been
central to our cultural and often–troubled history.
“All bells ring throughout the country together, we hope to make a
different sound: ringing out misogyny, hate, xenophobia, exploitation
and fear: ringing in solidarity, truth and justice.”
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Five animal forms? Wait! I know there are at least thousands of
animals out there, why only five? Don't have time to learn anymore? Well, these animals are special.
VERY SPECIAL
Ok. First the rundown. Animal forms came to existence from China because
of a monk who observed a Praying Mantis while sitting on a park bench. Wait! You didn't say anything about
Insects! I know, I'm getting to that. While he was observing, he noticed that the Praying Mantis had no problems
taking his opponent down which happened to be a beetle that attacked it. BIG MISTAKE. The mantis
would evade the strike from the beetle and land a deadly strike. Well, the monk realized that man could mimic nature's natural
defense tactics and use them for defense. This is where the animal forms started.
I am about to take you through a brief description of each animal and what
their characteristics are that can be useful to us humans to mimic. I will not be making mention of Praying Mantis. Why? Because the Praying Mantis doesn't
have a personality. What I mean by that is, all of the animals (Crane, Snake, Tiger, Leopard and Dragon) have personalities.
Each one of us share a personality with at least 1 of the animals. You may even match a personality with all 5 of them. It's
very possible.
Crane - From Crane we learn patience, grace and balance. The Crane uses flowing, graceful
movements. He is a very watchful animal and pays attention to everything. If you possess these characteristics, you are a crane.
Snake - Teaches Rhythmic Endurance and Suppleness. Internal Strength.
Ready to strike even though he looks relaxed. People who tend to bargain with others, to outsmart, to talk people into 'whatever' are snakes
Tiger - Teaches Strength and Power. Strong Straightforward Movements. People who do not think, but react fast and hard
are tigers.
Leopard - Teaches Speed and Agility. Fast strikes and low movement. This animal has
a strategy laid out before attacking! If you are a planner or fast in thinking, you're a leopard.
Dragon - This animal is what we all strive to be. Very wise. Teaches us to ride the wind.
Uses circular movements to confuse opponent and not give hints of where the attack is coming from. Relaxed. Uses internal
energy. A combination of all of the animals combined!
We learn the characteristics of the animals and learn from the philosophies.
Check this lesson out:
'Do not move until the enemy moves. Once the enemy moves, move before him' - Crane
Yes, there's a lot to learn. Martial arts is not an overnight adventure though. It's a lifestyle.
There is a lot to do after you get the coveted Black Belt. A Black Belt is not something you wear,
it's something you live.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
HP LaserJet Enterprise M506X Printer
Finish tasks faster with a printer that starts right away and helps conserve energy. Multi-level device security helps protect from threats. Original HP Toner cartridges with JetIntelligence and this printer produce more high-quality pages.
Connectivity
HP ePrint capability
Yes
Mobile printing capability
HP ePrint Apple AirPrint™ Mopria™-certified NFC Touch-to-print Wireless Direct Printing 17 (Wireless operations are compatible with 2.4 GHz operations only. App or software and HP ePrint account registration may also be required. Some features require purchase of an optional accessory. Learn more at http://www.hp.com/go/mobileprinting. Mobile device needs to be connected directly to the Wi-Fi network of a wireless direct–capable MFP or printer prior to printing. Depending on mobile device, an app or driver may also be required. Learn more at http://www.hp.com/go/businessmobileprinting. Requires a compatible NFC-printing-enabled mobile device. For a list of compatible NFC-printing-enabled mobile devices, see http://www.hp.com/go/nfcprinting.)
All prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. Prices are inclusive of VAT, credit card surcharge and optional delivery charges.
All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Find an HIV Test Site
Awards
American Association of Webmasters Gold AwardOn March 11, 2008, AIDS.gov received the American Association of Webmasters Gold Award. This is a peer-reviewed, criteria-based award for achievement in web design in which rigorous standards of HTML code, web design, technical achievement, and overall content are evaluated.
Unless otherwise noted, material presented on the AIDS.gov Web site is considered Federal government information and is in the public domain. That means this information may be freely copied and distributed. We request that you use appropriate attribution to AIDS.gov.
Many checklists and other materials are available in PDF format for ease of duplication. Note that if material is adapted or modified, all AIDS.gov citations and logos must be removed. If copyrighted content, documents, images, or other materials appear on AIDS.gov, it will be noted, and the copyright holder must be consulted before that material may be reproduced.
Web site managers are encouraged to link to AIDS.gov. Please identify the site as providing one-stop access to U.S. Government HIV/AIDS information. The AIDS.gov logo may be used in conjunction with your link. The logo is comprised of the following file: AIDS_gov_thumbnail.gif (9.79 KB). For example, the following should be placed on a site to link to AIDS.gov:
HHS is responsible for coordinating HIV/AIDS related information across the Federal government. Content for this Web site is provided by:
The White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States Government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans. HHS is the managing sponsor of AIDS.gov.
|
Pile-CC
|
uncertain
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.