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Snow White, imprisoned daughter of the late king, escapes just as the Magic Mirror declares her the source of the Evil Queen's immortality. The Queen sends her men, led by a local huntsman, to bring her back. But upon her capture, the huntsman finds he's being played and turns against the Queen's men, saving Snow White in the process. Meanwhile, Snow's childhood friend, William, learns that she is alive and sets off to save her. Written by G.C. Bendixen

Ted Cruz's belittling of Donald Trump is reaching new levels. On Tuesday morning, the Texas senator unleashed a barrage of jabs at the Republican presidential frontrunner, perhaps the sharpest escalation of Cruz's rhetoric against Trump in months. In an interview with Dallas radio host Glenn Beck, a supporter, Cruz disparaged Trump as an incompetent manager and wannabe mobster. Asked about the potential for violence at the Republican National Convention — something Trump and his supporters have raised the possibility of — Cruz said Trump "now has a consistent pattern of inciting violence, of Donald and his henchmen pushing for violence." "Donald needs to understand he's not Michael Corleone," Cruz said, referring to the protagonist of the "Godfather" movies. "I understand Donald has had some very shady business deals with people that are currently in prison — mobsters — but the presidency should not be La Cosa Nostra." "Donald needs to stop threatening the voters," Cruz added. "He needs to stop threatening the delegates. He is not a mobster." In Tuesday's interview with Beck, Cruz also repeatedly targeted the Trump campaign's failure to do well in nominating contests that require a reliable level of organization. Cruz specifically cited a recent case in which the Trump team botched outreach to the Washington state GOP, mistakenly emailing supporters in Washington, D.C. — and two days after a critical deadline in Washington state. "Donald's whole pitch is he's a great businessman, and yet his campaign right now, it appears he can't run a lemonade stand," Cruz said, suggesting that Trump's campaign is so incompetent if he were a contestant on the reality TV show he once helmed, "The Apprentice," he would have to fire himself. Despite the Trump campaign's missteps, the billionaire maintains a wide lead over Cruz in the delegate race, an advantage he is expected to build on a week from now when his home state of New York awards 95 delegates. In recent days, Trump has taken to accusing Cruz of cheating him out of support in Colorado, whose 34 delegates Cruz finished sweeping Saturday. In the interview, Cruz continued to beat back on Trump's criticism of the process in Colorado, calling him a "sore loser" who's all too familiar with getting his way. Painting Trump as spoiled since birth, Cruz said the billionaire "has been surrounded by sycophants his entire business career," a trend now evident in his political foray. "Look at the humiliation he inflicts on people like Chris Christie," Cruz said, referring to the New Jersey governor who endorsed Trump and has appeared subservient to him on occasion. "Chris Christie right now is trapped in his own private hell." The radio interview came during the rare weekday in which Cruz does not have any public events planned. He is set to return to the campaign trail Wednesday with an afternoon rally in Pennsylvania.

After a week in which Donald Trump insulted babies and their mothers and war heroes and their families, and threw in fire marshals for good measure, the scariest thing to come out of his team of thugs and political mercenaries is this: the suggestion that civil unrest could follow if he’s denied the presidency. When the Supreme Court handed George W. Bush the White House in 2000 even though he lost the popular vote, Al Gore graciously conceded and faded away. When Mitt Romney lost to Barack Obama four years ago although his internal polls showed a Republican triumph, he congratulated the winner and went off to rediscover his many grandchildren. Despite party-machine manipulation and considerable voting of the dead, the American institution that produces a peaceful transfer of power has survived. But this year, facing a likely trouncing in November, Trump has signaled that he will try to bring down our democracy with him. His overlooked comment — “I’m afraid the election is going to be rigged” — is the opening move in a scheme to delegitimize the outcome.

Shinsei Bank Ltd. has been refusing international money transfer requests from customers if they find that the transactions are related to the buying and selling of bitcoin. "The decision, which has been effective since February, is based on our comprehensive judgment as a bank," a bank spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal. "We have not determined yet whether we will lift the ban in the future." She declined to specify why the bank made the decision. ...

Product Reviews Mystical bands of chatoyant light fill the blue tiger eye 10mm round beads from Dakota Stones. Available by the strand, these beads are spherical in shape and feature a dark blue coloring that is almost black. The beads feature bands of chatoyancy and some are even streaked with a hint of burnt red. Blue tiger eye is natural in color and is mined in Canada, India, South Africa and the USA. This stone is said to balance pessimistic behavior and to dissolve negative energy and the thought patterns associated with it. These bold beads are perfect for showcasing in necklace ideas.

I know this book has been out there for quite sometime, but with the movie coming out and all I thought I’d add my 2 cents. This book is stupid and it sucks. I don’t even know if I can name all the reasons why, but I’ll start with this obvious one: it makes it seem like its the women’s own shortcomings that are the problem. I feel like the overall theme of the book is “He doesn’t think you’re good enough, but some dude will eventually… go find that asshole!” Empowering, isn’t it! Why the hell are you telling women to sit around wondering “duh is he that into me?” like some poor dipshit when she really ought to be thinking “Am I getting what I want out of this relationship? Am I happy? Is he treating me how I want to be treated?” If you’re picking up this book, then chances are you aren’t getting what you want… and THAT is the important thing, ladies. There reasons men do the things they do are countless and varied. Some of them have absolutely nothing to do with the women they are dating. And some guys are just dicks. I have one more comment to add to this silly drivel that is marketed to women who have low self esteem: Do you even remember how that episode of Sex & the City ended? Miranda’s date says he wants to go home instead of get coffee with her after dinner, to which she replies “It’s ok, you can admit it! You’re just not that into me!” And then it turns out he just had really bad diarrhea from the Indian food they just ate. Anything that overgeneralizes is probably bullshit. Including “He’s just not that into you”.

Anzeige Der letzten Familie echter Menschen, deren verfilmte Geschichte es am Ende eines Kinojahres geschafft hatte, unter die weltweit erfolgreichsten zehn Filme zu kommen, ist es nicht gut ergangen. Die Ehe war ruiniert, dem Vater, der vorher noch munter aus dem Off erzählt hatte, wurde der Kopf weggepustet, und die moralische Verkommenheit jener amerikanischen Vorstadtgesellschaft, in der Sam Mendes’ „American Beauty“ spielt, war bis auf die entsetzlich klappernden Knochen bloßgestellt. 16 Jahre ist es jetzt her, dass die Familie Burnham im Angesicht von Millionen von Menschen auseinanderbrach und Kevin Spaceys Kopf von einer Kugel getroffen wurde. Und der einzige Trost für die Burnhams, der einem heute einfallen würde, ist vielleicht der, dass sie es mehr als anderthalb Jahrzehnte später auf gar keinen Fall wieder so weit bringen würden. Also in den Filmcharts. Echte Menschen, mit echten Gefühlen und echten Abstürzen: Kevin Spacey in „American Beauty“ Quelle: Getty Images Sie bringen nämlich nichts, aber auch gar nichts mit, diese Burnhams, das sie heute noch dazu prädestinieren würde. Man muss nicht besonders klug sein, um herauszufinden, was das sein könnte, was den Burnhams fehlt, und um sich einen Überblick zu verschaffen über das Ausmaß der Erzähl- und Geschichtenkrise, in die sich die großen Filmstudios in diesen mehr als anderthalb Jahrzehnten, seit „American Beauty“ mit immerhin fünf Oscars ausgezeichnet wurde, katapultiert haben. Anzeige Es geht schon damit los, dass es sich bei den Mitgliedern der Familie Burnham um wahre Menschen handelt. Wenn man sich nämlich vorstellt, welches Menschenbild Außerirdische, deren Existenz seit der Entdeckung von Kepler-452-b ja wieder ein bisschen wahrscheinlicher geworden ist, gewinnen würden, fiele ihnen in ein paar Jahrhunderten nichts an menschlichen Artefakten in die wie auch immer gearteten Hände als eine Box der erfolgreichsten Filme beispielsweise von 2012, wird einem ein bisschen schlecht. Wirklich Erwachsene sind längst nicht mehr die Zielgruppe Richtige Menschen ohne irgendwelche magischen Anlagen oder übermenschlichen Fähigkeiten stören bei der weltweiten Vermarktung von Filmen bloß. So sie jedenfalls aussehen wie die Leute, die Kinogänger potenziell am Ausgang ihres Vorgartens oder in der U-Bahn treffen, die Leben leben und Probleme haben, welche die Zuschauer sehr gut kennen aus Zusammenhängen, in denen sie selber leben oder denen sie gerade qua Studium entkommen sind. Die für den weltweiten Erfolg entscheidende Zielgruppe ist seit „American Beauty“ endgültig in der Alterspyramide nach unten gerutscht. Filme, die es – manchmal aufgrund minimaler Marketingpannen – nicht schaffen, in den sozialvernetzten Fokus der zahlungskräftigen, fantasyver- und vorgebildeten 14- bis 24-Jährigen zu kommen, haben gleich verloren. Kommt nicht vor in der Wirklichkeit, kommt öfter vor im Kino: Paul Rudd in „Ant-Man“. Er ist es wirklich Quelle: ddp images/Capital Pictures Anzeige Und diese Zielgruppenangehörigen wollen nicht sehen, was sie täglich im wirklichen Leben sehen, für die ist Kino nicht ein einfacher Ort, in dem es von komplexen Einzelerzählungen wimmelt, sondern ein komplexes Universum einfacher Geschichten, die im Idealfall untereinander dergestalt in Beziehung stehen, dass man nicht lange Expositionserklärungen braucht, um sich in sie einzufühlen. Ein Fantasialand ohne Wirklichkeitsschwerkraft oder Gegenwartsverankerung. Die Welt der Burnhams taugte nicht zum Fantasialand – es lässt sich übrigens auch in Sachen Merchandising nicht viel Funken aus dem Vorstadtgemetzel schlagen: Abgesehen von der Rosensorte, die „American Beauty“ seinen Namen gab, was sollte man denn verkaufen? Rasenmäher? Sie ist zu eng, diese Welt, die Haltung ihr gegenüber zu kritisch, das ganze Setting zu amerikanisch. Geschichten ohne Ort und außerhalb der Zeit Anzeige In den vergangenen Jahrzehnten – das jedenfalls ist einer der Schlüsse aus der Analyse von 20 Top-Ten-Jahreslisten (siehe Graphik am Textbeginn) – ist das Top-Chart-Kino unamerikanischer geworden, was man ja nicht unbedingt bedauern muss. Heimatloser allerdings ist es auch. Es hat sich, um von allen Märkten aus zugänglich zu sein, seine Orte außerhalb der Zeit selbst erfunden. Orte, die, wenn überhaupt, in der Regel nur durch sehr dünne Erzählfäden mit der Realität verbunden sind. Unverbesserliche, die von dem, was da auf die Leinwand geworfen wird, etwas lernen wollen von der Welt, können sich den Gang ins Bestseller-Kino sparen. Cineastischen Welt- und Gesellschaftsbezug gibt es da, wohin die gebrochenen Charaktere, die Anti-Helden, die Widerborste umgezogen sind, bei der ungezogenen, kleinen Schwester des Kinos, im Fernsehen Kassenschlager – um mal das Wort „Blockbuster“ zu vermeiden – taugen nämlich endgültig nicht mehr als moralische Anstalt. Cineastischen Welt- und Gesellschaftsbezug gibt es da, wohin auch die gebrochenen Charaktere, die Anti-Helden, die Widerborste umgezogen sind, bei der ungezogenen, schlanken, schicken kleinen Schwester des Kinos, im Fernsehen – beispielsweise in Form des US-Präsidenten Francis Underwood, den lustigerweise Kevin Spacey spielt. Dort gibt es noch Familienprobleme. Der einzige Mann mit geborstener Seele und ebensolchem Gesicht, der es auch in diesem Jahr wieder in die Jahresendcharts bringen wird, ist James Bond. Der darf das, den macht das interessant, der hat es in den fünfzig Jahren seiner Kino-Existenz zu einem echten All-Ager gebracht. Aber eigentlich auch erst richtig, seit Daniel Craig im Martini rührt – beziehungsweise Bier trinkt, weil das Product-Placement es von ihm verlangt. Weswegen es sich auch leicht erklärt, dass der letzte echte Mensch in den Jahresend-Top-Ten eben Bond war, vor drei Jahren war das. Offizieller Trailer zeigt neues Bond-Auto Sony Pictures hatte es bereits angekündigt - nun ist es endlich soweit: Der offizielle Trailer von „Spectre“ ist da. Neben viel Action gibt es neue Bilder von Bösewicht Christoph Waltz und Bonds neuem Wagen. Und Sam Mendes hatte „Skyfall“ in Szene gesetzt. Der ist auch für „Spectre“, Bonds 24. Fall, verantwortlich. Der Etat, der Mendes dafür zur Verfügung stand, übersteigt jenen von „American Beauty“ – lächerliche 15 Millionen Dollar waren es bei einem Einspielergebnis von 356 Millionen – übrigens um das Sechzehnfache. Und sollte „Spectre“, was nach einer Marketingaufbauphase von mehreren Jahren und nach drei Jahren Bond-Pause nicht zu erwarten ist, weniger als, sagen wir, das Dreifache seiner Produktionskosten, also konservativ geschätzt 240 Millionen, einspielen, gilt er als Totalflop. Bei weniger als dem Dreifachen müsste man sich beinahe Sorgen um das verantwortliche Studio machen. Anzeige Die Luft in der Blockbusterblase, die sich Hollywood in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten aufgepustet hat, ist ziemlich dünn geworden. Intellektuell und finanziell. Was einander bedingt. Die Produktion konzentriert sich auf immer weniger Filme, die immer mehr kosten und immer mehr einspielen müssen. Und weil ökonomisch dünne Luft keine der Risikobereitschaft sonderlich förderliche Atmosphäre ist, hält sich die erzählerische Innovationskraft der Filmstudios in engen Grenzen. Was Original ist, mag man nicht loben. Sonst wird’s Serie Es kommt nicht nur kaum mehr ein echter Mensch im Kino vor, es kommt überhaupt kaum eine Figur ins Kino, die sich ein echter Kinomensch an seinem Schreibtisch hat einfallen lassen. Das Kino ist Teil einer künstlerischen Verwertungskette und kettelt munter an ihr weiter. Kaum ein Unikat schafft es mehr unter die Jahres-Top-Ten, kaum etwas, dem nicht ein literarischer Welterfolg vorausging, kaum ein Film, der nicht aus dem Comic-Universum stammt und dieses Universum von Comic-Geschichten weiter mit Geschichten füllt, die wiederum aufeinander verweisen, voneinander abhängen, ihren wirtschaftlichen Erfolg gegenseitig absichern. Und das wenige, was original für einen Film erfunden wurde, mag man, weil man’s mochte, kaum loben, weil es – neben dem geradezu unfassbar hohen Werbeetat, der in dem Fall die Produktionskosten deutlich überstieg – sonst zusätzlich dazu beiträgt, dass daraus wieder eine jener Serien wird, die eine kreative Idee so lange neu aufgießt, bis das Ergebnis einem den cineastischen Magen verdirbt. Die Technik ist toll, die Farben sind bunt, die Geschichte ist doof: Jake (Sam Worthington) und Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) in „Avatar“. Der unvermeidliche zweite Teil Quelle: (c) RTL Vielleicht ist mit diesem Jahr, das nicht nur als das mit Abstand serien-, sequel- und prequelreichste in die Blockbustergeschichte einzugehen verspricht, sondern auch als eines der kommerziell erfolgreichsten, die intellektuelle Talsohle erreicht. Vielleicht regeneriert sich Hollywood mit den Talenten, die sich im Fernsehen ausprobiert haben. Lernt endlich die neue Technik, die neuen Dimensionen, die den Bildern zugewachsen sind, so zu nutzen, dass auch die Geschichten, die Figuren vielschichtiger werden. Verhindert, dass, wie es seit James Camerons 3-D-Pioniertat „Avatar“ am Ende technisch innovationsreicher Blockbuster inzwischen die Regel ist, die Augen des Kinokunden besoffen, das Herz aber erfroren und das Hirn tot ist. Man muss nicht jedem Deppen sofort alles erklären Vielleicht wird man sich unter den Produktionsverantwortlichen von der Zwangsvorstellung lösen, noch dem letzten jugendlichen Deppen – um einen Jonathan Nolan zu zitieren, dessen Drehbuch zu „Interstellar“ eines der wenigen wirklichen Originaldrehbücher war, die es in der jüngeren Vergangenheit in die Jahresendcharts brachte – in den ersten fünf Minuten erklären zu müssen, worum es geht. Da muss mehr gehen. Da ging mal mehr. Man will ja schließlich als Erwachsener nicht bis zum Rand der Frühberentung verdummt werden. Gegenwärtig nämlich sitzt man im großen Weltgebäude namens Kino und wünscht sich, dass auf einmal – wie in Peter Weirs „Truman Show“ (Platz zwölf 1998) – eine Treppe da wäre und an deren Ende eine Tür, durch die frische Luft hereinkommt und durch die man gehen kann in ein neues Abenteuerland des Kinos. Aber so etwas geht nur in unmöglichen Filmen. Unmöglich erfolgreichen Filmen.

viernes, 6 de diciembre de 2013 Bitly is Blocked in Venezuela and Why We Care If you have not heard, Venezuela is suffering from economic imbalances affecting its currency, the Bolivar. As a result, Venezuelans are searching for information about the value of their currency. Unfortunately, the government has been taking action to restrict access to the free flow of this information. For more details on what is happening there, read here. Starting on November 18 and consistently since then, we noticed a change in the traffic we see from Venezuela: We believe this change in traffic is related to the government-owned ISP CANTV, which controls most of the Venezuela’s internet traffic. It appears CANTV is actively blocking hundreds of sites that publish information about Venezuela’s currency situation. Further, they appear to be intermittently blocking Bitly because our service makes it easier for people to share content. We’ve been hearing from users in Venezuela too: Bitly started as a link shortener to help people share links and understand what happens to those links. Since then, we’ve grown in many ways. We’ve gotten really, really big. We’re shortening more than two billion links that are generating more than seven billion clicks each month. We see clicks from almost every website in every country in the world. We’ve become more focused on giving individuals and companies insight into their place in the connected world, including a deeper understanding of what happens after they shorten a link. We track 4.8 billion data points each day and apply insight to that data. What’s going on in Venezuela is important. It’s important to the citizens of Venezuela who want to understand the health of their country. It’s important for the rest of us, who might take our access to information for granted. Our mission at Bitly is to empower people to better understand the world around them. We hope that the economic strain in Venezuela will be resolved - and sooner rather than later. In the meantime, we will work to find ways to support our users and their access to the free flow of information.

Q: Push Array no me funciona al hacer una llamada con axios Tengo el siguiente código JS, para llenar un array <script> export default { data() { return{ varIngreso:null, charIngreso:null, ingresos:[], varTotalIngreso:[], varMesIngreso:[] } }, methods:{ getIngreso(){ axios.get("api/escritorio").then(({ data })=>(this.ingresos = data)); this.ingresos.map(function(x){ this.varTotalIngreso.push(x.total); this.varMesIngreso.push(x.mes); }); El problema es que el array ingresos si me lo llena de datos, pero al momento de hacer el push a las otras 2 variables array con la función map() simplemente me los deja vacíos , ¿Algún consejo? A: Hay dos errores comunes aquí. La llamada axios es asíncrono, por lo tanto el map de su variable ingresos podría ejecutarse antes o después de que la llamada tenga éxito, esto es impredecible, la solución más próxima es añadir este método en el then El contexto de this no es el correcto si quiere hacer referencia al componente dentro de una función anónima, podría tener dos soluciones, crear una variable temporal let vm = this antes del map, o seguir utilizando las arrow functions. Solución 1 axios.get("api/escritorio").then((data)=>{ this.ingresos = data; let vm = this; this.ingresos.map(function(x){ vm.varTotalIngreso.push(x.total); vm.varMesIngreso.push(x.mes); }); }); Solución 2 axios.get("api/escritorio").then((data)=>{ this.ingresos = data; this.ingresos.map((x)=>{ this.varTotalIngreso.push(x.total); this.varMesIngreso.push(x.mes); }); });

Recurrent partial priapism. Exploration of an unusual case of a painful, recurrent, perineal mass revealed partial priapism of the right corpora cavernosa. Etiology is speculative and no definitive therapy is offered.

You must be a Member to view code 00:00 If we wanted to match a pattern that's followed by another pattern but we don't want to include that second pattern in our match, we can use something called a lookahead. I'm going to have just our standard foo, foobar, foobas, and fooboo. Then, in our regx, we are going to set up... 00:25 Let's go ahead and first capture foo. We know how to do that. We've captured all the foos. We also know that we can use a capturing group to capture foobar or fooboo. Now, we're capturing both foobar and fooboo. 00:39 Let's say that we want that result, but we only want to capture foo where it's followed by bar or boo. What we can do is use a lookahead. Right here in our capture group, we do ?=. Save that. You can see that we've actually captured foo where it was followed by bar, and we've captured foo where it was followed by boo. 01:00 We can also do a negative lookahead. Where this is a positive lookahead, meaning we are expecting it to follow the preceding pattern, we can do a negative lookahead, with a ? and !, which means we want to capture foo where it's not followed by bar or boo. 01:18 Save that, and we can see we've captured foo here, where it's not followed by bar or boo, and foo here, where it's followed by bas, which clearly is not bar or boo.

Genetic variation during persistent reovirus infection: isolation of cold-sensitive and temperature-sensitive mutants from persistently infected L cells. We have examined the evolution of reovirus in two independently established persistently infected (p.i.) cell lines. We found that reovirus undergoes extensive mutation during persistent infection in L cells. However, there was no consistent pattern of virus evolution; in one p.i. cell line temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants were selected, whereas cold-sensitive (cs) mutants were isolated from the second p.i. culture. Neither the cs nor the ts mutants isolated from the carrier cultures expressed their defect at 37 degrees, the temperature at which the p.i. cells were maintained, indicating that the cs and ts phenotypes were nonselected markers. These results emphasize the point that emergence of the ts or cs mutants during persistent infection only signifies that the virus has changed; it does not necessarily imply that the particular mutant is essential for the maintenance of the persistent infection. Given the high mutation rate of viruses, and the wide spectrum of viral mutants present in carrier cultures, it is essential to distinguish the relevant changes from those which may simply represent an epiphenomenon. In the accompanying paper (R. S. Kauffman, R. Ahmed, and B. N. Fields Virology, 130, 79-87, 1983), we show that by using a genetic approach, it is possible to identify the viral gene(s) which are critical for the maintenance of persistent reovirus infection.

Here’s why she’s wrong. The ever-controversial Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) recently claimed that “our country [in this case she meant the United States, not Somalia] should be more fearful of white men across our country because they are actually causing most of the deaths within this country.” She called for “profiling, monitoring, and creating policies to fight the radicalization of white men.” As crazy as this sounds, it is a commonplace claim on the Left these days. But that doesn’t make it even remotely true. No, they don’t. It is a false claim that “white men” or “right-wing extremists” are a bigger threat to Americans than Islamic jihad terrorists. As I noted in November 2018 when CNN’s Don Lemon made the same claim, this claim originated with an April 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that counted 106 people killed in 62 attacks by “far-right violent extremists,” as compared to 119 people killed in 23 attacks by “radical Islamist violent extremists.” That’s it then, right? 39 more attacks by “far-right violent extremists” than by “radical Islamist violent extremists.” Although 13 more people were killed in the jihad attacks, this establishes definitively that America has a much bigger problem with the “far-right” than with jihadis, right? No. One major problem with the Government Accountability Office study is clear on page 6 of its report, where you will see that the count of fatalities committed by “far right wing extremists” and “radical Islamist extremists” begins on September 12, 2001. Why was that day chosen for the beginning of the study? If the GAO had gone back one more day, the number of Americans killed by Islamic jihadists would have been several thousand more than those killed by “far-right violent extremists.” Did the GAO start on September 12, 2001 in order to manipulate the results so as to exaggerate the terror threat from the “far-right” and minimize it from Islamic jihadis? Could there be any other possible explanation? Another major issue: The study doesn’t take failed plots into account. At my site Jihad Watch, I’ve tracked jihad activity in the United States and around the world every day since October 2003. In the course of that nearly sixteen-year span, I’ve posted hundreds of reports on failed jihad plots inside this country. No one was killed or injured in those, and for that we can all be grateful. But if those plots had succeeded, there would have been hundreds and possibly thousands more fatalities of Islamic jihad activity. Failed plots are quickly forgotten. They shouldn’t be. And it should be noted that there is nowhere near an equivalent number of foiled plots by “far-right violent extremists.” Most Americans have no idea how indefatigably jihadis are continuing to attempt mass murder inside the United States. Just last Monday, a Muslim in New York City shoved a commuter onto the subway tracks and screamed “Allahu akbar” when he was arrested. On July 8, a Muslim in Florida tried to stab a man with scissors at a Walmart and screamed while he was being arrested: “We are coming for you Trump. We are coming for you with knives. God will send angels to destroy you. I need Trump cut. I want to cut, two portions.” On Facebook, he had written: “Whoever knows why I came to America wait for the urgent news on television screens and victory is from Allah.” And several weeks ago, two Somali Muslim “refugees” were arrested in Tucson, Arizona for plotting either to join the Islamic State (ISIS) overseas or carry out a jihad massacre in the United States. One of them declared: “I love jihad so much. If I go to Syria I want to be the beheading person, … I want to kill them so many I am thirsty their blood.” Further, the GAO study doesn’t take into account the fact that there is a global network of Islamic jihadis. They are found on every inhabited continent. Major jihad organizations such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have repeatedly called upon Muslims to murder Americans. By contrast, there is no global network of “right-wing extremists,” and they have not called for the indiscriminate murder of American civilians. This propaganda is everywhere, but all the repetition of these lies doesn’t make them true, even when Ilhan Omar is repeating them to the ecstatic ululations of an adoring media.

Republican Utah Rep. Mia Love slammed President Trump during her concession speech Monday, saying he has “no real relationships, just convenient transactions.” Love narrowly lost her re-election bid to Democrat Ben McAdams earlier this month – and Trump was quick to call her out for not embracing him more on the campaign trail. As she conceded, Love said she was initially surprised Trump “took a jab at me,” but she later wondered “what did he have to gain by saying such a thing about a fellow Republican?” “This gave me a clear vision of his world as it is: no real relationships, just convenient transactions,” Love said. “That is an insufficient way to implement sincere service and policy.” When it became apparent Love, 42, would not win re-election, Trump derided the Republican congresswoman for asking him for help earlier this year freeing Utah-native Joshua Holt, who was jailed in Venezuela, but in return “gave me no love.” “Too bad, sorry about that, Mia,” Trump said of her loss. MIA LOVE LOSES IN UTAH AFTER TRUMP MOCKED GOP REP FOR SHUNNING HIM Love said Monday she was “proud” she “nagged the president every day” to secure the release of Holt. She also chastised Washington lawmakers – especially Republicans – for not taking minorities into their “homes and hearts.” “I’ve seen the cost to conservatives for not truly taking people into their hearts. Democrats saw newly elected black members and women to Congress in this election. This is a matter of fact that Republicans lost in this regard,” Love said. A record number of women were elected to the House in this year's midterm elections, the majority Democrats. Love also attacked the media and McAdams in her speech, calling the Democrat “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” When asked if she would consider running again in 2020, Love said she wasn’t sure. “I’m not going away, but now I am unleashed, I am untethered and I am unshackled, and I can say exactly what’s on my mind,” Love said. Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report.

TV Weight Loss Club Offers Balanced Diet And Fitness Approach It used to be that being called a loser was derogatory and hurtful. NBC has changed that, making it almost a badge of honor to be called a loser. And the Biggest Loser, that's the ticket. NBC's weight loss challenge show, The Biggest Loser, has turned Tuesday nights into must-see TV. Having just completed its fourth season, and the launch of the Biggest Loser Club, everyone wants in on the weight loss action. Each week, more than 15 million viewers tune to NBC to watch the three Biggest Loser teams battle it out on the scale. Each team is lead by a coach who teaches them about fitness, nutrition and diet helping them shed unbelievable amounts of weight. While they each walk away with the prize of thinner, healthy bodies and new lifestyle, the one crowned Biggest Loser wins a quarter-million dollar prize. The Biggest Loser is the one who loses the greatest percentage of body fat. Like many great TV programs, this one had a spin off. The Biggest Loser Club was NBC's answer to the overwhelming demand for participation on the show and access to the coaches' expertise. For just $ 20 / month, far more affordable than a trainer or gym membership, you can get your pass to the Club. Your access to this fitness program will give you: – Opportunity to talk with the show's nutrition gurus and contestants – Talk to other "losers" on the message and discussion boards – Receive personalized fitness instruction, which will allow you to exercise at home – Track progress with a personal online journal – Have meal plans created just for you, with accompanying shopping lists and recipes Thousands of pounds have been lost by the Biggest Loser contestants, and now its your turn to step up and make that change for the better. New Years is just around the corner, and there's never a better time to wipe the slate clean and decide that this is the year for serious changes. While this season just finished and it will be a few months before the next installation starts again, you can start being a loser today. Signing up is simple, and if you still have reservation, get the free diet profile. This will help you identify what the Biggest Loser Club is going to do for you. Biggest Loser is a low-fat and low-carb diet, but do not think you're going to starve off all that weight. You'll learn how to strike a balance with portion control, three meals a day, some light healthy snacking and exercise. You'll enjoy plenty of delicious meals like blueberry pancakes, New Orleans chicken and stuffed mushrooms. So what's holding you back? Decide today that you want to be a loser and join the club that sees being a loser as the first step to a healthier life.

Patriarch Of Jerusalem Proposes “Purification” To Israelis And Palestinians Patriarch Of Jerusalem Proposes “Purification” To Israelis And Palestinians Feast of Pentecost JERUSALEM, MAY 20, 2002 (Zenit.org).-The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem called on Israelis and Palestinians on Pentecost Sunday to undergo a radical purification. Patriarch Michel Sabbah, a Palestinian native, said during Sunday’s solemn Mass: “Let us purify ourselves and place ourselves on the side of the human person and the mystery of God revealed on this earth.” “To Palestinians and Israelis we say: you bear the image of God, every person is the sanctuary of God, the holy place par excellence,” the Patriarch continued. “We want justice and peace, and it must be sought with God. Palestinians and Israelis must be conscious of this. Leaders are responsible for the violations of the human person, which continue in this land,” the Patriarch said, during his homily in the Church of the Dormition of St. Mary, Jerusalem. “For political pretexts, they do nothing other than increase fear and vengeance. Let us put conflict aside and purify ourselves,” the Patriarch continued. “A new reality must be born, and the Spirit of God must be welcomed so that it will guide those who are responsible for the creation of a new earth and a new man. This land of God deserves better treatment from the men who govern it.” During the same ceremony, Monsignor Nelson Viola, ecclesiastical adviser of Caritas International, made a similar appeal: “peace is always and everywhere possible, if we are disposed to acknowledge a brother and a sister in every human being.” “We declare that all of us can contribute in bringing about peace if, within the limits of our responsibilities, we are to create communities based on justice and solidarity, because we are fully convinced that there is no peace without justice, just as there is no justice without love and forgiveness. The pillars of true peace are justice and that form of love which is forgiveness,” Monsignor Viola concluded. ZE02052003

Please read here on how to use images on RoyalDish. - Please read the RoyalDish message on board purpose and rules.Images containing full nudity or sexual activities are strongly forbidden on RoyalDish. I think she was stunningly beautiful on her wedding day except that she didn't seem able to move her face much. I don't mind her shorter hairdos they seem more "her". But she seems determined to keep messing around with her face and maybe that is why she doesn't seem like a joyous person because she just can't move much. Because in every other way her life seems very contented. She is a good and attentive mother and doesn't have to worry about money or chores. She has a supportive spouse and can work as she wants on her swimming and water safety charities.

The Jim Jefferies Show starring Jim Jefferies on Comedy Central, decided to hop into the #ComicsGate debate by doing a seven minute hit-piece on Richard C. Meyer from Diversity & Comics. Jim took snippets from an interview he had with Meyer who recently attended the San Diego Comic-Con, and attempted to portray Meyer as a racist bigot. The seven minute clip was uploaded via a tweet by Jim on his Twitter account. You can view it below. A good portion of the Youtube audience was not amused. And a few hours later a majority of them were certainly not amused… The faux comedian, looking disheveled and coming across on the subject matter with nothing short of an aloof perspective, hammered Meyer with questions about his opinion on the current state of comic books. Jim juxtaposed his questions to Meyer with questions to a “diverse” group of Comic-Con attendees who were basically used as tokens for the Social Justice Warrior argument that the Leftist’s depiction of diversity in comics is good. While the cut-together segment attempted to portray Meyer as racist and out of touch with the current comic book climate, Jim’s own agenda-driven slice of the comic book industry was belied by the facts themselves. In fact, Jim avoided the facts altogether. He didn’t bring up the fact that Marvel had to cancel some of its SJW-themed comic books in early 2018. He failed to mention that some of the comics themed around sociopolitical agenda-pushing saw an 81% year-over-year drop in sales. A few of the comics were cancelled after only two issues. He also failed to mention that retailers noted that the SJW-themed comic books aren’t selling and in turn have been hurting the brick and mortar business since comic books fans are no longer buying comic books. Some of the more unhinged members of the SJW community have even gone on record in public tirades, blaming white comic book fans for not supporting the “diverse” comic books. Unlike Jim Jefferies, the sales numbers don’t lie. Comic books like Ms Marvel and Captain Marvel are never near the top. In fact, Carol Danvers’ comic continues to set in its current steady place of 29,000 units being shipped, as of May, 2018 according to ComicChron. That puts Captain Marvel’s flagship comic in 66th place. Just for reference, the top-selling comic book of May was Amazing Spider-Man at 411,000 units, followed by Venom at 225,000 units. The diversity comics barely make up a fraction of the sales of the big movers and shakers each month. It’s no surprise given that the current trend in SJW media is to make female characters ugly so that they’re unappealing to straight males (as evident with Carol Danvers looking like a man cosplaying as Captain Marvel), and to hamfist sociopolitical topics into each issue with reckless abandon. Meyer wasn’t wrong when he said that they literally made Carol look like him. What’s more is that Jim Jefferies completely sidesteps the arguments that many #ComicsGate participants have made with the current landscape of comic books: SJW writers and artists are upending fan-favorites with diversity replacements. The replacements aren’t even good replacements, as evident with the fact that sales are in the toilet and Marvel has had to cancel some of its leading diversity-driven comic books. Most of the SJW comic books are little more than propaganda and self-inserts for creators. Instead of addressing these points, Jefferies tries to turn the issue into a binary one, about whether or not Meyer and his ilk are racist bigots. He doesn’t come out and say it directly, but the entire segment is framed in that manner. He also ignores the fact that Meyer had his own comic book crowdfunded via IndieGoGo to tune of $366,737, and – surprise, surprise! – it features diversity… …and hot chicks.

If your Debit or ATM card is lost or stolen, please contact 800-472-3272. Safe Banking Tips Never give out the following information in an email: First name, last name, business name Email and password combination Credit card, bank account, and PIN Social security and driver's license number Do not download attachments, software updates, or any application to your computer via a link you received in an email. The State Bank Group will not ask you to download anything for your account to work.

Page 15: Page 18: Page 20: Page 25: Page 27: What? a changeling doing an honest to Celestia work? meet "Berzie & Co." ( as in, his brothers and cooworkers Merze, Terzie, Herzie and Fred ) - the overlooked heroes that do their best to keep every building, pavement and monument across Equestria in check - as you can see, not an easy work when pony gods and giant monsters fight all aroundYo I hope you don't mind this little silly backstorystory idea: script: dialogue supervision: art: Cover: fav.me/da5sg2u Introduction: fav.me/da5sg4t Page 00: fav.me/da5sgb2 Page 01: fav.me/da66zhi Page 02: fav.me/da6gt5p Page 03: fav.me/da6xya6 Page 04: fav.me/da75so6 Page 05: fav.me/da7f1d7 Page 06: fav.me/da7tn2z Page 07: fav.me/da832q5 Page 08: fav.me/da8d3p6 Page 09: fav.me/da8ttcy Page 10: fav.me/da939ne Page 11: fav.me/da9d5g6 Page 12: fav.me/da9pvqe Page 13: fav.me/da9yr4h Page 14: fav.me/daa7hyz Page 16: fav.me/dajgjx3 Page 17: fav.me/dajv9qy Page 19: fav.me/dakamvd Page 21: fav.me/daku4ia Page 22: fav.me/dal1gt0 Page 23: fav.me/daf4dj4 Page 24: fav.me/dah1c4p Page 26: fav.me/dam6md7

Mount Casius Mount Casius or Mount Kasios or Mount Kasion may refer to: Jebel Aqra, a mountain near the mouth of the Orontes River on the Syrian–Turkish border Ras Kouroun, a small mountain near Lake Bardawil in Egypt

Battlezone Description Battlezone was produced by Atari in 1980. Atari released 139 different machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1972. Other machines made by Atari during the time period Battlezone was produced include Monte Carlo, Red Baron, Alien Space, Centipede, Warlords, Atari Basketball, Asteroids, Atari Football, Atari Baseball, and Hercules. Using wire models on a vector display with a green and red overlay, a battle with opposing tanks, missiles and the occasional saucer is simulated among pyramids and cubes. The 1812 overture plays during high score. Battlezone - KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 4.00 (19 votes) Personal Impressions Score: 3.84 Overall 'Like': 3.95 Fun (Social): 2.79 Fun (Solo): 3.79 Collector Desire: 4.32 Technical Impressions Score: 4.18 Gameplay: 4.21 Graphics: 4.21 Originality: 4.58 Sound/Music: 3.44 Cabinet Style Weights and Measures Type Upright/Standard (With Shroud) Upright/Standard (Open Face) Cabaret/Mini Cocktail Miscellaneous Battlezone is available on the iPad and iPhone via Atari's Greatest Hits application. VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Battlezone Census Very Common - There are 558 known instances of this machine owned by Battlezone collectors who are active members. Of these, 536 of them are original dedicated machines, and 21 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired. For Sale - There are 25 active VAPS members with Battlezone machines for sale. There are 2 active VAPS members with extra Battlezone circuit boards for sale. Wanted - Very Popular - There are 37 active VAPS members currently looking for Battlezone. This game ranks a 91 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records. This game ranks a 60 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often wanted, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records. Rarity and Popularity independently are NOT necessarily indications of value. [More Information] Technical Trivia The Battlezone legend says that a military version of the game existed as a training simulator for the Bradley fighting vehicle. The designer, Ed Rotberg did post to RGVA before it became RGVAC that only two cabinets were made. The controller was similar to a Star Wars yoke. The simulator has an option for a TOW Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided missile. This was in keeping with the real Bradley's capabilities. As long as you kept the enemy tank in the cross-hairs of the TOW sight, you could not miss. Also a prototype of a cocktail version was developed, including full glasstop artwork and control panel. Only one is known to exist as it was not released for production. There is no color overlay for the cocktail version since the images needs to flip for the second player. The imagery from the arcade game was used in the intro scene for the PC game version update of the game. The image opens where you see the original graphics on the screen. The image zooms out and you see it is the radar screen on the tank from the PC version of the game. Fixes http://www.wizzesworkshop.com/cart/product.asp?intProdID19 Manuals Foto-Finder® (books) Video Clips Battlezone Battlezone shortplay by Ivan Paduano (Arcade) Battlezone Atari Battlezone Arcade Version 1980 See Recent Video Links Added to Other Records Additional References (logged in members often see more) The Arcade Flyer Archive (TAFA): Battlezone Flyer #116 The Arcade Flyer Archive (TAFA): Battlezone Flyer #3027 The Arcade Flyer Archive (TAFA): Battlezone Flyer #3846 Contribute Contribute an image to this machine record. Log in to add YouTube or Google 3D SketchUp links Please consider donating to the International Arcade Museum Library eBay Listings Click to search eBay for machines and parts made by Atari. Check out the IAM/KLOV report of the hottest coin-op machine auctions, powered by Ace.com.

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top Thursday, January 2, 2014 I'm the starting the first shoe pick of the week of 2014 with this bad ass beef roll penny loafer by Eastland. I'm a huge fan of penny loafers, especially if the loafer has a beef roll. I already mentioned before that the beef roll balances the front part of a penny loafer by giving the illusion of a wider stance. Penny loafers tend to look narrow without a beef roll. Eastland gave a timeless design little bit of youth with a dab of Realtree® camo.Camo continues to be a popular pattern no longer only used on clothing but being incorporated on footwear also. The loafer is part of Eastland Made in Maine U.S. A collection. As usual Eastland uses the finest materials like Horween leather with hand rubbed finishes. Handsewn by skilled Maine shoemakers using a traditional true moccasin construction with genuine leather welt and double leather sole. Get on your preppy menswear tip by heading to Eastland website and buying a pair.They cost $400 dollars buts its's totally worth it has everything you want Horween leather, Made in U.S.A, Beef roll design and did I mention Camo! Email me Follow this blog with bloglovin Follow Me!!! Follow by Email About Me NYC Based Realtor that likes writing about #preppy clothing for Men and Women. I appreciate classic brands that have stayed true to themselves. I do accept new brands that believe in the same fundamentals of good quality, and being themselves. My preferred type of clothing is not trendy but clothing that can be worn now and the incoming years. I also like writing about Cycling, Art and NYC Rental Apartments Market! Lover of L.L.Bean, Brooks Brothers, Barbour, Boat-shoes, Penny Loafers, Wax cotton, Velvet Slippers, Needlepoint and Vintage Watches. Prewar Apartments on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side are my Weakness! #NYCRealestate

One of seven prison guards charged with sexually abusing female inmates at a jail in Scranton has pleaded no contest to a count of official oppression. George Efthimiou, 51, was charged for having sex on multiple occasions with a Lackawanna County Prison inmate while she was on house arrest. When the woman told Efthimiou she wanted to stop having sex with him, he threatened to have her house arrest revoked but never carried out his threat, prosecutors said. Efthimiou is awaiting sentencing. He is the second former Lackawanna County Prison guard to enter a plea in what Attorney General Josh Shapiro said was a pervasive culture of institutional abuse over many years. Jeffrey Staff pleaded no contest to a count of official oppression last month and was sentenced to nine months of probation. Staff additionally is barred from ever seeking employment in a correctional facility or in law enforcement.

my life start to become boring i need a change sometimes i think about suicide thinking about the best way or easier one less pain quick i need a change , big one but i dont know how help me out somethig more exciting than games.

take your natural-born leader well you might be surprised your brain is hardwired to follow the pack you want to see what I mean check this out [Music] let’s go underneath just go under guys…Continue Reading

Collateral Could it only have been two hours since Devon last pushed open the glass door? That was a lifetime ago. That was when Devon dreamed a dream. When he didn’t hate banks and bankers and the soul-crushing thing called collateral. The loan officer chanted the word as if it were a talisman. With a savage fist, Devon mopped the tears that threatened his concentration. The black bowls housing security cameras would record Devon. He looked up and gave a toothy smile for the news tonight. The loan officer had taken Devon for a fool, took his application fee, and took his dream. Collateral…what a crock. Devon’s warehouse would be sold to some guy with collateral. Devon’s idea would die with him. But so would the old lady hunkered over a clutch purse. So would the beautiful teller with thick, painted-on eyebrows and lush lips. So would the whale-like teller with bitty glasses with thick, thick lenses. She was the one to notice. Those magnified eyes didn’t miss the sweat sheen on Devon’s skin, didn’t miss the angular bulk under his parka. Whale-teller’s eyes opened wide with terrible understanding. Her hand scrambled to the under-desk button and got to the counter lip when Devon sprayed her with 223 Remington Hollow Points. They chewed through her, yanked her about, and in a red confetti dropped her bulk beneath the counter. Then the screams. Devon expected them, but still. Concentration was difficult. Teller fingers frantically pushed panic buttons. The safe door was swinging closed. Devon didn’t care. That wasn’t his transaction. The banker with no brains just the word “collateral” had his hands up in the stance of desperation, head wagging, denying what his eyes told him: that Devon was about to make a grisly withdraw. Life was about to go into the red. This was originally written for Microcosms, but it fits with my 5000 Words focus for this week, which is SHOW, DON’T TELL. My noun would be entrepreneur and my adjective would be angry. My students will get a noun and an adjective. They’ll amaze me with their showing prowess, I’ve no doubt.

Over the bye week I spent some time looking back at the last few Broncos games. Initially, I set out to see how Andy Janovich was used as it was brought to my attention that the team’s rushing average improves when he isn’t on the field. It made sense to me, but hardly diminished his value. Oftentimes a team will utilize 21 personnel in short yardage or “must-run” situations. Defenses obviously see it coming and therefore a team won’t necessarily average a ton of yards, but still convert. I saw a lot of that, but 4 games does not a season make, and because of exams and two different term papers hanging over my head time became a bit of an issue. I did see enough to say that Janovich is a contributor to the Broncos 79% Power Success. While watching every Broncos run game from the last few games, I definitely noticed other fun tidbits and wanted to share them here. I mentioned in Horse Tracks yesterday that Musgrave has some fun concepts that he has used with the Broncos this season. One such case is how he utilized both a perimeter receiver and a pulling guard as lead blockers against the Chiefs. When Demaryius Thomas motions closer to the line of scrimmage the safety comes into the box, but D.T. does enough to keep him out of the play. At the point of attack the right tackle (Billy Turner) and guard (Connor McGovern) step forward to get vertical push on Allen Bailey (97 above). Devontae Booker presses the natural bubble the design creates, but sees Anthony Hitchens (53) working his way to the ball and essentially blocking himself. All it takes is a spin by Booker and he’s off to daylight. It’s a perfect illustration of how the scheme and talent of the players fit glove in hand. In fact the design worked so well Musgrave called it again in the second half for Philip Lindsay. While it was effective, there was no gap to spin to. Instead the rookie takes what the design provides and makes the most of it. Yesterday a reader asked how Lindsay would look playing a Christian McCaffrey type of role. It’s hard to say, really. Case Keenum isn’t Cam Newton and without that type of fulcrum there’s no way to successfully create a system like the Panthers utilize. One thing is certain though, the Musgrave offense fits Lindsay’s talents beautifully. By DVOA he’s second to only Todd Gurley so far this season. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t improve, of course. At times he looks ready to cut towards space when the best possible outcome is to take what’s there. Lindsay looks to get out toward the boundary where he has more room to operate. He’s slowed a bit when Jano is stonewalled in the wall but by cutting outside he gains very little. Musgrave dials up a similar play later, with similar results but for the fact Lindsay takes what’s in front of him. One thing I’m hoping to get back to after the season is how the rookie backs performed at each concept. It’s a bit of an undertaking, but one I’d enjoy studying more with more time. As for this week, the more pressing matter is that L.A. just lost Denzel Perryman, who has been an unsung glue guy to their run defense. His absence means outside backer Jatavis Brown will likely shift inside full time, essentially weakening two positions. That could be crucial for Royce Freeman, Booker and Lindsay as they confront a Chargers defense that was already soft in power situations and at the 2nd level. Look for more designs like the Jet Sweep Fake Toss below in order to get the backs into space. Perhaps it’s just me, but it seems like it’s been remarkably easy to forget the Los Angeles Chargers this season. Has there been a more unsung Super Bowl contender in recent memory? Partly this is their own making, of course. Dean Spanos moved his club to a city where his team plays second fiddle for the hearts of Rams fans and their stadium is essentially a 9th home game for every opponent. The other reason? Little about the Chargers roster seems different than a year ago. Philip Rivers is still arguably the best quarterback to never win a Superbowl, Melvin Gordon is still really good. Antonio Gates is even around, trading his AARP membership for a powder blue when Hunter Henry’s injury left LA perilously thin at the position. The results speak for themselves. Los Angeles has the 3rd best offense in the league by Football Outsiders’ efficiency stats, behind Kansas City and their landlord Rams. Even more telling, the Chargers have a very low variance. If you haven’t checked them out, Mike and Tyrell Williams are both ridiculous vertical threats while Keenan Allen eats up the empty space underneath. They’ve consistently excellent on offense so far and (stop me if you’ve read this before) will pose a serious test to Joseph and Woods’ defense. While forcing Rivers into mistakes is obviously the key to winning in L.A. this week, it made more sense to dig into what periphery keys to the outcome. Manage all 3 and there’s a puncher’s chance Denver survives a aerial bombing from Rivers. Key #1: The Next Best James in L.A. Derwin James = heat sinking off the edge: pic.twitter.com/DcRyUyUzkA — Brandon Thorn (@VeteranScout) November 13, 2018 The biggest addition to this year’s Charger squad has easily been their rookie 1st rounder, Derwin James. His statline doesn’t do justice to the impact he’s had on the LA defense this year. He has just one interception, but has played a pivotal role in the improved coverage against tight ends (LA went from 18th in 2017 to 1st this year by DVOA). He has 3.5 sacks, but gets pressures at a ridiculous rate. He has 64 total tackles, and... Actually, that one does a good job illustrating how active he really is. James leads the team in both solo and total tackles. He’s a centerpiece to their defense as a new age Troy Polamalu, a Swiss Army knife that needs to be accounted for on every single play. Usually he plays in the box near the line of scrimmage when the scheme calls for single high coverage, but he’s just as adept at moving to cover the slot or falling back into 2 Deep Shell. Keenum needs to play keep away from James as he has the potential to pop off Sunday. Key #2 Gordon and the Improved Ground Game There is little doubt that one huge area of improvement from last year’s Chargers to this one is the rushing attack, where L.A. improved from 26th in the league last year to 7th (through week 10) by adjusted line yards. On it’s head, it’s a bit tricky to discern why: this year’s team has actually gotten worse in power situations and still allows far too many stuffs, but where the 2017 Chargers were an above average team past the initial line of defense, the 2018 version is among the best in the league. One big reason why? More Austin Ekeler. So far through 9 games ekeler has 79 total touches on the year, or five more than he had in 16 games a year ago. Even after accounting for Ekeler’s increased workload in London when Melvin Gordon was inactive, that’s remarkable. The second big reason for the improved production by Gordon himself? A huge uptick in Jet Motion concepts. Ken Whisenhunt has done a superb job making the most of the stress the sweep actions cause defenses, utilizing them to help Gordon get free into space more often. It also doesn’t hurt that Keenan Allen’s return to health gives Ken Whisenhunt another reliable threat on the gives, either. The team has also done more to aim for the edges when rushing the ball, instead of simply ramming Gordon between the tackles. So far, it’s worked with Gordon posting a career high yards per carry average in 2018. Take note that on both the plays above L.A. elected to leave an edge defender unblocked. This is because the action to Gordon forces the unblocked defender to respect his contain responsibility. On the first play Ekeler runs right by this defender, but he’s untouched. There is little doubt that this same concept will be on full display as a way for the Chargers to try and minimize Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. The Broncos run defense has improved in recent weeks, but need to contain a three headed monster in Los Angeles. Key #3 Keeping Case Keenum away from Melvin Ingram The Chargers have a huge issue defending throws down the field. According to FO, they’re 2nd to last in the league against passes 15+ yards through the air. This has been a consistent issue for L.A. all season. One reason for this is Trevor Williams, who’s basically the California version of Bradley Roby. Williams has been a complete sieve this season, allowing 10.3 yards per target. So while Derwin James means that Jeff Heuerman is unlikely blow up the stat sheet Sunday, Courtland Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders should both have chances to make big plays. That is, of course, if Case Keenum can deliver. All reports suggest Joey Bosa’s status this weekend is questionable, which would leave James and Melvin Ingram as the primary pass rush threats facing the Broncos patchwork offensive line. That’s a definite threat, but nothing like they faced the three weeks prior to their week off. Much like James, conventional stats don’t tell the full story of Ingram’s season. It’s true that he has only five and a half sacks on the year, but he’s also notched 24 pressures. Only Aaron Donald, Dee Ford, and J.J. Watt have more this season. In a way, Ingram’s a good sole representative for this Chargers squad. He isn’t as flashy as the names above him and many of his best plays come as much by design as individual performance, but at the whistle he’s the one standing over the quarterback. The Chargers deploy Ingram in a number of ways. In the games I watched he was usually aligned against the offense’s strongside, but will also kick inside in obvious passing situations where he’s deployed as a standing 3-technique. There were times he’d rush inside to occupy blockers and free a blitzing corner or safety and L.A. isn’t afraid to utilize him on tackle end stunts to cause disruption. If you like to watch line play, there are a few notable things to look for with Ingram. He has a mean club/swim move, as well as nifty spin he breaks out quite often to disengage from blockers in the run game. He lacks the explosiveness to reliably bend the edge, but will still pose a serious problem for both of the Broncos tackles. If Musgrave can keep him off Keenum, Denver has a chance. Even if the game turns into a shootout. What do you think Broncos Country?

Campus visit builds connections, expands opportunities Phil Campbell students spend the day touring Northwest-Shoals Community College. Junior students from Phil Campbell High School took a trip on March 22 to the Northwest-Shoals Community College (NW-SCC) Phil Campbell campus. This trip signified the culmination of the students’ participation in the Blueprints program. During the campus visit, students explored different academic programs offered by NW-SCC and took time to reflect on their overall experience in the Blueprints program this past year. The day began with the students breaking off into groups based on their academic interests. Areas of study at NW-SCC include both academic and technical programs like welding, nursing, computer science, history, English, and many more. The students had the chance to sit in on real classes and get a feel of what college would be like at NW-SCC. “The tour of campus was very enlightening. I learned so much. I loved learning about the nursing and music programs they offer. Today I learned more about what nurses do that I had no idea they did. The experience was fun and the people are so welcoming and nice,” said Blueprints student, Brianna Jones. After lunch, the students regrouped for the final two sessions. In the first session, they learned about applying to attend NW-SCC, registering for classes, submitting their FAFSA, and everything they would need to know about entering college at NW-SCC should they choose to do so. The second session of the afternoon introduced the students to representatives from different campus organizations and all the ways they could become involved on campus. “I have to say I am thinking about applying to Northwest,” says Blueprints student Michelle Beam. “It is a great place, and I can see that I will never feel left out. The students and teachers I have met have been great.” The final part of the day found the students enjoying some down time with their mentors from the Blueprints program and celebrating the past year’s accomplishments. Some of the students enjoyed a game of corn hole or ping-pong with their mentors while building the relationships established during sessions. “Blueprints has helped to open up my eyes to the ample opportunities that college has to offer,” claims Abby Marshall. “The people of Blueprints are extremely nice and caring. I know that they care about my future as a student.”

Ahh... the obvious choice. Hines Ward. The undersized, overlooked, slow, hard working, scrappy WR. I know I will get slack for this but here I go... Hines Ward was definitely a leader... but he also held out for more money, called Ben out multiple times, cried to the media anytime they mentioned a big WR.. but he blocked better than anyone in the biz and did all the dirty work that a WR with a ton of physical gifts wouldnt be required to do. So... I'll give you Ward but thats one WR and the reason you cant name 5 or even 3 is because 95% ofthe NFL WR's in the league arent undersized WR who had to scrap to make the team. Not trying to knock Hines but I need a few more examples of true #1 WR's. I think Hines is a HOFer but I think he is a Hofer because of his intangables.. blocking, toughness, grit, durability but he is way down the list when speaking of #1's. List the top 15 WR's. Nope.. dont see it. Steve Smith is the only one that comes to mind but he is the same size as Hines My point, short man complex... lol. I just dont think WR's are built to be leaders. The best WRs are selfish and demand the football. 05-28-2013, 09:12 PM Eddie Spaghetti no offense, but you're trying to move the goalposts you said no WR could be a leader, hines was. I imagine jerry rice and michael irvin fir that description as well. It may be more rare to lead from that position, but it can, and does happen. 05-28-2013, 09:48 PM squidkid remember all the 'fans' that wanted the steelers to pay him 8, 9, 10, 11+ million a year? remember how they said wallace was a great teammate? how he wasnt going to be a distraction during the season? how he said and did everything the right way? how about how they disputed that wallace never said he wanted 11+ per year, but eventually took even more? 05-28-2013, 10:10 PM Eddie Spaghetti the last one of those is the funniest. 05-28-2013, 10:12 PM NorthCoast uhh. hey Mike, last i checked Miami Dolphins are in the National Football League. Seems having a "college atmosphere" may not be the best way to go about winning in the pros. I suspect it takes a lot more hard work and discipline to win consistently in the NFL than it does in college where the talent is much more unevenly distributed. As the No. 1 WR last season, Mike didn't fair all that well. It will be interesting to find out if that was merely a contract aberration or a trend due to defenses focusing on taking him out of the game. 05-28-2013, 10:22 PM feltdizz [QUOTE=Eddie Spaghetti;563906]no offense, but you're trying to move the goalposts you said no WR could be a leader, hines was. I imagine jerry rice and michael irvin fir that description as well. It may be more rare to lead from that position, but it can, and does happen.[/QUOTE] Not really, I said... "WR arent leaders" and "A WR cant be a leader without a good QB " Do you know how many WRs have played in the NFL? 5K,10K? Hines was once in a lifetime, Rice was the best ever and Im not sure about Irvin. 2 or 3 doesnt change my opinion. I never said "In the history of the NFL.." 05-28-2013, 10:34 PM hawaiiansteel [QUOTE=feltdizz;563911]Not really, I said... "WR arent leaders" and "A WR cant be a leader without a good QB " Do you know how many WRs have played in the NFL? 5K,10K? Hines was once in a lifetime, Rice was the best ever and Im not sure about Irvin. 2 or 3 doesnt change my opinion. I never said "In the history of the NFL.."[/QUOTE] although there are exceptions such as Hines Ward and Jerry Rice, I do agree with your basic premise that the best WRs are basically selfish individuals who demand the football and are not natural leaders.

Megadeth: "Capitol Punishment" from Capitol Punishment A mix of all of the band's Capitol recordings. The songs that make up the mix, in order, are "Peace Sells", "Anarchy In The U.K.", "In My Darkest Hour", "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due", "Hangar 18", "Symphony of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets", "Train of Consequences", "Go To Hell", "Angry Again", "Trust", "Almost Honest", "Crush 'Em."

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Alright, well this week not a lot has happened.. but I´ll make sure to talk about my highlights! First off, I’m a ´panera´ which means that I am a fanatic about pan (bread) and an hamburgesera, so tambien, a fanatic about hamburgers and… uhhhh… yeah. Hahaha! Every day my companion looks at me and says “we’re fatties”. ALSO! PACKAGE AND LETTERS INFORMATION!!!! For letters: Rachel Susanne Gibbs Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission Casilla de Correo 2042 Santa Cruz, Bolivia PACKAGES! SEND THEM THROUGH THE U.S. MAIL POSTAL SERVICE! And put pictures of Mary and Jesus on the part where you open, only then will people not open it! THE ADDRESS IS.. Rachel Susanne Gibbs Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission c/Saaverda esq. Cochabamba Torres Cainco, Blq Empersarial, Piso 9 Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Bolivia I never say no to Girl Scout cookies Mammy and Daddy (hint hint nudge nudge!) I’m just kidding! But really..and chocolate too! And Mac and Cheese.. oh how I miss Mac and Cheese… ON TO THE GOOD STUFF!!! So I decided this week that I want to read the ENTIRE BIBLE. 1500 PAGES. No biggie.. I realized I have never read the entire Bible, or Doctrine and Covenants, OR the Pearl of Great Price before. So I wanna be able to say I’ve read them all before I finish my mission! As of now I’m in Lev.. I can’t remember the full name but hey! I made it through Exodus! This week I was cleaning my room (Ii know.. miracles really do happen!) and I looked at the bottom of my shoe. In the middle of the sole was a HUGE RUSTY NAIL. Thank you Mammy for making me buy ´those big chunky´ shoes. They saved me from a world of hurt and who knows what! I also learned that there is an insect here that if it bites you, you can die at any moment.. SO I LOVE YOU ALL JUST SO YOU KNOW! Hahahaha! Lets see… We didn’t get to proselyte much because my companion’s foot is super bad! She has a hurt tendon and cannot walk for a long time. But she is so amazing and keeps pressing forward! This gives me more time to study and learn more about the Gospel. It’s a blessing really! Spanish.. oh Spanish.. It’s still a daily process of learning, but I really REALLY hope I can look back on it all and laugh because I get frustrated with myself too easily. The church is true. And I feel so blessed to have it in my life and hope that I can help others receive the same happiness I have. Many people ask me “Hermana Gibbs, why are you so happy” before my mission. I now realize it’s because I have nothing bad in my life. And when I do, I have ways to fight the sadness! I love you all and miss you dearly! I hope you all have had an amazing week! and I pray for you all daily! Related One Response to April 28, 2014 – Weekly Greetings From Boliviaaaaa! Rachyyyyy, guess who? it’s Engy! I’m not sure if you’ll see this…I really want to write to you but I have no clue how 😀 (and I have a gazillion assignments and whatnot.. but I promise when I’m done I’ll figure out a way!). I’ve been reading your blog, what you’re doing is so inspirational! God bless you habibti, I miss you more than you could ever imagine:( LOVE YOU! (I really hope you read this!)

James Damore. Photo: Courtesy of YouTube The Rubin Report In August, engineer James Damore was fired from Google after writing a viral memo suggesting that women are biologically ill-suited to working in tech. And on Monday, Damore filed a lawsuit against the tech giant, alleging it discriminates against politically conservative white males, BuzzFeed News reports. Damore was terminated from Google after his ten-page manifesto circulated this summer — in which he argued the gender pay gap in tech was a result of women’s genetic inferiority. Damore subsequently doubled-down on that idea in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, claiming he was fired because his “moral preferences and beliefs” were too out there for the leftist “mob” his bosses catered to. He also later said he believed women should feel “empowered” by his musings. In his lawsuit, Damore claims Google “singled out, mistreated, and systematically punished and terminated” employees who didn’t share the company’s views on diversity. He and a second plaintiff — former Google engineer David Gudeman — are seeking class certification on behalf of conservative Caucasian men. Per BuzzFeed News: “Google’s management goes to extreme — and illegal — lengths to encourage hiring managers to take protected categories such as race and/or gender into consideration as determinative hiring factors, to the detriment of Caucasian and male employees and potential employees at Google,” the suit reads. Google had already been served with a different gender-discrimination suit earlier this month; a group of women alleged in a revised lawsuit that the company asked for their salary histories and paid them less than their male counterparts. BuzzFeed News notes that Damore’s suit had been expected after he publicly hired attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon — the Republican National Committee’s Committeewoman for California — back in August.

#!python """Bootstrap setuptools installation If you want to use setuptools in your package's setup.py, just include this file in the same directory with it, and add this to the top of your setup.py:: from ez_setup import use_setuptools use_setuptools() If you want to require a specific version of setuptools, set a download mirror, or use an alternate download directory, you can do so by supplying the appropriate options to ``use_setuptools()``. This file can also be run as a script to install or upgrade setuptools. """ import os import shutil import sys import tempfile import tarfile import optparse import subprocess import platform from distutils import log try: from site import USER_SITE except ImportError: USER_SITE = None DEFAULT_VERSION = "1.4.2" DEFAULT_URL = "https://pypi.org/packages/source/s/setuptools/" def _python_cmd(*args): args = (sys.executable,) + args return subprocess.call(args) == 0 def _check_call_py24(cmd, *args, **kwargs): res = subprocess.call(cmd, *args, **kwargs) class CalledProcessError(Exception): pass if not res == 0: msg = "Command '%s' return non-zero exit status %d" % (cmd, res) raise CalledProcessError(msg) vars(subprocess).setdefault('check_call', _check_call_py24) def _install(tarball, install_args=()): # extracting the tarball tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp() log.warn('Extracting in %s', tmpdir) old_wd = os.getcwd() try: os.chdir(tmpdir) tar = tarfile.open(tarball) _extractall(tar) tar.close() # going in the directory subdir = os.path.join(tmpdir, os.listdir(tmpdir)[0]) os.chdir(subdir) log.warn('Now working in %s', subdir) # installing log.warn('Installing Setuptools') if not _python_cmd('setup.py', 'install', *install_args): log.warn('Something went wrong during the installation.') log.warn('See the error message above.') # exitcode will be 2 return 2 finally: os.chdir(old_wd) shutil.rmtree(tmpdir) def _build_egg(egg, tarball, to_dir): # extracting the tarball tmpdir = tempfile.mkdtemp() log.warn('Extracting in %s', tmpdir) old_wd = os.getcwd() try: os.chdir(tmpdir) tar = tarfile.open(tarball) _extractall(tar) tar.close() # going in the directory subdir = os.path.join(tmpdir, os.listdir(tmpdir)[0]) os.chdir(subdir) log.warn('Now working in %s', subdir) # building an egg log.warn('Building a Setuptools egg in %s', to_dir) _python_cmd('setup.py', '-q', 'bdist_egg', '--dist-dir', to_dir) finally: os.chdir(old_wd) shutil.rmtree(tmpdir) # returning the result log.warn(egg) if not os.path.exists(egg): raise IOError('Could not build the egg.') def _do_download(version, download_base, to_dir, download_delay): egg = os.path.join(to_dir, 'setuptools-%s-py%d.%d.egg' % (version, sys.version_info[0], sys.version_info[1])) if not os.path.exists(egg): tarball = download_setuptools(version, download_base, to_dir, download_delay) _build_egg(egg, tarball, to_dir) sys.path.insert(0, egg) # Remove previously-imported pkg_resources if present (see # https://bitbucket.org/pypa/setuptools/pull-request/7/ for details). if 'pkg_resources' in sys.modules: del sys.modules['pkg_resources'] import setuptools setuptools.bootstrap_install_from = egg def use_setuptools(version=DEFAULT_VERSION, download_base=DEFAULT_URL, to_dir=os.curdir, download_delay=15): # making sure we use the absolute path to_dir = os.path.abspath(to_dir) was_imported = 'pkg_resources' in sys.modules or \ 'setuptools' in sys.modules try: import pkg_resources except ImportError: return _do_download(version, download_base, to_dir, download_delay) try: pkg_resources.require("setuptools>=" + version) return except pkg_resources.VersionConflict: e = sys.exc_info()[1] if was_imported: sys.stderr.write( "The required version of setuptools (>=%s) is not available,\n" "and can't be installed while this script is running. Please\n" "install a more recent version first, using\n" "'easy_install -U setuptools'." "\n\n(Currently using %r)\n" % (version, e.args[0])) sys.exit(2) else: del pkg_resources, sys.modules['pkg_resources'] # reload ok return _do_download(version, download_base, to_dir, download_delay) except pkg_resources.DistributionNotFound: return _do_download(version, download_base, to_dir, download_delay) def _clean_check(cmd, target): """ Run the command to download target. If the command fails, clean up before re-raising the error. """ try: subprocess.check_call(cmd) except subprocess.CalledProcessError: if os.access(target, os.F_OK): os.unlink(target) raise def download_file_powershell(url, target): """ Download the file at url to target using Powershell (which will validate trust). Raise an exception if the command cannot complete. """ target = os.path.abspath(target) cmd = [ 'powershell', '-Command', "(new-object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile(%(url)r, %(target)r)" % vars(), ] _clean_check(cmd, target) def has_powershell(): if platform.system() != 'Windows': return False cmd = ['powershell', '-Command', 'echo test'] devnull = open(os.path.devnull, 'wb') try: try: subprocess.check_call(cmd, stdout=devnull, stderr=devnull) except: return False finally: devnull.close() return True download_file_powershell.viable = has_powershell def download_file_curl(url, target): cmd = ['curl', url, '--location', '--silent', '--output', target] _clean_check(cmd, target) def has_curl(): cmd = ['curl', '--version'] devnull = open(os.path.devnull, 'wb') try: try: subprocess.check_call(cmd, stdout=devnull, stderr=devnull) except: return False finally: devnull.close() return True download_file_curl.viable = has_curl def download_file_wget(url, target): cmd = ['wget', url, '--quiet', '--output-document', target] _clean_check(cmd, target) def has_wget(): cmd = ['wget', '--version'] devnull = open(os.path.devnull, 'wb') try: try: subprocess.check_call(cmd, stdout=devnull, stderr=devnull) except: return False finally: devnull.close() return True download_file_wget.viable = has_wget def download_file_insecure(url, target): """ Use Python to download the file, even though it cannot authenticate the connection. """ try: from urllib.request import urlopen except ImportError: from urllib2 import urlopen src = dst = None try: src = urlopen(url) # Read/write all in one block, so we don't create a corrupt file # if the download is interrupted. data = src.read() dst = open(target, "wb") dst.write(data) finally: if src: src.close() if dst: dst.close() download_file_insecure.viable = lambda: True def get_best_downloader(): downloaders = [ download_file_powershell, download_file_curl, download_file_wget, download_file_insecure, ] for dl in downloaders: if dl.viable(): return dl def download_setuptools(version=DEFAULT_VERSION, download_base=DEFAULT_URL, to_dir=os.curdir, delay=15, downloader_factory=get_best_downloader): """Download setuptools from a specified location and return its filename `version` should be a valid setuptools version number that is available as an egg for download under the `download_base` URL (which should end with a '/'). `to_dir` is the directory where the egg will be downloaded. `delay` is the number of seconds to pause before an actual download attempt. ``downloader_factory`` should be a function taking no arguments and returning a function for downloading a URL to a target. """ # making sure we use the absolute path to_dir = os.path.abspath(to_dir) tgz_name = "setuptools-%s.tar.gz" % version url = download_base + tgz_name saveto = os.path.join(to_dir, tgz_name) if not os.path.exists(saveto): # Avoid repeated downloads log.warn("Downloading %s", url) downloader = downloader_factory() downloader(url, saveto) return os.path.realpath(saveto) def _extractall(self, path=".", members=None): """Extract all members from the archive to the current working directory and set owner, modification time and permissions on directories afterwards. `path' specifies a different directory to extract to. `members' is optional and must be a subset of the list returned by getmembers(). """ import copy import operator from tarfile import ExtractError directories = [] if members is None: members = self for tarinfo in members: if tarinfo.isdir(): # Extract directories with a safe mode. directories.append(tarinfo) tarinfo = copy.copy(tarinfo) tarinfo.mode = 448 # decimal for oct 0700 self.extract(tarinfo, path) # Reverse sort directories. if sys.version_info < (2, 4): def sorter(dir1, dir2): return cmp(dir1.name, dir2.name) directories.sort(sorter) directories.reverse() else: directories.sort(key=operator.attrgetter('name'), reverse=True) # Set correct owner, mtime and filemode on directories. for tarinfo in directories: dirpath = os.path.join(path, tarinfo.name) try: self.chown(tarinfo, dirpath) self.utime(tarinfo, dirpath) self.chmod(tarinfo, dirpath) except ExtractError: e = sys.exc_info()[1] if self.errorlevel > 1: raise else: self._dbg(1, "tarfile: %s" % e) def _build_install_args(options): """ Build the arguments to 'python setup.py install' on the setuptools package """ install_args = [] if options.user_install: if sys.version_info < (2, 6): log.warn("--user requires Python 2.6 or later") raise SystemExit(1) install_args.append('--user') return install_args def _parse_args(): """ Parse the command line for options """ parser = optparse.OptionParser() parser.add_option( '--user', dest='user_install', action='store_true', default=False, help='install in user site package (requires Python 2.6 or later)') parser.add_option( '--download-base', dest='download_base', metavar="URL", default=DEFAULT_URL, help='alternative URL from where to download the setuptools package') parser.add_option( '--insecure', dest='downloader_factory', action='store_const', const=lambda: download_file_insecure, default=get_best_downloader, help='Use internal, non-validating downloader' ) options, args = parser.parse_args() # positional arguments are ignored return options def main(version=DEFAULT_VERSION): """Install or upgrade setuptools and EasyInstall""" options = _parse_args() tarball = download_setuptools(download_base=options.download_base, downloader_factory=options.downloader_factory) return _install(tarball, _build_install_args(options)) if __name__ == '__main__': sys.exit(main())

There is no doubt about it, those Uncalled For boys sure know how to put on a fringe show. And a standing ovation at the end of tonight’s show proved just that.The thing that makes them stand out is that they are really smart. And not smart in a pompous way so that you walk out of their show thinking, ‘I don’t get it’. But smart in a way that makes you think about what they are saying and shake your head in a sort of, ‘how did they come up with that’ sort of way. This is why I liked this show so much – it was so damn clever. And funny too. The four of them strike a really good balance, sharing the stage equally. They all have great character work and their background as talented improvisers really shines through. The show has a great flow to it, no scene goes on too long and their transitions are excellent. I don’t want to tell you too much but the wine tasting scene was pretty darn awesome. Above it all you really get a sense that they are having so much fun up there – and why wouldn’t they be – in one scene they are all shooting each other with fake hand guns and they look like a bunch of kids in their lifesavers costumes and they have to be enjoying it. That is what makes good entertainment, you have to love what you do. They love it – and so do we. Do yourselves a favour and see this wacky, intelligent, super funny show. THEY WILL SELL OUT!

almond macaroons A Passover classic, across Europe. Simple and surprisingly, actually mysteriously delicious, for so little effort. Also gluten free and dairy free. Lena who does so much of her baking by hand has devised a low labour version. You don't need to beat the egg whites! "I tried it both ways, and it didn't make a difference. In fact, it is better this way." INGREDIENTS 3 egg whites 8 oz/250 g ground almonds “But I use 6 oz almonds, and 2 oz walnuts.” 6 Tablespoons sugar Lemon juice. 1 1/2 tablespoons, or to taste Almond essence, ½ teaspoon Blanched almond halves, for decoration method 1. Beat the nuts and sugar into the egg whites with a wooden spoon, until it firms up slightly. Mixture should be sticky, no need to beat the egg whites till they are stiff. 2. Add lemon juice and almond essence to taste.3. Cover flat tray with baking paper 4. Drop in tablespoons onto the tray, and flatten them out. Leave space between them, they may spread further when cooking. 5. Place half a blanched almond in the centre of each biscuit.6. Bake for 10 minutes in a moderate oven, till they’ve browned, and just dry. Leave to cool. Don’t overcook! You want them to stay chewy. MELBOURNE TEST KITCHEN Our test cook Amanda Hampel is famous for her gluten free kitchen, and for fiddling with every recipe to get it just right. She could relax on this one, since it's both gluten free and dairy free from the get-go. She prefers maple syrup to sugar, so she used that, substituting 5 tablespoons of maple for the 6 tablespoons sugar. Amanda didn't have any almond essence on hand, so she used vanilla essence instead. It took a little longer to bake but she found it delicious and "very more-ish indeed!" And a great Passover recipe. A delicious, super-quick and easy fruit cake, recipe from a Viennese pastry chef. Plus in light of controversial Polish legislation on the Holocaust, we return to the story of Ruth Scheuer and Celina Widawski, Jewish women who survived WW2 in Poland by passing as Christians, living on fake ID papers. Two sisters. Two great recipes, and the amazing story of how their mother kept them alive in Poland during World War Two. Re-posting now, because of controversial Polish legislation criminalising statements alleging Poland was complicit with the Nazis during WW2. A match made in heaven, sour cherries enclosed in nuts, breadcrumbs and sugar, with lemony cream cheese, in betwwwn layers of filo pastry. And it doesn't take too long. And it's not so hard. And it's delicious!!! Plus a trip to Bethlehem. New Year's Chestnut Soup! It's simple, just 3 ingredients plus some spices, but it’s a knockout. One of the best things we’ve made this year. Subtle, rich, delicious. Recipes walks you through roasting chestnuts and making the soup. Happy New Year! Buckwheat is a superfood and an ingredient in the traditional Rusisan Jewish dish, Kasha Varnishkes. Recipes this week for that dish, with bowtie pasta and onions. Plus a modern Israeli recipe for Kasha & Rocket Salad. Tasty and healthy! 100 years after the Battle of Beersheba - commemorating an ANZAC victory in World War One. Moving stories of the Australian soldiers who fought there and their descendants. Plus a Cavalry charge! And a sugar free Blueberry and Zucchini bread to pack up in your old kit bag. Great stories and recipe this week. Grains for autumn, or any time of the year. Lentil, Zucchini and Herb Casserole, and Warm Barley and Rocket salad. Healthy, easy and delicious. You can make both vegan if you choose. And a women's peace movement, all in the one tasty package.

Q: "Application needs OAuth consent from the User" when saving a weight value to Google Fit I am creating the GoogleApiClient instance with the following code: // Create the Google API Client mClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(act) .addApi(Fitness.HISTORY_API) .addScope(new Scope(Scopes.FITNESS_ACTIVITY_READ_WRITE)) .addConnectionCallbacks(this) .enableAutoManage(act, 0, this) .build(); When the client is created, the phone shows the account selection dialog and then the OAuth authorization dialog. After that, the activity gets the result on the following method: @Override protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) { super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, data); Log.i(TAG, "Result received"); authInProgress = false; gf.connect(); } On the log, I can see the authorization process working, but when trying to save into Google Fit, using the following code: Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance(); Date now = new Date(); calendar.setTime(now); long date = calendar.getTimeInMillis(); DataSource dataSource = new DataSource.Builder(). setAppPackageName(activity). setDataType(dataType). setType(DataSource.TYPE_RAW). build(); DataSet dataSet = DataSet.create(dataSource); DataPoint dataPoint = dataSet. createDataPoint(). setTimestamp(date, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS); dataPoint. getValue(field). setFloat(value); dataSet.add(dataPoint); Fitness.HistoryApi.insertData(mClient, dataSet).setResultCallback(cb); I am seeing the following error: Application needs OAuth consent from the User What am I missing? The OAuth credentials have been created in the Google Console. A: You should add more Scope when init mClient: Example: mClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(act) .addApi(Fitness.HISTORY_API) .addScope(new Scope(Scopes.FITNESS_ACTIVITY_READ_WRITE)) .addScope(new Scope(Scopes.FITNESS_NUTRITION_READ)) and more depending on which value you want to get data.

India judge mocked for saying peacocks don't have sex Published duration 1 June 2017 image copyright Getty Images image caption Judge Mahesh Sharma told TV channels that "the peahen gets pregnant" after "swallowing the tears of the peacock". Social media users are ridiculing a judge after he said the peacock was chosen as India's national bird because "it's considered pious" and follows "life-long celibacy". Judge Mahesh Sharma told TV channels that "the peahen gets pregnant" only by "swallowing the tears of the peacock". He made the remark to back his observation that cows should replace the tiger as the national animal because "it's also holy". Experts have rejected his claims. Mr Sharma told reporters in the northern Indian city of Jaipur that he believed people revere both peacocks and cows because of their "divine qualities". He added that he had recommended that the government should immediately declare the cow as the national animal. But social media users vehemently disagreed. image copyright Rohit Pradhan image copyright AJ image copyright Devika Mittal image copyright Kawalpreet Kaur Experts said there was no merit in Mr Sharma's theories. "This theory about peacocks drinking tears to breed is an old hoax. They breed like all other birds, by means of sexual copulation," Bikram Grewal, an ornithologist, told The Indian Express newspaper Mr Sharma is not alone in demanding national status for cows, considered sacred by India's majority Hindu community. Many states have actively started enforcing bans on cow slaughter after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed India's federal government in 2014. In addition to government bans, several vigilante groups who portray themselves as protectors of cows have also been active in several states. But Mr Sharma added that his demand was not linked to the ongoing debate about banning cow slaughter in the country.

Q: scipy.optimize, IndexError: Invalid Index to Scalar Variable I am trying to implement scipy.optimmize.minimize on a multivariate scalar function using the nelder-mead method. My function definition when called in a print function works perfectly fine. When I turn on minimize it throws the IndexError. from scipy.optimize import minimize import math import numpy as np c_ = [1.,1.,1.] d_ = [1.,1.,1.] x_=[c_,d_] def hamiltonian(x_): N=len(c_) return np.sum([(1/n**3.0)*(n-i)*i*(x_[0][(n-i)]*x_[0][i]+x_[1][(n-i)]*x_[1][i])-(1/n**3.0/alpha**2.0)*np.sum([x_[0][(n-i-j)]*x_[0][i]*x_[1][j] for j in range(0,(n-i+1))]) for n in range(1,N) for i in range(0,(n+1))]) print hamiltonian(x_) #no problem here res = minimize(hamiltonian, x_, method='nelder-mead') #problem here A: That is because x_ is a list of lists: >>> x_ [[1.0, 1.0, 1.0], [1.0, 1.0, 1.0]] Thus replace the line x_=[c_,d_] with: >>> x_ = c_ + d_ You'll also have to modify your hamiltonian for a 1xN or Nx1 list/array. The simplest hack that I can think of is: def hamiltonian(x_): N=len(c_) if type(x_[0]) == np.array: x_ = np.concatenate((x_[0:N], x_[N:]), axis=0) return np.sum([(1/n**3.0)*(n-i)*i*(x_[0][(n-i)]*x_[0][i]+x_[1][(n-i)]*x_[1][i])-(1/n**3.0/alpha**2.0)*np.sum([x_[0][(n-i-j)]*x_[0][i]*x_[1][j] for j in range(0,(n-i+1))]) for n in range(1,N) for i in range(0,(n+1))])

history is a good thing, i said that, i just said it was irrelevant in everyday conversations. And most people read books for the stories, not to better understand what it was like to live in a certain age. I'll look at a history book for that and get not just a single persons point of view but on actual accounts of what happened. Sir, you have a very narrow minded view of history. On the basis, history as relating to simple facts e.g. September 1939 Germany attacks Poland, is quite useless beyond doing well at Trivial Pursuit etc. However, in my line of work, where I'm paid to essentially be a critical thinker, sit in strategic planning meetings etc. my background in History has given me a leg up on anyone my age. I have no formal business training, yet because of my knowledge of research and being able to analyze a situation from multiple perspectives has allowed me to become quite respected amongst my colleagues. Literature, just as well taught me this as well. Simply because something is written so, does not necessarily mean that is what is meant. Again, critical thinking (which is crucial if one wishes to have a seat at the table) is crucial. ACGM mentioned quite well what history provides. It's sad that you take such a narrow minded view on literature and history. It would be the equivalent of me saying that all mathematics can be narrowed down to the idea of 1+1=2. And for the record, yes, I studied both History and English and there's not for a second that I regret that choice. The subject itself has very little to do with how much money you will make. If you can take any subject, understand it, believe in it, and use it to your advantage, you will find success in any given field. Many of the richest business people in history had no formal math training, no formal business training, no nothing. But they knew how to lead and direct people. It's a trait you'll rarely ever pick up in school. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, you just gotta pinpoint em and use em to your advantage. Some will be harvested in school, some in real life. You gotta balance it all out. That's interesting ... I didn't know that. I went to a British high school in the UAE and there was A LOT of emphasis placed on grammar and spelling. We had whole sections of our O and A Level English exams dedicated to punctuation. I went to an Irish school for grade 11 and 12 and all English was was comprehension, reading and writing essays. Spelling wasn't very important, as long as the teacher could understand what you were saying. The argument or understanding was more important. no grammar and junk like I had in the US Okay, Barracuda, let's get this settled. Nobody is saying that having a firm grasp of spelling and grammar is not important. Nobody. I think people are just interpreting Yusek's response differently. Yusek responded to a specific point you made in a particular context. We are talking about a high school kid here. You then brought up english classes. If (big if) I understood Yusek correctly, he was just saying that focusing on english classes at the high school level isn't necessarily going to improve a student's spelling and grammar. That's why he said "you're right" yet also "wrong". In theory, yes, you're right that studying grammar is important, but in practice, that isn't happening IN CLASSES. You even said that you learned more on your own than from your english teacher. . ArmchairGM you understood my point perfectly. Spelling and grammar are very important. I agree with 'Cuda that many students today aren't grasping good spelling and grammar. However, English class isn't the answer. They just don't focus on it all that much. Understanding the literature comes first. I spend more time helping kids with writing in comparison to many high school teachers and I'm an engineering T.A. My girlfriend has excellent writing and she credits it to a large amount of reading as a child. English class is not the answer. In English class you can read only a few books a year. I liked it till college. Now I can't stand it. I was a A student my whole K-12 in math and it was my favorite subject. Now I can't stand it. Im weird when it comes to math A's in elementary I almost failed in my first report card in the 6th grade, then I was the best math student in the 7th barley passed the last 2 years it all depends on the teacher for me Im weird when it comes to math A's in elementary I almost failed in my first report card in the 6th grade, then I was the best math student in the 7th barley passed the last 2 years it all depends on the teacher for me Could be. I always had some really good match teachers and all 4 years in HS they were my favorite teachers. So that probably has a lot to do with it.

by “¡Patria o muerte!” (fatherland or death) is the traditional slogan of Latin American revolutionaries. It is also the grim choice that the US government is imposing on the people of Venezuela, as the Washington consensus (e.g., Foreign Policy) screams “it’s time for a coup in Venezuela.” Washington Rejects Electoral Transition The runner-up in the May 20 Venezuelan presidential elections was Henri Falcón, who campaigned to replace the Venezuelan bolivar with the US dollar, institute a severe regime of International Monetary Fund austerity on the populace, and auction off the country’s assets at fire-sale prices to foreign bidders. So what is there not to like about this neoliberal dream for the Trump administration? Answer: it does not go far enough. A far more radical final solution is being promoted by the Colossus of the North. Instead of embracing Falcón as would be expected on account of his economic proclivities, Washington demanded that he not even run in the presidential election and went as far as threatening to impose personal sanctions on him and his family. The US lie that Venezuela is a dictatorship was exposed by Falcón showing just the opposite by running. As it turned out, Maduro was affirmed with a landslide 68% of the vote compared to Falcón’s second place showing of 21%. But Falcón faced the dual challenges of opposition from the left and boycott from the extreme right. A year ago, a rightwing campaign might have had legs had a democratic electoral strategy been chosen. But there were obstacles to such a constitutional transfer of power, besides the popularity of the Bolivarian Revolution started by Hugo Chávez and carried on by Nicolás Maduro. Instead the US and its Venezuelan rightwing allies ultimately opted to achieve by extra-legal means what they could not achieve democratically. Although the Venezuelan economy was showing every sign of tanking, the opposition after it got a majority in the National Assembly in December 2015 demonstrated it had few solutions or even interest in solutions other than dismantling the popular social welfare programs of the chavistas, such as privatizing the 2 million housing units for the poor (subsequently overturned by the courts). Ever fractious, the opposition was divided between a moderate electoral wing and a dominant, more extreme tendency. They could not unify around a single candidate in 2018 no matter how much “democracy promotion” (actually the opposite) dollars were lavished upon them by their US sponsors. And after unleashing the violent guarimbas(protest demonstrations) taking over one hundred lives and destroying billions in public property in the period 2013 to 2017, the opposition did not endear themselves to the swing voter by calling for yet more punishing sanctions on their fellow Venezuelans. Yet all these obstacles for the opposition might have been overcome had their US handlers so chosen. But the chosen course of action from the US is no soft landing for chavismo. Illegal US Sanctions Starting in 2015 under Obama, the US unleashed sanctions on Venezuela as a form of economic warfare. These sanctions are illegal by international law because they impose a collective punishment on the people of Venezuela for the actions of their government. Likewise, the sanctions are illegal by the charter of the regional Organization of American States. And the sanctions are illegal by US law, because they are based on the obvious lie that Venezuela is an “extraordinary security threat” to the US, when the opposite is manifestly the case. Venezuela is not conducting multi-national military exercises on the US’s southern border in a rehearsal for an invasion, while the US has done precisely that on Venezuela’s border. Furthermore, the US sanctions are not designed to change some policy to steer the Maduro government in a more advantageous direction as are the sanctions on, say, Iran or North Korea. The sanctions are designed purely and simply to immiserate the people and force the democratically elected government of Venezuela to roll over and die. There is nothing Maduro can do but resist. Prior to the Venezuelan elections, the White House had made noise about imposing an oil embargo if the Venezuelan people dared to ignore the imperial dictate to boycott the election. In a petro-economy such as the one that Maduro inherited from Chávez, who inherited it from the ancien régime, cutting off oil revenues is tantamount to puncturing the aorta. Petrodollars account for 96% of Venezuela’s exports and over 40% of government revenues. Nearly half of the Venezuelan electorate went to the polls on May 30, defying the emperor in the Oval Office and the rightwing boycott. Trump, true to his word, imposed enhanced financial sanctions the day after the election. But he stopped short of directly attacking Venezuelan oil revenue, probably due to concerns about the upcoming mid-term Congressional elections in the US. The Republican base likely knows little about Venezuela and cares less; same for the Democrat faithful who also get their news from the corporate media. But a price spike at the gas pump from a US oil embargo on Venezuela would get the US electorate’s attention. Besides the already in-place US sanctions have cumulative effects that will only increase the pain in Venezuela even if the empire just stays its present course. Venezuelan capital reserves are being exhausted. Already oil production in Venezuela has fallen as access in the international market to replacement parts is cut off, crippling productive capacity. The US is trying to precipitate a “humanitarian crisis” as an excuse for intervention, all the while hypocritically lamenting the consequences of its own policy. If Venezuela were really a failed state, as the US claims, then there would be no need to impose sanctions to make it fail. The Colombian Card Another factor boding against Venezuela is its hostile neighbor to the west and Washington’s main Latin American client state, Colombia. This country is distinguished as the largest source of illicit drugs into the US yet is the largest recipient of US aid in the hemisphere. That is, the country most materially damaging to the US is the one most favored, despite (or really because) of its record as the worst human-rights abuser in the Americas. Sharing a 1378-mile border with Venezuela, Colombia just joined NATO as the first “global partner” from Latin America. And that was under the moderately rightwing Santos government. Colombia will have a presidential runoff election on June 17 pitting the far-right Iván Duque against the left-of-center Gustavo Petro, with the former favored to win. The Model of the Other 9-11 A US-backed coup in Chile overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973. Preceding the coup, which took Allende’s life, was a US-orchestrated economic destabilization effort, a prequel to what is now being visited upon Venezuela. Succeeding the coup in Chile, thousands of leftists and suspected leftists were rounded up and summarily executed to root out insurgency. The Chilean coup and its aftermath is the template for the US and the sycophantic domestic Venezuelan opposition for the extermination of the Bolivarian Revolution. That is, a violent takeover, the elimination of their enemies, and the blitzkrieg imposition of neoliberal shock therapy. Only in Venezuela, this reactionary political cleansing could be much uglier than Chile. Allende was in power for only three years; the Bolivarian Revolution is nearing its second decade. The social-democratic Allende government made important changes, but they pale in comparison to the depth and breadth of the accomplishments of the socialist administrations of Chávez and Maduro. Venezuela Resists Maduro won reelection on the promise that he would right an economy that has been spiraling downward with decreasing production, runaway inflation, chronic corruption, pervasive shortages of consumer goods and medicines, and a dysfunctional currency exchange system. This could be the best and last chance for the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela to meet this daunting challenge in the face of US and domestic hostility. Maduro, riding on back-to-back electoral chavista victories (presidential, municipal, gubernatorial, and Constituent Assembly) has taken the initiative to seek a peaceful solution by convening a national dialogue. In the last week, Maduro met with Apostolic Nuncio Aldo Giordano, the Andean Development Corporation, the National Banking Association, private and public media outlets, and even RepublicanBob Corker, chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Some 80 opposition activists, jailed for violent actions, were freed. Maduro also met with third-place presidential candidate Javier Bertucci, major opposition COPEI party leader Pedro Pablo Fernández, and opposition governors. Meetings with the popular sectors including left intellectuals and communards are in progress as well. Polls indicate the vast majority of Venezuelans oppose the sanctions and outside military intervention. The over 6 million poor and working people, who have suffered most from the sanctions, are the ones who reelected Maduro and remain militantly identified with the Bolivarian Revolution, which has empowered them. The poor and previously dispossessed chavistas literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain by resisting an extra-parliamentary rightwing takeover of their country. If Trump were to prevail in his present course for Venezuela, the bloodletting could be horrific. Maduro’s election slogan – juntos todo es posible (together everything is possible) – must be embraced by the international peace community in rejecting outside interference in Venezuela.

Q: convert string to list in prolog I am a Prolog newbie and am stuck at parsing a string to a list. I have a string of the form 1..2...3..4 I wish to convert it into a list which looks like [1, _, _, 2, _, _, _, 3, _, _, 4] How can I achieve this functionality? A: Another solution is to use DCG's. The code is straightforward: digit(N) --> [ D ], { member(D, "0123456789"), number_codes(N, [D]) }. dot(_) --> ".". token(T) --> digit(T). token(T) --> dot(T). tokens([T|Ts]) --> token(T), tokens(Ts). tokens([]) --> "". parse_codes(In, Out):- phrase(tokens(Out), In, ""). parse_atom(In, Out):- atom_codes(In, Codes), parse_codes(Codes, Out). Testing on SWI-Prolog with "string" (which is actually just a list of codes): ?- parse_codes("1..24.4", Out). Out = [1, _G992, _G995, 2, 4, _G1070, 4] . And with an atom (which is just converted to codes before using the same predicate): ?- parse_atom('1..22.4', Out). Out = [1, _G971, _G974, 2, 2, _G1049, 4] . SWI-Prolog prints anonymous variables (_) in a bit fancier notation but otherwise it should be the same result you need.

Why PrEP? PrEP can protect you from getting HIV. Other methods of protection against HIV are: · never fuck · only fuck people when you are 100% sure they do not have HIV · only fuck people with HIV who have an undetectable viral load (= less than 200 virus particles per milliliter blood) · always use a condom when fucking The question you need to ask yourself is: am I at risk for contracting HIV? Be honest with yourself. Is PrEP for me? PrEP is for every­body. For straight, gay, and bi+, for men and women, cis, trans, and non-bina­ry. There how­ev­er are dif­fer­ences in how to use PrEP: Men and oth­er peo­ple who have a penis take 2 pills on the first day and then 1 pill every 24 hours. You are pro­tect­ed against HIV start­ing two hours after the first dose. If you want to stop using PrEP, you should keep tak­ing your pills until 48 hours after the last time you had sex with­out a con­dom. It’s also pos­si­ble to take only 1 pill on the first day; if you do that, then you are pro­tect­ed against HIV after using PrEP for 5 days. Women and oth­er peo­ple who have a vagi­na take 1 pill on day one and then 1 pill every 24 hours. Because PrEP takes a longer time to pen­e­trate the vagi­nal tis­sue lin­ing, you are pro­tect­ed against HIV after 7 days. If you want to stop using PrEP, you should keep tak­ing pills for 7 days after the last time you had sex with­out a con­dom. The advantages of PrEP No more fear for HIV No feel­ings of guilt if you do not use a con­dom time to time A more enjoy­able sex­u­al expe­ri­ence More con­fi­dence in your own actions Nev­er depen­dent on some­one else’s con­dom use Pro­vid­ed you get test­ed for STD’s every 3 months: if you con­tract an STD you will be treat­ed right away Whether you should use PrEP is a per­son­al choice. It is a good idea to be well-informed when you make this choice. There are many dif­fer­ent con­sid­er­a­tions, but two impor­tant ones are: how impor­tant is it to stay HIV-neg­a­tive? And, what are the odds that I would con­tract HIV? Why avoid getting HIV? Nowa­days there are very good treat­ments for HIV avail­able, and usu­al­ly you only need to take one pill per day. Most peo­ple do not expe­ri­ence side effects from this med­ica­tion, and they will live rough­ly as long as some­one who does not have HIV. HIV-pos­i­tive peo­ple who have an unde­tectable viral load (less than 200 virus par­ti­cles per mil­li­liter blood) can­not trans­mit HIV to oth­ers. Still, it is bet­ter to avoid con­tract­ing HIV, because: You HAVE to take pills every day for the rest of your life. With PrEP, you can stop when­ev­er you want. A lot of peo­ple with HIV expe­ri­ence stig­ma. If you do not start in time with HIV treat­ment, you could get AIDS. Your health at a lat­er age can be worse if you have an HIV infec­tion that remains untreat­ed for a long time. You can trans­mit HIV to your sex­u­al part­ners, which can cause harm to your part­ners’ health. Risk of contracting HIV through ‘gay sex’ In 2017, 7 out of 10 recent HIV infec­tions were found in men who have sex with men, and trans women who have sex with men. In The Nether­lands, around 1 out of 10 men who have sex with men have HIV. If you are a man or trans woman who has sex with men, you are at high risk of con­tract­ing HIV. As a man who has sex with men it is a good idea to use PrEP, unless: You ALWAYS use a con­dom when fuck­ing, includ­ing with your reg­u­lar part­ner You do not always use a con­dom but you are 100% sure that your sex­u­al part­ner is HIV-neg­a­tive and is not at risk of con­tract­ing HIV from anoth­er sex­u­al part­ner You do not always use a con­dom but you know that your sex­u­al part­ner has HIV with unde­tectable viral load. Some­one who has an unde­tectable viral load (= less than 200 virus par­ti­cles per mil­li­liter blood) can­not trans­mit the virus. Risk of contracting HIV through ‘straight sex’ 3 out of 10 HIV diag­noses in the Nether­lands are giv­en to women and men who only have straight sex. Since there are many more women and straight men than men who have sex with men, the risk of con­tract­ing HIV in the Nether­lands as a woman or straight man is very low. As a woman or man who only has sex with women, you do not need to use PrEP, unless for exam­ple: You are a woman who has sex with a man who also has sex with men. You have sex with peo­ple in or from a coun­try where HIV is very preva­lent (for exam­ple in parts of south­ern Africa or South-East Asia). You are a sex work­er and you do not always use con­doms. Your part­ner has HIV with a detectable viral load. Some­one who has an unde­tectable viral load (= less than 200 virus par­ti­cles per mil­li­liter blood) can­not trans­mit the virus. Risk of contracting HIV as trans Unfor­tu­nate­ly, there is lit­tle infor­ma­tion avail­able about the risk of con­tract­ing HIV as a trans woman or trans man in the Nether­lands. In oth­er parts of the world (such as in the Unit­ed States) this chance is con­sid­ered to be high. It all comes down to who you have sex with. Our advice is to read the last few chap­ters about ‘gay sex’ and ‘straight sex’ and to fol­low your own judge­ment. Also when it comes down to tak­ing PrEP or not. For this read “How do I take PrEP?” For the sake of clar­i­ty in the chap­ters ‘gay sex’ and ‘straight sex’ we chose not to use inclu­sive lan­guage, for which we offer our sin­cer­est apolo­gies. Talking to people who already use PrEP On Face­book you can become a mem­ber of the Face­book group #PrEP­Nu. This is a closed group: only mem­bers can see who else is a mem­ber of the group, and only mem­bers can read and par­tic­i­pate in the con­ver­sa­tions.

Your Favourite Photoshop Tutorials in One Place Adding Colorful Bubble Effect for an Image If you would like to create some quick effect to beautify the images, you can have a try on this colorful bubble effect for your images. You just need to trim out your image on a plain background, apply some bubble plus simple photoshop lighting and coloring adjustments, then we are done. Related Photoshop Tutorials In this tutorial, it will reveal you how to edit a photo and make it into a high quality photo. To begin with, you need to remove unwanted object from the photo. Then the object will be edited to become more grant and elegant by adding the color on the fore part of the face. Lots of you may imagine to change your face. To redevelop a human face and hair, it is a very complicate task. You may have a try on this tutorial to inspire how to change your portrait into someone else. To most of you, make-up skills in Photoshop are extremely useful because it can be applied to improve your image which were taken in the past. It will show you to setup and use appropriate brush skills to do the make-up. If you are star wars lover, you may wonder how the designer to get on the massive planet impact scene. It looks very sophisticated. However, you may do it less than an hour with this guideline tutorial. It is always difficult to transform the weather or swap the day and night scene in the picture. As you need to substantially change a lot of light or carry out the simulation for your background in order to make it to be realistic. Here will show you some tricks to work on.

Finds Porn Still Open on Your Computer Closes Window and tells no one 1,262 shares

Bilateral congenital choanal atresia in a 7-day-old patient: transnasal endoscopic repair with stent. Congenital choanal atresia (CCA) is the developmental failure of the nasal cavity to communicate with nasopharynx. Surgical repair is recommended in the first weeks of life in bilateral cases because this is a life-threatening situation in newborns. This paper is a case report of a 7-day-old full term girl infant presenting the history of attacks of cyanosis and having difficulty in suckling and respiration. On examination, alternating cyanosis and normal colour was observed in the patient. The application of nelaton cannulas bilaterally revealed the diagnosis of bilateral CCA. Transnasal endoscopic repair with stents was performed. Symptomatic resolution persists 6 months postoperatively.

No Gluts, No Glory The crowd pushes forward, sweaty and anxious to get a closer look. Waving American flags, they crane their necks to see the action onstage: men and women of all sizes and ethnicities waiting patiently in the July sun, running through plans of attack in their minds. As the countdown begins, these contestants prepare to dip doughy buns into the paper water glasses in front of them, frantically cramming bits of hot dogs into their cheeks like squirrels preparing for harvest. For competitive eaters of all ages, the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Contest is the reason they have dedicated months to perfecting how to consume 3 pounds of pancakes in one sitting, and 50 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes. The time has come — they have arrived. For many who are members of this competitive eating world, it is about more than just breaking records and eating to the point of nausea. Competitive eating is an art, and a craft that pushes all involved to constantly improve themselves and move one bite closer to victory. “It’s a sport, but rooted in lighthearted fun, good times,” said Richard Shea, who has been hosting and promoting competitive eating events for the past 12 years, along with his brother and business partner Greg. The Shea brothers are responsible for helping elevate speed eating to a level of athleticism, beginning first at their public relations firm over a decade ago, where Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs was one of their clients. The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating contest has occurred every summer since 1916, where competitors fight for the Mustard Yellow Belt by stuffing in as many frankfurters as they can in 12 minutes. 2008 winner Joey Chestnut swallowed 59 with matching buns. “We got a big kick out of it, and talked about expanding it beyond Coney Island,” said Shea. The Sheas first founded the International Federation of Competitive Eaters in 1997, and later Major League Eating (MLE), a league for competitive eaters. These are organizations that take eating to an entirely new level, and regard it with almost religious esteem. MLE manages their sanctioned competitive eaters, who are able to compete in various sponsored speed-eating challenges around the globe. The competitions range from the historic Nathan’s Famous hot dogs event in Coney Island, N.Y., to the deep-fried asparagus contest in Stockton, Cali., where competitors celebrate the locally grown vegetable every spring. Eater Joey Chestnut won in 2008 by eating 8.8 pounds. Eating events, much like the eaters themselves, are diverse, and a serious eater can find himself headed as far as England for a mince meat contest, or to Japan for chicken satay. “It’s a strange journey, much like Jack Kerouac and the beatniks,” said Crazy Legs Conti, a competitive eater from New York City. “We started out for the love of the sport.” And from that love has spun an experience far larger than many eaters had ever imagined. In New Orleans for the 2002 Super Bowl, Conti, 38, coincidentally found himself over at the Acme Oyster House at the same time the restaurant was hosting its annual speed eating contest. He ended up putting down 34 dozen oysters in one sitting, which Conti said put him on the map. “I was always a fan,” he said, now on the MLE circuit for seven years. “Competitive eating has allowed me to go on the road — it allows me to indulge more than the casual tourist.” Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane, a software developer and competitive eater from Denver, said competitive eating is a crazy ride that’s left him captivated since his first grilled cheese contest back in Colorado. “I’ve been all over the U.S. — burritos in Maine, PB&J in California, blueberry pie in Oregon. It’s fun traveling and it’s quite a conversation-starter,” said Lane, who’s been on the circuit since 2005. “And it’s neat seeing others you know at all kinds of weird places doing this.” Ryan Nerz, author of “Eat This Book,” which depicts life on the competitive eating circuit, explained that the world of competitive eating takes normal or semi-normal people with a penchant for eating quickly and transforms them into characters. “Someone goes from being a mail carrier or subway conductor to this larger-than-life character,” Nerz said. “Their identity becomes that of a gurgitator.” Nerz, 35, has been a media manager and emcee for MLE since 2003, after hosting a meat pie eating contest in Louisiana that left him hooked on this unique sport. He has tried to join competitions from the other side of the plate, but learned that he simply eats too slowly. In fact, he said that is how many pros fell into this rare community — having grown up as kids who ate quickly, competing with siblings for the last dinner roll. For many, competitive eating remains a side job to other careers. Takeru Kobayashi, a Japanese eater whose resume includes having won Nathan’s hot dog contest six consecutive years, is the only full-time professional eater who makes an income from his event winnings. Many events award prize money in the thousands, and some even give away material items, like a car at the Philadelphia Wing Bowl. Others participate purely for the rush of competing, as well as the camaraderie associated with this eating network. “We have more active eaters than others. Some do a couple dozen a year, some are hobbyists who only do six to eight,” said Richard Shea, noting their competition season as being spring through fall. There’s no easy contest or simple food to ingest quickly, as each are difficult in their own way, said Nerz. Corn is tricky because of technique; hot dogs are tough for stomach capacity. Each competition requires diligence, confidence, and an unshakable focus. “As an athlete, you run into foods that get the best of you,” said Crazy Legs Conti, citing corned beef as his own pitfall. And if professional eating is, in fact, a sport, the need for training seems obvious. The world of competitive eating has evolved from a silly display of chewing power to rile up crowds, to a more serious competition that demands concentration and practice. “In the old era, we used to eat steak and go to the bars,” said Conti about his training regimen before events. “Now, it’s Japanese Ramen soup, and party after. It’s a lot of prep.” Preparations even include doing practice runs before matches, such as grilling up versions of the event’s featured food as similarly as possible in order to test consumption. Conti also mentioned that his roommate Tim Janus, also known as Eater X, consults a sports psychologist before some events. “Each food item can be unique and have a not-so-good, a good, and a best way to get it down in competition,” said Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane. As manager, however, Shea said that individual training is actually not encouraged. “We are against home training at all because we can’t guarantee the safety,” he said. Shea also admitted that EMTs are present at all Major League Eating-sponsored events for that reason. There have even been a number of deaths related to competitive eating — eight since 2000 — almost all occurring outside of the United States. A man choked to death in Russia in March 2009 while claiming his prize onstage for a pancake eating event, and in Taiwan in 2008, another man died after winning a steamed bun contest. According to Ryan Nerz, competitive eating still remains athletic at its core, and therefore is dominated by mostly healthy people. Crazy Legs Conti, who is 6 foot 3 inches and 120 pounds, said staying in shape for competitive eaters is all about balancing a healthy lifestyle. An avid runner himself, he ran the Boston Marathon the day after swallowing 25 frankfurters in 13 minutes at the Nathan’s Famous hot dog qualifying contest in 2007. “I have found that 21.5 is the wall in both hot dogs and jogging mileage,” he said. No longer a sport veiled in complete mystery, MLE has hosted a number of events that have been spotlighted on TV networks such as the Discovery Channel and ESPN. There is now even a competitive eating video game for Nintendo Wii, in which the characters are based on real eaters, like Conti. “We have a solid sense of humor about it. … It’s a microcosm, our own little world,” said Ryan Nerz. “Sort of a mix between sport and magic act.”

This cock hungry duo mature wives knows exactly how to satisfy their urge for oral pleasure with horse. The pair get on their knees in a field and suck off a horse until it explodes in their mouth. They even share a big black cock too.

Influence of sympatho-vagal balance on airway responsiveness in athletes. The increased prevalence of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) observed among athletes suggests that high-level training may contribute to the development of AHR. We investigated the possible influence of the sympatho-vagal balance on this phenomenon in 40 athletes and 10 sedentary controls. Each subject filled out a respiratory questionnaire, had a methacholine challenge, and measurements were made of their baseline plasma catecholamines [epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA)] as a reflection of sympathetic tone, and their heart rate variability (SDNN: standard deviation of all normal-to-normal intervals) as an indicator of parasympathetic tone. The athletes had a 45% prevalence of AHR (defined as PC20 < 16 mg/ml, where PC20 is the concentration of methacholine inducing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in 1 s, FEV1) with a mean PC20 of 21.2 mg/ml compared with 10% prevalence (mean PC20: 74.4 mg/ml) in sedentary subjects (P < 0.01). Plasma catecholamine values were not significantly different between the two groups (all P > 0.05), but the estimated parasympathetic tone was higher in athletes (P = 0.01). When data from all subjects were analyzed together, plasma E and NE correlated with PC20 (r = 0.39, P = 0.005 and r = 0.29, P < 0.005) but DA and SDNN did not (both P > 0.05). However, the ratios E/SDNN, NE/SDNN and DA/SDNN showed significant correlations with PC20 (r = 0.42, P < 0.01; r = 0.33, P < 0.005 and r = 0.31, P < 0.05, respectively) This study suggests that the sympatho-vagal balance may contribute to the increased AHR in the population studied but this influence alone cannot explain the higher prevalence of AHR in athletes.

En demonstration hölls på lördagen på Stora Torget. – Det handlar om en tillståndsgiven manifestation för att stoppa människohandeln i Libyen som skulle börja klockan 12.30, säger Mats Öjdahl, RLC-befäl i polisregion mitt. I samband med det delade nazistiska organisationen Nordiska motståndsrörelsen (NMR) ut flygblad på samma plats. – Strax före 12.30 dyker 20 till 25 personer upp och går mot Stora Torget. Flertalet av dem bedömer vi är från NMR. De börjar dela ut flygblad och sedan blir det oroligt mellan grupperingarna och allmänhet sluter in i den tillståndsgivna demonstrationen, säger Mats Öjdahl. Enligt uppgifter ska det ha förekommit våldsamheter på platsen. – Ett vittne i demonstrationståget berättar att en person ur NMR kom fram och ryckte en flagga från en person i tåget. Efter det ska man ha dragit ur personen ur tåget och slängt sig över och misshandlat honom. Fler från NMR anslöt, enligt vittnet blev det en stor hög, säger UNT:s reporter Kid Reslegård Svedberg som är på plats. Mannen ska dock inte, enligt vittnet, ha blivit skadad utan kunde sedan fortsätta demonstrationen. En polispatrull var vid tillfället på Stora Torget för att övervaka den tillståndsgivna demonstrationen, men mycket snabbt kallades fler poliser till platsen. En polishelikopter tillkallades också. – Allt gick jättesnabbt. Ett tiotal poliser ställde sig som en barriär mellan nazisterna och demonstranterna för att separera grupperna. Demonstranterna började skandera "Inga nazister på våra gator" säger Kid Reslegård Svedberg. För att lugna situationen beordrade polisen demonstranterna att skingra sig samtidigt som medlemmarna i NMR blev bortmotade. – De delade ut flygblad en stund till sedan var de nöjda och lämnade, säger Mats Öjdahl. Demonstranterna kunde efter tumultet tåga vidare och avslutade manifestationen vid Svandammen vilket var planen från första början.

Publisher's Summary Based on actual letters Fitzgerald sent to his sister to help her on how to be more attractive for men, Bernice Bobs Her Hair is the story of a socially hopeless girl being changed into a socially attractive girl to end up attracting the boy of her helper. The story is a depiction of the changing face of youth during Fitzgerald's time and has been adapted into several movies as it remains a story that impressed all readers over the years. I am admittedly not a huge fan of Fitzgerald’s work, although I can and do appreciate his sharp wit that informs observations and commentary about behavior and motivations. What stands out most sharply is the fact that human behavior and desires have not changed: the characters in this story are self-absorbed, obsessed with fitting in, vary in their social skills and awareness, and are far too prone to influence from those on the “higher rungs” of the social ladder. There are several moments to enjoy in this story: proclamations about the psychology of attracting men and developing charm that fly from Marjorie’s lips are clever and the connection between letters Fitzgerald sent with advice to his sister are abundantly clear. I cannot help but think that his advice did contain some of the lesson that is visited on both cousins at the end, and presenting a story with such a clever conclusion, slightly devious and wholly appropriate for the character of Bernice was satisfying. The narration provided by Lee Ann Howlett presented the story and the characters in a cleanly presented form: small tonal distinctions delineated the characters from one another and the narrative in a well-modulated presentation. Finely nuanced inflections provide verbal clues to the attitudes and personalities of the characters, from hesitancy to offhanded bravado, each was a perfectly voiced addition to the written text. This is one of the stories that become the definition of a classic short: the setting is nearly a century prior, but the characters and people are real and easy to relate to with a modern eye. This should be your introduction to Fitzgerald’s writing, short, sweet and beautiful prose in his style, but not so long as to feel overwhelming. I received an audiobook copy of the story from the publisher via AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review at the Heard Word. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

John Jones 1. What is Free Tibet and can you explain what your organization does? Free Tibet is a non-profit campaigning organisation based in London. We have been going since 1987 and our core aim is to challenge the occupation in Tibet and the daily human rights abuses that underpin it. In the long term this means working towards a situation in which Tibetans are able to determine their own future and in which the human rights of everyone within Tibet are respected. We work to raise awareness of the situation in Tibet through news stories, social media content, information on our website, and reports. We also carry out online campaigns to raise awareness of human rights abuses with the UK government, international bodies like the EU and UN, and sometimes the Chinese government directly. We also work with the Tibetan community in the UK and other groups around the world to organise demonstrations, events and direct actions. The aim of this work is to push the UK and other governments to take stronger action for Tibet and to challenge governments and companies who are in any way complicit with human rights abuses or environmental damage in Tibet. 2. How valid is Tibet’s claim to sovereign nationhood? Currently no other countries recognise Tibet as a sovereign nation and it has never had the opportunity to become a UN member state. Nevertheless, prior to the invasion in 1950, Tibet governed itself, with its own institutions, currency, and passports. It entered into formal relations with other countries through its own diplomats, free from outside authority. In summary, it had all the attributes of an independent state (most certainly between the years 1913 and 1950). This was later backed up by the International Commission of Jurists, who in a 1960 report on the legal status of Tibet, concluded that from 1913 to 1950 Tibet demonstrated the conditions of statehood as recognised under international law. This is important to note because when China invaded in 1950, it did not base its claim of sovereignty over Tibet by the fact that it annexed its territory during the invasion, but instead on the notion that Tibet has always been an integral part of China (a claim that Tibetans vigorously oppose). They have long seen themselves as being distinct from China, and since 1950 there have been repeated demonstrations against Chinese rule. Tibetans who have the freedom to give their opinion have repeatedly stated that they do not accept Chinese authority and that they are concerned about the eradication of their unique culture (such as their language and Buddhist religion). The Tibetan freedom struggle comprises a broad range of people and opinions, and many of them are not seeking full independence. For example, since the 1980s, the Dalai Lama has been advocating an approach known as the 'Middle Way', which would see Tibet remain part of China, but would grant genuine autonomy in a way that would give Tibetans control over their own affairs. The Dalai Lama has promoted this approach over the past three decades and has attempted to negotiate it with the Chinese authorities too (currently without success). The Tibetan government in exile, the Central Tibetan Administration, also follows this Middle Way approach. Whether Tibet should be independent or an autonomous province is a debate among the Tibetan diaspora, and one that Free Tibet does not attempt to arbitrate. We simply believe that Tibetans need to be given the freedom to determine the future of their own homeland. 3. What impact was made during the 1990’s when the Free Tibet cause was taken up by many prominent celebrities? The main impact of celebrities speaking about Tibet was to raise its profile and attract supporters to the Tibet movement. This can be seen with the Tibetan Freedom Concerts throughout the 1990s, which, at their peak, attracted crowds of tens of thousands of people. Many Tibet supporters found their way to the movement through an interest in Tibetan Buddhism, its unique culture, or because they travelled there, but an equally influential way was through bands like the Beastie Boys, Radiohead, and REM promoting the cause. 4. What is a realistic path Tibet could take to becoming a sovereign nation? I would say at the moment this is a difficult prospect. The Chinese government under Xi has invested huge amounts of resources into surveillance technology and security forces inside Tibet, which makes large demonstrations like those that were last seen in 2008 extremely hard to organise. At the same time China has grown in international influence with many smaller countries that trade with China and are fearful of antagonising Beijing (and being punished). At the moment the focus of the movement appears to be making sure that Tibet is not further harmed through Chinise policies i.e. massive mining projects, which threaten its environment, or efforts to eradicate its culture, such as the trend in recent years of the Tibetan language disappearing from Tibetan schools at the expense of Mandarin Chinese. Nevertheless, some countries do speak out, with several raising human rights concerns at China’s last Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council last November. The USA, EU, and other large trading partners should be more vigorous in pushing back at the current human rights abuses. They could also push Beijing to resume negotiations with the Central Tibetan Authority over Tibet’s future. These negotiations have been suspended since the ninth round of talks in January 2010. 5. How is the Chinese government responding to calls for Tibetan freedom in 2019 as opposed to the past? Tibetans inside Tibet who protest, call for freedom or who even carry out small acts such as flying their flag, or holding birthday celebrations for the exiled Dalai Lama, are likely to be detained, held in an unknown location, tortured, and ultimately charged with state security crimes such as “inciting separatism” (which carries prison sentences of 5, 10, and 15 years). Internationally, the Chinese government has been very assertive in stating that Tibet is part of China and that criticism of its human rights record, or questions about Tibet’s status, constitute interference in the country’s internal affairs. As part of this policy Tibet is closed to international observers – independent journalists, diplomats, UN experts and human rights groups have all been denied access. 6. Can you describe some of the tactics the Chinese government has used to either discredit or suppress the movement? The most famous piece of misinformation China pushes to discredit the Tibetan cause is the line that the Dalai Lama (the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism) is a 'splittist' (that he advocates Tibet declaring independence from China) - thus presenting him as extreme and unpractical. While some Tibetans do support independence, the Dalai Lama does not. He advocates the Middle Way approach, which would see an autonomous Tibet within the borders of a Chinese state. This however does not stop Beijing from deploying this line. Therefore, individuals and organisations supporting Tibetan human rights may also be labelled splittist by supporters of the CCP. Other names used such as ‘China basher’ try to imply that those who support Tibet are motivated by a hatred of the Chinese people (rather than being critics of the government) or are agitating for confrontation (rather than being driven by human rights concerns). Another tactic would be to label such groups as ‘tools of Western imperialism’ which denies Tibetans and non-Tibetan activists their own agency and makes their activities seem like a sinister plot. Lastly, suppression can be subtle. As mentioned above, with China’s increased economic power the CCP is able to use its money and ability to deny access to the country with greater effect abroad. These enticements and threats mean institutions (think tanks, universities, and press outlets) may avoid dealing with subjects deemed sensitive to the CCP government. 7. What role does the Dalai Lama play in the Tibetan freedom movement? The 14th Dalai Lama has become a symbol of Tibetan resistance to Chinese rule. His main role has been on the international stage where he has given lectures on non-violence, Tibetan Buddhism, and the need for understanding between different religions and cultures. This has been intagrel to raising Tibet’s profile and highlighting the largely non-violent form that Tibetan resistance has taken since 1950. In the past the Dalai Lama would have had more of a formal political role. However, since 2011, when the Dalai Lama successfully proposed and implemented changes to renounce all of his political power, an elected official called the Sikyong (equivalent to a Prime Minister) has occupied the most senior position in Tibetan political life. The Sikyong works with an elected parliament, which is made up of several Tibetan political parties. Tibetans around the world participate in the elections for the Sikyong and Parliament through 'Offices of Tibet', institutions that function like embassies and which are located in several countries around the world (including the UK and the USA). The most recent elections took place in 2016. 8. Have you seen any significant developments recently that can be seen as pushing Tibetan freedom closer towards reality? Among the most notable things has been the tenacity of the protests inside Tibet. Due to the massive levels of military deployment and surveillance, Tibet has become highly atomised with people facing huge difficulties in travelling around internally, sharing information, and communicating with the outside world. Despite these obstacles, communities will still gather to protest against environmental damage to their land and, in some cases, have scored victories. In 2015 Tibetans, in Dartsedo County, gathered to protest against nearby lithium extraction after chemicals used in the extraction process repeatedly leaked and mixed with the local water supply (killing fish and livestock). They managed to get a temporary halt on extraction in the county. This is a small victory but it showed that pressure can work. Were international governments to be more assertive in supporting Tibetans by raising such human rights concerns then there could be some hopeful signs in the near future. 9. What can people in the West do to support Tibetan independence? They do not need to necessarily support Tibetan independence, but we do find that when people around the world learn about the situation in Tibet they become engaged and want to help. The problem is that in Tibet there is an information blackout, with testimonies and photo/video evidence only reaching the outside world with extreme difficulty and at great personal risk to those sending it. This has had an understandable effect on how often Tibet receives international media coverage. At Free Tibet we have tried to find ways around these barriers i.e. using satellite imagery to track the damage being down to Tibet: https://www.freetibet.org/files/Larung%20Gar%20report-web.pdf It is hard for people new to the Tibetan question to get this information. The first step would be for those who know to tell others the evidence that is coming out of Tibet. The next is for them to contact their local and national governments and tell them about what is happening and call for action. People can write letters to newspapers and take actions on our website ( https://www.freetibet.org ). Support for Tibet requires concerted action by large numbers of people, but governments do listen. 10. Can you explain the ‘Confucius Classroom Campaign’ and what it is aimed to do? The campaign aimed to raise awareness about CCP state funding in UK universities. While we believe students learning Mandarin, or those interested in Chinese culture, should be supported, our concern with the Confucius Institutes is that they are financed and controlled by the CCP (who themselves repress free expression within its borders). As a result various Confucius Institutes promote a distorted picture of Chinese history and life today (particularly in relation to issues such as Tibet which is either ignored or presented as an inalienable part of China, in line with Beijing’s rhetoric). Furthermore, the problem is not just what is and what is not taught in Confucius Institute classrooms, but also the possibility that universities may alter their behaviour to avoid this funding being taken away in the future (see answer to question 6). This could result in events about Tibet, or featuring Tibetan activists, being avoided or cancelled.

You are here "Heterosexuality is not only normal; it is normative. Homosexual acts are contrary to the will of God for human sexuality." "While avoiding simplistic and obnoxious social crusades, the church must affirm through its preaching and pastoral ministry that homosexuality is not an acceptable alternative lifestyle. God's gracious intent for human sexual fulfillment is the permanent bond of heterosexual love. This redemptive word must be spoken, with sensitivity, caring, and clarity to any person who would make a perverted sexual choice, and to society as a whole." "It is one matter to affirm that self-chosen homosexual acts are sinful. It is quite another to reject, defame, and excoriate the humanity of the person who performs them. This distinction has often been missed. It is possible and necessary on biblical grounds to identify homosexuality as a departure from God's intent. However...there are no theological grounds on which a homosexual may be singled out for a greater measure of judgement. All persons bear within them the marks of the fall." "The denial of human and civil rights to homosexuals is inconsistent with the biblical witness and Reformed theology." A report entitled "Christian Pastoral Care for the Homosexual," presented to the General Synod in 1979, listed three areas of congregational life with which the church must come to terms if it is to witness effectively to the homosexual: Elimination of the double standard of morality applied to the homosexual. It often seems as though the church places certain sins, homosexuality among them, beyond its own responsibility for ministry and, by implication, beyond the reach of God's grace. The church should acknowledge its sins against the homosexual. Homosexuality is neither to be celebrated nor persecuted. Homophobia must be replaced by a sense of common humanity, the desire to understand, and the determination to put away the sins commonly committed against the homosexual, including stereotyping, caricaturing, and enjoying disparaging humor at the homosexual's expense. The church should make a genuine effort to understand homosexuality. The church must be willing to understand and deal with the concrete life situation in which [the homosexual] finds himself. There is much we do not know about homosexuality, but we do know that it is a complex phenomenon (MGS 1979: 130-131). In 1980, General Synod voted to adopt a resolution To bring to the awareness of RCA members, congregations, classes, and synods competent programs and persons which can successfully help the practicing homosexual and lesbian, minister or layperson, overcome his or her homosexual behavior (MGS 1980: 97). The 1990 General Synod voted to adopt an official position on the issue of homosexuality, as some classes felt there was confusion within the church as to the status of the 1978 report on homosexuality. The advisory committee recommended: To adopt as the position of the Reformed Church in America that the practicing homosexual lifestyle is contrary to scripture, while at the same encouraging love and sensitivity towards such persons as fellow human beings (MGS 1990: 461). In 1994, General Synod voted to adopt another resolution addressing the church’s relationship with homosexuals. The resolution stated: The General Synod of the Reformed Church in America recognizes and confesses that the Reformed Church in America has failed to live up to its own statements regarding homosexuality in 1978 (MGS 1978: 229-240), 1979 (MGS 1979: 128-135), and 1990 (MGS 1990: 461). Few in the Reformed Church in America have creatively and lovingly spoken with persons with a homosexual orientation about the truths of Scripture and the hope of the gospel. Many have participated in or tolerated forms of speech and behavior which humiliate or degrade such persons. Many of the churches within the Reformed Church in America have not provided an environment where persons have felt the acceptance and freedom to struggle with hard issues involving sexual orientation. Many Reformed Church in America members have shown no interest in listening to their heartfelt cries as they struggle for self-acceptance and dignity. For all these wrongs, this General Synod expresses its humble and heartfelt repentance, and its desire to reflect the love of Christ to homosexual persons. In all that this General Synod does, it seeks to obey the whole of Scripture, demonstrating in its own life the same obedience it asks from others. It calls itself and the whole church to a greater faithfulness to Christ in relationships with persons of homosexual orientation. To this end, the General Synod calls the church to a process of repentance, prayer, learning, and growth in ministry. This process will be guided by the basic biblical-theological framework presented in the previous statements of the General Synod (MGS 1994: 375-376). In 1998, the General Synod called for a temporary moratorium on the issue of homosexuality. It adopted this proposal: To instruct this General Synod to refrain from deliberative debate and policy decisions relating to homosexuality, as these matters have already been thoroughly addressed by previous synods, and to urge this same action upon the 1999 and 2000 General Synods. To instruct the General Synod Council, through its Congregational Services Committee, to help enable congregations and classes to enter a process of intentional discernment concerning the pastoral challenges raised by the issue of homosexuality over the next two years, utilizing the study guide and other resources, in order to fulfill the actions called for on this matter by the 1994 General Synod (MGS 1998: 60). In 2006, the General Synod voted to refer a paper entitled "Human Sexuality and Marriage" to the Theology Commission for review and revision in the light of the wisdom of Reformed theology. In 2009, the General Synod voted to "affirm the value of continued dialogue and discernment on the topic of homosexuality within the church, to state that our dialogical and discerning work is not done, and that legislative and judicial steps are not a preferred course of action at this time." The 2009 synod also asked the General Synod Council to monitor how the assemblies of the church are dealing with this issue and report back to the 2011 synod. Finally, the 2009 synod recommended that "officeholders and ministers avoid actions in violation of the policies of the earlier statements of General Synod on ordination and relevant state laws on marriage, with sensitivity to the pastoral needs of all involved." In 2012, General Synod voted: While compassion, patience, and loving support should be shown to all those who struggle with same-sex desires, the General Synod reaffirms our official position that homosexual behavior is a sin according to the Holy Scriptures, therefore any person, congregation, or assembly which advocates homosexual behavior or provides leadership for a service of same-sex marriage or a similar celebration has committed a disciplinable offense; and further, that the General Synod Council shall oversee the creation of an eight member committee made up of representatives appointed by each of the regional synods to pray and work together to present a way forward for our denomination given the disagreement in our body relative to homosexuality. The purpose of the committee is not to revisit our stated position, but shall operate with the understanding expressed earlier in this recommendation and issue a report with practical recommendations to the General Synod of 2013 (MGS 2012: 149-150). In 2013, the General Synod voted: To instruct the General Synod Council to appoint a diverse working group representative of the constituencies of the RCA and the varying understandings within the Reformed Church in America regarding sexual orientation and gender identity to identify, design, and/or develop resources for use in congregations and other RCA settings that will encourage grace-filled conversations among those holding varying understandings; and further, to identify, design, and/or develop resources for use in congregations and other RCA settings to assist the RCA in the development of strategies to preserve unity, purity, and peace (MGS 2013: 115). The 2013 General Synod also voted: To acknowledge that in 2012 we, the General Synod, in the proceedings that led to the adoption of R-28, demonstrated a lack of decorum and civility, and a general atmosphere in which delegates were not always treating one another as sisters and brothers in Christ; and further, to acknowledge that in 2012 we, the General Synod, usurped the constitutional authority reserved for the classes when, in R-28, we stated that “any person, congregation, or assembly which advocates homosexual behavior or provides leadership for a service of same-sex marriage or a similar celebration has committed a disciplinable offense” (MGS 2013: 179).

It’s NFL Draft Day during this one-hour special of NFL RUSH ZONE: Guardians Unleashed, “Knights of the Sky.” Hero Ish and his friends are joined at the NFL Draft by New York Jets’ Nick Mangold, Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Fisher, Washington Redskins’ Robert Griffin III, NFL legend Michael Irvin and Cincinnati Bengals’ Cris Collinsworth to defend Earth and save the Rusherz and their home planet from devastation. Premiering Wed., May 7, at 8:30 p.m. ET on Nicktoons and Sat., May 17 at 8:00 a.m. ET on NFL Network, these NFL stars lend their voices to their animated personas during the special. NFL RUSH ZONE: Guardians Unleashed, the third installment of the Emmy Award-nominated series, continues the journey of Ishmael (Ish) and his hero friends, the Guardians, on their quest to protect the NFL and world from new and familiar villains. The 20-episode series, co-produced by Nickelodeon and the NFL, is based on NFL RUSH ZONE, the NFL’s online world for kids. Featuring an assortment of NFL players and coaches, NFL RUSH ZONE: Guardians Unleashed airs regularly Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. (ET) on Nicktoons and Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. (ET) on NFL Network. Comments Somewhere, Roger Bresnahan is smiling. Jacques Plante, too.There may be no more necessary, basic piece of equipment in all of sports than the mask. For baseball catchers and hockey goalies, face protection is their most invaluable need. Yogi Berra should know.The Yogi Berra Museum &amp;... Latest on FanVsFan Two weeks after firing Mike Pacora, who had very little success running Fordham basketball, The university named Jeff Neubauer its head coach.Neubauer compiled a record of 188-134 record at his career at Eastern Kentucky, who showed recruiting sucess in the Sunbelt which led the team to a March Madness appearance in 2014.For the best information...

Anne Sutcliffe loves her kids, and Yorkshire, and her husband Terry, and the queen. She’s pro-Brexit and hates Europeans. She may look sweet, with a wide smile and bright, kind eyes behind her plastic glasses, but she uses words like “spastics”, “benders”, and “foreners”. This week, she went viral for arguing with her local shopkeeper, who she claimed overcharged her for sweets. Except, of course, Anne Sutcliffe doesn’t exist. The Twitter account using this name and spouting these words is a parody attempting to mock Brexiteers as backwards, racist, and heartless. Perhaps that would be okay – that’s a bit funny, isn’t it? Bit of a laugh? – if it wasn’t for Anne’s profile picture. Honestly why is this website still free pic.twitter.com/MsocFTDWOp — Sam (@SamNichol_98) March 13, 2018 “Anne’s” picture belongs to a real woman whose anonymity I will protect by calling Angela. Far from being a pro-Brexit bigot, she is an American woman from Indiana who once wrote an emotional blogpost outraged that her state was attempting to outlaw gay marriage. She has diabetes. She originally uploaded pictures of herself to her blog because someone called her pretty. “I was taken aback by this comment,” she writes on her blog. “Nobody has called me pretty for 30 years.” Thankfully, no Twitter users have yet attacked Anne/Angela’s appearance when arguing with her offensive tweets. The same can’t be said for the man whose pictures have been stolen for the viral and infamous “Barry Stanton” Twitter account. In November 2017, “Barry” achieved viral fame with a tweet that read: “just picked my lad up from school. he tells me he was forced to read the korma in religion class. bloody outrage”. Pictures of “Barry” are actually pictures of an elderly British man who I will call Albert, who had his appearance mocked online because his face was associated with the vile tweets. Albert is distressed by the fact his pictures have been stolen, and when I first reached out to him, he didn’t comprehend what was going on. As I wrote at the time, the Stanton tweet was popular because it confirmed our own prejudices about Brexiteers. Psychological biases are at play when we read and retweet such tweets, which are “too good to be true” in that they confirm everything we want to imagine about people whose politics differ from our own. Yet these biases are no longer an excuse for sharing and retweeting these accounts. Many people claimed they “knew” Anne was a parody after sharing the viral tweet about her – this only makes it worse. Since Barry achieved viral fame, an abundance of accounts have sprung up attempting to imitate him. With “GB” or years like “1984” in their Twitter handles, they steal images they think perfectly sum up the “face” of Brexit. Some of these images are memes – such as a grandpa taking an accidental selfie – and some are real (but still stolen) pictures of actual English Defence League (EDL) members. One is a picture of a police officer who saved the life of rapper Lil Wayne. Most are images stolen from the personal social media accounts of ordinary, innocent people. These pictures – of innocent people’s faces – are then associated with some of the most vile and offensive statements imaginable. An elderly woman with a shock of white hair now has her face permanently associated with the words: “I’ll fuckin force my cat to claw your eyes out”, while a confused grandfather’s face is associated with slurs such as “muzzi”. Parody accounts may not be real – but the vulnerable and elderly people having their pictures stolen are. It is objectively wrong to steal the photographs and likeness of a vulnerable, elderly person. This doesn’t change if someone does this for a joke, and it doesn’t make a difference if this joke makes you laugh.

Rick Santorum says 10% of Netherlands deaths are from euthanasia, the latest Republican fear-mongering about supposed European barbarity. Reuters The American right sure seems to like stories about foreign countries killing their citizens. Most recently, leading GOP candidate Rick Santorum claimed that 10 per cent of the Netherlands' deaths were from euthanasia, 5 percent forced, and that "elderly people in the Netherlands don't go to the hospital" or, if they do, wear bracelets saying "do not euthanize me," all of which is false. The furor was only just beginning to die down when, Monday, a video of Santorum spokeswoman Alice Stewart began to circulate. Asked about Santorum's bizarre claims, Stewart, astonishingly, held her ground. "Rick is strong pro-life," she repeated. Ignoring the shakiness of Santorum's statements seems like an odd strategy. Many Americans have already stepped forward to denounce the "bogus statistics," as the Washington Post calls them, and the Dutch seem to be somewhere between bewilderment and outrage. What's behind the Santorum campaign's bizarre insistence that the Dutch are icing their elderly at such an appalling rate? Well, it's part of a pattern. This isn't the first time that Republican politicians have scared voters with stories of seemingly civilized Europe ushering its citizens off to their deaths. Back during the health care debate in 2009, Republican senator Chuck Grassley suggested the British National Health Service would have refused to treat Senator Ted Kennedy, instead letting his brain tumor run its course. British paper The Guardian noted, too, at the time, that the what it called the "right-leaning" Conservatives for Patients' Rights group claimed on its website that "anyone over 59 in Britain is ineligible for treatment for heart disease." The trend reached peak absurdity when Investor's Business Daily issued an editorial backing Republican opposition to Obamacare while including the sentence "People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless." The problem with this, of course, was that Stephen Hawking is himself British, and responded by telling The Guardian that he "wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS."

snow-palace-intro-skinads-pornhub-club.jpg Credit: Ingram Publishing/Newscom Man, you know when you're at a strip club just minding your own biz, trying to enjoy some boss jugs and magnum bunnage, and all of a sudden your stomach drops and you realize: You can't remember where to find any porno? Is it at Bed, Bath & Beyond? Is it in the parking lot of the bowling alley? A rabbit hutch in suburban Colorado Springs? An old woman's shoe? The sea? WHERE DO THEY KEEP THE PORNO!? Well, don't even bug, my friend. Because the venerable minds at PornHub have anticipated your need. They've partnered with the "opulent," all-nude "gentlemen's cabaret" Show Palace for the launch of SkinAds, a new service by which brands can advertise on the naked bodies of Show Palace's dancers. Via today's press release: Show Palace's SkinAds, which includes placement on strippers' backs, stomachs, legs and/or arms, will be displayed in three-day intervals and priced at varying rates, depending on location, size and time of week. The gentlemen's cabaret is also offering various packages, including the "full body experience," which utilizes all body parts. "With this offering, we're giving brands a new avenue to advertise," said Show Palace manager, Mike Diaz. "And, unlike billboards or newspaper advertisements, with the nature of placement - a naked women's body - this offering can almost guarantee that advertisements will be seen. We're thrilled to be kicking off the offering with Pornhub, which understands the value of advertising, as we saw with its recent national, mainstream advertising campaign." Pornhub plans to advertise their logo "on the back of Show Palace stripper for 30 days." You know, for all of the Show Palace patrons who aren't sure where to find porno on the internet. This seems like a foolproof plan. After all, I know nothing revs my boner like, say, the face of the GEICO gecko emerging from between a woman's butt cheeks, or some trompe l'oeil Dorito crumbs scattered across her mons. And while the idea of using human beings (especially women, who are already objectified and commodified to high heaven) as, essentially, sexy telephone poles is slightly uncomfy, it's not objectively different than racecar drivers wearing hideous sponsored leathers. It only feels different because of the creepy, paternalistic way we're taught to think about women's bodies and sex work. These dancers have agency, and as long as they're cool with dancing and cool with being scribbled on by Pornhub interns (and are being compensated for their real estate--it is ethically important that they directly benefit), we bystanders have nothing to gripe about. Although the customers might. There's a joke about "pop-up ads" here somewhere but I'm not finding it.

A friend of mine had taken an intelligent jibe at the news of Angelina undergoing a double mastectomy: "To remove both breasts in anticipation of cancer is like killing oneself ahead of an unforeseeable accident. Mad! You can't foretell the future so how can you kill it before it happens? It would be really funny if after removing her breasts and ovaries, she dies of a heart attack!" "That's morbid," I reacted. "Not the act as much as the person," she retorted back. Angelina Jolie MORBID? Unreal -- she has little reason to be so. A highly acclaimed international celebrity, an icon of beauty, power, and charisma, happily married, mother to a wholesome brood -- this woman walks the red carpet in every sphere of her life. Furthermore, in capacity of being "Ms Jolie," she is privy to the most advanced, top of the line medical care and advice. She definitely will not be guided to make a medically unsafe or unsound choice -- or encouraged to give in to an apparent morbidity on a shadowy threat. In the past too, the medical fraternity has ably aided her in her surgical choices when she decided to go under the scalpel in a quest to restructure or structure her body (breasts, lips, and nose are common public knowledge). In the realm of personal choices then, Ms Jolie, like any of us, is well within all justifiable rights in making or taking any decision. For the same, she is neither responsible nor accountable. However, when she chooses to validate a personal choice, she stands to be questioned -- lest anyone buying into those claims decides to replicate her very individual choice and becomes vulnerable to not so perfect, even perilous, outcomes. Angelina defends her decision as fueled by a need for being cancer free and staying alive for her kids. Kudos to her intention, most human beings would ascribe to the same sentiment. Furthermore, her reasons to go public as elucidated in "My Medical Choice" are: "I am writing about it because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience. Cancer is a word that strikes fear into people's hearts producing a deep sense of powerlessness. But today it is possible to find out through a blood test whether you are susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer and take action." The media applauds her testimony and assigns her medallions of bravery and heroism. So does Angelina's decision fulfill her goals? Does it ensure a cancer-free life? Does it promise longevity? Is taking action for ovarian and breast cancer tantamount to hacking those organs? Do all risky genes convert to cancer? Are most at risk for having the pesky gene in the first place? Does being diagnosed with breast cancer mean the end of life? Is preventive mastectomy a safe and convenient procedure? Can it be universally recommended and uniformly followed? More importantly, is it the only alternative after discovering an aberrant gene? Medical facts enlighten the following: Mastectomy is not a foolproof option of eliminating the potential of being cancer free. Secondly, there are other less drastic measures available in the advent of discovering a positive *BRCA1* and/or *BRCA2* genes, increased surveillance (regular checkups) being one of them. Others may choose estrogen-inhibiting medication which may cut the risk by half. Still some may even choose to get their ovaries removed over their breasts. Double mastectomy is a highly specialized complex procedure involving extensive reconstruction which may be spread over months. This comes with its inherent complications of pain, infections, and changes in skin sensations. Added to this, it is irreversible. It is also very expensive and results of reconstruction vary. Angelina's "perfect breasts after mastectomy" may not be the prized possession of all. More importantly, a negative gene test may be false negative and there could still be some other unidentified non-specific genes existent which may develop into cancer over time. Only 1% of women are known to test positive for mutations of *BRCA1* and *BRCA2*, which signals elevated risks of breast cancer, not breast cancer itself. If these women develop breast cancer some time in their lives, it can be successfully treated with less radical treatments. It is clearly indicated from the medical space that preventive mastectomy is not the first line of defense and certainly not the only course of action available. One also cannot take recourse in the fact that it can fully eliminate the probability of the disease. Lastly, no individual can be completely insulated against death or disease and be ensured/insured of health and longevity. Given the facts, figures, and discrepancies, Angelina's reason for her decision seems to fall short of coming from a purely medical standpoint. The probable reasons why she took this choice over others available finds its way to an emotional and psychological basis and bias. Women like her who chose preventive mastectomy are the ones who are unable to deal with and overcome their fear of being diagnosed with cancer. Regrettably though, even after taking such a drastic measure, they cannot be medically assured of being cancer free for life. It may even lull some into a false sense of security of never contracting cancer, in lieu of which they may play truant with the absolutely necessary periodic medical checkups. I would shudder to imagine the plight of those who, after undergoing preventive mastectomies, would face a cancer diagnosis -- and there is documented evidence (albeit small) of the same. Frankly, if one needs to live with that unreliability, even after a drastic preventive measure, then why is it so difficult to live under a potential uncertainty, without putting your physical being through stress? At the end of the day, it is really about how effectively we are able to handle the fear of the unknown and overcome the insecurities and anxieties which float around the same. That is true empowerment. Bravery and heroism need not only be derivatives of aggressive Lara Croft actions. They can even be attributes of a strong being, one who chooses to live without fear of the unknown, in the acceptance and joy of the "now." There is no conquest greater than the conquest of self. Melissa Etheridge, who is a cancer survivor, has the same BRCA gene mutation as Jolie. On being asked to comment on Angelina's decision, she stated, *"I have to say I feel a little differently. I have that gene mutation too and it's (preventive mastectomy) not something I would believe in for myself. I wouldn't call it the brave choice. I actually think it's the most fearful choice you can make when confronting anything with cancer. My belief is that cancer comes from inside you and so much of it has to do with the environment of your body. It's the stress that will turn that gene on or not. Plenty of people have the gene mutation and everything, but it never comes to cancer; so I would say to anybody faced with that, that choice is way down the line on the spectrum of what you can do and to really consider the advancements we've made in things like nutrition and stress levels. I've been cancer free for nine years now, and looking back, I completely understand why I got cancer. There was so much acidity in everything. I really encourage people to go a lot longer and further before coming to that conclusion."(Washington Blade)*. To my mind, this is a true reflection of active faith, belief, and positivity. Instead of giving into fear, she sends out a succinct message, "de-stress -- don't distress." Celebrity role models often cast influence on a lot of decisions including medical ones. When they promote and uphold causes like survivorship on the basis of their personal experiences, of which Michael Douglas, Lisa Ray, Manisha Koirala and Kylie Minogue are examples, they serve as beacons of strength and hope. "If these icons can survive and thrive, so can we" is the positive note which balms many a troubled heart, This encourages and inspires those who may be facing similar situations. Caution, however, needs to be exercised on pushing issues which may promote fear and confusion, which in turn may lead to an unfounded eagerness to adopt medical practices for unwarranted situations. Care must be taken that a unique choice made by an equally unique individual is not propagated as a definite solution and becomes a norm. One person's medicine, if not understood or weighed properly on its impact and efficacy, may well turn out to be another's poison. Awareness and treatment should not be exchanged for over-awareness and over-treatment. DISCLAIMER: This is purely an opinion piece and is not intended to provide medical information or advice. **Source of Support:** Nil. **Conflict of Interest:** None declared.

Q: Detect link with no href $string='<dt class="comment-author " id="c6290261621627103206"> <a name="c6290261621627103206"></a> <a href="http://www.google.com">bob</a> said... </dt>'; I want to be able to detect if a tag is missing the href. I have tried: \<a(?!href)(.*?)\<\/a\> and various preg_match variations on that. But sadly to no avail. I should state that I only want to detect, I do not need to output and values from the string. A: Using your RegEx, your matches will be very limited. Try this RegEx, it can find the value of a href tag on the page regardless of where it falls. If there is no value returned, there is no href tag! (?<=href\=")[^]+?(?=") The lookahead match of href\=" will look for/match the href at any position instead of RIGHT AFTER the a only.

DEREK McInnes today blasted the SPFL fixture chaos that has hit the Dons as “foolish” and claimed the club’s supporters deserve better. The SPFL rescheduled Aberdeen’s Premiership trip to Dundee from Monday evening to Saturday (12.15pm). Aberdeen fans have been given just five days notice of the change, which was instigated because Aberdeen have three players away on international duty. McInnes reckons the SPFL should never have scheduled a top-flight clash for a Monday on an international week. Aberdeen have confirmed they will refund any Reds fan who cannot make Saturday’s rearranged fixture. McInnes said: “The supporters deserve to be treated better than that. It is an inconvenience for everyone but especially the fans. “It is a lesson learned that it is foolish to have a Premiership fixture on a Monday scheduled on the same week as internationals.” Dons fans unable to attend Saturday’s game will be given a full refund by Aberdeen. A club statement said: “Any supporters who have bought a ticket for the Monday night and are now unable to attend will get a full refund. “We appreciate a number of supporters will be unable to attend the match and others will have their weekend and travel plans disrupted. “In the first instance, we were disappointed a popular match on the fixture calendar was moved to a Monday evening during an international week, given the possibility of player call-ups. “Given the club’s position in the league it is essential all our players are available and, following discussions with all parties, this would not have been the case if the fixture proceeded on the Monday.” A spokesperson for the SPFL said: “If an SPFL club has three or more players unavailable because of international selection, it is entitled to request a fixture be rescheduled. “Due to three of its players being unavailable for this very reason, Aberdeen FC has had an application to reschedule its match against Dundee FC accepted and the game will now be played on Saturday, March 21.”

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Comments - I surf better than all of you, all of you. I surf better than all of you, all the freakin time. Haole go home? Hawaii man go drown in the sea, Go drown in the sea like Eddie. By Wolfe , 11-04-2010 - After our trip to teauhpoo my friend Wolfe from Poland and Dominic the champion river surfer from Germany will make finish to our movie at the pipe We also want to hold Polish national titles at Pipe Is this possible By Anonymous , 11-12-2009 patience - I see a lot of comments where people say that didnt see any "epic" breaks. Most days are descent size. But nothin special. Pay attention and the stars will align. And Ive have seen truly epic surf here. *** F A K E *** - WARNING! I have searched up and down his stretch of coastline and not found this break. The photos are fakes, taken from Sandies back reef on Australias banana coast. As for the locals, the stories about their violent nature is greatly exaggerated. I pulled up in the car park on Ke Nui Rd and the local boys kindly informed me that this break does not exist and directed me back to Honolulu for some real waves. But when i got to honolulu this local gang called the Wilson Crips told me that aussies are'nt allowed and if i tried to surf there they would amputate my balls. By Anonymous , 06-11-2009 yea-right - I laugh at 20' pipe hardly enough power to properly shred topanga beach ca.is way more powerful the hawaiians are just so iced up they just think their surfing something special the locals should all go take some long vacations at gitmo and de-tox!!! FAKE - WARNING! I have searched up and down his stretch of coastline and not found this break. The photos are fakes, taken from Sandies back reef on Australias banana coast. As for the locals, the stories about their violent nature is greatly exaggerated. I pulled up in the car park on Ke Nui Rd and the local boys kindly informed me that this break does not exist and directed me back to Honolulu for some real waves. But when i got to honolulu this local gang called the Wilson Crips told me that aussies are'nt allowed and if i tried to surf there they would amputate my balls. By Anonymous , 18-06-2009 HAHAHAHA!!!!!! - To: 'it's getting boring' dude you had me laughing my ass off with your post. I almost never say 'LOL' because it's only true like .05% or the time, but I was on the f**king floor when I read your post. On a side note, thanks for that tip about Seaside Point in Seaside, Oregon, we surfed it for a week and a half last fall and it was everything they say it is and more!!! Place is like a cold water Indo....wouldn't want to live there in the winter, but it made for a nice change of pace from the N shore (surfing epic double overhead barrels with only 10-15 guys out was nice.) I also found this video of the place on a small day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYYKlvwebqw&mode=related&search= PEACE By Anonymous , 23-04-2009 Insane - To all the people who say its not that great dont bother going there etc etc etc. you obviously don't surf or you have never surfed, bodyboarde, bodysurfed here. this is the wave of waves only surpassed by Teahupoo. Even though this isnt as heavy as teahupoo its still a monster wave with some huge force behind it. its like a women its beautiful and attractive but when it opens up it becomes a bitch and can mess you up big time. i broke 3 ribs and fractured and arm on this beast. its with out a doubt the top 5 waves ive ridden and places number 3 on my list. only teahupoo and cyclops are a head of this, (yes i bodyboarded all 3, not a great surfer but riding a wave is riding a wave and having fun.) the tube on here is so beautiful yet also is so powerfull it sucked my fins off my feet as i wwas slammed. any one who rides this wave surfer, boadyboarder, bodysurfers especially have some huge balls and have ridden one of the best waves around. By old mate , 16-11-2008 dont bother - dont bother with pipeline too many people too much agro. just those two reasons alone are enough to keep you away. everyone would be familiar of the absolute vibe-kill aggro in the water creates for everyone in the lineup. hawaii may have been the home of surfing a long time ago but the shine has long worn off. great wave to watch but not worth the plane fare to add yourself to an overpacked line up. australia has bigger waves down south albeit colder water and huge sharks that dont mind biting people off at the torso if given the chance but these waves have just as much consequence if not more than pipeline. theres always going to be localism but pipe is ridiculous. the locals do rule the break though because they surf it everyday same as any local spot anywhere else in the world. maybe they wouldn't be so aggro if the surf mags didnt promote the wave so much. lots of places have "Their day of days" so check out somewhere besides the cliche' spots like pipeline hawaii/superbank australia/uluwatu indo.

Franceinfo a rencontré un modérateur du principal forum américain dédié à promouvoir la candidature de la présidente du FN. Il n'a pas sa carte au Front National, mais il espère avoir un rôle décisif dans la campagne de Marine Le Pen. Alexandre*, la vingtaine, est le modérateur principal du subreddit "/r/Le_Pen". Sur ce forum du site américain Reddit, s'organise une campagne numérique résolument trash, inspirée de celle de Donald Trump, où les photomontages diffamatoires à l'encontre d'Alain Juppé côtoient des œuvres kitschissimes présentant Marine Le Pen sous les traits de Jeanne d'Arc. Photomontages publiés sur le subreddit "/r/Le_Pen". (/R/LE_PEN) Etudiant en dernière année à Sciences Po Paris, Alexandre s'est retrouvé aux manettes de ce forum après avoir milité en ligne en faveur du milliardaire américain. "Je participais à '/r/The_Donald' [le subreddit des supporters de Donald Trump] depuis janvier et je pensais à créer la même chose pour Marine", raconte à franceinfo celui qui est plus connu sous le pseudo "Chepamec". "Mais comme Reddit n'est pas très populaire ni même connu en France, je ne pensais pas que ça aurait du succès". Plus de 10 000 supporters de Trump mobilisés pour faire élire Marine Le Pen Il lui aura fallu attendre la victoire surprise du rival d'Hillary Clinton pour voir "/r/Le_Pen" décoller. Après l'élection de Donald Trump, de nombreux internautes fans du milliardaire ont publié sur leur plateforme des messages appelant à se mobiliser pour "réparer l'Occident" en faisant élire Marine Le Pen. De quelques centaines d'abonnés lors de sa création au début de l'été, le subreddit "/r/Le_Pen" a alors rassemblé en quelques jours plus de 10 000 "centipèdes", comme se surnomment les internautes partisans de Donald Trump. Montage publié sur le "subreddit" des supporters de Donald Trump appelant à "réparer l'Occident" en faisant élire Marine Le Pen. (/R/THE_DONALD) "Chepamec" est d'ailleurs l'un des seuls Français dans l'équipe de modération de "/r/Le_Pen". "Je suis le troisième à avoir été nommé. Je crois que le fondateur du forum est américain, et le deuxième affiche un drapeau pakistanais à côté de son pseudonyme. Quoi qu'il en soit, ils ne sont jamais là, donc je suis un peu le chef des opérations", sourit-il. Le jeune homme, qui a "longtemps été de gauche par défaut", dit avoir voté pour Jean-Luc Mélenchon en 2012. "Mais les attentats de 2015 m'ont convaincu que le modèle d'assimilation à la française ne fonctionnait pas", ajoute-t-il. Depuis, Alexandre souhaite "de tout cœur" que Marine Le Pen accède à l'Elysée. Pour mener à bien sa mission, il entend faire du subreddit dédié à sa championne un "meeting en ligne permanent", à l'image de son grand frère américain "/r/The_Donald", qui a été le centre névralgique des supporters de Donald Trump sur internet. Les critiques systématiquement censurées Pour simuler sur "/r/Le_Pen" la ferveur d'un Zénith plein à craquer, Alexandre a mis en place des règles drastiques : seuls sont tolérés les messages encensant les responsables frontistes et dénigrant les adversaires de Marine Le Pen. Les débats internes, comme ceux qui peuvent opposer les partisans de Jean-Marie Le Pen aux tenants de la dédiabolisation proches de Florian Philippot, sont systématiquements censurés. Il précise d'ailleurs ne pas être en contact avec qui que ce soit au FN. Idem pour les contenus racistes et antisémites, qui peuvent "donner une mauvaise image" du forum. "Pas plus tard que ce matin, j'ai supprimé le message d'un type qui avait posté une affiche de propagande vichyste. On y voyait une maison France ébranlée par les fondations fragiles 'paresse' et 'internationalisme', opposée à une autre, solide, posée sur les socles 'Travail, famille, patrie'", raconte "Chepamec". De faux comptes Twitter de militants FN tenus par des pro-Trump anglophones Dans un message explicatif posté à destination des nombreux anglophones du forum, la stratégie de cette campagne numérique trash est résumée en deux points : "1 - créer des montages positifs autour de Marine Le Pen et du Front National ; 2 - créer des montages-chocs sur l'immigration, l'insécurité et le terrorisme". Tous les moyens, même les moins fair-play, sont bons pour partager les créations du groupe sur les réseaux sociaux. Sur une plateforme de chat liée au forum, baptisée "La Grande Libération de la France", les supporters de Trump convertis au lepénisme sont ainsi invités à diffuser la bonne parole via des faux comptes Twitter sur lesquels ils se feront passer pour des militants FN français. Pour que la supercherie fonctionne, certains demandent même de l'aide aux quelques francophones du groupe pour pouvoir répondre aux messages privés. Capture d'écran du chat "La Grande Libération de la France". (THE GREAT LIBERATION OF FRANCE / DISCORD) Tout est prévu pour que les nationalistes de tous pays puissent participer à la campagne de Marine Le Pen. Une infographie créée par franceinfo récapitulant les grandes dates de l'élection présidentielle a par exemple été traduite en anglais, et un dictionnaire anglais-français des provocations racistes et antisémites utilisées lors de la campagne de Trump a été mis à disposition des trolls. Pourtant défenseur d'une candidate qui martèle vouloir instaurer une préférence nationale, Alexandre assume sans sourciller la présence massive d'anglophones dans son QG numérique. Reddit est américain et assez peu connu en France. Donc forcément, il suffit qu'une petite partie d'Américains viennent sur "/r/Le_Pen" pour que ça ressemble à une invasion. (...) Mais s'ils viennent nous donner un coup de main, tant mieux, parce qu'il y a beaucoup à faire. Cela dit, on est en pleine expansion, on attire de nouveaux membres français venus de jeuxvideo.com, Twitter, Fdesouche...Alexandre "Chepamec", modérateur du subreddit "/r/Le_Pen"à franceinfo Reste à savoir si les provocations permanentes concoctées par Alexandre et ses camarades auront un vrai impact sur la campagne "hors-ligne". Pour le jeune homme, cela ne fait aucun doute. "Les montages se répandent partout, sur les réseaux sociaux et dans la vie réelle. Hillary Clinton a fait un discours et une rubrique entière sur son site de campagne pour s'en prendre à Pépé la Grenouille [une caricature abondamment reprise par les soutiens de Trump]. Tout le monde s'est moqué d'elle", explique-t-il. "Juppé est à peine victime de deux photomontages, et il commence déjà à paniquer" Et de comparer la situation de la candidate démocrate avec celle d'Alain Juppé, qu'Alexandre et ses amis se sont amusés à grimer en imam salafiste durant la campagne de la primaire à droite. "Juppé est à peine victime de deux ou trois vieux montages avec une barbe l'appelant Ali Juppé, et il commence déjà à paniquer". Selon l'étudiant, ce type de "blagues idiotes" a forcé le maire de Bordeaux à s'expliquer sur sa position concernant la construction d'une mosquée dans sa ville, et à ainsi paraître moins ferme que sa concurrente sur le sujet de l'islam en France. A l'inverse, "Chepamec" estime que les montages glorifiant Marine Le Pen jusqu'au ridicule permettent d'adoucir l'image de sa championne. "Je pense qu'une bonne blague est plus convaincante qu'un tract. Les gens érigent des barrières mentales pour protéger leurs convictions, ne pas se remettre en question. Le rire abaisse ces barrières momentanément", théorise le jeune homme. Qui espère bien rire le dernier en 2017. * le prénom a été modifié

Series-parallel networks problem In combinatorial mathematics, the series-parallel networks problem asks for the number of series-parallel networks that can be formed using a given number of edges. The edges can be distinguishable or indistinguishable. Indistinguishable edges When the edges are indistinguishable, we look for the number of topologically different networks on n edges. Solution The idea is to break-down the problem by classifying the networks as essentially series and essentially parallel networks. An essentially series network is a network which can be broken down into two or more subnetworks in series. An essentially parallel network is a network which can be broken down into two or more subnetworks in parallel. By the duality of networks, it can be proved that the number of essentially series networks is equal to the number of essentially parallel networks. Thus for all n > 1, the number of networks in n edges is twice the number of essentially series networks. For n = 1, the number of networks is 1. Define as the number of series-parallel networks on n indistinguishable edges. as the number of essentially series networks. Then can be found out by enumerating the partitions of . Consider a partition, of n: Consider the essentially series networks whose components correspond to the partition above. That is the number of components with i edges is . The number of such networks can be computed as Hence where the summation is over all partitions, of n except for the trivial partition consisting of only n. This gives a recurrence for computing . Now can be computed as above. [TODO: Generating function for and are explained in the external links.] External links Asymptotic behavior of two-terminal series-parallel networks Category:Graph enumeration

Friday, 22 April 2016 Lark Productions seeking Canadian Artists to Cast in a new CBC series…. "... Lark is now casting Canadian artists for a groundbreaking CBC series that celebrates art in all its forms. They are looking for artists from a wide variety of media.Description – Lark Productions is searching for creative, confident, energetic artists looking to showcase their skills and talent on national TV. Lark is now casting Canadian artists for a groundbreaking CBC series that celebrates art in all its forms. They are looking for artists from a wide variety of media. From painters, sculptors and mixed media artists, to tattoo, pinata, graffiti, carving, clothing, and jewellery design, street chalk art, animators, toy or doll artisans. All creative media are accepted.Lark Productions wants to hear from you if :– You want an opportunity to showcase your talent on a televised, national stage– You have basic art skills– You are enthusiastic to take on an art challenge outside your specialized medium– You are comfortable on camera and have an outgoing personality– You aren't afraid to get a little competitive.Casting is currently open so apply today by sending your name, photo, bio, contact info and 2-3 samples of your artistic work to [email protected] Please include links to any relevant pages or media articles...."http://ebosscanada.com/classified/lark-productions-seeking-canadian-artists-to-cast-in-a-new-cbc-series.html Thursday, 21 April 2016 Yellowknife's "dark empty hole" a haven for the homeless Nearly one in five homeless in city's downtown core are Inuit JANE GEORGE "...YELLOWKNIFE — You don't have to go out of your way to find homeless people in the capital of the Northwest Territories.That's because Yellowknife's downtown core, which city councillors and developers call "a dark empty hole," has become a haven for the homeless.On April 20, when temperatures climbed to minus 5 C under sunny skies, many homeless people were hanging around the Yellowknife post office and in front of the Centre Square Mall on Franklin Avenue. [...]Nearly one in five homeless surveyed were Inuit, many from western Nunavut, most had lived in the city for more than 10 years, and, like Palluq, more than three in four had been homeless for more than 180 days.According to a similar 2014 survey of homelessness in Nunavut's three largest communities, the Government of Nunavut found fewer than 100 homeless Nunavummiut — a low number which many contested as being 10 times too low.If that survey was accurate, this would mean there are only a handful of homeless, like in Cambridge Bay, where the GN plans to spend $470,000 in 2016-17 on a homeless shelter.Some put the actual number of homeless closer to 400 in Yellowknife, where a one-bedroom rental apartment in the city centre costs $1,650 a month. [..]"There have always been people on the streets. But there weren't the numbers we have now — they're extremely visible," said Gino Pin, an architect whose company designed several buildings in Cambridge Bay, including the Kiilinik school, the new Nunavut Arctic College residence and the hamlet office.He's spearheaded the "Homeful Partnership" group in Yellowknife, which hopes to put money and energy go into a "housing first concept" instead of a downtown redevelopment beautification plan, which is also on the table.But that doesn't solve the root problems of the downtown or homelessness, Pin said, citing Homeful Partnership's motto: "homes for our homeless, a city safe for everyone and a healthy vibrant downtown core."With eight facilities for the homeless in Yellowknife, there is still not enough shelter for everyone, said Pin, who would like to see housing, perhaps with some form of supervision in place, built to take people off the city's cold streets...."http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674yellowknifes_dark_empty_hole_a_haven_for_the_homeless/ "…Housing as a Health Care Investment - Children's HealthWatchHousing as a Health Care Investment, is a new report released by the National Housing Conference that examines research conducted by Children's HealthWatch. The findings show that homelessness and unstable or unaffordable housing can harm the health of vulnerable infants and young children and contribute to higher health care spending.Previous research from Children's HealthWatch demonstrated the harmful impact homelessness has on the health of young children and that the negative health outcomes are compounded when a mother is homeless both before and after her child is born. New findings from Children's HealthWatch researchers show affordable and stable housing made possible through rental assistance is associated with better health outcomes for infants in vulnerable families. …"http://homelesshub.ca/resource/housing-health-care-investment-affordable-housing-supports-children%E2%80%99s-health Monday, 18 April 2016 "...just over 3000 homeless people in Montreal.." in percentage/per capita, I wonder how that compares with Yellowknife eh? "...Serge Lareault will be the voice of the city's over three thousand homeless people, identify their needs and create strategies to meet them, acting as a consultant, policy maker and a liaison for the city. Lareault has been working on homelessness issues for the past 20 years - he headed up the community group L'itinéraire which also publishes the magazine of the same name. [...] Lareault said among his goals is to educate people about the homeless and to train city workers including police on how to deal with them. "It's sure that in a city like Montreal, the relations are really not good. It's important to develop a vision at the SPVM to be sure that they are there to help the homeless and not to arrest them," said Lareault. Pierre Gaudreau, coordinator for the RAPSIM homeless advocacy group, said it's a good step towards solving the myriad issues facing those living on the street. "It's complementary with the action of the city services," said Gaudreau. Arlene Hache's comments https://www.facebook.com/ArleneHache/posts/10153830632920141?fref=nf&pnref=story"…I am not sure if violence in the downtown has worsened in the last three months or not, but I have certainly seen people of all ages being attacked, harassed and frightened by the violence going on around them, in the mall and other parts of the downtown. There have been assaults and sexual assaults in broad daylight and some of those have been "random acts of violence toward strangers" who just happened to be walking down the street. Regardless, residents who witness downtown violence have a right to be in a public environment free of violence and fear. All Yellowknifers, including the marginalized and vulnerable women and men downtown who are seen to be the problem deserve to feel and more importantly be safe. The suggestion that downtown violence is to be tolerated because the people involved know each other and it is just an escalated argument is a mischaracterization. It is also misplaced, disregarding, discriminatory, offensive and dangerous. It is the acceptance of violence as the norm that contributes to the downtown problem and is a key reason it has escalated over the years. The RCMP, the City of Yellowknife and some service providers have taken the position that the downtown problem is one of addictions rather than one of violence and it has served to muddy the waters - leaving Yellowknifers frustrated, angry and at risk. It has led residents, particularly those who are homeless and marginalized to believe that they are unprotected and so need to protect themselves because no-one else will. In my experience, there is a stark difference between managing addictions and managing violence. If we don't get that straight, all residents of Yellowknife will continue to be at risk. When I was the Executive Director of the emergency shelter for women who were homeless, we housed women who were intoxicated to make sure they were safe and didn't freeze. They were incredible women with a superior level of strength, courage and pure determination that many people failed to recognize or honour. The women withstood inhumane levels of violence and victimization from childhood onward and were far more at risk of being assaulted and violated than they were of assaulting others. Having said that, on occasion some of the women responding from trauma exhibited threatening and violent behaviour that was self-harming or targeted other residents and staff. In those instances, the RCMP were called to intervene because keeping the community safe is exactly their job. I took the position that the women could return the very next day if they were stabilized and able to not threaten others. In the 25 years I was at the Centre only three were not able to return for long periods of time because of a long-established pattern of violent behaviour - a pretty amazing outcome when you consider some women who stayed at the Centre were refused admittance to Stanton Hospital and even the Fort Smith Women's Correctional Centre because they were considered too high-risk. Over the years, many of the RCMP responded quickly understanding how risky the shelter environment was with only one person on staff. Others refused in spite of the risk, waiting for the fatal blow before agreeing to show up. One night I had to leave my house and threaten to sit my ass at the RCMP detachment until they agreed to remove a woman with a long history of violence from the shelter who was threatening staff and other residents. Bardak says that having a roundtable for discussing these issues is missing, but in fact there have been multitudes of navel-gazing roundtable discussions on homelessness, addictions and mental health issues over the past two decades. The City of Yellowknife disbanded one of those roundtables to establish a Community Advisory Board because they didn't like what they heard at the table and decided to go it on their own. The Yellowknife Homeful demanded housing NOW for homeless individuals two years ago, but did little more than join in the navel gazing exercise. What Yellowknifers and taxpayers across the North really need to consider is this: A ton of health and social programs that purport to meet the needs of Northerners with addictions, mental illness and other social issues that contribute to homelessness have been established, but do they work or contribute to the problem? The former Minister of Justice Dave Ramsay who was sent packing said the justice system in the North was the best in Canada. The current Minister of Health and Social Services Glen Abernethy who should have been sent packing claimed the same about health services in the North. So, according to those two leaders - no see, no hear, no do. In terms of Yellowknife, there are five emergency shelters, one for men, one for women, one for families, one for women and families fleeing violence and one for youth. There are three transition houses, one for men, one for families and one for women fleeing violence - none for the women housed at the Centre for Northern Families. The Bailey House operated by the Salvation Army and Lynn's Place operated by the YWCA were given mortgage-free buildings worth millions of $$ by the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition. Both organizations receive $200,000 core funding each year to provide wrap-around services to tenants and both charge them between $900 - $1,700 a month in rent. Both organizations established rules that prevented the people they said they served from accessing their services and both lobbied to be excluded from the Residential Tenancies Act so they could evict people without cause and without notice. In fact, the Bailey House was half-empty for years as a result of the rules. The City of Yellowknife lobbied to establish a day shelter where people who are intoxicated could go during the day, but many of the people hanging out in the banks and post office say they are banned from going to the facility. No doubt because they were violent, but then what do you expect when people under the influence are gathered together under one roof. The day shelter concept is on its 4th version so what else do you need to know to tell you it is the wrong approach. Aside from the shelter and transition house, the Salvation Army is funded to delver a withdrawal management program for people with addictions and a residential program for people struggling with mental illness and mental health problems. Two of the women from the shelter at the Centre for Northern Families lasted a week before they were unceremoniously tossed to the street with their belongings packed in garbage bags. Then you have Stanton Territorial Hospital that either refuses to admit people with mental illness or boots them out within a day or two - in theory well enough to survive, but in reality killing themselves once they are out the door. In addition, the Tree of Peace offers addiction and wellness programs and has a complete monopoly on deciding who and when people will go for treatment. Yellowknife Health and Social Services has staff assigned to coordinate services for adult people with mental illness and disabilities and Family Counselling has a number of counsellors who won't get out of their office. There is also a healing program for men who use violence in relationships and a healing program for residential school survivors. Whew!!! Imagine what that looks like to MLAs outside of Yellowknife who have to explain to their constituents why there are no services in the smaller communities. Now for those who persistently portray that I am a complainer without offering solutions, I offer this: Make the services who have been given taxpayer $$ accountable for their non-service. The RCMP is not responsible for addressing addictions, but they are responsible for community safety. They need to step up and do their job…." Wednesday, 6 April 2016 Lakes near Yellowknife contaminated with arsenic, mercury years after mine closing by IVAN SEMENIUK - SCIENCE REPORTER - The Globe and Mail - Published Wednesday, Apr. 06, 2016 "… The Ottawa study includes data from 25 lakes within a 25-kilometre radius of Yellowknife. In some cases, it found arsenic concentrations in the water as high as 136 micrograms per litre – more than 13 times the recommended limit for drinking water and 27 times the level deemed adequate for the protection of aquatic life. The highest concentrations were found in lakes within four kilometres of the Giant Mine site. […] André Corriveau, the territory's chief public health officer, said he first learned of the findings last fall and has been gathering information for a public-health advisory, which he hopes to issue before the lakes thaw.Dr. Corriveau added that his concern about the potential health risk is "low but not zero," since it is unlikely that anyone would be drinking from the lakes on a regular basis. The lakes are not widely used for recreation, he said, and have only recently become more accessible because of a new road. But he said anyone who may be camping or fishing should be made aware of the contamination. […] Another surprising find relates to the elevated mercury levels in the lakes. The chief concern is not the total amount of mercury found, but the unusually high proportion that occurs as methyl mercury, a compound that is more deadly to humans than mercury alone. In lakes nearest the mines roaster, up to 44 per cent of the total mercury is in this form. The Ottawa researchers posit that bacteria living off sulphur emissions from the mine are responsible for converting mercury into methyl mercury.While environmental contamination from the Giant Mine, along with a smaller mine that closed in 1971, is not a new theme, most of the attention until now has been directed toward the mine sites rather than the surrounding region. […]Data from ongoing monitoring of 98 lakes by the territory has now been posted as an open file by the Northwest Territories Geological Survey."There's really been a ramping-up of research efforts," Dr. Palmer said, adding that a clearer picture of the extent and activity of the contaminants would be essential for determining what kind of risk they may pose.Adam Houben, a PhD student who is lead author on the study and who did much of the sampling and analysis of the lakes, said the findings offer an example of the unforeseen consequences that can arise from resource development, much of which takes place outside of the public's awareness."There are real impacts on communities and on the greater landscape as well," Mr. Houben said. …'http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/yellowknife-lake-has-high-levels-of-arsenic-mercury-years-after-mine-closure/article29544969/Factors Affecting Elevated Arsenic and Methyl Mercury Concentrations in Small Shield Lakes Surrounding Gold Mines near the Yellowknife, NT, (Canada) Region by Adam James Houben, Rebecca D'Onofrio, Steven V Kokelj, Jules M Blais Published: April 6, 2016http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150960NWT Open File 2015-06 The concentration of arsenic in lake waters of the Yellowknife areahttp://www.nwtgeoscience.ca/sites/default/files/nwt_open_file_2015-06.pdf Monday, 4 April 2016 Federal housing authority to address 'unique needs of housing in the North,' says CEO"...The federal budget allocated up to $177 million over two years, to provinces and territories through the Investment in Affordable Housing initiative: $8 million will go to Yukon, $12 million to the Northwest Territories and $76.7 million to Nunavut.The remaining funds will be spent to address housing in Nunavik ($50 million), the Inuvialuit Settlement Region ($15 million) and Nunatsiavut ($15 million).Overall, the federal budget proposes $2.3 billion in new spending to make housing more affordable for Canadians, with $739 million of that set aside for First Nations, Inuit and Northern housing."The state of the housing stock is abysmal," in First Nations communities, Siddall said. "The fact it exists in a country like ours is something we should be ashamed of."..."http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/housing-first-nations-cmhc-federal-budget-1.3520115 Saturday, 2 April 2016 3rd Anti-Poverty Roundtable wraps up YELLOWKNIFE (March 31, 2016) - Representatives from the GNWT, Aboriginal governments, communities, non-government organizations and businesses met in Yellowknife this week to continue collaborative efforts to identify and implement effective solutions to combat poverty in the Northwest Territories. They shared success stories, provided updates and set shared priorities for the coming year. The Roundtable focused on the five pillars from the Anti-Poverty Strategic Framework: Children and Family Support Healthy Living and Reaching our Potential Safe and Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities Integrated Continuum of Services The Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan is intended to be a living document. The Roundtable was structured to build on successes and set priorities for the upcoming year. Roundtable discussions will form the basis of the Progress Report and ‎update to the Territorial Anti-Poverty Action Plan. Quotes "Eliminating poverty is a shared responsibility. This is why it is important to have these annual roundtables as it provides an opportunity for all of us to share successes and set attainable measures for the coming year to help us achieve our goal." – Glen Abernethy, Minister of Health and Social Services\ Quick Facts Working Together – An Action Plan to Reduce and Eliminate Poverty in the NWT was tabled June 1, 2015, in the Legislative Assembly. GNWT Anti-Poverty Action Plan Building on the Strengths of Northerners 2014/15-2015/16 was tabled in October 2013. Building on the Strengths of Northerners: A Strategic Framework toward the Elimination of Poverty in the NWT was tabled in June 2013. The GNWT allocates $500,000 annually from the Anti-Poverty Fund to Aboriginal, regional, and community-based groups for projects to fight poverty.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ballast distributing system for utilization with hopper bottom bulk material transporting railway car, and more particularly, to a ballast distributing system including a plow capable of vertical adjustment to ride along the top of the rail to sweep ballast from the rail surface. 2. Description of the Prior Art Ballast distributing machines have been in use for some years for distributing ballast evenly along a railroad roadbed. The method has been accomplished by the utilization of a plow attached to one end of a railroad vehicle which is capable of spreading the ballast laterally across the roadbed while the associated vehicle is travelling along the track. The ballast is transported and distributed from a railroad car designed specifically for such operations. A separate railroad vehicle is typically used to level the ballast, with the spreading system formed by a railroad tie fixed to the front of the vehicle. A ballast regulator comprising a ballast plow arrangement mounted on a machine frame between two undercarriages supporting respective ends of the machine frame for mobility on a railroad track is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,160. The plow arrangement disclosed therein comprises a vertically adjustable center plow with plowshares pivotal for adjustment about a vertical axis to enable the ballast to be redistributed in any desired manner over the entire width of the ballast bed in a single pass of the machine. Laterally and vertically adjustable shoulder plowshares are associated with the center plow at each side of the machine frame for suitably shaping the ballast shoulders. A ballast storage silo is arranged on the machine frame between the rear undercarriage and the center plow, the silo having hydraulically operable ballast discharge opening means at an underside thereof so that ballast stored in the silo may be discharged onto the ballast bed in any track section which has too little ballast. While such a ballast plow enables the amount of ballast along the track to be equalized, the small storage capacity of the silo leads to relatively short track sections having either too little or too much ballast after a certain number of such track sections have been plowed.

A while ago I finally caved and bought the shiny, voiced, HD remake of Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge on Steam. The recent round of Q&As and interviews with the Portal 2 writing team (where they reveal that the writers actually cued up the recorded voice performances in the game themselves, to ensure that the comedic/dramatic timing worked as intended) has reminded me about it, and the specific reasons in which I think LucasArts unfortunately screwed it up. (TANGENT: If you haven’t played Monkey Island 2 before, I would strongly recommend playing the original DOS version of the game through SCUMMVM before the Special Edition. Also, I’m only referring to the PC version of the Special Edition here. The quality varies widely between platforms. The iOS port in particular is almost unplayable – omitting the developers’ commentary, bonus galleries and even the intro, trashing the classic mode’s graphics, making dialogue unskippable and failing to support task switching – glaring flaws which almost all iOS reviewers ignored. A low price doesn’t excuse shoddy work, especially when compared to the polish evident in similar remakes, such as Broken Sword. TANGENT ENDS.) I approached this remake with some trepidation. Monkey Island 2 is my favourite of all the SCUMM games, and involves substantially more complexity and subtlety than any of its predecessors. LucasArts’s previous attempt at reviving a SCUMM game (the original Secret of Monkey Island) was a disaster. The new artwork was sloppy, seemingly only included to meet console marketing requirements, and couldn’t be switched off without also disabling the voice acting. It was rushed out and it showed. In fairness, a lot of things work well in the sequel. The animation is smoother without looking out of place. The new backgrounds are attractive and in keeping with the tone of the original game. There are still a few areas where incongruous Sam & Max / DOTT-style chunky cartoon geometry creeps in, but on the whole the backgrounds are a vast improvement over the MS Paint travesties of the first Monkey Island remake. The re-recorded music is superb, and the voice acting is solid (if unspectacular). (One part I particularly enjoyed was the party-goers’ conversations in the Governor’s Mansion scene, which are easy to miss altogether in the text-only version.) The developers’ commentary is entertaining (although there’s not nearly enough of it) and the bonus galleries are a… nice… bonus, including lots of original background drawings and even some areas cut from the game. There are however several significant problems, each of which hint at either a lack of respect for the source material or a failure to grasp why the game is so fondly remembered by fans. All of the characters in the game have been redesigned to a greater or lesser extent. While it’s understandable that a lot of new work had to be done to replace the very small, pixelated sprites of the original game, this does not excuse the radical shift in art style. A large amount of concept artwork exists (much of it by Steve Purcell) that shows the style the original team were going for, including the excellent cover painting (which in a particularly needless act of hubris, the Special Edition replaces with a version drawn in its ugly new style). Worst of all, Guybrush and LeChuck are completely changed from their original designs, bringing them into line with the style used in the later 3D games, where they were completely different characters to the ones in Monkey Island 2. This is rather like going back to the Sean Connery 007 films and CGI’ing in Daniel Craig (or more accurately Roger Moore). (Or retrofitting Hayden Christensen into Return of the Jedi – hmm, perhaps I’ve not picked the best company to upbraid about faithfulness to their source material.) This piece by Richard Cobbett goes into detail about why Monkey Island 2 was not a zany cartoony comedy game. In the original game, practically any time LeChuck appeared on screen it was unsettling – the funereal MIDI music, LeChuck’s deliberate, shambling gate and expression of pure malevolence (how did they make a face smaller than a favicon emote that it wanted to hate you to death?) and the imminent (and ultimately realised) threat of physical harm combining to put the player on edge. In the Special Edition he’s a scenery-chewing pantomime villain. The game’s atmosphere, as well as many of the visual and verbal jokes, were crucially dependent on the character design. Even the posture of the characters is important. The original, realistically proportioned Guybrush, who slouches and moves like a graceless teenager, and who is seldom stretched and squashed like a Looney Tunes character (and who delivers text dialogue ‘deadpan’, purely through stance and timing) is a different, funnier, more charming character than the one presented by this remake. (There are also several changes to the script. Most are probably to remove legally protected brand names and don’t adversely affect the game, but I’m pedantic enough to mention it.) But the final, deal-breaking thing that MI2:SE gets wrong, and the thing that makes me urge prospective players to play through the original version first, is the implementation of the cut-scenes. When the original game came out 20 years ago, every cut-scene was a big deal for the player, the payoff for their hard work. Here were little computer sprites acting out a dramatic scene, with bespoke animations, special effects and even cutaways to different scenes. And because they required so much painstaking work to build, the timing of the dialogue, animations and music cues was extremely refined. So it’s quite a shame that the special edition manages with almost uncanny consistency to fuck up the pivotal moment(s) in every cut-scene. Tedious examples: 1. Guybrush starting to strip off to put on his fancy dress costume is the setup to him standing partly disrobed and blushing, an effect that’s absent from the ‘enhanced’ version. 2. The grave-robbing scene works in the original game because Guybrush’s gesture of triumph (and pants falling down) are only revealed when lightning illuminates the scene, lost here by the lighting being fudged. 3. The dream sequence is denied its shock dramatic climax by removing the jump-cut from the red-tinted dream world to normally-lit reality (replacing it with a slow fade effect that diffuses the tension and makes no narrative sense). 4. Any scene which involves ‘speeded up’ action for comedic (or simply time-saving) effect, such as nailing Stan into the coffin, reviving Rapp Scallion, or playing the Wheel of Fortune game, inexplicably plays these animations at a crawlingly slow speed. I can only imagine how infuriating this would make the latter puzzle if the player didn’t know the solution in advance. None of these things would have been difficult to get right. These are the parts of the game that players remember as being funny and cinematically well observed, and not the script, which even the biggest Monkey Island fan would concede is mostly doggerel and filler. What LucasArts should have given us was a restoration of Monkey Island 2, not a remake shorn of its contemporary strengths. The backgrounds could have been repainted (rendered, photographed…) with the full range of modern tools, instead of aiming for the bar set by late-1990s point and clickers. Characters could have been redrawn in Purcell’s art style – and if traditional cel is too expensive to animate, stylised renders would do, as long as they looked like ink and paint instead of something out of an early PS2 game. As the game has made LucasArts a ton of money regardless of these issues, I doubt anything will ever get done about them, but I hold out hope that perhaps some hobbyist will import the good bits of the special edition into SCUMMVM, while trimming out the worst of the broken bits. Phew. I’m glad to finally get that rant off my chest, and promise to now stop boring innocent people with it at industry functions.

UPDATE: Easton wanted to move Da Vinci Science City, not kill it, mayor says The planned Da Vinci Science City won’t be built in Easton’s Downtown, Da Vinci Science Center’s CEO said Wednesday afternoon in a news release. Lin Erickson, who is also executive director of the Allentown-based organization, said it decided to look elsewhere after “learning from the City of Easton of its intention to rescind its previous financial commitment to support the project and to provide the Easton-owned site on Third Street.” Easton bought and tore down the Days Inn at South Third Street and Larry Holmes Drive and had invested nearly $6 million in what could have been $30 million in city money for the proposed educational venue. The organization will “remain steadfast in our commitment and vision for a new major science center,” Erickson said. Da Vinci Science Center has “generous support” from the state, Northampton County and community leaders as well as Da Vinci staff and board members, Erickson said. “We’ve made significant progress toward the planning and fundraising for the project which can be transferred and adapted to a new site,” Erickson said. Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr., who has championed for the project, could not immediately be reached for comment. His office said he will give a full update at Wednesday night’s city council meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. Panto, who won the Democratic mayoral nomination on Tuesday, said in February he was running again to see through certain projects, including the science education facility. The city and the center had been trying to come to terms on a developers agreement, which had been delayed. Panto in March said there were limits to the city’s commitment to the project. “We’ve said from the very beginning to Da Vinci and to the public we will not support that project if it doesn’t give back enough to the city to pay the debt service,” Panto said last week. “The city taxpayers are not going to pay for a science center to be in our city. We’ve said that from day one. We think we’ve worked a deal out that does that. They have to agree to it.” To be economically feasible, Da Vinci would have had to generate at least 400,000 visitors a year, Panto has said; a marketing study predicts it would’ve surpassed that, bringing in as many as 635,000 visitors a year. Da Vinci Science Center, based in Allentown, was working to open the Easton facility in 2022. City Councilman and Vice Mayor Peter Melan said the impact of the loss of the venue will likely be “minimal” to the city because “the land will be very attractive for developers.” He had soured on the project in recent months after not getting straight answers from Erickson to what he said were “very pointed questions.” Melan voted against extending the temporary agreement until June 30 while the permanent one was being negotiated. He said Erickson’s projections of “visitorship” were “completely off base,” the construction costs were “astronomical” and she “wasn’t up front about who the donors were.” Efforts to reach Erickson to respond were unsuccessful on Wednesday afternoon. He said he learned about Da Vinci pulling out from a reporter. City council, of which the mayor is the president, wasn’t advised either in public or in executive session that the city was withdrawing its support, he said. “The administration to me has really gone awry with this decision without even consulting with us,” Melan said. That lack of communication is “a huge issue for me,” he added. “It’s unconscionable what happened just now. … They should have spoken to us about this. … It’s infuriating.” With city council meeting Wednesday evening, Melan said residents shouldn’t be surprised if members are asked to formally support the decision to leave the project, even though it’s not on the agenda. Tony Rhodin may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Finally, hard proof that cats have been acting like jerks since at least Roman times! Recently, an archaeologist at the Gloucester City Museum was examining a Roman roof tile from 100 C.E. when he noticed it had a cat’s paw print on it. This “tegula” tile was dug up in Berkeley Street in 1969. “When Romans made roof tiles they left the wet clay out to dry in the sun,” said a museum spokesman. “Animals, and people, sometimes walked across the drying tiles and left their footprints behind. The cat is thought to have snuck across the wet tiles in Gloucester in about AD 100, probably at the annoyance of the tile makers…” David Rice, curator at Gloucester City Museum, told Discovery News that he believes that there are more cat paw prints found on ancient Roman tiles in Britain than anywhere else in the Roman Empire. Another example of cat’s just being jerks? Or did they have something against the British? More info: venues.gloucester.gov.uk (h/t: twistedsifter, telegraph) This Roman roof tile with a cat’s paw imprint is from around 100 C.E. Image credits: Gloucester City Museum It is one of the oldest examples of cat “Vandalism” in the U.K. Image credits: Gloucester City Museum This one was discovered in Washington State, and must have come to the New World by ship long ago Image credits: Fort Vancouver Historical National Historic Site Even this document, from March 11th, 1445, fell prey to the inky paws of a cat! Image credits: Emir O. Filipovic

1250 words Racial differences in body fat are clear to the naked eye: black women are more likely to carry more body fat than white women; Mexican American women are more likely to carry more body fat than white women, too. Different races/ethnies/genders of these races/ethnies have different formulas to assess body fat through the use of skin-folds. The sites to grasp the skin is different based on gender and race. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference is overestimated in blacks, which means that they need different formulas to assess their BMI and adiposity/lean mass. Race-specific formulas/methods are needed to assess body fat and, along with it, disease risk, since blacks are more likely to be obese (black women, at least, it’s different with black American men with more African ancestry, see below). The fact of the matter is, when matched on a slew of variables, blacks had lower total and abdominal fat mass than whites. This is even noted in Asian, black and white prepubertal children. He et al (2002) show that sex differences in body fat distribution are present in children who have yet to reach puberty and the differences in body fat in Asians is different than that from blacks and whites which also varies by sex. Asian girls had greater gynoid fat by DXA scan only, with girls having greater gynoid fat than boys. Asian girls had lower adjusted extremity fat and gynoid fat compared to white and black girls. Though, Asian boys had a lower adjusted extremity by fat as shown by DXA (a gold standard in body fat measurement) when compared to whites, but greater gynoid fat than whites and blacks. Vickery, Cureton, and Collins, (1988), Wagner and Heyward (2000), and Robson, Bazin, and Soderstrom (1971) show that there are considerable body composition differences between blacks and whites. These differences in body composition come down to diet, of course, but there is also a genetic/physiologic component there as well. Combining the known fact that skin-fold testing is not conducive to a good estimate, black American men with more African ancestry are less likely to be obese. Vickery, Cureton, and Collins (1988) argue that, if accurate estimates of body fat percentages are to be obtained, race-specific formulas need to be developed and used as independent variables to assess racial differences in body fat percentage. Differences in muscularity don’t seem to account for these skinfold differences, nor does greater mesomorphy. One possible explanation for differences in skinfold thickness is that blacks may store most of their body fat subcutaneously. (See Wagner and Heyward, 2000 for a review on fat patterning and body composition in blacks and whites.) The often-used Durnin-Womersley formula which is used to predict body fat just from skin folds. However, “The 1974 DW equations did not predict %BF(DXA) uniformly in all races or ethnicities” (Davidson et al, 2011). Truesdale et al (2016) even show that numerous formulas used to estimate percent body fat are flawed, even some formulas used on different races. Most of the equations tested showed starkly different conclusions. But, this is based on NHANES data and the only data they provide regarding skin-folds is the tricep and subscapular skinfold so there may still be more problems with all of the equations used to assess body fat percentage between races. (Also see Cooper, 2010.) Klimentidis et al (2016) show that black men—but not black women—seem to be protected against obesity and central adiposity (fat gain around the midsection) and that race negatively correlated with adiposity. The combo of male gender and West African ancestry predicted low levels of adiposity compared to black Americans with less African ancestry. Furthermore, since black men and women have—theoretically—the same SES, then cultural/social factors would not play as large a role as genetic factors in explaining the differences in adiposity between black men and black women. Black men with more African ancestry had a lower WHR and less central adiposity than black men with less African ancestry. If we assume that they had similar levels of SES and lived in similar neighborhoods, there is only one reason why this would be the case. Klimentidis et al (2016) write: One interpretation is that AAs are exposed to environmental and/or cultural factors that predispose them to greater obesity than EAs. Possibly, some of the genes that are inherited as part of their West-African ancestry are protective against obesity, thereby “canceling out” the obesifying effects of environment/culture, but only in men. Another interpretation is that genetic protection is afforded to all individuals of African descent, but this protection is overwhelmed by cultural and/or other factors in women. Black men do, as is popularly believed, prefer bigger women over smaller women. For example, Freedman et al (2004) showed that black American men were more likely to prefer bigger women. Black American men “are more willing to idealize a woman of a heavier body size, with more curves, than do their White American counterparts” (Freedman et al, 2004: 197). It is then hypothesized that black American men find these figures attractive (figures with “more curves” (Freedman et al, 2004: 197)) to protect against eating pathologies, such as anorexia and bulimia. So, it has been established that black men have thinner skin folds than whites which leads to skewed lean mass/body fat readings and black men with more African ancestry are less likely to be obese. These average differences between races, of course, contribute to differing disease acquisition. I have covered differences in body fat in a few Asian ethnies and have come to the obvious conclusion: Asians, at the same height, weight etc as whites and blacks, will have more adipose tissue on their bodies. They, too, like blacks and whites, have different areas that need to be assessed for skin folds to estimate body fat. Henriques (2016: 29) has a table on the equations for calculating estimated body density from skin fold measures from various populations. Of interest are the ones on blacks or ‘Hispanics‘, blacks or athletes and blacks and whites. (The table is provided from NSCA, 2008 so the references are not in the back of the text.) For black and ‘Hispanic’ women aged 18-55 years, the sites to use for skin-folds are the chest, abdomen, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac, midaxillary, and the thigh. For blacks or athletes aged 18-61 years, the sites to use are the same as before (but a different equation is used for body fat estimation). For white women or anorexic women aged 18-55, the sites used are just triceps, suprailiac and the thigh. For black and white boys aged 6-17, only the triceps and the calf is used. It is the same for black and white girls, but, again, a different formula is used to assess body fat (Henriques, 2016: 29). Morrison et al (2012) showed that white girls had a higher percent body fat when compared to black girls at ages 9-12 but every age after, black girls had higher percent body fat (which is related to earlier menarche in black girls since they have higher levels of body fat which means earlier puberty; Kaplowitz, 2008). Black girls, though, had higher levels of fat in their subscapular skin folds than white girls at all ages. So, it seems, there are population-/race-specific formulas that need to be created to better assess body fat percentage in different races/ethnies and not assume that one formula/way of assessing body fat should be used for all racial/ethnic groups. According to the literature (some reviewed here and in Wagner and Heyward, 2000), these types of formulas are sorely needed to better assess health markers in certain populations. These differences in body fat percentage and distribution then have real health consequences for the races/ethnies in question.

PROVO — In the latest update to a yearslong copyright dispute with a group of heavyweight Hollywood studios, video filtering service VidAngel is hanging its hopes on an act of Congress following a series of additional legal setbacks this week. In the meantime, however, the company could be looking at potentially tens of millions in damages following this week's rulings. The most damning action may be a summary judgement issued Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge André Birotte Jr. in favor of the plaintiffs group that includes Disney, Lucasfilm (a subsidiary of Disney), 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. In his ruling, Birotte wrote that VidAngel is liable for copyright infringement, violated the plaintiffs' public performance rights, dismissed VidAngel's arguments that its filtering service was protected by the 2005 Family Movie Act, and found that the company failed to make a viable argument based on fair use law. "Upon review of the record, the court finds that there are no triable issues of material fact because VidAngel either admitted all of the material facts, or its purported factual disputes are not genuine," Birotte wrote. "In addition, VidAngel cannot avoid the questions of law that this court and the 9th Circuit resolved against it. Thus, plaintiffs are entitled to summary adjudication that VidAngel is liable for copyright infringement and for violating the (Digital Millennium Copyright Act)." In a statement, VidAngel CEO Neal Harmon said his company, which offers a service that filters out content of movies and television shows that may be objectionable to some viewers like nudity, profanity and violence, wasn't done contesting the legality of their business model, in spite of the court's findings. “Today’s rulings have rendered the 2005 Family Movie Act meaningless, subverting the will of the people as expressed through their elected representatives in Congress," Harmon said. "We are renewing our call for leaders in Washington, D.C., to take decisive action to preserve the right they intended to afford families by passing the Family Movie Act Clarification bill, first introduced last year. "And as we've promised, we intend to fight this battle until the rights of families are secure for the 21st century.” Other actions taken by the court this week include dismissal of VidAngel's request to modify an injunction issued by the court the prohibits the company from filtering content created by the plaintiffs. While the current court case is focused on VidAngel's prior practice of de-encrypting DVDs as part of its filtering process, the company switched to a method in 2017 the performs the filtering tasks, as determined by customers, to content from licensed video streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix. VidAngel requested the court lift the injunction as it applies to filtering works from the plaintiff studios that are streamed by the licensed services, but the court rejected that request. The argument over the legality of VidAngel's filtering service first surfaced in 2016 and has included multiple rulings by various courts, as well as a bankruptcy filing by the company in the midst of the legal wrangling. • June 2016: Plaintiffs' group files complaint against VidAngel, claiming the service is unlawfully reproducing copyrighted works owned by the studios. Plaintiffs claim VidAngel's business model is "cutting out payments to copyright owners" and unlawfully releasing videos before they're available on licensed streaming services. • December 2016: A California U.S. District Court judge issues an injunction barring VidAngel from unlicensed streaming of works created by the plaintiff studios. • June 2017: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirms the lower courts injunction, denying VidAngel's challenge. • June 2017: VidAngel switches business models from ripping, then streaming, filtered DVDs to filtering movies from licensed streaming services. • August 2017: VidAngel files lawsuit in Utah federal court, seeking potential declaratory relief. • October 2017: VidAngel files for bankruptcy, seeking protection from creditors including, according to filings, its own customers. • January 2019: VidAngel seeks a modification to original injunction, allowing the company to filter content from plaintiff studios via licensed streaming services. The court has also ordered VidAngel to make Harmon available to the plaintiff's counsel for a deposition on March 11 and, according to a blog entry posted Friday afternoon by Harmon, a hearing is scheduled on June 11 to make a determination as to damages. Harmon listed the following potential recovery amounts, and noted that just one of the plaintiffs, Disney, says VidAngel illegally accessed some 800 titles. • Innocent Infringement: Roughly $200 per title • Ordinary Infringement: Between $750 and $30,000 per title • Willful Infringement: Between $30,000 and $150,000 damages per title Harmon also mentions VidAngel's unresolved Chapter 11 proceeding, and said he expects a weigh-in from the bankruptcy court following the final determination of damages.

This weekend, we finally got a look at the DC Nation project that I've been most excited about, Lauren Faust's Super Best Friends Forever. In the debut short, Faust -- whose previous credits include Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic -- brings about as much charm and cuteness as it's possible to cram into 76 seconds, and the end result is pretty darn fun. Read more for the full animated short! For such a short, uh, short, there's an awful lot of stuff to like about SBFF. My favorite bit is how well the characters are immediately formed, from the serious, honor-bound Wonder Girl to the excitable Batgirl to the surprisingly mischievous Supergirl. It's even reinforced in the character designs themselves, with Wonder Girl's face being all right angles and Batgirl's being round and bubbly and frequently host to truly gigantic eyes. It's also worth noting that Faust manages to boil down Wonder Girl, one of the most improbably complex characters in the history of comics, into a pretty simple all-you-really-need-to-know form that works pretty well. "You know Wonder Woman? Well, this is her sister. Let's move on." It's also a nice switch from what you might expect. Over at io9, Lauren Davis makes the comment that she "expected Batgirl to be Twilight Sparkle, but she's totally a Pinkie Pie," which is a pretty fair assessment. For me, though, the character archetypes on display are most closely related to the Powerpuff Girls, with the hair colors swapped. Wonder Girl is Blossom, Batgirl as Bubbles and Supergirl as Buttecup. If they end up fighting a fast-talking Gorilla Grodd who refers to himself in the third person a lot, the connection will be complete. I'm honestly curious as to whether or not each one will be a stand-alone gag or if the next one will continue the story of the Invisible Plane Burrito Run. Either way, it's a great little piece of animation, and I can't wait for more. And if you feel the same, keep an eye on Cartoon Network's DC Nation block, every Saturday at 10 AM.

Von: Von SÖREN HABERLANDT Hamburg – Die Schule ist aus, Luca (12, Name geändert) und ein Freund gehen von der Stadtteilschule Horn noch schnell zum Kiosk. Doch auf dem Weg werden sie überfallen. Der Angreifer fordert Handys und Geld, sticht dann mit einem Messer auf seine Opfer ein. DER TÄTER IST SELBST NOCH EIN KIND! Luca bekommt die Bilder nicht mehr aus dem Kopf, wie ihn sein türkischstämmiger Klassenkamerad Ahmed (12, Name geändert) bedroht: „Er hielt mir ein Klappmesser an die Brust. Als ich mein Handy nicht rausgab, stach er sofort zu. Ich wurde vier Mal in die Leiste getroffen.“ Das Smartphone in der Hosentasche hält die Klinge auf. Lucas Kumpel wehrt mit bloßen Händen Stiche auf Brusthöhe ab. Am Ende müssen sich die Jungs hinlegen, der Täter tritt zu und sammelt doch noch die Handys ein. Lucas Vater Toni (45) alarmiert sofort die Polizei. Acht Beamte durchsuchen noch am selben Tag die Täter-Wohnung und finden das Tat-Messer. Die Polizei bestätigt gegenüber BILD den Vorgang. Ein Sprecher: „Die Ermittlungen laufen noch.“ Und die Schule? „Die tat gar nichts! Die haben doch selber Schiss,“ klagt Vater Toni. Zwar wird der minderjährige Täter für elf Tage suspendiert, kehrt aber in eine Parallelklasse zurück, das Pausenhofverbot wird nicht kontrolliert. Ahmed ist kein unbeschriebenes Blatt. Eine Woche vor der Tat soll er schon mit einer täuschend echt aussehenden Pistole auf dem Schulhof erschienen sein, und gedroht haben, Lehrer zu erschießen. Auch vorher gab es wohl schon öfter Stress. Fast zwei Monate nach der Tat handelt die Schule doch noch. Ahmed wurde versetzt, besucht nun eine andere Schule. Für Luca eine Erleichterung. Doch das Problem ist damit wohl nur verlagert. Die Top-Geschichten aus Hamburg und Umgebung findet ihr auf Facebook, Twitter und natürlich auf hamburg.bild.de.

The overall objective of the proposed research is to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms of two genetically related, but functionally different, lysosomal glycosidases, alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A) and alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (alpha-Gal B) by characterization of their respective structural domains, enzyme complexes, and deficiency diseases. To facilitate these studies, we 1) isolated and characterized the full-length human and murine cDNAs and the complete human genomic sequences encoding alpha-Gal A and alpha-Gal B, 2) developed methods for their high-level eukaryotic expression and purification, 3) identified a variety of mutations that result in their respective lysosomal disorders, Fabry and Schindler diseases. We propose to determine the structures of these two remarkably homologous glycosidases whose genes presumably evolved by duplication and diverged to have different substrate specificities, stabilities and N-linked oligosaccharide chains. Large amounts of recombinant alpha-Gal A and alpha-Gal B will be produced and purified for crystallization and solution of their 3D structures, and for the biochemical and computer-assisted analyses of their respective structural domains, including N-glycosylation sites and the oligosaccharide structures of each, galactose recognition and catalytic residues in active site domains, cysteines in disulfide bridges, and subunit association domains. To investigate the metabolic and cellular pathologies of these inborn errors of glycolipid and glycoprotein metabolism, alpha-Gal A or alpha-Gal B deficient mice will be generated using murine genomic constructs altered for homologous recombination in ES cells followed by blastocyst implantation. Characterization of the biochemical, morphologic and pathophysiologic alterations in the animal models may provide insights into the pathogenesis of their respective human lysosomal disease. Finally, the role of alpha-Gal B in neuroaxonal transport will be explored by determining the alpha-Gal B distribution in neural tissues, characterizing the effect of alpha-Gal B inhibition on axonal transport in sciatic nerve preparations, and studies of alternative alpha-Gal B substrate specificities (e.g., alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminylphosphate-linked residues involved in neural-specific cell-cell adhesion. These studies should provide fundamental understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of these two related glycosidases in health and disease.

Q: O que significa Cross-Domain? Procurando sobre o assunto, ouvi dizer que Cross-Domain é uma interação entre domínios diferentes. Inclusive, encontrei uma pergunta semelhante no próprio SOPT, conforme link abaixo. Entretanto, o conceito em si não ficou claro na minha visão, pois apesar das perguntas serem semelhantes, o conteúdo/enfoque delas é diferente. O que significa o parâmetro crossDomain:false em Ajax? Afinal, conceitualmente falando, o que é Cross-Domain ? A: Cross-Domain Em uma página web, quando a janela pai contém um iFrame filho que está apontando para outro domínio, não há absolutamente nenhuma maneira de acessar o conteúdo desse iFrame filho. Por sua vez, o iFrame filho não pode acessar qualquer conteúdo da janela pai. Por conteúdo, quero dizer, usando algo parecido com o document.getElementId('frameid').forms[0] para obter uma referência a algum elemento, como um formulário. Existe apenas uma exceção a isso. Se dois domínios diferentes diferem somente em seu domínio sub-. Você pode usar JavaScript para definir os domínios dos frames para o domínio principal e, em seguida, os frames serão capazes de acessar o conteúdo de cada um. Se os frames estão no mesmo domínio e, então os frames podem aceder um ao outro. Para fazer isso, você deve obter uma referência para o elemento iFrame geralmente por meio do getElementId('frameid'). Então, existem duas maneiras de acessar o objeto da janela pelo o iFrame. A maneira antes do IE8 e a maneira normal. function getIframeWindow(iframeElement){ return iframeElement.contentWindow || iframeElement.contentDocument.parentWindow; } contentWindow é o que era fornecido pelos navegadores antes do IE8. contentDocument.parentWindow é o que existe nos navegadores modernos. Você pode então usar essa referência para manipular o DOM do iFrame tal como faria na janela principal. Alguns resources sobre isso: content document iFrames Comunicação entre frames em domínios diferentes Então a única coisa útil que realmente pode ocorrer entre 2 frames em domínios diferentes é a comunicação, um quadro enviando uma mensagem para outro quadro. Há muitas maneiras de fazer isso, mas a única certeza é que ambos os domínios tem que estar ciente do contrato de comunicação. Caso contrário, um frame enviaria uma mensagem para um outro e seria ignorado. Ou um frame estaria ouvindo uma mensagem nunca seria enviada. Comunicação entre domínios com servers diferentes Ao fazer uma solicitação HTTP em uma web page de um domínio para um servidor em outro domínio, as regras ainda são as mesmas: ambos os domínios tem que estar ciente do contrato de comunicação. Se ambos os domínios não concordar em enviar e aceitar um formato de mensagem, nada pode acontecer. Por exemplo: não é possível fazer um request para http://www.google.com (home page) com qualquer uma das seguintes técnicas e usar a informação que é recebida, porque o site www.google.com não está programado para saber sobre qualquer cliente específico que faz o pedido. Form Posting A maneira mais básica de enviar uma solicitação para um servidor a partir de um web site é através de um form post. É possível com o JavaScript adicionar programaticamente um iFrame para a janela pai. Nesse iFrame, você pode adicionar um formulário que aponta para outro domínio. Nesse form, você pode adicionar uma série de hidden inputs que representam a informação que você quer que seja enviada para o domínio. Você pode então enviar o form que irá fazer uma solicitação POST para esse domínio. Há um pequeno problema com isso. Quando o iFrame receber a resposta do outro domínio, restrições do site irão negar outro acesso e você não vai pode mais acessar o frame para obter qualquer informação que foi enviada de volta. Se você simplesmente precisa enviar informações, essa técnica resolve. JavaScript (JSONP) JSONP é limitado na medida em que só pode fazer requisições GET, não mensagens. Não há nenhuma maneira de um navegador fazer um POST para uma tag script. Além disso, arquivos de script em outro domínio não podem definir cookies para esse domínio. Ajax Ajax permite que você faça request assíncrona para o navegador. Mas esta técnica é a mais exigente para fazer a comunicação de cross domain. Por padrão, você não pode fazer uma solicitação Ajax para um domínio diferente da janela que é feita. A fim de fazer isso, você deve usar uma técnica chamada CORS. Este é um padrão oficial que está se tornando mais consistente em todos os navegadores. Mais uma vez, o mesmo princípio aplica-se aqui. Tanto o cliente e o servidor deve ter conhecimento um do outro, para que o canal de comunicação seja estabelecido. Ajax CORS tem uma vantagem sobre JSONP, em que ele pode fazer solicitações POST e o JSONP não. Exemplos de Cross Domain Você tem que se integrar com um serviço de terceiros (como um fórum) que tem uma API REST residente em uma origem diferente. Seus server-side services são hospedados em diferentes (sub) domínios. Sua lógica client-side é servida a partir de uma origem diferente do que seus endpoints lado do servidor.

Wire bondaged and trussed by means of her sir, a stellar Chinese gal is confined cock-squeezing by means of the wire. Youngster is confined within the air by means of the wire, together with her gams stretch widely opened after which elevated into the air confined by means of the straps. This mild wire restrain bondage vignette is a full gem

Fant grove lobrudd hos norske svinebønder Mattilsynet kritiserer grisehold i rapport Store kjøttsår, fastspent og utmagret. Det er noe av det Mattilsynet fant hos en av landets største svinebønder og hans to samarbeidspartnere. Linn K. Yttervik Øystein Larsen-Vonstett Monica Bring Estensen Oppdatert 4. april 2014 Artikkelen er over seks år gammel - Vi utførte tilsyn i fire besetninger som vi tok under ett fordi vi forsto det slik at det er en utstrakt utveksling av dyr dem i mellom. Vi fant mangler både når det gjaldt dyrehelse og dyrevelferd, sier Kirsti Ullsfoss, distriktsleder ved Mattilsynets distriktskontor for Indre Østfold og Follo, til VG. Det er hos svingiganten Henrik Mørk Eek og hans samarbeidspartnere Svein Engebretsen og Hamon Fabio Moaddab i Skiptvet i Østfold, at Mattilsynet har foretatt inspeksjoner. Tilsynet ble gjort på bakgrunn av en bekymringsmelding. Det var Nationen som omtalte saken først . Mattilsynet avslørte flere alvorlige brudd på dyrevelferdsloven da de besøkte gårdene i Østfold. Fastspent Hos Eek skal purkene ha vært fastspent uten lovlig grunn, ifølge Mattilsynet. - Et gjennomgående funn var fiksering av purker. Det vil si at de står så trangt at de bare kan stå eller legge seg. De har ikke mulighet til å snu seg, sier Ullsfoss. Dette ble forbudt for mange år siden. - Det kan gis tillatelse i enkelttilfeller, som for eksempel for å forhindre purka i å tråkke på grisungene under grising. Men det var hverken urolige dyr eller noe annet som skulle tilsi at de skulle stå slik, fortsetter hun. - Vi ønsker å fiksere minst mulig, men gjør det også av hensyn til dyrevelferd. Bingene vi har i dag fungerer for dårlig til løsgående drift, sier Ove Henrik Mørk Eek til VG. Han forteller at de er i ferd med å bygge ut grisehuset, som vil stå ferdig i løpet av året. - Vi må fiksere mer nå enn om vi hadde fått lov til å bygge i 2008 da vi først søkte om byggetillatelse, sier han. Mattilsynet fant blant annet ulovlig fastspente purker, magre purker og en pattegris med et gammelt, stor og dypt sår. Her er det dårlig renhold, kun strø i smågrishjørnet og ikke tørr og ren liggeplass. Foto: Mattilsynet - For tynne Mattilsynet mener også at Eeks purker ikke fikk nok mat. I rapporten står det ifølge Nationen, at grisene hans manglet for med høyt fiberinnhold og at flere av dem framsto som magre. - I den perioden purkene står i fødeavdelingen får de så mye for som de ønsker å spise, men likevel er det belastende for dyret å kunne fø frem så mange barn. I den forbindelse er det helt normalt at de blir noe tynnere og at de legger på seg etter at barna blir tatt fra dem, sier Eek. Ullsfoss sier til VG at et gjennomgående problem i besetningene var at grisene manglet merking. - Merking av dyr er viktig for å hindre smittespredning. Det er også viktig at dyrene følges opp med tanke på veterinær og dyresjekk, men det fantes ikke noe system som registrerte sykdom og behandling, sier hun. Det er viktig både for dyrets velferd og med tanke på slakting og eventuelle reststoffer i kjøttet. - Det ble avgjort at de ikke skulle merkes siden de kommer fra samme besetning. Derfor ble det vurdert at det ikke var nødvendig, men saksbehandleren som var her nå mente at det var det, svarer Eek. Blant landets største svinebønder Nationen skriver at Henrik Mørk Eek er en av Norges aller største svinebønder. I tillegg har han investert i store svinebesetninger i Latvia og Ukraina. Virksomheten i Norge og i utlandet er organisert i flere selskaper hvorav Mørk Engebretsen Invest as (MEI) er hovedselskapet. Eek har de siste ti årene vært involvert i flere rettssaker på grunn av måten han driver svineproduksjonen på. I fjor sommer fikk han en bot på tre millioner kroner for å ha overskredet makstallet på antall griser. Noen måneder senere fikk han i Borgarting lagmannsrett medhold i en sak om å få utvide grisehuset sitt i Skiptvet fra 1800 kvadratmeter til 3900 kvadramateter. Stort, åpent sår Hos Eeks nære samarbeidspartner og barndomsvenn, Svein Engebretsen, fant Mattilsynet en pattegris med et stort sår som var så dypt at det blottla muskulatur. Såret var tilgriset med fluer og størknet avføring. - Det var tydelig at det ikke var et nytt sår, men at den hadde gått slik ei stund. Det er klart det er en stor lidelse for dyret og et brudd vi ser alvorlig på. Dette dyret burde vært behandlet eller avlivet umiddelbart, sier Ullsfoss. - Den skulle vært avlivet, den var født med et hudløst parti. Den burde vært avlivet på et tidligere tidspunkt. Det er bare beklagelig at det har skjedd en glipp der, sier Engebretsen, til VG. Også her fant Mattilsynet purker som ble fastspent regelmessig, de fant farlige hull i gulvet og flere magre griser. - Jeg har tenkt å etterfølge deres krav, jeg driver med restaurering av nybygg slik at vi får mer ordning på det bygningsmessige, sier Engebretsen. - Det er normalt at det er noen tynne purker, det er slett ikke uvanlig. De får det de vil ha under dieperioden, noen av dem klarer rett og slett ikke spise nok. Det er ikke en ukjent problematikk det. Man skal jo tilstrebe alt man kan for å gjøre noe med det, men noen er bare tynnere enn andre - slik er det jo bare, fortsetter Engebretsen. Alvorlige brudd Hamon Fabio Moaadab, som samarbeider tett med Engebretsen og Eek om svineproduksjon, leier ut purkene sine til Eek og selger smågrisene sine til Hampshire AS. Hampshire AS eies av MEI, selskapet til Eek og Engebretsen. Hos Fabio Drift, som selskapet heter, ble det også avdekket flere alvorlige brudd. Moaadab sier til VG at han ikke ønsker å kommentere rapporten. Ullsfoss sier til VG at besetningene driver med oppdrett av smågris som selges videre til slaktegrisprodusenter. Gris fra disse går videre til slakt og så ut på markedet. - Men så lenge avvikene ivaretas så er det ingen grunn til bekymring for konsumentene. Vi har allerede vært på inspeksjon for å følge opp sakene og de mest akutte tilfellene ble fulgt opp på stedet, sier Ullsfoss. Publisert: 03.04.14 kl. 23:17 Oppdatert: 04.04.14 kl. 07:17

"Este foarte posibil ca lansarea ofensivei anti-justiție să se bazeze pe convingerea că instituțiile nu mai sunt suficient de puternice și la fel de unite ca să respingă un asalt îndrăzneț. Că unele vor rezista, cât vor putea, în timp ce altele vor negocia un armistițiu convenabil. Că unii șefi se vor împotrivi, iar alții vor spune că poate nici nu este atât de rău să o lăsăm mai moale cu anticorupția asta – mâine, poimâine, poate eu voi fi victima. Degeaba există un belciug dacă aceia care îl au în mână sunt interesați doar de propria supraviețuire. FOTO: INQUAM PHOTOS - Octav Ganea Nu este complet exclus ca toate declarațiile belicoase ale purtătorilor de mesaj ai lui Dragnea să fie parte dintr-un război psihologic. Un instrument de negociere prin care liderul PSD să-și atingă câteva obiective personale. Ar fi varianta cea mai convenabilă. Ne-ar scuti de un conflict din care România nu ar avea decât de pierdut. Dacă Liviu Dragnea are o misiune și chiar se va înrola în războiul pentru eliberarea "coloniei" (și readucerea ei în no-man's-land-ul ante-2005), ne așteaptă vremuri dificile. Vom afla rapid pe ce aliați mai putem conta, dar mai ales din ce suntem făcuți, fiecare dintre noi." Rândurile de mai sus au încheiat editorialul "Noul Liviu Dragnea", publicat cu un an în urmă. Între timp, am primit răspunsuri la toate întrebările pe care le puneam atunci. Prima - vor rezista instituțiile statului la asaltul noii coaliții de guvernare? Da, în marea lor majoritate, au rezistat. Serviciile de informații, în totalitate. Reținerea de care au dat dovadă în fața asaltului comisiilor parlamentare de anchetă, care au urmărit exclusiv scopuri politice, a confirmat soliditatea apartenenței lor la comunitatea de informații occidentală. Faptul că, pe ansamblu, au rămas surzi la numeroasele lingușeli și oferte făcute de Liviu Dragnea reprezintă și un semn de maturizare. Târziu, e drept, dar extrem de valoros. Parchetul General, DNA, CSM, deasemenea. Au rezistat cu brio unui tir încrucișat de acuzații și calomnii fără precedent. Și nu doar că nu s-au lăsat intimidați, dar au continuat să-și facă treaba cu profesionalism. DNA, în particular, a reușit să expună, convingător, fără urmă de dubiu, una dintre cele mai agresive rețele mafiote din ultimi 28 de ani – "TelDrum". Și dacă mai exista vreo urmă de îndoială față de rolul jucat de liderul PSD în ascensiunea acestei cooperative infracționale, ea a fost înlăturată definitiv. În total contrast a fost prestația Curții Constituționale, care a trecut de cealaltă parte a baricadei. Cu excepția notabilă a Liviei Stanciu, instituția s-a predat integral coaliției transpartinice care dorește să distrugă parteneriatele strategice ale României. A fost, de departe, cea mai mare dezamăgire a anului 2017. Sub conducerea tandemului Dorneanu – Morar, CCR a devenit cel mai important aliat al noii puteri și a pus umărul, cu zel, la încercarea de subordonare a justiției. Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție a rezistat doar parțial. Decizia, asumată fără un imperativ legal, de a relua de la zero procesele lui Dragnea și Tăriceanu reprezintă o mare bilă neagră, ce nu va fi uitată ușor. A fost o decizie pe care puțini au mai crezut-o posibilă după detstructurarea axei infracționale Voicu – Costiniu și după ce personaje de tristă amintire, precum Lidia Bărbulescu, au fost scoase pe tușă. Atitudinea ulterioară, corectă, a Cristinei Tarcea față de modificarea legilor justiției nu o compensează decât într-o mică măsură. Cea mai mare supriză a anului trecut, însă, a fost reacția societății civile. Indiferent de cât de hotârâte și de curajoase au fost insituțiile care au rezistat amenințărilor și promisiunilor noii administrații, fără ieșirea masivă în stradă a sute de mii de oameni, iarna trecută, România ar fi arătat altfel azi. Întoarcerea la vechiul model de guvernare, patentat după acapararea statului de către echipa lui Ion Iliescu, ar fi fost rapidă și irevocabilă. Meritul de a fi oprit viitura restaurației nu este, însă, doar al instituțiilor și al demonstranților. Mai puțin discutată și apreciată a fost o altă schimbare importantă petrecută în ultimul an. Trezirea unor asociații profesionale care s-au opus, cot la cot cu oamenii ieșiți în stradă, abuzurilor noii puteri. Este pentru prima oară când anumite bresle, care în trecut se exprimau public doar pentru a cere măriri de salarii, vorbesc coerent și răspicat despre chestiuni principiale, critică politici strâmbe, care afectează întreaga societeate, nu doar pe ei. Prin argumentele concrete, convingătoare, pe care le-au prezentat s-au transformat în avocați competenți, redutabili, ai interesului public. Pe lângă reacția remarcabilă a miilor de magistrați care au expus aberațiile cuprinse în proiectele de modificare a legilor justiției, anul trecut a adus în prim plan și sindicatele angajaților din penitenciare. Explicațiile lor, susținute cu cifre și texte de lege, au demontat justificările mincinoase în favoarea grațierii și amnistiei parțiale pregătite de guvernul PSD-ALDE. Și au anticipat efectele dezastruoase ale recursului compensatoriu promovat de ministrul justiției, Tudorel Toader. O adevărată revoluție s-ar petrece în România dacă toate asociațiile profesionale ar reacțona similar la proiectele nocive ale politicienilor! Și a doua întrebare pe care o ridicam în editorialul de la începutul anului trecut a primit un răspuns afirmativ. Dragnea a demonstrat fără echivoc că ar fi sacrificat fără ezitare interesele colegilor de partid, dar și pe cele ale partenerului de coaliție, Călin Popescu Tăriceanu, dacă președintele i-ar fi promis imunitate. Acum patru luni, pe 12 septembrie, Liviu Dragnea a avut poate cea mai dură ieșire publică, la Antena 3, împotriva adversarilor săi: președinte, DNA, servicii de informații. "Vor da socoteală! Mai e foarte puțin! Fac greșeală după greșeală. Sunt disperați. Vor fi mulți care vor începe să vorbească! Vom auzi foarte mulți! Au început să se pregătească. Sunt sigur că vom auzi foarte multe lucruri. CCR nu mai e în câmpul tactic. Vor fi multe nopți de nesomn pentru unii. Au depăşit linia roșie. Nu stiți cum e mămăliga românească? Odată bubuie. Nu țineți minte ce tare era Ceauşescu? Era Dumnezeu. Doar atât a trebuit." "În acel moment, am făcut observația că virulența șefului PSD este fără precedent. Cu toate acestea, scriam, "nu ar fi făcut risipă de amenințări dacă era decis să treacă la treabă fără să mai aștepte ceva. Ce așteaptă? Ce așteaptă din februarie încoace. Ca Iohannis să-l invite să se târguiască. De altfel, nici nu ascunde asta. Este a nu știu câta oară când repetă într-un interviu fraza asta: "Ar trebui să înceapă de la el (Iohannis – n.m) discuţia. Sunt deschis oricând pentru o astfel de discuție sănătoasă, asumată. Fără patimă, fără interese. Am așteptat și încă mai aștept. Nu e obligatoriu să purtăm această discuție, dar asta nu înseamnă că ceea ce s-a pornit se va opri," a spus Dragnea. Având în vedere magnitudinea dosarului "TelDrum", care avea să explodeze două luni mai târziu și despre care sigur știa, odată cu audierile pe bandă rulantă de la DNA, ar fi ezitat șeful PSD să-și negocieze o salvare individuală, în detrimentul restului armatei penale, care aștepta de la el izbăvirea? Judecând după cum l-a lucrat pe Ponta în 2015, după postura "pro-interesul național", model Oprea, pe care a avut-o în timpul guvernării Cioloș, după declarațiile spășite făcute pe treptele DNA, în vara lui 2016, după jocul pe care l-a încercat cu Tudorel Toader, împotriva lui Tăriceanu, dar și după declarațiile evazive făcute în prima fază despre modificarea legilor justiției și a codului penal, răspunsul este "nu." Dragnea ar fi făcut fără ezitare toate compromisurile necesare cu ceea ce el numește "statul paralel" dacă i s-ar fi promis, din nou, salvarea. Ultima întrebare rămâne și astăzi cea mai dificilă. Iar de răspunsul ei atârnă, în continuare, multe. Jocul lui Dragnea din ultimul an a avut ca unic scop reconfirmarea imunității de care a beneficiat până de curând și rămânerea la putere sau este parte a unei misiuni mai complexe, care urmărește, în limbajul propagandei rusești, "eliberarea "coloniei" și readucerea ei în no-man's-land-ul ante-2005? A vrut să-și scape pielea și să continue să facă bani sau să destabilizeze România și să o scoată, de facto, din parteneriatele cu UE și SUA? Până la protestele din februarie, este foarte posibil ca șeful PSD să se fi mulțumit cu imunitatea pentru el și eventual un cerc restrâns de apropiați, completată cu un acord de împărțire a puterii cu președintele, după modelul Băsescu – Ponta. Acord pe care ar fi urmat să-l încalce ulterior, destul de repede, pentru că ținta sa următoare era demiterea lui Klaus Iohannis și alegerea sa ca președinte. Schimbarea de atitudine a lui Dragnea a survenit după ce planurile sale inițiale s-au izbit de zidul viu făcut din sute de mii de protestatari. Cucerirea "pașnică" a puterii a ieșit din calcul în februarie. Ce a urmat, atacul furibund împotriva instituțiilor de bază, a justiției, a capitalului străin, a ambasadorilor occidentali, seamănă atât de mult cu ce se întâmplă în Ungaria de câțiva ani buni încât numai un naiv ar putea să nu observe semnele unei operațiuni mult mai largi, la scară continentală, care se mulează perfect pe dorințele lui Vladimir Putin. Bătaia de joc care a avut loc în Parlament în timpul modificării legilor justiției, obstacolele aberante pe care puterea le-a pus chiar și în calea polițiștilor și a procurorilor care nu anchetează fapte de corupție, ci crime, jafuri și acte de pedofilie, semnalează o încercare de destabilizare a statului, de a crea haos și confuzie, decât o răsuială cu DNA și cu serviciile de informații. Atât de nebunești sunt unele dintre schimbările propuse, atât de teribile ar fi efectelor lor, pentru toți cetățenii, dacă ar intra în vigoare, încât mai degrabă încurcă eforturile unora de a stopa lupta anticorupție. Aliniate lângă măsurile fiscale fără cap și fără coadă, care afectează toți contribuabilii, lângă loviturile date mediului de afaceri, ele întăresc ideea că cineva urmărește în primul rând crearea unui climat de nesiguranță în societate, de neîncredere profundă în statul român. Adică, pregătește terenul pentru ca o lovitură ulterioară să ne găsească într-un stare cât mai precară. Indiferent, însă, dacă ceea ce s-a întâmplat în România în ultimul an a fost o operațiune calculată sau doar rezultatul iresponsabilității sau prostiei unor lideri politici, al unui hazard pus în mișcare de instincte primare, nu putem să ne amăgim că dacă lui Dragnea și lui Tăriceanu le-ar fi ieșit planul nu ar fi existat cel puțin două categorii majore de beneficiari. Prima categorie – alianța formată din politicieni, oameni de afaceri corupți și foști șefi de instituții, ofițeri de informații și magistrați trași pe dreapta. Ei i-au susținut și continuă să îi susțină pe Dragnea și Tăriceanu pentru că reprezintă singura lor șansă de a scăpa de dosarele în lucru, de cele din instanțe sau de condamnările primite deja, dar și pentru a se întoarce la butoane. A doua categorie - țările care își doresc ca România să se alăture grupului democrațiilor iliberale, să își compromită legăturile cu Occidentul și să lipsească Statele Unite de un aliat stabil și puternic. Doar dacă privim cât de mulți și de puternici sunt cei care mizează pe liderii coaliției PSD-ALDE putem înțelege cât de dificilă este lupta care început în PSD, prin personaje la fel de sulfuroase, pentru detronarea lui Liviu Dragnea. Toate motivele pentru care victoria șefului PSD asupra statului român le-ar fi convenit de minune celor care au pariat pe el sunt și motive care îi vor face să îl apere până în pânzele albe. Pentru că dacă Dragnea pică ambele categorii rămân fără singurul vector politic care are capacitatea de a coagula forțe semnificative pentru a le îndeplini planurile. Deîndată ce actualul șef al PSD va pierde puterea, șansele ca modificarea legilor justiției să intre în vigoare devin aproape zero. Toți aliații pe care îi are acum se vor lepăda rapid de el. În frunte cu Curtea Constituțională, care își va redescoperi brusc vocația de apător al ordinii de drept. De aceea, miza asaltului împotriva lui Liviu Dragnea, chiar dacă pare circumscrisă luptelor mărunte de partid, între haite de prădători, depășește cu mult PSD și obiectivele politice meschine pe care le urmăresc, de obicei, liderii de la noi. Miza este chiar viitorul României. Și nu ar fi exclus să realizăm acest lucru când forțele care au pariat pe Dragnea și Tăriceanu vor realiza că pionii lor au pierdut definitiv partida și vor trece la planul B.

The Marlin 39 type rifle, which is basically a Model 1891 (the rifle of choice of Annie Oakley) is a all-steel, moderately priced (about $400), well-made 22 LR lever action rifle. It is perhaps the oldest repeating rifle design still in widespread use and was recently in production, though Remington (who owns Marlin) is now only selling it as a ridiculously over-priced fancy custom edition. Shame on you Remington! May Mossberg, Henry, Browning, and any other consumer-oriented manufacturer EAT YOUR LUNCH. However, it must be said, that all those rifles are made of cheap aluminum, have straight stocks (I greatly prefer the pistol grip stock), and none of them have the suburb 22 Caliber barrel that Marlin was famous for. There are a few things about the 39A that I really like, and some overlooked advantages. To begin with it has a relatively heavy, almost cylindrical, “Microgroove” barrel. This makes for a very accurate rifle, nearly as accurate as my “accuracy machine” Kimber 82. The Microgroove barrel is called so because instead of having 4-6 lands and grooves that make up the rifling, it has about 18 very shallow and narrow lands and grooves. This distorts the bullet less, makes the barrel heat up less (less friction), and fouls the barrel less. The coin used to rifle these barrels engraves both to the full depth of the groove and the top of the lands, leaving a very good finish on all bullet-contact surfaces (unlike miserable 30 caliber Microgroove barrels, which have rough perpendicular drill marks on the lands and foul terribly, and give all Microgroove barrels a bad name). The 22 caliber Microgroove barrel is perhaps the best factory-grade 22 caliber barrel out there. Being a lever action design, it is essentially ambidextrous, which is important for a lefty like me in a family of mostly righties. Add to that a 19 round capacity magazine and a breakdown mechanism, which is simple, keeps the scope aligned with the barrel, and facilitates breech-end cleaning. Most semi-automatic 22 rifles cannot be breech-end cleaned easily, though I’ve noticed Ruger is now making a breakdown 10/22, but since the 10/22 takedown separates at the chamber area, any scope mounted on the receiver will be disturbed relative to the barrel. As far as I am concerned, a pointless feature! Breech end cleaning is preferable to muzzle-end cleaning since the muzzle is the most delicate and important part of the barrel. It is the last bit that the bullet “sees” before going on its journey downrange, so if there is some nick or flaw near the muzzle, it will disturb the bullet at this most critical time. Cleaning with rods is always risky. Most can damage a barrel if misused, and this is why it is better to push them in from the breech-end which is less critical if you nick it. It’s also nice when you don’t have to tear down the whole rifle and get out all your tools to clean from the breech-end. For this Marlin, all you need is a quarter and a small flat screwdriver (the one in a Swiss Army knife works). Using a quarter or half-dollar or similar coin, start to unscrew the big bolt on the right side. Bring it most of the way out with your thumb and forefinger. Holding the receiver with your left hand, gently rap the muzzle on a cloth covered table or similar surface that wont scratch. The receiver should spit in half. Then push the rectangular bolt back with your fingers and take the small flat screwdriver, push the ejector down with thumbnail, and capture it with the nut by turning that screwdriver. There are couple of things I dislike about the Marlin 39, and all Marlins. One is that they do not cycle as smoothly as the Winchester and Winchester-like rifles, like the Mossberg 464. Another is that the the newer ones (last 40 years) have stupid cross-bolt safeties. I have no problem with safeties. I like safeties. But give me a TANG safety, which is ambidextrous, fast, and unobtrusive. Also, Marlin just doesn’t do that good of a job on their triggers. The trigger isn’t bad on this rifle, but it is not as good as it should be. But, like all lever actions, it makes a great bedside rifle. A while ago I learned that trying to get a rifle out of a safe or whatever when you need it, at night, when you have a raccoon or some critter killing your chickens or whatever, is hopeless. By the time it is ready, it’s too late to do any good. That is why you need to keep the rifle HANDY, LOADED, UNCHAMBERED, and SECURED. The magazine tube is filled, there is nothing in the chamber, and the lever is locked to the stock. There is no way an unauthorized person can chamber a round or shoot it, yet it takes only seconds to make it shootable. A key advantage to any closed loop lever rifle is that you can lock the lever to the stock preventing the action from cycling. Bolts and pumps and whatnot are not nearly so conveniently secured this way. Despite being completely secure (a bolt cutter or hacksaw would be needed to defeat this) I can undo this in about one or two seconds. I keep the key around my neck on a dog-tag chain even when I am in bed. If you buy a lock with a pair of keys, this makes one for the wife, too. The chain I have here is just off the shelf chain from Home Depot. It is a bit heavier than needed, I think. Perhaps there is nicer chain, but it is zinc plated and smooth, so it doesn’t scratch up the rifle. The lock is a Master 130, which is the smallest lock with a 4 pin tumbler (and so a decent sized key) and two locking notches. It costs about $5 with two keys. Smaller locks (120s) are “luggage size” locks. They are so small that it is hard to get the key into them quickly, and their tiny 3-pin tumblers have tiny keys. They may work, but I like the slightly larger lock. Also, the keys are all metal (I think they are brass) and don’t have stupid plastic tabs which break and look and feel stupid around your neck. It’s a good idea to practice unlocking and locking a bit with an unloaded rifle. It’s also a good idea to anoint the lock with a dab of light lubricant every now and then so the key slides in easily. If you have a home with children, securing all firearms is essential, and this is the most cost effective way I am aware of for rifles.

Q: Join more than 2 tables in R using RSQLite I have more than three tables(t1,t2,t3) in my database. I am using RSQLite in R. These databases are formed from data frames. +t1 fileA valA a 12 b 34 c 78 d 98 +t2 fileB valB b 45 e 45 f 452 g 6 d 89 +t3 fileC valC a 45 b 34 g 45 i 3 q 3 Lets start with simple scenario (as in reality,I have 16 tables to join which are in GBs), I want to join all the above 3 tables together, in following manner. Expected Result valA valB valC a 12 NA 45 b 34 45 34 c 78 NA NA d 98 89 NA e NA 45 NA f NA 452 NA ......... I used the following command, but I didnt get the expected result for two tables: res <-dbSendQuery(con,"SELECT fileA,fileB,valA,valB from t1 LEFT OUTER JOIN t2 On t11.fileA= t2.fileB UNION select fileA,fileB,valA,valB from t2 LEFT OUTER JOIN t1 ON t11.fileA= t2.fileB") OUTPUT of above command fileA fileB valA valB 1 <NA> e <NA> 45 2 <NA> f <NA> 452 3 <NA> g <NA> 6 4 a <NA> 12 NA 5 b b 34 45 6 c <NA> 78 NA 7 d d 98 89 So, I can work with above command, if I could join the first two columns of the output.(removing all NAs and keeping the name only, as I have mentioned in the expected result) Other wise, it would be helpful if anyone could tell me how to join more than three tables. RSQLite doesnt support RIGHT and FULL OUTER JOINs A: You can merge these columns with the SQLite coalesce() core function: select coalesce(fileA,fileB),valA,valB from t1 LEFT OUTER JOIN t2 On t1.fileA= t2.fileB UNION select coalesce(fileA,fileB),valA,valB from t2 LEFT OUTER JOIN t1 ON t1.fileA= t2.fileB

Q: Chaotic Good and Fleeing Thugs: Yet Another Alignment Problem I'll try to keep this short. The Party of Five leaves The Tavern, following Quest NPC. Suddenly, they are jumped by three bugbears, which seem to have a beef with the Quest NPC. Quest NPC teleports away. Bugbears attack The Party, which turns out to be a bad idea. Two are put down, the third runs. As he flees, the Chaotic Good party member attacks him at range, with the intent of killing him. He justifies this with the belief that the bugbear was a threat to the innocent persons of the city. Are CG's actions justified, or should he be shifted to Chaotic Neutral? A: It was an act of good by D&D standards D&D has a very black and white approach to morality. Killing an evil creature is an act of good because there is one less evil creature in the world. Had the bugbear surrendered and then been killed, it would then be a case of lawful vs chaotic as well (and is a good starting place to get the players to think about the other axis of their alignment) It does of course depends on how tightly you play by the alignment rules. If you were running a game in which morals played a large part, it could of course be considered an evil act. After all, are you any better than the thug you just killed? What about the family he was trying to feed? But if you are playing that sort of game, the players need to be told up front that you are deviating from the norm. Though there is another point work making: One action does not an alignment shift cause. Performing an act of evil is just that, a single action. While there are actions that are large enough to justify an alignment shift, generally speaking it is the sum of the characters actions that determine their alignment overall.

Thus we have strong evidence from both Christians and their pagan detractor that believers abstained at least from military service on grounds of religious conscience. After conceding Celsus’s description of Christian refusal to participate in the military and other government affairs, Origen sought to justify Christian practice by stating that believers provide an alternative service to Emperor and Empire, a service more reliable and valuable than what Celsus urged. Christians, wrote Origen, do not leave their government bereft of support and aid such that “the affairs of the earth would fall into the hands of the wildest and most lawless barbarians; and then there would no longer remain among men any of the glory of your religion or of the true wisdom” (Celsus’s words). Instead, Origen explained, Christians constitute a powerful army of intercession for the preservation of their secular government through prayer, piety, and good works, whereby its peace is preserved and its armies are successful in holding off barbarian deprivations: “the more any one excels in piety, the more effective help does he render to kings, even more than is given by soldiers, who go forth to fight and slay as many of the enemy as they can.” (Against Celsus 8.73) The purpose and mission of Christianity is different from that of the secular authorities, wrote Origen. In every country there is a national organization and power besides them, i.e. the church. Through the church believers are led in an enterprise more important than worldly governance. Through it Christians uphold domestic peace, defend against external enemies, and—what is more important—fit people for eternity in heaven (Against Celsus 8.73 and 8.75). Indeed, through the church organization Christians render service for the benefit of everyone, a greater benefit than does the state. Good Christians were encouraged—and some even drafted—into church leadership (Against Celsus 8.75). The concept that Christians hold citizenship in heaven, with the church as its local authority, had also appeared in the late second or early third century in the Letter to Diognetus 5, by a Christian writer who may have been a tutor to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius: “They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners…every land of their birth [is] as a land of strangers…They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven.” According to Origen, Christians seek to establish a new constitution, one in accord with the gospel, which will regulate conduct, if ever they attain secular power. Nor was the possibility too remote that they would form the secular government of Romeand put into practice a distinctively Christian regime that would implement Christ’s teachings. Origen recorded around AD 240-249 that Christians were increasing in numbers and strength, despite persecution by emperors and other pagan rulers (Against Celsus 7.26). Likewise, in the late AD 180s Bishop Irenaeus in France prescribed duties and limits on civil rulers, including that they not act unjustly, tyrannically, impiously or unlawfully (AgainstHeresies 5.24.2); the fact that he prescribed them can be construed to argue that Christians were already holding public offices, or would be in a position to do so in the not-too-distant future. By the same token, it is hard to make sense of the teaching moderation in secular government in Origen’s On First Principles 3.5.6, or the statement by his teacher Clement in the AD 190s that: “by the counsels of holy men states are managed well, and the household also.” (Clement of AlexandriaStromata 2.19) A useful summary of the Christian attitude towards Christian-state relations and their differing missions in the second and early third centuries can be found in Against Celsus 8.75: And if those who govern in the Church, and are called rulers of the divine nation—that is, the Church—rule well, they rule in accordance with the divine commands, and never suffer themselves to be led astray by worldly policy. And it is not for the purpose of escaping public duties that Christians decline public offices, but that they may reserve themselves for a diviner and more necessary service in the Churchof God—for the salvation of men. Share this article Comments David W. T. Brattston is a retired lawyer residing in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. He has been a self-directed student of ancient Christian writings since a teenager. His mission is to make early Christian literature known and used by all Christians, especially as Christian moral teaching from before A.D. 250 relates to today. His articles on Christian behavior and ethics have been published by a wide variety of church denominations in many countries. He can be contacted at: [email protected].

Functional visual outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with 20/20 or better preoperative visual acuity. To measure the visual outcomes after cataract surgery in patients with 20/20 or better preoperative visual acuity. University-based cataract referral practice. In this retrospective case review, 2 groups of patients with a corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/20 or better in both eyes before cataract surgery were identified. Patients in the first group had a cataract in 1 eye and an intraocular lens (IOL) in the other eye. Patients in the second group had cataracts in both eyes. Each patient completed a Visual Function 14 (VF-14) questionnaire before and after cataract surgery. Changes in VF-14 scores were analyzed. The VF-14 scores improved significantly after cataract surgery in both groups. Patients with cataract in 1 eye and an IOL in the other eye before surgery (n = 28) had a mean improvement of 12.2 in the VF-14 score (P = .029). Patients with cataract in both eyes (n = 31) had a mean improvement of 14.5 in the VF-14 score (P<.0001). The functional vision of patients with 20/20 or better preoperative CDVA improved significantly after cataract surgery. This finding shows that arbitrary CDVA thresholds of worse than 20/20 cannot always be used to determine who will benefit from cataract surgery.

As President Donald Trump's torture-supporting secretary of state pick Mike Pompeo testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday—amid a flood of opposition from anti-war groups, environmentalists, and LGBTQ rights organizations—commentators and activists have argued that the only remaining question is whether Democrats will follow the lead of progressive activists and block Pompeo, or ignore their base and rubber-stamp yet another disastrous Trump nominee. Democrats - who have spent a full year re-branding themselves as the #Resistance to Trump - have the power to stop this Trump nominee. Will they? https://t.co/xrMWKSw1I4 #Resist https://t.co/zjebEd76Km — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 12, 2018 Writing ahead of Pompeo's Senate hearing on Wednesday, The Intercept's Ryan Grim noted that the GOP only holds a one-member advantage in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and "with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) having already announced his opposition, that means a united Democratic front could reject Pompeo in committee." "Pompeo's confirmation is far from certain. United opposition from Senate Dems can block him from Trump's War Cabinet." —5 CallsIt will not be the first time Senate Democrats have been forced to vote on whether Pompeo—a "committed Islamophobe," climate denier, and war hawk—should head one of the government's most prominent departments. Last year, 14 Democrats—including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)—joined every Republican except Paul in voting to confirm Pompeo as CIA chief. At least one Democrat who voted to confirm Pompeo last year, Sen. Brian Shatz (D-Hawaii), has admitted he was wrong to do so and vowed to oppose him this time around, citing his "alarming tendency towards military provocation and brinkmanship." Ultimately, Grim argues, the best way for Democrats to block Pompeo's confirmation may be to ensure he is voted down in committee, which will require every Democrat to vote no. "A nominee can still be brought to the floor for a vote despite having been shot down in committee, but nobody has been successfully confirmed that way in at least 40 years," Grim observed. "A loss in committee could make it easier for moderate Democrats to vote against Pompeo." As Pompeo attempted to insist during his opening statement during Thursday's hearing that he is not, in fact, a hawk—contradicting his lengthy record of calling for regime change in North Korea and Iran—more than 180 advocacy groups nationwide urged Americans to keep up the pressure on Democratic senators to stop his confirmation. Pompeo's confirmation is far from certain. United opposition from Senate Dems can block him from Trump's #WarCabinet. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox. Tell your Democratic Senators to hold the line! OPPOSE MIKE POMPEO FOR SECRETARY OF STATE - Hearing TODAY! : https://t.co/uUzIhpbRHuhttps://t.co/8qnj5fu1Ss — 5 Calls (@make5calls) April 12, 2018 .@annagalland on #StopPompeo: “Just like 15 years ago, the world will be watching which side of history these Senators choose. We can’t take back the Iraq War, but Democratic Senators have tremendous power to stop another one from starting.” https://t.co/VeEnevW9gE — MoveOn.org (@MoveOn) April 12, 2018 "This should be a no-brainer," MoveOn.org spokesperson Karthik Ganapathy told The Intercept, highlighting in particular Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who voted to confirm Pompeo as CIA director. "Not only is it good policy for Sen. Feinstein to oppose a warmongering extremist as the next leader of our nation's diplomats, it's also smart politics." In a statement ahead of Pompeo's Senate hearing on Thursday, Win Without War director Stephen Miles highlighted the widespread grassroots opposition to Pompeo and urged Senate Democrats to stop a man with such "aversion to diplomacy" from becoming America's top diplomat. "More than 180 national organizations representing tens of millions of Americans and diverse communities across the country and covering a wide swath of issues—from national security and women’s health, to climate change and human rights—have now publicly opposed Pompeo's nomination," Miles said. "And it's no wonder Pompeo has garnered such strong opposition...he is simply unfit to represent the United States on the world stage."

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Far left activists are already plotting their next move if Judge Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court. Following yesterday’s Judiciary Committee hearings, prominent activist Emily G called for a “violent general strike” if Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed. Accordiing to Far Left Watch— Emily G is no random leftist kook. She is one of 3,641 people followed by Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey and one of 503 people followed by the Southern Poverty Law Center‘s “Hate Watch” account. TRENDING: BREAKING: Black Lives Matter Rioters in Hollywood Chase Down and Attack Driver.. UPDATE... DRIVER DETAINED BY POLICE (SHOCKING VIDEO) On Thursday leftists on Twitter began discussing the need for a “violent general strike” if he were to be confirmed. This comes just days after a violent antifa group confronted Senator Ted Cruz and his family at a restaurant and then made credible threats against the lives of Senator Cruz, Judge Kavanaugh, President Trump, and others from their Twitter and Facebook accounts. The original Twitter thread (archived here) came from Data Scientist and left-wing activist, Emily Gorcenski. Read more on the left’s plans for violence at Far Left Watch.

Two people were arrested at dueling demonstrations in London, Ont. where anti-Islam protesters faced off against a larger contingent of anti-hate groups. About 500 people gathered outside of London City Hall for the protest, and police were on hand in case violence broke out. A man and a woman were arrested at the rally. One was charged with assault for allegedly punching a counter-demonstrator, the other was charged with breach of the peace. Police said most in attendance were non-violent. Patriots of Canada Against the Islamization of the West (PEGIDA) organized a rally called “We value our culture #FreedomRally.” Other far-right groups -- including one called the Three Per Cent -- joined the protest with some wearing camouflage and helmets. Anti-Muslim protesters shared their views and quoted passages of the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. One demonstrator called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a “Muslim apologist” for his support of religious freedoms and gender equality. That faction was outnumbered by counter-demonstrators who gathered in support of diversity and religious tolerance. One group called “People for Peace, London Ontario” denounced “xenophobic groups in and around London, all spewing hate, who are gathering to try to spread their messages of intolerance and Islamophobia,” on its Facebook page. London Mayor Matt Brown and NDP MPP Teresa Armstrong attended the demonstrations. Brown said he usually would not insert himself into a protest, but he felt it was necessary in this case. “Given the context of where we find ourselves in this situation, and what is happening across North America, it is really important for this other rally to come together and express positive things like love, acceptance, and inclusion. That is exactly what we are seeing today,” he said. Brown held up the larger number of anti-hate protesters as proof that London is an inclusive city that values diversity. “Londoners don’t stand for hate. (They) don’t stand for racism. And that is what we are seeing here today.” With files from CTV London

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to stringed musical instruments. In particular, the invention relates to a stringed musical instrument for connection to a computer to implement DSP modeling to allow for the emulation of a wide variety of selectable instruments. 2. Description of Related Art Stringed instruments utilize vibrating strings to generate different tones, and more specifically, notes, which are simply particular tones. Tones or notes are sounds that repeat at a certain specific frequency and, when played in a particular order, create music. Throughout the world, various cultures have created a multitude of different stringed instruments such as: guitars, mandolins, banjos, basses, violins, sitars, ukuleles, etc., to create music. Moreover, with the advent of electronics, many of these stringed instruments have now been electrified to operate in conjunction with an amplifier and speaker. One of the most common stringed instruments in use today is the guitar—in both its electric and acoustic forms. The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments in use today, and it spans a huge range of musical styles—e.g. rock, country, jazz, folk, etc. As previously discussed, the vibrating string of a stringed instrument generates a musical tone or note, which is in turn a function of: the length of the string; the amount of tension on the string; the weight of the string; the shape and thickness of the body of the stringed instrument, etc. Generally, stringed instruments, and the guitar in particular, include a body having a bridge to which each of the strings are respectively mounted, a neck having frets and a nut or ‘zero’ fret, and a head having tuning pegs to which each of the strings are also respectively mounted. The length of the string is the distance between the bridge and the nut or ‘zero’ fret. The amount of tension on the string is determined by the winding of the tuning peg, which tightens and loosens the string (i.e. imparting tension) in order to tune the string to a certain note. In playing a stringed instrument, when a musician presses down on a string at a fret, the length of the string is changed and therefore its frequency is changed as well. The frets are spaced out so that the proper frequencies are produced when a string is held down at a given fret (and therefore the proper note is produced). Looking at electrical stringed instruments, and utilizing an electric guitar as a particular example, to produce sound an electric guitar electronically senses the vibration of a string and generates an associated electrical signal and then routes the associated electric signal to an amplifier. The sensing generally occurs by utilizing electromagnetic pickups mounted under each of the strings of the guitar, respectively, in the guitars' body and neck, at different locations. These electromagnetic pickups typically consist of a bar magnet wrapped with a coil of thousands of turns of fine wire. The vibrating steel strings of the electric guitar produce a corresponding vibration in the magnetic field of the electromagnetic pickup and therefore a current in the coil. This current represents the sound of the string at the location of the pickup and can be routed to an amplifier. Many electric guitars have two or three different magnetic pickups located at different points of the body and neck. Each magnetic pickup will have a distinctive sound, and multiple pickups can be paired, either in-phase or out, to produce additional variations. Thus, the electromagnetic pickup locations for particular types of electric guitars are a major factor in determining the “sound” associated with the particular electric guitar along with other factors. Continuing with the guitar as an example, to recreate the full spectrum of classic guitar sounds, each with its own particular characteristics and nuances, a guitarist has traditionally been required to use many different guitars along with various classic amplifiers and different sound-effects processors. Alternatively, a guitarist may use one guitar equipped with a variety of preamps and/or signal-processing equipment that allows for varying degrees of compromised approximations of the desired classic sounds. Guitars have been produced that, by various means, perform modeling functions to model the sounds of various other guitars. For example, previous modeling guitars have processed the individual strings of a guitar by means of outboard processing gear or by means of embedded processing electronics built into the guitar itself. Unfortunately, many of these previous attempts to provide a modeling guitar require the use of exotic cabling and/or specialized electronic processing equipment.

The present invention relates to golf club head designs, and in particular, to a golf club head design having a unique structure and corresponding weight distribution. It is well known that optimum results are achieved in striking a golf ball when it is struck at the center of percussion of the golf club head. Although the golf club head has only a single point representing the center of percussion, various attempts to minimize off-center hits of a golf ball have been provided in the prior art. Most of these golf club head structures distribute the weight of the golf club head to the outside or peripheral edges in an attempt to minimize the torque produced by the off-center hit. For example, heel-toe weighted golf clubs have the mass of the golf club head concentrated at both the heel and toe with the center of percussion in the center.

Well, assuming we get past the ownership achievement, I want to do/get: -L2GS properly -Perfect my SnS technique with sweet new gear-Spam Hunting Horn Sonic Bomb attack on Diablos, assuming he's in this one >-See what the big deal is about Plesioth-Try out the bow, see if I can stomach it.-Ceadeus Egyptian Armour. That is all. Well, assuming we get past the ownership achievement, I want to do/get: -L2GS properly -Perfect my SnS technique with sweet new gear-Spam Hunting Horn Sonic Bomb attack on Diablos, assuming he's in this one >-See what the big deal is about Plesioth-Try out the bow, see if I can stomach it.-Ceadeus Egyptian Armour. That is all. Using a greatsword isn't all that hard, imo. The two biggest mistakes I see people make are A) they walk around with their greatsword out, and B) they're indoctrinated into thinking using the block is a bad thing, or don't even know they CAN block with a greatsword. (I know dodging is a much better option than blocking, but I see people who refuse to block when they're in a situation where they won't be able to evade in time, all because "it's not as good as evading/it ruins sharpness," or whatever they say.)Also, I never played the earlier Monster Hunters, so I don't have any horror stories about Plesioth. However, I'm sure that they've fixed his hitboxes in this game! Well, assuming we get past the ownership achievement, I want to do/get: -L2GS properly -Perfect my SnS technique with sweet new gear-Spam Hunting Horn Sonic Bomb attack on Diablos, assuming he's in this one >-See what the big deal is about Plesioth-Try out the bow, see if I can stomach it.-Ceadeus Egyptian Armour. That is all. Using a greatsword isn't all that hard, imo. The two biggest mistakes I see people make are A) they walk around with their greatsword out, and B) they're indoctrinated into thinking using the block is a bad thing, or don't even know they CAN block with a greatsword. (I know dodging is a much better option than blocking, but I see people who refuse to block when they're in a situation where they won't be able to evade in time, all because "it's not as good as evading/it ruins sharpness," or whatever they say.)Also, I never played the earlier Monster Hunters, so I don't have any horror stories about Plesioth. However, I'm sure that they've fixed his hitboxes in this game! I saw a cousin playing MH on the ps2 against Plesioth one day. That guy needs to be fished out, and he can damage you from unfair distances and imposible situations. And the greatsword block isn't that bad, its better to lose some sharpness than carting Plesioth is actually very idiotic if you use a bowgun. *Stands some metres away from the plesioth, shoots it in the face with Thunder shot, walks to the side as it uses water blast, shoots again, walks back to place as it water blasts again, repeat. If it goes in water, sonic bomb or crag shot.* owait, that last step doesn't need to happen on MH3U 1st goal: buy the console and game next year 2nd Goal: Pre-order the game3rd: Pick up game on release date4th: Finish Offline, gather at least 70% weapon and armor during offline before going online5th: Enjoy the Online gaming with marvelous friends/colleagues....... I think I'm going to do like I did for my last Tri character and only play the offline progression up until the farm is fully upgraded. After I've got a decent stock of must-have items like thunderbugs, potions, honey, bitterbugs, dash extracts, etc., from then on it's going to be mostly online play. I actually really enjoy starting out online with weak equipment. Helps you build friendships with people as you help each other get better armor, hone your hunting skills... Last time, I think I went online with just a Bnahabra & Bone armor mixture and a Bone Axe. I really hope we can do 4-man online Ceadeus quests this time! My endgame goal is to have full Ceadeus Z and Ceadeus X.

Warning: this story contains a paragraph of disgusting text. How can reading a good book or watching a film be almost as emotional an experience as events in your own life? The answer may be that you use the same brain region to make sense of them all. Previous studies indicated that the same brain regions – the anterior insula and adjacent frontal operculum, known collectively as the IFO – are activated both when we observe someone experiencing an emotion such as disgust, delight or pain, and when we experience it ourselves. It is thought that this allows us to empathise with others and understand their intentions. But is the IFO also active when we imagine an emotion, such as when we read about it in a book? Yuk yuk yuk To answer this question, Mbemba Jabbi and colleagues at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, focused just on disgust – an easy emotion to evoke. “You can’t just tell someone to get into a scanner and be ‘happy’ for 30 seconds,” says co-researcher Christian Keysers. “But it’s relatively easy to make someone disgusted.” They placed quinine – which has a bitter, “disgusting” taste – onto the tongues of 12 volunteers while they lay in an MRI scanner. The volunteers also watched a video of someone acting disgusted and read a story describing a disgusting situation: You turn around because someone is leaning on your shoulder, suddenly looking into the open mouth of a drunken beggar you see his rotten teeth, surrounded by pustulant sores, while he suddenly releases the reeking content of his stomach all over you You feel your stomach turn over as you suddenly feel the acidic taste of a clump of his vomit on your lips. The researchers found that the IFO was activated in all three tasks. They say this similarity between first-hand experience and imagination could help to explain why books can be so vivid and compelling. Understanding others “There is a partial overlap – if you taste something disgusting, see something disgusting or imagine a disgusting scenario there’s a common pathway,” says Keysers. “This is why books and movies work – because they stimulate the area of the brain which is involved in what it really feels like to be disgusted.” The team suspects that reading about delight or pain also activates similar converging networks in the brain. The next step will be to study IFO activation in autism. It is generally assumed that autistic people can’t identify the emotions of others, but clinical studies alternatively suggest that perhaps they feel others’ emotions too well, to the point that they are overwhelmed. “These experiments can help tease these options apart,” says Keyser. Journal reference: PLoS ONE, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002939 The Human Brain – With one hundred billion nerve cells, the complexity is mind-boggling. Learn more in our cutting edge special report.

Computers in Libraries Articles from Vol. 31, No. 7, September Of all the technology trends that I've been following for the last couple of years, cloud computing continues to gain the most momentum and stands positioned to most radically transform the shape of library technology. I see that we're at one of those... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ask a Librarian is a monthly feature where librarians have a chance to comment on Computers in Libraries' topic of the month. In this installment, we hear from Sandra Stewart, IDEAS (innovation, digital and electronic resources... Ask a Librarian is a monthly feature where librarians have a chance to comment on Computers in Libraries' topic of the month. In this installment, we hear from Sandra Stewart, IDEAS (innovation, digital and electronic resources and steff training and... Libraries are constantly adapting to new developments in technology. The number of mobile technologies reaching users is increasing daily, and so is the use of these technologies. This creates a need for the library to find ways to use mobile devices... Libraries are constantly adapting to new developments in technology. The number of mobile technologies reaching users is increasing daily, and so is the use of these technologies. This creates a need for the library to find ways to use mobile devices... Most libraries have Facebook pages. They're great for putting up hours and events and highlighting your collections, but unless you put in some special effort, every Facebook page looks more or less the same. If you've established who your audience... Drawing Down Big Info Into Little AppsMobile apps are a delivery option that libraries need to consider when developing service and content for their users.In the past 5 years, cloud computing has gone from an abstract idea to state-of-the-art storage,... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] in the past 5 years, cloud computing has gone from an abstract idea to state-of-the-art storage, transforming the way organizations structure their information services and making ubiquitous just-in-time (JIT) information... In the last columns I wrote before the break for the Buyer's Guide issue, I discussed how all types of librarians are examining the library's mission to serve tech-savvy communities and define new services based on the changing needs of its users.... In the last columns I wrote before the break for the Buyer's Guide issue, I discussed how all types of librarians are examining the library's mission to serve tech-sawy communities and define new services based on the changing needs of its users. But... people * libraries * awards * promotionsawardsThe Public Library Association announced that David Newyear is the recipient of the Polaris Innovation in Technology John Riff Award.Currently, Newyear is the adult information services manager at the Mentor... Investigating Tablet Integration in Learning and Libraries at Ryerson UniversityWe found that the iPad, though not yet as integral to academic Life as a computer, can be a powerful· tooL in aiding collaboration, encouraging organization, and assisting... The year 2010 saw a major revolution in tablet technology with the introduction of the Apple iPad. Curious about the potential of this new technology for libraries, a group of librarians at Ryerson University in Toronto seized an opportunity to investigate... Though we provide some general guidance to our writers each month and, as a result, there's generally a strong coherence to our issues, it's rare that a single issue holds together so well as this one does. Our authors and columnists were clearly all... Over the past several years, the profession has moved aggressively to learn all about new technologies, blending them into the diverse information ecologies of our learning spaces. Yet even as we experiment with new technology, we have also practiced... Over the past several years, the profession has moved aggressively to learn all about new technologies, blending them into the diverse information ecologies of our learning spaces. Yet even as we experiment with new technology, we have also practiced... It's been said that "the great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from." It's also been said that "if you like laws, sausages, and standards, don't watch them being made." My inability to choose one standard joke about standards... More important than simply identifying the number of libraries experimenting with Facebook and other interactive tools is discovering what these libraries have in common and what benefits, if any, their forays onto Facebook and the like bring.What's... Public libraries have a lot of friends. And we're not just talking Friends of Libraries groups here (though they're important too). This article has more to do with the kind that can defriend you or at least block your messages from their newsfeeds...

This week's episode of WWE Main Event was taped on April 17, 2017 before Monday Night Raw and is coming to you from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, OH. The following are the results of what transpired during the show: Tony Mango is the founder, editor-in-chief, head writer, host of Smack Talk, and much more for Smark Out Moment as well as all branches under A Mango Tree including Fanboys Anonymous. He is a writer, creative director/consultant, media manager and entertainer. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Follow Us SITE SEGMENTS LIST OF SPECIAL EVENTS BRANDS AND SHOWS TYPES OF POSTS FOLLOW AMT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow by Email JOIN THE TEAM SUPPORT SMARK OUT MOMENT SMARK MY WORDS Copyright 2009-2019: Smark Out Moment - a web branch off A Mango Tree, an Anthony Mango company. All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy. This blog is in no way directly associated with WWE or TNA. Any copyright infringement is unintentional.

Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. GUWAHATI, India - A mob of several thousand people broke into a high-security prison in India, dragged out a rape suspect and killed him, officials said on Friday, adding that police had to impose a curfew to restore order. Rape has been a particularly emotive crime in India since 2012, when a student was raped and tortured on a bus in New Delhi and later died. The government has banned a documentary about that attack, re-igniting debate about gender inequality. The mob attacked the prison late on Thursday in the northeastern state of Nagaland. The man, a 35-year-old Muslim businessman accused of raping a woman, was dragged out and hauled naked through the streets and beaten to death. The Morning Rundown Get a head start on the morning's top stories. This site is protected by recaptcha "Security personnel at the jail were overpowered by the mob," said the state's chief minister, T.R.Zeliang. One person was killed and several injured when police fired on the mob. A curfew was imposed in the district late on Thursday and remained in force on Friday as the situation was "still tense," district police chief Meren Jamir told Reuters. Most people in Nagaland are Christian.Violence against women is widespread in India where a rape is reported on average every 21 minutes. Acid attacks, domestic violence and molestation are also common. There were 309,546 crimes against women reported to police in 2013, up from 244,270 the previous year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. These include rape, kidnapping, sexual harassment and molestation. IN-DEPTH — Reuters

College basketball star who wants to play in the NFL posted a video showing off his ridiculous athleticism before the draft Rico Gathers is a senior basketball player for Baylor University, but instead of taking a shot at pro basketball, he is going to follow in the footsteps of other power forwards and try to become a tight end in the NFL. Like San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Gathers has not played football in college. However, at 6-foot-8, 275 pounds, he has the size to be an elite tight end in the NFL. Now he just needs to show off his athleticism. He did so in a video posted to Twitter, which appears to show Gathers throwing a football from the goal line and then running to about the 40-yard line and catching it as it came back down. Gathers is averaging 11.5 points and 9.4 rebounds a game for the 19th-ranked Baylor Bears. He could choose to return to Baylor next year and play one season for the football team. However, a school spokesperson told CBS Sports that Gathers will forgo his final year of eligibility to take a shot at the NFL. Unfortunately, Gathers will not be able to show off during Baylor's pro-day workout for NFL scouts, as that will come on the day before the start of the NCAA Tournament.

Bugs in your protein bar: are edible insects the next food craze? As a water planner in Utah, Pat Crowley had grown frustrated that his message of conservation was being largely ignored by an agriculture industry intent on siphoning off the Colorado River to keep crops in California and other Western states succulent. Then a few years ago, the 34-year-old whitewater rafting enthusiast was listening to a TED talk on edible insects, which touted the critters as a surprising potent source of protein. The more he heard about the potential water savings from swapping insects for traditional protein like soy and grains, the more he realized it might be time to change professions. After toying with farming insects in 2011 for animal feed, Crowley, his wife Erica Koltenuk, co-founder Dan O’Neill and several friends set up shop in a local restaurant in Salt Lake City and began experimenting with making flour from crickets. Yes, crickets-- through a process whereby the bugs are roasted, ground into a powder, and added to a mixture that also includes organic dates, nuts and spices. Related A year later, they unveiled Chapul cricket bars, the first-ever energy bar made from cricket flour. The bars, each containing the equivalent of 25 crickets and claiming to contain twice the protein of their competitors, are now in over 200 health food, bike and extreme sports stores nationwide—the latest being Colorado-based Natural Grocers, a chain of 100 stores in the Midwest and West. “I decided to create a consumer product that would make it a very easy first step for people to try insects in a way that wasn’t a novelty but incorporate it into a staple food – make it more of a nutritional product,” says Crowley, who has long blond hair and bears a passing resemblance to the late Kurt Cobain. “This was definitely a mission-driven endeavor. It turns out the market has been responsive to it.” The bar got a huge boost when Crowley, dressed in a Chapul T-shirt and carrying a container of crickets, was selected to appear in March on the entrepreneur show Shark Tank, the hit business competition show on ABC in which entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. After initial reactions of “you gotta be kidding” and “there is no way I’m eating that,” the panel warmed to the product—and panelist and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban agreed to invest $50,000 for a 15 percent stake in the business (“Let’s eat some crickets,” he told Crowley). “It's a solution to a problem,” Cuban said via Twitter. “We need better sources of protein and over time I think consumer habits will change.” In fact, Chapul is just one of a dozen or more new companies attempting to change the way Americans look at bugs. Brooklyn-based Exo is making protein bars, Boston-based-Six Foods is planning to sell tortilla chips made from cricket flour, and All Things Bugs, an Athens, Ga., based firm founded by an entomologist, is looking to sell its own cricket flour to this burgeoning market. EnviroFlight in Ohio and AgriProtein in South Africa, meanwhile, are among at least four companies globally producing insects for the pet food, aquaculture or animal feed markets. The big opportunity they see: the consumption of insects as protein is much less taxing on the environment—growing, harvesting and processing them takes far less resources than chickens, cows and pigs, one percent of the greenhouse gasses of cattle and 100 times less water—so they tap into the current sustainability craze. They're rich in protein and other key nutrients like omega-3 acids. And the products can be made at a low cost—until now, with very little competition. But convincing Americans to eat anything containing creepy crawlers is not an easy sell. Unlike the developing world, where the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that two billion people depend daily on as many as 1,900 insect species for food, Americans and much of the West have long considered spiders, grasshoppers, crickets, flies and bees to be a nuisance that must be swatted away or stamped out. But Crowley and other edible insect aficionados are counting on younger, environmentally-conscious Millennials to move the sector beyond gag gifts like lollipops with scorpions or one-off bug buffets to become a staple in health food stores, snack stands and the larger food chain. The key, they say, is playing up the health benefits of eating products with insects while emphasizing bugs' small environmental footprint. “We are trying to set up future generations with a more sustainable food system, one that is more resource efficient and one that is more adaptable to a more changing climate,” Crowley says. Rose Wang, co-founder of Six Foods, which in May raised $70,000 on Kickstarter to make its Chirps cricket chips and hopes to have the product in stores by fall, agrees. “It's all about the vision of what eating insects can be,” Wang said in an e-mail interview, pointing out that the bugs are high in protein, low in fat, and can be raised humanely in small spaces, without antibiotics or growth hormones. "There is no question that insects are the most humane way to eat meat," she says, "And as people become more cognizant of where their food comes from and how it is produced, they are becoming more open to new sustainable foods like insects.” Related Glen Courtright, CEO and founder of EnviroFlight, is going even further with the environmental approach. His company takes some of the estimated 36 million tons of food waste that ends up in landfills each year and feeds it to the larvae of black soldier flies. A protein meal and oil derived from the dehydrated fly larvae are then packaged and shipped to the pet trade--as well as fish and pig farmers who are clamoring for a protein substitute for fishmeal, which comes from already overfished oceans. EnviroFlight is also partnering with the feed industry around the world to provide its technology and know-how on raising insects for animal feed. Courtright expects to see growth of 50 percent this year, adding that he is struggling to keep up with demand. “Big business understands there has to be a fish meal replacement, a sustainable fish meal replacement,” said Courtright, who initially explored producing oil from insects, bacteria and then algae for biofuels before shifting to the feed sector. “They are seeing the viability of the product and they are understanding insect technologies are real and they are coming.” But will insects catch on as pizza did after World War II or sushi did in the 1970s? Some experts think the deluge of new insect-related companies could be a turning point in entomophagists' (that's those who advocate for insects as food) decades-long battle to get the six and eight-legged critters onto the plates of consumers. “This is more than a blip. This is the beginning of a curve that will go steadily up,” said Montana State University Associate Prof. Florence V. Dunkel, a leading edible insect expert who organizes an annual bug buffet on campus each year featuring delicacies like wax moth larvae quesadillas, curried mealworms and Chinese stir fry made with crickets. “There was the environment," she says, ticking off forces that are driving interest in the new food group. "There was the need to have more nutrients. And then there was the openness of the Millennial generation to search out better ways to live,” she added. “It’s a no-brainer to begin to incorporate insects into our diet as a protein source.” But while Dunkel predicts that shoppers in the next few years could find bags of frozen moth larvae next to the frozen shrimp, others, including the FAO, are more cautious. They say consumer products will remain a “niche market” for at least another generation, mostly attracting thrill-seeking Westerners as well as immigrant communities in the West pining for traditional insect favorites like grasshoppers from Mexico or Mopane worms from southern Africa. The FAO’s Paul Vantomme, who coordinates the agency’s insect program, says he thinks the greatest potential is in the animal feed sector, noting that insects could represent up to 10 percent of the 150 million tons of protein sold each year in two decades. The insects would replace fishmeal and supplement soybean meal, Vantomme said. “China imports 30 million tons of soybean meal in order to supply its chicken and pig farms,” Vantomme says. “The average Chinese eats meat once a week, and that is expected to double in the next five years. That means they will be importing 60 million tons. Even China is looking for alternatives for these imports. For them, it’s a big problem.” EnviroFlight's Courtright also says he expects the animal feed sector to offer the most potential for investors. “For animal feed, definitely. For human feed, I don’t think the West is ready,” Courtright says. “We’re not that hungry yet. We are not starving and insects are not part of our culture.” Some of that trepidation was on display the other day at Fortune when several reporters said they were scared to even try samples of the Chapur coconut, ginger and lime or the peanut butter and chocolate bar. Much of the apprehension came from expecting to bite into a cricket, as famously seen on the TV show Fear Factor, although the bars have no visible cricket parts and lack the woodsy flavor of chirping insects. The taste and consistency are closer to a chocolate or tropical power bar. A few blocks away, the bars were on sale at midtown Manhattan's Westerly Natural Market natural foods store. Positioned alongside a protein bar featuring Chia seeds and another one claiming to save lives with each sale, staffers said the Chapul cricket bars were selling mostly to “hard-core” customers trying to tap into the latest health food trends. Sales have been slow due to limited marketing and the foreign concept of edible insects, they said. For his part, Chapul's Crowley has grown accustomed to the naysayers and acknowledges he still has work to do to help consumers overcome their fears of eating products like his with insects. But he believes his company has plenty of room to grow, predicting that it could see $1 million in revenue in 2015 and more than $10 million in five years. “I have no doubt that the industry will continue to grow,” Crowley says, noting that he expects Chapul to be in 10,000 stores in five years. "We need to diversify our food system," he says. "We are not trying to eliminate food sources. We are just trying to add insects to the menu of the American diet.” Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that All Things Bugs is based in Gainesville, Fla. The company is based in Athens, Ga. The story has been updated to reflect this.

Why the fuck does a confession bear about incestuous rape get more upvotes than me 103 shares