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THE FLATS – Georgia Tech tries to salvage the back half of a two-game road swing this Saturday when the Yellow Jackets visit Wake Forest for a 3 p.m. regionally televised game at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. Tech (13-9, 5-5 ACC), which has continued to defy pre-season projections in its first season under head coach Josh Pastner, dropped a 74-62 decision Wednesday night at Clemson on the heels of a pair of homecourt wins last week against top-15 ACC teams. The Yellow Jackets, 2-6 on the road this season, enter this weekend’s games tied for eighth place in the ACC standings with Virginia Tech. Wake Forest (13-9, 4-6 ACC) is coming off an 85-80 win at Boston College Tuesday night, completing a season sweep of the Eagles, and has also defeated Miami and NC State. The Demon Deacons, in 10th place in the ACC standings, are 7-3 at home this season. Saturday’s game will be aired on the ACC’s Regional Sports Network (Fox Sports South in Georgia, and will be streamed live online on the ACC Network Extra. Radio coverage is provided by Tech’s flagship station, 680 the Fan (680 AM/93.7 FM), and is available via satellite radio (Sirius ch. 81, XM ch. 81). • In the first half of its ACC schedule, Georgia Tech has faced, in order, teams ranked No. 9, 8, 9, 16, 6 and 14. The Jackets have one remaining opponent currently ranked in the top 25 (Notre Dame again). • At 5-5, Tech has its best ACC record through 10 games since the 2009-10 season, when the Yellow Jackets stood 6-4. • Georgia Tech is 5-7 against teams in the top 50 of CBSSports.com’s RPI rankings as of Thursday (2-3 vs. 1-25, 3-4 vs. 26-50). • Georgia Tech is No. 2 in field goal percentage defense (40.1 pct.) vs. ACC teams (Louisville is 40.0 pct.), and ranks third in scoring defense (69.1 ppg). Nationally, Tech ranks 21st in field goal percentage defense and 58th in scoring defense. • Georgia Tech has a 41-38 lead in the all-time series and a 40-36 lead in games played since it became a member of the ACC. • Tech has won six of the last seven meetings between the two teams, and won the only meeting between the two teams in 2015-16 (71-66 at McCamish Pavilion). • Tech has won its last 11 games against Wake Forest at home, dating back to an 80-76 Demon Deacon win on Feb. 22, 2004 when both teams were ranked in the top 20. The Jackets won the last seven meetings in Alexander Memorial Coliseum, a 69-62 decision at Philips Arena during the 2011-12 season, and all three meetings so far at McCamish Pavilion. • Tech made a sweep of the season series in 2010-11, setting school records in each game for margin of victory in an ACC game (74-39 at home on Jan. 19) and for margin of victory in an ACC road game (80-54 on Mar. 3). The Jackets also swept the Demon Deacons in 2012-13. • The home team has won 34 of the last 45 regular-season games in the series, with Wake Forest winning four times in Atlanta during that span, and Tech winning seven times in Winston-Salem. • Tech has lost 12 of the last 17 meetings at the Joel Coliseum, but has one of its better records in an opponent’s building at 8-18. Tech is 12-25 against Wake Forest on the road, including a 2-3 mark in regular-season games played in Greensboro and a 2-4 mark in games played in Winston-Salem prior to the opening of Joel Coliseum. • Tech started Josh Heath, Corey Heyward, Ben Lammers, Josh Okogie and Quinton Stephens for the fourth time this season. Three Yellow Jackets — Lammers, Okogie and Stephens — have started every game this season. • Tech trailed at the half (32-24) for the fifth time in conference play and is 1-4 in those games. The Jackets trailed at the half for the eighth time overall (1-7 record). • The 74-62 loss to Clemson was almost the exact score in reverse of the teams’ meeting in Atlanta (Tech won 75-63). Eight of Tech’s 10 ACC games this season have been decided by 10 or more points. • Clemson’s 44.4 percent shooting from the floor was the best against Tech since Virginia shot 45.8 percent on Jan. 21 and the third-best against the Yellow Jackets in ACC play. Still, Tech is yielding just 40.1 percent in conference games (No. 2 in the ACC). • Tech did not reach its magic number for points (70), and fell to 2-9 this season when scoring less than 70. The Yellow Jackets are unbeaten (11-0) when reaching that number offensively. • Tech was out-rebounded 36-34, the sixth time in 10 conference games the Yellow Jackets have come up short. • Tech blocked only two shots, one off its season low. The Yellow Jackets came into the game with an ACC-leading average of 5.67 blocks per ACC game, and rank fourth in the nation at 6.3 per game overall. • Tech made just one three-point field goal in 11 attempts, its lowest percentage from beyond the arc this season (Tech went 1-for-10 against Georgia). • Tech’s 17 turnovers were its most since committing 20 in a victory at VCU on Dec. 7. • Tech’s primary ballhandlers — Josh Heath, Justin Moore and Corey Heyward — have just 12 turnovers in Tech’s last three games (141 minutes). • Pastner meter 1 (assists to made field goals): Tech assisted on 13 of 23 made field goals (56.5 pct.) vs. Clemson – 60 percent goal not accomplished. Tech is at 62.6 percent for the season, which ranks 12th in the nation, and 66.9 percent in ACC games. • Pastner meter 2 (free throws made to opponents’ attempts): Tech made 15 of 21 free throws to Clemson’s 21 of 32 (goal of making more than opponent tries not accomplished). The Yellow Jackets still maintain a 72.2-percent clip from the foul line in ACC games. • Ben Lammers scored a career-high 25 points against Clemson, beating by one his previous best against Louisville on Jan. 7. It was his third 20-plus game against an ACC opponent this season, and his fourth overall. He scored in double digits for the 20th time this season, and established a career high for field goals made (12 of 18). • Lammers finished with nine rebounds, coming one rebound short of his 12th double-double this season. • Tadric Jackson scored 12 points and reached double figures in back-to-back games (scored 25 vs. Notre Dame) for the first time since scoring 10 in the first meeting vs. Clemson on Jan. 12 and following that with 13 at NC State, both of which Tech won. He went 4-for-8 from the floor and improved to 46,4 percent this season. • Josh Okogie returned to double figures with 12 points after scoring eight against Notre Dame, the only ACC game in which he has scored fewer than 10. He went 3-for-9 from the floor and 6-for-9 from the free throw line, adding three assists and three steals in 32 minutes. • Quinton Stephens scored 11 points for his sixth double-figure game against an ACC team and 14th overall this season. He grabbed six rebounds and remains among the ACC’s top 10 in rebound average at 8.2 per game. • Corey Heyward made his third consecutive start and 10th of the season. It was his 28th career start. He went scoreless for the second straight game, but helped limit the Tigers’ Jaron Blossomgame to 10 points (3-for-7, 0-for-2 on threes). It was his second straight game getting the lion’s share of time guarding the opposing team’s top scorer. He held Notre Dame’s Steve Vasturia, who entered the game averaging 14.9 points, to five points (1-7 FG) in 39 minutes. In his three consecutive starts, Heyward has played 83 minutes and turned the ball over once with 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals. • Josh Heath had four assists and has averaged 6.3 over his last seven games, 5.0 per ACC game this season.

https://ramblinwreck.com/georgia-tech-basketball-travels-to-wake-forest/

BACKGROUND: According to the latest revised National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (now known as the Alzheimer's Association) (NINCDS-ADRDA) diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease dementia of the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer Association, the confidence in diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease dementia is raised with the application of biomarkers based on measures in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or imaging. These tests, added to core clinical criteria, might increase the sensitivity or specificity of a testing strategy. However, the accuracy of biomarkers in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease dementia and other dementias has not yet been systematically evaluated. A formal systematic evaluation of sensitivity, specificity, and other properties of plasma and CSF amyloid beta (Aß) biomarkers was performed. OBJECTIVES: To determine the accuracy of plasma and CSF Aß levels for detecting those patients with MCI who would convert to Alzheimer's disease dementia or other forms of dementia over time. SEARCH METHODS: The most recent search for this review was performed on 3 December 2012. We searched MEDLINE (OvidSP), EMBASE (OvidSP), BIOSIS Previews (ISI Web of Knowledge), Web of Science and Conference Proceedings (ISI Web of Knowledge), PsycINFO (OvidSP), and LILACS (BIREME). We also requested a search of the Cochrane Register of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies (managed by the Cochrane Renal Group).No language or date restrictions were applied to the electronic searches and methodological filters were not used so as to maximise sensitivity. SELECTION CRITERIA: We selected those studies that had prospectively well defined cohorts with any accepted definition of cognitive decline, but no dementia, with baseline CSF or plasma Aß levels, or both, documented at or around the time the above diagnoses were made. We also included studies which looked at data from those cohorts retrospectively, and which contained sufficient data to construct two by two tables expressing plasma and CSF Aß biomarker results by disease status. Moreover, studies were only selected if they applied a reference standard for Alzheimer's dementia diagnosis, for example the NINCDS-ADRDA or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We screened all titles generated by the electronic database searches. Two review authors independently assessed the abstracts of all potentially relevant studies. We assessed the identified full papers for eligibility and extracted data to create standard two by two tables. Two independent assessors performed quality assessment using the QUADAS-2 tool. Where data allowed, we derived estimates of sensitivity at fixed values of specificity from the model we fitted to produce the summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. MAIN RESULTS: Alzheimer's disease dementia was evaluated in 14 studies using CSF Aß42. Of the 1349 participants included in the meta-analysis, 436 developed Alzheimer's dementia. Individual study estimates of sensitivity were between 36% and 100% while the specificities were between 29% and 91%. Because of the variation in assay thresholds, we did not estimate summary sensitivity and specificity. However, we derived estimates of sensitivity at fixed values of specificity from the model we fitted to produce the summary ROC curve. At the median specificity of 64%, the sensitivity was 81% (95% CI 72 to 87). This equated to a positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 2.22 (95% CI 2.00 to 2.47) and a negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of 0.31 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.48).The accuracy of CSF Aß42 for all forms of dementia was evaluated in four studies. Of the 464 participants examined, 188 developed a form of dementia (Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia).The thresholds used were between 209 mg/ml and 512 ng/ml. The sensitivities were between 56% and 75% while the specificities were between 47% and 76%. At the median specificity of 75%, the sensitivity was estimated to be 63% (95% CI 22 to 91) from the meta-analytic model. This equated to a LR+ of 2.51 (95% CI 1.30 to 4.86) and a LR- of 0.50 (95% CI 0.16 to 1.51).The accuracy of CSF Aß42 for non-Alzheimer's disease dementia was evaluated in three studies. Of the 385 participants examined, 61 developed non-Alzheimer's disease dementia. Since there were very few studies and considerable variation between studies, the results were not meta-analysed. The sensitivities were between 8% and 63% while the specificities were between 35% and 67%.Only one study examined the accuracy of plasma Aß42 and the plasma Aß42/Aß40 ratio for Alzheimer's disease dementia. The sensitivity of 86% (95% CI 81 to 90) was the same for both tests while the specificities were 50% (95% CI 44 to 55) and 70% (95% CI 64 to 75) for plasma Aß42 and the plasma Aß42/Aß40 ratio respectively. Of the 565 participants examined, 245 developed Alzheimer's dementia and 87 non-Alzheimer's disease dementia.There was substantial heterogeneity between studies. The accuracy of Aß42 for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease dementia did not differ significantly (P = 0.8) between studies that pre-specified the threshold for determining test positivity (n = 6) and those that only determined the threshold at follow-up (n = 8). One study excluded a sample of MCI non-Alzheimer's disease dementia converters from their analysis. In sensitivity analyses, the exclusion of this study had no impact on our findings. The exclusion of eight studies (950 patients) that were considered at high (n = 3) or unclear (n = 5) risk of bias for the patient selection domain also made no difference to our findings. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The proposed diagnostic criteria for prodromal dementia and MCI due to Alzheimer's disease, although still being debated, would be fulfilled where there is both core clinical and cognitive criteria and a single biomarker abnormality. From our review, the measure of abnormally low CSF Aß levels has very little diagnostic benefit with likelihood ratios suggesting only marginal clinical utility. The quality of reports was also poor, and thresholds and length of follow-up were inconsistent. We conclude that when applied to a population of patients with MCI, CSF Aß levels cannot be recommended as an accurate test for Alzheimer's disease.

https://read.qxmd.com/read/24913723/plasma-and-cerebrospinal-fluid-amyloid-beta-for-the-diagnosis-of-alzheimer-s-disease-dementia-and-other-dementias-in-people-with-mild-cognitive-impairment-mci

November 3, 2016 was an amazing day. It was on this day that 52 coffee technicians descended on a small business in Kansas City, Missouri to make history. For the first time, a guild was created by and for coffee technicians, and the first event— The Coffee Technicians Guild Inaugural Planning Summit — kicked off. The Coffee Technicians Guild (CTG) is a newly formed guild of the SCAA with the mission of promoting excellence in equipment service and developing qualified technicians through advocacy, education, and networking. The monumental undertaking of this Summit was to answer the question: What is a coffee technician? We also wanted to provide an opportunity for attendees to identify and network with other coffee technicians. And, of course, we wanted to eat some great Kansas City BBQ. I am happy to report that on all counts, the mission was accomplished. What is the Coffee Technicians Guild? The Coffee Technicians Guild (CTG) is an official trade guild of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) dedicated to supporting the coffee industry through the development of professional technicians. The CTG strives to be the voice of technicians within the coffee community. Founded in 2016, the guild is now welcoming its first members and hopes to create a community of technicians who can provide mutual support and knowledge, as well as provide opportunities to develop skills and learn best practices. Why do we need a Coffee Technicians Guild? We are just talking about maintaining and repairing coffee equipment, right? In fact, this is a critical piece in the puzzle at the coffee retail level and—as of now—there is no definition for what a coffee technician is, nor are there any standards for what they do. This is an opportunity for Coffee Technicians to work with SCAA to create this definition, develop standards, build an accreditation program, provide training and resources, as well as foster communication within the industry. Although this industry that has been around for well over three decades, we are now at the dawn of a new era for coffee technicians. If you are enthusiastic and dedicated to the coffee community, you will find that you are among friends in the Coffee Technicians Guild. Regardless of whether you’ve been a technician for 20 years or are just getting started in the industry, participation in the guild will undoubtedly aid in your success and inspiration throughout your career. See www.coffeetechniciansguild.org for more information.

https://rebelparts.com/the-new-coffee-technicians-guild/

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant sits 3 miles south of the Ohio River and 12 miles West of Paducah, Kentucky. It was opened by the government in 1952 to enrich uranium for later use in nuclear weapons. The site produced low-enriched uranium to be sent to the K-25 Reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee for further enrichment. In the 1960s, the Paducah Plant’s mission shifted from defense to energy production. The site began enriching Uranium for use in the nuclear power industry. Today, the plant is operated by United States Enrichment Corp. and stands as the only operating uranium enrichment facility in the United States. The Paducah site will be decommissioned in the coming years due to obsolete technology and contamination issues. Sick Paducah Plant workers are eligible to file EEOICPA claims as part of the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). SEC is a designation given to specific work sites or groups of workers that allow them to be compensated for their illness without having to prove a link between their work exposure and diagnosis. Those who qualify for SEC have a much better chance of a fast and successful claim. Worked at the gaseous diffusion plant in Paducah, Kentucky for a total of at least 250 days before February 1, 1992, and were monitored for radiation exposure with dosimetry badges or had jobs with similar exposures to those monitored.

https://remainathomeseniorcare.com/eeoicpa/paducah-ky-gaseous-diffusion-plant/

Tanja Van Achteren has a Master degree (1997) and PhD (2004) in Electrotechnical Engineering from the KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium. Her Master thesis was performed at the Laboratoire d’Analyse et Systèmes (LAAS-CNRS), Toulouse, France in the ERASMUS student exchange program. She continued working as a senior researcher and training coordinator at Imec on the design and development of electronic system design methodologies for battery-friendly execution of multimedia applications on hand-held devices. Imagination is at the start of every innovation. Remote sensing technology is evolving at light speed and is living up to its potential in every imaginable application domain. In March 2006 she joined the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) as a system engineer for the Medusa project, an ultra light weight camera system for a stratospheric unmanned aerial vehicle. In July 2008 she became Project Manager for the Proba-V User Segment development, responsible for the processing, calibration/validation, archiving and distribution of end-user data products for global vegetation monitoring. From September 2009, she took the role of Principal Investigator of the Proba-V mission, monitoring the end-to-end system performance and image quality during the development phase.

https://remotesensing.vito.be/team/tanja-van-achteren

If you want to take an interesting road trip, make the drive through Missouri state. Start in the north where you’ll enjoy peaceful plains and relatively flat land. As you get to the center and southern portion of the state, prepare for rolling hills to give way to the steep inclines of the Ozark Mountains. You can also enjoy pleasant views of the Missouri River, which cuts through the mountains throughout the southern region. While this Midwestern state doesn’t receive much attention from tourists, it is one of the more desirable regions of the United States for outdoor recreation and affordable living. There is a sizable student population in this state due to the University of Missouri system that places campuses in easy reach of residents. You can select from Southeast Missouri State University, Northwest Missouri State University, Missouri Southern State University and Missouri Western State University. Many students move to this state because they want to attend these universities, and others grow up in the state and appreciate having local schools to attend after high school graduation. Two of the most noteworthy cities in Missouri are St. Louis and Kansas City. St. Louis offers a variety of affordable housing options as well as a long list of entertainment venues, including the St. Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, City Museum and Fox Theatre. It’s also home to the Gateway Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Kansas City, Missouri, is full of historical and scientific attractions, including the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site and Science City. If you appreciate summer heat and don’t enjoy excessive cold in the winter, you’ll love the Missouri climate. The summers offer many long days with intense sunlight, and the winters are typically mild. While you can still enjoy a good thunderstorm or occasional snow showers, you won’t have to worry about extreme temperatures that occur in other regions of the United States. You can find more than 50,000 homes for sale in Missouri at any given time, and more than half of those listings will represent single-family residential properties. These homes are distributed throughout the state along with a variety of multi-property structures, condos and townhouses. If you want to build a new home to your own standards, you may also want to consider purchasing an empty lot in your ideal location. Prices can range from under $100,000 to well over a million dollars for existing homes, depending on your choice of location. If you’re purchasing your first home and will use it as your primary residence, you can take advantage of many homeowner assistance programs for Missouri residents. These programs are offered through the state and federal governments and will give you a grant to use toward closing costs and your down payment. In most cases, you won’t have to repay this money, so it’s a substantial help for lower-income homebuyers. If you like your quiet time and want to live in a peaceful neighborhood, you can’t go wrong by moving to Rock Port. Located in the northwestern corner of the state, this small town has excellent schools that aren’t overcrowded and many single-family homes spread out for privacy. Most homes sell for well under $100,000, but you can also find some larger homes priced above $300,000 at times. If you can afford to pay more for a home and want to live in a small town, consider Glendale. The median home value is slightly more than $300,000, and you still get to enjoy quiet streets in a peaceful community. Are you interested in living in one of the most exclusive Missouri neighborhoods? Head out to a place known as Town & Country. You’ll find it on the outskirts of St. Louis, and the median home value in the area is above $700,000. The cost of living is much higher here than other parts of the state, but you’ll live among the wealthy in close proximity to the esteemed Bellerive Country Club. Are you ready to stop throwing your money at a landlord? Do you want to live in a home that you can call your own and in which you can make the rules? If so, you may want to look for a rent-to-own home in Missouri. This is a more gradual path to home ownership, but it corrects many of the problems that homebuyers encounter in the buying process. For starters, you don’t have to rush out and accept a home loan from the first lender willing to make an offer. You start out as a renter in the home that you eventually want to buy, so you have some time to shop around and find a lender willing to offer the best interest rate and terms. If you discover that there are some blemishes on your credit report that you need to correct or that you must save up a more substantial down payment than you were originally expecting, you can use the rental period to do that as well. Once you decide that it’s time to own your home, you have the right to purchase the property in which you already live. This is when you stop paying the rent and begin paying your mortgage payment. The extent of involvement from the landlord during the rental phase will vary and there are different terms that they may offer you, so make sure to pay attention to the details when considering this type of home-buying contract. In 2015, Missouri ranked as the 11th most affordable state in the U.S. The overall cost of living is at least 10 percent below the national average, and that is largely due to incredible prices on real estate. The housing market offers prices more than 20 percent lower than the national average, and utility prices are just slightly higher than the national average. From groceries and transportation to goods and services that you need to live comfortably, you can expect to pay less in Missouri than you would in most other states. Missouri is one of the most affordable states in the U.S., but an amazing deal on your new home isn’t all the state has to offer. Many residents are drawn to this region of the country because the climate offers long, hot summers followed by moderate winter temperatures. While you may have to put up with some storms, you’ll get to experience all four seasons without extreme winter temperatures or excessive snow cover. This comes along with many large cities loaded with museums, historic sites, parks and family-friendly entertainment venues.

https://renttoownlabs.com/l/missouri

Serious businesses wear their standards certifications with pride and consider them a sign of their dedication to the profession and their commitment towards a delivering an excellent product or service to their customers. A standard makes it easier to communicate, to introduce new team members, to get teams working in the same manner, and to generally be more streamlined in your operation. Organisations such as ISO create standards, as this is a better way of introducing a stardardized way of working so that you do not have to reinvent the wheel, and rather, work in a proven way. Unfortunately, software testing is plagued by many divergences in definitions, processes and procedures. It lacks a common ground that permits an accurate comparison between different teams and practitioners are often at a loss as to which standard they should apply in their work. But this is all set to change thanks to ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119. ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 is a new standard series that seeks to become the common language of software testing organisation. It comprises a set of five standards that have been internationally agreed upon and can be applied within any software development life cycle. This series has been developed by ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 Working Group 26 over the past seven years. Once all the five parts making up this standard are finalised, it will provide a new international standard that replaces the confusing and often conflicting ones that are currently in circulation with a uniform way of conducting software testing. In the next sections, we will look at the component standards in the series which are illustrated in Figure 1 below. The basis of any form of understanding is a common language between people. For this reason the first standard in the series, 29119-1, aims to introduce and define the vocabulary that relates to different software testing concepts and the roles and responsibilities in testing, and with which the rest of the standards are described. This isn’t as abstract as it sounds. In fact, 29119-1 also includes specific examples of the application of each concept it describes in practice. The first part was published in September 2013 and is a very informative standard that should be read and digested thoroughly before attempting to apply the processes and techniques that are listed in the other standards of the series. The second in the series proposes a general model covering the steps from developer testing, all the way to acceptance testing,that can be easily implemented within any software development life cycle. 29119-2 describes a process of software testing that is based on a three-layer model which can be adapted in any scenario. This standard uses a risk-based approach which is widely considered the best type of approach to strategise and manage testing since it permits testers to prioritise the most important components of the system that is tested. 29119-1, which was published in September 2013, will also work hand in hand with ISO/IEC 33063 (still being drafted) which seeks to define a process assessment model for software testing. The latter will comprise a number of indicators to consider when evaluating a process for improvement or selection. 29119-3, also published in September 2013, aims to create templates for test documentation, including test plans, test reports and bug reports that are wide enough in scope to cover the whole of the software testing life cycle. Each template can be modified to suit the requirements of individual organisations and to fit with any life cycle model. These templates build upon the testing process defined in the previous standard and are based on the popular IEEE 829 test documentation standard which they supersede. The fourth standard in the series is currently in a draft international standard. The aim 29119-4 is to serve as an international standard that covers software test design techniques that be employed during the test design and implementation phases within the development cycle. The design techniques in this standard are classified into three categories, namely specification-based testing techniques (e.g. equivalence partitioning and random testing), structure-based testing techniques (e.g. statement and branch testing), and experience-based testing techniques such as error guessing. Each type of testing technique can be used to ascertain that high-quality test cases are written and to detect any errors that may be present. This standard is based on and supersedes the BS-7925-2 standard which was provided by the British Standards Institution for component testing. Finally, 29119-5, which is still being actively drafted, serves to define a standard for keyword-driven testing. This is a particular technique for describing test cases by using a set of keywords that refer to actions which have to be executed during a test case. By adopting a set of keywords instead of describing the actions necessary in natural languages, test cases become shorter, simpler to understand and easier to maintain and automate. ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 is intended to become a generic standard that can support any software development life cycle and be applicable in any organisation. However, there is still the need for extensive trialing in the different domains it covers and in a diverse range of project types to confirm its applicability to sequential, iterative and agile scenarios. If your company can help in the testing of the 29119 standard, you can join one of the working groups within your national standards body to contribute to meetings and review drafts. This standard has received an overwhelming amount of interest and there have been over 1,000 comments made so far about 29119 from contributing members in 18 countries. When it is finalised in 2015, ISO/IEC/IEEE 29119 will be an international standard that provides testing professionals with guidelines that cover every part of the development life cycle. It will be adopted by major standards bodies and will offer a uniform set of definitions, process and techniques which help to increase the quality of the work done by software testing professionals worldwide.

https://reqtest.com/testing-blog/isoiecieee-29119-creating-a-standard-approach-to-test-software/

The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) patient was two-years-old when he received the new investigational treatment for the genetic condition, Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA (MPSIIIA), in January 2019. MPSIIIA, also known as Sanfilippo syndrome, is a rare inherited disease caused by a genetic mutation and deficiency in the SGSH gene – meaning that the body’s ‘sulfamidase’ enzyme cannot break down complex sugar molecules properly. The treatment performed at RMCH, which is part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), makes use of lentiviral vector, gene-modified ‘autologous’ – i.e. the patient’s own – blood stem cells. These stem cells are manipulated ‘ex vivo’, or outside of the body, before being transplanted back into a patient. RMCH’s Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit has pioneered transplants for children with similar metabolic diseases and enzyme deficiencies for many years, and is the largest transplant centre for metabolic diseases in Europe. Professor Rob Wynn, Paediatric Haematologist at RMCH and BMT Programme Director, performed the gene therapy. He works closely with RMCH’s paediatric team, led by Dr Simon Jones, which cares for children with such enzyme deficiencies. Professor Wynn also works closely with Professor Brian Bigger – who developed the gene therapy technology at The University of Manchester (UoM), supported by funding from Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity). The team also worked with other world-leading scientists, Professors Adrian Thrasher and Professor Bobby Gaspar, from the gene therapy team at the UCL Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Institute of Child Health (ICH). Professors Thrasher and Gaspar are also co-founders of Orchard Therapeutics, where Professor Gaspar serves as Chief Scientific Officer. Orchard Therapeutics holds the license and commercial rights to the MPSIIIA programme. While the RMCH patient’s blood stem cells were removed in Manchester, the genetic manipulation of those cells to add in the SGSH gene was performed in Professor Thrasher’s specialist gene therapy labs at the UCL GOSH ICH. This was supported by funding from GOSH Charity to the gene therapy team and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) GOSH Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). Professor Wynn said: “MPSIIIA affects each person differently – and its progress will be much faster in some individuals than in others – but symptoms often appear after children reach the age of one. As we were able to perform this treatment when the patient was two-years-old, the chances of it being effective were increased. We are still at an early stage in the development of this treatment, but I’m pleased to say the patient is doing well. A clinical trial making use of the investigational therapy is due to open at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital before the end of the year. The trial is sponsored by UoM, and funded by Orchard Therapeutics. Read more about the investigational gene therapy being pioneered at RMCH in our website news story published earlier this year.

https://research.cmft.nhs.uk/news-events/royal-manchester-childrens-hospital-patient-doing-well-after-receiving-world-first-gene-therapy-treatment-for-life-limiting-genetic-condition

> Supply chain performance of Pakistani apparel manufacturing ... Pakistan is one of the major producers of cotton and textile products. However, Pakistani apparel manufacturers and exporters are losing their market share due to poor supply chain performance. Owing to limited research in this area, an exploratory qualitative study (phase-1) involving a variety of organizations in apparel SC was carried out, in conjunction with a literature review, to determine the causes behind this decline. The outcome of preliminary exploratory study and literature review aided in the proposal of a hypothetical model that reveals the factors affecting the Supply chain performance of Pakistani apparel manufacturing and exporting organizations. On the basis of the hypothetical model, an instrument was designed and piloted to strengthen the phase-2 large-scale quantitative study. Following the analysis of the phase-2 study using structural equation modeling, a revised model is presented. The final model indicates that factors such as poor planning and resource utilization, poor management of cost, higher delivery leadtime, a lack of flexibility and vertical integration, low quality, ineffective sourcing, poor compliance with workplace and social standards, and counter-productive government policy are causing the supply chain performance of apparel manufacturing and exporting organizations in Pakistan to decline significantly. This study also points out the intricate relationship of factors including those moderating the relation of above-stated factors and supply chain performance. The study classified factors into two main categories, namely internal and external factors. This approach clearly indicates which areas management of apparel manufacturing and exporting originations need to improve and which areas require the immediate attention of the government of Pakistan.

https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/supply-chain-performance-of-pakistani-apparel-manufacturing-and-exporting-organizations-to-usa-and-european-buyers(4db3fedc-a100-4f1a-aa58-34aecde401db).html

Reflect: The federal government has many duties, obligations, and powers under the Constitution. Some scholars argue that the reach of the federal government should be limited and constrained. Other scholars argue that the federal government should not be constrained or limited where the welfare of the U.S. people is concerned. For example, in the case, Gonzales v. Raich, the boundaries of the federal government’s definition of interstate commerce are in question. In this case, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents took marijuana plants from a woman’s home in California under the Federal Controlled Substances Act. However, under California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996, the plants were allowed for medical use. What are some of the political issues that surround this case? Respond to Peers: Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references according to APA standards.

https://researchteam101.com/does-the-federal-government-have-the-right-to-ban-marijuana-under-the-commerce-clause-of-the-u-s-constitution-why-or-why-not/

WASHINGTON (June 26, 2019) – Second Century Ventures, the National Association of Realtors®' strategic investment arm, is proud to present the opening of applications for the second annual Innovation, Opportunity and Investment Summit Pitch Battle. A select group of technology startups focused on real estate will compete with live presentations in front of the iOi Summit audience on Wednesday, August 21 in Seattle, Washington. "We are pleased to announce that Chris Smith, Co-Founder of Curaytor will once again emcee the event. The goal of the iOi Pitch Battle is to highlight how some of the most cutting edge and impactful startups are helping to define the future of real estate. All iOi Summit registrants are welcome to attend the live iOi Pitch Battle," said Glenn Shimkus, NAR VP of Strategy and Innovation. The Pitch Battle is a unique opportunity for tech startups focused on the real estate industry to provide a live demonstration in front of the iOi Summit 2019 audience. Selected startups will have the chance to have their product or service viewed by key influencers and venture investors, receive free press mentions, obtain an all-access pass to iOi Summit 2019, and the opportunity to receive personalized presentation coaching by Chris Smith of Curaytor. First place winner will also walk away with $15K cash and other valuable benefits. "If you consider yourself an innovator, entrepreneur, investor, or executive seeking to lead change, I encourage you to join the conversation. It's one you won't want to miss," said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. Please visit https://www.nar.realtor/ioi/Pitch-Battle for more information. The National Association of Realtors® annual Innovation, Opportunity & Investment (iOi) Summit brings together the industry's top tech companies, investors and Realtors® to collaborate, network, and drive the industry forward. The two-day conference will take place in Seattle, Washington with a welcome reception beginning on Tuesday, August 20 at 5 p.m. and ending late afternoon on Thursday, August 22. The iOi Summit attracts attendees who are looking to embrace, leverage, and be part of the change that currently surrounds real estate. Hear the latest from entrepreneurs and global tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and others. Find out what products and services are poised to make a major impact on the industry. Learn how you can tap into these breakthroughs to better your business. The National Association of Realtors® is the world's largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

https://retechnology.com/news-list/24140-nar-s-strategic-investment-fund-opens-applications-for-ioi-pitch-battle

8.270. Appropriations for less than $100,000, how paid out. — If the amount appropriated is less than one hundred thousand dollars for constructing, renovating or for repairing, or for both building and repairing, no warrant shall be drawn on the state treasury payable out of the appropriation for any part thereof, until satisfactory evidence is furnished to the commissioner of administration that the work has been completed according to the contract, and not in excess of the amount appropriated therefor.

https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=8.270

It was certainly a privilege to be included in last Saturday’s American Academy of Religion (AAR) roundtable discussion of “Museums and the Public Understanding of Religion,” organized by Hamilton College’s S. Brent Plate. In his introduction to the session, Brent talked about how important it is that museums, which welcome as many as 800 million guests a year, powerfully shape the popular imaginary regarding religion. Lauren Turek of Trinity University (TX) gave a very interesting talk – complete with artistic renderings – on a proposed (but never-built) museum on Jews in the western United States that was being designed to enable visitors to experience something of the religious practice and experience of Jews from the past. Peter Manseau (who also happens to be the author of the critically-acclaimed The Apparitionists) talked about the new exhibit he curated at the National Museum of American History on “Religion in Early America,” in the process highlighting the exhibit’s emphasis on religious diversity and its goal to “normalize” religious differences such that visitors might feel less anxiety about those differences. Diversity was also at the heart of Laura Weinstein’s fascinating discussion of an exhibit she curated at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, in which beautiful pages selected from various editions of the Koran in the museum’s collection were displayed next to thoughtful personal responses written by local Muslims. Finally, there was a powerful presentation on religion at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Curator Eric Williams and Yolanda Pierce (formerly at the museum but now dean of the Howard University School of Divinity) talked about the intense reaction many visitors – particularly African American visitors – have in response to objects at the museum, such as Nat Turner’s Bible (which he had in his possession during the rebellion) and beautiful shards of stained glass that were retrieved from the ashes of the 1963 bombing of Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church, in which four young girls were killed. In short, four compelling presentations on four intellectually credible museums (including one not yet built), all of which take seriously both the diversity of religion in America and the diversity among museum visitors and their responses to those representations. And then, for something completely different, there was our presentation on the Creation Museum/Ark Encounter (both Answers in Genesis (AiG) sites) which, rather than embrace religious diversity or seek to calm anxiety about it, instead aim to transform Bible-believing Christians into Christian Right culture warriors to the point that they will even reject earnest old Earth fundamentalists as beyond the pale. What a great question. Especially for us. As we noted in our response, the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter borrow the exhibit and display strategies of natural history to create (many, if not most, objects on display are created by AiG) and to constitute those objects in such a way as to invite visitors to experience them as authentic relics from the past. Borrowing from the workings of traditional dioramas, which re-create within a museum setting a scene from a distant time or place or culture, the Creation Museum’s walk-through Garden of Eden serves as a peephole into the early chapters of Genesis and constructs them as historical referents. As people, places, and stories that actually happened. Likewise, at Ark Encounter, an entire walk-through diorama creates a three-dimensional space in which the living quarters on the Ark, never mentioned in Genesis, offer visitors an experience of what life on that huge vessel might have been like. There visitors come to know by name individuals such as Noah’s daughters-in-law (also never mentioned in Genesis) along with their ethnicities, gifts, and favorite hobbies. In these ways, both the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter create/construct objects, people, and scenes designed to enable visitors to feel intensely that these objects, people, stories are real and only separated from them by time and space. Magic, indeed. In response to our paper, several in attendance indicated that they were frightened by our presentation. For them, museums today are charged with educating publics in ways that defy division, faction, and strife. At the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter it would appear that just the opposite is underway. Scary, indeed.

https://rightingamerica.net/the-magic-of-museums/

Jason T. Graves is a multi-media Fine Artist, who has made his home in Colorado for nearly two decades. He graduated with a BFA, from The School Of The Art Institute Of Chicago, in 2000. Jason has been a professional artist, designer and printmaker for 20 years. Whether he is creating murals, paintings, prints or digital artwork, Jason is always finding ways to be creatively active and contribute to the to the cultural landscape which surrounds him.

https://rinoartdistrict.org/go/jason-t-graves

The Board has received a number of queries on its policy concerning the holding of hearings abroad for the convenience of applicants who live outside the State. The Board has postponed a decision on this until now so as to assess the likely volume of such requests. As at mid March 2004 the Board has received a substantial number of applications from persons living in the United Kingdom or further afield. Most of these applicants have been represented by Irish solicitors. The majority of these applications have been concluded by settlement without the requirement for a hearing. Where a hearing has been necessary, each of the applicants, bar one, has been able to travel to Dublin at the Board's expense in order to give evidence at a hearing. There has to date been only one application in which, out of medical necessity, arrangements have had to be made to take an applicant's evidence outside the State. There are three different issues to be considered in the context of possible hearings abroad i.e. the efficiency of the process, the legal implications of a hearing abroad and the wishes of the applicants. In the case of applications from within Ireland, the Board has in the interests of efficiency made special arrangements for settlements and hearings to take place in locations other than Dublin where applications have been clustered in urban areas such as Cork, Limerick and Galway. With this in mind, the Board has looked at the residential locations of foreign-based applicants and other than in the U.K. (and one U.S. location) they are not clustered in a way which would render it efficient to set up settlement sessions covering a large number of applications. In many U.K. cases internal travel within the U.K. would appear to present as big a problem for applicants as coming to Dublin. Further, in the case of the U.K the vast majority of lawyers used by the applicants are Irish based. To date, settlements of applications from persons resident in the UK have been conducted in the normal way. Only a minority of lawyers bring their clients to settlement discussions and this has not been a problem in the case of foreign residents. Most applicants are willing to come to Dublin for a hearing on the basis that the Board will pay all reasonable travel and subsistence expenses. In such cases, the Board has adopted a policy of allowing persons from abroad to bring one companion free of charge once the matter is cleared with the Board's administration beforehand. Even if there were no legal impediments it is therefore unlikely that as a matter of routine the Board would set up hearing facilities in the U.K. or elsewhere. The general policy of the Board on the need for hearings abroad does not cater for those who by reason of health or other serious difficulty cannot travel to Ireland. The Board has considered how these persons can be facilitated. Before outlining that policy it is necessary to set out certain legal matters, which may impinge on the Board's work in this area. There is no doubt that the law applicable to the Redress process is Irish law. The Board and the scheme are established by Irish law with no external jurisdiction or any international law element. The domestic nature of the scheme does not prevent those living abroad from applying, but the scheme under which they choose to apply is governed by domestic Irish law and not by the law of their country of residence. The Board is a body established by the Oireachtas to assess the redress payable to victims of child abuse. It is not a court of law. The distinction between the Board and a court of law is illustrated by the provisions of section 18 of Residential Institutions Redress, Act 2002, which grants absolute privilege to the Board and its staff in connection with the Board's work. Such protection would not be necessary if the Board was a court of law. The absolute privilege covers the actions of the Board within the State only but confers no external protection. Utterances by Board members and staff made abroad do not have the absolute privilege afforded by law to similar comments made within the State. The nature of the privilege actually enjoyed would vary within each jurisdiction. The Board has been advised that in England and Wales, for example, the utterances of Board members and staff would probably attract only qualified privilege, a lesser and more uncertain form of protection. Different rules would probably apply in other jurisdictions, creating a considerable degree of legal difficulty for the Board in carrying out its functions. In addition there are a number of aspects of the redress scheme which depend upon the application of other aspects of Irish law. To give two examples. In the interests of obtaining a true account of the abuse which an applicant has suffered, it is the Board's policy to take his or her evidence on oath; the sanction for fraudulent evidence must be proceedings by the Irish authorities. This sanction would not be available in the case of hearings conducted outside the State. It is also an essential aspect of the scheme that applications are dealt with in the strictest confidence and it is therefore a criminal offence to make public any information about an application; this sanction also could not be enforced outside the State. The Board's experience is that most applicants are willing to come to Ireland for a hearing of their application. Following a full consideration of all the relevant issues, the Board has decided that it will continue as a general rule to conduct settlements and/or hearings of applications, from persons who reside outside Ireland, at its premises in Dublin. All reasonable expenses incurred by applicants travelling to Dublin for a successfully concluded settlement or for a hearing will be met by the Board. The Board is, however, anxious within its policy framework to assist those for whom travel to Dublin is impossible or too great a burden. The Board will make every effort to settle informally (that is, without the need for a hearing) applications made by such persons and will for this purpose enter into negotiations in Ireland and/or by telephone, mail or otherwise with a view to reaching a settlement acceptable to the applicant. In the small number of cases where a settlement of this kind is not possible, and the applicant satisfies the Board that he or she is unable to travel to Dublin, the Board will be willing to consider an application (supported by appropriate evidence) to hear the oral evidence of the applicant at a suitable location close to his or her place of residence. The applicant's oral evidence is but part of the evidence to be considered by the Board in any case. Other evidence includes the application form, medical reports and other verbal and written information. This other evidence will be received in Ireland only. Having heard the oral evidence of the applicant, the Board will adjourn further consideration of the application and make its decision within Ireland. In that way the Board will facilitate applicants while minimising the exposure of the Board and its staff to the kind of legal difficulties which we have identified.

https://rirb.ie/updates_article.asp?NID=57

Through a Chinese friend, I had the luck to discover the remarkable “Dali Dreamstone” exhibition this week at TK Asian Antiquities in New York City. Dali Dreamstones are marble slabs of smaller or larger size, which are mined, cut and polished by stone masters to reveal extraordinary patterns that resemble traditional Chinese or Japanese paintings, or indeed Western abstract art depictions of natural phenomena—a landscape comprised of mountain, forest and lake—or else a stylized human figure—an old man, for example. In exhibiting this collection of a few dozen pieces, TK Antiquities brings this special, little known art form to the attention of Americans interested in Chinese/Asian culture and to provide a buying opportunity that will extend the reputation of this Chinese art form among American collectors. My friend, Ms. Ping Wang, who helped organize the show, has an unusually personal connection to the Dali exhibition, things in her own past I hadn’t known. Dali is an ancient town in Yunnan Province, about 400 kilometers from Kunming. During the Maoist Cultural Revolution her father, a military man, was transferred from Beijing to Dali where she spent spent part of her youth in the early 1970s. One could walk from one end of the place to the other in fifteen minutes. Dali was deep rural China then (and still is) but today, because of its cultural aura, has attracted a certain number of contemporary artists (producing a ‘coffee house culture,’ she says) that made me think, perhaps erroneously, of Taos, New Mexico. The raw marble slabs for Dali objects are mined from a massif called Cangshan, whose stone, a congenial enterprise of Nature, embodies highly unusual, evocative striations and colors. After selecting, cutting and polishing the marble, its revealed designs are categorized into three basic types: yunhui (grey clouds), moshi or baishi (white jade), and caihua (colored flowers). Today there’s a renewed interest in this work, but appreciation of Dali marble as art goes back to at least the early Tang Dynasty (618-907). During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) a portion of the Dali Kingdom’s annual tribute to the Song Court had to be paid in Dali marble. It was even used in construction of the Forbidden City. In more recent times, Dali marble has more recently been used in building luxurious residences and resorts. Its growing reputation has led to increased production of which the current exhibition is an example. To this observer there seem to be two ways to appreciate Dali Dreamstones. A first is to see them as nature-depicting-nature, coincidences of content of one part of our environment with another, ravishing intimations of connection. They are like paintings, only nobody made them. Comparison—seeing similarities and differences at the same time—is an intrinsic mode of the brain’s intellectual understanding of the world. There can be great beauty in scientific observation—phenomena that are seen, and whose laws are investigated and codified—in addition to the practical knowledge and applications. The second way, which this writer prefers, is purely aesthetic, to see and to experience nature without trying to make any particular sense of it. Dreamstones are simply beautiful, a source of emotional satisfaction and a sense of belonging, of feeling oneself to be what we are: literally a part of the world, with our own special qualities, differences and uniqueness (indeed, some of us are quite beautiful, others less so). In this regard, dealing with Cangshan Mountain marble resembles how we deal with music: one way is close study of composition, the other is not trying to understand it at all, only to enjoy it. Sometimes one encounters a painting or a piece of driftwood or a flower and thinks, I could live with that, in fact I’d like to live with that.

https://ronaldtiersky.com/2016/02/12/chinese-dali-dreamstone-exhibition/

Any man can tell you that life is a series of good decisions and bad decisions. The more good ones you make, the more enjoyable your life is destined to be. But, if you must make bad decisions, at least make them memorable ones, for entertainment’s sake. Unfortunately, in the case of The Stand, turning a novel into a six hour plus marathon was a bad decision that was neither memorable nor entertaining. You can own this, although having read the review, maybe you shouldn’t. The reason this took two weeks to review was because I got so little enjoyment out of viewing, that I broke it into several segments to complete. Ultimately, this was about as effective a technique as chewing portions of a large aspirin rather than just swallowing the thing whole and getting it over with. -Note, there isn’t actually a tornado in the film. Cool artwork, though. The plot is based loosely around what amounts to King’s interpretation of the book of Revelations. However, sitting through the film should feel more like a test of God to the viewer than to the main cast of characters, most of whom suffer from, frankly, poor acting. The best performances came from Gary Sinise (The big money actor they brought in), as well as Rob Lowe, who played a deaf-mute character fairly convincingly. Everyone else caused me to cringe at the majority of their lines, the way I do at myself when I see my own acting (Spoiler alert, I’m not good at it).* When the acting is poor enough to bring the viewers’ attention to it, it ruins the experience by constantly reminding the viewer that these are in fact, very poor actors and not the characters they try so hard to portray. When King, who himself plays a moderately sizable role in the film, doesn’t stand out as a bad actor by comparison, you know you’re in trouble. It starts with the majority of the world’s population dying of a super flu. Only a few hundred immune survivors live on. This has some fun creative possibilities, from the battle over territory to the increased individual importance and legacy of such chosen survivors. But King abandons much of this in favor of a tired Good vs. Evil battle, in which the outcome and characters are purely black and white, aside from the (inevitable) betrayal of one of the good characters. One big reason why this film doesn’t function well is the dialogue. You should reasonably be able to guess all the lines before they happen. This is a consequence not only of lazy screenwriting, but of a plot that is equally predictable. In watching, you’ll feel like you know the story already, and for a six hour feature there should be only one or two real surprises for the viewer. “Dreadfully dull” is the most accurate description that I can come up with without breaking the colorful language barrier. First and foremost, the experience suffers from being painfully and tediously drawn out. A few scenes come to mind; one of which they sing the entire national anthem with nothing but a pan across all of the main characters that conveys nothing emotionally, nor does it add to the plot. Just about every shot could have been done quicker and more concisely, and this is coming from a guy who watched Cormac McCarthy’s The Sunset Limited, where two guys sit in a room and talk philosophy for an hour and a half, and enjoyed it. I’m not the kind of guy who needs films to be fast paced, but it needs to be good enough for your patience as a viewer to be rewarded. The entirety of the first episode is basically giving backgrounds to each of the major characters (Fifteen to twenty minutes apiece). At least you thought they were the main characters. Between episodes, dozens of new characters will join the fray with little to no explanation of their own personal backgrounds. The story continues with an indiscriminate mix of developed and undeveloped characters. It made me wonder whether I’d actually skipped an episode (mercifully, I hadn’t), or perhaps if King was convinced he’d lulled the viewers to sleep effectively enough to slip a couple past us. Either way, it feels utterly disjointed and confusing, considering prior insistence on establishing long backgrounds for other characters. If you enjoy the story, and you might, it seems as though the solution would be to read the book, and leave this abomination on the shelves. I had heard good things about it in the past, and went into it with high expectations, but instead found myself disappointed with poor execution, few surprises, and an antagonist who looks like a bad 80’s arena rocker. I’m willing to bet he would do anything for love. See you in court, Al Jean. *Ed Note: Twist! He actually is. Great review, but you are so wrong about your own acting prowess — you are very convincing! Ask around and you’ll see.

https://roosterillusionreviews.com/2013/03/09/strange-bacon-stephen-king-marathon-part-vi-the-stand/

No electricity forced most restaurants and bars to close early as they were not able to provide working toilets; refrigerators and freezers malfunctioned; and candles in a public place posed a fire risk. The payment situation was a problem: ATMs were not dispensing cash and some shops would not accept card payment. WiFi networks in hotels and restaurants went down and people could not charge their phones, tablets or cameras. As well as not being able to have a cool shower for a respite from the 33C heat, air conditioning units were not working, leading to an uncomfortable night for many visitors. However, the blackout made for a spookily dark town, with only the flicker of candles to be spotted in house windows here and there. The drop-out in power coincided with a full moon, which rose majestically over the dark, quiet harbour. Joel, 28, an engineer working in automation in the city of Houston in the United States, happened to be in Mexico renewing his visa and tried unsuccessfully to vote at the special polling station. He and his wife, Linda, 29, were incredulous that not enough ballot papers had been printed and that there had been no official guidance from the electoral authorities, meaning their six-hour wait in the queue to vote had been in vain. Blanca Góngora, a 55-year-old lawyer from the northern city of Monterrey, said she was “just angry – simply angry” that she had been turned away from voting. She had been hoping to cast her vote for the independent candidate Jaime Rodríguez, also know as El Bronco. One couple from the state of Querétaro, 35-year-old Gilberto and 27-year-old Dani, were disconsolate at the thought of being turned away. For them, education was the most important issue in the election and it was “just horrible” that they were not going to be able to vote. The special polling station where this blog reported from in the video above was located near the city’s main railway station, and lines streamed around the block, totalling many thousands of people, all from different states across Mexico, as you can see below, in what would ultimately be a futile attempt to vote. As the news filtered through that the polling station was going to be closed because there were not enough ballot papers, the queue dispersed and the crowd divided – some left and simply gave up; others demanded answers as the mood soured.

https://rosscullen.co.uk/page/2/

WIN or lose, Oldham’s promotion decider against Newcastle Thunder at the Vestacare Stadium on Sunday (3pm) is bound to be an emotional affair. It will be head coach Scott Naylor’s last game in charge after seven years at the club and he would love nothing better than to sign off by seeing Roughyeds return to the Betfred Championship. Coincidence or not, Naylor’s men have won each of their six games since the boss announced his pending departure, at the end of the season, before the game at London Skolars on August 3. In so doing they finished second to Whitehaven in Betfred League 1 and then beat Doncaster 22-12 at home in a play-off tie to go straight through to Sunday’s final which will be played at the Vestacare Stadium as Oldham’s reward for finishing the regular season on top of the play-off group. Newcastle lost at home to Doncaster in their first play-off tie, then beat Workington at home in the next round to set up another home clash against Doncaster for the right to meet Oldham away in the final. They coasted to an easy 34-4 win snd now look forward to Sunday’s final at Oldham where Roughyeds have not been beaten since Hunslet won there in mid-April. In the league, Oldham lost 28-22 on Tyneside but won 28-20 at home on August 11 — scores which reflect how close they are and how difficult it is to forecast Sunday’s outcome. Club chairman Chris Hamilton is sure of one thing; the Roughyeds players will give everything in their efforts to send off their boss on a high. They’ve won ten of their last 11, including the home win against Thunder in the regular fixtures, and since going down 31-0 at Doncaster on June 9 they’ve been beaten only once and that was a 16-10 reverse at champions Whitehaven, who go up automatically. Several aspects of the final are intriguing, none more so than how Oldham stop Thunder left-centre Kieran Gill, who’s well known to the home side’s players and fans, having had two spells here on loan from Castleford Tigers earlier in his career. Since then he’s had major knee surgery and has moved up to Tyneside where he has become a Geordie hero thanks to his outstanding try-scoring feats. He’s scored 28 tries in all competitions this season to smash Thunder’s tries-in-a-season record that has stood for 20 years. And his 26 League 1 tries make him the division’s top try scorer by a country mile — by seven, in fact, from second-placed Gareth Potts, the Hunslet winger. Interestingly, one of the Oldham players who will be charged with keeping an eye on Gill is right-side second-rower Danny Langtree, who will be assisting right-centre Zack McComb. ‘Langers’ can really hurt ’em in the tackle, but he’ll also be out to add to his own try-scoring figures, given that no other forward has scored as many League 1 tries this year as the Oldham star’s 17 in all competitions. Sixteen of those were in league games and the only players to score more were all backs — Gill (26), Potts (19) and Rob Massam of North Wales Crusaders (18). So there you have it; it could go either way; it should be a cracker; and Roughyeds will be out to stop Thunder’s backs, to boss the show in the forwards and to give Naylor the perfect send-off. Will he be in seventh heaven come Sunday night ?

https://roughyeds.co.uk/2019/10/big-match-preview-oldham-v-thunder/

Justice Mookerjee held the following in Pulin Behari Das v. King Emperor, 16 CWN 1105. The acts of officers de facto performed by them within the scope of their assumed official authority, in the interest of the public or third persons and not for their own benefit, are generally as valid and binding as if they were the acts of officers de jure. This stands confirmed, without any qualification or exception, by a long line of adjudications. The earliest case on record I have been able to trace is to be found under the name of The Abbe de Fountaine decided in 1431. It is remarkable that the language used by Chief Justice Babington plainly indicates that the principles of the De Facto Doctrine were even then not entirely new. From this period the De Facto Doctrine rapidly spread in England, and became firmly established, as is clear from a long series of decisions dealing with its various features and expanding its principles to meet the requirements of diverse circumstances and different times. The substance of the matter is that the De Facto Doctrine was introduced into the law as a matter of policy and necessity, to protect the interest of the public and the individual where those interests were involved in the official acts of persons exercising the duties of an office without being lawful officers. The De Facto Doctrine as encapsulated above has been reiterated by this Court in Pushpadevi M. Jatia, (1987) 3 SCC 367. Where an office exists under the law, it matters not how the appointment of the incumbent is made, so far as validity of its acts are concerned. It is enough that he is clothed with the insignia of the office, and exercises its powers and functions. The official acts of such persons are recognized as valid under the De Facto Doctrine, born of necessity and public policy to prevent needless confusion and endless mischief. The De Facto Doctrine was reiterated yet again in Veerendra Kumar Gautam, (2016) 14 SCC 18. It is no doubt well settled that the acts of the officers de facto performed by them within the scope of their assumed authority in the interest of the public or the third persons and not for their own benefits are generally held valid and binding as if they were the acts of the officers de jure. A reading of the said does not give an omnibus authority to hold that every illegal act or acts performed which smacks of very many illegalities and incongruities should be merely ignored and validated. It has to be kept in mind that even while applying the De Facto Doctrine whether such acts performed were aimed at the prevention of public and private mischief and for the protection of public and private interest. – Hon’ble Justice Hemant Gupta, The State of Telangana v. Sri Managipet, [Criminal Appeal No. 1662 of 2019].

https://rudrajyotinathray.com/2019/12/07/the-de-facto-doctrine/

Recent events in Virginia are teaching rural and working class white America a lesson about what they can expect when they are electorally outnumbered and replaced in their own state. Gun control is the order of the day, and in spite of vocal protests in city council meetings and public forums around the state, Second Amendment rights will soon be as dead in Virginia as First Amendment rights already are in the city of Charlottesville. Some believe the issue of gun rights is simply a harmless fixation of right-wing boomers, preppers and libertarian cranks. They are wrong. This issue strikes right to the heart of the biggest political and economic transformation in the United States of the past 40 years: the growth of monopolistic corporate power over the lives of the little people. Or to put it more accurately: the domination of billionaire Jews over the lives of impoverished, socially disintegrated and debt-enslaved white America. During the late 19th and early 20th century, gigantic capitalists during the Gilded Age presided over another era of big business tyranny over the lives of ordinary Americans. Brutal as they were, those capitalists were mostly white men who still shared some cultural and racial heritage with the masses of working people. Business magnates such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller oppressed their workers, but they made their fortunes from commodities such as oil and steel, the stuff which built the growth and transformation of America into an industrialized power. They felt enough residual affiliation with the cultural glories of old Europe to establish magnificent libraries, concert halls and museums. A few enlightened industrialists, such as Henry Ford, even went so far as to make the improvement of the lives of workers a priority, and to warn the people against the growing financial power of the international Jew. Ford's warnings were prophetic. We are living in the second great Gilded Age in America, but the new Jewish oligarchs of the 21st century differ from their predecessors in several important ways. For one, they mostly built their fortunes through parasitic--rather than productive--sources of wealth, such as usury or real estate speculation. They share no racial or cultural affinity with the majority of Americans, and to the extent they patronize culture and the arts, they only support a consumer mass culture also controlled by rich Jews. Rather than enlighten and edify the masses, this popular culture of pornography, hip hop and Marvel movies is designed to titillate only the most base instincts, to erode the social fabric, distract the people and render them docile and compliant. But one thing the Jewish oligarchs of today share with the Robber Barons of old: a shared antipathy towards the people's Right to Keep and Bear Arms. During the great labor wars of the early 20th century, it was the ability of organized labor to fight back with rifles against the armed thugs and corrupt law enforcement officials of the capitalists which kept them from being completely overwhelmed. From the Great Railroad Strikes, the Colorado Labor Wars to the Battles of Homestead, Matewan and Blair Mountain, striking workers were only able to resist the iron heel of the oligarchs because they were armed with rifles which could hit back against the deadly force of the mercenaries. This was right in line with the original purpose of the 2nd Amendment: to secure the lives and liberty of the people against tyranny, a point missed by so many gun control advocates who sheepishly bleat against "military-style assault weapons." The working men of early 20th-century America were made of stiffer stuff than today's emasculated suburbanites. The corporate bugmen and suburban career women of our modern capitalism have been socially engineered for docility, social conformity and cowardice. So when these feeble, degenerate specimens combine their votes with the rapidly increasing third world immigrant horde--who neither respect nor understand any tradition of independent gun ownership--they form a voting bloc which can overwhelm even the proud traditions of a state such as Virginia. The abuses of the giant capitalists of that time were kept in check by the organized labor power of the working white people, which was supported by the Second Amendment. Today, organized labor has been broken by forcing women into the workforce, by diversity quotas, by the largest influx of immigrant labor in American history, and by a co-opted labor movement which pushes an anti-white, anti-family and anti-2nd Amendment liberal agenda. In the same way Jewish billionaires, such as George Soros and Sheldon Adelson, pull the strings to subvert the genuine people's movements of both the Left and the Right in America, so do Jewish billionaires like Michael Bloomberg advocate openly for the total disarmament of the American people. One only has to remember the fate of Occupy Wall Street under Bloomberg's iron heel to see clearly what he envisions for the rest of the country. At that time, Bloomberg used the NYPD--which he bragged about being the "7th-largest army in the world"--as the private foot soldiers of Wall Street to utterly sweep the rag-tag protestors of OWS from the public square. Occupy was similarly crushed in Chicago by Bloomberg's fellow Hebrew mayor Rahm Emmanuel--himself the son of an Israeli terrorist, yet a major advocate of gun control for white Americans. If the example of OWS is not enough, simply look to Palestine to see how the Jews treat a population which has been disarmed and is at their mercy. Occupy was perhaps the last weak manifestation of Leftist resistance to global capital in the United States, before the Left was totally subverted and redirected against "racists" and other oppressed white people. Even such a seemingly anachronistic organization as Redneck Revolt, which claims to be a pro-gun successor to the great labor movements of the early 20th century, spends 95% of their time terrorizing "racists" and "fascists" instead of challenging the corporate Jewish oligarchs who control our society. In other words, they threaten and harass the few working white people still willing to offer resistance to capitalist politically correct tyranny, protecting the corporate masters of neoliberalism. Like the rest of Antifa, this obviously astroturfed Jewish front group only serves to act as the modern Pinkertons and Baldwin Felts of the earlier era--terrorizing and intimidating the working people who are only trying to organize to defend their rights! Analysts talking about gun control in Virginia make it an issue about the voters there being forced to choose between upholding the Second Amendment, or "attracting high-tech companies" with socially liberal values. They no longer even feel the need to pretend this isn't about the power of global corporations to override the local traditions and rights of the people. Time will tell whether enough whites in states like Virginia wake up from the conservative delusion of capitalist individualism to realize they are being targeted both as a class and as a race, and that only the socialism of class and the nationalism of race will give them the strength to drive back the creeping tyranny of the oligarchs.

https://russia-insider.com/en/todays-jewish-billionaires-are-much-worse-19th-c-robber-barons-dont-give-your-guns-just-yet/ri28078

The “Philosophical underpinnings of Russian exceptionalism in human rights and its implications for the relations between Russia and the EU” research project was awarded a Seal of Excellence – a prestigious European Commission award on 24 April 2017. The project was led by “Aspectum.” Partner Mikhail Antonov, together with the colleagues from University of Graz Law School (Graz, Austria).

https://russia.legal/en/the-seal-of-excellence/

Repin is a huge Russian favorite, considered the best Russian artist by many. See more of his works by clicking his name below. Our top 10 favorites: A purely subjective list of paintings and artists we love. To see all of the over 100 paintings in this series, click here. So far we have cataloged over 150 images, and are discovering more all the time. We will gradually be getting them all online. If you know of a painter or sculptor which we can add to the series, please let us know in the form below. You can see the entire list of what we already have online here. Link to high resolution image. The plot of the picture is associated with one of the acts of St. Nicholas (approximate dates of life - 270—345 AD), which he performed when he was a bishop in the World of Lycian (or the World of Lycian) - a city located in Lycia (now this place is located on the territory of the Turkish province of Antalya). It is with the name of this city that the famous nickname of St. Nicholas - "Mirlikij" - is connected. Being away, Nikolay Mirlikiysky received the news that the mundane mayor Eustathius condemned to execution three innocent people, bought off by their ill-wishers. Desiring to stop injustice, Nikolay hastily returned to Mira and reached Dioskurov's field, where the execution was to be carried out, just at that moment when the executioner was already ready to proceed to the execution of the sentence. It is this moment when Nicholas stops the sword of the executioner, brought over the first of the convicts, and was depicted by the artist. Ilya Yefimovich Repin was born in Chuguyev, in Kharkov Governorate, Russian Empire into a family of "military settlers". He was the most renowned Russian artist of the 19th century, when his position in the world of art was comparable to that of Leo Tolstoy in literature. He played a major role in bringing Russian art into the mainstream of European culture. His major works include Barge Haulers on the Volga (1873), Religious Procession in Kursk Province (1883) and Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks (1880–91). Russia has a wonderfully rich heritage of Christian and Bible-themed painting which reached its zenith in the second half of the 19th century, as part of the realist school. Many of the canvases are enormous, filling an entire wall of a large public hall. Some of them took decades to complete. They are a striking and beautiful testimony to how deeply ingrained Christianity is in Russian history, culture, philosophy, thought, indeed, in her very soul. They are a delight to behold. Many of these paintings and artists are hardly known in the West, dismissed by the secular, atheist, globalist modern 'art' vogue. We are delighted to bring you this series, which consists of several dozens of works. You can see all of the works in this series by clicking here.

https://russian-faith.com/culture/great-russian-christian-art-saint-nicholas-myra-saves-three-innocents-death-ilya-repin-1888

Our expertise and experience in the construction industry is unmatched and we strive to provide a positive construction experience for our customers. At the core of our business is a strong desire to create spaces that deliver results for our clients. From initial ideas to reality, we believe in true collaboration and honesty with our clients to make the construction process as seamless as possible while providing the high quality results that have made us a leading provider in our field. Our expertise and experience in the design and build industry is unmatched and we operate with integrity, honesty, and reliability. It is these standards that have set us apart, and have enabled us to grow our business to cover healthcare, medical and commercial spaces across the Midwest. Our portfolio consists of projects ranging from interior renovations to ground up standalone buildings, with over 85% of our customers returning to us as a trusted partner for their additional offices, homes, or other construction needs over the years. Our executive team takes an active role in all phases of the construction process and is fully committed to providing a tailored approach to each project, regardless of size. It is this method that allows us to provide a positive construction experience for owners, architects, and developers.

https://rwedesignbuild.com/why-rwe/

New dietary guidelines came out last week, and, as seems to be the case lately, they are causing some confusion. Let’s start with salt. The guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams a day, which amounts to about 1 teaspoon a day. In reality, 90% of Americans and Australians consume far more than this amount. It’s true that high sodium intake has been linked to some health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease. But for the average healthy adult, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, an estimated sodium intake between 3 grams per day and 6 grams per day (3,000 to 6,000 milligrams) was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events, as compared with either a higher or lower estimated level of intake. With that being said, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 43% of sodium eaten by children comes from some of these very common staples: pizza, bread and rolls, cold cuts, chips, cheese, pasta dishes and chicken nuggets. In fact, about 75% of sodium intake in our diet comes from processed food similar to what our kids are eating, which includes salty snack foods, canned and instant soups, processed meats, pickled foods, soy sauce, and even bread, cottage cheese and some breakfast cereals. I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: Limiting our intake of processed foods in favor of fresh vegetables, certain fruits, meat, seafood, poultry, dairy and healthy fats, as recommended by the Atkins Diet, is the way to go. There is a certain level of sodium naturally found in in these wholesome, unprocessed foods, but that shouldn’t cause a problem. Yes, some health conditions may require you to limit your salt intake, especially if your doctor recommends it. But if you’re passing on processed foods, and focusing on whole foods, there is probably no need to worry about your salt intake. And there is also something else to consider, especially when you are just starting a low-carb diet like Atkins. Shifting over to burning fat for fuel instead of carbs has a diuretic effect on your kidneys. This means they speed up the amount of salt and water they get rid of. Overall, that's a good thing, because you will feel less bloated. If you have high blood pressure, you may see your numbers come down in the first few days or weeks. However, for many people this can be too much of a good thing. Particularly if you weren't bloated or have high blood pressure to begin with. The good news is that this is a cheap and easy problem to manage—make sure you’re eating all your vegetables, drinking plenty of water and a cup or two of broth each day. This broth, which you can make for yourself at home or from stock cubes, keeps your circulation primed and ready for action despite the extra fluid and salt being released by your kidneys, and you'll avoid headaches, dizziness, fatigue, weak legs, and/or constipation that some people experience during the first two weeks on Atkins.

https://sa.atkins.com/blog/salt-the-good,-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

Travelling across the Bow River from Bridgeland, one of Calgary’s trendiest neighbourhoods, to downtown usually requires a trip across the Langevin Bridge. But what’s on the other side isn’t quite as pretty. In an ironic contrast to its counterpart, the south side of the bridge is ground zero for Calgary’s East Village, home to the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre, and an area that, no matter how many riverfront condos pop up, will never fully shake its reputation as one of the seediest spots in the city. In keeping with the themes of progress and modernization, on Jan. 23, Calgary city council decided that the Langevin Bridge would be renamed Reconciliation Bridge, in recognition of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report. That commission resulted in an online petition in June, 2015, calling for the renaming of both Langevin Bridge and Langevin School in Bridgeland. The petition gathered over 650 signatures in its first week. Jean Dube, an Aboriginal student advisor at SAIT’s Chinook Lodge, said she was happy to hear of the change, but questioned whether the new name was much better. Dube said she would have preferred to see a Blackfoot word or name chosen, just as Crowchild Trail and Shaganappi Trail were chosen as names for two of Calgary’s major roadways. Petitioners argued that naming anything in honour of Hector-Louis Langevin, a father of both Confederation and the residential school system in Canada, was an insult to the multiple generations of residential school survivors, some of whom are part of Calgary’s homeless population, and often stay at the Drop-In Centre. Calgarians, on the whole, seemed divided on the issue, with no shortage of opinions filling local newspapers and online forums. Calgary Sun columnist, Michael Platt was against the decision. In a Jan. 21 column, Platt argued that Langevin was merely a patsy for John A. Macdonald’s campaign to “civilize” indigenous children by separating them from their families. But to a residential school survivor, Langevin’s good intentions couldn’t erase the years of isolation, abuse and torment. To a survivor, a good deed may not seem all that good when the outcome is still negative, and memorializing the best of the worst won’t likely aid in the healing process. In an informal survey conducted online and in-person by The Press, almost 65 per cent of respondents had never heard of Langevin and did not know his role in Canadian history prior to taking the survey. Despite the majority not being familiar with the man, more 73 per cent of respondents agreed with council’s decision to change the name of the bridge. Almost nine per cent disagreed, while just under 18 per cent said they either had no opinion on the matter or didn’t care. Only two respondents out of 48 identified as Aboriginal, Métis or Inuit people, and both were in favour of the name change. Calgarian Frank Keller, owner of The Art of Tarot, was one of the survey’s respondents. He didn’t agree with the name change, saying he believed it was a way for city officials to distract and appease the First Nations community in Calgary without actually implementing any of the 94 recommendations in the Truth and Reconciliation report. Other survey respondents who disagreed with the council’s vote called the name change a “whitewashing” of history, and argued that Calgarians must recognize the ugliness in Canadian history, must be better educated about said history and must focus on building relationships with First Nations communities. Dube said she felt there was some validity in that argument. As a writing and communications major in the journalism program at SAIT, Autumn Fox is working as a reporter for The Press during the 2016-17 academic year.

https://saitjournalism.ca/thepress/2017/02/16/name-change-bridges-the-gap-between-the-past-and-present/

The Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, aims to ease the suffering of women in conflict areas. Will action follow? We have often posted items on this site concerning our support for, and arming of, the Saudi regime in its war in Yemen and the awful human toll that this has caused. Thousands have died, cholera is at epidemic proportions and civil society has been catastrophically damaged. A blockade is making matters worse. The has been considerable evidence that UK arms have been used to attack civilian targets including schools, hospitals, weddings and funerals. Yet we continue to aid the Saudis and the sale of weapons continues. The Royal family is used to visit the regime and to welcome them here on a recent state visit. The sale of weapons is so valuable that any concern at the destruction caused is effectively ignored. In the context of the Yemen, as in many other conflicts, it is women and children who suffer often disproportionately. The destruction of their community, the bombing of medical facilities and schools, the difficulty in acquiring food and clean water, all make life extremely difficult for them. So it was interesting to read that the Defence Minister, Gavin Williamson, attended a meeting in London with representatives of countries experiencing conflict. Countries included: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Ukraine, as well as several international action groups, were welcomed to discuss the issues faced in their countries, particularly by women. It is noticeable that Yemen was not among them. Conflict can have devastating effects for anyone caught in its path, but life can be particularly traumatic for women. They are subject to violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and their calls for justice are often falling on deaf ears. The minister claims that he is determined to ‘do more to listen to those often not given a voice‘. This raises the question of what happens when he is told it is your weapons which are destroying our lives. What more does he need to be told? There have been countless authenticated reports on the destruction our weapons (and those of USA and France) have caused in war zones like Yemen. A Médecins sans Frontières report is another example among many. Countless reports, evidence on the ground, news reports and footage, all graphically describe the terrible events in that country. So the questions for Mr Williamson are – when you have read the reports and done your ‘listening’ what are you going to do? Will you take steps to cease arming the Saudis with weapons they are using to cause such mayhem? Will you bring home the RAF personnel who are involved in the conflict? What in short will you do to ease the plight of women caught ‘in its path’ as you put it? Or was this just an exercise in public relations which will have no tangible or beneficial effects on the lives of women in war zones? Will you listen and do nothing? If you live in the Salisbury area we would be pleased to welcome you to our group. UPDATE: 1 August. Article by Bharat Malkani in British Politics and Policy published by LSE which goes into the wider aspects of British policy in connection with executions on foreign soil. UPDATE: 26 July. Following considerable protest over this decision, the government today announced a temporary suspension of the cooperation with the US over the case. It has been widely reported today that the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, is withdrawing the long-standing objections the UK has had to sending people to the USA where they risk being executed. The USA is the only country in the Americas which still has the death penalty. We continue to document cases in our monthly reports. The two individuals who are involved are Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, both from West London. They were part of a group of individuals from the UK who joined ISIS and allegedly perpetrated some dreadful crimes including beheadings. They allegedly murdered two US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and aid worker and Iraq war veteran Peter Kassig. Investigations have been continuing for 4 years and the question has arisen of where they should be tried. The UK government has a long-standing policy of opposing the death penalty abroad in all circumstances. It has also been active in trying to persuade those countries which continue to use it, to stop. Amnesty is opposed to the practice as it has a number of serious flaws. It is ineffective in preventing crime and it is not a deterrent. Mistakes cannot be put right. In the case of terrorists, it risks creating martyrs and spawning others who want to avenge the executions. […] All assistance and material will be provided on the condition that it may only be used for the purpose sought in that request, namely a federal criminal investigation or prosecution. This is a deeply worrying development. The home secretary must unequivocally insist that Britain’s longstanding position on the death penalty has not changed and seek cast-iron assurances from the US that it will not be used. A failure to seek assurances on this case seriously jeopardises the UK’s position as a strong advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and its work encouraging others to abolish the cruel, inhuman and degrading practice. It is a dramatic change of policy by a minister, secretly, without any discussion in parliament. It flies in the face of what has been said repeatedly and recently by the Home Office – including when Theresa May was home secretary – and very recently by the highly respected security minister, Ben Wallace. There is also the question of the use of torture. Will either or both of them be sent to Guantanamo Bay to receive abusive treatment including water boarding? Coming so soon after a select committee roundly criticized the government for its role in torture and rendition, this is a surprising and disappointing development. If you live in the Salisbury area and are interested in human rights issues please feel free to join us. Keep and eye on this site and Facebook for events and come along and make yourself known. It is free to join the local group but there is a joining fee to join AIUK. We have pleasure in attaching the minutes of the July meeting in which we discussed the Death Penalty, the barbeque, the Trump protest and urgent actions. Thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. Members of the Salisbury group gathered in the vicinity of the Guildhall in Salisbury to conduct a protest against President Trump’s human rights policies. The president is visiting the UK at present en route to Helsinki to meet president Putin of Russia. He has been shepherded around carefully by the government to steer him away from the many protestors who are out in force. Our protest is connected with his activities concerning human rights in particular, his government’s treatment of Mexican children separated from their parents and placed in cages, his statements about refugees and the decision to take the USA out of the Human Rights Council. Unfortunately, this is not the sort of event the local media want to cover so people were unaware of what we were doing. However, we were pleased at the number of Americans who stopped and expressed support. UPDATE: 19 July. A brief report and photo sent to the Salisbury Journal was not published by the paper. Group meeting Thursday 12th at 7:30 as usual in Victoria Road. Supporters welcome.

https://salisburyai.com/2018/07/

The original version of the Bylaws, known then as the Constitution and Bylaws, was adopted by the Society at the time of its founding in 1967. They were extensively revised in April, 1967. Article XIV, the Code of Ethical Guidelines, was adopted by the Executive Board in November, 1978 and by the membership in April, 1979. A vote to delete Section 3 of Article IV was held in September, 1981, and the proposed deletion was defeated. A revision to Article IV, Section 5 of the Bylaws stipulating that individuals presenting papers at the Annual Meetings must be members of the Society were reviewed and recommended by the Executive Board in November 1989 and adopted by the membership in 1990. Two amendments to Article XII were approved by a vote of the membership in 1992. In 1999 the Executive Board proposed to amend the Bylaws to extend the one-year terms of office of Northern and Southern Vice Presidents and Secretary to two years to take advantage of cumulative knowledge gained by those holding these positions. The amendment to Article VI, Section 4 approved by a vote of the membership in January, 2000. An amendment to Article XVI, Section 1, adding items 1.1 h and 1.2 g was approved by a vote of the membership in January, 2004. The name of this organization shall be the Society for California Archaeology. The Society for California Archaeology shall be a scientific and educational organization with two basic purposes. One purpose of the Society shall be to facilitate the coordination and cooperation among archaeologists in California: (1) to stimulate scientific research in the archaeology of California, (2) to promote and maintain standards and goals for archaeology in California, (3) to encourage the development and use of new techniques for the better recovery, interpretation, and preservation of archaeological remains, (4) to conduct symposia and meetings for the presentation of archaeological matters, and (5) to publish and disseminate information on archaeological research in California. The other purpose of the Society shall be to facilitate efforts between archaeologists and all citizens of California: (6) to stimulate greater public interest in and public understanding of the techniques and goals of archaeology in California, (7) to disseminate educational information to the public about archaeology, (8) to encourage and assist in the conservation of archaeological remains for future research and public knowledge, (9) to discourage and curtail the destructive exploitation in California of archaeological resources, and (10) to increase public appreciation and support for scientific archaeology in California. Under the laws of the State of California, the Society shall function as a nonprofit Corporation, serving the State of California within the bounds of the Objectives (Article II). Neither recognition by the State nor the avowed purpose of the Society shall require a financial commitment by either agency. Any and all property owned or hereafter acquired by this corporation shall irrevocably be dedicated to specific and primary purposes only as in these Articles set forth, and upon any liquidation, dissolution or abandonment of this corporation, shall not inure to the benefit of any private person or non-charitable organization, but shall be distributed to the Society for American Archaeology, if it then be in existence and an exempt organization under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, otherwise to corporations or associations organized and operated solely for religious, hospital, scientific or charitable purposes, in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the State of California, providing such organizations also qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. Section 1. Membership in the Society shall be open to all individuals and institutions who support the objectives of the Society and the Code of Ethical Guidelines established in the Bylaws of the Society. A special category of membership may be established for seniors, spouses, contributing, lifetime members, and enrolled students. Application for Membership in the Society shall be submitted to the Treasurer or Business Office Manager with payment of annual dues. No Member may transfer a membership or any right arising there from. All rights of membership cease upon the Member’s death. Section 2. Members only shall have the privilege and responsibility of holding office, of nominating and electing the Officers of the Society, of voting on the business of the Society, and of all other benefits provided Members. Section 3. Members in the Society shall affirm and adhere to the Code of Ethical Guidelines established in the Bylaws of the Society. A Member or a prospective Member whose acts are contrary to the Objectives of the Society or the Code of Ethical Guidelines established in the Bylaws of the Society may be expelled or excluded from Membership by a three-quarters vote of the Executive Board, but only after the Member has been given 15 days prior notice of the pending action together with the reasons therefore, and has been given the opportunity to be heard, orally or in writing, by the Executive Board at least five days before the effective date of expulsion. Section 4. The Treasurer shall solicit and collect all dues and shall maintain the rolls of all Members in good standing. The records of names and addresses of Members shall not be used, in whole or in part, by any person for any purpose not related to a member’s interest as a Member. Members have the right to inspect and copy the record of all Members’ names and addresses, at reasonable times and at reasonable charge, upon five business days’ prior written demand to the Society, which demand shall state the purpose for which the inspections rights are requested. Section 5. Only individual Members shall have the privilege of presenting papers at the Society’s Annual Meeting. However, a symposium chairperson may invite nonmembers to present papers. Section 6. A Member of the Society is not, as such, personally liable for the debts, liabilities, or obligations of the Society. The annual dues for Members in the Society shall be fixed by action of the Society or the Executive Board. Section 1. The Officers of the Society shall be a President, a President-Elect, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President. Officers shall serve without compensation. Officers may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending Executive Board meetings, except for those held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. Section 2. The President-Elect shall be elected and shall serve for a term of one year; he or she shall then assume the office of President for a term of one year; he or she shall thereafter assume the office of Immediate Past President for a term of one year. Should there be a vacancy in the office of the President, it shall be filled during the President’s own term by the President-Elect who will thereafter assume the office of the President for his own term of one year, unless the President and Executive Board choose to hold a special election to select a new President-Elect. Section 3. The Southern Vice-President shall be a Member who resides in the counties of San Luis Obispo, Kern or San Bernardino , or other counties to the south; the Northern Vice-President shall be a Member who resides in the counties of Monterey , Kings, Tulare , or Inyo, or in other counties to the north. The Vice-President who receives the higher number of votes in election shall be designated the First Vice-President while the Vice-President elected from the other portion of the state shall be designated the Second Vice-President. Should there be vacancies in both the office of the President and President-Elect, the First Vice-President shall be next in line of succession to the President, followed by the Second Vice-President. Section 4. The Officers shall be elected by the Society according to the provisions of these Bylaws. The term of office of all Officers shall begin with their installation at the closing of the Society’s Annual Meeting. Two year terms of office of the Northern Vice-President and the Secretary shall begin in even calendar years and two year terms of office of the Southern Vice-President and the Treasurer shall begin in odd calendar years. Section 5. A vacancy in any office, except that of the President-Elect, may be filled by appointment from the President for the unexpired term. Such appointments are subject to the approval of the remaining members of the Executive Board. Section 6. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and of the Executive Board. The President shall exercise general supervision over the affairs of the Society and shall enforce the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws, with discretionary power and authority in all cases not specifically provided for therein. The President shall make certain that all orders and resolutions of the Society are implemented. The President and either the Secretary or the Treasurer shall sign all contracts authorized by the Society for the Executive Board. With the assistance of the Treasurer, the President shall prepare a budget following the Annual Meeting, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. Section 7. The President shall appoint such Committee chairs as are required by these Bylaws, or as the President may deem advisable, and shall confirm the appointment of their members by committee chairs with the approval of the Executive Board. Except for the Nomination Committee, such Committees shall report to the President and advise the President on actions to be executed by the Executive Board and the Society. The life and term of Committees established by the President and all Presidential appointments to such Committees shall terminate with the termination of the incumbency of the appointing President. Section 8. The President-Elect shall assist the President and shall perform the duties of the President in the event of the President’s absence or incapacity. Section 9. The Immediate Past President shall assist the President and the Executive Board. Section 10. The Vice-Presidents shall facilitate cooperation among members and coordinate programs of the Society in their respective northern and southern regions. The First Vice-President and the Second Vice-President, in order, shall perform the duties of the President in the event of the absence or incapacity of both the President and the President-Elect. Section 11. The Secretary shall prepare accurate minutes of the Annual Business Meeting of the Society and all meetings of the Executive Board, and shall have appropriate excerpts published in the Society’s Newsletter. With the President, the Secretary may sign any contracts authorized by the Society for the Executive Board. Section 12. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the administration of all finances of the Society. The Treasurer shall be authorized to advance from the Society’s accounts amounts necessary for approved budgetary expenditures. The Treasurer shall solicit and collect all Members’ dues and shall maintain in the principal office of the Society the rolls of Members in good standing in the Society. The Treasurer may delegate to or enlist the assistance of the Society’s Business Office Manager in carrying out these duties. The Treasurer will assist the President in preparing a budget. The Treasurer shall report upon the finances of the Society at the Annual Business Meeting. Not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year, the Treasurer shall prepare and have published in the Newsletter an Annual Report which shall contain all of the following information: a) The assets and liabilities, including the trust funds, of the corporation as of the end of the fiscal year; b) The principal changes in assets and liabilities, including trust funds, during the fiscal year; c) The revenue or receipts of the corporation, both unrestricted and restricted to particular purposes, for the fiscal year; d) The expenses or disbursements of the corporation, for both general and restricted purposes, for the fiscal year; and e) Any indemnification of Officers paid during the fiscal year. With the President, the Treasurer may sign any contracts authorized by the Society for the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall be deemed to be the Chief Financial Officer as required by law. Section 13. An officer may be removed from office by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of those Members voting by mail ballot. Such a vote shall be conducted as soon as practicable following receipt by the President or Secretary of a resolution approved by two-thirds vote of the Executive Board, or a petition signed by five percent of the Members requesting the vote. Section 1. The Business Office Manager shall assist the Executive Board in collecting dues, maintaining Membership lists, conducting elections, keeping official records of the Society, preparing correspondence, and other duties (if agreed to) that may be assigned by the Executive Board or the President. Section 2. The Business Office Manager shall be appointed by the Executive Board. Salary and reimbursement for this position shall be determined by the Executive Board. Section 1. At least six months before each Annual Meeting of the Society, the President shall appoint at least three Members to form a Nomination Committee. The duties of this Committee shall include the securing of nominations of Members as candidates for the elected positions of Officers of the Society, the preparation of the election ballot master, and the submission of the ballot master to the Business Office at least six weeks prior to the Annual Meeting for duplication and distribution to the Membership. A member may petition to be nominated to any office by delivering to any Officer within 11 months preceding an election a petition signed by at least two percent of the Membership. All nominees’ names shall appear on the ballot master. All nominees shall have a fair and reasonable opportunity to communicate their qualifications and reasons for candidacy by statements sent with election ballots. Section 2. At least one month before the Annual Meeting of the Society, the Business Office shall send official ballots, by regular mail, to all Members. The official return date shall be fixed as no less than seven days prior to the opening date of the Annual Meeting and shall be plainly marked on the official ballots. Members shall return their ballot before that date in order for their votes to be counted. The Business Office Manager shall tabulate all official votes, including those for write-in candidates, and shall submit the election results to the current President, who shall have them published in the Society’s Newsletter . The candidate receiving a plurality of votes shall be declared elected to each office. Section 3. In the event that the office of President-Elect becomes vacant, the Executive Board may hold a special election to fill the vacancy in the office of President-Elect, with the Executive Board serving as the Nomination Committee. Section 4. Each Member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote. Section 1. The Society shall hold an Annual Meeting, including an Annual Business Meeting, each calendar year, the date and place of which shall be fixed by the Society at its prior Annual Meeting. Notice of the time and place of the Annual Meeting shall be published in the Society’s Newsletter at least three months in advance. All matters of business of the Society may be conducted at an Annual Business Meeting. The date, place, and general nature of business to be transacted at the Annual Business Meeting shall be published in the Society’s Newsletter at least 20 days in advance. All actions taken at an Annual Business Meeting by the Society shall have precedent over actions of the Executive Board or of Special Meetings. At Annual Business Meetings of the Society the Members in attendance shall constitute a Quorum. Section 2. A Special Business Meeting of the Society may be called by the Executive Board upon at least 30 days notice by mail or through the Newsletter to all Members in good standing. For a Special Business Meeting of the Society, 50 Members in attendance shall constitute a Quorum. Notice of such meetings shall specify the general nature of each item to be voted upon by the membership at the meeting. Only an item whose general nature was so specified shall be voted upon at the meeting. Special Business Meetings shall be called by the President upon written request of five percent of the membership. Section 3. Robert’s Rules of Order (revised) shall govern the proceedings of meetings of the Society insofar as such rules are not inconsistent or in conflict with these Bylaws, with the Articles of Incorporation, or with provisions of the law. Section 1. The Executive Board shall be comprised of the Officers of the Society. The Executive Board when meeting in Quorum shall have the authority to execute on behalf of the Society all powers and functions of the Society, as defined in the Articles of Incorporation and these Bylaws, in the interval between Annual Meetings of the Society. This authority shall be subject to general directives and limitations imposed by the Members at the Annual Business Meetings, at Special Business Meetings, or by Referendum, and by the provisions of the 1980 California Nonprofit Corporation Law. Section 2. The President or the Secretary may call a meeting of the Executive Board by notifying all Officers at least four days by mail or 48 hours by telephone in advance. The transactions of the Executive Board occurring at any meeting, however called or noticed, or wherever held, shall be as valid as though such meeting were duly held after regular call and notice if a quorum be present and if, either before or after the meeting, each Board member not present and entitled to vote at the meeting for that purpose signs a written waiver of notice, a consent to the holding of such meeting, or an approval of the minutes thereof. All such waivers, consents or approvals shall be filed with the Secretary and made a part of the minutes of the meeting. A Quorum of the Executive Board shall consist of four Officers. If any Officer is unable to attend a meeting he or she may, by written proxy, appoint a Member in his stead; but no person may hold more than one proxy or cast more than one vote. Members of the Executive Board may participate in a meeting through use of a conference telephone or similar equipment, so long as all Board members participating in such meeting can hear one another. Participation in an Executive Board meeting by electronic means constitutes presence in person at such meeting. All Executive Board meetings shall be open to the public, but the Executive Board may convene in closed, executive session upon a majority vote of the Board. Section 3. Questions shall be decided by the Executive Board by four affirmative votes. Section 4. The Secretary shall have published in the Society’s Newsletter a report of each meeting and all actions of the Executive Board. Section 5. The Minutes of the proceedings of the Executive Board and the Society’s Annual Business Meeting shall be open to inspection at the principal office by any Member of the Society. Section 1. A Referendum vote may be held by mail ballot or through the Newsletter at any time upon the initiation of the Executive Board. A Referendum petition must request that the Society take an action that is within the scope of its purposes as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation and is not contrary to law. If a petition is signed by at least five percent of the Members, then the Executive Board shall, at its next meeting, either take the action requested or immediately put the matter to a vote of the Membership as a referendum. Ballots shall be sent, through the Society’s Newsletter or by regular mail, to all Members of the Society in good standing as soon as practicable. Section 2. In order that mail ballots may be counted as votes, ballots must be placed in the mail by Members and addressed to the Secretary not more than 30 days after the date they were mailed to the Members. A majority of votes received shall constitute the deciding vote. The Secretary shall certify the vote to the Executive Board and shall have the vote published in the Society’s Newsletter. Section 3. A Referendum vote may initiate any action or rescind such actions not in fact accomplished. A Referendum vote shall have precedent over prior or subsequent actions of the Executive Board and over the action of a Special Meeting, and shall be equivalent to an action taken at an Annual Business Meeting. Section 1. Commencing July 1, 2011, the fiscal years of the Society shall be July 1 through June 31. Section 2. With the assistance of the Treasurer and prior to the Annual Meeting, the President shall prepare a budget for the fiscal year showing estimated incomes and expenses of the Society for the ensuing year. This budget will be presented to the Executive Board for review and approval. Section 3. Any budget approved and adopted by the Executive Board shall without further action authorize the Treasurer to advance from the Society’s accounts amounts necessary for approved budgetary expenditures. The Treasurer shall make no advancements, and no Officer or Member shall incur any expenses in addition to amounts specified in the adopted budget without the prior approval of the Executive Board. Section 4. No financial obligation in excess of funds available in the treasury shall be assumed by the Executive Board or by an officer on behalf of the Society except when approved by a two-thirds vote of the Members voting at an Annual Business Meeting or in a Referendum vote; provided that for the purposes of this section, estimated receipts and other accounts receivable for the current year may be considered as funds available. Amendments to these Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws of the Society may be proposed to the President in a written petition signed by not less than 25 Members. The President, as soon as practicable, by regular mail or through the Society’s Newsletter , shall inform all the Members of the Society in good standing of such amendments. Amendments shall become effective by a two-thirds majority of all mail ballots placed in the mail and addressed to the Secretary not more than 30 days after the date they were mailed to the Members, or by a two-thirds vote of all Members present and voting at any Annual Business Meeting, provided the proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the Members in good standing at least 30 days prior to the meeting. Section 1. The Society shall publish a Newsletter . It shall be published at least quarterly. Special editions may be published when the need arises. The Newsletter shall carry the reports of the business of the Society including the Treasurer’s annual report and appropriate excerpts of minutes of Executive Board and Annual Business Meetings, and other information of interest to the Membership. The Newsletter shall be mailed to all Members of the Society in good standing and to subscribers. Section 2. The Executive Board shall appoint the Editor of the Newsletter , and shall review the editorship of the Newsletter annually. Section 1. The Society shall publish a Proceedings, which shall include selected papers presented at Annual Meetings. It shall be published annually. It shall be provided to all Regular, Institutional, Contributing, and Lifetime Members, and shall be available to others at a price determined by the Executive Board. Section 2. The Executive Board shall appoint the Editor of the Proceedings , and shall review the editorial policies and production standards annually. The editor may appoint assistant editors as needed. Whereas it is the intent of the Society not to violate the Constitutional rights of any Member or citizen of the United States of America, the following guidelines shall be adhered to by the Society for California Archaeology Membership (universities and institutions included) to advise the most ethical course of action in the various archaeological matters which may arise. a. Recognize a primary commitment to present the public with the results of field research in a responsible manner, such as publication or public displays. b. Actively support conservation of the archaeological resource base by recording sites, advocating protection or salvage in impending destruction, or any other means available. c. Encourage conformance with the UNESCO Convention, General Conference, Paris , November 14, 1970 , and U.S. Public Law 97-446: Title III, the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act of 1983, which prohibit illicit export or import and/or sale of cultural property. d. Contact pertinent representatives of the Native American or other ethnic peoples during the planning phase preceding archaeological programs of excavation or extensive reconnaissance, and it shall be the express purpose of such communications to develop a design for field work in coordination with the interests and sensitivities of those pertinent people. f. Whenever a site of religious, ceremonial, or social significance to a Native American or other ethnic community is encountered, contact appropriate representatives of these communities and respect their expressed interests and concerns while considering the archaeological values of the site’s resources. g. Encourage the complete preservation of any significant cultural site for which the traditional religious beliefs of the pertinent ethnic peoples will not allow scientific excavation/salvage or the cost of salvage is prohibitive. h. Support the rights of Native Americans or other ethnic peoples to practice their ceremonial traditions on or near sites, in labs, around artifacts, or other locations. a. Collect artifacts or features for the purposes of private collection, sale of the items, or any other nonscientific activity. b. Excavate or otherwise disturb any location of a previous Native American settlement, ceremonial locality, cemetery, or other mortuary context which was being used until recently or is still being used, and for which native or other ethnic peoples maintain a sense of spiritual affinity, without the full concordance of those pertinent peoples. c. Allow his or her name to be used in the support of illegal or unethical activity. d. Advocate unscientific destruction of cultural resources or testify in a public hearing to assist other individuals in a less than scientific destruction of said resources. e. Advocate the destruction of identified or known sacred/religious sites of Native American or other ethnic peoples, merely because there are no observable or quantifiable artifacts or features. f. Knowingly misrepresent oneself as ?qualified? in matters for which there is a reasonable doubt of qualification and in which the existence of a cultural resource is at stake. g. Knowingly desecrate, deface, or destroy a Native American or other ethnic people’s sacred item or site. a. Give adequate credit to colleagues in personal communications, known field research, and unpublished manuscripts when writing publications or reports intended for public review. b. Make every reasonable attempt to communicate and cooperate with all archaeologists working in the same field area. c. Review a representative sample of published and available archived manuscripts (from Regional Information Centers) and collections when conducting surveys or excavations. d. Make every reasonable attempt to read current literature on techniques and research designs prior to conducting field work so that as many as possible research designs of colleagues may benefit from the data recovery. e. Know and comply with all federal, state, and local ordinances applicable to the data base. a. Publish a colleague’s active research without written permission, the death of that colleague, or documentation that five years have elapsed since field recovery. b. Enter into known or defined research areas with the intent of recovering cultural collections without attempting advanced consultation with colleagues already working there. That consultation should include sharing the proposed research design. c. Accuse a colleague of unethical or illegal conduct without adequate documentation. d. Institutionally record a cultural resource found by a colleague without citing the original or principal discoverer. e. Commit oral or written plagiarism. f. Refuse reasonable requests from a colleague to share data, as long as there is an arrangement for full citation. g. Be party to the subversion of legal procedures set forth for the preservation of the resource base. a. File copies of all site survey records and EIR/EIS survey reports, evaluation/testing reports, and excavation reports at the appropriate California Archaeological Inventory Regional Information Center within 30 days upon completion of the project. b. Prepare a research design orienting a scientific data recovery strategy to attempt to solve valid archaeological problems in all field research which disturbs the original context of cultural resources. c. Make arrangements prior to field investigations for curation of all field notes, photographs, maps, graphs, recovered artifacts, features, ecofacts, soil samples, and other data. This arrangement should include future availability by colleagues and the public. d. Attempt to involve pertinent Native American and other ethnic cultural centers (and museums) in the educational analysis, display, and long-term care of scientific collections. e. Make arrangements for security at all open excavation sites where vandalism is possible. f. Obtain all necessary permits and permission from landowners prior to conducting field work. g. Integrate as many research problems as possible into salvage operations to insure future utility of the recovered data. h. Make all possible efforts to maintain detailed provenience records and narratives of field work and data collection and analysis so that future archaeologists may reconstruct the chain of logic in connection with their own data collection and analysis. i. Contact all known archaeologists conducting active research within the regional boundaries of an agency-required environmental study and consider their opinions when evaluating the “significance” of sites. Also, make a reasonable attempt to integrate their data needs into survey and excavation designs in that region. j. With the exception of emergency situations, avoid the destruction/sacrifice of upper midden strata to expedite the examination of lower levels. However, this caution is not valid if the upper levels have been adequately sampled. k. Prepare a summary site report on all excavations within five years of completion of field work. a. Encourage unscientific recovery of cultural remains. b. Carry out collection or excavation of cultural resources without a research design or solely for the purpose of teaching field techniques. c. Sign or enter into a contract which prohibits recording of sites at Regional Information Centers, filing of reports at public institutions, or sharing of data among colleagues. d. Publish or make available to the public the precise locations of cultural sites where there is a reasonable potential for vandalism of the sites to occur as a result of that action. a. Make every possible effort to avoid relationships or actions which could legitimately be interpreted as conflict of interest. b. Avoid at all times possible bias in objective assessment of “site significance” or the “adequacy” of a report from friends, employers/employees, instructors, or business clients. c. Avoid the appearance of discrediting the work of a colleague for personal gain, such as money, political benefit, or even vengeance. d. Make full informational citation of all sources used in written reports. This shall include listing of personnel. a. Fraudulently encourage agencies or firms to conduct archaeological surveys or tests on properties where it is confidently known that there is/are no cultural resources. b. Accept a contract to perform archaeological investigation in any situation where personal security might bias conclusions. c. Publish sensitive data on Native American peoples or other ethnic groups without their advice on the matter. d. Assist anyone in locating cultural sites when it is known that the sponsors intend to destroy the sites to avoid scientific salvage or the preservation efforts of some other group. e. Interfere with (or join into) a legal/contractual dispute over the “adequacy” of a study/report or “significance” of resources without first conferring with the colleague who was the primary consultant and informing that person of his or her intent to enter into the matter.

https://scahome.org/about-sca/bylaws/

The theme for this year's World Day of Peace (January 1) is "Overcome Indifference and Win Peace." Click here to access the message from Pope Francis to commemorate this day and here to access the summary of the message -- with suggestions for actions -- available from the USCCB. In his message, Pope Francis calls us, in the spirit of the Jubilee of Mercy, to "realize how indifference can manifest itself in our lives and to work concretely to improve the world around us, beginning with our families, neighbors and places of employment." He concludes, "I would like to make a threefold appeal to the leaders of nations: to refrain from drawing other peoples into conflicts or wars which destroy not only their material, cultural and social legacy, but also – and in the long term – their moral and spiritual integrity; to forgive or manage in a sustainable way the international debt of the poorer nations; and to adopt policies of cooperation which, instead of bowing before the dictatorship of certain ideologies, will respect the values of local populations and, in any case, not prove detrimental to the fundamental and inalienable right to life of the unborn." On the 11th of each month, the Sisters of Christian Charity pray and fast for peace in our world. Click here to go to the SCC Western Region's website to find prayers for today. The word for mercy in Latin is misericordia -- suggesting that one has his or her heart (cor) with those who are poor or who suffer (miseri). Perhaps we should begin the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy with a "heart checkup." Fortunately, this type of checkup does not involve going to a medical provider. In the words of Pauline von Mallinckrodt, founder of the Sisters of Christian Charity, "We should have neither eyes to see the faults of others, nor ears to listen to evil reports about them, nor tongue to accuse them, nor reason to judge them, nor will to condemn them, nor memory to recall evil of them, but a merciful heart to compassionate all, a charitable tongue to excuse all, a meek and patient disposition to bear with all" (from the SCC Constitutions). As you enter into this Year of Mercy, how's your heart? As we travel through Advent and prepare for our Christmas and other holiday celebrations, could we take a moment (or 40 minutes) to consider childhood hunger in the United States? This 2012 video from the Food Network, "Hunger Hits Home," might motivate us to consider actions toward ending hunger -- especially childhood hunger -- in this country. It is worth your time to watch. On Saturday, October 17, the Companions of Pauline of the North American Eastern Province of the Sisters of Christian Charity held their annual retreat whose theme was "A Merciful Heart: Blessed Pauline and the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy." Led by Sister Ann Marie Paul, over 100 Associates and Sisters reflected on Misericordiae Vultus, Pope Francis's letter announcing the Year of Mercy, which begins on December 8, 2015. Using this letter as a foundation, participants considered the Parable of the Prodigal Son as well as the writings of Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt, founder of the Sisters of Christian Charity. The day culminated in a reflection on "Our Merciful Hearts," in which participants considered how they will prepare for the upcoming Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. meet with some of the participants in Saturday's retreat. On the 11th of each month, the Sisters of Christian Charity pray and fast for peace. Click here to access prayer resources from our North American Western Region to mark the 11th of the month. Click here to read Kerry Weber's "Of Many Things" essay in the October 5 issue of America. Weber, Managing Editor of America, talks about the meaning of the Pope's visit to the United States. Here is an excerpt: "In the end, the story of Francis’ visit is, at its heart, a story of community. It has challenged American Catholics to acknowledge connections to those who may hold differing political views or those who may be on the periphery of society. It has reminded us that we should put as much effort and attention into welcoming our neighbor—the poor, the suffering, the dying, the imprisoned, those without a home or family or nation—as we have in welcoming Francis into our midst. . . . The papal visit has put the spotlight not just on Francis the man, but on the Gospel message he proclaims and lives: Mercy. Always mercy. Over and over again, Francis directs us back to Christ, who guides us in our own journeys and whom we must recognize in all those we meet along the way. " In preparation for the September visit of Pope Francis to the United States, the Archdiocese of Washington's "Walk with Francis" project invites us to pray, serve and act. The website (click here) is worth exploring. No matter what diocese we call "home," the idea of this initiative -- to welcome Pope Francis by transforming our community -- is reflective of the Holy Father's consistent message since the beginning of his papacy. How will you choose to pray, serve and act to transform your community? In addition to our previous summer viewing/reading suggestions, we add one more book, Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother and the Lessons of a Lifetime by Scott Simon. From the book's description: "Unforgettable . . . [is] a memoir that is rich, heart-wrenching and exhilarating. . . . Spending their last days together in a hospital's ICU, mother and son reflect on their lifetime's worth of memories, recounting stories laced with humor and exemplifying resilience." While this book might be considered an atypical "justice and peace" selection, it gives a very moving description of health care for an underserved population in the United States -- the elderly. It is a great grace that several Sister of Christian Charity lovingly minister among this population. We are grateful to all of those who provide care not only for our older Sisters, but for the elderly in the neighborhoods where we live and in the places we minister. "My mother was right: America pastes decals on old people. They are identified as a demographic group, a market, or a political lobby, but often feel invisible, unheard, and powerless as individuals. People talk past them, as we do to children. Their bodies start failing them, fighting them. To be old in America is to live in a world in which you have to take pills but can't pry open the bottles, and can't open a drugstore pocket comb because it comes encased in a protective packaging fit for the Agra Diamond. The elderly are accused of slurping up government benefits and medical care in a way that poisons our children's future. Intricate technologies bark at them from cold screens for passwords they can't (can any of us?) remember, and actions that might as well be commands in an ancient Parthian language. My mother had come into a hospital for a quick stick in her finger to see if she was sick. She had planned to have lunch, and dawdle in front of the store windows; she had planned to fly to see her grandchildren the next day. But instead, she'd been whisked into a ward, jolted, jabbed, and speared without anyone she recognized as a doctor ever really saying why. And now my mother was being asked, in so many words, if she was ready to give up breathing to get a better view. Has medical care become so compartmentalized that the first inkling a patient gets that her case is untreatable is when the palliative care team circles the bed?" Click here to access the July issue of the Stop Trafficking newsletter, highlighting the plight of children and other laborers in mineral mines and some very good news in terms of anti-trafficking advocacy in the business sector in the United States. The SCC Generalate website has set up a special page to keep track of the Pauline 200 mission. Click here to access this page, which has updates in German, Spanish and English. Click here to read an article focusing on Laudato Si in the Daily Record (Morris County, NJ). Erin Lothes, a theology professor at the College of Saint Elizabeth (Convent Station, NJ) is interviewed. Continuing to read and reflect on Laudato Si: Remember, if you would like to comment, go to the blog (click here) and click on "Comments" at the bottom of the post. Rather than reading about the new encyclical, let us commit to reading and reflecting on Laudato Si itself. Please read the paragraph from the encyclical (below). If you'd like to make a comment that reflects your thoughts on this portion of the encyclical, please go to the blog (click here) and click on "Comments" under the post. In this way, perhaps we can begin a conversation about the encyclical. 236. It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation. Grace, which tends to manifest itself tangibly, found unsurpassable expression when God himself became man and gave himself as food for his creatures. The Lord, in the culmination of the mystery of the Incarnation, chose to reach our intimate depths through a fragment of matter. He comes not from above, but from within, he comes that we might find him in this world of ours. In the Eucharist, fullness is already achieved; it is the living centre of the universe, the overflowing core of love and of inexhaustible life. Joined to the incarnate Son, present in the Eucharist, the whole cosmos gives thanks to God. Indeed the Eucharist is itself an act of cosmic love: “Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world”. The Eucharist joins heaven and earth; it embraces and penetrates all creation. The world which came forth from God’s hands returns to him in blessed and undivided adoration: in the bread of the Eucharist, “creation is projected towards divinization, towards the holy wedding feast, towards unification with the Creator himself ”. Thus, the Eucharist is also a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be stewards of all creation. The USCCB has provided a study guide for the encyclical Laudato Si. The study guide, available here, contains a prayer service, group reflection questions, a social encyclical primer and additional resources. From the USCCB: The Fortnight for Freedom: Freedom to Bear Witness will take place from June 21 to July 4, 2015, a time when our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power -- St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. The theme of this year's Fortnight will focus on the "freedom to bear witness" to the truth of the Gospel. The June 2015 issue of the Stop Trafficking newsletter is available here. This month's issue highlights the thousands who seek employment only to be trapped in exploitative situations. Education for Justice has provided a prayer service to celebrate Laudato Si, the newest papal encyclical released yesterday. Click here to access the resource. Additionally, the USCCB offers multiple resources, available here. America Magazine offers mutliple viewpoints. Click here for "The Franciscan Character of Laudato Si" by Daniel Horan, OFM. Click here for "The Top Ten Takeaways from Laudato Si" by James Martin, SJ. Click here for "What the Environmental Encyclical Means," by the editors of America. This is a "roundup" of expert analysis of the encyclical. The Holy Father's newly-released encyclical on the environment and human ecology, Laudato Si, is available here. All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace. Amen. The website of Mercy Investment Services contains an impressive collection of human trafficking resources on one web page. Click here to view the user-friendly page, which is worthy of more than a few minutes of your time. Writing in the June 22-29 issue of America, Daniel P. Horan, OFM proposes that church leaders give "a black-and-white answer to whether or not the death penalty is acceptable." In the spirit of the "seamless garment" approach to Christian ethics, Horan suggests, "We must affirm that either all life is sacred or no life is sacred." Horan's proposal would require a revision to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which echoes traditional church teaching by not excluding recourse to the death penalty (no. 2267). Horan also suggests that the CCC be revised to remove the qualifier "innocent" when referring to human beings: "While individuals may be guilty or innocent of a crime, all human life is sacred without qualification; there is neither innocent nor guilty life." Click here to read the entire essay. As we prepare for Thursday's release of his much-anticipated "environment encyclical," Laudato Si (that is, "Be Praised" or "Praised Be"), the Holy Father used the parables of this Sunday's gospel to remind us that the Kingdom of God is a gift of the Lord, but it requires our collaboration. Click here to read more about the address after Sunday's Angelus in which Pope Francis says of the encyclical: "Let us pray that everyone can receive its message and grow in responsibility toward the common home that God has entrusted to us." The USCCB's Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development has developed a new website entitled WeAreSaltAndLight.org. Inspired by the US bishops' statement, "Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish," the site provides resources using these themes: "Pray Together," "Reach Out Together," "Learn Together" and "Act Together." Click here to watch a video introduction and here to go to the site. of all those soldiers who died in war. Who lost precious loved ones. Are slaughtered by the guns and bombs of war. And honor the dead through forgiveness and peace making. May God have mercy on the souls of the departed. Grant them peace, O Lord. May we have mercy on the living. Grant us peace, O Lord. "The voice of the newly Blessed continues to resonate today to remind us that the Church, a convocation of brothers surrounding their Lord, is the family of God, in which there should be no division. Faith in Jesus Christ, when understood well and its final consequences assumed, generates communities of that are builders of peace and solidarity. This is what the Church in El Salvador is called to today, in America and in the whole world: to be rich in mercy and to convert into the leaven of reconciliation for society." Thanks to America Magazine, we have a set of readings to get us ready for Oscar Romero's beatification this weekend (May 23). Click here to find a article that links to those readings. Click here to access the May 2015 issue of the Stop Trafficking newsletter. This month's issue highlights the growing trade in human organs and the abuses associated with organ trafficking. Holy Week teaches that while nothing is impossible with God, we must wait for the realization of that possibility. This is difficult in an age that so values activity over waiting. We moderns are happiest when we have something to do. We plan and plot, work and produce. Through technological sophistication, we contrive to control the uncontrollable–future and destiny, success and defeat, history and mystery....Passion Sunday counters this; it slows us down. Today we remember the 35th death anniversary of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who will be beatified on May 23 in San Salvador. Click here to access Kevin Clarke's article, "Death Comes for the Archbishop: The Martyrdom of Oscar Romero," in the March 23 issue of America. The March 2015 issue of Stop Trafficking is available here. This issue attempts to show the growing tolerance for sexual violence in the media and its potential connection to the trafficking of women and children.

https://sccjpic.blogspot.com/2015/

Yesterday’s announcement that the Scottish government will trial a new lung cancer test has been widely covered in this morning’s media – both on TV and in the papers. In case you missed the story, the NHS in Scotland is to run a trial of a proprietary blood test, called EarlyCDT-Lung, on 10,000 heavy smokers, with the aim of detecting lung cancer earlier, when it’s more treatable. This focus on lung cancer is welcome, and comes as part of a wider initiative by the Scots government, Detect Cancer Early, which we helped campaign for and which we’re delighted has now launched. However, the tone of some of the media coverage unfortunately overstates the stage this research is at, and readers could be forgiven for thinking a screening programme is imminent. On top of this, there’s a bigger picture. Screening for lung cancer is fraught with difficulties and unanswered questions – chiefly the fact that chest surgery to investigate a positive result isn’t a trivial matter, and carries significant risks. So if a test can be proven to save lives and minimise harms, it would be a significant step forward. But with those caveats out the way, we thought it would be helpful to look at how this blood test fits in with this bigger picture. People should realise that, while this trial is helpful and welcome, a national lung screening programme is probably still some way off. Where are we at with lung screening? The number of positive screening results was considerably higher in the CT scan group than the chest x-ray group (18,000 vs 5,000). The vast majority of these results turned out to be false positives – suspicious scans that turn out not to be cancer on further investigation (in fact, around 95% of positive results in both arms of the trial were false positives). Although there were very few negative effects of the screening procedures themselves, there were risks associated with diagnostic tests following screening. Ten people from the CT scan group and 11 from the chest x-ray group died within 60 days of having investigative procedures following screening. A further 75 people in the CT scan group had a severe complication associated with diagnostic testing (24 in the chest x-ray group). The trial compared two different modes of screening rather than comparing screening with no testing. So although there was no increase in overall death rate in the CT scan group compared to the chest x-ray group, both arms of the trial were associated with increased risks, and it is not clear how the risks and benefits of these screening procedures compare with no screening. There was some suggestion that lung screening results in some degree of ‘overdiagnosis’ – that is, the diagnosis of some lung cancers that would never have progressed into more serious disease or caused any symptoms. The authors are calling for more research in this area, which is a sensible way forward. In essence, we just don’t know whether the benefits of chest x-rays outweigh the harms (this is important and we’ll come back to it later). On top of this, CT screening is relatively expensive, and the UK probably doesn’t have enough scanners to run a population-wide screening programme. What is the test and how does it work? The EarlyCDT-Lung test was born in a lab in Nottingham University, and subsequently developed by Oncimmune, a ‘spin-out’ company associated with the University. The test measures the levels of certain antibodies in a person’s blood, which often rise when they have lung cancer. This is a really exciting idea, and Oncimmune are also developing similar tests that aim to detect other cancers. There are many ways to assess how effective a screening test is. Two key measurements are a test’s ‘sensitivity’ and its ‘specificity’. When designing a test for any disease, two things are really important. The first, obvious, one is how good the test is at picking up people that have the disease. This is called ‘sensitivity’. The second important factor is how good the test is at not picking up people that don’t have the disease, which is called ‘specificity’. It’s important to get a good balance between sensitivity and specificity. A quick thought experiment will reveal why. Imagine a test where every single person that has the disease tests positive. This sounds great, but what if the reason this happens is because everybody who takes the test at all, regardless of whether or not they have the disease, tests positive? Clearly this would be a useless test in practice. It’s highly sensitive but not in the least bit specific. According to Oncimmune’s website, their lung test has a sensitivity of 41 per cent, and a specificity of 93 per cent. In other words, it’ll correctly identify lung cancer in about four out of ten people who have the disease, and correctly identify about nine out of ten people who don’t have it. It will also give a ‘false positive’ result of about seven in a hundred people who don’t have the disease. However, we spoke to Geoff Hamilton-Fairley, Oncimmune’s executive chairman, who told us that the company had managed to improve these figures, and will be publishing data about this in the next few months. So the test that will be used in the Scottish trial will be an improved version. Another key feature of the test is that it’s able to spot some cancers that wouldn’t be visible on a chest x-ray. According to the company, this could lead to diagnosing some cancers five years before they could be spotted by other means. The trial will involve 10,000 ‘high-risk’ smokers – people who have smoked the equivalent of 20 a day for twenty years. Half of them will be offered the blood test, the other half won’t. People who have a positive result will then be offered a chest x-ray. Given the problems we discussed above with lung screening using just a chest x-ray, the hope is that the ‘pre-screening’ people with the blood test will ‘enrich’ the population being offered x-rays with people who are more likely to have cancer. This will hopefully lower the false positive rates from chest x-rays (which can be as high as 50 per cent), meaning the benefits might then outweigh the harms. It could also lead to an economic benefit – advanced lung cancer is more expensive to treat than early disease, so if all goes well, the test could save the NHS money. You’ll notice a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’ in that last paragraph. These are questions that the trial will try to answer. There’s a long way to go before we get a full sense of how, or whether, this test should be routinely used in the NHS, despite its undoubted promise. That said, a robust lung screening programme would be a fantastic addition to current efforts to detect cancer earlier. The disease kills nearly 35,000 people a year in the UK – anything that could reduce this terrible toll has to be worth looking at. But we need to make sure we don’t cause other problems in doing so. And it’s worth noting that this isn’t the only horse in the race – a large lung cancer screening pilot trial using CT scanning is already underway across the UK, funded by the Department of Health. About eight out of ten lung cancers are thought to be directly caused by smoking. As well as trying to spot cancers early both in smokers and in non-smokers, we also need to find ways to help people quit smoking, or discourage them from starting. Over the years, Cancer Research UK has been a world leader in campaigning for tighter controls on tobacco. We’re currently trying to persuade the UK Government to bring in laws forcing tobacco companies to sell their product in plain, brand-free packs, with prominent health messages. Although this won’t necessarily stop current smokers from smoking, there’s mounting evidence that it will discourage kids from starting. So as well as our anticipation over this lung screening test, we’re also looking forward to campaigning for plain packaging, and protecting the next generation from the evils of tobacco marketing. You can find out how to support the campaign here. Please sign up, and help us end the packet racket.

https://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2012/03/23/lung-screening-still-a-need-for-caution-despite-new-blood-test/

Congratulations are in order for the robotics team at SCC. On Saturday, January 19, the Steampunks team #11965 competed in their season qualifier at the Show-Me Center where they did well enough to advance to the state competition. Steampunks team members include Ally, Mackenzie, Maddie, and Asher. Mrs. Crites is the team administrator, coach, sponsor. This is the third year that SCC has had a Robotics team. The first year, the team put together their robot in just 9 days before their season qualifier. That year, they finished last, but they learned so much about what they would need to do to compete in future years. Last year, the team placed within the top 10 at the season qualifier. This year, they advanced to state, and won many other awards. The Steampunks left the Show-Me Center with the following awards: 1st place Motivate Award, 3rd place Think Award, and the 3rd place Inspire Award, which advanced them to state competition. Now, team members are working to raise funds to cover registration fees, robot parts, travel and lodging, and meals for their state trip. The team is now selling T-shirts to help cover their costs. If you would like to purchase a T-shirt or donate money to the group, please contact Cristy Crites at Scott County Central Schools. Any donation of $100 or more will get the name/logo of the business/individual on the back of the team shirt. The state competition is in Rolla on March 9. Best of luck to the Steampunks!

https://scottcentral.k12.mo.us/news/archived_news/scc_steampunks_advance_to_state

I am fascinated by exploring areas between certainty and doubt, and provoking a sensual experience of light. In a polarized political and social atmosphere I view ambiguous subject matter and visual presentation as political acts. By creating enigmatic works, I intend to seduce the viewer into being comfortable with ambiguity. I am very interested in conveying a sense of the volume of space. The images are built through multiple firings of enamels on many layers of glass, allowing a depth of space within which objects ‘move’ as the viewer moves around the piece as imagery on each layer shifts in relation to the others and to the light. Jeff is an award-winning glass artist. He holds a Masters in Glass and Architectural Glass from Edinburgh College of Art, where he currently teaches glass for the Office of Lifelong Learning. In addition, he has been a professional stained glass designer and restorer in Edinburgh since 2006, with experience in designing and repairing windows for domestic, commercial and ecclesiastical clients. Jeff has been selected for the 2012 European Prize for Applied Arts in Mons, Belgium, on exhibit from 14th July – 9th September, 2012. He will also be part of the Scottish Glass Society’s 2012 exhibition, ‘Cultural Exchange‘ at North Lands Creative Glass, 9 – 18 September, 2012. Jeff helped represent Scotland at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, 10 – 13 November 2011, organised by craftScotland. He was also selected for the ‘Studio Glass in Great Britain’ exhibition at the European Museum for Modern Glass near Coburg, Germany. His work has featured in New Glass Review 30 & 31 (2009 & 2010), Neues Glas/New Glass (Autumn 2009), Glass Quarterly (Fall 2003) among others, and is part of the permanent collection of North Lands Creative Glass and the Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark. In addition, he has taught a Masterclass at Bild-Werk Frauenau in Bavaria where he has also assisted Scott Chaseling, as well as assistingCappy Thompson at North Lands Creative Glass, in Caithness. 2012 will see him returning to Bild-Werk Frauenau to assist Scott Chaseling,Ursula Huth and Barbara Idzikowska and to North Lands to assistSusan Stinsmuehlen-Amend.

https://scottishglasssociety.com/author/zimmer/

This depends on where in the world you are. In most countries around the world, VPNs are perfectly legal in themselves, although you could decide to use them for illegal activities (more on that in a moment). Many people simply assume otherwise because they are often associated with illegal activity, but that’s a misconception. There are, however, a few major exceptions. VPNs have most notably been declared illegal in Russia and China, for example. They’re also banned in Iran, Iraq, UAE, Belarus, Turkey, and Oman, among others. As you can see from this list, these are pretty much all countries that exert close control over domestic media, are hostile to independent journalism and/or have a reputation for surveillance. Basically, the major reasons why you’d want to use a VPN in the first place! It’s not exactly surprising, then that these governments are not fans of VPNs – and breaking these laws could land you in hot water. This is particularly true in the UAE. Funnily enough, the reasons behind the ban in this country are less to do with censorship and more to do with money, as the popularity of WhatsApp calls had started undercutting profits in the telecoms sector. All the same, the repercussions are huge, with fines of up to half a million dollars. In the US, Canada, the EU, Australia and much of the world, on the other hand, VPNs are perfectly legal. That said, some things that you might choose to do with a VPN in place are absolutely not legal – and that doesn’t change just because it’s easier for you to do them with a VPN, or because you may be more likely to get away with it. Torrent (share or download) files where you don’t own the copyright, including movies, games and music. When it comes to the other three points on this list, these crimes are taken extremely seriously, all over the world. If you engage in any of them, you can bet your life that a government agency somewhere is working hard to catch you – and you could well go to prison if they do. What Can You Use VPNs For… Legally? If something is legal in your country and VPNs are also legal in your country, it will be legal for you to do that thing with a VPN. One grey area here is accessing geo-restricted content, such as streaming TV shows. Many people ask, is it illegal to use a VPN for Netflix? From a legal standpoint, you shouldn’t really use VPNs to try and view stuff that isn’t licensed in your country. Streaming sites understandably get very angry about this and may suspend your license if you try. At the same time, the police are hardly likely to come knocking at your door (although we can’t promise they never will). What Are Your Legal Rights When Using a VPN? The leading VPN providers all have a “no-logs” policy, which means they don’t track what you’re doing. However, that’s not possible in every country, as governments and authorities can insist on seeing logs if they suspect you of a crime. That’s why so many VPN companies are based in countries with strong privacy laws or lax jurisdiction in this area, like Panama or the British Virgin Islands. All three of these VPNs can be used for any legal purpose you like, quickly and easily, all over the world. None of the companies keep logs and all have stringent security measures in place, helping you to protect your right to privacy. ExpressVPN is a long-standing user favorite in the VPN world, not least because of its lightning-fast streaming speeds. These are especially impressive when you’re streaming HD video like TV shows and movies. This VPN is also powerful enough to unblock pretty much anything you want, allowing you to tap into content from all over the globe – or from 94 countries, to be precise. It’s a very reliable, stable product, ensuring that interruptions and delays are minimal. You can install it on more or less any device you can think of, to browse or stream in total privacy and anonymity. Plus, there’s a kill switch in case your WiFi connection drops, the option for stealth mode, and DNS leak protection. In fact, the company’s commitment to security is second to none. High levels of encryption make it impossible to penetrate, while the company has a robust privacy policy and keeps no user logs. It’s based in the British Virgin Islands, so that’s unlikely to change any time soon. Despite its global (and ever-growing) popularity, ExpressVPN hasn’t become a victim of its own success. In fact, it’s managed to scale up without slowing down at all – thanks to a huge network of servers around the world. Support is great, with 24/7 live chat available, as well as email support and an online contact form. If you’d rather figure it out for yourself, take a look at the vast collections of guides and tutorial videos, which take you through things like setting up applications all the way up to verifying the integrity of installation files. Plus, you can try it out without risk thanks to a 30-day, money-back guarantee. If you decide you love ExpressVPN during your trial, bear in mind that they’re offering a SPECIAL DEAL to Secure Thoughts readers: 3 months free (49% savings) on their annual subscription plan. VPN CyberGhost is an up-and-coming name in the industry but is gaining popularity fast thanks to its high speeds, many servers, and all-important, privacy-protecting, no-log policy. The company began life in Romania and many of its 3000+ servers are European-based, although nearly a fifth are in the US. If you connect to the right one, speeds are excellent – although bear in mind that it can be a mixed bag. Some servers are painfully slow, so be prepared to chop and change if you get a bad one at first. To CyberGhost’s credit, it comes with a great “Choose My Server” screen that lets you check things like current user load, whether you can torrent, ping time, etc. before you connect, which makes it easier to pick a good one for your purposes. One of the best things about this VPN is its commitment to user privacy. CyberGhost keeps no logs and has adopted the SHA236 authentication algorithm, as well as other rock-solid encryption measures, to keep you as safe, secure and anonymous as possible. It’s also nice and easy to set up. You just head to the download page and click. Boom! You can unblock US Netflix and the system works just fine with Mac, Android, Chrome, Linux and Kodi on Amazon Firestick. Once you’re ready to go, it’s pretty simple to find your way around. User experience isn’t mind-blowing but it is straightforward and conveniently laid out. Users have plenty of control over their connection settings, including managing multiple connections – and it’s easy to navigate to support, which is always a plus. In fact, when it comes to reliability and support, this VPN scores high. There’s an extensive selection of guides if you want to handle all manner of problems yourself, but you can also get in touch through email or live chat to have a helpful human explain instead. Our secret shoppers found this support to be swift and professional. Cyberghost’s unique differentiator is its data compression feature, though. If you turn it on before you connect to a server, this reduces the impact that text and images have on your bandwidth consumption, potentially allowing you to use a fifth of the data for certain tasks. If your ISP limits your data usage, this is super handy. A fresh face on the VPN scene, Surfshark is another excellent contender. With 500 servers in 50 countries, the ability to unblock Netflix US and BBC iPlayer (as well as most major streaming sites), it’s rapidly gaining fans around the world. Even better, the company offers unlimited simultaneous connections, so you can sign in at the same time from as many devices as you like, with just one account. You can also torrent on all its services. The system automatically routes P2P traffic through servers in the Netherlands or Canada. Surfshark doesn’t always hit the dizzying speeds of ExpressVPN, but it certainly isn’t bad. With any luck they’ll manage to keep improving – and to keep up with the growing pressure on their servers as their user base continues to grow. However, your privacy is guaranteed thanks to Surfshark’s no-logs policy – and they take security issues very seriously indeed. The intuitive dashboard makes it a breeze to find your way around, instructions are clear and easy to follow, and installation and setup are both nice and straightforward even, if you have no technical experience. One thing that makes Surfshark stand out is its split tunneling option for Android and Windows apps. You can use this to exclude particular apps or websites from your VPN without switching it off, meaning that you can stay anonymous for some purposes but ensure that other apps (for example, ones that rely on geolocation) don’t get confused. Last but by no means least, if you need more convincing, you can make use of Surfshark’s 30-day money-back guarantee – and there’s round-the-clock support on offer if you need any help figuring it out. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. They use encryption and masking to route your connection through a different server, which could be anywhere in the world. As a result, you’re completely anonymous and everything you do online stays private. This is, in fact, why VPNs were invented in the first place! Government departments, corporations, and other organizations that work with sensitive data all use VPNs to strengthen their security, protect their secrets and prevent others from prying into their intellectual property. Journalists and researchers often depend on VPNs to ensure that no one is watching them while they investigate a story or communicate with sources. If you live in a country with strict censorship laws, this may be the only way of accessing certain material – or accessing it without worrying you could be harassed by people who don’t want you to see it. You don’t have to fear for your life or liberty to believe that privacy is a right. Perhaps you just don’t like the idea of your government, school, workplace or ISP provider spying on you. Perhaps you don’t want search engines and marketers tracking your search history and sending you targeted ads. A VPN obscures your IP address and means you can just browse anonymously, without monitoring or interference. Using WiFi in public places opens you up to all kinds of potential problems. It’s easy for others on the same network to see what you’re doing, hack into your computer or contaminate your connection with malware. If you need to make any payments, check bank details or do anything else that involves entering passwords or accessing sensitive data, you really ought to consider using a VPN. This means all your data is channeled through a secure connection, protecting you in public spaces. It’s not just shared WiFi connections that make it easy for others to eavesdrop on you. It’s also alarmingly easy to do this over VOIP services! That includes dedicated services like Skype and WhatsApp as well as built-in ones like Facebook Messenger. If you have any concerns at all about people listening in, make sure you have a VPN in place. Want to check that your social feed or website is displaying properly in a particular country? That automatic language translations are kicking in correctly? That you’re showing up in local search engines? That your site isn’t filtered or blocked for any reason, thanks to aggressive censorship rules? By using a VPN to access a server in that country, you can view your online presence from any perspective you like. Here’s where the legally dubious bit comes in. One of the best features of a VPN is that you can decide which country you want to connect through, but that also means you can access online content as if you were in-country. Many sites like Netflix, iPlayer, HULU and even YouTube have different licensing arrangements with different regions. Bear in mind though that by bypassing these, you could technically be breaking the law. We’ll explore this more in a moment. The important thing to remember is that the question isn’t “are VPN legal?” but rather “Is VPN legal in this country?” … and, if so, what are you planning to do with it? If you’re not breaking any laws, you generally won’t be breaking them by doing the same things anonymously… but if you are, it’s illegal whether you’re shielded or not.

https://securethoughts.com/are-vpns-legal/

When a natural disaster strikes, it’s safe to say most people do not see it as an opportunity. But where there are natural disasters, there are also recovery efforts that must be carried out. And for businesses who are a part of that recovery? A disaster can sometimes be turned in to an opportunity in the form of a FEMA contract. What is FEMA and Why Are They Important? FEMA’s recovery efforts usually require a large amount of supplies and services. This includes everything from portable toilets and debris removal equipment, to office supplies, translators and everything in between. FEMA procures these goods and services through SAM, the System for Award Management. And with an annual budget in excess of $41B, it’s easy to see why a FEMA contract could be a good thing for your business. How can I become eligible for a FEMA contract? To be eligible for a FEMA contract, you must be registered with SAM. And since it can take 2-12 weeks to complete and activate a SAM registration, the sooner you start the process, the better. After all, if a disaster occurs, time really is of the essence. In fact, FEMA has special contingencies for procurement during “exigent or emergency” circumstances. That means the normal procurement requirements may be reduced, to allow a quicker response to emergency disaster needs. So, getting your SAM registration up and running is critical. Once your registration is active, you’ll be added to the Disaster Response Registry. FEMA buyers and other procurement officers will now be able to find your business when a disaster occurs. Want to See if You Qualify for a FEMA Government Contract? Submit Your Information Now to Get Started! How long does it take to get a FEMA contract? The answer to that is – it depends. FEMA’s emergency exception procurement policies allow for immediate action when necessary. Depending on the service or product your company offers, that could mean a quickly-landed opportunity if you’re already active in SAM. For example, if you’re the only contractor in the local area offering a specific but necessary service, FEMA could opt to sole-source a contract to your company. It’s also important to note that firms local to the area affected are given contracting preference. Where else can I look for disaster recovery opportunities? You can search the Federal Business Opportunities, (FBO) website for open solicitations. However, simply poring through the government’s database may not get you to the right opportunities at the right time for your business. That’s why the Select GCR Pro Tool was developed. To help business owners cut through the fog and establish a more direct, clear path to federal contract opportunities. It’s also a good idea to get to know your local state and municipal procurement officers. Many times, they end up handling local procurement during a disaster. Having an established relationship can improve your chances of winning an opportunity. Where can I get help with the bid process? Registering in SAM and knowing where to search for FEMA contracts is only part of the process. Understanding the bid process and successfully putting a compliant response together is essential. And unfortunately, is not always an easy task. Just registering in SAM can be difficult without the right tools and knowledge in place. Some companies have reported that the SAM registration alone, took upwards of 15 hours to complete. If you’re a business owner, you may not have the time or resources to manage a time-consuming registration or bid process. But again, winning a federal contract starts there. And it ends with the submission of a compliant bid response, that results in a contract award. Fortunately, there’s help out there. Select GCR provides comprehensive support and assistance to small businesses seeking to establish themselves in the world of government contracting. Let’s face it, your time is valuable. Dedicating it to time-consuming paperwork, processes and government red tape, can keep you from focusing on what matters most. Running your business. Our team of dedicated, experienced professionals have helped countless businesses just like yours. It’s not just about paperwork and compliance. Our staff has in-depth experience, gained from actually working inside government procurement. It’s why we’re able to maximize your chances for an awarded contract. Contact Select GCR today to learn more about how to grow your business with government contracts.

https://selectgcr.com/government-contracts-and-fema/

I love cooking and juicing with ginger, it is also great diced up on a cup of hot water for stomach discomfort. It is one of the healthiest spices in the world due to its plethora of nutrients and bio-active ingredients. A review of 12 studies that included a total of 1278 pregnant women found that 1.1-1.5 grams of ginger significantly reduced nausea. Research on this theory is still being conducted, but one study found that 2 grams of ginger extract each day significantly reduced pro-inflammatory signalling molecules in the colon. Some studies suggest that the antioxidants and bio-active compounds can inhibit inflammatory responses that occur in the brain. In a study of 60 middle-aged women, ginger extract was shown to improve reaction time and working memory, suggesting that it supports brain health in many ways.

https://selfdiscoverymedia.com/2016/07/29/ginger-the-miracle-root/

One way separated couples with kids have found a way to coexist without conflict is through "parallel-parenting" or "parallel co-parenting". This is an agreement made by divorced parents in which they are able to co-parent by means of disconnecting from each other and having as little direct contact as possible. Everyone hopes and longs for the day that they find their special someone. However, more often than expected, people end up parting ways with their beloved spouse. In fact, forty to fifty percent of married couples in the United States end up divorced. With the separation rate being so high, it's important for these couples who have kids to make sure that their children still have a healthy and happy childhood. Parallel co-parenting is meant for couples who have come to the conclusion that they would be better off, along with their kids, by disengaging from one another. Each parent focuses on being the best father or mother they can when the children are under their personal care. Within this arrangement, parents may take on different decision-making responsibilities. Just one parent may take the lead on decisions in certain areas such as health or extracurricular activities. Now let’s take a look at some of the important benefits that come with the parallel approach. Parallel co-parenting relies on parents mainly communicating electronically, such as by using text, email or other co-parenting apps. Digital technology allows you to relay or discuss important information about your kids without having to meet and have conversations in person. In addition, it helps prevent your children witnessing any type of conflict that could arise when communicating. Since parallel co-parenting allows you to agree on disagreeing, there is no stress that comes with your decisions. No more getting that lecture about "Why did you allow that to happen?" Although the familial structure is broken, the child is able to maximize and enjoy the individual time spent with each adult. If parents are aware they will not be lectured by one another for the way they spend time with their child, they are more likely to enjoy their care time. Children are able to enjoy meaningful time with both parents. It is evident that post-divorce parental relationships are hard and present situations that no one wants to be in. However, it's important that you find a system that works for you to ensure that your kids have the best childhood they could possibly have. Parallel co-parenting is a terrific solution for parents who may not always be able to communicate in a pleasant and effective manner. Digital communication is a way to remove conflict from the equation. For the betterment of kids hopefully, each parent takes their own individual responsibility for their contribution towards raising their child.

https://selfgrowth.com/articles/parallel-parenting-co-parenting-as-independent-individuals

This thesis traces the story of Australian Jewish identity from the colonial period to the end of the 1920s. Anglo-Jews aligned themselves with ‘white Australia’, arguing that their Jewishness was merely a private trait. Moments of crisis in the 1890s and 1920s, prompted by the possible and actual migration of Eastern European Jews to Australia, threatened to destabilise the place Anglo-Jews had carved out in Australian society, and forced a renegotiation of what it meant to be Jewish in Australia. These moments demonstrate that despite being notionally accepted in Australia, the whiteness of Jews was never guaranteed. Drawing on newspapers and government records, this thesis argues that since their arrival in Australia, Jews have been ambivalently and ambiguously placed in relation to Australian constructions of whiteness. As a group notoriously hard to define, Jews are an important case study in an analysis of the discursive world of ‘white Australia’, presenting new questions that challenge existing binaries of ‘white’ and ‘coloured’.

https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/21137

Jan. 14, 2009 — Board Room, San Mateo Daily Journal. Meeting was called to order at 6:42 p.m. Minutes were approved as read. Treasurer report was approved. Darryl noted that Hannah Hoffman’s scholarship check of $1,500 was returned by UC Berkeley since she opted for delayed enrollment. That will be held in suspension. Open board seat: The board discussed possible people to take the open seat on the board. We will mention the open seat in the newsletter and invite potentials to board meetings. June 6 is the first choice for a date for the Evening of Excellence Dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City. High School Journalism Project: Bettylu Smith and Pat Gemma from the Sequoia High School District are interested in talking to the board about their high school journalism programs. They will be invited to the February meeting of the board. Request for Assistance; Hillsdale High School’s journalism program has requested money for students to attended the national JEA Convention in Arizona. Jon will talk to the advisor and tell him that we have $500 for their program but they may want to consider the best use of that money. He will encourage them to look into the high school journalism organization in Northern California that could offer help at a much lower cost. Marshall moved that the club set aside up to $500 per Peninsula high school for similar assistance. The motion passed. Town Hall Meeting: For the February meeting Marshall volunteered to work on a plan for a town hall meeting the club will sponsor on the topic of high-speed rail. The meeting adjourned in memory of former Mercury News reporter Dan Reed and Oakland Tribune reporter Leeanne McLaughlin.

https://sfpressclub.org/2009/01/18/january-2009-press-club-board-minutes/

If you want your business or website to get and maintain a high page ranking in search engines, you need to learn a few strategies that can help you achieve just that. Keep in mind that mastering search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial if you want to have a competitive edge against other sites or businesses that offer the same type of services or web content as you. The better your search engine page ranking is, the better chances you have of getting higher volumes of traffic to go to your web page or website. Higher volumes of traffic can lead to a higher number of possible clients, translating to higher profit. Here are a couple of SEO strategies that you can actually learn and implement to be able to get and maintain your high page ranking. The first thing that you should probably do is find a good and reliable web hosting service provider, one that can assign to every domain an independent and unique IP address, to ensure that your host avoid any problems with the hosting service and avoid getting knocked out of the search engine database after it has been analyze and indexed by crawlers during the time that it was down. This is one of the more common, but nonetheless important, SEO strategies that you should learn in order to fully utilize the effects of SEO for your site. Make sure that you choose the keywords that will be used all around your site’s content, from the title to the body of texts within it. It is important that you place these keywords that you want to be found in your title or tags. You don’t need to put these in every page in your site, but only on those pages that are relevant to that particular keyword. So let’s say that the keyword that you decided to use is the word cellphone, make sure that you link it to your site’s content that has its focus on cellphones so that when you direct traffic to your site using that keyword, they will come across your site’s content about cellphones. Creating links will also help direct traffic to your site, thereby improving your chances of getting more possible clients for your business. However, linking to other sites is not necessarily enough to get them to visit your site. What you can do is to actually make sure that you are using your selected keywords in the text links that will help point to the content located within your site. In this way, if people are looking for a particular content, they will be directed to your site under the right web content pertaining to the keyword that they are looking for. The more pages that you have created in your site, the more chances you have of getting your web content discovered by your possible clients. It goes to follow that more pages gives you more opportunity to increase your keyword density, combos, etc. One way that you can keep your page volume up is by simply creating new content every week, offering a different perspective, if not new, on a particular topic or keyword that you have on your other pages. This will help improve your chances of making content that has some relevance to what the users are looking for when they chose to visit your site using the keyword link. Having a lot of pages can help improve the chances of increasing the amount of traffic directed to your site, however, if your site cannot offer quality and relevant content to what the users are looking for, then the users will simply click back to the search engine after landing on your site, an act which can have adverse effects on your page ranking. If this were the case, then the search engines will take note of this, and will perceive this that the users did not find anything relevant in your content for their search.

https://sginternetmarketing.com/seo-strategies-you-must-learn/

I’m a daughter, a step daughter, a little sister, an older sister, a middle child, and also the youngest. I’m a woman, a mother, a wife, a friend, and an “ex” of many things. I wear all of these hats with love, joy and pride. I love travelling to far-off lands and experiencing different foods, sights and cultures, but I’m also quite frightened to fly. I love spending time with my family and feeling like I’m contributing to a better world. I’m a true introvert at heart, which has made my career choice a blessing. I get to spend every day in deep, meaningful, one-on-one conversations with amazing and interesting people. All of this fills my bucket and makes me successful at what I do. My pathway to a career in counselling began at the Justice Institute of B.C. in 2011, where I took several courses offered through the Centre for Conflict Resolution. I was amazed by how the skills I acquired changed my life and how I communicate with others. I was also deeply moved by how open people were about trying to incorporate these skills into their own lives. In 2015, I began my studies at Vancouver College of Counsellor Training, where I learned about different counselling theories and how to use them. In 2016, I stumbled upon an amazing organization, Battered Women’s Support Services (BWSS) in Vancouver, and I enrolled in their Violence Prevention and Intervention Program. The program challenged me to reassess some of my beliefs, and I continue to learn a great deal from the brilliant woman who work there, as well as the ones who access its services. I started volunteering on the BWSS Crisis Line and I continue to volunteer as a counsellor there as well. Aside from my volunteer work, I’ve continued my education by taking courses in Focusing Therapy and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) through the Vancouver Crisis Centre, and I also receive continued supervision with a group of incredibly talented counsellors. I continue to be amazed by the different therapies available, and how they have proven to be effective in making changes in my life, as I am a firm believer that I need to experience the therapies I offer in my practice before they are offered to clients. After all this experience, I am extremely excited to finally open my own practice at Fort Langley Massage Therapy and Holistic Health. I love the home feeling that Fort Langley offers, and I can’t imagine doing this anywhere else. If you are interested in booking an appointment with me, or would like to have a brief conversation to see if I am a good match, please contact me directly at |||EMAIL_ADDRESS||| or |||PHONE_NUMBER||| .

https://shannongordon.ca/about-me/

Kevin Patrick Smith is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, public speaker, comic book writer, author, and podcaster. Kevin Smith was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, the son of Grace (née Schultz), a homemaker, and Donald E. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy Clerks (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted in as the character Silent Bob of stoner duo “Jay & Silent Bob”. Jay and Silent Bob have appeared in Smith’s follow-up films Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back which were mostly all set in his home state of New Jersey. While not strictly sequential, the films frequently featured crossover plot elements, character references, and a shared canon described by fans as the “View Askewniverse”, named after his production company View Askew Productions, which he co-founded with Scott Mosier. Smith is an avid hockey fan and loyal New Jersey Devils fan. He is also a fan of the Edmonton Oilers. Smith also directed and produced films such as the buddy cop action comedy Cop Out (2010), the horror film Red State (2011), and the horror comedy Tusk(2014), the first film in the True North trilogy.

https://short-biography.com/kevin-smith.htm

In hindsight, I should’ve started this list waaay sooner. There are tons of things I’ve learned through trial and error, which seemed totally monumental at the time. But once you get over that so-called mountain, all of the angst and frustration disappears and you move on to the next thing. Regardless, here is what I’ve learned during my first month blogging — which, let me tell you, doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. But some of these were “ah-ha” moments for me, that I really wish I’d known when first starting out. And for any other newbies out there, I’m sharing some of these tips that I’ve discovered. Maybe it will help you out, or maybe you already know this stuff. But I also wanted to document all of these “starting out” details — so maybe way, way in the future, once I’m an “expert” (haha), I’ll have something to look back on. And then be really proud of what I’ve created. So here’s my list….from Month One (and-a-half) … of Do’s and Don’ts when you’re just starting out as a new blogger. Change your author/post name from “admin” to something else (your name, your blog name, or something fun that you’d like people to refer to you as).When you publish a new post, you don’t want it to say “Posted by admin” at the top. That’s just very informal, and makes you sound like a robot or something. Not a real warm & fuzzy person, who the reader can relate to. Change your WordPress login page from “wp-admin” to something else — this will help keep hackers at bay. It’ll be harder for them to break into your site if they don’t know where to find your login page. There are plugins that will help you to rename it. You can choose a more random word or phrase or letters/numbers to add to your url, and that will be your new login page. Invest in a decent theme so you can fully customize your site to reflect your own personal style. A lot of the free themes are somewhat limited, and you can generally tell when someone else is using one of them. If you want to go long-term with this, get a theme that you can call your own. They’re not expensive at all. And it’s totally worth it. If you want to monetize, prepare for it early so you’re not scrambling to figure it all out once your blog actually has some traffic. There’s no harm in setting up relationships in the beginning. Of course, some affiliates may not want to accept you into their program until you have some traffic. So that’s why you start small, with simpler programs like Google AdSense, WordAds or Media.net.Remember not to go crazy by slapping ads on your site left and right. But do start dipping your toes in the water, to learn what the deal is & how to get started. Then once the traffic does start coming in, you’ll be more than ready. Brush up on privacy policy wording and any other disclaimers you should be displaying on your site for legal purposes. There are some great free legal resources online that can generate wording to meet your specific needs — specifically for websites and blogs. Take advantage of these services. It doesn’t take long to create a separate page for this purpose, and it will give you peace of mind. So the sooner you get started, the better. There is definitely a learning curve to this — I was lost for quite some time, trying to figure out the difference between focus keyword, SEO title and meta description. (I actually googled that very phrase…)Just find a couple of really good books or articles, and download an SEO plugin (like Yoast, which is what I use.) Once you get the hang of it, writing a focus keyword optimized post will be like second nature. Yes, Pinterest uses SEO too. A lot of people assume Pinterest is a social media app, but it’s definitely more of a search engine — with pictures. Kind of the best of both worlds — a visual search engine, if you will. At any rate — Learn It — Pinterest is HUGE!! Don’t build your blog on the free wordpress hosting platform — it’s not worth it. And you can’t use plugins. Plus there’s the possibility that they can shut your blog down at any point in time, without even letting you know. Don’t pay to have someone else install or setup your theme for you — you are more than capable of doing this yourself! There are so many helpful articles out there, plus YouTube videos and step-by-step tutorials. You don’t need to pay someone to do this. Save the money, or use it to sign up for a great blogging course instead. Quick anecdote — I purchased a premium theme, and added the service to have someone set it up for me to look just like the demo. They ran into problems, and sent me back to my hosting service. After a lot of back and forth, my host tweaked whatever setting needed tweaking, and then…nothing. The developer stopped responding to my messages. I was left in the lurch for almost two weeks. Don’t install and activate every single plugin that is available to you. (Especially not in the beginning.) If you want to try something new, make sure you backup your site first, just in case. And experiment with them one at a time, so you can pinpoint the likely culprit in the case that your site becomes unresponsive or crashes. Don’t activate all the bells and whistles until you’re pretty sure how to use them. For example, having email subscriber pop-ups appear on every single page, from the top, bottom, left and right, is going to scare away any potential subscribers from your site. Start out small, and then build up from there. Oftentimes, you will find that less is more. The busier-looking your site is, the more distracting (and less professional) it may appear. Don’t get discouraged if you get stuck, frustrated or overwhelmed. We’ve all been there. Heck, I’m still there at least 12 times a week. But soon that will only be 10, and then 8, and then … well, you get the picture. The point is, DON’T GIVE UP. If you really want this, it will take hard work, dedication, learning and a fairly decent amount of flexibility. Pretty much anything can be learned, if you give it enough time. And there are so many fantastic resources on the internet — you can literally search for any topic, technical or otherwise, and find tons of answers. Yes, it can be overwhelming. Just take it in small bites instead of huge gulps. Then get going, one step at a time. And when you are a month or two down the road — take a quick look back. Back to when you started your journey. Holy cannoli, just look at what you’ve learned!

https://sidejambiz.com/first-month-blogging/

Jay Cooper is the Executive Creative Director at Serino Coyne, where he works with the design team to craft the tailor-made artwork and advertising that is the calling card and visual face of brands on Broadway and beyond. He loves that one day might focus on a two-handed period piece while the next might be a huge, glamorous musical—no two days are ever the same. His theatrical graphic design career has spanned 13 out of his 20 years in the entertainment industry, which began in the mail room of "Martha Stewart Living" (a fact he is particularly proud of). Jay is also a published children's book writer and illustrator.

https://sites.grenadine.co/sites/mischief/en/bwaycon2019/participants/12835/Jay+Cooper

Project archivist Anne Kofmehl is cataloging the Edward Ruscha papers and art collection, which the Ransom Center acquired in 2013 and which opens January 20. Kofmehl writes about an interesting photograph she came across while organizing the collection. Edward Ruscha (pronounced Rew-Shay) is an artist of many talents. Throughout his long career, spanning five decades, he has worn a variety of hats: painter, printmaker, and bookmaker, to name a few. He has worked with materials ranging from the traditional (acrylics and graphite) to the unusual (gunpowder and spinach), but perhaps none is more unusual than the decomposed granite used to make Rocky II, a large rock Ruscha fabricated and placed somewhere in the Mojave Desert in the late 1970s, around the same time the famous film starring Sylvester Stallone was released. In general, very little is known about this work, including its current whereabouts. Ed Ruscha, [Rocky I], Polaroid print, 3¼ x 4¼ inches. © Ed Ruscha. While processing Ruscha’s collection I came across a small Polaroid photograph, tucked away in a folder of miscellaneous projects, which documents an early stage in the production of the work. In a handwritten inscription on the back of the photograph, Ruscha referred to this early stage as Rocky I. In the course of my work, I hadn’t come across any mention of Rocky II, so I turned to Google for answers. It turns out that I was not alone in my search for more information about Ruscha’s obscure artwork. The French filmmaker Pierre Bismuth, who co-wrote the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, has made a documentary film, Where is Rocky II?, about his quest to find the rock. The film is completed but has not yet been released. Bismuth first learned about the rock from a 1980 BBC documentary he saw in 2006. Since then, he’s been on the hunt to find the rock and learn more about why Ruscha put it there in the first place. A scene from the film’s trailer shows Bismuth posing as a journalist in 2009 at the opening of a major survey of Ruscha’s paintings at Hayward Gallery in London and asking the artist about the rock. Ruscha, who appears amused by the query, doesn’t offer many clues, though he does confirm that the rock is in the Mojave. This and other elements of Bismuth’s search form the basis of the documentary. Paul Ruscha’s (Ed’s brother) handwritten notes on the backside of [Rocky I], Polaroid print, 3¼ x 4¼ inches. © Ed Ruscha. Whether or not the photograph will play any part in solving this puzzle remains to be seen, but it is nice to know that here at the Ransom Center we have a piece of the mystery to share. This photograph is just one of many treasures to be found in the Edward Ruscha papers and art collection. The collection will be made available in the Ransom Center’s reading and viewing room to students, researchers, and the public beginning January 20. Ed Ruscha will be in Austin on January 20 at 6 p.m. for a conversation held at the Blanton Museum. View event details at http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/events/.

https://sites.utexas.edu/ransomcentermagazine/2016/01/06/ed-ruscha-and-the-mysterious-rocky-ii/

Sean Hannity’s brilliant plan to get contraception to women: How about creating an insurance program to cover it? While the smartest move, politically speaking, would be for conservatives to throw Mike Huckabee under the bus after his recent remarks (he implied that believing a woman has contraception needs is the exact same thing as believing she is sexually incontinent), it appears conservative pundits are choosing to try to defend him instead. So it was that Sean Hannity found himself getting aggressive with a woman who called into his show to support the Department of Health and Human Services mandate requiring insurance plans to cover contraception as preventive care. Oh wait. That would actually be the very program called “Obamacare” that Hannity hates so much. Maybe he should reconsider this brilliant plan of his. All jokes aside, Hannity’s boo-boo here was the result of a larger lie, perpetuated by Mike Huckabee and the folks at Fox News and other right wing media outlets: That the contraception mandate is about the “government” or “Uncle Sugar” buying women’s birth control. In reality, the contraception mandate is closer to a consumer protection law. It’s really part of a larger program in the Affordable Care Act to set minimum standards about what your insurance plan must cover. It’s really no different than a law requiring a car to have four wheels and two headlights to be considered a street legal vehicle. It’s telling that Sean Hannity, Mike Huckabee, Bill O’Reilly, and company feel the need to simply lie about this and claim that there’s some kind of taxpayer program directly providing free birth control to women (ironically, they largely ignore actual, long-standing, politically popular programs that do this), because objecting to the real program—women buy insurance, that insurance covers contraception—sounds an awful lot like you are unduly obsessed with what other people get up to in bed.

https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/01/sean-hannity-s-adopt-a-woman-program-sounds-a-lot-like-health-insurance.html

Having outlined some of the data journalism processes involved in the Olympic torch relay investigation, in part 2 I want to touch on how verification and ‘passive aggressive newsgathering’ played a role. Data in this story not only provided leads which needed verifying, but also helped verify leads from outside the data. In one example, an anonymous tip-off suggested that both children of one particular executive were carrying the Olympic torch on different legs of the relay. A quick check against his name in the data suggested this was so: two girls with the same unusual surname were indeed carrying the torch. Neither mentioned the company or their father. But how could we confirm it? The answer involved checking planning applications, Google Streetview, and a number of other sources, including newsletters from the private school that they both attended which identified the father. In another example, I noticed that one torchbearer had mentioned running alongside two employees of Aggreko, who were paying for their torches. I searched for other employees, and found a cake shop which had created a celebratory cake for three of them. Having seen how some corporate sponsors used their places, I went on a hunch and looked up the board of directors, searching in the data first for the CEO Rupert Soames. His name turned up – with no nomination story. A search for other directors found that more than half the executive board were carrying torches – which turned out to be our story. The final step: a call to the company to get a reaction and confirmation. The more that we knew about how torch relay places had been used, the easier it was to verify other torchbearers. As a pattern emerged of many coming from the telecomms industry, that helped focus the search – but we had to be aware that having suspicions ‘confirmed’ didn’t mean that the name itself was confirmed – it was simply that you were more likely to hit a match that you could verify. Images helped – sometimes people used the same image that had been used elsewhere (you could match this with Google Images ‘match image’ feature, then refine the search). At other times you could match with public photos of the person as they carried the torch. This post on identifying mystery torchbearers gives more detail. Alerts proved key to the investigation. Early on I signed up for daily alerts on any mention of the Olympic torch. 95% of stories were formulaic ‘local town/school/hero excited about torch’ reports, but occasionally key details would emerge in other pieces – particularly those from news organisations overseas. It was from these that I learned how many places exactly Dow, Omega, Visa and others had, and how many were nominated. It was how I learned about torchbearers who were not even listed on the official site, about the ‘criteria’ that were supposed to be adhered to by some organisations, about public announcements of places which suggested a change from previous numbers, and more besides. I also subscribed to any mention of the torch relay in Parliament, and any mention in FOI requests. One of the things I always emphasise to my students is the importance of publishing early and often on a subject to maximise the opportunities for others in the field to find out – and get in touch. This story was no exception to this. From the earliest stages through to the last week of the relay, users stumbled across the site as they looked for information on the relay – and passed on their concerns and leads. It was particularly important with a big public event like the Olympic torch relay, which generated a lot of interest among local people. In the first week of the investigation one photographer stumbled across the site because he was searching for the name of one of the torchbearers we had identified as coming from adidas. He passed on his photographs – but more importantly, made me aware that there may be photographs of other executives who had already carried the torch. That led to the strongest image of the investigation – two executives exchanging a ‘torch kiss’ (shown at the top of this post) – which was in turn picked up by The Daily Mail. Other leads kept coming. The tip-off about the executive’s daughters mentioned above; someone mentioning two more Aggreko directors – one of which had never been published on the official site, and the other had been listed and then removed. Questions about a Polish torchbearer who was not listed on the official site or, indeed, anywhere on the web other than the BBC’s torch relay liveblog. Challenges to one story we linkblogged, which led to further background that helped flesh out the processes behind the nominations given to universities. When we published the ‘mystery torchbearers’ with The Guardian some got in touch to tell us who they were. In one case, that contact led to an interview which closed the book: Geoff Holt, the first quadriplegic to sail single-handed across the Atlantic Ocean. I could have done this story the old-fashioned way: kept it to myself, done all the digging alone, and published one big story at the end. It wouldn’t have been half as good. It wouldn’t have had the impact, it wouldn’t have had the range, and it would have missed key ingredients. Collaboration was at the heart of this process. As soon as I started to unearth the adidas torchbearers I got in touch with The Guardian’s James Ball. His report the week after added reactions from some of the companies involved, and other torchbearers we’d simultaneously spotted. But James also noticed that one of Coca Cola’s torchbearers was a woman “who among other roles sits on a committee of the US’s Food and Drug Administration”. It was collaborating with contacts in Staffordshire which helped point me to the ‘torch kiss’ image. They in turn followed up the story behind it (a credit for Help Me Investigate was taken out of the piece – it seems old habits die hard), and The Daily Mail followed up on that to get some further reaction and response (and no, they didn’t credit the Stoke Sentinel either). In Bournemouth and Sussex local journalists took up the baton (sorry), and the Times Higher did their angle. We passed on leads to Ventnor Blog, whose users helped dig into a curious torchbearer running through the area. And we published a list of torchbearers missing stories in The Guardian, where users helped identify them. Collaborating with an international mailing list for investigative journalists, I generated datasets of local torchbearers in Hungary, Italy, India, the Middle East, Germany, and Romania. German daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel got in touch and helped trace some of the Germans. And of course, within the Help Me Investigate network people were identifying mystery torchbearers, getting responses from sponsors, visualising data, and chasing interviews. One contributor in particular – Carol Miers – came on board halfway through and contributed some of the key elements of the final longform report – in particular the interview that opens the book, which I’ll talk about in the final part tomorrow.

https://smarques.soup.io/tag/Aggreko

A brand new release by Lorinda J. Taylor –The Man Who Found Birds among the Stars, Part Five: Phenix Rises: A Biographical Fiction. Captain Robbin Nikalishin’s world has imploded around him leaving him to deal with the consequences of his many bad decisions. He embarks upon the search for the meaning of life that will set him free. Robbie’s relationship with his wife has deteriorated to the point of no return. Problems with women have always plagued him. Most of these feelings stem from his inability to understand his mother and the choices she made long ago when he was a boy. This shortcoming has stunted his emotional growth acting as the catalyst that throws him into a deep depression, coloring his decision-making capabilities. In a downward spiral, Robbie plunges into the depths of self-loathing. He turns to alcohol, seeking sanctuary from the personal revelations that haunt his psyche. Reckless, he pushes his luck and almost ends his career. Yet, behind the scenes, his friends are working to help him regain his confidence. It is through their guidance and love that Captain Nikalshin finds the man he once was. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. The author has created an in-depth character study of the protagonist, Captain Robbie with stunning results. Seldom in fiction do you get to know the deepest secrets of a man and why he makes the choices he does. With that said, be prepared, because Survivor is long, maybe a bit too long. I have followed this series since its inception and always felt a motherly connection to the captain. Nevertheless, there were a few episodes where he devolved into a sniveling mess where I wanted to slap him or give him a firm talking to! Somehow, I always find my way to back to falling for Robbie Nikalishin’s naivete and charm. You simply can’t be mad at the character for long, which demonstrates the writing talent of the author. I’m looking forward to the fifth book. I hope the captain finds everything he’s been searching for. It would be great if you could share the news of Lorinda’s new book – Thanks Sally. This entry was posted in It is a Wonderful Life. and tagged Lorinda J. Taylor, Part Five: Phenix Rises:, The Man Who Found Birds among the Stars by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.. Bookmark the permalink. Thank you, Sally – always appreciate your help getting news of my books out there! This sounds good for those of us who love a scintillating redemption story! I’ve read the first four books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them. I’m savouring the prospect of reading this new one (already loaded on my e-reader). See what’s new on the shelves of Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore from this post on Sally Cronin’s blog.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/sallys-cafe-and-bookstore-new-book-on-the-shelves-the-man-who-found-birds-among-the-stars-part-five-phenix-rises-a-biographical-fiction-by-lorinda-j-taylor/?replytocom=188836

An all-female crew from the township of Phomolong were passionate about their idea for a day care centre in the township, which has a high unemployment rate. They built a prototype of their centre from scratch and it has had already managed to attract clients on the fourth day. They achieved this by taking to the streets, rallying up parents and offering to look after their children by demonstrating their planned activities with the kids. They now run the centre with thirteen children under their care, including a waiting list. The next step will be to move to a larger location.

https://socionext.org/project/phomolong-day-care-centre/

On the 16th of May, the co-founder of Söderhavet, Mattias Svensson and the Futurist, Jens Lanvin will explore the relationship between time and design, and how this interrelationship has led to designs that have achieved iconic status. You will be inspired by the best design cases in history, and be invited to bounce ideas around iconic design and brands. The speakers will also share practical tips and tricks for brand owners to succeed in their design and branding endeavors. The event is done in collaboration with the Stockholm Marketing Association.

https://soderhavet.com/news/lunch-seminar-the-hunt-for-the-holy-grail-of-design/

spacesofidentity.net is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary international web journal that was operational from 2001-2008. spacesofidentity.net was dedicated to issues of tradition, cultural boundaries and identity formation in Central and Eastern Europe. Articles were peer-reviewed and make contributions to debates in cultural studies, scrutinizing the post-Soviet symbolic geographies that emerged during the last decades of the twentieth century. Objects of analysis were the histories and narratives in which often conflicting forms of identification are negotiated. Feelings of territorial cultural belonging, of Heimat and exile were analyzed, for example, through the prisms of migration patterns, diasporic experiences and urban lifestyles. Essays and scholarly articles came from a number of disciplines: history, sociology, and political science, as well as literature, linguistics, ethnology, cultural anthropology, cultural geography, cultural studies, film studies and gender studies. spacesofidentity.net was launched by the team of the research project “Tradition, Cultural Boundaries and the Construction of Spaces of Identity: Case Studies for Central Europe" (1999-2001, led by Markus Reisenleitner), which was located at the Centre for Austrian and Central European Studies (now Wirth Institute) at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta and funded by the Austrian Ministry of Science as part of the Cultural Studies program launched in 1998 by Christina Lutter. spacesofidentity.net was a collective effort and the responsibility of a team of editors (Wladimir Fisher, Susan Ingram, Srdja Pavlovic, Markus Reisenleitner, and Andriy Zayarnyuk).

https://soi.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/soi/about

Project description: Virtual Reconstruction of the Sacred Animal Necropolis North of Saqqara, Egypt, based on archaeological documentation. This site, excavated by the Egypt Exploration Society in the 1970s, is a perfect example of a funerary complex dedicated to the worship of the sacred animals during the Late and Ptolemaic periods. Using the excavations’ publications, as well as archival documentation (plans, photographs…) from The EES’s Lucy Gura archive, as a source of information, a 3D model of the site was created, representing the reconstructive hypothesis of one of its phases. 3D modeling, digital sculpting, raster images editing, and vectorial design were the techniques used for this reconstruction. The final goal of this work was to produce photorealistic renders, infographics, and other products to showcase the value of this archaeological site, and facilitate its understanding.

https://spectrumheritage.com/sacred-animal-necropolis-saqqara/

Most people are aware that there are different levels of crimes. You just have to watch the average crime show on TV to know this. However, many people continue to believe that you only need to hire an attorney if you are accused of a serious crime, like a felony. Due to this, some criminal defendants may forgo the expense of hiring a lawyer for a lesser, misdemeanor offense. Yet, you should know that being convicted of a misdemeanor can still cause a lot of problems in your life. These convictions still have a huge effect on your record, job opportunities and pocket book. See why you should consider hiring a private attorney for a misdemeanor case. There are certain rights that still apply in a misdemeanor case. Protecting these rights could make a difference in how your case plays out. For example, you have the right to the presence of an attorney during interrogation by police. This is true even in a misdemeanor case. After all, it is still considered a criminal investigation. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can speak to the police alone because the charge isn't too serious. Your statements can still be used against you to secure a conviction. Certain rights, such as those provided by the 4th Amendment, can actually help you win your case. Lets say that the police performed a search of your vehicle or home without a warrant. This may qualify as a violation of your constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches. An experienced attorney can help you make your case before the judge. If a 4th Amendment violation is found, it may be the basis for dismissing your case. This could mean the difference between having a criminal record and none at all. Although the circumstances surrounding a misdemeanor may not seem serious, the offense still carries weight. If you don't negotiate a favorable deal on a misdemeanor charge, the case can go to an actual trial. When this occurs, the stakes rise significantly. According to Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-203.14, a class A, B or C misdemeanor is punishable by jail time. In Utah, you can spend up to a year in jail for a misdemeanor conviction. An offense, such as the possession of marijuana, can even get you up to six months. Therefore, don't assume that you're not in serious trouble because the crime is classified as a misdemeanor. A crime is a crime. It makes sense to hire an experienced attorney regardless of the severity of the offense. Aside from the jail time and fines, a misdemeanor can also prevent you from getting the job of your choice. Additionally, it can disqualify you from holding certain professional licenses. Don't play with your future. If you are accused of a misdemeanor offense, it is important to hire a criminal law attorney to review your case. In Utah, contact Spencer and Jensen PLLC for help with criminal law matters. An experienced lawyer can assist you during all stages of the process.

https://spencerandjensen.com/blog/do-you-really-need-a-lawyer-for-a-misdemeanor-charge

This web, www.spikeandfreak.com uses “Cookies”. A “Cookie” is a small file that is stored in the user’s computer and allows us to recognize you. The set of “cookies” helps us to improve the quality of our web, allowing to control which pages our visitors find useful and which don’t. Cookies do not damage your computer, they are essential for the operation of the Internet, helping users browsing and helping to identify and solve possible errors. Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that remain in your browser’s cookie archive until you leave the Web page, so tey are not saved in your hard drive. The information obtained through these cookies is used to analyze traffic patterns on the web. We use this cookies to improve the user experience and make our website more clear, making it easier to use. Permanent Cookies: They are stored on your hard drive and our website reads them every time you make a new visit. A permanent cookie has a certain expiration date. The Cookie will stop working after that date. They are used to ease registration and purchase services. Registration Cookies: Registration Cookies are generated once the user has registered or has subsequently opened their session, and are used to identify you in the services even if you close it, the browser or shut down the computer and at another time or another day re-enters the said service. This functionality can be deleted if the User presses the “logout” functionality, so this Cookie is deleted and the next time you enter the Service the User will have to log in to be identified. Spike and Freak uses Google Analytics, a Google tool to measure Web page traffic. Their Cookies are generated only on the visit and will be used in upcoming visits to anonymously identify the visitor. The main objective is to improve our web, being able to identify the most visited contents and therefore more attractive for the users. It also allows us to approximately know the number of visitors and their tendency in time. The identification of the users will always be anonymous through the “Cookie” that identifies browsers and devices, not people. This Cookies will only be used for statistical purposes to help optimize the user experience on the site. Geo-Localization cookies: These Cookies are used to find out in which country the user is when a Service is requested. This Cookie is also anonymous, and is only used to help orient the content to its location (for example, in the case of language).

https://spikeandfreak.com/en/cookie-policy/

On the feast day of St. Ignatius Loyola, Basilian priest, Fr Thomas Rosica, reflects on St Ignatius and his impact on Pope Francis. Today on the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, I offer you the following reflections about this great saint and how his vision for the Church and for Christians has found a home in the life and witness of Pope Francis. One of the main themes permeating the thought of St. Ignatius of Loyola is his exhortation “Sentire cum ecclesia” or “think with the Church.” “Sentire cum ecclesia” also means to feel with the Church and to love the Church. It is necessary to cultivate this communion of shared devotion, affection and purpose in a very disciplined way, for not all aspects of the Church are lovable, just as we are not always lovable as individuals. The structures of the Church cannot exist without human mediation, with all its gifts and defects of the persons present in the Church. Such thoughts are vitally important, especially in the midst of current crises facing the Church, Catholics and Christians around the world. Ignatius of Loyola founded the society after being wounded in battle and experiencing a religious conversion. He composed the Spiritual Exercises to help others follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1534, Ignatius and six other young men, including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, gathered and professed vows of poverty, chastity, and later obedience, including a special vow of obedience to the Pope in matters of mission direction and assignment. Ignatius' plan of the order's organisation was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540 by a bull containing the “Formula of the Institute”. The Society of Jesus is present today in education, schools, colleges, universities and seminaries, intellectual research, and cultural pursuits. Jesuits also give retreats, minister in hospitals, parishes, university chaplaincies and promote social justice and ecumenical dialogue. One of them with a longstanding Jesuit identity happens to be leading the Catholic Church at this moment in history. Francis of Argentina is the first pope from the Society of Jesus – this religious congregation whose worldly, wise intellectuals are as famous as its missionaries and martyrs. It's this all-encompassing personal and professional Jesuit identity and definition that the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought with him from Buenos Aires to Rome, and one that continues to shape almost everything he does as Pope Francis. From his passion for social justice and his missionary zeal to his focus on engaging the wider world and his preference for collaboration over immediate action without reflection, Pope Francis is a Jesuit through and through. Jorge Mario Bergoglio fully embraced the Jesuits' radical turn to championing the poor, though he was seen as an enemy of liberation theology by many Jesuits, others in the order were devoted to him. He turned away from devotional traditionalism but was viewed by others as still far too orthodox. Critics labeled him a collaborator with the Argentine military junta even though biographies now clearly show that he worked carefully and clandestinely to save many lives. None of that ended the intrigue against Bergoglio within the Jesuits, and in the early 1990s, he was effectively exiled from Buenos Aires to an outlying city, “a time of great interior crisis,” as he himself described it. As a good, obedient Jesuit, Bergoglio complied with the society's demands and sought to find God's will in it all. His virtual estrangement from the Jesuits encouraged then-Cardinal Antonio Quarracino of Buenos Aires to appoint Bergoglio as auxiliary bishop in 1992. On Monday, October 24, 2016, Pope Francis went to the General Congregation of the Jesuits – their general chapter underway in Rome – with a message. His whole address was characterised by an openness to what lies ahead, a call to go further, a support for caminar, the way of journeying that allows Jesuits to go toward others and to walk with them on their own journey. Francis began his address to his Jesuit confrères quoting St. Ignatius reminding them that a Jesuit is called to converse and thereby to bring life to birth “in every part of the world where a greater service of God and help for souls is expected.”Precisely for this reason, the Jesuits must go forward, taking advantage of the situations in which they find themselves, always to serve more and better. This implies a way of doing things that aims for harmony in the contexts of tension that are normal in a world with diverse persons and missions. The Pope mentioned explicitly the tensions between contemplation and action, between faith and justice, between charism and institution, between community and mission. Finally, the Holy Father invited the Society to go forward under the influence of the “good spirit.” This implies always discerning, which is more than simply reflecting, how to act in communion with the Church. The Jesuits must be not “clerical” but “ecclesial.” They are “men for others” who live in the midst of all peoples, trying to touch the heart of each person, contributing in this way to establishing a Church in which all have their place, in which the Gospel is inculturated, and in which each culture is evangelised. The Church does not exist to take over people's conscience but to stand in humility before faithful men and women who have discerned prayerfully and often painfully before God the reality of their lives and situations. Discernment and the formation of conscience can never be separated from the Gospel demands of truth and the search for charity and truth, and the tradition of the Church. The first Jesuits were “a holiness movement,” inviting everyone to lead a holy life. Francis of Assisi was committed to a literal imitation of the poor Christ. Ignatius was inspired by that poverty and originally planned that Jesuits would follow the same route. But as the renowned American Jesuit historian Fr. John O’Malley has indicated, just as Ignatius learned to set aside his early austerities to make himself more approachable, he later moderated the Society’s poverty to make it possible to evangelise more people especially through educational institutions. Even evangelical poverty was a relative value in relation to the good of souls and their progress in holiness. That same apostolic reasoning is found Pope Francis’ instructions to priests around the world about their ministries. The spirit of openness is foundational to the Jesuit way of proceeding. Jesuit parishes are known for their inclusiveness and Jesuit confessors for their understanding and compassion. Ignatius insisted in favour of the goodness of everyone we encounter, and a prescription for a style of encounter that makes condemnation of those in error a last resort. Early in his Pontificate when Pope Francis made his controversial statement about even atheists having a chance to get into heaven, he was following the teaching of Vatican II, but he was also following a very Ignatian approach to the good of souls. His style has truly become substance. It is the most radically evangelical aspect of his spiritual reform of the papacy, and he has invited all Catholics, but especially the clergy, to reject success, wealth and power. Humility is a key virtue in the Spiritual Exercises. One of its key meditations focuses on the Three Degrees of Humility. In Ignatius’ eyes, humility is the virtue that brings us closest to Christ, and Pope Francis appears to be guiding the church and educating the clergy in that fundamental truth. Reform through spiritual renewal begins with the rejection of wealth, honours and power, and it reaches its summit in the willingness to suffer humiliation with Christ. Humility is the most difficult part of the Ignatian papal reform, but it is essential for the church’s purification from clericalism, the source of so many ills in the contemporary church. How can we characterise Francis’ leadership and how is that leadership “Ignatian”? What does a Jesuit pope mean for the church? Pope Francis breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants, because he is “free from disordered attachments.” Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope, it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture. Pope Francis has brought to the Petrine office a Jesuit intellectualism. By choosing the name Francis, he is also affirming the power of humility and simplicity. Pope Francis, the Argentine Jesuit, is not simply attesting to the complementarity of the Ignatian and Franciscan paths. He is pointing each day to how the mind and heart meet in the love of God and the love of neighbour. And most of all, he reminds us each day how much we need Jesus, and also how much we need one another along the journey. This post was originally published by Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation is a charitable organization devoted to spreading the light of Christ through media.

https://spotlight.africa/2018/07/31/pope-francis-ignatian-heritage/

A business plan is a blueprint for how you’ll start, run and grow your business. It gathers and organizes all your ambitions, and helps you prepare for the journey by taking a good look at what’s needed. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for a business plan. Some companies follow a standard formula, while others pick and mix the elements to create something that feels truer to their brand and ambitions. To get the most from doing this, there are a few things to consider before you jump into the writing. The first is: why do it at all? And the answer lies in who you’re creating the business plan for. In most cases it’s a document for you and your partners or employees, helping you focus, prioritize and plan — it’s there to keep you on track for growth. It can also be for potential investors, acting as a funding pitch. This section looks at your plan to get off the ground and manage day-to-day operations while keeping a healthy bottom line. This section analyzes the capital needed to get you off the ground and keep you afloat. It’s one of the most detail-focused sections of the business plan. Depending on how early you are in the setup of your business, you’ll have more or less to include.

https://squareup.com/ca/en/townsquare/how-to-create-a-business-plan?country_redirection=true

We are delighted to welcome our three new presidents! Each of them will be under 40 years of age when they take up office, a first in the Chambers’ history. New Staffordshire Chambers president, Matt Hubbard, is well known to many, having joined the Chamber in 2004 as a recent graduate of Staffordshire University with a BA in Film Production. Matt and a group of fellow graduates set up film production company, Reels in Motion, and as the company grew, so did Matt’s confidence. He became chair of Future Finest in 2011 and deputy president of the Chamber in 2017. By coincidence, the new presidents of Stafford and Staffordshire Moorlands Chambers are both architects. Carl Croft is returning for his second stint as president, whilst the youngest president of the trio, Natalie Hewitt, is relatively new to the Chamber, having only joined in 2016. We hope you join us in welcoming Matt, Natalie and Carl and wishing them every success in post.

https://staffordshirechambers.co.uk/welcome-to-our-new-presidents/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=welcome-to-our-new-presidents

…is a playwright, filmmaker and drama facilitator based in London. Steven is a recipient of the Adrienne Benham Award and an alumni of the Royal Court Young Writer’s Group and Paines Plough’s ‘Future Perfect’. His most recent play, Bricolage, was shortlisted for the Papatango New Writing Prize 2019 and longlisted for the Bruntwood award. Steven’s ‘gonzo rockumentary’ I Gotta Be Me has just finished a short festival run, during which it won Best Series at the Dublin Web Fest and the UK Web Fest, best comedy performance (for Phaldut Sharma) at the Dublin Web Fest and was nominated for the Best of British award at Raindance Web Festival. Steven trained as an actor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Acting credits include work at Manchester Royal Exchange, Hampstead Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and ITV.

https://stevenbloomer.co.uk/

Inspired by the juxtaposition of two seemingly unrelated grave markers at a family cemetery, Dr. Walker, a Vietnam veteran and author of Bracketing the Enemy: Forward Observers in World War II, began a search that led to this interesting book. Brave Brothers, Grave Brothers recounts the history of the “brothers” – actually brothers-in-law – in the First World War, and adds some material about their ancestors, some of whom had interesting military experiences of their own. Naturally, the book concentrates on the two men and the Great War, for which both volunteered. One was a former Marine who had seen action in Nicaragua and the Philippines, and ended up in the Army, fighting in the 1st Division, while the other, despite his Ohio roots, found himself in the 26th Division, composed of New England National Guardsmen, both formations being among the most heavily engaged American divisions in the war. Walker takes us through their time in the army, and especially their experiences at the Front. During the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, which remains American’s longest and bloodiest battle, and one of its toughest, the “brothers” were actually almost side-by-side. Walker then follows the men back into civil life in post-war America. Brave Brothers, Grave Brothers will prove a good read for anyone interested in American life a century or more ago, and of the experiences of men under fire. Note: Brave Brothers, Grave Brothers is also available in several e-editions.

https://strategypage.com/bookreviews/1934

A friend and I have the good habit of taking Eleanor and Beatrice for a daily hike over in Turkey Creek. It’s about three miles, generally long enough to wear two young dogs out. As we walked, she was telling me about one of her neighbors, a man with two elderly Weimaraners. She would see the man out walking both dogs on a regular basis, but the dogs’ gait has grown slower as of late. Yesterday, she stopped to watch as he carried one of the dogs up the stairs, holding it in his arms before moving to the next step. She said that she cried as she watched him carry his dog home. I teared up, just listening to her describe that man’s love for his dogs. I’ve been thinking about this story all evening, and I’m reminded of the Mary Stevenson poem about footprints in the sand. A man wondered why he had been left alone during the lowest points in his life, only to find that was when he was not left alone, but carried. Mum has this same poem on a magnet on the freezer, but I’ve seen it as cards, as needlepoint samplers, as pillows, as framed prints. During my lowest times, I’m lucky in that I have had those, whether they be family or friends or even my dogs. Their strength became my strength, their love my love. Without their willingness to carry me, it would have taken me a lot longer to find the sun and learn to sail my ship. I keep hearing John and Paul sing “A Little Help from My Friends,” which is what I think the song was originally titled. Great title, great song, but I think it’s missing the important aspect: we get by, or we get by only with a little help. I asked my friend to get a photo of this man and his beloved dogs, and as luck would have it, he happened to be out with them just as she returned home. The man in orange is Mike, Scott is directly in front of him, and Sadie enjoys an ear scratch from Mike’s right hand. Scott has a tumor, and after being unable to walk, he suddenly began walking again. Mike takes each day with Scott and Sadie as it comes. Sometimes we get by, but if we’re lucky, very lucky, we’ll be given help from those we love. We get by with a little help from our friends.

https://strayhounds.com/2018/05/23/we-get-by-with-a-little-help-from-our-friends/

Though I have been in Edinburgh for just over a month, studying and living abroad is still such a surreal experience. Each and every day, I venture to create new memories while allowing the present moments to soak into my brain. I am truly still in awe while roaming the streets of Edinburgh, you look to one side of you and you’ll see Arthur’s Seat, then look to the other side, and you’ll find jaw-dropping architecture. I have learned the walking route from my accommodation to George Square and back, discovered new routes and short cuts around the city, and just roamed the streets while trying to capture everything I see around me. Edinburgh has truly become my second home. There is so much more to Scotland than just the city of Edinburgh. I feel that discovering Scotland, and all that this county has to offer is the greatest adventure of all. Most people when they study abroad in Europe want to travel around to different countries and see the world. Don’t get me wrong, that is a great way to find yourself and experience the world; however, I also believe it is vital for people to explore the city and country in which they are living. I have done my fair share of exploring Edinburgh, and plan to do more, however, I have only experienced a small portion of Scotland. One of my most spectacular adventures was my weekend trip to Firbush Outdoor Centre in Killin Scotland. Firbush is an outdoor centre run by the University of Edinburgh. The centre is right along Loch Tay and just outside the village of Killin. Arcadia organizes a weekend getaway to Firbush for their students which is jam-packed with incredible experiences. I signed up for this weekend getaway because Firbush is located in the highlands. After visiting the highlands on a “One-Day-Tour” in July of 2018, I knew I needed to experience more in this area. Yes, I know, the highlands are quite large, taking up about 26,000 square kilometers; however, I still want to see it all. After stepping off the bus at Firbush, the first thing that hit me was a smack of fresh clean highland air. That first breath off the bus was very refreshing. I couldn’t see anything around me since it was 7:00 pm and pitch black outside, but I knew this is what I wanted to experience. I could write a novel about my experience at Firbush, but I’ll try to keep this short. On Sunday morning we were offered a few activities to partake in, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, and a few self-lead activities. I chose canoeing. Sunday morning was very foggy and misty on the Loch, but that did not stop me from bundling up, putting on ridiculous looking bright blue waterproof pants and getting in a canoe. This was the most whimsical moment I have experienced. The loch was calm, the fog was surrounding us, we couldn’t see too far ahead until the clouds broke slightly and you caught a quick glimpse of the roaring mountains in the distance. This was the getaway I needed. I love living in the city of Edinburgh, but I wanted to experience Scotland, the mountain, lochs, glens, and wildlife. I did not take my phone or camera on this canoe trip, due to the fear of dropping them in the loch, but I really didn’t need them. This was a moment I knew I would never forget and would tell a million times.

https://studyabroad.arcadia.edu/blogs/student-bloggers/post/exploration-of-the-country-you-study-abroad-in/

The War Between the States was the heyday of American battleflags and their bearers. With unusualhistorical accuracy, many stirring battle paintings show the colors and their intrepid bearers in the forefront of the fray or as a rallying point in a retreat. The colors of a Civil War regiment embodied its honor, and the men chosen to bear them made up an elite. Tall, muscular men were preferred, because holding aloft a large, heavy banner, to keep it visible through battle smoke and at a distance, demanded physical strength. Courage was likewise required to carry a flag into combat, as the colors “drew lead like a magnet. South Carolina’s Palmetto Sharpshooters, for example, lost 10 out of 11 of its bearers and color guard at the Battle of Seven Pines, the flag passing through four hands without touching the ground. Birth and Early Life in Charleston Born in Charleston in 1824, Charles Edmiston and his twin sister, Ellen Ann, were the third son and second daughter, respectively, of newspaper editor Joseph Whilden and his wife, Elizabeth Gilbert Whilden. The births of two more sons, Richard Furman in 1826 and William Gilbert in 1828, would complete the family, making seven children in all. Young Charles’ roots ran deep into he soil of the lowcountry. His Whilden ancestors had settled in the Charleston area in the 1690’s, and an ancestor on his mother’s side, the Rev. William Screven, had arrived in South Carolina even earlier, establishing the First Baptist Church of Charleston in 1683, today the oldest church in the Southern Baptist Convention. Like many Southerners who came of age in the late antebellum period, Charles Whilden took pride in his ancestors’ role in the American Revolution, especially his grandfather, Joseph Whilden, who, at 18, had run away from his family’s plantation in Christ Church Parish to join the forces under Brigadier General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion fighting the British. At the time of Charles’ birth, the family of Joseph and Elizabeth Whilden lived comfortably in their home on Magazine Street, attended by their devoted slave, Juno Waller Seymour, a diminutive, energetic black woman known as “Maumer Juno” to four generations of the Whilden family. Raised by Maumer Juno from the cradle, Charles soon developed a strong attachment to the woman – an attachment that would endure to the end of his life. The prosperity of Joseph Whilden and his family would prove less enduring, owever, and business reversals, beginning in the late 1820’s, combined with Joseph’s stroke a few years later and his eventual death in 1838, would reduce his family to genteel poverty. To help make ends meet, Maumer Juno took in ironing. Despite a lack of money for college, young Charles managed to obtain a good education. Details about Charles’ schooling are sketchy, but the polished prose of his surviving letters reflects a practiced hand and a cultivated intellect. Charles’ admission to the South Carolina bar at Columbia in 1845 is further evidence of a triumph of intellect and effort over financial adversity. In the closing decades of the antebellum period, when Charles Whilden was growing up in Charleston, the city was the commercial and cultural center of the lowcountry as well as South Carolina’s manufacturing center and most cosmopolitan city. By the time Charles Whilden reached adulthood, however, the Charleston economy was in decline, and the city’s population would actually diminish during the decade of the 1850’s. Not surprisingly, after a brief attempt to establish a law practice in Charleston, Attorney Whilden chose to seek his fortune outside his home town. But the practice of law in he upcountry town of Pendleton also failed to pan out for Whilden. Confronted with a major career decision, Whilden elected not only to leave the law but also to leave the Palmetto State for the north. The 1850 federal censustakers found Charles Whilden living in a boarding house in Detroit, Michigan, where he worked as a clerk, probably in a newspaper office. Speculation in copper stocks and land on Lake Superior soon left Charles deeply in debt to his youngest brother, William, who had built up a successful merchandising business back home in Charleston. Desperate to get out of debt, and perhaps longing for adventure, in the spring of 1855 Charles Whilden signed on as a civilian employee of the U. S. Army. After an arduous two-month trek from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Whilden arrived in the old Spanish city of Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory, on August 27, 1855, where he took up his duties as civilian private secretary to the local garrison commander, Colonel John Breckinridge Grayson of Kentucky, who would later serve the Confederacy as a brigadier general in Florida. Life in New Mexico Territory When Whilden arrived in Santa Fe, the city had been under U. S. jurisdiction for only a few years, and the population was overwhelmingly Hispanic and Roman Catholic, causing the Baptist Whilden to complain, in an early letter to his brother William in Charleston, that “[t]here are so many Saints days among these Hottentots, that it is hard to recollect them. ” So isolated was Santa Fe from the U. S. that mail reached the city only once a month from Missouri. Looking on the bright side of his cultural and geographic isolation in New Mexico Territory, in a letter written in May 1856 Charles expressed his intention to William to remain in New Mexico until “I have paid up all my debts, for I can do it better out here, than in the States, as there are no oncerts, Theatres, White Kid Gloves, Subscriptions to Charities or churches, or gallivanting the ladies on Sleigh rides and &c to make a man’s money fly. ” Whilden’s duties as Colonel Grayson’s secretary were relatively light, leaving him ample time for other pursuits – perhaps too much time for his own financial good. His April 30, 1857 letter home to Charleston states: “In addition to the offices I hold in this Territory of Warden of a Masonic Lodge, President of a Literary Society, member of a Territorial Democratic Central Committee &c …, I have lately added that of Farmer. ” Dreaming of aking enough money to satisfy his debts to William and to establish a law practice in Texas, Charles had purchased a 16 acre truck farm near Sante Fe, establishing his claim as a “farmer. ” Alas, the farm would prove to be unprofitable. In his spare time, Whilden also occasionally edited the Santa Fe newspaper when the regular editor was busy. During the Presidential election campaign of 1856, Whilden penned an editorial supporting the renomination of President Franklin Pierce, a pro-Southern Democrat, and he expressed the hope in a letter to William that Pierce would be re-elected and “give me a fat office. Whilden’s hope for a political sinecure also proved to be a dream. Marriage was another unrealized dream. After his own marriage in 1850, William Whilden badgeredhis elder brother to end his bachelorhood and to settle down. In December 1854, when he was stillin Detroit and aged 30, a friend had tried to interest Charles in marrying his fiftyish, red-headed aunt. Seizing the opportunity to turn the tables on William, Charles wrote to William not to be surprised if he married the woman and took up William on his standing offer to permit Charles to honeymoon at William’s stylish new home in Charleston. Whatever romantic aspirations Charles may have entertained when he arrived in New Mexico, the dearth of eligible women in the territory soon quashed. In a letter to William written seven months after his arrival in Santa Fe, Charles could count only six unmarried American ladies in all of New Mexico, none of whom, however, lived in Santa Fe. However boring it may have been, life in Santa Fe also afforded Whilden time for puffing his meerschaum pipe, reading his subscriptions to the peppery Charleston Mercury newspaper and thehighbrow Russells Magazine and reflecting on the mounting sectional tensions of the prewar years. In a letter to William dated March 26, 1856, Charles complained that the “Government is becoming more abolition every day” and he predicted that the “Union may last a few years longer, but unless a decided change takes place in Northern politics, it must at last go under. The War Begins Events would prove Whilden correct. On December 20, 1860, delegates to the so-called Secession Convention, meeting in Institute Hall in downtown Charleston, only a short distance from Charles Whilden’s boyhood home on Magazine Street, unanimously adopted the Ordinance of Secession, taking South Carolina out of the Union. The bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor four months later heralded the beginning of the shooting war. A lesser man than Charles Whilden might have been content to sit out the war in New Mexico Territory. After all, Whilden had been gone from the South for more than a decade. He was fast approaching 40. Whilden’s frequent denunciations of abolitionism in his letters were based on principle, not political expediency or financial self-interest. Apart from a nominal, undivided interest in his beloved Maumer Juno that he shared with his siblings, Charles held no slave property. Furthermore, he was more than 1,000 miles from South Carolina, with little money for travel. But Charles Whilden was no ordinary man. Undeterred by the obstacles confronting him, Whilden resolved to answer South Carolina’s call to arms. According to a reminiscence written in 1969 by his grand niece, Miss Elizabeth Whilden Hard of Greenville, South Carolina, the “only way he could get back to Charleston was by the Bahamas, and on his way back to Charleston the ship was wrecked, he spent some time in an open boat, suffered sunstroke, and as a result had epileptic attacks. ” The date of Whilden’s harrowing return to Charleston is conjectural, as none of his correspondence from the early war years has survived, but the likely ate is late 1861 or early 1862. Whilden’s Confederate service records in the National Archives in Washington, D. C. commence with his enlistment in 1864, but Miss Hard’s reminiscence may be correct that her Great Uncle Charles “enlisted a number of times, but when he had an [epileptic] attack would be discharged. Then he would go somewhere else and enlist again. ” Confederate service records are notoriously incomplete, and it stands to reason that Charles Whilden would not have risked life and limb returning to Charleston only to avoid military service once home. Irrespective of whether or not he had seen prior service, Whilden emonstrably enlisted “for the war” at Charleston on February 6, 1864, as a private in Company I (known as the Richardson Guards) of the 1st Regiment, South Carolina Volunteers. Lieutenant Wallace Delph enlisted Whilden, and the lieutenant can be forgiven if he looked askance at his new recruit. By most standards, Whilden was a marginal recruit. Though intelligent and patriotic, Whilden was also in his 40th year, the red hair of his youth turned grey. The successor to a regiment organized by Col. Gregg in December 1860 for six-months service, the 1st Regiment, SCV, was arguably the very first Rebel infantry regiment. At the time of Whilden’s enlistment, the regiment was part of Brigadier General Samuel McGowan’s brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia. At one time part of A. P. Hill’s vaunted Light Division, McGowan’s South Carolinians had won a reputation for hard fighting on many a bloody field. That reputation was shortly to be put to its sternest test at a strategic Virginia crossroads village known as Spotsylvania Court House. The Fight at the Mule Shoe Following his repulse at the Wilderness on May 5 and 6, 1864, Union General in Chief Ulysses S. Grant ordered the Army of the Potomac to move southeast about 12 miles to the vicinity of Spotsylvania Court House (NPS Web Site), hoping to get between the Army of Northern Virginia and Richmond. General Robert E. Lee, however, was quicker, and elements of the Confederate First Corps arrived at Spotsylvania Court House just ahead of the Federals. Over the next few days a series of collisions in the area occurred as both sides took up positions and brought up additional units. The Army of Northern Virginia settled into a defensive line at Spotsylvania that bulged northward in the center to form a salient or “mule-shoe,” with elements of Lieutenant General Richard Ewell’s Second Corps defending the mule-shoe. At first light on May 12, nearly 19,000 men of the Union II Corps, taking dvantage of ground fog, attacked the tip or apex of the mule-shoe, quickly overwhelming Major General Edward Johnson’s 4,000-man division defending the apex. Once inside the mule-shoe, the Federals threatened to advance southward like a tidal wave. Only their own disorganization and a series of desperate Confederate counterattacks halted the Union advance before it resulted in a general rout. With most of Johnson’s Division dead or prisoners, a considerable segment of the works inside the apex of the mule-shoe was unoccupied by any Confederate troops. To correct this, General Lee forwarded two brigades from the Third Corps, Harris’s Mississippians and McGowan’s South Carolinians, during the mid-morning hours of the 12th. With a cheer and at the double quick, McGowan’s Brigade advanced towards the tip of the mule-shoe in support of Harris’s Brigade, sloshing through rain and mud and under heavy fire. At the head of each of the brigade’s five regiments, two soldiers carried the regimental state flag and the national battleflag. The blue silk state flag featured a palmetto tree encircled with a wreath of oak and laurel leaves; the national battleflag displayed the familiar blue, starred St. Andrew’s ross dividing a red field. When the regular color bearer was shot, Whilden insisted upon bearing his regiment’s national colors into the fight, although he was not a member of Company K, the regiment’s color company. Lieutenant James Armstrong, the commander of CompanyK and Whilden’s messmate, relented, though, according to Armstrong’s postwar account, Whilden was “feeble in health and totally unfitted for active service…. In fact, he was stumbling at every step. ” Watching Whilden struggle to keep up with his command, Armstrong offered to relieve Whilden of the flag and to carry it himself. Whilden relinquished the flag to the lieutenant, but only after Armstrong had promised to restore it to him when the regiment halted. As the command arrived at the next line, “Whilden came rushing up, took the flag and bravely bore it throughout the fight,” Armstrong recalled. The lieutenant was being literal when he wrote that Whilden “bore” the flag, because, when the top of his flag staff was shot away during the advance, Whilden tied the battleflag around his waist and continued forward. When Whilden and his comrades finally halted in the late forenoon, they fell into trenches west of the mule-shoe tip. Perhaps two hundred yards of the salient’s defenses then remained in Federal hands. In his recent book on Grant’s Overland Campaign, Noah Trudeau writes: “Along those two hundred yards of mutually held trenches, men now killed each other with zealous abandon. In a war that had birthed its share of bloody angles, this day and the morning of the next at Spotsylvania would give birth to the bloodiest of them all. ” For the next 17 hours or so, McGowan’s Brigade would hold its position along the apex of the salient front and would maintain a more or less continuous fire. At times the two sides were only a few yards apart. Now and then a hundred or so Yankees would surge forward over the Confederate trenches, only to be immediately hurled back in desperate hand-to-hand fighting. Rain fell intermittently during the afternoon of the 12th, adding to the misery of the combatants. About 10 o’clock that evening, a large oak, some 22 inches in diameter and cut almost in half by Federal rifle fire, fell down on works manned by Whilden’s regiment, wounding several men and startling a great many more. While this desperate fighting took place, other Confederates were constructing a new defensive line across the base of the mule-shoe about a ile to the rear of the Mississippians and South Carolinians. Finally, at 4 o’clock in the morning of May13, the brigades of Harris and McGowan withdrew to the new line. Thus ended the longest sustained hand-to-hand combat of the war. The toll on McGowan’s Brigade had been heavy. General McGowan was wounded early in the advance, and the commander of Gregg’s 1st South Carolina, Col. C. W. McCreary, fell wounded almost in Whilden’s arms. Total casualties within the brigade exceeded 40 percent. One of these casualties was the impromptu flag bearer, Private Charles Whilden. At some oint before McGowan’s Brigade retired to the relative safety of the new defensive line, a bullet tore open Whilden’s shirt, inflicting a wound to his shoulder. With the flag still tied around his waist, Whilden was carried to a field hospital. For all intents and purposes, the war was over for him. The next day, May l4, Charles hurriedly wrote a letter to his brother, William, who was then serving as an artillery officer near Charleston. After describing the fighting of the preceding two days and the heavy losses of his brigade, Charles turned to a more personal subject. “[I]f it should be the ecree of the Almighty that I should lose my life in this War,” he wrote, then William should have his meerschaum pipe and his sisters-in-law should draw for his watch and chain. What little remained of his property, Charles wrote, should be “equally divided between Sisters Charlotte & Ellen Ann — I promised dear Mother that they should never want if I could prevent it. Sent to the General Hospital at Camp Winder in Richmond to recover his health, Whilden was furloughed to Charleston in late August. Listed as “absent sick at Charleston” on the muster rolls of his regiment for September hrough December 1864, Whilden never recovered sufficiently to return to active service. After the War In common with other Confederate veterans, Charles Whilden struggled to put his life back together after the war. He might have succeeded, but on September 25, 1866 he died suddenly in Charleston at age 42. According to Elizabeth Hard, her Great Uncle Charles “died without fame or glory, as on an early morning walk he suffered an [epileptic] attack and fell in a pool of water from rain collected on the pavement. ” The man who had survived the Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania drowned back home in a few inches of ground ater. The story of the flag that Charles Whilden carried so courageously at Spotsylvania does not end with his death. After Whilden was wounded at Spotsylvania and hospitalized, the flag was stored with his other effects. Given to Whilden when he was furloughed to Charleston in August 1864, the flag was in his possession when he died about two years thereafter. About 15 years after the war, Edward McCrady, Jr. , a prominent Charleston lawyer who had captained the color company of Gregg’s 1st South Carolina early in the war and had later risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the egiment, petitioned William Whilden to turn over the battleflag that he had inherited from his brother Charles. McCrady had possession of the regiment’s blue state colors, and he professed a desire to reunite the two flags. In a letter written on New Year’s Day, 1880, McCrady pled his best case, pointing out that his regiment had carried the battleflag “in every battle until May 1864? and that, for years during the war, he had “lived with the flag in [his] tent, and slept with it by [his] side in the bivouac. ” After consulting his three surviving brothers, two of whom were Baptist ministers, William Whilden declined McCrady’s request, essentially on the grounds that McCrady had no higher claim to the flag than any other veteran of the regiment. In declining, however, Whilden indicated a willingness to entrust the flag to a collection of Confederate relics. Following William Whilden’s death in 1896, custody of the battleflag passed to William’s daughter, Mrs. Charles Hard of Greenville. In 1906, Mrs. Hard delivered up the flag to her Uncle Charles’ old friend and messmate, James Armstrong, a postwar harbor master of Charleston who had commanded the color company of Gregg’s 1st South Carolina at Spotsylvania. In his letter to Mrs. Hard expressing his appreciation for the flag, Armstrong promised to “communicate with the other officers of the Regiment in regard to sending the flag to the State House to be placed alongside of the blue State flag. ” Armstrong assured Mrs. Hard that, “[u]ntil sent there it will be kept in a fire proof vault. ” Time passed, and the battleflag remained with the aging Armstrong. Finally, in 1920, Mrs. Hard wrote to Armstrong about the flag. Rose McKevlin, Armstrong’s nurse, responded, informing Mrs. Hard that Armstrong’s leg had been amputated the prior month as a result of a wound he had suffered at Spotsylvania more than half a century previously. The letter explained that Armstrong had tried to convene a meeting of the surviving officers to discuss the flag but that he had failed to do so, and it concluded with the promise that Armstrong, being the senior of the two surviving officers of the regiment, would send the flag to the Secretary of State in Columbia to be placed alongside the blue state colors of the regiment already there. Although the evidence is not conclusive, the old soldier evidently made good on his nurse’s promise on his behalf by turning over the battleflag to the state before he died. “The Color Bearer Tradition.” studyboss.com. 09 2019. 01 2020. . StudyBoss. September 2019. The Color Bearer Tradition. [online]. Available from: https://studyboss.com/essays/the-color-bearer-tradition.html [Accessed 17 January 2020]. StudyBoss. The Color Bearer Tradition [Internet]. September 2019. [Accessed 17 January 2020]; Available from: https://studyboss.com/essays/the-color-bearer-tradition.html.

https://studyboss.com/essays/the-color-bearer-tradition.html

Georgia has tremendous opportunities in the field of medicine which is a great source of attraction for students who seek to study abroad. Georgian universities have low fees and the living costs in Georgia are considerably lower compared to the UK. Here are the details of their fee structure. University tuition fees: Approx £6000 per annum (Fixed for the full length of the course). Paid directly to the university.

https://studymedicinedentistryabroad.co.uk/fee-structure/

Witches and pagans are gathering in south London’s Croydon suburb in the UK today to celebrate their devotion to the occult. It is supposedly the largest witch festival in the world. Many of the attendees are convinced that their choice of religion, which includes occult magic, is a natural link to their involvement in the feminist and environmental movements. How to use magic to defend oneself against attacks on the body, mind, and soul. In the world of witchcraft, witches believe anyone who criticizes them or stands in the way of their selfish desires are spiritual enemies worthy of their hexes using incantations and mantras. Empowering oneself to protest the oppressive patriarchy. The historic links between pagan traditions, mythology, and witchcraft. How to hone one’s psychic and other skills in witchcraft rituals such as tarot cards, magic wands, and herbalism. The growing interest in witchcraft is attributed in part to TV shows like Charmed and Sabrina (which is loosely based on the popular subseries of Archie Comics titled Sabrina the Teenage Witch and has had several TV versions over the decades). Whether they call their occultic practices shamanism, sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry, or spiritism, the practices are soundly condemned a host of times in the Bible. The openness of occultism in recent years is a reflection of what tends to happen when societies amp up their opposition to the one true God and his word. While they unleash attacks on the Lord’s truth, accusing the Bible of being lies and accusing Bible-believing Christians of being their oppressors, they inadvertently prove the Bible’s accuracy. It was prophesied in Revelation that sorcery would be a common and accepted practice in the last days. The rise in the openness of their activities shows the Lord and his prophets were spot on. Source: Aamna Mohdin, ‘Waking up to our power’: witchcraft gets political, The Guardian, November 8, 2019.

https://sunandshield.wordpress.com/2019/11/09/witchfest-occult-festival-celebrated-in-south-london/

A proceeding in the nature of a quo warranto in one of the territories of the United States to test the right of a person to exercise the functions of a judge of a supreme court of the territory must be in the name of the United States, and not in the name of the territory. If taken in the name of the territory, the error may be taken advantage of on demurrer, and it is fatal. The act of Congress organizing the Territory of Nebraska ordains that the executive power in and over the territory shall be vested in a governor, that the legislative power shall be vested in a governor and legislative assembly, and that the judicial power of the territory shall be vested in a supreme court &c. And the code of the territorial legislature [Footnote 1] gives the remedy of information against "any person unlawfully holding or exercising any public office or franchise within this territory," providing also that the defendant shall "answer such petition in the usual way, and, issue being joined, it shall be tried in the ordinary manner." With these provisions in force, the district attorney filed in one of the district courts of Nebraska territory an information in the nature of a quo warranto in the name of the "Territory of Nebraska, on the relation of Eleazar Wakely," against a certain Lockwood, to test the rights of the said Lockwood to exercise the office of an associate judge of the supreme court of the territory; a court in which, as is known, the judges are appointed by the President of the United States. The information was full, explicit, and technical in its statement of the case; alleging, with circumstance, that the relator had a right to the office, and that the defendant held, exercised, usurped, and invaded &c., without any legal warrant &c. The defendant demurred generally. The district court sustained the demurrer, and gave judgment in his favor. The relator took the case to the supreme court of the territory, where the judgment below was affirmed. This was a writ of error to reverse that judgment. The question presented for the determination of this Court was, whether the petition was well brought in the name of the territory, or whether it should not have been in behalf of the United States. "that a writ of quo warranto could not be maintained except at the instance of the government, and as this writ was issued by a private individual, without the authority of the government, it could not be sustained, whatever might be the right of the prosecutor or the person claiming to exercise the office in question." way than in another. The subject is as much beyond the sphere of its authority as it is beyond the authority of the states as to the federal officers whose duties are to be discharged within their respective limits. The right to institute such proceedings is inherently in the Government of the nation. We do not find that it has been delegated to the territory. We think the demurrer was well taken. 10 Stat. at Large 277. 5 Bacon's Abridgment, 174, Tit. Information A; 3 Blackstone's Commentaries 263. 7 Comyn's Digest p. 190, Phila. ed., 1826; Tit. Quo War. A. 2 Hawkins' P.C., chap. 26, § 4. Cole on Informations 65, 113; Rex v. Francis, 2 Term 484; 4 Blackstone's Commentaries 312. Wright v. Allen, 2 Tex. 158; Wright v. People, 15 Ill. 417; Donnelly v. People, 11 id. 552; Eaton v. State, 7 Blackford 65; Comm. v. Lex & H. T. Co., 6 B.Monroe 398. 18 U. S. 5 Wheat. 292. 46 U. S. 5 How. 213. McClung v. Silliman, 6 Wheat. 605. Field v. Seabury, 19 How. 332.

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/70/236/

This crystal shop was needing some help with their website, so we made a platform that would list their products on many different storefronts. We also created a way for them to list all of their stones by category, as a reference for their customers. Finally, we are working to increase their social media presence.

https://sureleader.com/project/crystal-shop-website/

Ready to set sail on a new journey with a revamped look! The Tal-Kaptan restaurants in Qawra and Valletta Waterfront are set to sail on a new and exciting journey following a revamp and modernisation of the interior and brand. The launch of the new Tal-Kaptan will take place on the 28th of November at 18.00hrs, during an event which will be packed with live animation, games, and to top it all up drinks will be on the house. Whilst retaining the nautical theme, the restaurants will be renovated and given a new look and feel. The new décor will be warmer and lighter, thereby creating an ambience which is relatable, friendlier and more relaxing. We have also introduced an element of fun, cheeky and curious design with traditional elements to captivate everyone’s eye – young and old! Each restaurant will have an interesting collection of memorabilia and artefacts which are the captain’s reflection from different parts of the world during the captain’s various expeditions and voyages. All of this has been put together by Karl Mallia- a creative thinker who has worked on other projects within the AX group. With a different way of thinking, Mallia has managed to create a fun and daring feel for the restaurant, retaining the core values within the existing structure. He is a concept-driven person, and being an F&B person himself, it has helped with the thought behind all. Practicality for the operations team was considered in each and every single step of the way. The menu has also been revamped to address the taste buds and dietary requirements of all patrons. Apart from the wide range of mouth-watering pizzas which Tal-Kaptan is renowned for, the restaurants will also be serving a variety of pasta dishes, salads, grills and desserts. The restaurant’s concept is to offer patrons quality traditional cooking with a twist. Ingredients are mixed and matched, stepping away from the norm to produce dishes which are both tasty and original. Tal-Kaptan is also a popular choice for families, hence why more attention has been given to the children’s dining experience. With every kids’ meal, children will receive a toy which is part of a bigger collection and they will also get the chance to win prizes in monthly competitions. Furthermore the crew at Tal-Kaptan promises not only appetizing and more innovative dishes, but also a menu which primarily offers better value for money to all patrons. We shall also be introducing new features like masks and a photo prop that will act as an attraction allowing our patrons to entertain themselves before or after their dining experience, also serving as a fun tool on social media platforms. At the helm of the new Tal-Kaptan is Jonathan Pisani who is accustomed to 5 star services, with years of experience working as Operations Manager at The Palace. He will be assisted by Anthony Micallef who was a crew member of the Tal-Kaptan restaurant during its glory days. Tal –Kaptan will also welcome on board a new head chef Carlo Curmi. Carlo brings with him vast experience in restaurants mainly serving Mediterranean cuisine, which is a forte that is needed in our much loved pasta culture.

https://tal-kaptan.com/news/ready-to-set-sail-on-a-new-journey-with-a-revamped-look/

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – From a relaxing boat ride to the Laguna Madre Field Station to a feast of savory Cajun-style shrimp, Islander alumni, faculty, and staff enjoyed an idyllic afternoon of science, food, and sunshine as part of the 2018 Alumni Shrimp Boil, hosted by the College of Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi on Oct. 27. Guests gathered to reconnect and celebrate Dr. Diana Ida Sanchez Marinez, COSE dean emerita and a founding member of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Each year, the COSE Alumni Shrimp Boil recognizes a deserving faculty member or alumnus who has contributed greatly to the college. During the celebration, Marinez was honored with an award to symbolize her legacy, and her name was engraved on a brass plate, which will be hung in the dean’s suite on campus. Marinez came to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 1994, when the COSE was originally called the College of Science and Technology. Upon her arrival, Marinez had the vision to foster competitive research of all levels at the Island University. At the time, the Center for Coastal Studies was the main hub of research for the college and she empowered like-minded faculty to develop research, improve the curriculum, and provide undergraduate students with more hands-on experience and exposure to other great scientists in the college. Marinez’s educational leadership extends beyond Texas. She was an advisor for the National Kellogg Fellowship Program from 1993 to 1996 and has served on committees and panels for the National Academy of Sciences, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and American Association for the Advancement for Science. She is also a board member for the South Texas Institute for the Arts. After 13 years working at the University, Marinez is now enjoying her retirement. She stays active in her community of Lansing, Michigan and monitors immigrant issues – and of course, she still mentors students like Islander alumnus Matthew Cruz, who benefited greatly from the research opportunities she created.

https://tamucc.edu/news/2018/11/110218_COSE_Alumni_Shrimp_Boil.html

In mid-March, Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara awarded the first Superintendent Challenge Coins to a dozen deserving Clark County School District employees. He surprised dedicated, hard-working CCSD employees who have demonstrated going above and beyond in making CCSD number one for kids. His first stop on March 14 was at the Education Services Division, where he distributed the Superintendent Challenge Coins to 11 CCSD employees who volunteered to stay late on Feb. 21, when Safekey programs closed early due to inclement weather. Later that morning, Dr. Jara visited Ethel W. Staton Elementary School to surprise kindergarten teacher Nikki McGuire, who had recently been profiled in a Las Vegas Review-Journal story for her commitment and love of teaching while fighting chronic myeloid leukemia since 2009. For the 20th consecutive year, the Clark County School District Music Education Program has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). Now in its 20th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. Districts that have been recognized by the NAMM are often models for other educators looking to boost their own music education programs. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, CCSD answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. CCSD joins 623 districts across the country in receiving this prestigious award in 2019. To nominate an outstanding new educator, click here. The deadline to nominate someone is Friday, April 5, 5 p.m. A new educator is defined as someone who has no prior contracted experience and was hired during the 2018-19 school year. Over 720 Clark County School District teachers have been named finalists for the 2019 The Heart of Education Awards. The Heart Of Education Awards will honor CCSD teachers with an invitation-only event at The Smith Center, where 20 teachers will be selected to receive awards. The prestigious evening will feature a red carpet, swag bags for all of the invited teachers, and spectacular entertainment. Support for the event is provided by The Rogers Foundation and The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

https://teachvegas.ccsd.net/category/employee-info/page/2/

We expect to take registration actions this week that will activate ARIN’s policy for unmet requests. For the first time, it is expected an organization will receive a block size smaller than they qualified for, and/or an organization will be placed on the waiting list for unmet requests. When an organization qualifies for a block size that no longer remains in the ARIN IPv4 inventory, they are given the option to either accept a smaller block that is available to fully satisfy their request, or to be placed on the waiting list for unmet requests. As we do with all IPv4 tickets, we take action on customer responses in the date/time stamp order that they were received. We are able to look ahead in our IPv4 response queue and see that we will take the registration actions described above during this business week. Once we take the registration action of issuing a smaller block than what was qualified for, or place an organization on the waiting list for unmet requests, we will issue an announcement to the community and a press release. At the time of this post, there is less than 1% of a /8 equivalent remaining in the ARIN IPv4 free pool. The only prefix sizes remaining are /23s and /24s.

https://teamarin.net/2015/06/29/on-the-horizon-unmet-requests-policy-activation/

Volkswagen Group wants to reinvent itself in the age of connected and electric vehicles. And it starts with Volkswagen’s Moia, a brand new mobility brand with services and vehicles built for the cities of tomorrow. That’s why I’m excited to announce that Moia CEO Ole Harms is joining us at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin. Volkswagen has been covering all bases with Moia. Last year at Disrupt Berlin, the company unveiled an all-electric rideshare vehicle. Moia has been piloting this new vehicle in Hamburg. In addition to six individual seats, the car features USB ports, individual lights, Wi-Fi and storage space at the front. In other words, this is the minibus of the future. With a range of 186 miles, it represents a viable alternative to traditional vehicles. It isn’t a self-driving vehicle as Volkswagen wants to put this model on the road right now. In addition to this hardware strategy, Moia is releasing its own mobility service called… Moia. You can already download the app and order a ride in Hanover. It works pretty much like Uber and all the ride-hailing services out there. But Moia wants to own the software platform. If you want to hear more about Volkswagen’s strategy to disrupt mobility before the company gets disrupted, grab your Disrupt tickets right now. The conference will take place on November 29-30. Ole Harms (43) has been CEO of MOIA since December 2016. After working as a strategy consultant at Capgemini, Harms joined Volkswagen Consulting in 2008. As head of the Sales and Marketing division, he advised Volkswagen's top management. In 2012, he took over as Head of New Business Models and Performance. From 2014 to January 2016 he was Executive Director and Head of New Business Models & Mobility Services. There he initiated the mobility partnership with the city of Hamburg and was responsible for the conception and development of MOIA. Ole Harms lives in Hannover and Berlin.

https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/30/ole-harms-to-talk-about-moias-mobility-bet-at-disrupt-berlin/

Independent research has broadly confirmed that Donald Trump’s contentions over the harm that the United States’ H-1B has done to home-grown tech talent may be justified. The study Understanding the Economic Impact of the H-1B Program on the U.S., led by John Bound at the University of Michigan, estimates that domestically-sourced tech talent would have earned 3%-5% more in the period studied without the H-1B scheme, with overall American employment in the sector projected 6% to 11% higher than it actually was. The research posits the conundrum that the H-1B program has been an economic benefit, and contributed to the general lowering of prices associated with immigrant occupation – effectively tasking the American citizen with a choice between those lower prices or the impetus towards ‘native-first’ employment policies. The paper concentrates on the take-up and economic effects of the H-1B Visa program from 1994 to 2001, since this period is considered one of stable economic growth for the U.S. The program was instituted in 1990. The H-1B program allows U.S. tech companies to hire from abroad for any role ‘so complex or unique that it can only be performed by someone with at least a bachelor’s degree in a field related to the position’, and which cannot be filled locally. It reached an apex of controversy in 2015 when Disney was accused of forcing its workers to train up their H-1B replacements as a condition for final settlement of salary – a case which presidential candidate Trump was to leverage in his 2016 election campaign. In 2014 approximately half of 120,000 H1-B visas given by the U.S. went to computer science employees. At the end of January a draft order regarding revision of the H1B scheme under President Trump was leaked; the order promises that U.S. immigration policies should be designed and implemented to first serve those born in the country, and that visa programs should be revised to prioritise native U.S. citizens over immigrant workers. employment news politics research U.S.

https://techerati.com/the-stack-archive/world/2017/02/16/research-verifies-trump-stance-on-h-1b-for-u-s-tech-workers/

The Internet of Things (IoT) embeds technology into any physical thing to enable never-before-seen levels of connectivity. IoT is revolutionizing industries and creating many new market opportunities. Cloud services play an important role in enabling deployment of IoT solutions that minimize time to market — and that’s where AWS fits in. To dive deeper into the features and benefits of the Amazon IoT service, check out Cloud Academy’s Introduction to the Amazon Internet of Things (IoT) Service. Or you can check out any of Cloud Academy’s AWS Courses taught by accredited AWS expert instructors with deep technical expertise. As it stands today, the IoT industry does not currently have a widely used and accepted standard by vendors on how IoT devices should connect to each other. This makes it hard for developers to understand how this can be achieved across multiple manufacturers when developing IoT applications. As a result, the AWS IoT Things Graph was launched. This service helps to simplify the process of visually understanding the connectivity between IoT devices and web services.

https://techpubs.info/aws-internet-of-things-iot-the-3-services-you-need-to-know/

B. Tech is an undergraduate academic program which certifies a student with a degree in engineering after the completion of the course. The full form of B. Tech is ‘Bachelor of Technology’. It is the most sought after undergraduate course in India. The holder of the B. Tech degree is designated as ‘engineer’. If someone has specialized in computer science, he/she will be addressed as a ‘Software engineer’, those specialized in mechanics will be referred to as ‘Mechanical engineer’. Bachelor of Technology (full form of B. Tech) is also known as Bachelor of Engineering (B.E). There is not much difference in the courses except B. Tech involves more practical applications of the theory learned in the syllabus and B.E emphasizes on theoretical knowledge. However, both the degree holds the same value for the employer. The only difference is rank in the institute from where the course has been pursued. B. Tech is a skill-based educational course which requires a student to be practical, problem solver and decision-maker, cooperative in teamwork, imaginative and open to learning new things. A student needs to pass in 10 + 2 with a minimum aggregate score of 50% in subjects such as Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and English from a recognized institute. Candidates are required to clear national level entrance tests like NATA, JEE, VITEEE, MHTCET, BITSAT, etc. Various states conduct state wise entrance exams. Course fee ranges from Rs 2 lakhs – Rs 15 lakhs depending on the institutes. 4-year B.E/B. Tech after Class 12. Aerospace, Agriculture, Automobiles, Computer Science, Chemical, Civil, Biomedical, Electronics, Telecommunication, etc. Basic subjects covered in the course are Computer programming, Engineering Physics, Engineering Chemistry, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, and elective subjects based on the chosen specialization paper. Starting salary of an engineering graduate is around Rs 30000 – Rs 50000 per month. An engineer may prefer to either join a job or he can pursue higher studies for master degree. Job is available for an engineering candidate in many Public Sector Units as well as Private Sector. Every company deals with some or other aspects of technology, which demands the presence of an engineer to run the technical functions smoothly. Hence there is a huge demand for engineers. An engineer may opt for setting up a startup.

https://techsherlock.com/b-tech-full-form/

The original Oru Kayak, launched on Kickstarter and now in retailers around the world; it’s even in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. We’ve thoroughly updated the design for 2017, making it even easier to assemble, more comfortable to use, and more graceful than ever. It's stable enough for beginners, while the length and contouring make it fast and sporty for expert kayakers. There's plenty of room to stash gear for day trips and short camping excursions. Best of all, transforming it from box to boat takes just a few minutes. This kayak model includes a set of free Oru Float Bags.

https://tentsile.fi/fi_FI/categories/11-oru-kayak/products/49-tentsilefinland-oru-kayak-the-bay-st

Life as a priest, deacon, religious sister or religious brother is a dynamic combination of creativity, challenge and fulfillment. We invite all single people to consider a vocation as a priest or religious sister or brother a viable option for the future. We invite all men single or married to consider a vocation to the diaconate. If you would like to explore the possibility of a religious vocation, please contact the Parish Office at |||PHONE_NUMBER||| to arrange a time to talk. Check out information on vocations on the Archdiocese of Chicago website.

https://teresa.church/holy-orders-and-religious-life/

How can we who claim to live in a civilized society claim to be the most modern form of human life, when we here in the Western world have swept mental health under the rug? It isn’t just in America, or Australia or the UK; it’s around the world where this has happened. For so many reasons why can point to, we can’t identify any of them to be valid. So there’s no point in shaking your head and denying that mental health issues have been swept underneath the rug by general society. Why this has happened is cause for alarm and the urgent need to understand, so it never happens again. It’s never too late to live the lid on social stigma and expose our prejudices if it can help us to help others in need. There are many ways we can do this, all that’s required is a genuine yearning to call for decisive action from the powers that be and ourselves. Since human beings have been on the planet, we’ve always had a fascination with our own minds. From the great powerful minds of the ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates to the modern day observational and psychological explorers such as Nietzsche; we have an innate need to understand ourselves. Part of it is to do with coming to terms with our own mortality, but for many, it’s to rein in on the mind. The loss of control of one’s mind is a very frightening and sad thought to comprehend. We know that deep down, it’s a form of dying without physically leaving this earth. It’s why so many people want to learn about psychology and neurology, and further education institutions and companies are only too happy to provide such courses as a Masters in Mental Health. On such a course, the effective techniques such as evidence-based case studies and contemporary care methods are put into action. This is the frontline of mental health care at work, with the study, understanding, and treatment occurring in patients. One of the shocking reasons to wrap your head around for the lack of social awareness about mental health could be because we simply don’t prioritize it. Of course, the majority of concerns regarding healthcare in many countries revolve around issues that affect more of the population of each nation. Therefore concerns about cancer, diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol and many other seasonal viruses that take the spotlight of major attention. So it’s little wonder that mental health programs don’t receive proper funding and this means there is less staff coping with more and more patients at clinics and hospitals. Years and years of this causes the effectiveness of doctors and carers to diminish over time. It’s time that we paid more attention to our shortfalls and stop failing the mentally ill by sweeping them under the rug. Previous Post: Should Wedding Traditions Still Stick?

https://terrislittlehaven.com/why-does-mental-health-get-swept-under-the-rug/

The image below related to the word compensation is licensed by it's creator under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license which permits the free use of the image for any purpose including commercial use and also permits the image to be modified, attribution required, see license details below and FAQ. Compensation is an award for the loss a person suffers often in the form of money.

https://thebluediamondgallery.com/c/compensation.html

The truth is KRS-One has always existed in extremes. The celebrated Bronx, N.Y., MC evolved from giving birth to the controversial rap genre known as gangsta rap to dropping a politically conscious classic. He was leader of the influential hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions, who crafted their landmark 1987 debut 'Criminal Minded,' then a year later they released the startling LP 'By All Means Necessary'. And that's just the first chapter of the 46-year-old's 25-plus year career as one of hip-hop's true lyrical giants. Indeed, when you dissect the impressive run of KRS-One, it's clear that the man does not lack conviction. Fans who want empowering music that blasts the historical devaluing of black culture should check out 1990's 'Edutainment.' Or how about an unfiltered, two-fisted statement that thoroughly embraces the power of hip-hop with a pure, Evangelical zeal? That would be KRS' DJ Premier-featured 1993 solo classic 'Return of the Boom Bap'. The Blastmaster even dropped a born-again Christian rap album with 2002's 'Spiritual Minded,' a bold and much-debated work that was more than a risk for an MC that had a made a career out of questioning organized religion. Yes, KRS-One is a complex artist. But he's also the most passionate ambassador for his beloved Bronx-bred artform as evident by his creation of the Temple of Hip-Hop school. With a new Boogie Down Productions release, 'The BDP Album,' currently out in stores, KRS-One is still fighting the good fight. The BoomBox caught up with the legendary MC to discuss Connie Chung saying his career was over, his respect for LL Cool J after disobeying his record label, denying Lyor Cohen his skill set and why he will never put down the mic. Did you and the rest of BDP have any idea that you were helping create a new hip-hop genre called gangsta rap with the 1987 release of 'Criminal Minded'? We didn't really look at it like that. 'Criminal Minded' was all about exposing the truth. The illusion was that we came out with 'Criminal Minded' just to satisfy the street head, but that wasn't the case. The truth is we were posing as revolutionaries trying to warn our people about the crack cocaine era and senseless street violence and how we can preserve hip-hop by getting more conscious about it. But ironically it was senseless violence that took the life of your partner and friend DJ Scott La Rock, who died trying to peacefully settle a beef. Take me back to the summer of 1987 when Scott was gunned down. Did you believe that BDP was finished following such a ground-shaking death? A lot of people felt that way, including some members of BDP. It was hard on everyone. I remember being interviewed by Connie Chung, who was working for Eyewitness News Channel 4 at the time. And she started out the interview with, "Well, now that your career is over what are you going to do?" So this is what we were going up against. But I knew we had to keep going. I knew Scott was watching over us. When did you know your life had changed after the immense success of that first album? When 'Criminal Minded' came out, Lyor Cohen [former head of Island Def Jam and current Warner Music Group CEO], who at the time was running Russell Simmons' Rush Artist Management, asked me to sign with him after Scott's death. He threw me a gig at Madison Square Garden thinking I was going to be impressed. And I was impressed; I appreciated the Garden, but I wasn't signing with Rush. I was cut from a whole different cloth. It had nothing to do with them. Looking back, how crazy was it for you, a relative newcomer, turning down the hottest management group in hip-hop at that time? I wasn't trying to make a statement. I didn't need anyone to manage me. I knew they could not hold down an artist like me. And on top of that, I'm taking shots at the top rappers in the industry who happened to be signed to Rush [laughs]. It was crazy! There are some great stories connected to the making of the anti-black-on-black violence single 'Self Destruction.' When you think back to leading such a monumental all-star project -- that featured everyone from the late Heavy D and Kool Moe Dee to MC Lyte and Public Enemy -- what comes to mind? The fact that LL Cool J still showed up to the session even after Def Jam told him not to. Just imagine a triple-platinum artist wanting to show up and be part of a project so bad, but he can't because of his record company. But again LL still shows up! Can you imagine MC Lyte and LL together writing a verse for 'Self Destruction'? Lyte was so hardcore and so much New York female hip-hop. She was battling everybody back then. And she's in the corner writing with a superstar like LL Cool J and they are trying to figure out how to save our children! If I was a man that cried that was my time to do it. It seemed like in the late '80s and early '90s, hip-hop thought it could really change the world through music. How important was it to showcase a socially conscious viewpoint during that era? We all felt that way. In 1989, me and Chuck D [Public Enemy's founder and lead MC] did a lecture together at the University of California. This was one of the first times ever rappers were giving a college lecture. Me and Chuck tore that place down in terms of lecturing and speaking. We had peoples' minds right. That's what's missing from hip-hop today. But it doesn't take a rapper to speak about the truth. We are all hip-hop. You were never the type of artist to stress over record sales. What is your view on having commercial success especially as an MC, who has made some of the most uncompromising albums in hip-hop history? I look at it like this: you may only sell 20,000 to 100,000 albums. But those albums are going to be heard by future doctors, lawyers, judges, fireman, etc. Those albums are being sold to the right people that move society. They're interested in what you have to say. But really, the minute that I sell over a million records you should write up in this article that says KRS-One's career is officially over [laughs]. What was your mindset going into your first Boogie Down Productions album since 1992's 'Sex and Violence'? That it's time for us to get off our asses and write a dope rhyme and put it out. Why isn't there any 50-year-old MC's killing it? I'm 46. Am I the only one? I can't wait to get to 50. I'm going to let everybody know it! I'm going to wear a shirt that says "I'm 50." Is there one song on the new album, 'The BDP Album,' that makes you shake your head and say, "I'm still No. 1"? My favorite song on the album is 'Times Up,' which was produced by Jesse West. The crazy part is Kenny [Parker] [longtime member of Boogie Down Productions] titled all the songs. Production wise, we are being daring with the beats because they don't sound like anything out today. We are bringing back that sparse, snare and kick album production. All of that is the Boogie Down Productions formula and Kenny nailed it. So needless to say retirement is out of the question anytime soon, huh? I'm going to do this forever. I'm going to be past 50 years old and still spitting that raw. This is what we dreamed about when we were kids. We said, "Yo, we never going to stop MCing. We gonna rhyme and be b-boys until we are grey." I'm here to inspire young people to be part of the most magnificent culture on earth: hip-hop. And to inspire older people to never put the mic down and sell you vinyl.

https://theboombox.com/krs-one-the-bdp-album/

You must have come across the term “pint” more than once; perhaps you have heard of it when buying the small milk containers from your local grocery store or sometimes you probably catch a pint of beer on your way home. But most often, you will find the word “pint” on refrigerant dehumidifiers? So what exactly is a pint? How much is it? A pint is basically a unit of measurement for liquids. It measures the volume or capacity and is commonly used in the United Kingdom, United States, and other several states. It is difficult to understand exactly how much is a pint, but why? When the unit was first introduced it was referred to as 1/8 of a gallon. Considering that different gallons have different capacities; you can guess the level of confusion that existed. So, there are aspects of the pint that have not been understood up to now, especially in relation to dehumidifiers. Let’s learn about them. First, UK and US pint measurements vary and feared to bring more confusions if they are not well explained. Pints in the US are basically of two types; the first one is the liquid pint which measures approx. 473 ml, about 0.124 gallons and the second one that is commonly used is the dry pint that is about 551 ml or 0.145 gallons. The UK pint is approximately equivalent to 568ml or 0.15 gallons. So why does the UK and US pint measurements differ? Are there any confusions as well? Well, the confusion is really buried in the UK and US pint history. Briefly, there was a time in the 18th century that the US adopted the UK wine gallon which had some equivalence of some pint units. Later, in the 19th century, the UK decided to change their gallon measurements. The US remained with their previous units of measurements which explains why pint in the US is different from that of the UK. You should understand this history to be in a better position to understand why your dehumidifier from the UK might have a different capacity to that of your neighbor from the USA. The conditions of the space that need dehumidification. This means the capacity of the dehumidifier expressed in pints is its ability to extract moisture from the subject area. So if you have a 10-pint dehumidifier, it means it can extract moisture in the area, equivalent to 10 pints in 24 hours. Thus, the pint measurement of the dehumidifier is the direct function of the size of the space it can serve effectively. Knowing how much a pint is really important when dealing with the best dehumidifiers. This is because people who intend to purchase dehumidifiers may confuse its size for its dimensions. Now, it is clear that the size really doesn’t matter but the dehumidifier’s capacity does, which is measured in pints. So, if you get a UK dehumidifier with 10 pints capacity and US dehumidifier with the same capacity, you will be in a better position to choose what you want. All in all, a pint is a measure of the dehumidifier’s capacity in terms of space per square footage and conditions it can dehumidify for a specific period of time. Ordinarily, it is a liquid basic unit of measure.

https://thedehumidifierexperts.com/how-much-pint/

On Friday, China pushed back on a suggestion from a senior Vietnamese official that the country would be willing to pursue international arbitration over its disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. On Wednesday, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, speaking at a conference, said that Hanoi would look to arbitration and litigation if negotiations with China did not yield any solutions. Trung spoke on other possible measures beyond negotiations that Vietnam might pursue in the South China Sea. “We know that these measures include fact-finding, mediation, conciliation, negotiation, arbitration and litigation measures,” Trung said on Wednesday. “The UN Charter and [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] 1982 have sufficient mechanisms for us to apply those measures,” he continued. Vietnam “needs to avoid taking actions that may complicate matters or undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea as well as our bilateral relations,” Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Friday, responding to a question on Vietnam possibly pursuing arbitration. “The core of the South China Sea issue is territory, a matter related to the occupation of China’s Nansha Islands by Vietnam and other countries concerned. I hope the Vietnamese side will face up to the historical fact, keep to our high-level consensus and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation,” he also said. China refers to the Spratly Islands as the Nansha Islands. The two countries experienced their most serious face-off in the South China Sea since 2014 this summer after a Chinese seismic survey ship conducted weeks of activities in Vietnam’s claimed exclusive economic zone despite protests from Hanoi. Both countries claim the Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. In July 2016, a Hague-based international tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a historic award in a case filed by the Philippines against China in 2013—one year after the two countries faced off over Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The award was largely in Manila’s favor and declared, among other things, that China’s capacious nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea had not validity under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea. China regarded the arbitral tribunal’s proceedings and award as invalid. The tribunal’s five judges issued the award unanimously. Other countries around the world had varied responses to the 2016 South China Sea ruling. The United States and many of its allied and partners insisted on the legally binding nature of the award on China and the Philippines. Assessing Hanoi’s strategy after the Vanguard Bank standoff with China.

https://thediplomat.com/2019/11/china-warns-vietnam-to-not-complicate-south-china-sea-dispute-by-seeking-legal-arbitration/

In 1992 I took ballet at a little studio in Maryland, and at the end of the year we had a recital. Nearly everyone who was born in the 1980s experienced this first-hand at least once in their lives so you’d think that 30 years later tracking down something like the name of one of the pieces of music used wouldn’t be absolutely freaking impossible. After all, it’s the internet age – you can find anything online. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve successfully tracked someone down from some prehistoric part of my life to ask them something random, I have actually gathered quite a plethora of random information this way, it’s kind of awesome. Well, I have met my match.

https://theepicmellow.com/archives/category/time-space/

A sentencing memorandum against President Trump’s former lawyer candidly lays out the federal case against Trump for campaign finance crimes. President Donald Trump is in legal and political jeopardy, and he doesn’t seem to know it. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) has filed a sentencing memorandum in the case of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and personal advisor. It candidly lays out the federal case against Trump for campaign finance crimes. The prosecutors say that payments Cohen caused to be made to two women who say they had extramarital affairs with Trump were “in coordination with and at the direction of” Trump. (Trump denies that these alleged affairs occurred, and says he did not know about the payments when they occurred.) The SDNY’s sentencing memo thus implicates Trump in at least three crimes. First, it is generally unlawful for a corporation to make a contribution or expenditure in connection with an election to federal office. Cohen pleaded guilty to causing such an unlawful contribution by American Media Inc., the owner of the National Enquirer. According to court documents, Cohen coordinated AMI’s purchase of the “limited life rights” of former Playmate Karen McDougal’s claim to have had an affair with Trump, and did so for the purpose of influencing the presidential election. This last detail—that it was done for the purpose of influencing the election—is what makes this a campaign contribution and not a garden-variety services contract. Also, prosecutors’ claim that Cohen did it at Trump’s direction would, if true, make Trump as guilty as Cohen. Second, it is unlawful for an individual to make a contribution or expenditure in connection with an election to federal office in excess of certain amounts ($2,700 in 2016). Cohen pleaded guilty to making such a contribution by paying $130,000 for onscreen prostitute Stormy Daniels’ silence. Just like the McDougal payment, the SDNY prosecutors say this payment was for the purpose of influencing the election and done at Trump’s direction. Again, if true, that makes Trump as guilty as Cohen. Mandatory disclosure laws exist so the American public can assess who is funding political candidacies. Cohen concealed these contributions as services contracts and by using a shell corporation—which, by the way, is further evidence that he knew he was breaking the law. If it was done at Trump’s direction, as alleged by the SDNY’s prosecutors, that’s another crime. Thus, in the sentencing memorandum for Cohen, federal prosecutors have provided a roadmap for Trump’s indictment. Were he any other person, they certainly would have presented this information to a grand jury for indictment by now. But the Department of Justice’s view is that sitting presidents cannot be indicted because it would undermine the executive branch’s ability to perform its constitutionally assigned role. This question was last addressed by the Office of Legal Counsel during the Bill Clinton administration. However, it actually extends back to the Nixon administration, which first determined that sitting presidents could not be indicted. Changing that view now would validate all of Trump’s claims of being persecuted by the federal bureaucracy. This doesn’t mean that Trump is safe; given the five-year statute of limitations on campaign finance crimes, it means only that Trump is safe for now. Trump also has several potential avenues to attack an indictment as described. Obviously, he can try and establish that Cohen didn’t act at Trump’s direction. He could also show that the payments were not for the purpose of influencing the election, but for a different reason (protecting first lady Melania Trump’s feelings, for example).If true, that would mean that, as far as Trump knew, he wasn’t directing campaign contributions. But even a defense like this opens Trump up to additional legal jeopardy if he lies to investigators. Keep in mind that federal prosecutors have Cohen’s recordings of conversations with Trump, and have granted immunity to the AMI executives who handled the McDougal payment. It is very likely that the SDNY’s prosecutors know more about this than has been revealed so far. Their candidness about Trump’s misconduct in the sentencing memo suggests they are relying on more than just Cohen’s say-so. So the SDNY’s prosecutors have laid out their case that Trump conspired to conceal from the voters payments to alleged mistresses in violation of campaign finance laws—even if they cannot act on it for now. Congress, on the other hand, can at any time impeach and remove a president for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” And whether something is a high crime or misdemeanor is solely in the discretion of a majority of members of the House of Representatives, subject to agreement by two-thirds of the Senate. The incoming Democrat-led House will certainly be considering this question. Moreover, at this point, Trump cannot discount the possibility that even more crimes will be revealed in the course of the SDNY’s work or that of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. This means that, even aside from criminal jeopardy, Trump’s political fortunes may also turn on the decisions of federal prosecutors. Gabriel Malor is an attorney and writer in Washington, D.C. Follow him on Twitter.

https://thefederalist.com/2018/12/10/michael-cohens-sentencing-memorandum-roadmap-indicting-trump/

To me, being 'professional' has meant striving for excellence at my everyday job. Until I attended Command and Staff Course at the Australian War College last year, I did not appreciate that being good at my job was not the same as being a military professional. The course broadened my understanding; being a professional requires one to embrace continual learning in all aspects of the profession. I became conscious that through professional mastery, individuals, even those in junior roles, can influence organisational outcomes beyond their job. Going into the course, I was expecting to be given transactional skills to enhance my job performance. Initially, it was frustrating not seeing how writing academic essays about philosophical topics was going to help me do that. Gradually, I enjoyed being challenged to think critically and strategically such that it enhanced my ability to look beyond the obvious. This experience gave me a fresh perspective that the course was not an end in itself but instead a means to instil a desire to invest in continuous professional education. As a continuation of professional education from the War College, I was given a book: The Enlightened Soldier by Charles Edward White. The book is about a prominent military reformer from the 1700s, Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst. Known as the architect of the Prussian German general staff system, he led a reorganisation of the Prussian military higher command and military education system. He amalgamated individual intellect, or enlightenment, with structural reforms that resulted in the Prussian army's remarkable recovery from its catastrophic defeat just six years earlier. The book reinforced my views on professional mastery and helped me see its application in achieving practical outcomes. A quote from Immanuel Kant in the first chapter of the book particularly captured me. Kant describes enlightenment as 'man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage'. While harsh, Kant rightly asserts that the majority of us suffer from self-imposed constraints on developing professional mastery by refusing to use our own mind 'without guidance from another'. In other words, a genuine desire to be enlightened is required to achieve professional mastery. The laziness and cowardice that Kant refers to as 'nonage' explains how blind obedience to the status quo restricts our progression to advancement. Scharnhorst demonstrated that individual intellect through professional mastery is essential to a military’s success. Professional mastery stimulates innovation when investing in high-cost military technology is not viable. Through innovation in areas such as operational concepts, organisational structure and astute acquisition decisions, our military can still maintain its edge. Conversely, without professional mastery, we are at the risk of frittering away precious national resources and ultimately losing the influence we have long enjoyed in the region. Scharnhorst points out the various external factors such as political, social, moral and economic considerations that influence military operations. While the military may not control these external factors, professional mastery will prepare us to best contribute to the bounds of these factors. Technology alone does not guarantee military success; it is the professional ability of our military members that will exploit our current capability platforms to their fullest. Scharnhorst, owing to his professional mastery, sensed a new way of war through analysis of the French use of combined arms. Scharnhorst adopted the concept and revolutionised the Prussian military through the application of this innovative approach. He could foresee that the development of a professionally educated general staff corps would give the commander superior decision-making capability through a co-ordinated and unified approach. Reading through Scharnhorst’s experience, it is evident that we need to prioritise strategic alignment across services and domains through co-ordination and broader consultation. Importantly, benefits from military change initiatives take a long time to take effect. Scharnhorst has shown us the repercussions when militaries are caught off-guard and consequently ill-prepared to meet the evolving strategic context. Recent reforms to our joint professional military education, including revamp of the Australian War College curriculum, provide us with a head start to meet tomorrow’s challenges. However, a genuine commitment to the profession of arms is required from each one of us for reforms to be effective in time. Scharnhorst was a strong proponent of a continuous inquiry-based study of war that embraced debate and open exchange of ideas. We are fortunate to be part of an organisation that encourages discussion and debate of new concepts and innovations in warfare. Our inquiry-based joint professional military education, supported by initiatives such as online learning hubs and discussion forums, provides individuals from across Defence, irrespective of experience or rank, opportunities to challenge the status quo and contribute to the collective mastery of war. Through professional mastery, individuals can influence organisational outcomes so that we are best prepared to anticipate and respond to future conflicts. However, professional mastery requires a career-long commitment to joint professional military education that cannot be gained through training courses alone. Professional mastery involves an attitude of introspection, inquisitiveness and a desire to make a difference.

https://theforge.defence.gov.au/publications/scharnhorst-and-professional-mastery

I primarily work with gay men. I work with men on the issues in their lives that need attention. Men come to me when they feel blocked or unsatisfied or are in time of transition. We work hard together to accomplish their goals. My job is to make sure those goals get met. I have been a coach since before I even knew it. By that I mean that coaching comes so naturally to me. For me, it's all about being curious about people and wanting to help people fulfill their dreams. I love engaging with people in that process. It is what I do for work, and at the same time, it is one of the purposes of my life. I am indeed a fortunate man. Like all men who grew up gay, I am especially sensitive to the wounds incurred during those early years. I have fought to not let those wounds limit me. I am passionate about helping other men do the same. The goal for many of us is to break through those old habits to become the men we are destined to be. I believe that gay men have many gifts to offer as well. The world needs those gifts. I know that having a coach is one of the best ways to make sure your talents and gifts are manifested. I also work for the Body Electric School, something I am also very passionate about. Teaching men to be more erotically alive, to let go of body shame, and to increase sensual pleasure is one of my greatest joys. It is good work and I believe in it wholeheartedly. I love being a friend, an uncle, a brother, and a neighbor. All of my relationships are very important to me. I have a terrific life partner, Dan, who is my most significant relationship. From all of my relations I derive love and strength and constant energy to do what I do and to be who I am. I live in New York City. I moved there almost ten years ago after living in Connecticut for most of my adult life. I felt called to live in NYC and had to follow that energy. I made a big move, both home and career. It was a big move, one that took a little over two years to complete. I could not have done it without the guidance and clarity and support of my own coach. I have now worked with this same coach for ten years and consider him to be a vital source of support for my life. I practice both meditation (Vipassana) and yoga (Hatha). Both keep me balanced (a constant practice) and help to slow me down. I am a pretty high-energy person. Living in NYC is a challenging place to be grounded and mindful.

https://thegaycoaches.com/michaelcohen

THE GOODTIMERS NEED YOUR HELP. When we volunteered to become the new Goodtimers, it was with the vision and hope that the structure of the Board would shift. Through overwhelming feedback on the Glen facebook page about this topic back in the Spring, it was clear that A LOT of people wanted to help out WHEN THEY COULD. The idea of being able to sign up for ONE event a year and help a small group of people plan and implement that one event was very appealing to many, including the six of us who stepped up to become the Goodtimers. After rapidly pulling off a successful Glen Days and then Bingo last week, it is now time to put this idea into action. Each event will have one Goodtimer leading it, with volunteers working alongside them. It would be our hope that this small committee would continue as that event planning committee in the years moving forward as well. In this way, we can all contribute a little bit, while still getting to just enjoy our slice of paradise here for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, without this new structure and without your help, we can’t run all of the events that we’ve planned for. We are very optimistic, however, that the new structure of event sub-committees can and will work! Check out the list of events at the sign-up link, and the dates that they are planned for to ensure you are available, and then sign your name and lot number. And we THANK YOU in advance for your contribution to our incredible community!! I will also have a paper sign-up sheet at the main office in upcoming weeks for those who prefer that. The Talent Show is seeking talent!!!

https://theglenatmaplefalls.com/the-goodtimers-all-events-volunteer-sign-up/

Meet Barry Adams. Barry’s practice mainly focuses on probate and trust law and over the course of the podcast, Rick and Barry talk about some of Barry’s more tricky cases and his thoughts on that area of law in general. They also discuss the impact of the fires in California and how it is affecting the people in the region. What kind of cases do you typically encounter? Barry has been doing almost exclusively probate and trust work since 1993 so he’s had quite a bit of experience in that area. Since he’s in the middle of two major regions he gets a wide variety of cases but he often gets a lot of litigation cases but prefers to avoid the litigation if he can. Practicing in Northern California has a very different feel than the cases in Orange County. Most of Barry’s clients find him through existing clients and other attorneys, but he’s getting a lot more from the internet than he expected would be the case. The California court system is the biggest in the world, it’s actually bigger than the Federal system. Each county also tends to do things a little differently which can create some difficulties for the practitioners. Are the fires in Sonoma County causing a lot of issues? Definitely, Barry has had a number of clients that have lost all their documents along with their house to the fire. Because of the number of homes that have been lost and the number of people that want to rebuild, there is a massive labor shortage in the area and the cost per square foot is going up. The scale of the destruction is creating really complicated issues but at the end of the day, these people are just trying to put their lives back together. How do you approach new cases that come through your doors? Barry’s approach has changed over the years. He usually looks for beneficiaries that are being taken advantage of, he’s been in that kind of situation before a number of times and wants to prevent it if he can. Elder abuse and elder fraud are also pretty common in Barry’s practice. Oftentimes, the abuser ends up being a failure to launch sort of situation but when it happens, Barry is happy to fight the good fight. Barry relates a story where the daughter of a widow took over the finances after the spouse died and ended up squandering the money while bouncing mom from old age home to old age home. The abuser is those situations often have a sense of entitlement that causes a number of problems that you wouldn’t see with a stranger. The parents have to recognize the fact that there is going to be an issue in order to not leave a mess for the more responsible child. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and leave a 5-star rating and review in iTunes!

https://thegordianknotshow.com/barry-adams-california-devastation-and-rebuilding/

The submitter mentionned that this picture comes from the official trailer available for "Law Abiding Citizen". As an actress, Viola Davis played in movies such as Disturbia, released in 2007 (character: Detective Parker), Suicide Squad (2016) playing Amanda Waller, State of Play (2009) in which she plays Dr. Joy Jackson, Ender's Game (2008) portraying Major Gwen Anderson, Far from Heaven (2002) portraying Sybil, and The Architect (2006) portraying Tonya Neely. As an actor, Jamie Foxx acted in movies such as Dreamgirls, released in 2006 portraying Curtis Taylor, Jr., The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996) in which he portrays Ed, Collateral (2004) portraying Max, Due Date (2010) in which he portrays Jim, Held Up (1999) portraying Michael, and The Soloist (2008) (Nathaniel Ayers).

https://theiapolis.com/movie-2S1I/law-abiding-citizen/gallery/law-abiding-citizen-1021609.html

According to NASA’s article, Climate Change: How Do We Know?, the current warming trends result from human activity starting in the mid-20th century. Because of the increasing temperatures, Earth is progressing faster than expected. Such progressions are ice and snow melting causing ocean level to rise, increases UV rays that are being absorbed by the ocean making the water warmer and natural disasters becoming more dangerous and active. People who believe in science and listen to what scientists are saying have been trying to make people in power to pass laws to help slow the progression of greenhouse gases, especially in April 2010, when BP had an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since fossil fuels turn into greenhouse gases, which go up into the clouds, it rains and all those chemicals get stuck in the ocean and other water sources, meaning more chemicals means more acidic water, which leads to acid rain. Presidents and other world figures have set out laws, rules, and regulations to aid in slowing the process of global warming so we can reverse the damage. Some feel that President Donald Trump would rather help fossil fuel companies line their pockets better than saving the environment. While conservative station believe this to be an opinion or liberal talk to make him look bad, liberals state it is hard to refute facts when he physically signs off on rollbacks. Also stating that with the help of Republicans in Congress, Trump has made these eliminations a priority. Critics of Trump say he isn’t listening to what the people want and that he is listening to what the big money people want or believes they want. In the Washington Post article, How Trump is Rolling Back Obama’s Legacy, they list 16 cancellations in the works, 37 rules they have already canceled and 17 they have tried to cancel but failed. Some canceled are wildlife and preservation of land, while there are some that pertain to gases and fuel emissions. The reverse is for Trump and his administration believing “they were ‘inconsistent’ with [his] quest for energy independence.” Some of these rules and regulations that have been rolled back are also affecting paperwork, being that they are doing away with certain permits and check-ups that the companies are running more environmentally friendly. Other concerns are fracking on public and protected lands, which not only disrupts the wildlife but can cause damage to water in the area making it toxic, for example, Flint, Michigan. Critics of Trump say he is showing that money is more important than the environment by causing companies to cut corners and not worry about certain rules. When Dr. Thomas Milton, a professor at Mercy College, was asked for his opinion on this matter, he was very willing to give a response. Critics feel that Trump believes that there will be a great turnaround and by making it easier for fossil fuel companies, it will make him more money and more friends. Although, because of the increasing concern for the environment, doing this could have a substantial negative impact on the living conditions of the people.

https://theimpactnews.com/news/2019/10/31/trumps-not-so-eco-friendly-choices/

In I Do, Jack (David W. Ross) is a British gay man living in the states whose work visa expires just as his brother dies and Jack is left with the task of helping to raise the child alongside an embittered sister-in-law (Alicia Witt). In an effort to stay in the U.S., Jack fakes a marriage to a lesbian friend (Jamie-Lynn Sigler). This works out great until, you guessed it, Jack meets Mr. Right. There are those films you watch fully expecting to really enjoy them only to find yourself watching the closing credits roll by and wondering why it just never clicked. I Do is such a film. The film was quite popular on the LGBT fest scene including picking up an award for writer/actor David W. Ross as "Emerging Talent" at Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2nd Place for the Audience Award among narrative features at Palm Springs International Film Festival, another Rising Star award for Ross at Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and the Audience Award at Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. The DVD packaging for I Do is filled to the brim with extras (listed in the credits) and it's clear that the fine folks at QC Cinema, the LGBT distribution arm for Breaking Glass Pictures, has high hopes for this indie release come September 3rd. While it's unclear if this was a production issue or a filming issue, the film suffered quite a bit from noticeable tracking issues on the DVD screener sent to The Independent Critic for review. Given that the full packaging was received, it's hard not to wonder about the issue that served as a distraction on more than one occasion. Unquestionably making statements about the state of marriage equality in the United States, I Do is for the most part a simple and straightforward film that does reveal Ross's promise as both writer and actor (though I'd lean towards writer). He's penned a film that clearly has his own character as the focus, with both female counterparts a little too consistently edgy and angry to ever become truly compelling characters. In fact, beyond the film's production issues its biggest problem may very well be the lack of a character that really draws you in and makes you want to follow through with the entire story. The situation itself has been done to death before in cinema and, quite honestly,feels just a touch antiquated. Without a character to draw us in, I Do never really does.

https://theindependentcritic.com/i_do

And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. The fig tree was pretending to be something it was not. It looked nice and pretty, but the fruit wasn’t there. Jesus wants us to bear fruit. Note that Jesus wouldn’t have cursed the tree had it been leafless, and without fruit. Be what you are, don’t pretend to be something that you aren’t. Either you follow Jesus wholeheartedly, or you reject Him. The fate of those who outwardly follow Him, but bear no fruit, will be cursed like the fig tree. “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! Posted on January 8, 2011, in Exhortation and tagged Christianity, False Christians, God, Heart, Jesus, Salvation, Truth. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments. Good word. At least if we acknowledge that we are a mess, God can then begin to help us get back on the path, but to pretend to be “just fine” and in good spiritual condition when we know full well that we are not closes the door on God’s desire to grow us. Great comment! I absolutely agree. I don’t think that we can come to God unless we are honest about who we are. God is near to the humble, but watches the proud from afar. This scripture pierces the soul and reminds us to be genuine in our walk with the King and it encourages us to be diligent to abide in Him which is the only way we are able to bear fruit, for without Him we can do nothing. Absolutely, Gary! He is everything and without Him, we are as good as the cursed tree. you’re working with? I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a difficult time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique. Romans 10:4, which says: “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes,” will help in understanding what is means that Christians are not under the law. The apostle Paul clarifies the effects of original sin in Romans 2:12, stating “All who sin apart from the law will perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.” All men stand condemned before God, whether they are Jews or not, or to put it another way, whether they have the Law of God or not. Paul also states “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Law is the issue that has to be dealt with in order to bring us into a right relationship with God. “Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). This passage reveals that the Law cannot justify or make righteous any man in God’s sight, which is why God sent His Son to completely fulfil the requirements of the Law for all those who would ever believe in Him. The account of Jesus cursing the barren fig tree is found in two different gospel accounts. First, it is seen in Matthew 21:18-22, and then also in Mark 11:12-14. While there are slight differences between the two accounts, they are easily reconciled by studying the passages. Like all Scripture, the key to understanding this passage comes from understanding the context in which it happened. In order to properly understand this passage, we must first look at the chronological and geographical setting. For example, when did this occur, what was the setting, and where did it happen? Also, in order to fully understand this passage, we need to have an understanding of the importance of the fig tree as it relates to the nation of Israel and understand how the fig tree is often used in the Scriptures to symbolically represent Israel. Finally, we must have a basic understanding of the fig tree itself, its growing seasons, etc.

https://thekingspresence.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/the-lesson-of-the-fig-tree/

Ecuador was a private investment-oriented country until 2006, when the government changed its direction and unilaterally amended the participation contracts for oil exploration and exploitation, introducing a clause establishing a legal requirement for government participation of up to 99 per cent of the difference between the international price of crude oil in force at the time such contracts were entered into (mostly in 1995) and the actual price. Shortly after this, during 2007 and 2008, the Constitutional Assembly heavily amended the taxation laws, imposing barriers to the judicial discussion of tax determination, increasing the taxation rates for private individuals and limiting tax incentives for corporate reinvestment of profits. Additionally, the scheme of taxation on corporate profits was also amended to double tax dividends, with both a corporate tax on profits and tax on personal income, and introducing a system where, even without taxable profits, companies and corporations were submitted to income tax on unearned profits, based on a rate of taxation of net worth. Public enterprises, on the contrary, were widely promoted, and privatisation was eliminated. Bilateral investment treaties (BITs) were affected by Constitutional Court decisions holding some of them as contrary to the Constitution. Several BITs were denounced by Ecuador between 2007 and 2016, as was the ICSID Convention. The still-in-force BITs with Italy, Peru, Spain, the United States, Canada, Venezuela, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, China, Germany and the United Kingdom were denounced last May 2017, during the last days of the term of former president Rafael Correa. The Ministry of Foreign Commerce under new president Lenin Moreno has proposed new negotiations with the United States and other countries based on a draft prepared by his office. The free trade agreement originally signed between Peru and Colombia with the European Union, to which Ecuador adhered has been in force since 1 January 2017, with good results for free commerce. The new government of Lenin Moreno, inaugurated on 24 May 2017, announced changes to encourage new investments, some of which became effective on 1 January 2018 and others on 21 August 2018. The Constitutional Court has decided that the judges should not fulfil the provisional measures ordered by international investment arbitration panels, under the theory that they affect the sovereign state.2 Civil judges fulfilled the Constitutional Court order and compelled a foreign investor to enforce a judgment3 that the panel of arbitrators had ordered to temporarily stay,4 provisional measures that were extended in a first award that declared the liability of the Republic of Ecuador for denial of justice. The Council of Citizenship Participation and Social Control, empowered by the results of a referendum called by President Moreno, dismissed the nine judges of the Constitutional Court on September 2018 grounded on allegations of corruption. A new Constitutional Court is in the process of being appointed. For taxation purposes there is no distinction between corporations (stock corporations), limited liability companies, partnerships, joint ventures, consortia or any other kind of business associations for profits, whether legally established or formed de facto. The most commonly used forms of business structures are stock corporations (SA) and limited liability companies. The main differences between these two kinds of enterprises are that shares may be freely negotiated in stock corporations, while quotas of limited liability companies may only be transferred with the unanimous consent of all the partners or quota holders, and as a consequence, quotas of limited liability companies may not be seized or sold in public auction, although profits declared as dividends may be subject to seizure by debtors of the partners of limited liability companies. All of the above types of associations for business are considered under the general term of 'companies', and all of them are taxed under the same taxation principles. All companies are under a duty of registration before the Internal Revenue Service (SRI). Branches of foreign companies authorised to conduct business in Ecuador are also taxed under the same general rules, as are permanent establishments of foreign companies. Commercial trusts conducting entrepreneurial activities, independent or autonomous patrimonies (whether with or without juridical personality), and any other entity with economic unity not linked with its members are considered as companies for the purposes of taxation, and their benefits are treated in the same way that corporate profits are and are subject, in general, to the same formal tax obligations. Managers of trusts are liable for estate and donation taxes when trusts are devised to transfer assets. Civil companies incorporated with the approval of any notary are subject to the same taxation scheme. Limited liability unipersonal enterprises (i.e., established by only one person as managing owner) are treated for taxation purposes as stock corporations concerning profits and declared dividends. In practice, 'civil and commercial companies', which are not recognised by any law, have also developed as businesses, and are subject to the same taxation treatment as all companies. Companies are subject to a flat-rate income tax of 25 per cent, which is calculated after the 15 per cent workers' and employees' profit share is deducted. However, companies intending to use their profits to increase their capital for the purpose of investments in new industrial plants or other specially determined capital investments are taxed at a rate of 12 per cent. All company revenues and earnings are subject to income tax in Ecuador, except income obtained abroad if it was taxed abroad unless such income is obtained in tax havens. Under specific tax treaties implemented to avoid double taxation, including the Andean Community of Nations regulations on double taxation, source-of-income principles on income taxation are applicable. All expenses directly incurred to obtain, maintain and increase revenues by the company are deductible provided that they are shown in legally approved invoices, and if such expenses were incurred for payments abroad, a withholding income tax of 22 per cent is withheld. Generally, 20 years' amortisation is applicable to buildings and constructions, while three to five years' amortisation is applicable to moveable property, although under specific conditions faster amortisation might be applied considering the obsolescence of the assets, while amortisation of investments, including pre-operational investments, is five years. Intangibles are amortised over 20 years. However, under international accounting standards rules, companies may establish their own amortisation and depreciation rates according to the effective life of each asset. Amortisation of 100 per cent is provided for the acquisition of equipment destined to improve clean production, the generation of renewable energy or reduction of environmental harm. Losses may be amortised or carried over for a period of five years, with a maximum of 25 per cent of the losses per year. Individuals, including those conducting commercial business without a company structure, are taxed at a progressive rate from 5 to 35 per cent. Dividends earned from companies are added to individuals' income, but income tax paid by the company is deemed as tax credit unless it is higher than the applicable tax on such dividends received by such individuals. Fiscal years correspond to calendar years. Income tax returns are filed during the first four months of the year by companies, and during the first three months by individuals, when the income tax or any balance thereof is also paid. Advanced income tax payment for the next year is equivalent to 50 per cent of the income tax of the preceding year, calculated after deduction of the amounts withheld at the source of the income. This is paid in two instalments during July and September. Such advanced income tax is calculated on the basis of the mathematical addition of 0.2 per cent of the net worth, 0.2 per cent of the expenses, 0.4 per cent of the total assets and 0.4 per cent of taxable income if such sum is higher than the advanced payment calculated on the basis of 50 per cent of income tax. Tax returns and tax payments are filed and made through private banking institutions. The SRI is the only national administrative body regarding income tax, VAT, tax on special consumption and tax on remittances of money abroad, and other national taxes except customs duties, which are under the control of the National Customs Corporation. Municipalities administer and control municipal taxes such as, inter alia, real property tax, tax on transfers of real property, tax on capital gains derived from the sale of real property, tax on business capital assets and business year authorisation tax. The SRI has offices and agencies in all cities in Ecuador. The SRI and other tax authorities have the power to regulate the application of taxes and answer matters raised by taxpayers, which become binding. The SRI has the power to audit national taxes and to decide on administrative claims filed by taxpayers concerning the results of tax decisions. Taxpayers may claim against original tax decisions or final administrative decisions before the courts. However, to suspend the enforcement of the decision of the taxing authorities, in the event a judicial claim is filed, a bond equivalent to 10 per cent of the tax debt should be rendered, otherwise the action brought will not be admitted. Holding companies – that is, companies whose only corporate purpose is to own shares, quotas or rights in other companies with the purpose of having direct control over such other companies – may consolidate the financial results of all of the controlled companies, but for the purposes of taxation, each company forming the economic group is an independent taxpayer. For the purposes of control by the SRI and other tax authorities, economic groups are those where one or more persons have at least a 40 per cent participation in other companies. The importance of economic groups relates to the rules on transfer pricing either internally or externally. VAT is applicable to the transfer of ownership or to the importation of moveable goods of a corporeal nature in all phases of trading, as well as to the transfer of copyright and connected rights, and industrial property rights, and to services rendered as provided in the law. The ordinary rate is 12 per cent of the price or value of the good or service, except for some transactions that are subject to a zero per cent rate (which means that, in practice, there is tax). Transfers for the purposes of the application of VAT are any act or contract intended to transfer ownership of the above-mentioned goods or rights, either by sale or gift, and the use or consumption of corporeal moveable goods produced by the user or consumer. transfers of shares, quotas or participations in companies. VAT paid in the acquisition of goods or services are tax credits with respect to VAT generated in the transfer of goods or rendering of services by a taxpayer subject to VAT. Tax on special consumption is applicable to the importation or transfer of specific moveable goods of a corporeal nature or to specific services determined by law, such as cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, sodas, perfumes, video games, firearms, incandescent bulbs, vehicles, aeroplanes, ships, paid television services, casino services and social club affiliation services. The rates vary from 10 to 300 per cent of the price of the goods or services. All transfers of assets or rights to juridical persons or individuals domiciled in tax heaven jurisdictions are deemed as donations and subject to the applicable tax. The municipalities also collect taxes on real property and on the transfer of real property, including taxes on capital gains derived from the sale of real property. There is also a tax on funds maintained abroad by financial companies and banks, and by companies managing funds and trusts. Under the Environmental Development and State Resources Optimisation Act of 2012 (Act of 2012), banana production is subject to income tax calculated on the basis of a rate of 2 per cent on gross revenues. This way of determining income tax might be applicable, if requested by the producers' associations, to agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture activities. The Law on tax incentives for certain sectors, in force since 12 October 2016, imposes on other subsectors of agriculture activities, as well as on other subsectors of the fishery industry and of the aquaculture industries, a tax of 1 to 2 per cent on gross revenues. Under the Act of 2012 and its amendments, rates for a special consumption tax on beer and cigarettes were increased through different models of calculations of taxation on units and ad valorem, or a mixture of both. Special consumption tax rates on other goods were also changed, especially in connection with vehicles, to encourage the production and importation of hybrid or electrical vehicles. A special tax on environmental contamination is applicable to persons or companies that are owners of motor vehicles. The rates are established on the basis of the impact to the environment (based on the size and the age of the vehicle). Companies incorporated in Ecuador should determine the city of their domicile. Foreign companies that have decided to conduct activities in Ecuador may obtain the approval of the Superintendence of Companies to establish a branch in Ecuador, while financial institutions, insurance companies and banks may obtain the same authorisation from the Superintendence of Banks and Insurance. With such authorisations, the entities involved establish the tax domicile of such branches as Ecuador at the same time. Like most taxpayers in Ecuador, they should register as taxpayers with the SRI. Foreign companies receiving earnings from an Ecuadorian source may appoint an attorney-in-fact to represent them with respect to tax obligations in Ecuador. Taxpayer registration should also be obtained. Financial institutions may have representatives in Ecuador, but they are not allowed to transact business. Branches of foreign companies authorised to conduct business in Ecuador are subject, in general, to the same tax regime as domestic companies. Permanent establishments of foreign companies are qualified by the SRI if specific factors or elements of permanent presence in Ecuador exist, such as places to conduct economic activities in Ecuador, factories, warehouses, offices or a person with enough power to act as an agent of the foreign company. Such permanent establishments are taxed on the same basis as other companies doing business in Ecuador, whether incorporated in Ecuador or established as branches of foreign companies. Holding companies, namely, companies whose only corporate purpose is to acquire and maintain shares in other companies for the purposes of controlling them, may consolidate their balance sheets with the controlled companies, but each one of the controlled companies has an independent taxation regime. It is deemed that economic groups are formed by companies whose shares are owned in a proportion of 40 per cent or more by the same company or by the same group of companies, or belonging to the same physical persons. Holding companies are not subject to advanced payment of income tax that other companies and other taxpayers are. No special beneficial tax regimes are allowed in Ecuador. However, special incentives consisting in exoneration of income tax have been granted to new investment in several areas, including cinematography, audiovisuals, biotechnology and applied software. Investors conducting business as concessionaires of state-owned resources may enter into investment contracts with the government, whereby the state may guarantee that the economic equilibrium in the contract will be maintained if laws increasing the taxation affecting the concessionaire are implemented. Reinvestments of company profits through capitalisation, if such capitalisation is destined for the acquisition of capital assets destined for production and scientific development (except real property), are subject to income tax at a rate of 12 per cent instead of 25 per cent. Foreign investors not domiciled in tax havens are not subject to income tax on profits or dividends earned from local companies in which they own shares or have participation. However, as previously explained, the companies pay income tax on the companies' profits, which, with the exception of dividends received by physical persons, dividends received by companies as stockholders or partners of other companies, are not double taxed. Special deductions are granted for five years for expenses incurred in training aimed at research, development and innovation conducted by medium-sized companies, as well for the expenses of such companies aimed at improving productivity or incurred during travel for commercial promotion and access to international markets. Newly incorporated companies that have their activities in cities other than the urban areas of Quito and Guayaquil, and that are carrying out food production, forestry and products thereof, or are producing or involved in metal mechanisms, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, tourism, renewable energy, logistical services in foreign commerce, biotechnology, software and strategic sectors determined by the president, are income tax-exempted for five years after starting productive activities on revenues derived from new investments. New productive investments, made after 21 August 2018, in agriculture, forestry, metallic mechanical industries, the petrochemical and oil chemical sector, pharmaceuticals, tourism, cinematography, audiovisuals, renewable energy, logistic services for foreign commerce, biotechnology and applied software, exported services, development and services of software, production and development of technological hardware, digital infrastructure, digital content, online services, energy efficiency, sustainable industries on materials and technology of construction, industrial, agro-industrial and agro-associative sectors, as well as sectors considered as strategic substitutes of import will be exempted for 12 years after the first year of generation of revenues, except if such investments are located in the urban areas of the cities of Quito and Guayaquil, which will enjoy such exemption for eight years after the first year of revenues earnings. However, private financial companies, banks and issuers of credit cards do not enjoy the benefit of a 10 per cent deduction on income for reinvestment of profits, and have the duty to anticipate income tax on the basis of 3 per cent on gross revenues (with a possible reduction to 1 per cent). The monthly tax rate on funds and investments abroad of financial institutions and companies devoted to investment funds and trusts is established at 0.25 per cent, which increases to 0.35 per cent in the case of deposits or investment in tax havens. Financial services are subject to 12 per cent VAT, instead of zero per cent. Banks and financial institutions are under the duty to supply the SRI with any requested information of concern to taxpayers as the clients of such entities, without restriction. All kinds of payments or credits abroad representing taxable income or reimbursement of taxable income are subject to 25 per cent withholding by domestic companies and business entities. Since companies' profits are taxable income for the companies, no withholding is applicable on taxes, unless the person or company receiving the dividend is a resident of a tax haven or of a country having a tax burden lower than the tax rate in force in Ecuador. Withholding is not applicable to reimbursement of expenses if certified by international firms of auditors doing business both in Ecuador and in the foreign country, unless reimbursement corresponds to fees, royalties or commissions. payments for international leasing of capital assets if the interest is no higher than the LIBOR rate, unless the lessee does not opt to acquire the leased assets, provided that the leasing is not made with persons linked with the lessee or payments made to tax havens, or the lease term is lower than the estimated life of the asset. Indirect expenses charged from abroad to companies domiciled in Ecuador by their related parties are deductible expenses for the local company or the company doing business in Ecuador, provided such expenses do not exceed 5 per cent of the basis of the taxable income. In the case of companies conducting activities in the area of non-renewable natural resources, expenses connected with technical and administrative services are also considered among these indirect expenses. Ecuador is a member of the Andean Community of Nations (CA) and is, therefore, ruled by Andean decisions on double taxation that establish, as a general principle, that income tax is only applicable in the country where the activity of the company is located, and that no withholding tax may be applied in connection with payments from one member country to another member country of the CA. Treaties to avoid double taxation are in force with Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Romania, Spain and Switzerland. The treaty with Argentina is limited to air operations. Ecuador is also a member of the 1979 Madrid Convention to avoid double taxation on copyright royalties and droit de suite. Bilateral treaties are framed on the basis of the principle of origin or source of the income to establish the power to tax and the right of taxpayers to credit tax paid abroad. Some of them, such as the treaty with Italy, provide for a maximum rate of withholding tax. If income that has been imposed abroad to companies domiciled in Ecuador there is no taxation in Ecuador, irrespective of any treaty provisions, unless income was taxed in tax haven jurisdictions. All companies should withhold 25 per cent of all dividends paid or advanced. In the case of dividends received by physical persons residing in Ecuador, such withholding constitutes a tax credit. If received by other companies established in Ecuador, it is a final income tax. If dividends are remitted abroad, the withholding is attributed as income tax for the person who has received the dividends so as to enable such foreign taxpayer to use it as a tax credit. Together with original capital contributed by stockholders, quota holders or, in general, partners, companies are funded with credit, including credit from partners and issuance of debentures or bonds, which is only permitted for stock corporations. Tax laws do not establish restrictions on debt or equity restrictions, but regulations on banks do provide such restrictions. Company losses should not exceed 50 per cent of net worth, otherwise companies should be dissolved unless such losses are offset either by direct contribution of the stockholders or partners, or through an increase of capital. Investment funds should reach a net worth of at least US$52,578 within six months of starting operations provided they have at least 75 participants, otherwise they should be liquidated. Funds are under the control of the National Securities Council that works within the Superintendence of Corporations, which issues regulations for their operations. Investment funds and complementary funds are tax-exempt, provided they withhold income tax, as applied to dividends, to participants. In general, all finance costs are tax deductible except costs, including interest on foreign credit if the credit has not been registered with the Central Bank, or interest exceeding the tariffs established by the board of directors of the Central Bank, on the portion above the tariff. To deduct interest on foreign loans registered with the Central Bank, the amount of such loans should not exceed 300 per cent of a company's net worth or 60 per cent of the total assets of physical persons. The general principle is that net profits should be distributed unless intended for other uses, such as capital contributions or the offset of losses. Stock corporations and limited liability companies should distribute at least 50 per cent of net profits unless there is a decision otherwise unanimously approved by the general meeting of stockholders or quota holders. Therefore, the payment of dividends on such 50 per cent of net profits is compulsory, unless otherwise approved unanimously by such general meetings. To overcome the objection to direct profits towards other objectives, after declaring dividends on the proportion established in the law, the general meeting may approve a capital increase by the offset of credits on the amount declared as dividends. Reduction of capital is allowed if the remaining capital permits the company to continue the business. Such reduction of capital does not generate income tax. Unless foreign companies already have a corporate entity in Ecuador, they acquire companies in Ecuador through a company incorporated abroad. Normally the business is created through an acquisition of shares, after due diligence, since such transfer does not generate any tax. Mergers do not generate any taxes. The surviving company is liable for all tax obligations of the merging companies. Only mergers between companies established in Ecuador are allowed. Divisions of companies do not generate taxes. The agreement to split a company must determine how the companies will divide the profit and losses for the period the division is registered. Such agreement may provide that one of the companies will have the profits and losses of the original company. If the losses and profits are divided among the new companies, the profit and loss statement should establish an equitable allocation of the revenues with the costs. A change of corporate domicile within Ecuador does not incur any tax penalties or effects. A change to a domicile abroad causes the dissolution of the company. Companies established in tax havens or low-tax jurisdictions, when transacting with local companies, are deemed related companies and, therefore, the costs incurred in such transactions are tax deductible only if their value corresponds to the commercial principles of arm's-length dealings. Dividends received by companies established in tax haven jurisdictions or low-tax jurisdictions are not tax-exempt, and are therefore deemed taxable income. An important decision was entered on 18 July 2013 by the Taxation Chamber of the National Court of Justice5 declaring as acceptable tax-deductible expenses the interest paid to related companies based on a contract between the Republic of Ecuador and a company operating an oil pipeline. However, through an action for extraordinary protection that under the Constitution is designed to guarantee due process of law, and to defend constitutional, human rights and civil liberties, the SRI obtained from the Constitutional Court vacation of the final decision6 and ordered the alternate judges of the Taxation Chamber of the National Court of Justice to enter a new decision, which was issued on 24 July 2014,7 by newly appointed associate judges, which considered that interest paid by the company operating the pipeline under a contract with the Republic was not a deductible expense, and established a new income tax with a surcharge of 20 per cent as a sanction for the taxpayer corporation. Previously, the Council of the Judiciary, without granting the judges that issued the 18 July 2013 decision the right to a hearing, had suspended and dismissed these judges.8 The Council of Citizenship Participation and Social Control dismissed all the Constitutional Court judges that rendered the decision. No special tax rules exist with respect to companies established in Ecuador that are controlled by foreign corporations. All companies under the control of the Superintendence of Banks or the Superintendence of Companies having foreign companies as share or quota holders should remit to such entities the list of the partners of such foreign companies or a certificate providing evidence that they are public companies whose shares are registered on a stock exchange. The transfer pricing regime is established with the purpose of ensuring that prices between related parties are established under the same parameters as prices between independent parties. Therefore, such prices should reflect principles of competition and comparability, and a methodology for establishing such prices is submitted for the approval of the SRI. However, the transfer pricing regime is not applicable if the taxpayer pays income tax equivalent to at least 3 per cent of total gross revenues, does not conduct business with residents in tax havens or low-tax jurisdictions and does not have contracts with the state for the exploration and exploitation of non-renewable resources. It is possible to consult the SRI or other tax authorities on the interpretation and application of tax laws. The answers to such consultations are compulsory for both the tax authorities and the taxpayer, which constitutes a risk for the taxpayer. There are no cases of legal requirements to have such tax ruling in advance with respect to acquiring local business or in other cases linked to income tax. Since 2009, all physical persons having a patrimony higher than US$200,000 have been required to present each year a declaration concerning their assets and liabilities. Purportedly, this information will permit the establishment of a tax on the patrimony of physical persons in the future – a tax that has the support of the SRI's main officers as a means to reduce alleged inequalities. Regulations enacted during 2012 have established that physical persons not having the obligation to bear accounting books but with a certain level of gross revenues should report (in online form) all their expenses on a monthly basis to the SRI. The Organic Law for Productive Development, published on 21 August 2018, re-established the rate of 25 per cent for corporate income tax, but this rate was increased to 28 per cent for companies having stockholders, partners, participants, incorporators, beneficiaries or similar physical persons regarding whom the companies have not informed to the regulator authority and to the SRI or if within the channel of ownership there are residents linked with a tax haven. Such law also provided for a progressive capital gain tax of 2 per cent to 10 per cent on the sale of shares or other participation titles on companies. The surcharges on imports were eliminated as a consequence of a formal proceeding initiated by the Secretary General of the Andean Community. The organic Law to avoid the evasion of taxation on inheritances is still in force. Thereunder, beneficiaries of trusts are subject to progressive taxation of between 5 per cent and 35 per cent. A Public and Private Alliance Act establishing tax exemptions or benefits for energy and mining investment projects, supported by government planning, entered in force on 18 December 2015. Such law aims to encourage public projects in association with private investors by avoiding the rules for public contracting for specific projects. VAT returned to 12 per cent from mid-2017. A special law on capital gains derived from sale of real property was enacted on 31 December 2016 establishing a rate of 75 per cent on the difference of the price at the time of acquisition after 1 January 2017 and the price of the first sale thereafter. Under the plebiscite called by president Moreno such law was abrogated. The Organic Law on Reactivation of the Economy, in force since 1 January 2018, exempted microenterprises from income tax for three years, eliminated the exemption of income tax on reinvestment of corporate profits, increased personal income tax for professionals, granted the SRI authority to establish presumptive profits, returned to the old income tax rate of 25 per cent for corporate income, except for microenterprises and exporting companies, established special tax reductions of value added tax if payment is made electronically, increased the term for the expiry of customs duties and other taxes based on statute of limitations, created a special gazette destined to inform taxpayers of audits and observations, and increased the powers of the Superintendence of Banks. The Organic Law for Productive Development, in force since 21 August 2018, created special tax incentives exempting from income tax for 12 years new companies devoted to listed activities and businesses, granted a tax amnesty for payment of taxes owed condoning fines and interest, permitted the submission to international arbitration under specific rules controversies between the state and foreign investors investing tens of millions of dollars or more under investment contracts, and established additional tax incentives and benefits to private parties entering into alliances with public entities for conducting joint projects in specific areas. The Law also eliminated the subsidy to high-octane fuel, but maintained the subsidies for low-octane fuel and diesel. A new trend to develop private investment, including foreign investment, has been implemented since 24 May 2017, when president Lenin Moreno was sworn in. Certain actions against corruption have been taken mainly through the Council of Citizenship Participation and Social Control, which dismissed all the members of the Council of the Judiciary to try to support the independence of the judicial system. The Council also dismissed, as said above, all the judges of the Constitutional Court because of allegations of corruption. It is expected that the new constitutional judges to be appointed will not be linked with the Executive Branch. The former government had appropriated and confiscated the revenues of private pension funds, and had used funds destined to cover the social security benefits of retired persons in the public healthcare sector. The retirement pensions of members of the armed forces and of members of the national were also reduced. The net worth and the cash flow of companies devoted to prepaid medical care has been affected by a law ordering that such companies should reimburse the amounts covered by the Social Security Institute. A new Criminal Code, in force since 10 August 2014, considers as criminal offences subject to imprisonment several acts connected with accounting books and supporting documents triggering a reduction in taxes. Criminal liability is also established for juristic persons and corporations subject to the sanction of extinguishing their legal existence. Criminal cases under these new provisions may be brought even without sufficient evidence. A new Organic Monetary and Financial Code, in force since 12 September 2014, contains provisions that may ease the elimination of the dollar as the country's legal currency and the introduction of a new local currency, but the Organic Law for Productive Development, in force since 1 January 2018, has strengthened the dollarisation in force in Ecuador since January 2000. 1 Alejandro Ponce Martínez is a senior partner at Quevedo & Ponce. 2 Prophar SA v. Judge Gabriela Lemos. 3 Prophar S.A. v. Merck & Co. Inc. 4 Merck & Co. Inc. v. the Republic of Ecuador. 5 Compañía Oleductos de Crudos Pesados v. Servicio de Rentas Internas. 6 Servicio de Rentas Internas v. Taxation Chamber of the National Court of Justice, 26 December 2013. 7 Oleducto de Crudos Pesados (OCP) Ecuador v. Servicio de Rentas Internas. 8 Disciplinary action Servicio de Rentas Internas v. Judges José Suing and Gustavo Durango, 20 December 2013. 9 In Juan Quevedo v. Servicio de Rentas Internas, the tax court of first instance ruled that even companies not having net worth and that only represent individuals are subject to anticipate income tax, which applied to double tax individuals. The National Tax Court refused to hear the case.

https://thelawreviews.co.uk/edition/the-inward-investment-and-international-taxation-review-edition-9/1179512/ecuador

In the weeks since Concordia President Judith Woodsworth was dismissed, the university’s political landscape has been upended. The departure, orchestrated by Concordia’s board of governors, ignited long-standing tensions between the university’s academic structure and its increasingly corporate and assertive governing body. On Monday morning, the university’s typically cautious faculty association issued a damning message to the board’s chair and his entourage: resign. The faculty association’s strong statement was the last in a series of escalating demands from groups at the university. The faculty association joined a unanimous motion of non-confidence from the 25 chairs of the faculty of Arts and Science; a call for the removal of the board’s 23 community-at-large members by the Arts and Science Federation of Associations; a call from the Concordia Student Union for the board’s 13 external members whose terms had expired to resign; and a letter signed by 300 professors detailing the need for an investigation into the board’s actions. With the exception of the university’s alumni association, which came out in support of the board, the lines of conflict have been drawn; the board is facing the university’s students, faculty and staff. The final showdown is expected on Jan. 21 at a meeting of the university senate, Concordia’s highest academic body. If the senate approves a motion of non-confidence, the board will officially be found to be operating against the university’s best interests. Since 2000, the university has doled out $10 million in settlements to 45 departing administrators, according to Maria Peluso, the head of the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association. That amount represents the annual tuition of 3,300 Quebec students. Woodsworth’s $703,500 severance package was the latest in the university’s costly history of paying outgoing administrators. An agreement signed by Woodsworth and the board stipulated that the former president’s severance came with the conditions of confidentiality and that she officially resign for personal reasons. On Monday, Peluso told The Link a serious overhaul of the university’s board of governors was needed and would only be achieved through an independent inquiry. The concept of reforming the board has united people from almost every faction within the Concordia community. Dabchy, who is the sole representative of students on the board’s executive committee, fervently defended Woodsworth’s dismissal while Cox motioned to have 23 board members removed from office. However, both agreed that effective university governance required a series of reforms to Concordia’s board of governors. Cox sees the board’s community-at-large members, who are largely corporate executives, as the source of Concordia’s dysfunction. “We need to change the formula,” said Cox. “To increase the internal representation with the students, the faculty, the staff, the ones who actually make the school go round taking up a larger place on the board. Peluso suggested that the board’s members-at-large be split into two groups: the number of corporate representatives would be capped at 10 while, an additional 10 members would be selected from community groups, youth groups and unions. The only group to come to the board’s defence was the university’s alumni association—Dabchy’s employer until recently. The association wrote, in a recently issued statement, that the process was conducted fairly and objectively. Although Dabchy publicly claimed that Woodsworth had lost the confidence of Concordia’s students, the firing has caused a rift within Concordia’s two largest undergraduate student governments. On Monday, just days after one of the most contentious student union meetings in recent memory, five CSU councillors signed a letter denouncing the four undergraduate members who represent students on the board of Governors. The letter also accused the board’s student representatives of acting against their constituents best interests and denounced the CSU councillors who wouldn’t take a stand against the board. At Wednesday’s CSU Council meeting, the five councillors wanted all 23 of the board’s community-at-large members to step down, putting them at odds with some of Council’s more seasoned politicians. Councillor Aaron Green and members of the CSU executive stressed the need for the CSU to be realistic about what change they could achieve by calling for mass resignations. But to many in attendance, their request fell on deaf ears. To the Board’s many opponents, the idea of collaborating with the governing body is no longer possible. While the issue of wholesale reform may have been a fringe topic in early December, the events that have transpired since then have made it a necessity to most groups on campus. With all the rhetoric surrounding the firing, some critics have pointed out that the bigger issues have been lost in the chaos. “It’s the frequency and pattern,” said Peluso of the board’s firing practices. “We don’t have hiring that is sustainable. Did the board not choose Lajeunnesse? Did the board not choose Woodsworth? Or did they choose badly? They need to take responsibility for what they did. By us, she clarified: the university’s students, faculty and staff. This article originally appeared in The Link Volume 31, Issue 19, published January 18, 2011.

https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/were-all-mobilized-all-of-us

On one hand, I can’t believe it’s been five years since the last Harry Potter book came out—on the other, I can’t believe it’s only been five years. The films make that gap seem smaller, especially since they went into greater detail than the other films in the series. I remember, after getting the book at midnight, being driven home (I was fifteen). In the light of the headlights of the car behind me, I perused the table of contents and immediately suspected that the chapter entitled “The Seven Potters” was about Harry’s family. That, of course, was untrue, but it was the last time I was able to theorize about the books with the possibility of having my theory validated in the book. Ah, memories. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finds the wizarding world at war. Entrusted with the task of destroying Voldemort’s Horcruxes, Harry sets out on his quest with Ron and Hermione after the Ministry of Magic falls. Outlaws in the new and tyrannical regime and without any leads, the trio is racing against time to give Harry a fighting chance in the final showdown between good and evil. Something very odd happened while listening to this audiobook. As I listened, I began to experience a nostalgia that began to obscure my critical facilities. This has never happened to me before; I’m very lucky that my surefire nostalgia bombs—Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings—are, in fact, amazing and without rival. (Although not without flaw!) Throughout this revisitation of Harry Potter, I’ve been able to evaluate each book in much the same manner as a book that I’d pick up now. But something about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows just made me glow. My main problem with the series, spotty worldbuilding, persists, but I just didn’t care. Neville was being amazing! Dobby was dying a tragic, but heroic death! Hermione and Ron finally get together! But as much fun and relief all that was, I think part of it was all the themes of Harry Potter finally coming together—love, family, and death. I think my loathing for Snape and his fixation on Lily was compounded by the fact that this is the first book where we encounter Lily as a human being on her own terms. Early in the novel, Harry discovers a letter Lily wrote to Sirius; in the middle of the novel, Harry enters Voldemort’s mind as he relives the night he murdered the Potters; late in the novel, we encounter her spirit. True, we’ve met her before briefly in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but this is the first time she’s presented on her own terms (although we also see her through Snape’s eyes once more). She’s calm, loving, and strong. She doesn’t drop Snape like a hot potato because he insulted her in the heat of the moment; she drops him because she knows exactly what he and his friends think—and will do—about Muggleborns. This revisitation, I was truly touched by Harry’s relationship with his mother; I teared up when he noticed their handwriting was similar. Harry may look a lot like James, but he’s ultimately his mother’s son most of all, shaped as he is by her sacrifice for him. How beautiful. Bottom line: All the themes of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series come to beautiful fruition in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—love, family, and death. A fine end to a good series.

https://theliteraryomnivore.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/reading-by-ear-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows/

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As the book digitizing story continues to get more complex and fragmented, HarperCollins announced yesterday that it will host its copies of digitized books on its own servers rather than Google’s. The books will still be accessible via Google search, but they will not be displayed by Google. HarperCollins deserves some praise for pushing to make its books widely accessible online, but I think a lot depends on how HarperCollins decides to implement this program. The danger here is that dozens of publishers follow HarperCollins’ lead and all set up their own digital fiefdoms with different standards and different rules (and different pricing schemes if publishers decide to charge.) Depending on how well integrated these publisher sites are with Google search (read: how much power publishers decide to let Google have), finding and using these digitized books could become unnecessarily time-consuming. However, if HarperCollins decides to stay closely integrated with Google Book Search, retaining control in a way that is invisible to the reader, then the likelihood of a cumbersome, unnecessarily complex system arising is diminished. I think readers benefit a lot from a system that is unified. Prometheus 6 thinks HarperCollins is approaching this the right way. Booksquare applauds the move. Sarah at GalleyCat is looking forward to getting her hands on the HarperCollins archives. More than a few times, my father has waxed lyrical about my future appearance on David Letterman. “You’ll tell him how your dear dad is your greatest influence.” In this fantasy, I’m not an movie star, or even someone with a talented pet. I’m a novelist. “Dad,” I say, “why would Letterman have me — a writer — on his show?” My father doesn’t have an answer. He just shrugs, as if to say, Why not? My father also believes Oprah would take his call. And that he can hand-sell a thousand copies of my (as yet unpublished) novel to people who owe him favors. “Make it ten thousand,” he says. “Show those numbers to your agent.” Sure, Dad. Okay. But wait. If my father can make good on his promise, and actually sell a decent number of copies of my book — over the phone, from the trunk of his car — then why not do what so many other writers have done recently, and self-publish? In August, droves of self-published authors commented on my essay, “Shutting the Drawer: What Happens When a Book Doesn’t Sell?” about the death of my first book. There was that clichéd rallying cry: “Traditional publishing is on its last legs,” as well as cheerful exhortations for me to take matters into my own hands. E-publishing and print-on-demand, commenters assured me, has made D.I.Y. publishing affordable and easy. I… have spent the last 35 years making art (music, poetry, fiction) that absolutely nobody cares about. For whatever reason, it just doesn’t resonate with folks. It saddened me more when I was younger; now I just accept it. That reality has had no effect on my creative output whatsoever. I can’t stop doing it. It’s just a burning need in me. It’s who I am. I am an artist even if nobody else on earth thinks so. I’d be miserable if I was not sitting down each night to write or make music. So, I’ve learned to create without the need for any kind of audience. It has just been a survival mechanism I guess. I can’t NOT write, I can’t NOT compose and record music, but I also can’t just create all this stuff 24/7 and stick it in a drawer… I like knowing it’s “out there” whatever that means, that it’s in the cosmos and available to be received if any are interested. It’s an intriguing contradiction: the desire to publish a book without an expectation for readers. Neither Victor nor Smolin seemed to anticipate an audience when they decided to self-publish — at least not a large one. Unlike many other self-published authors, they haven’t been tirelessly (some might even say obnoxiously) promoting their work. And yet, both Victor and Smolin maintain a hope for readership. In this regard, self-publishing provides the manuscript with a liminal existence — it’s technically available to the world, even if hardly anyone in the world is aware of it. There is potential, and that’s what matters. Neither of my former-teachers approached the topic of self-publishing from the perspective of platform-building or money-earning, as I’ve seen other self-published writers do. They were both quite noble about the process, actually, and their quiet belief in their own work made me want to read their books. I realized, talking to them, that self-publishing provided a conclusion to their artistic projects. Victor and Smolin are writing other books now; their previous ones have been brought to the world, and are thus finished. Okay, I’m just going to go ahead and say it: At this point in time, self-publishing lacks the cool factor. It’s… dorky. You can also call me someone who loves a well-made, beautifully designed book that makes me shiver with desire. To me, a good-looking book implies an understanding of the marketplace and how to maneuver within it. Most (though not all) self-published novels look, well, self-published. I’ve met enough self-published authors at festivals and conferences to know most of them aren’t doing things right. Don’t wear a baggy T-shirt with the cover of your book screen-printed across the chest. Don’t wear a cape made of crushed velvet. Don’t refer to your “fiction-novel.” And don’t pay some questionable publicity company to spam staff writers of The Millions with press releases. There are, of course, self-published authors who actively market themselves, and do it well. Two of my peers — Los Angeles-based writer Matthew Allard, and my former classmate at Iowa, Jason Lewis — have both published their own fiction, and made it seem hip to do so. I’ve actually never met Allard; he and I are friends on Tumblr, where he maintains a thoughtful and amusing blog. Last year, he self-published a collection of short stories, To Slow Down the Time, illustrated by the artist Ian Dingman. Allard produced two versions of the book: a limited edition hand-bound hardcover, and a print-on-demand paperback (published by CreateSpace), and made them both available for pre-order. The limited edition sold out in a week, and these sales financed the production costs. “To be honest, we had profit immediately,” Allard told me. “I didn’t make enough money to quit my day job, but I made more than drinking money. I used some of my money to buy a nice new MacBook Pro (to write another book with). I was very surprised.” I own the paperback version of Allard’s book, and it’s lovely. Many a visitor has picked it up and asked me about it, which proves that you don’t need the letters FSG on your book’s spine to woo a reader. Allard did not submit To Slow Down the Time to agents and traditional publishers. “I am impatient,” he said, “and I liked the idea of turning it around and of having full control over our project.” He will most likely self-publish a second collection of stories, which are notoriously difficult to sell these days. Again, he mentioned the swift turn-around time between finishing the manuscript, and presenting it to readers. Clearly, this aspect of self-publishing is seductive: readers get your work while you’re still passionate about it. After meeting a handful of writers who can’t stand their books by the time they’re released, I can understand the appeal of a faster timeline. However, I worry what that acceleration might do to my own work. For instance, there’s a difference between this blog post and the novel I’m writing now, and that difference is time: to ponder, to revise, and to receive feedback. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. I learned that this is absolutely a viable option for intrepid, Internet-savvy authors. Self-publishing levels the playing field a bit. There is certainly not the same kind of cachet attached to self-publishing as the traditional route. Maybe there’s no pleasure of saying, “Random House is publishing my book in the fall,” but self-publishing does offer the same quality product (providing your product is quality to begin with) and you get to be in charge. The absence of a marketing budget is the other drawback. You made a book! It’s real! Getting it into readers’ hands is a whole other ballgame. In my case, I was lucky to have amassed a decent Internet following that was interested in what I was working on. Self-publishing is simply cutting a corner and taking charge of your work from start to finish. You don’t have to sit around waiting for a publisher or agent to notice you and believe in your project. If you believe in it, you can make it. There’s less glamour or paycheck attached, though. I’m struck by how clear-eyed Allard is about the process. He understood self-publishing’s limitations, and the work required of him to render the book a success. He’ll be in fine shape if he sells a book to a publishing house down the line. The publicity budget for a traditional published book usually isn’t huge, and nowadays the writer is expected not only to be an artist, but also a talented promoter of that art. Allard already knows how to tap-dance for his dinner, and to do it gracefully. Like Allard, Jason Lewis has published an atypical book. His novel, The Fourteenth Colony, comes with an album of songs written from the perspective of John Martin, the book’s main character, a musician who returns to his hometown in West Virginia to try to put his life back together. Lewis wrote and produced all the music, and funded the project via Kickstarter. As with Allard’s, Lewis’s book was financed by readers, and he has a guarantee of an audience, however modest, by the time the book goes to press this month. Any copies he sells on top of this will be profit. This is in contrast to the traditional publishing model which puts money up front in the form of an advance, and sets about building an audience for a work that’s already created. It’s not hard to see which model offers greater risk. Lewis used to have an agent, but she left the business a few years ago, and he had trouble finding representation for The Fourteenth Colony. He began writing new work as he sent out the manuscript to agencies, but he couldn’t get his first novel out of his head. “In another era, that might just have been the itch I couldn’t scratch while I moved on,” he said. “But in this era, indie publishing has really very quickly become a viable option.” Notice that Lewis uses the phrase “indie publishing” — a smart move, in this fraught moment in books. Even in 2011 that value can’t be denied. For some self-published authors, the traditional industry may be dying, superfluous to their needs and success as authors. But many of the self-published authors who commented on my initial essay suggested that I publish my own book as a means to get the industry’s attention. They seem to be saying: Screw the industry… that is, until they recognize my genius! Matthew Allard self-published a book that probably couldn’t have been produced by a large house, but the story of that book, and the attention it’s received, could no doubt help him get representation and sell another book down the road. Daniel D. Victor might amass a following for his second novel, proving to those gun-shy agents that his subject matter is indeed of interest to a wide readership. In my estimate, self-publishing won’t replace traditional publishing, but it might supplement and influence it. There’s another trajectory for an author’s success; alongside the debut novelist who’s an MFA graduate with publishing credits in The Missouri Review and Your Mom’s Journal, there’s the writer who proved herself with self-publishing and now has a book deal with Random House. But to think every self-published author makes it big is as foolish as thinking every MFA grad does. In a recent New York Times article, Amazon executive Russell Grandinetti said, “The only really necessary people in the publishing process now are the writer and reader. Everyone who stands between those two has both risk and opportunity.” It’s a good point. Self-publishers essentially cut out the middle man (except, of course, outfits like Amazon…), and in shouldering the burdens of editing, design, publicity, and so on, they stand to reap all the benefits of that work. It’s how Amanda Hocking made her millions. It’s also how many, many other self-published writers spent a lot of time (if not money) putting out a book that no one bought. With my first novel, I suffered rejection from editors. The writer who self-publishes sidesteps that rejection, only to face possible rejection in the form of readers’ silence. If you self-publish a book and it doesn’t do as well as you’d hoped, does it hurt your chances to sell a novel to a traditional publisher in the future? Maybe in an industry that’s changing so rapidly, it’s too early to answer that question. Talking to these self-published writers certainly opened my eyes to the various reasons why one might try it, and how gratifying it can be. These are writers I admire; how their books came to me doesn’t matter. That was an important lesson for me to learn. Even so, I’m not running to the press with my first book. In a second essay, I’ll further explore why not. I’ll also examine what self-publishing means for readers, and what traditionally published authors think of all these D.I.Y. developments. I happened to notice recently, in my daily online wanderings, that the nominees have been announced for “The Seventh Annual Weblog Awards.” As usual, the organizers have listed a couple dozen categories, and as usual the same handful of blogs, more or less, are in the running. Many of the usual suspects are there, Boing Boing, PostSecret, Dooce, Gizmodo, Instapundit, Daily Kos, Lifehacker, and the rest – blogs that are now big business, some of which are owned by big businesses.The omission of “literary bloggers” from this long list of nominees naturally seemed glaring to me, having had a front row seat for the last four or so years as an amorphous and very loosely affiliated movement of bloggers has greatly expanded the realm of literary discourse in the U.S. and elsewhere. And though there has sometimes been an unhealthy “us against them” mentality between bloggers and professional critics, in many ways this friction has melted away as critics have become bloggers themselves and as a number of talented bloggers have begun to invade the book pages, providing a pool of talent and a new voice to book review sections that were shrinking and stultified.This is a big deal. Bloggers have helped create a new literary discourse that benefits readers, writers, and critics – a place where reading and discussing books for pleasure can augment the sometimes joyless drudgery that newspaper criticism has become. (Note how Jerome Weeks, now of book/daddy, jumped from his regular newspaper gig: “So it’ll be a relief to read for pleasure again. One reason it’s particularly appealing these days is that it’s so counter-culture — so counter to our prevailing techno-bully rapid-response profit-margin mindset.”).Yet we need those sometimes bullying newspapers. As Kassia wrote in a post in the early days of the LBC, “Books don’t have endless windows opening for them.” This sentiment was echoed in an Orlando Sentinel essay by movie critic Roger Moore late last year: “Reviewers, in general, are canaries in the print journalism coal mine, the first to go. Classical music, books, visual arts and dance are dispensed with, or free-lanced off the bottom-line. That’s happened everywhere I’ve ever worked.” But as the big windows close, and criticism sections shrink or disappear, hundreds of smaller windows have opened.In Kassia’s LBC essay, she went on to write, “It’s interesting to me that readers are leading the charge to discover and promote new, often overlooked fiction. Traditional avenues of literary coverage are necessarily limited in scope, even with the Internet.” I have come to believe, and I hope people agree with me, that book blogging is more than just a hobby. I say this not in a self-promotional or self-aggrandizing way (so many others are better book bloggers than I), but looking at how the public discourse about books has changed over the last few years. So, the truth is, having thought about it, I’m not disappointed that not a single book blog – not even some of the best (TEV, Ed, Bookslut, Conversational Reading… I could go on and on) – was singled out for recognition by the Weblog Awards. Litblogs have somehow gone too far down the path of assimilation to be considered for such distinctions, I think. Book blogs and traditional book criticism have intermingled sufficiently that they are now, except in a few remaining dusty corners, one.My declaring it doesn’t make it so, but perhaps now, the us versus them mentality between the bloggers and the professional critics is mostly behind us. Which is good, because there are so many more books still to write about. Comparing Apples to BMWs: What Does it Mean to be a “Best Bookstore” Anyway?

https://themillions.com/2005/12/harpercollins-starts-its-own-little.html

I have the fun and privilege of talking to many people each week by phone, email, chat and in person at Base Camp, retreats, on radio interviews, podcasts and over a cup of coffee. Each person’s story is fascinating and their questions both profound and common. So, from recent conversations, let me offer a few thoughts that may be helpful. Adjust with the seasons. Life continually changes and when we lock our self into one particular way of living, we will become stuck, frustrated, disappointed and questioning. There are times when we can navigate our days by clarity and desire. But there are also times when the fog is so thick that we doubt that we ever had either. This is when discipline is needed. Yes, discipline…that word that seems to be in opposition to desire. C.S. Lewis wrote, “A perfect man would never act from a sense of duty; he’d always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people), like a crutch that is a substitute for a leg. Most of us need the crutch at times: but of course it is idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs (our own loves, tastes, habits, etc.) can do the journey on their own!” You see, there are times when “desire” looses it legs, and discipline must carry us. There is a beautiful dance between desire and discipline. Live fully in your world. All to often we disengage from our surroundings and friendships because we live in the “what about” world. You know, “what about what missionaries go through”, “what about the hardship those in Haiti and Japan are experiencing”, “what about the Middle East situation”. Dallas Willard wrote in The Divine Conspiracy, “Every last one of us has a ‘kingdom’…a realm that is uniquely our own, where our choice determines what happens…in the range of our effective will…In creating human beings God made them to rule, to reign, to have dominion in a limited sphere.” So, don’t let that which is not within in your influence (other kingdoms) diminish or deter you from offering your glory to those in your world (your kingdom). Utilize what you’ve got: We are all longing and looking for that group of people whom we can create, battle, achieve and journey with. For most of us, the cry of our heart has been the U2 chorus, “But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” We look for something that we believe “should be” vs. “could be”. We believe that finding and developing this “fellowship” should be easy, since God wants this for us and we need it. I’ve found that we always possess more than we are aware of. We look over and around what is already available to us. Of those whom I create, battle, achieve and journey with, some are local while others are distant. Some of these friendships are fairly new and some historic, but regardless of longevity, we need each other and we’re turning into something. I hope that something I have written here has been helpful. It has for me. What I am really good at is Duty. I always see what needs to be done and I do it. I don’t give up until the job is done. I know this can be bad. It has been for me at times. I don’t really know what gives me the most joy. If I had to guess it would be a sense of accomplishment. I just don’t know how all of this correlates with my calling. That seems scriptural, but when does the joy and pleasure come? I appreciate all of your posts and your book. I can’t even begin to tell you how much this spoke to me today. Linda and I are about to head out to our 57th counseling session in 8 months, and I’m sometimes want to call in a “broken arrow”, take the losses, and move on. Headed out….see ya! I agree with your take in “Live fully in your world”. I’m reminded of what someone once said to Mother Teresa, I can never become a saint and do what you do for the poor. Her reply was, you become a saint by being the best husband, father, friend, neighbor, you can be. Look after those around you and the rest will take care of itself. God Bless. From an FAA’er, I just wanted to offer my deepest thanks to you. Your work has taken several decades of revelations and chaos and placed it in an understandable framework. I now know how to act to get where I want to go. I no longer feel like I am stuck in a washing machine – just being beaten up and getting nowhere- but on a path up the mountain. It involves taking some hits but the scenery is amazing! So good, so right, so needed! I need to read this blog everyday of my life Gary. It is amazing how easy it is to flip flop back and forth between clarity and fog in life. When I have discipline on my side it helps to even out the polarity of my life. Thanks for the reminder just to offer who I am. Keep up the great work. Awesome blog! Thanks again Gary, keep up the good words! Loved the part about living fully in your world. I have come a long way in this. Internet and media bring so many stories/kingdoms to our awareness these days, that it is easy to feel small & insignificant compared to these. But I am learning to trust in what God arranges for me each day, to fully offer there, and indeed God does arrange for new and larger stories for me. The phrase, “we will almost always choose the relief of pain over the increase of pleasure” is awesome. I know that I tend to look for that path, eliminate the pain and I will feel better. But through those trials, we will experience that pain, but it’s that pain that can build such character and ultimately deepen our relationship with Jesus. Your writings are fantastic and reading through some of the comments, you really help a lot of people! All I can say is: YES!!! Feeling completely exposed after reading this today. I know that’s a good thing (groan). Struck by this thought: How can I so love visionary things and the idea of something new…yet hate (and often fight) the reality of change? Is this common to others? I can only respond to this with a wow! and from a carpentars mind you just nailed some things I am currently wrestling with. May the Shepherd continue to bless us by the wisdom you share. Thx Gary for this. I love the ‘adjust with the seasons’ section. There is this beautiful tree that blooms down the street this time of year. For only about three weeks in the year, this tree is the ‘glory’ of the neighborhood. Then, nothing (apparently) for forty-nine weeks. That tree accepts it’s Glory better than I do that’s for sure. In the Christian community and out, this world has a way of diminishing our value. “Utilizing what we’ve got” got me thinking, sometimes I underestimate the impact I have in relationships. Maybe I have been of value to other people ( hard to believe) The overriding voice I hear from God is you are invited into relationship with Him and others.

https://thenobleheart.com/2011/03/observations-lessons/

Intellectuals and philosophers are often depicted as inhabiting the academies, or working in prestigious universities or high powered government positions. Very rarely are they products of the ordinary people. In the usual procedure of production it is the general trend that the educational elite produce the next generation of the educated elite, as social position and economic well-being create the conditions that allow for elitism of this type to self-replicate. Of course, it is not always like this, as on occasion a true genius shines through regardless of social position or family history. Bill Hicks – the American comedian – is just one of these remarkable people. Although his chosen medium of communication was humour, the quality and content of his work, when objectively analysed, has to be described as the presentation of a deep and penetrating philosophy disguised as humour. It is a philosophy that contains the added ingredient of making people laugh whilst simultaneously providing them with an education. Like the Greek philosophers of ancientGreece, Hicks stood up in public and delivered his rhetoric. He started doing this in his early teens up until his death from pancreatic cancer in 1994 – aged just 33 years old. The volume of his work by this time demonstrates that although he died young, he was able to fill his short existence with a lifetime of words. As is the case with any philosopher – the standard of the philosophy produced is dependent upon the quality of the words chosen. His presence upon stage was a blend of the ‘public’ and the ‘personal’ – in a room full of hundreds of people he had the ability to make everyone feel as if he were talking directly to them and sharing a private joke, observation or complaint. Hicks drew the audience into his psychological sphere of influence – creating a sense of approval – even if the spell was broken somewhat at the conclusion of the performance. Although obviously an American, Bill Hicks presented the best of that culture that served its purpose primarily through the function of criticism. American media presents an essentially rightwing and highly religious narrative by way of a means of defining what it thinks ‘America’ is, or should be. Hicks operated strictly as a provider of a continuous counter-narrative that never relaxed for the duration of his lifetime. He was genuinely affronted by much of what passed as ‘American’ through the media, and had a very poignant grasp of the US’s involvement in politics around the world, including the way it uses its military to create regime change. The image Hicks presents through his work is that the majority of Americans either have no interest in what their country does in their names, or are just naïve or legitimately ‘unaware’. His purpose is not just to entertain, but rather to act as an educator to people living in theUSwho simply do know or care about reality. American culture, in its local or regional variety tends to exist oblivious to the outside world. Its information is gained from a media that deliberately dumbs down news articles and in so doing, misrepresents the facts of those articles, creating a ‘Diseny-fication’, a kind of cartoon version of the world andAmerica’s place within it. This kind of narrative is entirely devoid of any ability to observe itself in an honest or impartial manner. The comedy routines developed around this lack of this internal observation. Americanism is presented as never wrong and always practical – the cutting-edge of Hicks’ observations were often uncomfortable for those who paid-in to the system without question. The Christian rightwing was wrong, the American foreign policy was wrong, American militarism was wrong, homophobia was wrong, racism was wrong, the Police were wrong, politicians were wrong, sexual attitudes were wrong, the media was wrong, capitalism was wrong, discrimination was wrong and the war in Iraq was not just wrong, but illegal as well. Hicks was not un-American. The impression one gets from watching and listening to his performances is that here was a man who had educated himself beyond the confines of his own culture. As an American, in many ways Bill Hicks represents the very best of what the culture of theUSAhas to offer. But this brilliance does not mean that it has to conform to every contemporary attitude extant withinAmerica. This voice of opposition was far more important than a quiet voice in the wilderness. Like Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks would not compromise with what he thought was wrong with the country he lived in and the people he lived amongst. His counter-cultural approach signified an aspect of his character that always sought the ‘beyond’ or the ‘transcendental’ from within the ordinary. His experimentation with LSD and his belief and acceptance of UFO’s as being representative of an advanced alien culture visiting the Earth is indicative of this inclination, as is his practice of meditation and his studying of Eastern philosophy. In many ways, his public performances helped him psychologically transcend the reality of his situation, but in so doing, also helped those who came into contact with him during these performances, to experience a very similar effect. He often spoke out against what he perceived as the corruption of institutional religions – but did not reject the notion of spirituality – in fact he drew a very precise line between the two. Established religions were corrupt and practiced a type of highly exploitative brain-washing upon its members. Religions of this type tended to keep practitioners ignorant of the facts and in a state of self-imposed fear designed to prevent any real spiritual growth. Spirituality, on the other hand, contained endless possibilities of inner exploration. These journeys were self-selected and self-enacted and the results immediate and unmediated by a priestly hierarchy who claimed to have your best interests at heart. For Hicks it was definitely the human mind that was the key to human evolution – and he saw the next stage of human development as comprising of a conscious transformation of being above and beyond the base level of the banal everyday existence. He wanted humanity to rise together in one gigantic wave of developmental bliss, the experience of which would mean that nothing would be the same again. In 1992 much of his output centred on the defeat of George Bush Jr, in the US Presidential elections following his successful invasion of Kuwait and southernIraqin the first Gulf War. Through such material Hicks described his political stance ‘as a little to the Left’. He says that he did not vote for Bush because the recent Republican administrations had sponsored genocide in South American countries – whilst the US media limited the issue to whether a new Democratic President would raise taxes. Hicks detested the mainstream media – and along with corporate advertisers – viewed it as a product of Satan’s seed. In this respect he could be very forceful in his opinions – surprisingly so when his style of delivery is taken into account. The passion manifests suddenly within a meandering narrative about this or that. Regardless of the raw human emotion, he never abandoned the principle of considered opinion gained through intellectual analysis. The intelligence of Hicks – and his intelligence was as able as any renowned thinker Western civilisation has produced – never abandoned an accompanying morality that moulded ideas and directed actions. This morality, however, was never aimed at anyone else as a meta-theory, Hicks primarily targeted himself through its filter honestly expressing all his human failings to the general public. It is true that his political views were highly critical of the American system, but as an American brought up within the ‘land of free’, that his criticism was a natural conclusion of a free thinker and a confirmation of the so-called ‘American Way’. He expressed his highly intelligent criticism of the USA because American culture, with all its implicit underpinnings of the right to free and equal expression, provided the very conditions needed to produce some one such as Bill Hicks, a person that could well be described not only as an eternal cultural icon, but also as a multifaceted ‘genius’ who was primarily unacknowledged during his short life-time, but whose work continues to affect and effect people’s lives despite him no longer being on this plane. What is distinctive about Hicks and his political opinion is that he refused to bow down to the American Rightwing – which had become very powerful during the Cold War – and the mainstream media it controlled. As an American, Hicks expressed the finest qualities of the unwillingness to conform to what he saw as oppressive thought patterns and the political and military actions premised upon them. In this regard he was often attacked as being ‘unpatriotic’ by the Right, and bizarrely ‘un-American’, when in fact even a cursory glance of his work would inform the average person that Hicks was American, but that he expressed a kind of Americanism that harked back to the heady days of revolutionary thought that founded the US system, and the inherent Leftwingism that use to be obvious and present within the US political narrative. Bill Hicks was not a cultural aberration, but rather a confirmation of the American Revolution that threw-off the shackles of direct Colonial rule fromLondon. Only in relatively recent times has the American Rightwing totally subsumed the Left to such an extent that it appears no longer to exist in that country. No wonder that Bill Hicks often describes himself as a ‘little to the Left’, because in a country where the Rightwing dominates alone, absolutely any questioning of that system is immediately attacked, ridiculed and destroyed through the use of words and imagery, and as the last great threat to American Capitalism was the Soviet Union – any one who disagrees with Rightwing Republicanism is of course immediately accused of be a Communist, as if being aware of, or a member of that noble school of thought were some kind of crime. Even today, the Democrat President Barak Obama is referred to by his political enemies as ‘Comrade Obama’. Hicks says that we are the ‘puppet people’, the docile masses who believe that every thing placed upon the TV has to be true because it is ‘there’. The contemporary American political system, consisting as it does of just two parties, was presented by Hicks as two separate puppets controlled by the same person. Nothing was beyond the discerning eye of his precise criticism. What is interesting is that he was able to create a political dialogue that questioned the status quo of the country he lived within, whilst presenting that dialogue (at the point of first contact), through the filter of a refined humour. It is as if Hicks was aware of the institutional resistance educated into the minds of the American public, and designed his performances to engage the resistance, nullify it through a gentle humour – that is ‘softening up the resistance’ – before delivering the implicit Leftwing thrust of his thinking to a relatively receptive, or prepared mind. This method of accessing the minds of others is incredibly sophisticated – and this is before the actual content of his rhetoric is taken into account. Although very clever, it can not be accused of being a manipulation of the masses, as the audiences choose to attend the public performances actually paying to be entertained in this manner. Today, thousands of people continue this activity by purchasing the DVDs and CDs of Bill Hicks’, allowing themselves to be transformed by the Bill Hicks experience contained within. The content varied in his performances around the subjects of politics, religion, extraterrestrial visitation, human ignorance, violence in society, city life and of course sexuality. InBritain, Hicks would gather knowledge about local areas and tailor his sketches accordingly. For instance, when inOxford(in 1992) it was the area of Cowley that took the brunt of some his humour – to the appreciation of theOxfordaudience. It was here also that Bill Hicks lamented the recent election defeat of the British Labour Party earlier that year. This performance, perhaps one of the best all round of his later career, spends time talking about pornography and the hypocritical attitudes existent within theUSAassociated with sexuality. This a country that produces a very large output of hardcore pornography at an alarming rate, whilst simultaneously practicing a moral conservatism that leads to simulated scenes of a sexual nature being deleted from mainstream cinematic films. The Kennedy Assassination is a favourite theme of and recurs through his performances. He pours scorn upon the ‘official’ version of events and through a re-cap of the key points of the event demonstrates that this version is not only probably incorrect, but at the same time signifies a cover-up that is an insult to the average intelligence. This interlocks with the idea that the American political system attempts to lull people into a sense of false security where even their democratic right to ‘question’ is not required to be practiced – ‘go back to bed America, everything is fine…’ It is the apparent negating of the principle of free and informed thinking that offends Hicks the most. His response is to ‘think more’, not less, whilst confronting such a homogenised culture that is comprised of a blend of ‘control’ and ‘oppression’. Although the powers that be might prefer their citizenry not to think, they can, whilst perpetuating the contradictory mythology of the ‘land of the free’, actually prevent a person thinking should they choose to do so – Hicks effectively demonstrates this point. What can happen, however, is that society can be controlled in such a way that creates patterns of behaviour that actively discourage the practice of informed debate – the point Hicks makes through his performances is that America has become such a place where institutional ignorance rules over refined intelligence – and that the higher aspects of education are preserved only for those wealthy enough to afford them, and who, consequently, are supportive of the idea that the majority of the people are conditioned not to think for themselves, but continue the daily grind of repetitive, exploitative behaviour, which contains within it the programming to attack and ridicule any outside attempt to free them from their imposed predicament. Part of the conserving nature of this situation arises from the presence of fundamentalist religion, which serves as a kind supportive harness to the establishment – accepting its thoughts and actions without question, and actively participating at times in the implementation policies based upon them – invariably Rightwing Presidents are careful to create a media image of a close proximity to religion – usually some kind of Christianity. Hicks makes the controversial point that many of these Christian groups are opposed to the practice of pregnancy termination – claiming that all life is precious – whilst at the same time often vocally supporting the practice of judicial execution whereby a convicted criminal is put to death by the State. Hicks does concede, however, that without the practice of the judicial Death Penalty, the distinct religion of Christianity would not exist. Jesus – of course, taught humanity should love one another and not take any other human life – Hicks appears to be in agreement with this position, but criticises the modern Christian Church for not actually following the teachings as laid down in the scripture of their founder. This kind of situation is compounded by the anti-scientific stance adopted by many people who take the teachings contained within the Bible at face value. This literal interpretation denies the teaching of Evolution and instead insists that the presence of dinosaur bones in the earth – that are not mentioned in the Bible – have been placed there by god to ‘test their faith’. Bill Hicks took exception to the idea that a Christian god is a ‘prankster god’ that spends his time f’cking with his head! Almost without exception Hicks would always leave his audience with the message that life is just a ride – as it is an essentially a delusional experience – made real by the power of the human mind. This mind however, has the further ability to consciously evolve to a higher level of being beyond the limitation of everyday thought habit. This is the transcendental quality of Hicks’ humour. It is as if the content – as excellent as it was – was just passing the time so that the real underlying message of escape through growth could be delivered. In a blink of an eye – Hicks informs us – can create peace on Earth, now at this moment. This is achieved by looking through the eyes of love – rather than the eyes of fear. This message correlates with the other Hicks idea often deployed as the carrier of this transcendent message, namely that existence is in reality one consciousness experiencing itself through the lives of many. Unity, peace and transcendence, coupled with love and understanding will take humanity to the next level of evolution and in the process forever leave behind the drudgery, suffering, injustice, persecution and killing that has defined humanities progress for thousands of years. Within this process it is acknowledged that it is a matter of will – if the entirety of humanity so wished it – peace could become the immediate situation here and now. Drugs such as magic mushrooms, marijuana, LSD and opium have their place in human development. Hicks always made the point that the legal drugs of alcohol and tobacco have absolutely no benefit to those partaking in them, and actually lead to the breakdown of society through drunkenness and disease, etc, whilst those untaxable drugs mentioned previously, that have a conscious expanding affect, are prevented from reaching people in a legitimate format due to their assumed illegality. The ‘War On Drugs’, according to Hicks was actually a war on civil rights. Hicks stated that as long as a person is not hurting another human being, what business is it of any one else what we do with our own consciousness? Bill often stated that he once ingested magic mushrooms and spent the next four hours lying in a field experiencing a deep and profound love for everything in existence. If enough people had a similar experience it would become very difficult to justify warfare as a concept and an activity, and the arms manufacturing business would collapse over-night. Hicks suggest here that there is a conspiracy conducted by the establishment that conspires to prevent ordinary people partaking in substances that would probably enable them to see the absurdity of their situation and the brain-washing techniques used to sustain it. This is one of the methods the authorities use to retain power in a real sense that gives the illusion of choice as exercised through the modern democratic process. When the government is not busy openly controlling the outside of the human body, it is actively participating in the suppression of the inner mind, preventing conscious growth and the kind of associated education that would see through the government’s role in holding all the oppression together. Although the official propaganda continuously declares that drugs are bad, Hicks continuously counters these claims by pouring scorn upon the official rhetoric, and decisively stating for the public record that he has engaged in mind altering drug experimentation and has never robbed any one, or killed any one, but rather had an amazing experience before going about his day. In many of his recorded shows he actually encourages the audience to experiment with drugs and make their own mind up, pointing out that much great music and art has evolved from the creative genius of those under the influence of such substances. There is a peculiar parallel to these statements in as much as by 1992 Hicks had already been off of drugs for four years, and had just stopped smoking. However, despite these adjustments of habit for health reasons, Hicks never backed away from the idea that mind altering substances are beneficial to the humanity’s consciousness. For Hicks these kinds of drugs offer a speeding up, or a short cut through the evolutionary process. This is all backed up by the idea that no one under the influence of marijuana has ever gotten into a fight – because it is just impossible to do so. This open and honest approach endeared Hicks as an icon of counter-culture to the younger generation, and confirmed his status as a philosopher pioneer to those older than himself. Bill Hicks spoke passionately about his experiences in life without distortion or unnecessary elaboration – he never claimed to be any thing he was not. In many ways, what the audience saw, they got. The ordinary human condition was not a mistake or hindrance upon the spiritual path of development – it was the path itself – and that meant that everything was up for grabs and comedic discussion. Sexuality, drugs, the ‘United States of Advertising’, politics, mundane life religion and finally the dying experience, combined in a rich mosaic of experience that if used in the right way could lead a human being to an understanding of the universe far beyond the material plane of existence. Each word and sentence uttered by Bill Hicks was designed to free the listener from the tyranny of their own everyday existences. In this respect he was like a modern day Ch’an or Zen master, cutting down delusion with correct verbal expression, presenting at times the most brutal of compassion. Hicks could be harsh –his monologues involving the Goat Boy, Satan’s Seed, corporate and political hypocrisy and many others, although dark and brooding were never dishonest. Hicks displayed both sides of humanity whilst always pushing for a spiritually transcendent experience. He manifested a certain gentleness of spirit that enveloped whatever communicative mood he happened to be on the night, and recorded conversations off stage, often with people he did not know, show that as a human being he was thoughtful and caring, never appearing selfish, or full of arrogance due to his celebrity. Indeed, he came across as very ‘ordinary’ and one of the people. It is true that this ‘ordinariness’ contained within it an unparalleled ability to entertain random audiences, and simultaneously make them laugh as well as make the think, but behind the professional persona Hicks refused to become a ‘media whore’ whose identity was dictated by the whims of passing fads and expedient commercial considerations. Hicks was very much of the people, when he spoke to the people, indeed he spoke for the people. Reference: Hicks, Bill: Love All The People, (2004) – Page 293. Previous Post: The Visionary Nature of the UFO Phenomena. Next Post: Master Xu Yun (1840-1959) – Present Awareness.

https://thesanghakommune.org/2012/03/05/bill-hicks-the-view-from-within/

A few months ago, I made a flying visit to Dallas to present a lecture. Only 30 minutes before I left for the airport did I receive some unwelcome news that could have meant a sharp decline in my income. In the past, I would have been stressed — and the news was certainly unwelcome. But instead of worrying about the future, I focused on what might be a gateway opened to a new adventure and to new possibilities. Nothing is static in life, and it is essential to embrace the future with a positive mind. It’s pretty common for people to gripe about their hometowns, of course, but a couple of friends that had grown up in Dallas suggested there and that I shouldn’t expect much. My experience was totally unlike anything I expected. Besides being welcomed by new friends, I was able to spend time looking around the Dallas Museum of Art; I stumbled across a strange and quite beautiful restaurant called Bullion (a long, narrow construction, covered on the outside by thousands of gold scales, and suspended from a neighboring building). I got to visit the city’s oldest metaphysical store, The Labyrinth. Although I don’t think the cautious pessimism about the city was at all accurate, it is also a matter of consciousness. A painting teacher once remarked to me that an artist could “never be bored” because, he said, there is always something interesting to find. It is, he suggested, a matter of seeing. Another way of putting it is that an artist always finds what is beautiful: beautiful in the environment, in buildings (modern or ancient), in the energy of a place, in friends (old or new) or the people we’re lucky enough to get to spend time with. Today, in certain sections of society, there is a great desire to find ugliness. As we all know, social media is filled with noxious commentary, attacks on others, and exaggerations and distortions of their views and who they are. Again, the media fixates on politics, ranting about things they find intolerable in politicians they dislike — though they often ignore the same offenses when committed by those they like or feel to be on “their side”. There is a continuous appeal to us to see the worst and to reduce the world to a simple matter of them versus us and good versus evil. It is difficult to resist but we must struggle with ourselves to overcome this dark, mesmerizing force. For when we divide the world into “them” and “us” we divide our own self, with half our energy going to what we dislike and only half remaining for our own life. Taking control of our lives and making our lives great requires finding the good in life — the good in friendships, family, nature, in living truthfully, pushing ourselves beyond our fears. And it requires finding beauty even if it is only in the small things. It is not a matter of fooling ourselves or of lacking the ability to discern between good and bad. It is a matter of training our consciousness to focus on what gives us joy and, as such, what strengths us and fortifies us against that which would drag us down. Lots of African and Asian artifacts. Also, The Icebergs painting by Frederic Edwin Church. Thank you for this essay, Angel. It is an important reminder that we hold the reins of our consciousness, and can direct and focus our awareness where we choose. In the overwhelming onslaught of negativity that is our current media, it is essential that we remember this power and keep returning our focus to that which strengthens and feeds that within us which is true and good. This isn’t simply a philosophical exercise, but directly affects our experience in and our contribution to this world. Thank you for all the work you do that makes essays like this possible.

https://thespiritualsurvival.com/2018/08/29/seeing-the-good-is-a-choice/

Distracted by football finals fever it’s easy to forget the troubles of the Anglican Church, and one of its Australian chiefs, Peter Jensen. First there was the story about the Dean of Newcastle and his brothers-in-Christ having group sex sessions with children. Then Peter Jensen weighed into the debate about gay health. He rose to support Jim Wallace. Wallace has long warned of the dangers of the ‘gay agenda’, and the threat gays and lesbians pose to the traditional family, society, and even human civilisation. Wallace argued that being gay is a greater health risk than smoking and then instead of proposing to tackle gay and lesbian health issues, he proposed apologising to smokers. Peter Jensen, who is neither a statistician nor a doctor, seemingly couldn’t locate a current or reliable survey on which to base his assertions, that being gay is a health risk leading to lower life expectancy. Both Jensen and Wallace relied on ancient and discredited research done by a far-right Christian group in the US, which in pursuance of its agenda surveyed a small sample of newspaper obituaries in San Francisco at the height of the AIDS pandemic. Which, as one commentator explained, is much like evaluating the life expectancy of white European males in the middle of World War Two, then extrapolating the results. It’s junk science. This sadly is a familiar refrain from His Grace, the Archbishop. It comports closely with the Politics of Disgust. It dehumanises the opponent, filling the reader with fear and revulsion; it paints ‘the other’ as disease carriers, as lepers, as impure and sick and filthy. It’s an old ploy. The Nazis did it to the Jews, in the name of Aryan Purity. White Protestant Christians did it throughout Apartheid to black, brown and Asian people. I know. I grew up with it. It was a crime that history will burn onto that branch of Christianity, like a brand. Jensen appears to hide his agenda (of denigrating the right of same-sex attracted people to be treated with equality and dignity) by adding that he wants to receive these people with compassion and love. I’m reasonably confident that love and compassion like that, same-sex attracted people don’t need. In fact, in a secular state, where most Churches are in terminal decline, it’s difficult to understand why his views should extend beyond his flock? If two people are in love and for example wish to be married, and are not members of his Diocese, increasingly far removed as it is from the rest of the world-wide Anglican Church, one may well ask what that has to do with Peter Jensen? Realising that his remarks would conjure up a storm, Jensen tried to play the victim. He warned us that the politically correct might try to silence him. All he was asking for was a sensible reasoned debate, he said, but he feared he’d be told to keep quiet. Would he fear a negative reaction if his views were genuinely compassionate and genuinely reasoned, based on the best and most up to date research science has to offer? I suspect Archbishop Jensen may have seen an opportunity in the controversy surrounding Wallace’s remarks to malign same sex attracted people, and simply couldn’t resist – not even long enough to google Jim Wallace’s junk science claims to see if they were vaguely correct. Christopher Hitchens’ observation on religion is, I think, valid: ‘possessed of ignorance, allied to tribalism, bigotry and intolerance, and hostile to free enquiry.’ To which I would add, as it relates to Jensen’s Church, and in light of his brothers-in-Christ’s penchant for having sex with kids, bereft of even a molecule of moral authority. Why don’t you sort that out first?

https://thestirrer.com.au/the-smoking-gun/

The paper analyses the subjectively perceived bargaining power of the Works Councils, relative to the power of the management. We draw on a representative sample of telephone interviews with 1000 human resource managers and 1000 works councils in as many companies. First, we present empirical findings about the bargaining power relationship between works councils and management. Second, we identify causes for differences in power from firm to firm. All in all, our empirical results do not confirm hypotheses of the determinants of the perceived bargaining power derived from power-dependence theory. Only the degree of unionisation proved to have an impact on perceived power. Our findings indicate that subjectively perceived power is not sufficiently explained by resource control and its corresponding structural characteristics. Thus, other features of the bargaining relationship and its history as well as the characteristics of participants and the personal relationships should also be considered in future research. Power is a central factor in exchange between capital and labour. This applies to negotiations between unions and employers as well as to bargaining relationships between works councils and management. The factors determining union power have been both theoretically and empirically analysed (e.g. Mitchell 1996; Green and McIntosh 1998). Contrastingly, the power of works councils and the sources of various potential influences have to a much lesser extent been the subject of quantitative study (cf. amongst the few exceptions Witte 1980; Teulings 1987; Peetz and Pocock 2009, the latter have studied the power of workers perceived by workplace delegates). Nonetheless, the subject of works council bargaining power is significant: first, because negotiations over working and wage conditions in many countries are being increasingly shifted to company level (cf. Traxler et al. 2002) and because works councils are playing an ever greater role within collective bargaining. Second, the question of bargaining power determinants extends well beyond the specific works council institution and the negotiating relationship between works councils and management. As such, the existing procedures for measuring power remain unsatisfactory (i.e. Armstrong et al. 1977; Prasniskar and Gregoric 2002), which is also a result of the different conceptions of power (Clegg et al. 2006). Third, little study has been made of the relationship between the existing objective fundamentals of power and the subjective perception of one´s own power and that of other protagonists. Also open to question is whether the same determinants influence both objective and subjective power. Experimental findings underpin the fact that parties controlling resources important to an actor are also perceived as more powerful by the latter (Bacharach and Lawler 1976; Aguinis et al. 1994). Perceptions of power within a company and in long-term bargaining relationships are potentially less influenced by the objective or perceived control of resources, but rather are more influenced by the personal relationships of the actors and specific experiences resulting from long-term joint negotiation. This would mean, for example, that the degree of unionisation (which is evaluated here as a contributing factor of the control of resources by a works council) might have relatively little effect on the perceived power of works councils. A study answering such questions is, in our opinion, not only of interest from a theoretical and empirical perspective, but also in terms of bargaining policy. We draw on data from a survey of 1000 human resource managers and 1000 works councils in as many companies. That means, both sides within the same company were questioned on the power of works councils. In addition, we also assessed company characteristics (such as degree of unionisation, codetermination at the company level, size of works council etc.). Amongst other things, we would expect the degree of unionisation to have a significant impact on objective works council power. However, there is little clarification as to whether such variables are also linked to subjectively perceived power. Thus, the aim of our paper is twofold. First, we present empirical findings as regards the bargaining power of the works council – power subjectively perceived by management and works council. We quantitatively measure the extent of bargaining power that each side attributes to the other, and we show differences between the perceptions of both protagonists. Second, we identify reasons for differences in perceptions of works council power from company to company. Our contribution differs from other papers in more ways than one: First, we analyse subjectively perceived power and not objective power. In bargaining situations, perceived power is regarded as more important than objective power because decisions and behaviour are primarily influenced by perceived power (Bacharach and Lawler 1981; Walton, Cutcher-Gershenfeld and McKersie 2000). Second, we analyse the power relationship, i.e. the distribution of power between both protagonists (Emerson 1962; Lawler and Bacharach 1986). Third, in our study, power is assessed directly via interviews and not indirectly, for example, by measuring trade union density as a proxy variable for power or potential influence (e.g. Green and McIntosh 1998). Fourth, our analysis is based on a large quantitative survey and not on a small number of qualitative interviews (such as, for example, Stirling and Tully 2004 for European Works Councils). Finally, and of major importance: we assess the perceptions of both bargaining parties, whereas other studies are limited to only one side (e.g. Jirjahn and Smith 2006). We proceed as follows: we first present our theoretical basis and develop our hypotheses, then we introduce the database and report on descriptive empirical findings and the results of bivariate and multivariate analyses. In the next step we discuss the results before finally concluding with a brief summary. We draw on the following definition of power: “By power is meant the ability of individuals or groups to make their own concerns or interests count, even where others resist. Power sometimes involves the direct use of force, but is almost always also accompanied by the development of ideas (ideology) which justify the actions of the powerful” (Giddens 1989: 52). The terms power and influence are applied with identical meaning in the following. Our general propositions are based on the power-dependence theory (Emerson 1962; Bacharach and Lawler 1981). The main assumptions of this theory can be formulated in the following sentences. The first sentence defines power by dependency: (1) The higher the dependency of actor A on actor B, the less power A is able to exercise over B. This definition corresponds with Giddens´ idea of power as being the capacity of an actor to realise his interests. The second and third one are hypotheses: (2) The dependency of actor A on actor B is the greater, (i) the more value A places on specific objects controlled by B, and (ii) the less opportunity A has to gain hold of these objects outside the scope of the A-B relationship. The same thing applies in B´s case. (3) The more A is dependent on B, the more likely B will be in a position to enforce his or her demands, thus overcoming A´s potential resistance to these (Emerson 1962: 32). Power is a function of interests, control and alternative resource sources. As such, we are able to establish that power is a relational construction. Therefore, it is not a question of how much power a given party generally has, but rather how relative such power is to the other respective party in a specific exchange ratio. An initial, more specific conclusion is: works council bargaining power is based on the dependency of the management on the works council and, respectively, the resources the works council controls. We expect (in the case of similar or the same interests) works council power to be greater in companies in which it controls more resources. We also presuppose that the greater the available means to control resources, the greater resource control will be. As such, it can be assumed that a greater degree of unionisation would make the mobilisation of employees easier and, as a consequence, contribute to better control of labour as a resource. Furthermore, we also assume that such potential is also readily employed. These assumptions presuppose, that there is a relationship between trade unions and works councils. This is the case in in Germany, where the proportion of works councillors’ organized in unions is very high and the trade unions need the works councils to mobilize the employees in a firm. So far the conception of power and dependence applied here has many parallels in economic bargaining theories (e.g. Chamberlain 1951): It is the supply and demand of specific resources that play the dominant role here. But the question is to what extend subjective power plays a role. An “objectivistic” version would be unproblematic in terms of objective power, that is, if objective power alone determined the result of bargaining. However, the manipulation of perceptions is an important factor in bargaining processes (Bacharach and Lawler 1981; Walton and McKersie 1965, Walton, Cutcher-Gershenfeld and McKersie 2000). “Our perspective assumes that conveying an impression of power will yield the same consequences as having ´real´ power; manipulating an opponent´s perception of the power relationship will have the same effect as an actual change in that relationship” (Lawler and Bacharach 1986: 195). “Because fundamentally “bargaining power is subjective in nature” (Lawler and Bacharach 1986: 194 et seq.), with regard to power we also have to take perceptions and subjectivity into account (cf. for subjective measures of power also Peetz and Pocock 2009: 633f.). The fact that we place special emphasis on perceived power has consequences for our hypotheses. We cannot assume beforehand that determinants of objective power also influence subjective power. For example, a high degree of unionisation in a firm may influence objective works council power; however, that is not to say that this power source is also perceived by the works council and contributes to the perception of greater power. We have access to data that will help us initially specify perceived works council power and identify structural determinants or correlations of power. With financial support from the Hans-Boeckler-Foundation (www.boeckler.de), in 2005 a representative telephone interview was carried out with 1000 human resource managers and 1000 works councils in as many companies. From the Hoppenstedt database, a stratified random sample categorized into four size classes (100-199, 200-499, 500-999, more than 1000 employees) was drawn up. Firms with at least 100 employees in all industries were interviewed (excluding agriculture and forestry, fishing and fish farming, education as well as suppliers of other public and personal services). Firms without a works council were excluded. In every company the human resource manager responsible for signing works agreements and the corresponding member of the works council were identified and interviewed. The central focus of the survey was to record the opinions of managers and works councils on the decentralisation of collective bargaining. Additionally, we also have access to a number of variables that we are able to use as power determinant indicators. These variables have a common denominator in that they all impact on resource control. In our analysis we include the following variables, a plus or minus in brackets (+, -) indicates the supposed direction of its effect on perceived power. The trade union density of the firm (+) and the works council (+); the existence of employees´ representatives on the supervisory board (in Germany the respective codetermination laws apply only for private and public limited companies with at least 500 employees), (+); age of the works council (+); the company´s commitment to a collective bargaining agreement (+); the personnel structure of the company (percentage of highly trained employees (+), percentage of males (+)); the size of the company (+); industry (manufacturing sector (+) vs. non-manufacturing sector); the location of the company (western part of Germany (+) vs. eastern part); and the company´s profit situation (+). All these factors may have an effect on the power relationship. The effects are interpreted as based on the control of resources and the dependence on these resources. To name but two examples: (i) The higher the trade union density of the firm, the more the works council is able to control an important resource: namely, “human capital” and employee motivation. (ii) In the eastern part of Germany with its higher unemployment rate, workers are easier to substitute, therefore the degree of dependency of the employer on workers and also their representative body is lower. We not only predict the sign of the coefficients of our variables, but also differences in the relative magnitude. As perceived power is the subject, we expect a greater impact from those variables that the protagonists perceptively associate with power. Accordingly, a strong impact should be particularly apparent in the case of variables that influence power and/or are used as power indicators within the protagonists´ “lay theories”. We also anticipate that variables that are practically regarded as characteristics of the protagonists or which are directly associated with co-determination within the company will also demonstrate a strong impact. As such, the degree of unionisation (mobilisation capability), the size of the works council (degree of experience and expertise), age of the works council (the older the works council, the more experienced and, thus, the more influential it will be) and an employee-elected supervisory board member should all have a stronger impact on power than the size of the company, personnel structure and profit situation. We assessed the power (respectively influence) of the works council by asking both sides the following questions. First, we asked a summary question assessing the power in comparison to other firms: “How great is the influence of the works council compared to other companies?”. The interviewees had the possibility of answering with “below average”, “average” and “above average”. Second, we assessed the power relation between works councils and managements: “How would you generally describe the bargaining power relation between the management and works council in your company? You can award a total of 100 points. For example, a strong power overbalance on one side would be 90 to 10, while 50 to 50 means that both sides have the same bargaining power.” Given that both the management and the works council were asked all the questions, we are able to include the level of agreement between both parties´ perceptions within our analysis. The trade union density of the firm and of the works council is measured as the percentage of union members within the entire company workforce (WC). (Whether the management (M) answered the question or the works council (WC) is illustrated in brackets.) The existence of employees´ representatives on the supervisory board is documented via a present/not present question (WC). The company´s commitment to a collective bargaining agreement is also answered through a negative/affirmative question (M). The personnel structure of the company is documented via the percentage of highly trained employees and males (WC). The size of the company is attained through a dummy variable (more than 199 employees = yes; 200 is the median size and also the threshold for at least one full-time released works council member) (M). The industry (manufacturing sector = yes) and the location of the company (western part of Germany = yes) are also measured using dummy variables. As regards the age of a works council, works councils founded after 1990 are classified as “young” and, as such, are deemed to have relatively little experience (WC). We also use a simple dummy variable in the case of profit (profit = yes) (M). Initially, we measured perceived power using a question that established the power of a works council in comparison to that of works councils from other companies. Then we measured the distribution of perceived power between works councils and managements using a percentage scale. Finally, we were ultimately in a position to record to what extent works councils and managements differed in their perception of power. Management judges works council influence to be lower than its own influence (Table 1). 27.3% of managers state that their works council has more influence in comparison to other companies, while the proportion of works councils that see their power as being comparatively greater is almost ten percent higher at 36.5%. On average, the relative strength between the company parties is similar on both sides (however, even here a slightly higher works council power perception is evident): the interviewed managers award the works councils 37.2 points (and management 62.8 points), while the works councils award themselves 40.5 points. Consequently, there is consensus between management and works councils that the works councils have inferior power. On the other hand, on average, works councils give a higher assessment of their own power than the management does. In the following analyses we draw on bivariate correlations and multivariate OLS and logistic regression models. All correlations are relatively low (Table 2). Only one correlation achieves r = .20, while all others are lower. Although the directions of the correlations correspond predominantly with our hypotheses, some unanticipated coefficients were also observed. Significant differences also exist between the correlations depending on the form of power variable and who assessed the power – the managers or the works councils. However, a uniformly interpretable pattern is scarcely identifiable. The relatively highest correlation levels are between the self-assessments of works councils and the degree of unionisation (r = .12 and .20), the size of the works councils (r = .19 and .20) and the presence of an employee-elected representative on the supervisory board (r = .18 and .15). The degree of unionisation in the works councils plays, at most, a minor role. As regards the manager assessments, the unionisation of employees as a whole, unionisation in the works councils and also the personnel structure had some impact. The question must now be asked whether multivariate analyses show similar results. We carried out two groups of regression analyses: first, OLS regressions with relational power as a dependent variable, then a binary logistic regression in which the dependent variable is an assessment of whether the works councils possessed above-average influence in comparison with other companies. We differentiate between the management and works council assessments in the case of both dependent variables. The results relating to the relative influence perceived by works councils (Table 3) show only one single effect that is worth mentioning on account of the magnitude and the significance of the coefficients,: namely, the degree of unionisation. All of the other variables have hardly any (significant) influence on perceived power. A similar pattern was also observed in the case of the second power variable (above-average influence, Table 4). The impact of the degree of unionisation is positive and significant for both management and works council. Otherwise, there were no significant relevant effects that were similar for both parties. However, the size of the works council (from a works council perspective) and the existence of co-determination in the supervisory board (from a manager perspective) show a positive and significant connection to perceived power. The proportion of explained variance is low in all the models. In addition to the models presented we estimated several other models with different specifications. We did this because company size is correlated with the number of works council members (r = 0.51) and also with the existence of an employee representative on the supervisory board (r = 0.31) (the correlation between the number of works council members and an employee representative on the supervisory board is r = 0.46). But all in all, the results of these regression models were nearly identical. To all intents and purposes, our empirical results do not confirm our hypotheses. Only the degree of unionisation proved to have a recognisable, easily interpretable impact on perceived power that was valid for both sides – works councils and managers. Although other factors also have an impact (for example, the size of the works council and presence of employees´ representative on the supervisory board), these effects are only perceived by one respective side (mainly on the works council side). A cautious statement could be made that the correlations concerning features of the works council itself (or that are directly linked with codetermination, such as a codetermining member on the supervisory board) are higher; however, such confirmation is somewhat fragile. A range of explanations exist concerning the non-confirmed hypotheses. First, measurement problems on account of interviewee errors cannot be excluded. Second, when the implication is made – as is the case here – that the manipulation of perceptions is part and parcel of the bargaining process, then it stands to reason that the interviewees would not portray either the power of the other parties nor their own power correctly – particularly if they assume that the evaluations could become known to the other side. Third, perhaps perceived power is also heavily determined by bargaining process history, the longstanding experience of the negotiating parties or the characteristics of principal participants in the negotiation. We do not have the data required to test such assumptions. Overall, our findings indicate that measurements of subjective power assessment should be approached with great caution. The question regarding the determinants of perceived power also remains open. Although theoretically well-founded hypotheses regarding objective power can be developed using the power-dependence theory, according to our findings subjectively perceived power is not sufficiently explained purely by resource control and its corresponding structural characteristics. There is every indication that consideration also has to be afforded to the features of the bargaining relationship and its history as well as the characteristics of participants and the personal relationships involved. Armstrong, K.J.; Bowers, D.; Burkitt, B. (1977): The Measurement of Trade Union Bargaining Power. In: British Journal of Industrial Relations, 15: 91-100. Aguinis, H.; Nesler, M.; Quigley, B.; Tedeschi J., (1994): Perceptions of Power: A Cognitive Perspective. In: Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 22: 377-384. Bacharach, S.B.; Lawler, E.J. (1976): The Perception of Power. In: Social Forces, 55: 123-134. Bacharach, S.B.; Lawler, E.J. (1981): Bargaining: Power, Tactics, and Outcomes. San Francisco. Chamberlain, N.W. (1951): Collective Bargaining. New York. Clegg, S.R.; Courpasson, D.; Phillips, N. (2006): Power and Organizations. London et al. Emerson, R.M. (1962): Power-Dependence Relations. In: American Sociological Review, 27: 32-41. Giddens, A. (1989): Sociology. Cambridge. Green, F.; McIntosh, S. (1998): Union Power, Cost of Job Loss, and Workers´ Effort. In: Industrial and Labour Relations Review, 51: 363-383. Jirjahn, U.; Smith, S.C. (2006): What Factors Lead Management to Support or Oppose Employee Participation: With and Without Works Councils? Hypotheses and Evidence from Germany. In: Industrial Relations, 45: 650-680. Lawler, E.J.; Bacharach, S.B. (1986): Power Dependence in Collective Bargaining. In: Advances in Industrial and Labor Relations, 3: 191-212. Mitchell, N.J. (1996): Theoretical and Empirical Issues in the Comparative Measurement of Union Power and Corporatism. In: British Journal of Political Science, 26: 419-429. Peetz, David; Pocock, Barbara (2009): An Analysis of Workplace Representatives, Union Power and Democracy in Australia. In: British Journal of Industrial Relations 47: 623-652. Prasnikar, J.; Gregoric, A. (2002): The Influence of Workers´ Participation on the Power of Management in Transitional Countries: The Case of Slovenia. In: Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 73: 269-297. Stirling, J.; Tully, B. (2004): Power, Process, and Practice: Communications in European Works Councils. In: European Journal of Industrial Relations, 10: 73-89. Teulings, Ad W.M. (1987): A Political Bargaining Theory of Co-determination - An Empirical Test for the Dutch System of Organizational Democracy. In: Organization Studies, 8: 1-24. Traxler, F.; Blaschke, S.; Kittel, B. (2002): National Labour Relations in Internationalized Markets: A Comparative Study of Institutions, Change, and Performance. Oxford u.a. Walton, R.E.; Cutcher-Gershenfeld, J.E.; McKersie, R.B. (2000) Strategic Negotiations: A Theory of Change in Labor-Management Relations. London. Walton, R.R.; McKersie, R.B. (1965): A Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiations. New York, London. Witte, E. (1980): Das Einflusspotential der Arbeitnehmer als Grundlage der Mitbestimmung. Eine empirische Untersuchung. In: Die Betriebswirtschaft, 40: 3-26.

https://thewinnower.com/papers/4639-determinants-of-the-perceived-bargaining-power-of-works-councils-results-of-an-empirical-investigation-in-1000-german-firms